Immigration, Classes, and Belfast

This post is going to be all over the place.

First, I'm a bit frustrated right now because I just wasted an hour in line to register with the Irish Immigration department. Anyone staying here over 90 days has to register with immigration so the Irish government can make sure we're not trying to move here and mooch off their services. We need to prove we're actually a student and can support ourselves. So, after getting all my forms filled out, I had to walk to the Garda (police) station and wait in line. The walk wasn't bad, only about 1k, but after waiting in line for an hour and getting to the front, they announce they're closing and are not going to take anyone else, because it was 4:00 PM, when they close (it was actually 3:55). So, they sent about 20 of us home without bothering to tell people who had no chance of registering that they were wasting their time waiting. Now I need to go do this all again on Monday morning.

On a different topic, my class schedule is finalized now, here are my list of courses:

1. Introduction to Modern Irish
2. Introduction to French
3. Culture, Literature, and Language of Ireland.
4. Moral Responsibility
5. Citizenship and Human Rights
6. Theories and Origins of Democracy and Ideology

The first three are courses specifically made for visiting students, and the last three are with actual Irish students.

Finally, I reserved my spot on the trip to Belfast that Arcadia University is organizing. It's heavily subsidized, and for only 20 euro, I get transportation, accommodation, a few meals, and some guided tours. It's a great deal and should be a fantastic trip. Below is the itinerary:

Arcadia Belfast Field Trip
27/02/09 - 01/03/09
Itinerary
Nestled on the coast below Cave Hill and the Black Mountain, Belfast is a vibrant city where the
hospitality is legendary and the warmth of the people is genuine. Dramatically transformed in recent
years, Northern Ireland’s capital is a warm and welcoming place just waiting to be discovered.
Day 1
Friday
February 27th
8:45 a.m. Depart Deanshall, Cork for Belfast
4:30 p.m. Arrive in Belfast, check into Belfast International Hostel
6:00 p.m. Dinner at Jury’s Inn Group 1
7:30 p.m. Dinner @ Jury’s Inn Group 2


Day 2
Saturday
February 28th
8:00 a.m. Breakfast at the Youth Hostel
Depart the Hostel for Field Trip to the North Coast and the Giant’s Causeway.
10:15 a.m. Guided tour of the Giant’s Causeway
Stop in the scenic village of Portrush for lunch on return to Belfast.
7:00 p.m. Depart hostel by coach travel to Dinner in The Edge restuarant.
Day 3
Sunday
March 1st
9:00 a.m. Breakfast at the Hostel
9:30 a.m. Check out and depart by coach for Wellington Park Hotel.
Talk and Slide presentation on the rich culture of Belfast’s Murals, with Professor
Bill Rolston.
Followed by a Q&A session.
This session will orientate you to the unique political and cultural background of Belfast and
Northern Ireland. It will address the history of the conflict and will clarify the main players:
political parties, paramilitary organisations and the communities that they represent. This
will help create a context for the guided tour.
12:00 p.m. Lunch at The Wellington Park Hotel
12:45 p.m. Board coaches for a Guided tour of Belfast City.
Guided by Belfast City Guides, we will explore the city of Belfast. We will visit the political
murals of East and West Belfast including the Catholic Falls and Protestant Shankill roads.

c.3pm – Depart Belfast for Cork



Accommodation
Belfast International Hostel
22-32 Donegal Place
Belfast
Tel: 048 903154354