The weather in Ireland in the last week has been pretty wintry. Temperatures have gotten down around freezing-- I actually saw snow flurrying on Friday afternoon, and the ground actually iced up on Friday night! Of course, this is amusing to someone from Michigan, because everyone was driving about 15 miles an hour as soon as the first snowflake fell. No snow accumulated, of course, but there was frost on the cars and ice on the puddles. I would complain, except I know that the technical term for the weather in Michigan right now is "ass-deep in snow." I heard they even closed highways earlier this week.
So when that's what I'm missing, I can't complain about living in a country where the weather reports will advertise a severe frost advisory. (Michigan pretty much lives under a tacit frost advisory year-round.) Here, I'll quote from the Met Éireann website-- remember, all temperatures are in Celsius:
Today
Further scattered showers this evening - some of hail or sleet or possibly snow on high ground. Showers heaviest and most frequent in western areas. Thunder in places also.
Tonight
Cold and frosty tonight with further wintry showers - some heavy or prolonged, especially later in the night. Clear spells also. Icy stretches on roads. Lowest temperatures -2 to +2 degrees.
Tomorrow
Cold and windy tomorrow, with sunny spells and scattered wintry showers, especially during the morning. Highest temperatures 6 to 9 degrees.
3 Day Outlook
MONDAY NIGHT : Turning cloudy, milder and breezy in most parts, with rain at times, and with any early frost clearing again - but the north and northwest may remain drier and less windy, with an ongoing risk of frost. TUESDAY, TUESDAY NIGHT : Wet and relatively mild weather in places (especially in Munster and Leinster) gradually clearing away southeastwards during the day. Colder conditions spreading to all parts, with clear spells and scattered showers, and with blustery W to NW winds. Frost in sheltered areas overnight, showers turning wintry in places also, risk of snow on mountains. WEDNESDAY : Bright and cold, with scattered wintry showers. Many areas dry throughout. Winds moderating and backing W to SW. WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THURSDAY : Becoming mild, wet and windy. Rain spreading from the Atlantic, turning heavy at times. Strong S to SW winds. Clearer colder weather following, winds easing and veering W. Frost in places Thursday night.
For some reason, the level of detail really amuses me. When I first moved here, I was getting frustrated because I couldn't find a local weather website. "No, not Irish weather, local weather!" And then I realized... the whole country is a bit smaller than Michigan and has a very temperate maritime climate. There's really only one weather for the whole dang island!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
It's about that time, eh?
Sunday, which means I should write something here, hmm?
I don't really have much to talk about this week, or at least nothing particularly Irish. The last two weeks have largely been a reminder for me that I really do love Academia. The whole Academic scene is one I feel comfortable with and really enjoy. My social life lately tends to involve going to some lecture or another of an evening and then going for drinks afterward. The past two Thursdays, I have gone to the "Counter-Factual History Series" at the Galway City Museum. (I didn't actually know about the existence of the museum until Thursday last.) These are lectures where a scholar addresses a "What if...?" question. Two weeks ago it was Dr. John Cunningham, my main history professor, talking about what would have happened if Eamon De Valera had been killed and Michael Collins had lived. This past Thursday, Dr. Quincy Lehr discussed the possible outcomes of a Southern victory in the American Civil War.
Nerdy, yes, but these evenings have also turned into almost networking opportunities. I went to the lectures with my friend and neighbor Brianne, a history PhD student here. As it turns out, she actually was a TA for Quincy last semester! He invited us out to a pub after the lecture on Thursday, where I ended up drinking with a bunch of the NUI Galway History faculty, including John Cunningham.
Then, of course, last night I went to The Crane, my official Favorite Pub, with Brianne, where I met several of the other History PhD students, as well as becoming friends with Quincy. It was very fun-- I really enjoyed meeting some new people, as up until now I've only known about four people outside of my MA group. (I do love my MA group, but I see them every day, and sometimes it's nice change things up.) Also, being on friendly terms with the history faculty can only be a good thing. If all goes well, I'm going to be here for three more years after this one. Very few in my MA group are planning on going on for a doctorate, so it's nice to know some people who will be around longer.
