You get a tan from sitting in the (Irish) rain

Seriously. It's out of control. It's not just the rain--you also have the wind to contend with, which makes perfectly lovely days chilly and already rainy days terrible. Those stories you've heard about the Irish weather? Not exaggerations. Complaining about the weather is as popular here as it is in Minnesota.
Case in point: This morning was beautiful; nearly 50 degrees F (I really need to learn my Celsius conversions) and sunny--perfect for the open-top bus tour our RAs planned today around the city--our only real touristy event, and very needed as I had no real sense of the city at all (I still don't, really, but I'm getting there). So we took the Luas down to St. Steven's Green, met up with everyone, climbed to the top of the bus, and then the wind started blowing and suddenly it was freezing--I don't know the last time I've been that cold (still, the tour was great; we saw the major sites--Phoenix Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol (a prison made famous for the detentions and executions of leaders of the Irish rebellions), the Guinness storehouse--an excellent overview). Then this evening it started raining, of course, but my friend Johanna and I braved the trek to the grocery store. Both of us had our umbrellas blown inside out at least twice on the way there. It's wild, really, but some sick part of me kind of relishes it.
I'm going to play a quick picture catch-up. I haven't taken many yet--none of the apartment, none of the city itself--but I'll get on it, I promise.
A few from Glendalough:
































Getting into the mountains made me very excited to travel around Ireland, although I might wait until I've learned a little Gaelic to travel much around the west coast--Gaelic is the primary language in some towns out there.
That brings me to my course list (the nerdy part of this post, but I can't wait to start classes). I'm taking Irish Language and Culture, Celtic Myth and Legend, Irish Literature into Film, Creative Intro to Irish Prose Fiction, and Intro to Northern Irish Troubles (I thought it would be a good idea to have some background before the IES trip to northern Ireland in February). I may also audit an art history class, as it consists mainly of going to museums and galleries.
Before I forget, my mailing addresses are:

10 Wyckham Place
Wyckham Way
Dundrum, Dublin 16
Ireland

(this is my apartment address, and fine for letters) and:

IES Dublin
27-29 Rathmines Road
Lower Dublin 6
Ireland

(any packages must be sent here; otherwise I'd have to hunt them down at the post office).

And now for a little craic...
From last night at a pub near Trinity College:

















The other girl in the top picture is Johanna, who goes to the U of M--she's the only person I've met who knows what Augsburg is! This was very exciting to me. The girl on the bottom picture is my roommate Maribeth.
From this cold, cold afternoon--just hanging out with James Joyce in St. Steven's Green:















Weather aside, I'm having a fabulous time--there's just so much that I can't wait to explore. Am I really going to be here for only 3.5 months?