DKIT

The Dundalk Institute of Technology.
I remeber my first day at the DKIT. I got lost and could hardly find my way back to the main entrance. It is almost 4months ago and it is hard to remember what else was difficult for me. Oh, yes I do remember: To find a timetable!
The system in DKIT is completly different to the system in my home college. In the end of every semester we get a big book with all classes, which will be offered in the next semester. Then I start to go over it and pick the classes, which fit to my main and minor subjects and which I think could be interesting for me. At DKIT you normally don´t have a choise. You stay all the time with the same people in one class and you get your timetable for your study at the first day the college starts.
So I tried to get a few timetables, to find subjects which fit to my study in Germany or which could be interesting for me to study. By accident we got to konw, that the most timetables are available in the internet. Some weren´t, but in the end of the first week of the semester I think I had all and had big fun to create my own timetable. There were many clashes but at least I had one. And how the irish would say: It was not to bad! :)

Something I really miss in the classes at DKIT are discussions. In Germany we mostly have to prepare a class in reading a few pages and then you discuss them in the class. At DKIT the lecturer stands in front of the class and addresses the students from there.
What I like in the DKIT classes is the combination of lecture and tutorials. But maybe the tutorials could focus more on the opions the students have to get them thinking about the topics on their own.

Hillwalking - Crowne Plaza - Giants Causeway

It was a busy weekend but one I won´t forget so fast.
It started with beautiful sunshine and we went with the Hillwalking society to carlingford. We were around 10 participants and had a graet day above Carlingford. Almost all the way we had a view of the sea and the peninsula. It started to rain a few times, but then it stopped and we could have stayed dry, if the ground wouldn´t have been so wet!
On our way down the mountain we walked sometimes on four feet :), because it was really steep and slippery.

After the trip I had my first real working day at the Crowne Plaza. I work there for a few Christmas Partys, serve the food and drinks and polishing the crockery(That really makes no fun!) .. The stuff is really nice there and I take it as one of my expierences in Ireland and I earn some money, too!

On Sunday we went to the giants causeway. That was one of the last things a wanted to visit in the last less than 3weeks here in Ireland. It was a beautiful landscape and special stones of course! And you would like to believe the legend about the giant who tried to build a bridge to his love in Scottland. :)

google analytics

Hey folks,

a few days ago I searched for a counter and found the google analytics.

For all of you, who have an own blog it is really usefull and intersting.
It is really easy to install and than you get many informations about the users of your block. How they came to your side, how long they spend on each entry and so on.

24hours shopping

Tesco in Dundalk -opening hours from 9.00-9.00.
When I came to Dundalk I got to know, that Tesco is open 24hours daily. In Germany the shopping hours have been increased but it is still not allowed for shops to be open in the night. Shops are also not allowed to be open on Sundays. Only kioks are allowed to be open after 11pm and on Sunday.
There was and I think, there still is a debate in Germany, if they should handle the opening hours by law or if they should leave the shop owners decide.
I don´t really know the answer. From my point of view there are of course many advantages to have a shop open for 24 hours, but for the employees it might have also disadvantages. It can create new jobs and people could earn more money, but the employees could be forced to work in the night although they have family.
Onother point is, that I don´t know, if it is raelly cost-effective to have for example Tesco open in the night. I remember the few times when I was shopping there in the night: There were nobody else in there. Maybe the stuff uses the time to arrange the items and fill up the shelves but after that is done there are a few peole standing arround and have nothing to do. One time I went there after the amber to do my shopping for the next days but the other few times, we went there in the night only to buy some biscuits and kindereggs and sat infront of the entrance to eat them. :)
I could imagine, that the 24hours opening is more a service for the custumers than cost effective. You don´t have to think about that Tesco might be closed or not, you can go there everytime and it will be open.
Since Lidl is next to Tesco that could be a reason for people to go to Tesco, because they are used not to think about the opening hours.