Eat, Drink, and Be Merry.

Tonight was the second farewell dinner, this time for ALL the study abroad students, not just business. All of the students considered to be study abroad are American, so appropriately the tables were decorated with either green & gold balloons (for Ireland) or red, white, and blue (USA USA). Our dinner started at 6:30 with a wine reception in a room that reminded me of a high school multipurpose room with folded up wall bleachers. We mingled with some acquaintances than found a table to sit at.

Dinner was buffet style, chicken, rice, lasagna, salad, garlic bread. Ate too much for sure. The whole room/experience reminded us of a wedding. Which obviously got us talking about weddings. We enjoyed our meal, and the constant wine refills from a waiter who I'm pretty sure was sampling the wine himself.

Topped it off with some cheesecake. And then the entertainment started. Our favorite Irish men...the Irish House Party. They did the same routine that they had done before, sang the same songs, made the same jokes. I laughed just the same. They did some dancing, more river dancing, more legs moving independently from their bodies. Then it was time for student entertainment. We slow clapped and chanted for Tom to sing Wild Rover (deja vu again). It's my favorite because everyone gets to clap along and sing. Sing-alongs have been common theme in Ireland and I love it so much more for that. Then Ben from Florida and his friend sang a Irish folk song called Seven Drunk Nights where the chorus is basically "I was drunk as drunk can be". The song went on forever but it was a good laugh for sure.

But the best part of the evening is when they made us all get up and form two circles. Girls on the outside, boys on the inside (hello Middle school) and move in a circle to the right until they told us to stop and then waltz with our partner. It was hilarious, especially because we were all stuffed full of buffet food and dessert and had all be victim to the wine man. Moving in a circle and spinning around was just ridiculous and we pretty much all free styled it. The girls out numbered the guys so me and Curry shared a romantic waltz. Typical. After a bunch of laughs we finally sat down.

Then the evening was coming to a close. And how do you end a proper American Irish evening. Singing the respective countries national anthems ofcourse. We got to our feet and swayed along to the Irish National anthem. And then, it was time to sing the Star Spangled Banner. Taylor & Tom took the mic and led us in patriotic love. There is nothing Americans love more than the Star Spangled Banner, so we were all moved by it. Belting it out, swaying with one another.

On that note, it was time to depart. Another great Irish evening. Full of singing and being merry, and loving Ireland and the United States, and wanting to go home, and wanting to stay forever.