Derry, too, was covered in snow

This morning (well... afternoon) I woke up to the brightest day I've ever seen here. Snow reflects light. I think everyone in Ireland should probably spend the whole day outside so they can finally get enough Vitamin D.

[Dublin from the Gravity Room-the top of the Guinness Storehouse. Photo Credit: Juliet G.]

Yesterday, Juliet and I walked out of the Dublin Guinness Storehouse and I was enjoying the adventure of walking on ice-coved cobblestone roads and crunchy snow (though I was enjoying much less the biting cold). I saw some kids sliding around ahead of us as they bent to clump the snow into small weapons. Just as I was turning to my friend to say something like: "Aren't the kids in Dublin so cute? You know, playing in the snow and all?" one of the boys, not reaching my shoulder in height, yelled something incoherent at me, wound up his snowball-holding arm, and chucked the cold thing right toward my face. Thankfully, I ducked in time and managed not to fall down because of the ice.

[Juliet on the treacherous streets]

He made a break for it and ran across the road toward his other buddies. Wide-eyed and stunned, I looked around for a second trying to decide if he actually meant to hit me in the face. With a quick assessment I decided he, in fact, had aimed directly for my face. I turned around and yelled lamely after him, "Hey you! You, you young kid! That was such a bad idea! Poor choice!!!!"

Then I looked at Juliet as she, too, struggled to walk in trackless-but-fashionable boots and, laughing, shared my amazement, "That kid actually tried to hit me in the face. Stupid kids."

After our 4-hour bus ride home, we saw that Derry, too, was covered in snow. We hailed a Derry taxi and rode back to the student Village. As we pulled up, I was delighted to see dozens of people out on the only little hill within the village. They were decked out in hats, coats, sweatpants, and wellies for warmth; equipped with plastic blow-up chairs, trash can lids, and cardboard boxes for sledding; and armed with many many tightly packed snowballs for war... Someone made a facebook event for a Duncreggan Student Village snowball fight. For the next several hours people were outside (and sometimes inside) our flat causing a ruckus and enjoying the rare snowfall in Derry.

Later that night the girls came in covered in snow and freezing. "Hot chocolate!!" They squealed. "Put the milk on to warm, Rebecca!" And I did.