1) Last Fri (Sept 21) was Culture Night 2018, and various venues and public spaces across the island opened their doors to host a programme of free late-night entertainment, as part of an all-island celebration of arts, heritage and culture.
2) Not wanting to miss out on this wonderful opportunity, Zi Yan and I decided to visit the Book of Kells, conveniently located at Trinity College, Dublin. So we met up at RCSI Main Campus (in town) in the afternoon. It really has been such a long time since I've visited the main library - where I spent most of my waking hours studying at last year. Anyway, we went to have buffet dinner at a place that I haven't gone before - called Mongolian Barbeque.
3) The conditions are simple - just pick all the meat and veggies that you like into a bowl, add sauces and condiments, spices etc, and hand it to the cook who stir fries it in front of a huge semicircular hot plate. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet, so multiple trips back to the buffet cart are permitted (much to the cook's chagrin I suppose).
4) I experimented with various meats including seafood, including their wide selection of sauces and condiments. I personally found the tikka massala sauce to be the best, and you could even top the bowl with fried garlic flakes and/or satay sauce! Definitely a unique and worthwhile experience, especially if you go for the early bird menu (4.30pm-6pm) which is cheaper.
5) Our appetites satiated, we walked to Trinity. At first, the line leading to the Book of Kells seemed to stretch very long, but we were surprised that it moved so quickly. After barely 10 minutes of waiting (in the cold windy weather), we were ushered in. There was an exhibition of the various books, including the eponymous Book of Kells in a separate room.
6) According to the guide, the book is over 1400 years old, and was donated to the College during the 1600's. The glass encasing the book is temperature and light-regulated, and the entire floor descends into a vault at night, to prevent any would-be thefts! It was a really unique sight, but sadly we weren't allowed any photographs in the room.
7) We then proceeded up the stairs into The Long Room - famous for having inspired the "library" scene in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Adorning each pedestal on either side of the bookshelves were busts of famous people, including an elaborate statue of Jonathan Swift himself - the guy who wrote "Gulliver's Travels"!
8) After taking loads of pictures, we decided to call it a day. That is the highlight of my week so far, and if only I had more time (and energy XD), I would have explored more of the city. Anyway, that has been the summary of this edition of my blog, and thanks for reading. Have a lovely week ahead, cheers! :D
Food = Smiles :))
The Long Room
The Mongolian Barbeque
Spoilt for choice here
Live cooking for thy entertainment ^^
Can't wait to get started haha
Trinity College Dublin on a bright and sunny day
The long line to the entrance of the Book of Kells
The name says it all - well worth the wait imo
The Long Room!
Nobel Prize Certificate
The front facade/ quadrangle of the college
A day well spent
The Museum of Mischief - that certainly ain't no statue XD
Back to Europe's Most Advanced Clinical Simulation Suite - at RCSI! :)
