Quick to Judge

In Galway, a bartender told me about his upcoming graduation. (University graduations occur in October in Ireland because, during the summer, students hoping to graduate have the opportunity to retake tests in courses that they would have otherwise failed.) He mentioned how expensive graduations are, new suit and all. I asked him, since he had graduated with another degree the previous year, why he couldn't just wear the same suit. At the time, he was getting something from a cupboard on the floor. He jerked his head up with a look as if I had two heads and said, "You must be joking. I'd be JUDGED." Then we both laughed, I because I was serious, he because he thought that was preposterous.

one of the Achill beaches down the road just before the back beyonds

You know how I said I looked homeless in Berlin and no one cared? People care in Ireland. And the looks of judgment (which I typically don't notice in life) are severe. Actually, now that I think about it, that may be why no one my age talks to me here. Martina told me that women and girls will regularly get their hair done, get the fake lashes and drawn eyebrows at the salon, get butt inserts, wax, tan, and buy a new dress before going out for a night. She said the hippest fad is lip injections. When I said in a former post that I wasn't dressed for going out, I meant it. I would now like to publicly thank everyone who had the humility to speak to me since I've been traveling.

This beach in Keel looks completely different when the sky is blue and the sun is shining!

I was chatting with Martina specifically about judgment in her hometown. (Achill Island is small-town, population approx. 2500.) There is definitely a sense of checking boxes here, and if someone isn't checking the appropriate box at the appropriate time, they're judged. People are talked about if they're doing something different, but I think that happens everywhere. Martina's family has worked particularly hard to make the life they have, and she's been maligned, gossiped about, begrudged, and judged for a majority of her life, it sounds like. Therefore, she is very sensitive about gossip and other people knowing her business. She considers gossip a form of grave abuse and boundary crossing, as a matter of fact.

The distant village of Keel from the beach; sorry I took this photo at dusk.

Speaking of judgment, I thought I knew where my relationship with Martina was heading after my last post (in the servant-master direction), but boy was I wrong! Tonight, we sat by the fire in her living room and told stories like we were best friends. Last night, she said to me, "I noticed that you don't swear, and you're so good for me because I'm actively working on reducing my swearing. You know, I've just been in this man's business for so long, I've found myself using it to level." Two nights ago she told me that she really enjoys having me around and she wishes I could stay longer. She said I have a very peaceful presence, a real sense of charity, and that I will do well in mediating or counseling or whatever I decide to do in life. She may even start going back to church, and she's been seeking ways to get me to Mass daily. I guess we just don't know what God is doing in the hearts of other people when we invite Him to work in and through us.

“Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.” --St. Teresa of Calcutta

The Final Farm

Blog readers, I left Galway on Tuesday for Co. Limerick, the site of my final farm. My host, Mike, had mentioned that he wanted to plant some shrubs, get the apples harvested, etc., before winter took hold here. He even took a photo of me picking said apples.

The most exciting story from Mike's place: While he was working Wednesday night, the cat Sailor darted into my room, made a beeline for the bathroom, pooped a human-sized poo in the shower, and then ran out. I Skyped Michelle for an hour before I fetched a shovel from the shed and moved it. Since my shower didn't work, I boiled water in the electric kettle and tried to wash away the residue and stench. End of story.

I woke up on Thursday morning, and Mike said, "We need to talk." Never a good sign. He went on, "Why don't we have some coffee?" Then there was a tangent conversation about coffee because I only saw the decaf and have, thus, been drinking cups of tea and cups of decaf to try to satisfy my latent addiction. Anyways, Mike finally came out with the facts: he has overbooked himself. He is a youth worker, so he works odd hours at that job. His thesis for his graduate program is due at the end of October, and he is not allowed any more extensions. He signed himself up for a soil course this weekend but had to cancel it because of the thesis. He is applying for another position elsewhere. And to top it all off, his girlfriend left for Japan the day I arrived, and he hasn't been sleeping. Therefore, he just doesn't have time to work with me on the farm and give me the "WWOOFer experience." That's fair. I love honesty.

