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Monday, 28 April 2014

Famous Athlone!

Hey guys!
This is going to be one of my last posts, unfortunately. I have to finish the thesis for my research project here and I still have one final exam. After that I will be travelling a little bit more around Europe again and then... packing and going back home to Blumenau!

Today I'd like to share with you 2 articles that have been posted in the press about Athlone.
One of them was written in Brazil, by the well-known journal "O Globo", and the other was by the American travel guidebook "Frommer's". Check-it out:

- O bar mais antigo da Europa:
http://oglobo.globo.com/boa-viagem/conheca-bar-mais-antigo-da-europa-11978505

- Ireland's 7 prettiest towns
http://www.frommers.com/slideshows/847940-ireland-s-7-prettiest-towns#slide848428

Athlone by my lens

Athlone by my lens

Athlone by my lens

Athlone by my lens


I'm happy Athlone is getting recognized! :O

Sunday, 23 February 2014

10 things I will miss about Ireland

Well, 3-4 months left in Ireland and I am already starting to miss this place. I love Ireland for a number of reasons (although I love Brazil much more <3), but there are some things in particular that I know I will not have in Brazil. So I am going to list the things I love the most in this country that I cannot have in my home country.
Actually the things I will miss the most are not things. It is the people I met here and the moments I shared with them. The friends, the “almost-friends”, the staff from AIT and even my boss at the Research Hub. And what about the parties? The European trips? I love all of these things! These things are so special that they do not deserve to be put in a list – they already have a space reserved in my heart. So, let’s list the other things I will miss! ;)

1 - Irish lifestyle 
I think Irish live their lives in a more balanced way. I may be wrong, but this is the sensation I have. In Brazil we are always rushing, worrying, working or studying all the time… Always late, always in the traffic, stressed, etc. Crazy lifestyle (that often leads to bad quality of life)! They can manage better the relation between studying/work and enjoying the spare time - they seem to have their own time.

2 - Irish Culture (specially music)
Irish culture is so ancient, rich and beautiful! I love everything: their tales (with leprechauns, shamrocks, rainbows, Vikings and so on), their history, their dancing, the Celtic symbols, the music… omg, it is fascinating! But from all of these I must say the one that fascinates me the most is the music, either the traditional or the actual. It does not matter if it is a really famous band or that band that no one heard about: Irish are good musicians. Believe me! Going to Scribes (the pub inside the college) I was frequently delighted with the bands playing there. And they have many traditional instruments: concertina, whistle, fiddle, banjo, bodhran and more! So, besides U2 or Cranberries, try listening to other good Irish bands/musicians: The Corrs, The Dubliners, The High Kings, Flogging Molly, Enya, etc.
Listen to one of the most famous irish songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc0RXQM7CxA
(you probably will recognise this song from Metallica - they made a cover version of it that got really famous)

3 - Pubs
The environment of an Irish pub is indescribable. I will try to describe it, but only going there to feel the mood. First of all, you don’t have to pay to entry – even if there is a band playing there! Second, there are always good drinks, and at a reasonable price. It is a cosy place, where you can meet your friends just after school or go out at night. It does not matter the clothes you are wearing and you can go even in the beginning of the afternoon, if you want. In some specific days, you can even gather with your friends to have a jam session and have some beers (or just hear the other clients playing their own instruments, if you don’t play)!
[Hanging out with the girls at Scribes - the pub inside AIT]
4 - The Nature
What to say about Irish nature? Stunning. OK, Brazilian nature is undoubtedly stunning, but you cannot compare. Each one has its own beauty. In Ireland the green of nature is colourful and bright, almost like a photo edited on Photoshop. You see green everywhere and in many forms: the lovely parks in the centre of Dublin, the fields with horses in Athlone, the small forests and gardens in the countryside, the fields you see when you travel by bus or train, or the big fields near the coast. Talking about the coast, I could not forget about the sea, with its cliffs and beaches (totally different from the majority of beaches in Brazil). Since Ireland is an island, there is plenty of coast to be explored. I truly love how Irish preserve their nature - they put such an effort to it! You can find lots of beaches, but none of them will have many houses or buildings around. Normally the beaches are in remote places rather than inside cities. Truly peaceful!
[Admiring the view in Kinnitty, Co. Offaly]
5 - Snow
I honestly never thought I could enjoy this much seeing the snow, but it is so beautiful! I don’t know what is so magical about it, but it is! Also, seeing everything white around you gives you a peaceful sensation.
[Athlone covered with snow last month. Source of the photo: someone from my Facebook :P]
6 - Rainbows
Ok, I think is this point of the text you have already noticed that I love nature! Rainbows are no exception for this rule. The weather in Ireland is really crazy. It is possible to have rain, wind, snow, hail and sun in the same day! This is not exactly one thing I appreciate here, but thanks to that we have lots of lovely rainbows!

7 - Beer
Many options of good quality beers and for a quite good price. Do I need to explain you something more?

