June 24- So much drama

First "real" day of class after the introductory ones yesterday. Both classes had a common theme: Covering a lot of time in very little time. My hand was cramping by the end from trying to write everything down, but reading the supplementary articles helps piece together what was said in lecture. I went to the NUI library for the first time, which for some reason is always a big thing for me. I don't know; it's something about putting an English major in a building full of books. The library itself was great--that is, until I got lost and couldn't figure out where the entrance was. I blame the overabundance of stairwells. I eventually figured out how to get downstairs, though it ended up happening twice. What can I say? I'm still getting oriented. But my wanderings did lead me to the Tolkien section, so I can claim that "not all who wander are lost." After classes, there was a film showing of "The Quiet Man," a 1952 John Wayne movie in which the main character returns to his family home in Innisfree ("I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree..." --Yeats) and engages in hijinks with various locals, including a love affair with a fiery Maureen O'Hara (a redhead with a temper--never seen that before). The movie was very 1950's, with a lot of stereotypes. But it was all good fun. We also were invited to see a play in the Town Hall Theater across the river. The play was entitled "The Matchmaker" and involved two actors telling a story through letters about various people seeking help from a matchmaker (epistolary!). It was not my cup of tea. It was interesting to note how one actor's thick accent was so strong that he was almost impossible to understand. Sure, Ireland is English-speaking, but that doesn't mean there isn't a language barrier.
After the play ended, a bunch of us went in search for food. Unfortunately, things close a lot earlier here than they do in the States. Even the late night pharmacy by our homestay is only open until 9pm at the latest. However, our wanderings did lead us down Shop Street, where we encountered an amazing band of drummers and a didgeridoo player.