"What is happening cannot be defined. It is happening. It is a spontaneous uprising that has been building for years in our collective unconscious. It is a gorgeous, mischievous moment that has arrived and is spreading. It is a speaking out, coming out, dancing out. It is an experiment and a disruption." --Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues
Fleeting Fantasyland
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
What I really owe all you readers and myself is a long update on what I've been doing over here in Ireland, but I'm going to write today about something else related to my study abroad experience and to my life in general.
Ever since I've been here, there has been a ticking timer, ready to go off at any second that will signal the end of my Irish adventure and the return to my American one. Never in my life have I had such a defined deadline for the end of a chapter in my life. In grammar school, I had eleven years in the same place so it never seemed that the clock was really ticking... when it was time for graduation, I was ready to be gone. In high school, I had four years... but at the end of this time, too, I was ready to move on. Of course at the end of it I was frustrated with the fact that I still hadn't gotten to know everyone in my class, but I knew that I needed to get out and live on my own. And even before I came to Ireland, I wasn't ready for my time at SLU to be over... I knew I was going back there, but I was thinking about all the things I would be missing out on there while I was gone. And now I have this time in Ireland... this four month period where I am supposed to assimilate into the Irish lifestyle, make friends, learn about a culture, do schoolwork, travel, have fun... all this in four months???
This time in Ireland is passing so quickly; I now only have a month and a half left here. I know I need to focus on the present, on enjoying every last bit of time I have here, but it is so hard to do when I know that I have met so many awesome people and have had such a short time with them. If they are meant to stay in my life, we will stay in touch, right? From past experience I know that I am terrible at keeping in touch with my friends when we are far away. This time I have here with them is so temporary and so beautiful and so happy and so sad. We can only stay here for a short period of time and then we must move on... and it is that way with all of life, I suppose. So maybe my time here abroad is a life lesson in more ways than one... it is showing me the volatile nature of life... nothing is permanent. And love and experiences can still be strong even if they are over in the proverbial blink of an eye.
So after all that wisdom and whining I've shared with you here, I'll treat you with a quick rundown of what has been going on in my life.
I know I teased you with the thought of another post on my second round of adventures with the Irish cousins, but I ended up getting sick and not being able to go to Westport! I was so sad and disappointed the whole weekend and for the next few weeks after that. Luckily I was able to go see them again!
So I had a lazy weekend in Galway while I was sick, feeling miserable not only that I was missing one of my few chances to see the Irish cousins but also because I was sick in the most unwelcoming apartment possible, without the comforts of home. The next weekend, however, was a huge improvement. It was my first international travel since I'd been to Ireland--BELGIUM! I was going to see two of my best friends, Erica and Joey, who are studying in Brussels. Honestly, this weekend was exactly what I needed. At this point, after being in Ireland for a little over a month, I was getting really homesick... more people sick than homesick, but you understand I'm sure. And getting to see these people who are like home to me, who know me and understand me and accept me was SO WONDERFUL. Like unexplainably wonderful. We were of course in Brussels for most of the time, but the first day I was there we also went to Bruges, this beautiful medieval city. Ahhh honestly, I felt like it was the town where Belle (Beauty from Beauty and the Beast) lived, even though she was from France. I mean, Belgians speak French, too, right?? Haha even though in Bruges they actually speak Dutch. But I digress.
The next weekend, I had hiking adventures in Sligo, a county in Ireland. I was traveling with some new friends... two American girls, Victoria and Emily, a German boy, Norman, and two French boys, Remi and Florian. We didn't know each other all that well at first, but by the end of the weekend we were all very close. It was the perfect group of people--we all were up for adventure and were in no hurry to get anywhere. We climbed up this hill called Knocknarea, where Queen Maeve is buried. It was one of the best weekends I've had in Ireland. We got to sing songs, tell stories, see the most beautiful scenery... and once we got to Sligo it didn't rain all weekend! That is an honest-to-God miracle in Ireland.
The next weekend I got to go see my Irish cousins again =] This time I stayed with Fiona the first night and Sinead the second night. It was a very relaxed, very fun weekend. One of the things I've loved about being in Ireland is that people take the time to go visit each other without an occasion, something I haven't really experienced in America. I guess this also stems from the fact that Padraig's kids, all seven of them, live in the same neighborhood so it is a lot easier for them to visit each other than for my family to visit each other at home. Nonetheless, I've really appreciated this close proximity of family here.
