Trees

I went down to the international office today to ask if I do need a student visa like people have been telling me that I do. And technically I don't. It's not really a student visa. It's some Irish immigration card, and yeah I do need it. Well my name wasn't even on the list that they send to the Garda. Now it is. She said hopefully it would only take a week or two. That's fine. I have a month. The system is really stupid though. There is one guy who handles the immigration cards for all the colleges in a few different counties. You have to wait for him to call you and he tells you when your appointment is. I don't even think it's something you figure out together--he just tells you when you need to be there and if you have class or something else going on it's too damn bad. Rather irritating. But yeah--no way I'm going to Belfast tomorrow.

I went to class. Nothing too exciting. I can say the time in Irish now. My poetry teacher got chocked up reading an elegy. I'm bummed because we are going to have some other teacher for the rest of the term.

It was actually really nice out today, so I went for a walk. Instead of going down to south campus again I went the other way which is into town. There's really only one main street in Maynooth and that's cool. First thing I did was walk by a bookstore and I have to stop. I did not buy a book though. I was really pissed to find Ulysses for 3 Euro though. Anyway, keep waking. At the end of the street there are few things--a St. Someone's girl's school where all the girls have to wear school girl skirts and blue sweaters, and a Tesco which I guess is like Walmart or Costco. In between these things is this cool gate and a very very straightly paved walking path. At first there are houses on both sides, but by the end there are cows on one side and horses on the other. Then, if you cross the street you come to the Carton estate. Apparently the Cartons were the shit a while ago and had all kind of land. Now it's a huge golf course and there is a house somewhere farther than I was prepared to walk today. But it's awesome.

I don't know what it is about walking, but I always just get goofy elated by it. Maybe it's cause I also go after classes at around 5 or 6 and everything looks amazing in that light. But I thought this place was beautiful and felt like I've never been more impressed by trees. I took way too many pictures of them.















































Look at that. I even have a tree silhouette. I like the one with the couple walking though. I passed them and got passed by them five times. The lady looked at me funny each time. But yeah. Nature man. I should have been a painter. Colors and lighting and composition and just things make me kind of dopey inspired I guess.

Enough of that. Twas a good day. I ran into Nate coming back to the apartment and he talked to me more about sexism and how he still says everything is dollars and he's dehydrated and that scares him and he's just a weird hyperactive guy.

I broke my cooking streak with a frozen pizza today.

Casablanca tomorrow for Film. That'll be good. I've never seen it.

Dublin on Saturday for sure since I can't do Belfast yet. I also have to be here for fall break, and that is totally fine with me. I'm really looking forward to it.