I don't really have much to talk about this week, or at least nothing particularly Irish. The last two weeks have largely been a reminder for me that I really do love Academia. The whole Academic scene is one I feel comfortable with and really enjoy. My social life lately tends to involve going to some lecture or another of an evening and then going for drinks afterward. The past two Thursdays, I have gone to the "Counter-Factual History Series" at the Galway City Museum. (I didn't actually know about the existence of the museum until Thursday last.) These are lectures where a scholar addresses a "What if...?" question. Two weeks ago it was Dr. John Cunningham, my main history professor, talking about what would have happened if Eamon De Valera had been killed and Michael Collins had lived. This past Thursday, Dr. Quincy Lehr discussed the possible outcomes of a Southern victory in the American Civil War.
Nerdy, yes, but these evenings have also turned into almost networking opportunities. I went to the lectures with my friend and neighbor Brianne, a history PhD student here. As it turns out, she actually was a TA for Quincy last semester! He invited us out to a pub after the lecture on Thursday, where I ended up drinking with a bunch of the NUI Galway History faculty, including John Cunningham.
Then, of course, last night I went to The Crane, my official Favorite Pub, with Brianne, where I met several of the other History PhD students, as well as becoming friends with Quincy. It was very fun-- I really enjoyed meeting some new people, as up until now I've only known about four people outside of my MA group. (I do love my MA group, but I see them every day, and sometimes it's nice change things up.) Also, being on friendly terms with the history faculty can only be a good thing. If all goes well, I'm going to be here for three more years after this one. Very few in my MA group are planning on going on for a doctorate, so it's nice to know some people who will be around longer.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
New year, new semester
I just want you to know that you're lucky you even got a 'blog entry today. My internet, always slow, is particularly molasses-in-January pokey today, and I got so frustrated waiting for the 'blog page to load that I almost abandoned it.
Anyway, I am back in Galway, and actually have been for about a week now. The break was lovely-- it was wonderful to see my family and friends-- but it's nice to be back, back to my "real life" of school and reading and Ireland. I was tired, frustrated, and travel-weary after the 12 hours it took me to get from Grand Rapids to Dublin, but as soon as I walked off the plane, I was surrounded by an unquestionable sense of Irishness that felt like a sigh of relief. I really do love this country, and just looking out the window or smelling the air brings an enormous sense of comfort.
This first week back has been largely taken up by the normal "first day of classes" type things-- introductions, short lectures, and syllabi, though thankfully the teachers here don't care to spend much time on the latter and are content to simply hand them out. The most exciting thing that happened was undoubtedly a visit from Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill ([nu:lə ni ga:nəl] or "NOO-la NEE GAH-nal") is Ireland's, and therefore the World's, Foremost Irish-Language Poet. She is, simply, a Big Deal when it comes to poetry in Ireland. I actually had the opportunity to meet her once before: on my study abroad in Dublin, she came and talked to our class about the history of Irish. That time, however, I don't think any of our class had had her importance and near-celebrity status impressed on us, and while she read a little of her poetry most of the emphasis wasn't on her. This time, she came to do a private reading for the Irish Studies Centre. Louis De Paor, our fearless leader, arranged it-- I think they might have gone to college together, at University College Cork, back in the '60's. That's what my very tiny knowledge of Irish gathered from Louis' introduction, anyway. Nuala was wonderful. She is very funny and had absolutely no ego about her writing, referring to it as something she had to do, in order to keep sane and express ideas that nag at her. As she put it, she gets a bee in her bonnet about something and it won't go away until she writes about it to her satisfaction.
She read her poetry to us, telling us the stories behind each one. She would read the translation first, frequently stopping to compliment the wonderful way the translator (often Paul Muldoon) had put something-- when asked why she didn't translate her own work, as she is completely bilingual, she replied "I'm not a poet in English!" We are working on some of her work in my Irish class right now, and so I (along with most of my class) brought my copy of her book Spionáin Is Róiseanna ("Gooseberries and Roses") to be signed. When she opened it, it fell open to one of the pages I'd been translating, with glosses written on the lines above the words and translations in the margins. "Oh, that's just my clumsy attempt at translation," I said, embarrassed and worried that she'd actually try to read my gibberish. "No, I love it!" she exclaimed. "Writing in books is wonderful."