Limerick

for all of you history buffs

So on Friday, I left for Co. Mayo. Wouldn't you know, on the car ride to the bus station, Mike dropped the bomb on me that he was getting married. When I asked when, he said, "Well, she's having the baby in May, so probably before then." Talk about a lot going on in his life!

I arrived in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, to my host Martina. I really can't describe her. I realized that I haven't spent a lot of time with Irish women, so I can't really compare her to anyone. She mentioned to me during the car ride to her house that I would not actually be working on the farm, as she had not extended that invitation to me. I would be assisting her, personally, with tasks she needed done around the house. This was news to me, but because I'm me, I said, "Oh. (Pause.) Ok." When we got to her house, she said, "Will you walk my dogs?" Upon my affirmative, she gave me quick directions to the park, told me the first dog (The dogs are walked separately on the same path.) would basically show me the way, and then threw me out into the night. Well, this dog, Gav, did not show me the way. He pulled me one direction, heard a firework, got scared, and pulled me home. Then I tried to walk him the other direction, and he heard a firework and pulled me home. Martina saw us coming, opened the door, asked why I hadn't taken him to the park, and when I tried to explain that Gav was afraid of the noise, she muttered the oh-so-common "Jesus!" and promptly exited the house. "Emily, even if there are bombs, we walk the dog," and she sped off to the park, occasionally running. Later that evening, I found out that my misunderstanding of the directions caused her to miss part of an episode of a famous Irish soap. This particular night was a big reveal. That's why she was a little testy.

Just me and Charlie

The next day was strange. I forgot to brush my teeth in the morning and then just didn't get to it. Mainly because Martina locked me out of the house while she ran errands. I think this was an accident, as she is very used to just locking the doors behind her. Good thing I also didn't drink water that day! The first time she returned home, she said, "Emily, tea." This is very different from, "Emily, tea?" You get me? Martina says that one a lot, and she typically follows it rapidly with "Do you really get me?" Anyways, during tea, she told me that she went to the store to buy several legs of lamb, and the butcher said that they were only giving out one leg per customer, so she came back to the house specifically to collect me--another customer. We went to the same store in two different towns, but she refused to go in because the butchers had already seen her. She gave me instructions, with a different strategy in each store. At the second store, the game plan included me entering and exiting the store twice, so that the butcher would not see lamb from the fridge section in my trolley and then refuse to sell me lamb because I had already found some. If he would only give me one leg, it was suggested that I mention my impending wedding reception and pout.  At one point, she said, "I feel like we're in a James Bond movie or something." Then in the car, Martina had a lengthy monologue on dishonesty and why can't people just be decent humans. I am still confused by that one.

At the very first farm in Italy, I learned from my host Pia that, when it comes to work on a farm, you never get OCD about anything. The basic rule of thumb was do everything well but not perfectly well. If it takes 10 minutes to get something completed well and another 20 to get it completed perfectly, you could have performed the same task three times instead of wasting time with perfection. "Don't get crazy" was Pia's motto. Yeah, Martina is not that way. I pushed leaves on her back porch (which sits below the limbs of several trees, and it's autumn), and after I finished she said, "If you could just sweep the porch again...we kind of want the porch spotless."

Despite her bluntness, Martina and I have had some fantastic conversations, and she really does want to show me the best of Achill (because I'm now staying at her other house on Achill Island). Too bad I just thought we were going to the hardware store when she drove me to the top of a hill to see a stunning view of beach and mountain and ocean and sky; I wish I had brought my camera with me! I'll make sure to get some more photos for you in the next post, but this one is basically the view from my bedroom window. Good morning!

Galway, It'll Be Grand!

