Today I was sitting next to a friend in Celtic Religion and Mythology, listening to our professor talk about the gods and goddesses of the early Celts. There are weather gods. There are gods of the landscape, the rivers and the hills. In fact, the gods are the landscape. According to mythology, the River Boyne is literally the body of the river goddess Boand. But there is no moon god, nor sun god. Why are these celestial bodies not represented? My friend's answer: Because they never saw the sun.
And until this afternoon, I would have said that was true. Monday evening, after a day of showers and a very, very wet walk back from the immigration office in downtown Cork, I was convinced that Cork receives more rain than Oregon. Could that be possible? Yes, I think so. Today, though, something momentous occurred.
Today I Saw the Sun.
I could feel the warmth returning to my bones, the sun vacating a chill that no heater could ever fully disperse. And it was good. I was very happy--all day.
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On another note, I now have a shiny immigration card meaning I am officially registered to live in Ireland until the end of May. 17 fingerprint scans, 2 long hikes, and one official bank statement later, this is a major relief. For those not yet at UCC but considering a study abroad here: a bank statement means a statement sent to your UCC address, not the slip of paper that you print from the machine which reads "print bank statement." Do not be deceived.
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