Anyway, I am back in Galway, and actually have been for about a week now. The break was lovely-- it was wonderful to see my family and friends-- but it's nice to be back, back to my "real life" of school and reading and Ireland. I was tired, frustrated, and travel-weary after the 12 hours it took me to get from Grand Rapids to Dublin, but as soon as I walked off the plane, I was surrounded by an unquestionable sense of Irishness that felt like a sigh of relief. I really do love this country, and just looking out the window or smelling the air brings an enormous sense of comfort.
This first week back has been largely taken up by the normal "first day of classes" type things-- introductions, short lectures, and syllabi, though thankfully the teachers here don't care to spend much time on the latter and are content to simply hand them out. The most exciting thing that happened was undoubtedly a visit from Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill ([nu:lə ni ga:nəl] or "NOO-la NEE GAH-nal") is Ireland's, and therefore the World's, Foremost Irish-Language Poet. She is, simply, a Big Deal when it comes to poetry in Ireland. I actually had the opportunity to meet her once before: on my study abroad in Dublin, she came and talked to our class about the history of Irish. That time, however, I don't think any of our class had had her importance and near-celebrity status impressed on us, and while she read a little of her poetry most of the emphasis wasn't on her. This time, she came to do a private reading for the Irish Studies Centre. Louis De Paor, our fearless leader, arranged it-- I think they might have gone to college together, at University College Cork, back in the '60's. That's what my very tiny knowledge of Irish gathered from Louis' introduction, anyway. Nuala was wonderful. She is very funny and had absolutely no ego about her writing, referring to it as something she had to do, in order to keep sane and express ideas that nag at her. As she put it, she gets a bee in her bonnet about something and it won't go away until she writes about it to her satisfaction.
She read her poetry to us, telling us the stories behind each one. She would read the translation first, frequently stopping to compliment the wonderful way the translator (often Paul Muldoon) had put something-- when asked why she didn't translate her own work, as she is completely bilingual, she replied "I'm not a poet in English!" We are working on some of her work in my Irish class right now, and so I (along with most of my class) brought my copy of her book Spionáin Is Róiseanna ("Gooseberries and Roses") to be signed. When she opened it, it fell open to one of the pages I'd been translating, with glosses written on the lines above the words and translations in the margins. "Oh, that's just my clumsy attempt at translation," I said, embarrassed and worried that she'd actually try to read my gibberish. "No, I love it!" she exclaimed. "Writing in books is wonderful."
Friday, December 14, 2007
Christmas is all around us!
I'm going to be back in the 'States soon! On Sunday, I travel, taking planes trains1 and automobiles. I'm on the same trans-Atlantic flight with Jen, a friend from the program, which is nice-- we're going to try to switch seats to sit near each other. I'm getting in to Grand Rapids, my final destination, late at night. And then I'll be in Michigan 'till the 11th of January! I might not write in the 'blog during that time; after all, its purpose is supposedly to record my life abroad, not in the tiny village where I grew up.
This past weekend, I spent most of my time writing, or researching for, my final essay. Saturday night, though, I got to take a break, because some friends of the family were in town. Steve Cousins and his friend Joe were visiting Ireland, and my mother gave Steve my phone number in case they made it to Galway. They did, and on Saturday night they wanted me to show them around. All I can say is: man those guys are good craic. Hanging out with Steve and Joe is the definition of good craic.
We went to dinner at a seafood restaurant on Quay street, after wandering around pretty much the whole downtown area. Afterward, I took them to The Crane, which has officially become my favorite pub. I knew there would be a trad session going, and since Steve and Joe are both musicians I figured that would be the best thing to show them. When we got there, though, there was an actual event on. It turned out to be John Renbourn, the guitarist from The Pentangle! The Pentangle was a band that my parents loved when I was growing up, playing folk-jazz type stuff, and the song he was playing when we walked in was"Lord Franklin," one of my favorite folk songs they did. He's probably one of the better classical guitarists in the world. Steve, Joe, and I were all very impressed.
After he finished, there was the requisite trad session. It was fun, not particularly exceptional... until one of the fiddle players shushed everyone and then started singing, sean-nos style. Sean-nos, or "old style," is the "traditional" style of singing in Ireland, very lilty and ballad-like, and it's quite rare to hear these days, especially in a big city like Galway. I turned to Joe and Steve and informed them that they were very lucky indeed to hear it. It was an excellent night overall.
