Last Friday marked the end of my first week of classes as well as the end to all the stress and acclimation that accompanied it. So now that the weekend had finally arrived, it was time to go explore the nightlife of the city, right? Or maybe make a daytrip and see some of the sights in the area? Not exactly.

The organizers of my study abroad program at Arcadia had arranged a "Weekend Homestay" for Jan. 11-13. Basically, we would be bussed out to Castle Island (a rural town in County Kerry) to spend the weekend with an Irish family. I was a bit relieved that my American flatmate/friend, Jon, would be staying in the same house as me, but I predicted that the weekend would be awkward and uneventful... I was only partially right.

Kate, accompanied by her son Maurice, picked Jon and me up at the bus stop on a cold and rainy night. After a bit of conversation as we drove down the bumpy narrow roads, we arrived at her house. The home was cozy and beautiful, including a warm fire burning, wooden furniture and a staircase that were obviously hand-crafted, and family portraits covering the walls. Kate treated us to a simple yet tasty pasta dish (which was glorious after three days of nothing but Frosted Flakes and Ramen noodles).

I couldn't imagine meeting a more "Irish-looking" family. There were five kids between the ages of seven and 15. All had very light and freckly skin, very red hair, and very friendly smiles. I appreciated that the kids were spending time with us despite the awkwardness... They even brought puzzles (one "Power Rangers" puzzle and one "The Incredibles" puzzle) for us to do while we sat in front of the fire, drinking tea and eating "biscuits."

It rained all weekend, so we didn't have the chance to explore (we never even left the house). Our activities consisted of watching non-cable TV, putting together a pool table that Santa Clause gave to the kids on Christmas, and sitting on a couch. Slowly, the kids became more comfortable with me, which meant they asked more and more questions. By Sunday morning, I was basically hosting a Q&A session. Here is a brief list of some of the questions they asked me, in no particular order:

- What are the curse words in America? (I was warned that Irish kids use curse words liberally, which proved to be true. After getting passed the shock of a seven year old using vulgar language, it was pretty amusing.)

- Do you like Michael Jackson?

- Do all girls in America really talk like this?- "like yeah, totally, like, whatever."
(They recently saw the movie "Mean Girls.")

- Can you do an Irish accent? Do it!
(My attempted Irish accent had them laughing at me for hours.)

- Say, "Don't have a cow man" ... Say, "That's radical dude."
(They were quite amused by my pronunciation of phrases they see on television.)

- Do you think Paris Hilton is pretty?
(ugh)

Interestingly, the following questions were repeatedly asked by multiple family members:

- Do you have a driver's license? Do you have a car?

- Do you have a girlfriend? Are American girls pretty?

- What are the schools like in America?

- Have you ever met any celebrities?

- There is going to be a new President there, right? Do you want Hillary to win?

By Sunday afternoon, it was time to leave. Kate was nice enough to make us a meal of chicken, beans, and potatoes, even though it was only 2 p.m. While the weekend was uneventful, it was enlightening to get a feel for Irish family life and hear their conceptions of American life.