Culturally, I've been gleaning lots of observations while running errands around town, listening to lectures at UCC, drinking in pubs, and generally people-watching wherever I go. Here's what I've surmised about Ireland, in a nutshell:
1. In speech, "like" is said at the end of the sentence, not in the middle. Ex: "I went to the market the other day, like." For some reason, hearing this all the time has made me cognizant of my unintelligent American habit of saying like several times within one sentence.
2. Adidas > Nike (I don't understand this in the slightest)
3. I was talking to my friend Gabby's Irish roommate and she gave us the 411 on this...apparently dating on any level doesn't exist here. Irish boys don't take girls out, and apparently if you've hung out enough times you are somehow labeled as in a relationship? (Vague.) There are also loads of colloquial words for "fooling around," if you will. My favorite is "shifting" (as in making out in the States).
4. One of the biggest surprises for me coming here was that Irish girls are quite obsessed with image. Girls cake on tan makeup that makes them look orange and fake. On a Thursday night, you'll also see them wearing super short dresses and skirts with high heels, and NO tights. I don't know how they:
A) Walk on the cobbled streets of Cork in heels
B) Stand the freezing cold at night wearing next to no clothing
And I thought Isla Vista was bad!
5. In customer service at a cafe, pub, or restaurant, an employee will ask you, "Are you okay, like?" The first time this happened to me, I felt shocked that such a random person would be wondering how my mood was, and replied with, "I'm fine!" I quickly realized that this is their way of asking if I've been helped out yet.
6. People are wonderful cooks here! I don't know if this is a pure generalization because I can't cook for the life of me, but the friends I've encountered have been eager to cook meals for me (I declare that I have no problem doing the dishes.) Between my friends from Toulouse, Montreal, Quebec, and Boston, I feel like I've been eating like a queen.
7. Michael Collins= Big hero here. I'm delving into Irish History, so this is starting to make more sense. He was the "founding father"/Irish revolutionary leader who was also a huge Nationalist.
8. Which brings me to the palpable Britain vs. Ireland rivalry that still exists to this day. I've encountered Irish people in pubs who are still going on about the Black and Tans arriving with "guns and savagery" and how horrible of a country Britain is. As I'm beginning to study more and more history here, I don't blame the Irish, either.

On a lighter note, it's been a shockingly sunny week here and I've found that there's only one way to take advantage of such a treat in the middle of an Irish winter...weekend day trips! My friend Gabby, from Montreal, and I decided to take the Bus Éireann to explore the small town of Killarney in County Kerry. Just an hour and a half West of Cork, it's renowned for world-class Irish musicians and the beautiful Killarney National Park. We explored the park first and then went for tea in town.

Notice how nothing in the Irish language is
discernible to English (thank goodness for their
translations)

I felt like I stepped right into a "Pride and Prejudice" scene

There are swans everywhere here!

The exquisite lunch we made. Baguette, crackers, a variety of cheeses, bean salad, garlic & clove onions, and trail mix (you can see that we're totally living like starving college students).

Here are some superfluous pictures from my life in Cork:

My flatmate Toumtam from Toulouse, France at one of our favorite pubs "The Corner House" that has live music every Wednesday.

My college. I feel like I'm attending Hogwarts on a daily basis! (I think this is having a proufound effect on my subconscious because last night I dreamed that I had joined UCC's Quidditch team...if only)