The best meal I had this week in Dublin was a classic Irish spice bag. As you probably remember, an Irish spice bag is basically crispy fried chicken, chips (British English for “fries”) and peppers, all tossed in spicy seasoning--so addictive and perfect for warming up on a cold, rainy day here in Ireland! However, I can confirm that California has spicier foods.
This week, I listened to a lot of music by the Irish rock band U2, which got its start in Dublin. Living in the same neighborhood as Bono, the band’s lead singer, I can't escape their music--it's everywhere! Hearing their songs while wandering around the city feels iconic, especially with the rainy streets and dramatic skies. It's like Dublin’s soundtrack was made just for U2.
The most fun activity this week was definitely my three-day study tour in Brussels, hosted by the European Union (EU) through my Gilman Scholarship. Out of hundreds of applicants, I was one of 20 students selected, which felt surreal. We got to visit and learn about important European institutions, like the European Parliament (the EU’s lawmaking body), the European Commission (the EU's executive branch) and the European External Action Service (its diplomatic service responsible for international relations and security). It was an incredible, hands-on experience seeing how Europe's institutions work!