Two weekends ago, I went to visit my friend Claire in Leiden, the Netherlands. It is a beautiful city and I loved all the bicycles. When we went to Amsterdam we went to Anne Frank's house, which was a particularly special experience for me as I have always loved Anne Frank. I used to read all about her, watch movies about her... I am basically and Anne Frank buff. I got chills when I was in her bedroom. The rooms aren't furnished anymore because Otto Frank, Anne's father and the only member of the Secret Annexe to survive the Holocaust, wanted it to always remain unfurnished like it was after the Nazis came there and arrested everyone in hiding. But they still had the pictures that Anne had pasted on the walls, the map that Otto Frank used to track the British invasion, and the marks on the wall of how tall the girls had grown while they were in hiding. After that trip I was inspired to reread Anne Frank's diary and am actually currently working on it.
So this past weekend was my first in Galway in four weeks... I was glad to be back but I was also feeling restless because I'd become so used to traveling. It ended up being a much-needed relaxing weekend.
And now, this weekend, I will be in Galway again. I am looking forward to the next few weeks since my parents are coming, Erica and Joey are visiting, and the week after next my friend Clare (studying in Rome) will be coming to visit! I am going to soak up as much of Ireland as possible in the next few weeks! I need to make the most out of my temporary adventure, this fleeting fantasyland. I'll post pictures soon!
Ever since I've been here, there has been a ticking timer, ready to go off at any second that will signal the end of my Irish adventure and the return to my American one. Never in my life have I had such a defined deadline for the end of a chapter in my life. In grammar school, I had eleven years in the same place so it never seemed that the clock was really ticking... when it was time for graduation, I was ready to be gone. In high school, I had four years... but at the end of this time, too, I was ready to move on. Of course at the end of it I was frustrated with the fact that I still hadn't gotten to know everyone in my class, but I knew that I needed to get out and live on my own. And even before I came to Ireland, I wasn't ready for my time at SLU to be over... I knew I was going back there, but I was thinking about all the things I would be missing out on there while I was gone. And now I have this time in Ireland... this four month period where I am supposed to assimilate into the Irish lifestyle, make friends, learn about a culture, do schoolwork, travel, have fun... all this in four months???
This time in Ireland is passing so quickly; I now only have a month and a half left here. I know I need to focus on the present, on enjoying every last bit of time I have here, but it is so hard to do when I know that I have met so many awesome people and have had such a short time with them. If they are meant to stay in my life, we will stay in touch, right? From past experience I know that I am terrible at keeping in touch with my friends when we are far away. This time I have here with them is so temporary and so beautiful and so happy and so sad. We can only stay here for a short period of time and then we must move on... and it is that way with all of life, I suppose. So maybe my time here abroad is a life lesson in more ways than one... it is showing me the volatile nature of life... nothing is permanent. And love and experiences can still be strong even if they are over in the proverbial blink of an eye.
So after all that wisdom and whining I've shared with you here, I'll treat you with a quick rundown of what has been going on in my life.
I know I teased you with the thought of another post on my second round of adventures with the Irish cousins, but I ended up getting sick and not being able to go to Westport! I was so sad and disappointed the whole weekend and for the next few weeks after that. Luckily I was able to go see them again!
So I had a lazy weekend in Galway while I was sick, feeling miserable not only that I was missing one of my few chances to see the Irish cousins but also because I was sick in the most unwelcoming apartment possible, without the comforts of home. The next weekend, however, was a huge improvement. It was my first international travel since I'd been to Ireland--BELGIUM! I was going to see two of my best friends, Erica and Joey, who are studying in Brussels. Honestly, this weekend was exactly what I needed. At this point, after being in Ireland for a little over a month, I was getting really homesick... more people sick than homesick, but you understand I'm sure. And getting to see these people who are like home to me, who know me and understand me and accept me was SO WONDERFUL. Like unexplainably wonderful. We were of course in Brussels for most of the time, but the first day I was there we also went to Bruges, this beautiful medieval city. Ahhh honestly, I felt like it was the town where Belle (Beauty from Beauty and the Beast) lived, even though she was from France. I mean, Belgians speak French, too, right?? Haha even though in Bruges they actually speak Dutch. But I digress.
