International Incidents (or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the time change)

I have to admit that I was probably looking forward to days 10 & 11 more than anyone else. These are the days for the Irish government guest lecturer and tours. I am teaching a political theory course to the students here, and we are focusing on political ideology, nationalism, democracy, and the relationship between church and state. Studying these things in the Irish context provides a rich backdrop and fascinating examples. We have already had the benefit of several political conversations through our experiences so far, and these two days were an opportunity to bring many of these discussions into focus. Day 10 features a lecture on Irish political history by a member of the Dublin city council, who also has a Master's degree in political science and history. This unique opportunity is made even more outstanding because he invites us to Dublin City Hall, where we are given the lecture in the legislative chamber of Dublin city government. On our way we even meet the forme...

The second week began with the students seeming a little worn out. This is understandable considering Dublin is a lively place to spend the weekend. This is also understandable because Monday was their first "quiz" in my class and they were nervously studying their notes as class began (I might have admitted Friday that this was actually an exam, and that I was calling it a "quiz" to try to make it less stressful). The students blamed me for their stress and tiredness, but this faded away as we put the exam - I mean quiz - behind us. This week is going to be the busiest yet in Ireland. After class we head out for lunch and a visit to the National Gallery of Ireland. We made afternoon trips like this optional, but everyone decided to come. We must be fun to be around. I have been put in charge of navigating, which means we walk through the Dublin streets in a line, trying to make the green walk signs together, which stay lit for 2 seconds. We stop for lun...

St. Patrick's Park and Cathedral One way to the classroom building downtown includes a walk through St. Patrick's Park next to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is a great way to start the morning, and enjoy public spaces and sights the way that many who live in the city do. The next two days in Dublin contain striking examples of the history that is woven into the city, and how remarkable it is that this history appears on every street and around every corner. Our plans for most weekdays are for classes to start the day, leaving afternoons and evenings of exploration. Days 4 & 5 here include profound experiences for us and the students: viewing the Book of Kells at Trinity College, and touring the Kilmainham Gaol prison. Darci and Emi at the Book of Kells exhibit.  The letter "D" as it is written in the Book of Kells The Book of Kells is a 1200 year old manuscript of the Gospels written by 9th Century Irish monks. The combination of Celtic s...