Well I spent over a week in Galway, which is WAY too long if you're just trying to tour. That's not what I was doing there, however. I got tired of driving on my own for so long and trying to figure out each night's sleep on the fly, and I just felt like I needed to stay in one location for a while. So I chose Galway. I actually stayed there, flew to Berlin, and then came right back. Was it a good decision? I don't know. Think of a watered-down version of "For Good" from Wicked, and now you can sense my feelings. I felt like this was the place where I could just be for a little while, and my B&B host often asked what I was doing that night or if I was ok, and I always shrugged and was just being.

Galway Cathedral in the distance

This used to be the docks. You can see the Spanish Arch on the right. I think it's the beginning of Quay St.

football and hurling pitch sign

a different piece of grass but still funny

Galway Cathedral: I just got the sense that I was in a King's house.

The Quad at NUIG (National University of Ireland Galway)

I mentioned in a previous post that Maureen and Jim from the hotel bar in Ennis recommended a B&B in Galway that their childhood friend owned. So I went there, of course. Rita, their friend, was on holiday in Portugal the first few days I was there (before I went to Berlin), and so her sisters were running the place. Apparently, Rita's sister Mary is quite interested in my travels ("alone?!"), especially to the Holy Land. So when I went to leave the final time, Rita gave me a discount on my room on the condition that I send her a postcard from Jerusalem. I'm practically family now.

Below is a video of a cover band at Quay's (pronounced keys) Pub my first night there--a Sunday, no less. I went to Quay's quite a few times, so much so that I know how bartender Steven got the scar below his eye and that I make bartender Joe so uncomfortable that he "rotated bars" every time I walked up to his. But Sunday night, that was fun. A few old fellows bought me beers, and a young guy (who actually plays premier league field hockey, which I think is real because I Googled it) drove me home.

On the way home, this guy Damien took me to a beach just a minute away from where I was staying because, coincidentally, "Wow. I live 100 meters from your B&B. If you get bored tomorrow, there's a great beach right down the road." To me, that sounded like typical Irish hospitality, but maybe I looked nervous because halfway there he verging-on-frantically said, "Oh, I hope you're not super creeped out that I'm taking you to this abandoned beach at 2am. I can turn around." But I'm glad I laughed that off and did get to see where the beach was because I ran there four or five times over the next couple weeks. (Yes, I went running.) Also, I got up abnormally early one day to catch the dawn there. I don't think I've ever explicitly watched the day dawn before, guys--indescribable! I'm not talking about sunrise; I mean watching the light come back to my section of earth again. I should make a point of doing this every Easter, and I recommend that you all try it sometime. It inspires a fresh gratitude for life.

after the dawn dawned but way before the sun rose

Oh look! a view of the city from the bay.

On another note, I'm fascinated by the Claddagh, both the section of town and the ring. Ok, ok, I did the thing and I bought the ring. The Claddagh Ring symbolizes values that are important to me (Love, Loyalty, Friendship), and it comes from a GREAT love story, so I convinced myself that I wasn't just being a regular tourist by purchasing it. Irish tales are typically sad, but this one has a happy ending! For those of you who don't know the story, click here.

Heart = Love, Crown = Loyalty, Hands = Friendship, band is a Celtic Knot

Historically, the Claddagh was technically not part of Galway but was a separate village. Galway itself was walled off from the surrounding area for protection, depending on who ruled at the time. The Claddagh is the oldest fishing village in Ireland with written history dating back to the year 700 (I think. Sorry, I'm TERRIBLE with history). They have a king there. Not kidding. He actually solved disputes among families and was an active leader up until 1932, when they started tearing down the traditional thatch huts in the village for sanitation reasons. Now, he has only a ceremonial role and does make an appearance at the village fair. Below is a photo of a replica hut, and the king lives around the corner.

replica of a traditional thatched Claddagh cottage

village pride

Also, guys, the Claddagh as an area: too cute! I walked through the little neighborhood one day, and I saw this guy (my peer) standing at a door, doing the turn-around thing after he had just rung the bell. Then this woman appeared and said, "Oh, John! It's great to see you!" He responded, "Mrs. _, I'm looking for Lucy. Is she here?" "She's just getting ready, dear. Come right on in..." What a gem! So 20-somethings here (at least the people I've spoken to in Galway) live with their parents if they can until they get married to save money and whatnot. Therefore, this adorable date scene can and does happen on the regular here.

