Disconnected

Spasmodically: done in brief and irregular bursts...a random word I found while researching for my paper, it seemed to fit my blogging lately. Long time no post; unfortunately Friday our internet went down not returning until this morning. 

Recap:

Friday:

    Marking the end of classes it was quite evident students were finishing up at the university. Usually packed with bikes the now empty bike rack held my lonely bike with just one other,  a clear sign classes had finished.

    Taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine and lack of classes many students played outside. Kicking balls around, practicing herling or just laying in the grass. 

     With no classes on Friday the day was perfect for studying. However, no internet made for quite an inconvenient situation. O'Briens cafe located directly across the street offers free wifi. Taking advantage of it's close proximity and internet access, it became my new home for the day. With background music a bit loud and quite a few customers I was skeptical how productive this type of environment would be. However,  determined to get this paper done I began plowing through. Tucking myself into a corner, avoiding distractions, I was able to make great progress on it. During the lunch hour the cafe became crowded as tables began filling rapidly. Having not purchased anything I felt as though my presence wasn't welcomed. Craving a bit of chocolate I splurged for a chocolate muffin to justify my place in the cafe and enjoy a sweet treat. Well worth it!

My table at O'Briens

Spending several hours at O'Briens it was time to head home and get ready for CU @ the movies. This week Joy was hosting the event.

Walking to Joy's

With quite an interesting selection of movies the vote was split; choosing a random movie the choice was Porco Rosso. Confession: I have no appreciation for anime. Surpsingly I enjoyed it: a Japanese anime film by Hayao Miyazaki. Maybe because the main character was a pig? Either way shockingly enough, a Japanese anime film reading subtitles was great. Can't say I expected it to turn out well, but I'm thankful it did. Not everyone was left with the same impression as Joe exclaimed "What was that?...I don't even get it."

Wonderful hosts Joy & Joel from Canda

Joe enjoying our chicken wraps!

Not quite enough chairs, so I was tucked
in by the fireplace. I loved it!

Group photo from our last CU.

Haha I managed to snap a picture of the photo in Joy's kitchen. We're not sure who decorated the apartment, but they have an interesting taste in photography. Is she yawning? Mad? Angered by the berries?

I don't think I've ever seen someone so upset to be picking strawberries. Whatever the case is, the photo makes me chuckle.

      Unfortunately our apartment complex only staffs the office during weekdays. This meant noone to fix the internet all weekend. No internet access isn't ever convenient, however it's a whole different story when you're disconnected during exams. How exactly I am suppose to finish my research if I cannot access my articles? Rising early Saturday morning I was off on a hunt for wifi. Sadly, O'Briens isn't open on weekends, so I sat outside their front door using the wifi, however the wind was just nippy enough it made for an uncomfortable situation. Mocha Beans, located a few doors down was my next option. Although they too had wifi it was not free. Ms. frugal was not about to pay for wifi, on to my next cafe. Arabica offered free wifi! Yes! However, as the morning progressed so did the noise level and distractions. Ultimately Arabica was a bit of a fail, as I wasn't able to get much done. Resulting in a beautiful soy chai latte it wasn't a complete disaster.

Soy chai latte...my favorite :  )

Also in need of internet access Katie and Abby joined me.

Katie & Abby

Kind of odd, normally this reference is used for my sister and I.

Frustrated by the noisy environment I retreated back to my flat. Seeing as though I am paying for internet access I was quite disturbed by the lack of connection. There is an emergency line we are able to call during weekends. Not having internet access isn't an emergency, however when all of the residents are students and it's finals...it's an emergency. The receptionist was less than friendly, leaving me ready to explode. Throw my phone? Punch a whole in the wall? Yell at the top of my lungs? What was my best option? Okay, so I suppose I should pray about it. Wanting to scream I realized I cannot get angry with the receptionist, as discourteous as she was it was not her fault the internet went down. Remembering back to my days at the YMCA, all too often angry members would blame me for situations completely out of my control. It was not my place to be frustrated with her as I've been in her position many times. Knowing there was nothing I could do to control the situation I simply prayed about it.

Laugh or cry? Crying was a waste of energy. It was time I moved on and made progress on my paper. Biking to campus I found my way into my favorite building, one of the oldest on campus. Rather than resort to the overcrowded library, I found an empty computer lab. Perfect!  I was able to write as God gave me a peace of mind and perspective on the situation. More weekend adventures to come in tomorrows post.

With Love from Galway