It’s hard to believe that its already been over a week since my arrival in Belfast. This past week has been a whirlwind in the best way possible. I have moved into housing, attended two orientations, met a variety of new people, and now feel ready to take on my first week of classes that start tomorrow.
Upon arrival last weekend, I attended an orientation with other students in my provider program, Institute for Study Abroad-Butler (IFSA-Butler). Since there are only 9 people in this program, it was easy for our advisors to show us a bit of the city and help us begin to get acquainted with the area. On Friday, the night of our arrival, we visited the Crumlin Road Gaol. It is the only remaining Victorian prison in Northern Ireland and holds great historical significance regarding Belfast, as well as impressive Victorian style architecture. Although it was freezing cold throughout the tour and many of us were fighting off exhaustion from our overnight flights, it was a great experience. It was intriguing to learn of the prisoners’ conditions and the prison’s practices, especially in regards to the prison’s internal tension between Protestant and Catholic prisoners throughout the height of the Troubles.
The rest of the week included moving into our university housing, attending Queen’s University international orientation, and a chance to explore the city further. Belfast is an amazing and resilient city. While it is still less of a tourist destination than Dublin, this has been changing in the past decade with the decline of their internal conflict. Around every corner, there is something to do. There is an array of restaurants and shops, popular sites such as the Botanic Gardens and St. George’s Market, and historical sites such as the Ulster Museum and the Crumlin Gaol. I also look forward to exploring the beautiful rural areas outside the city.
While the sites are beautiful here, I have been most moved by the people that I’ve encountered. It is not an exaggeration to assert that every person I’ve encountered here has been the epitome of friendly and has been eager to help in any way possible. As they say here in Northern Ireland, the craic (fun banter) is great. That being said, conversations here are also proving to be one of the greater challenges. The Northern Irish speak fast and their accent can be truly difficult to understand. I spent last semester in Jordan, and it seems to me that an Arab accent is actually easier to understand than the Northern Irish. However, it’s a challenge I look forward to overcoming.
All in all, I’ve had an amazing first week in Belfast. I look forward to starting my classes tomorrow, adapting to and learning about the culture here, and exploring the city further.