The next weekend, I had hiking adventures in Sligo, a county in Ireland. I was traveling with some new friends... two American girls, Victoria and Emily, a German boy, Norman, and two French boys, Remi and Florian. We didn't know each other all that well at first, but by the end of the weekend we were all very close. It was the perfect group of people--we all were up for adventure and were in no hurry to get anywhere. We climbed up this hill called Knocknarea, where Queen Maeve is buried. It was one of the best weekends I've had in Ireland. We got to sing songs, tell stories, see the most beautiful scenery... and once we got to Sligo it didn't rain all weekend! That is an honest-to-God miracle in Ireland.
The next weekend I got to go see my Irish cousins again =] This time I stayed with Fiona the first night and Sinead the second night. It was a very relaxed, very fun weekend. One of the things I've loved about being in Ireland is that people take the time to go visit each other without an occasion, something I haven't really experienced in America. I guess this also stems from the fact that Padraig's kids, all seven of them, live in the same neighborhood so it is a lot easier for them to visit each other than for my family to visit each other at home. Nonetheless, I've really appreciated this close proximity of family here.
Two weekends ago, I went to visit my friend Claire in Leiden, the Netherlands. It is a beautiful city and I loved all the bicycles. When we went to Amsterdam we went to Anne Frank's house, which was a particularly special experience for me as I have always loved Anne Frank. I used to read all about her, watch movies about her... I am basically and Anne Frank buff. I got chills when I was in her bedroom. The rooms aren't furnished anymore because Otto Frank, Anne's father and the only member of the Secret Annexe to survive the Holocaust, wanted it to always remain unfurnished like it was after the Nazis came there and arrested everyone in hiding. But they still had the pictures that Anne had pasted on the walls, the map that Otto Frank used to track the British invasion, and the marks on the wall of how tall the girls had grown while they were in hiding. After that trip I was inspired to reread Anne Frank's diary and am actually currently working on it.
So this past weekend was my first in Galway in four weeks... I was glad to be back but I was also feeling restless because I'd become so used to traveling. It ended up being a much-needed relaxing weekend.
And now, this weekend, I will be in Galway again. I am looking forward to the next few weeks since my parents are coming, Erica and Joey are visiting, and the week after next my friend Clare (studying in Rome) will be coming to visit! I am going to soak up as much of Ireland as possible in the next few weeks! I need to make the most out of my temporary adventure, this fleeting fantasyland. I'll post pictures soon!
Some fun things about Ireland
Sunday, October 23, 2011
1. Many Irish people say "ye" instead of you.
2. They often use the word "dear" to mean expensive.
2. They often use the word "dear" to mean expensive.
"In the face of suffering, one has no right to turn away, not to see. In the face of injustice, one may not look the other way. When someone suffers, and it is not you, they come first. Their suffering gives them priority... To watch over another who grieves is a more urgent duty than to think of God." -Elie Wiesel
Two Townies in the Country: Part Two
Monday, September 26, 2011
YoYoYo.
Exciting update: I am going back to Westport on Thursday and staying with Sinead one night, Mary the other.
Soooo, since time is passing so quickly and I am easily falling behind on my blogging, I must finish writing about my first weekend with the cousins before the second begins.
Amy and I woke up Saturday morning and to Shane's disappointment, were not all that hungover. We had some Coco Pops for breakfast and then Shane took us out on the tractor! First he drove us around and then he taught me out to drive it... but I was absolutely dreadful. On the tractor there are multiple brakes, multiple accelerators... it was just not working out for me. I made Amy take a picture of me jumping down from the tractor because the picture of Steve from when my mom visited in '05 was of him coming down from a tractor. I mentioned it to him when we went out on Friday and, amazingly, he remembered it being taken! He said that he had just jumped off the tractor and some person he had never met before made him climb back up so she could take a picture of him. You left quite the impression, Ma ;-)
After the tractor excursion, Gerry, Shane, and Brian took us to see the new baby calf that had been born that morning. Amy and I were not happy that they hadn't woken us up to see the birth of the calf! But, everyone had either overestimated Steve or underestimated us and thought we would be too sick and need a "lie in." Actually, I am more than certain that what really happened was that Steve was warned to take it easy on us and therefore ended up not drinking as much as he normally might have. I definitely have noticed that the Irish people do drink a lot more than people at home do. I'm sure there are both positive and negative outcomes resulting from this. Obviously, alcoholism is more likely to occur in a society that revolves so much around social drinking, but it is also nice to see that the adults still go out with friends and family. One thing that happens at home is that adults often stop seeing their friends once they have families, but here it is normal for adults to still go out to the pubs. I digress.