The land of leprechauns and rainbows for a reason! It is not uncommon to see multiple rainbows in a day.

Most of my time in this city was spent walking around for hours and then going to the pub to finally have a conversation that day. My pub experiences were varied. The most classic "Emily" evening occurred on a Friday when, because I hadn't had dinner and am too old to try to drink without eating, I popped into McDonough's fish and chips shop. I asked some men there about the rugby match happening in town (Connacht beat Toulouse. Apparently Connacht was facing complete shutdown a couple years ago because they were so bad, so this was a big win.). Boy oh boy, these fellows stayed with me until 1am. We went to the Roisin Dubh (pronounced roy sheen dove), which is a very well known band/music bar, and then we finished with trad music at The Crane. They even paid for my cab home. These men were 65 years old+, which is why this is classic.

in the Dominican church in the Claddagh

Family time! THERE'S EVEN AN UGLY DUCKLING!

The long fishing boats are called Hookers.

I was getting food at a convenient store and asked the cashier what his favorite thing to do in Galway was. He responded, "Drink." Then I asked him what he liked to do when he was a kid, and he said that water sports were big in Galway. He was right. Presenting kayakers on the canal.

gorgeous in grey; Aran Islands in the distance

found in Salt Hill in the Circle of Life Garden in honor of organ donors

P.S. - Dublin beat Mayo in the All-Ireland Football Final on October 1st. I realized I left you hanging and never did mention the replay. Interestingly enough, one of the older gents I met somewhere knew one of the remaining "cursed" players of Mayo, and he said it's deplorable that the entire country is essentially waiting around for these men to die. I never thought of it that way, but that is depressing!

Conversations with John

This has really nothing to do with anything. "Conversations with John" just reminded me of "Coffee with Jesus"

I don't think I mentioned how much I appreciated having conversations with my host John at the first farm in Rosscarbery. He gave me much food for thought. You might remember my post about how much he can't stand the Catholic Church. Well, he loves being Irish Catholic, nonetheless. This has nothing to do with religion and all to do with culture. Back when the British controlled Ireland, they gave job preference and other perks to Protestants. Apparently, an Irish Protestant could be so sure of job security that education was superfluous. Catholics, no matter how gifted or learned, would not be considered first. However, Catholics got smart and educated themselves in a way that made them invaluable. Near the end of British rule in Ireland, from what I remember John saying, the economy started to dictate that people with the skills and schooling be hired for certain positions. The British started hiring Catholics. Protestants were obviously startled and felt betrayed by this, and the Catholics became the wealth-building and educated group between the two of them. It sounds to me that this is still a point of contention today. John is certainly proud of this part of his history.

Also, as I was peeling carrots in the big house one day, John shared with me the theory that travel is actually more difficult nowadays with technology than it was without it. Let me explain. Obviously, it is more convenient to plan and book travel arrangements with the use of today's technology than it was 50 years ago. That's not what he means. He means that because people are so connected with their own homes and familiar people and places through the use of technology, it has become incredibly difficult to really experience a culture (travel) without the baggage of what you know brought around with you. For instance, I'm blogging (more to record my travels than to communicate), and all this time spent writing and uploading photos and editing videos is not being spent getting to know the people, places, and things that are present to me. At the end of the conversation, we decided that being present to the moment in front of you--to the people and circumstances right where you are--is becoming more difficult with technology's advancement, not just in travel but in all of life's realms.

