"Now, that's just lazy." - Louise's view on cruise control in American cars

It's been a while.

We didn't have internet from Saturday night to yesterday so I'm going to stick with blaming that and not my own laziness for my lack of entries.

My new internship is stellar. The workers/volunteers are all super fun and amazing. The kids are interesting and fun and keep you on your toes. It's so different from anything I've done before and I think that's why I love it even more. I get to work with girls and boys from ages 8 to 16 (or there abouts). It makes me happy to know I may be able to positively impact them and help them make good decisions in their lives. I have learned the little things truly do matter and anything can be made in to a learning experience.

During my first supervisor meeting on Friday, Louise told me I'm doing really good. She can't believe I've never worked with kids before like this. She praised me for just being like 'Here I am, deal with me' (AKA not being shy and having no shame) and not being afraid to converse with the kids. I take what they throw at me in stride. It's good to know I'm fitting in well and not messing up anything too badly.

This morning I attended a 'training' session with other area youth workers. We learned a bunch of group games we could play with the kids. They are meant to be fun, but there's more to them like learning about one another and instilling trust in each other. It was so, so much fun and I really enjoyed being a part of it. I hope to some day be able to take what I learned here and apply it in America.

Another small world moment: Maggie (the other worker at SHY) and I realized today that her family (I can't remember who specifically) lived in the town near where my brother used to live in Virginia. Absolutely crazy.

Not being able to watch the Olympics is killing me. The coverage is limited here (as the TV stations are even more limited) and online isn't working (NBC said I can't watch because I'm international). This isn't funny anymore.
Dana.Needs.Curling!!!!
Side note: Senior year of high school we had senior study hall which was held in a cafe style room with tables and TVs. During the Winter Olympics, we put on curling on the TVs and I swear mostly everyone ended up watching and getting in to it. 2nd period senior was the best study hall ever. So this whole watching curling thing is a big deal/tradition, if you will.

Tried to go out Saturday night with the crew only to be denied entry to a 'dance club' because I was wearing a hoodie. Are you serious? Seeing as I didn't know this was the place we were going I wasn't wearing a shirt I'd wear in public underneath said hoodie (as in a small white tank top). So I went back to the apartments. Whatever Waterford, the night life in Buffalo is better anyways!!!

I've had a lot of fun lately comparing notes between Ireland and America.

It is cheaper to buy a standard transmission car here than an automatic. As in, it's standard to drive standard. You cannot be licensed to drive both either. You choose what you'll drive and that's the license you have. They also do not have cruise control, hence the title of this post. My 'supervisor' couldn't believe the concept when I explained it to her. Of course, Ireland also doesn't have the highways/thruways like America does so it's a little less usable.

Irish pancakes are not American pancakes. Theirs are thinner, more like a crepe but not that thin. I had my first one on Monday (we're making them all week for Pancake Tuesday). They do not in fact have IHOP here (who knew International didn't actually mean International!) and pancakes are really a once a year deal. I've also begun to understand the love of Nutella. Of all the toppings I tried on their pancakes, it was my favorite.

Mac & cheese really isn't a big deal here at all. When I made Easy Mac in front of Nieve & Louise they about near died (and not in a good way) to see cheese in powdered form. I kept telling them to not judge it because it's the poor college kid version of m&c. Wait till I get some Velveeta or Kraft, they won't be repulsed then (I hope).

They do not have Milk Duds or Twizzlers here. Apparently those that have visited America love them both very, very much. So weird that something so basic to us is a treat for them. Today Maggie got surprised with a pack of Twizzlers. I watched Lindsey (the community drugs worker) and Louise have them for the first time. They kept calling them licorice before eating them (which I wouldn't allow) and understood afterwards that they aren't at all like licorice. They seemed to like them OK enough.

Also on food (what the hell, I must seem so fat with all this food talk!) they do not have graham crackers here like we do. While talking with my one girls' group they asked about smores and if I love Hershey's (something else they don't really sell here because Cadbury is a big deal). They only knew how to make smores because they'd seen it on Hannah Montana!!! That is just NOT acceptable in my view!!
I've asked my mom to ship over some crackers and chocolate so one night with the girls we can make proper smores. Of course, they won't be truly proper because there's not a place to build a fire to roast marshmellows so they'll have to be microwave style. But at least they'll have the real, right crackers and chocolate.

They don't have Pam cooking spray (at least that I've seen). They use something that looks like butter but definitely isn't as cooking grease. Because they don't have Pam, I wonder if the joke in the movie Baby Mama about 'spraying a little Pam down there' isn't as funny to them?
Yes, I think about these things. And I'm a role model for kids! :P Haha!

Topper=pencil sharpener.
Press=cupboard.
Bin=garbage can.
Prom=stroller (for babies).

When you sneeze, no one says 'Bless you'. Ever.

I have my first big paper due to Brockport on Monday. Agency Profile. Thankfully, SHY has folders of info I was able to go through yesterday. They actually have folders called 'Agency Profile' and 'Community Profile'. Of course they weren't nearly as up to date as I would have liked so on Friday I have questions for Lousie to tie up loose ends. Even though it's a longer paper, I can't find it in me to complain because it's technically only one class I'm doing. My internship hardly feels like work 90% of the time but I'm definitely learning.

I am wiped out. Off to reading and bed I go.

Love you all,

Dana