Juraj settles into Ireland

Hi, it’s me Juraj or George (because my name is very difficult to pronounce for people in Ireland). This is my second blog about my stay and studying in Ireland. I have been here for exactly one week, but I feel like I’m here more than one month and slowly I start to feel like at home.

But I miss my home, family and friends. Luckily, current technologies offer a lot of ways for me to be with them. I chat or call with my family or friends everyday and hence I don’t have homesickness and I don’t feel alone.

Exactly one week ago I got up very early so that I would catch my flight from Vienna to Dublin. But my family flew away from Bratislava in the same time so they could not take me to Vienna. So, my very good friends took me to Vienna with their car. At about 7 am me and my friends met at my house and went to Vienna.

The ride lasted circa hour and a half. At the airport we said goodbye and after that I was alone but I was not confused and I found my gate easily. My plane wasn’t late and I was in Dublin quickly.

After I picked up my luggage, I looked for my HSI advisor. We found each other very quickly and I made advisor’s acquaintance. We talked about my flight and if was okay. I was the last student so only I and the advisor waited for my bus.

During waiting we talked about studying and so on and even though my English is not perfect we talked quite well. After She showed me the bus stop and explained me how it works with my ticket. We said goodbye and I got on the bus.

When I got off the bus the daughter of my host mother waited for me at the bus stop in Waterford. She was very kind and almost all way we talked together, and I  realized, that everybody speaks/talks different.

Everyone has different pronunciation and that is why it is difficult to understand them. When we came home it was already dark. First thing was meeting the whole family. They showed me my room.

The room is beautiful, and it has toilet and I do not have to share it with anyone. I unpacked my luggage and after that I had dinner with the host family. After that I went to sleep because I was very tired due to all the traveling. Next day me and my host mum went to buy school uniform because the school would start on Wednesday!

Here in Ireland is very cold, more that in my country- Slovakia. It was a huge change because in Slovakia there was 30 degrees Celsius and Waterford was only 15 degrees Celsius. But had known a lot about weather in Ireland so I brought with me good clothes for the weather in Ireland. I don’t live exactly in Lismore so I must go to school by a school bus. School in my town starts at 8:45 so I go every day by bus at 8 o’clock.

The first day I went to school by bus so I met a lot of new people who showed me the school and they explained how the school works. It was very different that in Slovakia so I was very confused and lost. So, first day I had to choose my subjects and make my timetable. But the teachers helped me a lot so it was very easy to make a new timetable.

First three days I was very confused but teachers were very kind and understanding and they helped me every time when I needed help. So now it is very good and I don’t have any problems yet!