Did you know that Irish towns participate in what is called "twinning"? This has nothing to do with Charlie Sheen, nor is it about the Olsen twins. (I'm throwing that out there because these were my first two thoughts.) Twinning is a cultural exchange program between cities or towns that have matched at least one commonality between them. For instance, Clonakilty twins with Waldaschaff in Bavaria because of the esteemed brass bands that both towns boast. John and Sara's daughters play in Clonakilty's brass band, and I believe at least one of them has traveled with the band to play at a festival in Waldaschaff. My understanding is that the goal of twinning is to unite over a common bond and then share their differences with each other. This can open the doors to many collaborations and deeper levels of communication. Oooh, here's an article about it. I really think we should get this going in WV!

Berlin is Bananas!

HELLO!! It has been quite some time since I've written, and I do apologize. I was enjoying a trip to Berlin, Germany, to visit the one and only Anna White!

a Berlin version of Oktoberfest

What a trip! Here are my first impressions of the city: It was cold and rainy/overcast most days, and many of the buildings are Soviet-style with the big concrete-looking blocks, so I wouldn't call it a pretty city. They're still reconstructing former death strips (areas between walls where people trying to get from East to West Berlin during the Cold War were shot), and so cranes are everywhere. Apparently, it's a haven for the weird (and I heard that from different people--guides, Anna, an American who's lived there for 14 years, etc.). That's not a negative! People who typically feel out of place in life are said to feel quite at home in Berlin. Intriguingly enough, I did not. Although I often looked homeless (because let's be real, I didn't pack for day or night life in Berlin), I was assured I wasn't being judged, which I believe is the draw for many people. I didn't find people overly-friendly, but then again, I wasn't overly-friendly (language barrier and all). People do shove on the subways instead of using the classic "excuse me," and I was not pleased when a woman completely ignored the queue sign and skipped right to the counter (from behind me). If you are a history buff, however, Berlin is for you. Basically, the world history of the 20th century transpired in some form in Berlin. That's intense, especially when you're there.

Humboldt University--Albert Einstein was educated here.

I just liked this.

Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate)

I think this is the German History Museum.

Construction

During our Cold War tour, we heard the great story of Checkpoint Charlie and tanks amassing and JFK having to call Khrushchev to deescalate the situation. They love him here!

The Cold War/East Berlin bike tour really impressed me. Berliners have such a different viewpoint. Our guide really distinguished between socialism, the idea, and the U.S.S.R. in practice. It was the fact that troops openly fired on East Berliners peacefully protesting an increase in working hours without an increase in pay that really turned the people of Berlin against the Socialist State.

The giant "middle finger" to the West and the world clock

Socialist Realism

East Berlin movie theater

Piece of the Berlin Wall. This went up overnight in 1961. Our guide said, "Imagine you had a one-night stand that night and then couldn't get back home. That's the longest one-night stand of your life. One-night stands are dangerous, guys."

Guide chalked a map for us to understand the geopolitics of the time.

Berliners have a strong opinion about building walls. 

Mother Russia weeping for her children; the Soviets built a massive memorial to those who lost their lives in Berlin in WWII

Anna took her students to Dresden for a weekend, and so I got to tag along! After two days with this group, one of the students said to Anna, "Do you know who the girl is who keeps following us around?" Important question. I got a kick out of it. Dresden is lovely, but the Old Town has been rebuilt after firebombing, so it's technically a new town that looks old. I can see the argument for authenticity both ways, but I prefer old towns to actually be old.

Really lovely

The god of drunkenness is above because Wagner (maybe?) believed that theater should be about drinking in passion.

Brand new. Finished in the late 1990s, early 2000s. 

Porcelain--the biggest porcelain mural in the world, I believe

sketchy building but fun jaunt

brand spanking new

Dresden Military History Museum--very cool.

This was a British girl's doll house during WWII. She decorated.

Berlin was having a week of showing off their structures and noteworthy buildings with a light show. In three videos, I give you Berlin's Festival of Lights!

Note: Berlin isn't actually bananas, but this happened, and I just learned about it. Also, thanks to Anna for being a fantastic hostess as I country bop!