Over the weekend, Betta left. She completed her internship this past Friday and caught a flight out early Saturday morning. I've gotten so accustomed to having dinner with her every day, that it was very strange seeing her go. Once you get into a routine, you feel odd having it change.
I went to work Saturday and then I attended the cinema by myself since I couldn't find anyone to come with me. The Jameson International Film Festival has been in town for the past week and half, and I didn't want it to end without going to at least one movie. The event is set up similiarly to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah or the Toronto International Film Festival. Movies from all over the world are shown every night. The cinemas highlight films that are not mainstream---very artsy movies which make a social commentary or documentaries about culture and poverty.
I figured that I should see a movie that I wouldn't normally have seen, but since I was going by myself, I really didn't want to see a film that would make me want to slit my wrists. Why would I go to see a depressing French film and be upset for the rest of the day? Instead, I went to see an American/UK film: The Eagle. It was about ancient Rome's invasion of Britain and Channing Tatum is the star. I'm not going to lie---that was the main reason I went :-)
The great part about the Film Festival is that there is someone who speaks before the film begins. Usually it is an actor from the movie, but we had the producer of the film (which was just as well...Channing Tatum is nice to look at but he doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree). He told us some of the background for making the movie and some of the director's decisions that they made. Getting the chance to hearing about the behind-the-scenes was fascinating.
For the rest of the weekend, I was incredibly sick. I was going to take a tour of the Cliffs of Moher on Sunday but I had to reschedule because I felt like the bottom of a shoe. My new roommate was coming on Monday and I figured I should spend a day convalescing so that I didn't cough all over her when we met for the first time.
I must admit that I was a little nervous about a new roommate. As I said before, once you enter into a routine, any change to the routine makes you feel a little nervous. I sincerely hoped that my new roomie and I would be compatible and I worried about our first meeting.
But luckily, I had nothing to worry about. We hit it off fabulously. I was able to pay-it-forward---Betta had prepared lunch for me and showed me around Dublin on my first day, and now I had the chance to return the favor. I made some fajitas for Veronica and I (not sure if she liked them, but she was appreciative of the food), and then we hit the town. We found where her English school is located (although I don't think she needs classes...her English is already fabulous), and we walked around the Temple Bar area, and we carried on the tradition of going to the Queen of Tarts. We found a mutual love for learning and books and we discussed family, our towns (she is from Verona in northern Italy), our careers, guys, and everything else under the sun.
I also found out that, unlike Betta, Veronica likes to go out dancing :-) She expressed the same disbelief as me about everything--"I was in Italy this morning, sleeping in my own bed, and now I am going dancing with an American from across the Atlantic in the city of Dublin. I can't believe it." Neither can I, Veronica, neither can I. It seems surreal that I get the chance to meet so many different people from so many different countries.
I found out that my Belgian roommates like dancing too. I am going to go salsa dancing with them tomorrow night.
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