So let me start by saying that June has been a great month. I finally was able to leave Dublin for a bit, which was super refreshing since I hadn’t been out of Dublin since the summer. I got to go on a bit of an adventure to the west of the country in County Clare. It is now my new favorite part of the country, sorry Maynooth and Dublin, ...
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This month has been hectic to say the least, as final exams has had everyone on edge and the temperamental weather has not helped much either. But believe it or not, it is the best time to step back, calm down, and be grateful. I think sometimes we forget how fortunate we actually are, and we get caught up and stressed out in our own little world. During this time, ...
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For this month’s blog post, I would like to take some time to discuss the importance of mindfulness for mental health, particularly during exam season. I’m sure everyone can agree that exam season, especially during a pandemic with exam dates that have been squished together within the same week, will have an extremely harmful effect on one’s mental health - I personally struggle with increased anxious thoughts and depressive slumps. The ...
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Romanian Easter is a wonderful time of the year. Families gather together, go to mass the night before and light candles for deceased loved ones and then the following morning gather for a big traditional meal together. In this blog post, I just want to discuss a little bit about the cuisine and traditions of Orthodox Romanian Easter! Depending on the family, a lot of Romanian Orthodox’s are very religious. My ...
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It was Tuesday and the sun was beating down, it was only 10 am but it is summer now. Bright and early, rise and shine. I had made sure to plan my day ahead of today, but as usual things just happen. Come up out of nowhere. With a coffee in hand, I lazily shuffled to back of my car and opened the boot, lifted up the centre flap and pulled out the jack, ...
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As March came to a close with the worm moon, which is the first full moon to occur after the spring equinox, I can confidently say that better weather is ahead of us here in Ireland…. Hopefully, honestly you never know here. Also starting April 12th, restrictions are slowly starting to be lifted which is great news honestly. The March blues were starting to get to me, but after much time ...
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Last night as I twisted and turned in the sheets, my partner whispered to me. Little fast flutters in her belly, in the pitter-patter tempo, a little person began kicking. The 17-hour workdays are here again! Filled with many assignments and multiple group projects between the must-dos of cooking, laundry, and the odd lick of paint. A year ago, distance learning was implemented, and since then, challenges have come with it. Now, a year ...
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My name is Lorraine Helen Stanciu. Originally of Romanian ancestry, I was born here in Dublin in 2001 and spent all of my academic years in Ireland. It has been a mish-mash of cultures – speaking Romanian at home to my parents, consuming Romanian cuisine and following Romanian traditions as well as becoming more fluent in English than Romanian, learning a good bit of Irish, having multi-cultural friends and submerging myself within the culture of Ireland. ...
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It's strange how time passes, it had the ability to pass really fast but also very slow. It's March now, St. Patrick's day in fact. A very important day here in Ireland, unfortunately we happen to be in lockdown for the second St. Patrick's day in a row. I could tell you to look on the bright side, but what would that really do? The world will not be the ...
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As we move into February, we start the second semester here at Maynooth which can feel a bit hectic. Of course, everything is online, but it can get a bit confusing with tutorials and such. Anyways, in the United States it’s black history month which ironically is the shortest month of the year, although I still find ways to celebrate it here in Ireland. I myself is what you call ...
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