The calf was really cute and it was awesome to see all the different animals that my cousins have on their farm. We waved goodbye to the calf and when we got back to Louise and Gerry's, Fiona was waiting for us. We got into her car and went to pick up Sinead and Mary because they were taking us to explore Aughagower and Westport for the day. I'd met Mary the night before but this was my first time meeting Sinead. She and Fiona definitely do look a lot alike but luckily Amy and I were able to tell them apart.
First they took us to Aughagower Cemetery where some family members or other were buried... I love old cemeteries so it was cool to see even if I didn't know exactly how I was related everyone there. I wanted to take pictures but I thought that would be kind of weird... I got a few snapshots in though. At Aughagower is also St. Patrick's bed... I'm not really clear on the background of this, especially since my history professor insists that everything I have ever read or heard about St. Patrick is either a mistake or a lie. The church at the cemetery is the place my great-grandma was baptized. Cute anecdote: Grandma Nora didn't meet her husband, Robert Sammon, until they were in America, but it turned out that they had been baptized in the same church! Precious moments.
After the cemetery we went to Turlough House which is a beautiful house that has a museum alongside it. The house was closed while we were there, but the museum was really interesting. There was so much history about the Aran people. I usually do not enjoy museums much but this was fascinating to me. I think because it was focused only on the Aran people it was more in depth and therefore more intriguing.
We went to lunch in Castlebar following our adventure to Turlough House. Apparently the Sammons are from Castlebar so I need to do some research to see if there is some family still there. I did, however, meet a guy from Castlebar a few weeks ago and he said he knew some Sammons there and that they were probably related to me since Sammon is not a very common last name. I don't really know how to go about finding these relations so if anyone has any leads, let me know!
Amy and I were really tired after all of our exploration. I'd already been tired on Friday since I had to wake up early to register for a class, and going out the night before didn't help matters. After lunch, we drove to Cathy's house. CATHY LIVES ON CROAGH PATRICK. The view from her house is gorgeous, but Cathy kept saying that it wasn't good because the weather was so bad and we couldn't see very far. I can't imagine what the view must be like on a day without rain because even the view we had was far more beautiful than any view I'd ever had before.
The cousins were all so welcoming this weekend. Every single one of them. They are so kind and funny-- honestly the nicest people I've ever met. We walked into Cathy and Joe's house and they came up to us and hugged us and said "You are welcome." I have never had anyone say "you are welcome" to me in such a pure sense of the phrase. Cathy and Joe are gorgeous and have a beautiful family. Their kid are 12, 10, 8, and 6 and their names are Lisa, Kate, Sean, and Joseph. They are all so sweet and funny! Cathy is apparently the cook of the family and she made us some delicious lasagna for dinner. The day we came, the kids got hooked on Connect Four so we played that after dinner for a long time. Later on, Cathy took us out to a pub but Amy and I were so exhausted that we could only stay out for one drink.
In the morning, Cathy made us our first Irish breakfast and it was delicious, although Amy and I wish we hadn't found out what the black and white pudding is made from. After breakfast Cathy, Lisa, and Kate took us for a ride to the bottom of the Reek (Croagh Patrick) and then drove us around the countryside so that we could see some of the beautiful landscape. When we got back to Cathy's she made us a huge lunch and we tried lamb for the first time. It was really good... and I felt better knowing that it was their lamb and that it was not cruelly treated or transported from some random farm. Padraig, Brian, and Tricia came over for lunch and then we had to say goodbye to everyone. I was in no way ready to leave and I found Galway contemptible for the first few days after my return.
I guess I can't really some up what this weekend meant to me in words, because these feelings do not translate into English. This was the first long-term dream of mine that I had come true, meeting the cousins, and it is an exhilarating feeling to have a dream come true. Never have I met such a welcoming group of people. They made me feel at home right away as they teased me and Amy and laughed at our love for the sheep. I am very happy to be going back there this weekend to get to know these cousins even better. Hugs and kisses from Ireland.
