Whenever I visit a new place, its enjoyable to walk around the neighborhood, see the sights, make note of places you want to check out. Didn’t wake up till 10:30. extremely late for me. Was still feeling sleepy from jet lag and time change. Went for a walk, more like a stroll instead of the usual power walk. The architecture is fabulous.

Another hostel, across the street. Looks cute from the outside, but according to kids that stayed in both. Mine is nicer.

There’s a good place to walk along the river, some it has a walking track. Spent some time in the afternoon working on my blog, returning emails about the upcoming interviews. I hung out with the kids in my room. Recorded voice drops, station IDs, from kids in the lobby from all over the world.

About 4:00 I started getting sleepy, took a nap, and was an hour late to meet the Tenney’s for dinner, Oops! We walked around the restaurant, pub area. Everywhere there is music, the workers in the restaurants were singing along to the music playing outside. We joined in to Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”. The people seem happy. After sitting down, everyone in the Fish and Chips restaurants, staff and patrons alike joined in to sing Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond that was playing outside. Now at home that song makes me change the radio station, but somehow hearing it in a foreign country with it uniting everyone in the space, makes the song memorable. Went back to my room after dinner. The Tenney’s were tired they’d been to another town on an all day tour.

My roommates invited me to “have a pint” with them at a nearby pub. They were meeting some boys from New Zealand and the german boys in our room. Went to Fitzgerald’s Pub, just down the street. Sat next to one of the New zealand boys, he is a cricket player on world tour, after the tour he is moving to London. On the other side of me was an Irish boy, we talked about what we did…then he said..”Interview, you should interview the people in Belfast about how bad they are treated’…and started ranting. After he finished, I said, “Well I only care about the sex stuff”. He turned his back to me and never said another word. Little too heavy conversation for the bar..lighten up, please. Spent awhile talking to Jet ( pronounced Yet) from the Neatherlands and was in our room the night before. She was celebrating because she found one of the almost impossible places to live while she finishes her masters degree. Had a beer and a chat, and after awhile said “Goodnight.”