Good morning

It's early here, 4:17am. Something woke me up, but I decided I should get up and study instead of going back to sleep. Our time is still fairly screwed up. We just don't go to bed until so late, the girls included. People here just don't go to bed. There are more people out on the streets at 10:00 at night than there are at 10:00 in the morning. Like last night, the girls begged for McDonald's - so we decided a little "home" cooking (haha, get it?) would be fine. Then we got sidetracked in our favorite plaza by the playground and performing flame baton twirlers (people do all kinds of interesting things around here to try to get you to shell out a few euros), and didn't get home until 10:30. Needless to say, by the time I got the girls bathed, scrubbed some more on the four large places on the wall where Rainey drew with a green marker, got the girls to bed, it was almost midnight. So, seeing as I'm not a night person at all, I usually fall asleep in Carlisle's room after reading her books to her, there is no chance that I will be able to stay up and study - so 4am it is.

Our classes are actually quite challenging and we have exams on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week. I can't believe it is already our last day of class today. We have just finally gotten our commute down to an art. Our "35-minute stinky subway dash", as I like to call it. The metro here really is quite clean and nice, but the stations still smell like poo, and no one is wild about being crammed up against anyone else at 8:30 in the morning. I'm also finally getting comfortable with the "rules" of the subway:
1) there is no line to get on or off the train - if someone is standing right by the edge of the track or the train door waiting to enter/exit, if there is close to enough room for you, just get right in front of them;
2) give no regard to people exiting the train, just stand right in front of the open door and make them fight to get off - it's much more fun that way;
3) when you finally do get off the train, be prepared to throw elbows to make it to the escalator first;
4) some of the trains have buttons that light up when the train has completely stopped and after it lights up you push it and the door opens, but it is completely improper to wait until the button lights up to begin pushing it (even though the door will not open), if someone is crazy enough not to start pushing the button upon the train beginning to enter the station, you should reach around them and push it yourself;
5) finally, (although I'm sure I'm forgetting a few) - if you are carrying raw meat and/or fish on the hot metro you should sit next to us - what's the deal - it has happened several times, but yesterday I had to get up and move because I almost threw up from the smell.

Ok, so I really should study now. Like I said, exams until next Wednesday, then we're leaving early Thursday morning for London where we'll spend 2 nights, then one night back in Dublin before we leave on Sunday morning.