First day of SSP lectures

Today was the first day of SSP lectures.  SSP is the semester start-up program that goes for 3 weeks before the term officially begins.  You take essentially a crash course in Irish literature, history, art, architecture, and culture.  We had three lectures today: the history and geography of Ireland, the history and architecture of Trinity, and about Ireland and the classics.  Then I went to the computer help center to get my internet set up so I'm finally reconnected to the world!

Just to give a run down of some of the things I've done over the past few days:

Saturday - adjusted to the time, purchased a few home-ware things to get settled in, and then went out to dinner with a few other people in the program.

Sunday - again, adjusted and settled in.  There was a meet & greet event that evening at at Trinity to meet everyone in the program, so a group of us walked with one of the tutors to campus.  It took about 50 minutes and was my first walk through Dublin and it's a gorgeous city.  Plus it feels like early October and the weather has been absolutely delightful.  I've been able to get by with a t-shirt for the middle part of most days and then just add a sweater later in the evening.  We arrived early and stopped in a pub to chat and see the end of a gaelic football game.

Campus

Monday - we registered (not for classes) and got ID cards at TCD. We had a campus tour, a library tour, and all of that exciting stuff.  I stopped in for a peek at the Book of Kells with a friend.  It's pretty interesting.  I also got a student travel card and took the bus for the first time. After, I ran some errands and made dinner.

Inside of a building at Trinity

Tuesday (today) - I had the first official lectures.  Afterward, I came back and have so far failed to do any of the work they have so generously given us for this class.  My suitemates and some friends all made a very delicious dinner and finally got to know one another.

So that's my life so far.  Now I must go do some of that work. I have an easy bit of reading due by Thursday and an essay due Friday.  It stinks because they assigned 80 pages of a book they had in the library, but there weren't that many copies so I have to figure out how to get it.  Tomorrow night we're going to the Abbey Theatre to see The Plough and the Stars.  I'm pretty excited.  It also means I won't have that much time tomorrow night and I did make a pact with one of my suitemates to be productive tonight.

(Edited: Added pictures 9/5.)