US Ambassador's Residence! I still can't believe I was there just a few hours ago! At first, I couldn't believe I was actually in Dublin, but this is more unbelievable. I didn't know what Fulbright was exactly until the meeting with Colleen Dube from the Fulbright Commission, and today made me realize that it's one of the prestigious programs that one can have!
Everything was fabulous today from the weather (sunny, warm, no rain, and clear and beautiful skies with handsome-looking clouds), and the ending of today was one of the most wonderful and invaluable experiences I have and will ever have in my life; it was an once-in-a-lifetime experience. We took a taxi to the US Ambassador's Residence in Ireland. The taxi driver was very funny with many jokes and he made it a very short and fun ride. Dr. Coe, our professor, was to attend this event with Fulbright because she once received the Fulbright scholarship and was attending as an alumnus, and luckily, we were invited to come along with her.
Going into the door, I couldn't close my mouth and my chin was hanging down because I couldn't believe where I was. Seeing all the security, buildings and landscapes, gardens, and systems that you see in movies that only rich or people in authority can have made my heart rate increase. Even though it's not used at this moment due to unassigned ambassador for Ireland from the U.S. it gave me goose bump feeling of being there. I got to see and meet some great people, and one of them was Tom Healy who is the chairman of Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. We took a group picture with him, and when he said that he would post that on his Twitter, I almost died (inside, but not outside – I was trying to look sophisticated and contained). I felt really honored, privileged, and special to meet him and come to such an event! He was appointed to be in this position by the President Obama! Oh, and the President Obama was in this place!!!!!! I took many pictures and maybe I should have tried a bit harder to not look like a tourist, but I just could not not take pictures of this memorable moment to record and brag about it later. Their food, of course, was delicious. I don't think I can thank Dr. Coe enough for letting us have this experience! Thank you Judy!
Going into the door, I couldn't close my mouth and my chin was hanging down because I couldn't believe where I was. Seeing all the security, buildings and landscapes, gardens, and systems that you see in movies that only rich or people in authority can have made my heart rate increase. Even though it's not used at this moment due to unassigned ambassador for Ireland from the U.S. it gave me goose bump feeling of being there. I got to see and meet some great people, and one of them was Tom Healy who is the chairman of Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. We took a group picture with him, and when he said that he would post that on his Twitter, I almost died (inside, but not outside – I was trying to look sophisticated and contained). I felt really honored, privileged, and special to meet him and come to such an event! He was appointed to be in this position by the President Obama! Oh, and the President Obama was in this place!!!!!! I took many pictures and maybe I should have tried a bit harder to not look like a tourist, but I just could not not take pictures of this memorable moment to record and brag about it later. Their food, of course, was delicious. I don't think I can thank Dr. Coe enough for letting us have this experience! Thank you Judy!