Final Exams

May 12th concluded my final exams here at the University of Limerick (although many students had finals scheduled until May 19th).  As I said before, a vast majority of the finals are essay question, and you are given between 2-2.5 hours per test. I have been so used to multiple choice exams I found it a bit more difficult trying to adapt to this essay style. It was a week of incessant studying, takeaway eating, and little sleep for many. Some students had exams worth 100% of their grade...There were 12 full teaching weeks throughout the semester and then what is called a "reading week" which takes place the week before final exams.  This is designed to provide extra time for studying the material learned throughout the semester, as most finals are cumulative. We are supposed to find out final grades this June.
*My computer has been broken so I will post more pictures and things to come! :)

Irish Cuisine!

If you're a food lover like me, keep on reading. From my stay here the past three months, I've noticed that the Irish really enjoy home-cooked, hearty foods. I don't think any Irish person would take offense when I say that the stereotype about potatoes is somewhat true. They love their potatoes. Taters are served with practically everything.  When I order a pizza it comes served with chips.  The cool thing about Ireland, however, is that if you get sick of eating the traditional foods like fish & chips, they have practically every other type of cuisine your little heart desires. Right next to Plassey village is a Chinese food restaurant; there are a lots of Indian restaurants that serve kebabs and really good curry cheese fries; Mexican food; American food, you name it. Here are a couple of traditional Irish dishes that I really enjoy:      

1) Traditional Irish Breakfast  (often times just called a "fry") I know I've mentioned this in previous posts but it's so amazing I'm just going to tell you again. It includes the following:

-Rashers (like thicker cut bacon)
-Sausage (of course, the best sausage ever in Ireland)
-Baked beans
-Black pudding (don't ask just eat)
-White pudding (I like mine with ketchup:)
-Fried or scrambled eggs
-Soda Bread
-Fried tomatoes and/or mushrooms (varies in certain places)
-Tea or coffee

Here is a picture of a fry that I made, its missing black pudding and fried tomatoes, but as you can tell its a lot of food! If anything, you just have to have the rashers and sausage together.

2) Guinness Stew, Irish Stew, & Clam Chowder
The Irish enjoy a lot of stews and chowders that are delicious and very filling.

^This is a pic of the Guinness stew I tried with my family in Dublin! The ingredients can vary but mine had beef, mushrooms, onion, and potatoes I believe. Oh and a bit of Guinness beer too;)

3) Fish & Chips 
Of course, the deep fried cod and chips are very good. When my family came to visit, my dad had this five nights in a row for dinner... We started to worry for his health. A great place to get this dish is at McDonagh's Fish & Chips restaurant located in the heart of Key Street Galway.

4) Sheppard's Pie

Often called "Cottage Pie," this dish consists of ground beef and mixed vegetables (like carrots, peas, onion) topped with a creamy layer of mashed potatoes!



 5) Bacon & Cabbage

One of the age old Irish delicacies is the traditional Bacon & Cabbage dish. This dish is the most tried and tested culinary concoctions since the days of the Famine. It is quite a hearty and filling meals and is one of the most generic dishes you will find in Ireland. Quite simply it consists of green leafy cabbage, fluffy 'mash', and generous servings of thick collar bacon, usually served with cauliflower sauce.