Exciting update: I am going back to Westport on Thursday and staying with Sinead one night, Mary the other.
Soooo, since time is passing so quickly and I am easily falling behind on my blogging, I must finish writing about my first weekend with the cousins before the second begins.
 |
| Steve in 2005. What a baby he was! |
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| Me, coming down from the tractor =] |
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| Shane, the twelve-year-old, teaching me how to drive. |
The calf was really cute and it was awesome to see all the different animals that my cousins have on their farm. We waved goodbye to the calf and when we got back to Louise and Gerry's, Fiona was waiting for us. We got into her car and went to pick up Sinead and Mary because they were taking us to explore Aughagower and Westport for the day. I'd met Mary the night before but this was my first time meeting Sinead. She and Fiona definitely do look a lot alike but luckily Amy and I were able to tell them apart.
 |
| Me bein' cute at Aughagower Cemetery. |
First they took us to Aughagower Cemetery where some family members or other were buried... I love old cemeteries so it was cool to see even if I didn't know exactly how I was related everyone there. I wanted to take pictures but I thought that would be kind of weird... I got a few snapshots in though. At Aughagower is also St. Patrick's bed... I'm not really clear on the background of this, especially since my history professor insists that everything I have ever read or heard about St. Patrick is either a mistake or a lie. The church at the cemetery is the place my great-grandma was baptized. Cute anecdote: Grandma Nora didn't meet her husband, Robert Sammon, until they were in America, but it turned out that they had been baptized in the same church! Precious moments.
 | |
| Church at Aughagower. |
 |
| Joseph's Cows. |
After the cemetery we went to Turlough House which is a beautiful house that has a museum alongside it. The house was closed while we were there, but the museum was really interesting. There was so much history about the Aran people. I usually do not enjoy museums much but this was fascinating to me. I think because it was focused only on the Aran people it was more in depth and therefore more intriguing.
We went to lunch in Castlebar following our adventure to Turlough House. Apparently the Sammons are from Castlebar so I need to do some research to see if there is some family still there. I did, however, meet a guy from Castlebar a few weeks ago and he said he knew some Sammons there and that they were probably related to me since Sammon is not a very common last name. I don't really know how to go about finding these relations so if anyone has any leads, let me know!
Amy and I were really tired after all of our exploration. I'd already been tired on Friday since I had to wake up early to register for a class, and going out the night before didn't help matters. After lunch, we drove to Cathy's house. CATHY LIVES ON CROAGH PATRICK. The view from her house is gorgeous, but Cathy kept saying that it wasn't good because the weather was so bad and we couldn't see very far. I can't imagine what the view must be like on a day without rain because even the view we had was far more beautiful than any view I'd ever had before.
 |
| Joseph winning at Connect Four. |
The cousins were all so welcoming this weekend. Every single one of them. They are so kind and funny-- honestly the nicest people I've ever met. We walked into Cathy and Joe's house and they came up to us and hugged us and said "You are welcome." I have never had anyone say "you are welcome" to me in such a pure sense of the phrase. Cathy and Joe are gorgeous and have a beautiful family. Their kid are 12, 10, 8, and 6 and their names are Lisa, Kate, Sean, and Joseph. They are all so sweet and funny! Cathy is apparently the cook of the family and she made us some delicious lasagna for dinner. The day we came, the kids got hooked on Connect Four so we played that after dinner for a long time. Later on, Cathy took us out to a pub but Amy and I were so exhausted that we could only stay out for one drink.
 |
| Me with Kate and Joseph. |
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| Left to Right: Joseph, Tricia, Me, Padraig, Kate, Cathy. |
I guess I can't really some up what this weekend meant to me in words, because these feelings do not translate into English. This was the first long-term dream of mine that I had come true, meeting the cousins, and it is an exhilarating feeling to have a dream come true. Never have I met such a welcoming group of people. They made me feel at home right away as they teased me and Amy and laughed at our love for the sheep. I am very happy to be going back there this weekend to get to know these cousins even better. Hugs and kisses from Ireland.
There is a willow grows aslant a brook
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream
There with fantastic garlands did she come
Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples
That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them.
There on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds
Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke;
When down the weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,
And mermaid-like awhile they bore her uo;
Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes,
As one incapable of her own distress,
Or like a creature native and endued
Unto that element. But long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
-Gertrude, The Tragedy of Hamlet
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