8 - Buying cheap delicious-but-not-so-healthy food in the supermarket
Kinder Bueno is really cheap here. So as cookies, ice-creams (Haagen-Dazs and Magnum), pizza, hamburgers… (no surprise I earned 10kg extra  here!). Can you imagine buying a pack of chocolate cookies for less than 50 cents (€0,50)? Yes, it does exist!

9 - Milk
I didn’t use to like drinking milk in Brazil (I used to complain about the taste of almost all the brands I tried there). But now I know I was not crazy. Irish milk is 100 times better - it does not taste like chemicals, it tastes like… milk! Really good :D

10 - Maple pecan and Mince pie
Well, it is easy to notice that I also love food, looking at the list. So let me explain you what this sweet foods are! Maple pecan is a kind of pastry with a sweet cream inside made of maple syrup and pecan (ORLY?). Mince pie is a small pie (the look reminds empadinha) made of crunchy pastry outside, with kind of a jelly inside - the mincemeat - made of dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices. Whether maple pecan is normally eaten at breakfast or as a snack in everyday life, mince pie is traditionally served during the Christmas season. It is like our panetone – some months after Christmas it is not sold anymore. That’s why I ate loads of them by the time I celebrated Christmas! hahahahah

So that’s all, folks! See you ;)








Sunday, 2 February 2014

Welcome aboard!

Olá galere!

Ok, deixe-me fazer uma introdução decente (em estilo irlandês): Hey lads and lasses, what's the craic?
Não, não estou falando sobre a droga. "Craic" é uma expressão irlandesa para se referir à diversão. Então, "what's the craic?" seria como "e aí, como vai?" ou "e aí, quais as novidades?"



Bom, vamos começar do início. Meu nome é Bruna, sou brasileira, atualmente vivendo na Irlanda na cidade de Athlone. Estou fazendo intercâmbio através do programa de bolsa de estudos Ciência Sem Fronteiras, oferecido pelo governo. Estou estudando no 3º ano de Enfermagem Psiquiátrica no Instituto de Tecnologia de Athlone (AIT – Athlone Institute of Technology). Mas esse blog não é para aflar apenas de mim.
Como vocês devem ter percebido, esse blog é pra falar da Irlanda (JURA? :O). Compartilharei informações e curiosidades sobre o país, a cidade, o instituto (AIT) e também minhas percepções sobre tudo que me cerca aqui. Gostaria de dar a vocês um gostinho de algumas experiências que tenho tido (ou ainda terei) nesse país maravilhoso, assim como responder algumas perguntas que vocês possam ter se estiverem pensando em fazer intercâmbio.

E irei avisá-los: fazer um intercâmbio é intenso. As coisas boas e ruins. Mas a recompensa é maravilhosa, eu lhe garanto! Às vezes eu sinto como se esse fosse um curso intensivo de uma disciplina chamada VIDA. Se você cair você pode chorar... mas quando você se levanta percebe que está mais forte. Consecutivamente, tornar-se mais forte quando você está longe de casa te faz perceber que sim, você pode ser independente. Você se descobre... o que te faz bem, o que não faz... E uma vez que você adquire autoconhecimento, meu amigo... você está se libertando!


Esse é apenas o começo de uma contação de histórias. Você quer vir comigo?
É de graça, eu garanto! ;)


[Foto tirada em Kylemore Abbey (in Connemara) numa viagem organizada pela International Society]


Sim? Então, bem-vindo a bordo!


OBS.: Éire significa Ireland, no idioma Gaélico da Irlanda (explico melhor pra vocês depois).
_____________________________________________________

Hey people, what's up? ;)

Ok, let me do a proper introduction (in Irish style): Hey lads and lasses, what's the craic?

No, I'm not talking about the drug. "Craic" is an Irish idiom/expression to refer to fun. So, "what's the craic?" would be like "what is going on?".


Well, let's start from the beginning. My name is Bruna, I'm Brazilian and actually living in Ireland, in the city of Athlone. I am doing an exchange through a scholarship programme (Science Without Borders) offered by the Brazilian Government. I'm a 3rd year student of Psychiatric Nursing in Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT). But this blog is not to talk only about me.
As maybe you have already noticed, this blog is to talk about Ireland (ORLY?). I'll share information and curiosities about the country, the city, the institute (AIT) and also my perceptions about everything that surrounds me here. I'd like to give you a taste of some experiences I have had (or will have) in this amazing country, and also answer some questions you may have if you are thinking about doing an exchange.

And I will warn you: doing an exchange is intense. The good and the bad things... But the reward is amazing, I assure you! Sometimes I feel like this is an intensive course of a discipline called LIFE. If you fall you may cry... but when you stand up you realize you are stronger. Therefore, being stronger when you are away from home makes you realize that yes, you can be independent. You discover yourself... what makes you feel good, what does not... And once you acquire self-knowledge, my friend... you're breaking free!


This is just the beginning of a storytelling. Would you like to come with me?
It's for free, I guarantee! ;)

[Photo taken at Kylemore Abbey (in Connemara) on a trip organized by the International Society]


Yes? So, welcome aboard!





PS.: Éire means Ireland, in the Irish Gaelic language (I explain to you better later on).

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