Hey everyone! I know it's been two weeks again, but again my adventures were slightly limited due to schoolwork. But I won't have that problem anymore! Know why? I decided to drop out and become a stripper instead. I think it's a viable career option, and quite honestly I don't really care for wearing pants, so it's a win win.
Just kidding. Though I may or my not actually own some knee high black pleather boots. But we don't talk about those. The real reason I no longer have to worry about school is that MY SEMESTER IS DONE!!! Last Wednesday I had my last test, and last Thursday I turned in my last two papers! I was basically half asleep when I wrote the one, too, but once I read it before turning it in, it actually sounded pretty legit. There was actually a sentence in there that was exclusively three-syllable words except for "a" and "the," so apparently I just start using really long vocabulary words when I'm half asleep. Woohoo for being a nerd when you're only semi-conscious! That being said, I don't know what my final grade for any class is, though I have high hopes. I think I did fairly well. But you don't really want to know about my schoolwork, especially since one of the classes was on politics.
What *has* been exciting happened last weekend! Last Saturday to be exact. On that day, the school took a bus down to Belfast and we got to visit the Titanic Museum!!! That may not sound that exciting to you, or maybe only partially exciting, because, hello, Titanic (or is it just me who is weirdly and morbidly fascinated by that?). And to be honest, I'm still more than slightly baffled that Belfast is so ridiculously proud that they built this particular ship (they'll tell you "it was fine when if left here!"). But OH. MY. GOSH.
I have never been so in love with a building and what it holds before. As a history major, especially one who wants to go into public history, it was an experience and a half. There were buttons and levers and touch screens and a RIDE and it was completely immerseive and larger than life! There's a room where the floor is one big touch screen that stretches across the far wall as well. You step on certain points, and a giant copy of a design plan of the Titanic expands beneath your feet, telling you what part of the ship you're standing in, while on the far wall information about what went into building that section or what passengers and crew did in that section is given to you. I was grinning ear to ear and acting like a small child, the way I freaked out about it. One woman who was walking through saw my fervor and was like "well you like this don't you?" and seemed highly amused that a 20 year old was giving little squeals when the screen changed and bouncing on the balls of her feet. I wasn't even embarrassed though, with how excited I was, just grinning at her and nodding vigorously, responding with "Yeah, maybe just a little."
Like I said, the museum had a ride too! It took you through the construction of the Titanic, lighting up different screens and taking you through a giant replica of the ship's rudder. Another room had three walls, showing a surround-stage view while taking you on a virtual tour of the Titanic! In every room you went to there were touch screens and buttons to push, letting you skip between bits of information with ease, and yet having whatever you want to know easily accessible with a tap of your fingertips. There was a room with several boards like this from which you could scroll through the names of the passengers and crew and see what class they were or their job, and see whether they survived the sinking or not. There was one crew member, actually, with my last name. He, unfortunately, died when the ship went down.
The museum went on to talk about the trial that followed, looking for someone to blame for the tragedy, and continued by showing all the different pop culture media that were derived from the event. I was more than a little entertained when I periodically heard strains of "My Heart Will Go On" playing from that part of the exhibit. OH MY GOSH and THEN there was a room with a giant screen showing live footage of a teeny little sub going down to the ocean floor to see the wreckage. Is it strange that, if I had the money to do it, I wouldn't think twice about paying to go see the Titanic where it rests on the bottom of the Atlantic? Cuz I totally would. It's on my bucket list.
When I got to the gift shop I had to restrain myself from buying all the souvenir stuff, and resigned myself to like, six postcards, three of which are probably going on my wall when I get home. But yeah, from a visitor's point of view, one who has always been interested in the Titanic and it's tragic story, it was already wonderful. But from a public history hopeful like me, I was in complete awe. This museum was the very definition of what I want to do- take history and present it in a way that excites people, that helps them learn in an enjoyable and effective way! I have NEVER been to a history museum that has done that so effectively. Science museums, sure, because they're like "This is what science can do. Here, you can try, too." With history, though, it's something that's already passed, and not something you interact with; the Titanic Museum crushed that stereotype and completely won my heart.
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| This is the room that made me act like a five-year old |
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| A Nationalist's history of Ireland in a nutshell |
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| Basically the coolest map in existence |
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| Pull the lever Kronk! (but seriously I pulled these way more than was actually necessary. They were just too fun) |
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| Here you are, enjoy a 100+ year old water logged bath tub, that was apparently equipped to work with fresh and salt water. (Fun Facts) Though I doubt when it was made the builders expected this much salt water to be involved. |
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| I cannot tell you how exited this shot makes me. Legit get shivers every time I see it |
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| Is me :) |
You know what's exciting, too? MY HOST DAD WAS ON THE ORIGINAL DESIGN COMMITTEE. Which means he's basically my hero. Like, seriously. The designers of that building and exhibit are just...asldfkjdhflajdxaldfjalksdj. And that's what I have to say about that.
That was my most exciting happening these past couple of weeks, though we did spend a little more time in Belfast, stopped to see Stormont (the N. Ireland parliament building) which was gorgeous, and passed a C.S. Lewis commemorative statue in the part of Belfast where the writer had lived, which was pretty cool too.
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| This is Stormont. What a cool name for a government building though! |
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| aforementioned statue, of Mr. Lewis and a wardrobe : ) |
Since then I've been taking it slow, took a couple of walks, had a couple of movie nights. I had dinner with my host parents, which was delicious, and then on Easter my friends and I made dinner together. I did have an exciting time Wednesday night after all my schoolwork was done, as kind of a celebration of the fact. That story, however, I choose not to share with the general public. Fun times in Northern Ireland indeed. ;)
Well, now I'm waiting to get a message from my dear friend Sarah, who along with my sister Elisia, will be spending the next week with me touring the British Isles, visiting Dublin, London, and meeting a lovely friend named Emily who's studying in Scotland, in Edinburgh!!!!! Lots of traveling coming up! I'll have SO many more stories the next couple of weeks! So, I have to go get some stuff ready, but I'll try to update in about a week (cuz frankly, it will be one ridiculously long post if I try to smush all my travels into one post. so. )
Anyway, that's all for now. Heading off for an exciting three weeks of adventuring! Talk to you again soon!
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