Last Thursday, I was on my way to class, with just a few other people around, when someone started to whistle. Now of course I've heard people whistle before, but this boy (I believe I pinpointed it to be him) was a freshman looking, dark haired, Irish boy, and he was whistling If I Ruled the World (notably sung by Tony Bennet, but originally from the musical Pickwick). The pitch was so clear and the phrases so beautiful, it was truly shocking. I can't even describe the chills it gave me.
Upon first hearing it, I couldn't believe how talented of a whistler this guy was! He was truly singing the song with such grace, and not even using words. But as he followed me down the sidewalk, I realized how happy it was making me. Without thinking about it, I had previously been walking on a mission: get to class, suffer through the material, get home, and keep the eyes down and shoulders up. This music completely broke that barrier down. The tune was coming straight from his heart. There is no other way to describe it!
So the second thought that I have kept with me since I heard this, is about the songs we all carry in our hearts and in our minds. Most of us have some sort of tune we revert back to (I think mine is Dancing in the Moonlight) when we daydream, and I have been so impressed that this kid sings the classics, and then had the guts to share it with those of us around him. Wow. And what's more is that he doesn't even know I have been obsessing over this moment! It makes me wonder how many small things we all do on a daily basis that stick with other people. I want to strive to make mine good things.
The next small thing I cherished was also on the same Thursday. I had a small dinner with a few friends, two Germans and one American. We fixed some sort of French meal that was almost like thin crust pizza, but it was phenomenal. Then we watched the German national team play football against Sweden (I rooted for Sweden of course, since I had just gotten back from there), but Germany won. We spent the rest of the night and wee morning hours just talking and listening to music (Rammstein...), but the simplicity of it all that still created such fun shocked me. A lot of the time here has been spent planning hikes, parties, cab rides, club training sessions, etc. I needed to be reminded that a good day of rest could be just as nice as a full day of planned activities.
Small thing number 3: I went to take a genetics test in one of my large lecture classes. The professor passed out the exam face down, and we all waited to flip it over until everyone had one. While we waited, it became quite obvious that some sort of grid was printed on the last page of the exam. It was a 30 multiple choice question exam, so why would there be a grid? Well.... the professor actually printed out each test with the ANSWER KEY stapled onto the back!!! NO ONE said a word. We all began to take the test as usual (is that cheating?) and it took her about 10 minutes to notice what she had done. The entire class erupted in laughter, and the teacher was definitely in shock, but there is a first time for everything! Now we have to take a different test in two weeks with a lot more information... so the joke is on us I guess.
The fourth thing I have fallen in love with here is walking. Most of the places we want to go are in Portstewart or Portrush, which are approximately 3 and 6 miles away. At first, we were taking taxis everywhere, but that is expensive and we have perfectly capable legs. So now, we are walking! To Portstewart, anyway. The 2.8 mile walk is along the River Bann, and has some of the most beautiful farm fields I've seen. The hour journey (and sometimes less) goes by quickly if you're walking with the right people, and the opportunity to just talk, rather than be on the internet, is much appreciated by all.
Number 5 is about cooking. I've never really had to cook that much in my life, nor have I had much of a desire to. If I have a recipe and the necessary ingredients, I can make just about anything. It's all chemistry, after all! But here in my flat on campus, I share a full kitchen with 5 other girls. We go to the grocery store at least once a week, and we all have our own food for the most part. It has forced me to buy things for meals, and then be creative as to how to spice up the same chicken breasts after I've had them with the same pasta for three days. So you know what? Cooking really isn't that hard! Unless you use the smoke detector as your timer, it's hard to make a truly inedible meal. The weird thing about it, is that I have come to enjoy the process of making the food more than I do eating it. Of course it is nice to not be hungry anymore, but there is a strange satisfaction in stirring the pasta and chopping the vegetables... I will have to contemplate that a little more.
So far, nothing catastrophically bad has happened to me here in Ireland (knock on wood). I have yet to suffer a mental breakdown, get so homesick I cry myself to sleep, or be pulling my hair out over studying science. Not that those things haven't been on the horizon at least a little bit... But Ireland has had this magical effect on me where it has become easier to be in the moment. I think it's because I know I have to be, there is no other option, because otherwise this will fly by faster than it already is. The best piece of advice I have ever been given was from Dr. Lou Fox. His catch phrase is "Don't sweat the small stuff," but I would like to add on to that and say "Don't sweat the small stuff, cherish it."
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