And now, a couple pictures, from Galway at Christmastime.
First, by popular2 demand, a photo of Virginie and I:
Flatmates!
The streets of downtown Galway have all been decorated with lights... it's very beautiful.
(Sorry it's so blurry, night photography is not my strong suit. Actually photography overall is not my strong suit.)
There are also large Christmas trees scattered around, like this one in Eyre Square:
And, finally, taken just today... the winter sun over Galway Bay.
1: I'm actually not taking any trains, for once, unless you count airport trams. Just buses, cars, and airplanes.
2: And by "popular," I mean "maternal."
This past weekend, I spent most of my time writing, or researching for, my final essay. Saturday night, though, I got to take a break, because some friends of the family were in town. Steve Cousins and his friend Joe were visiting Ireland, and my mother gave Steve my phone number in case they made it to Galway. They did, and on Saturday night they wanted me to show them around. All I can say is: man those guys are good craic. Hanging out with Steve and Joe is the definition of good craic.
We went to dinner at a seafood restaurant on Quay street, after wandering around pretty much the whole downtown area. Afterward, I took them to The Crane, which has officially become my favorite pub. I knew there would be a trad session going, and since Steve and Joe are both musicians I figured that would be the best thing to show them. When we got there, though, there was an actual event on. It turned out to be John Renbourn, the guitarist from The Pentangle! The Pentangle was a band that my parents loved when I was growing up, playing folk-jazz type stuff, and the song he was playing when we walked in was"Lord Franklin," one of my favorite folk songs they did. He's probably one of the better classical guitarists in the world. Steve, Joe, and I were all very impressed.
After he finished, there was the requisite trad session. It was fun, not particularly exceptional... until one of the fiddle players shushed everyone and then started singing, sean-nos style. Sean-nos, or "old style," is the "traditional" style of singing in Ireland, very lilty and ballad-like, and it's quite rare to hear these days, especially in a big city like Galway. I turned to Joe and Steve and informed them that they were very lucky indeed to hear it. It was an excellent night overall.
And now, a couple pictures, from Galway at Christmastime.
First, by popular2 demand, a photo of Virginie and I:
Flatmates!
The streets of downtown Galway have all been decorated with lights... it's very beautiful.
(Sorry it's so blurry, night photography is not my strong suit. Actually photography overall is not my strong suit.)
There are also large Christmas trees scattered around, like this one in Eyre Square:
And, finally, taken just today... the winter sun over Galway Bay.
1: I'm actually not taking any trains, for once, unless you count airport trams. Just buses, cars, and airplanes.
2: And by "popular," I mean "maternal."
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
and now for something completely different
I am officially done with my first semester as a postgraduate student. I handed in my last essay yesterday afternoon, after a rather brutal night spent writing it. I have much to talk about in this 'blog... but I'm not going to discuss it today. You can expect more entries this week, breaking from my usual Sunday schedule
Right now, though, instead of Ireland I'm going to talk about America.
I have made up my mind that I am absolutely going to vote for Dennis Kucinich. I've admired him for a long time, and this video made me love him just a little more:
As one of those way-too-many Americans who has no kind of health care whatsoever, I agree that it should be made a priority. This summer, I turned twenty-three and had to go off my parents' insurance, and I certainly can't afford my own right now. I recently informally polled my friends to see how many people in my general age group had health insurance. It was about 60%-- 40% were completely uninsured.
I've heard people joke about elections and say "Who are you voting for?" "A rich person who I have nothing in common with." Dennis Kucinich may get a congressman's salary (I have no idea how much they get paid, but I assume we take care of our Reps, especially as they vote on their own pay) but I feel like he knows where people like me are coming from. Dennis Kucinich has his priorities more in line with what I believe than any candidate I've ever seen.
I know he probably won't win. He's an underdog. Still, I've finally found a candidate who I can actually support. (I voted for Kerry last time. I didn't particularly like him-- I recall the website johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com-- but it was really a lesser-of-two-evils situation.) You may think I'm being young and idealistic and throwing away my vote, but it's really not the case. In fact, I'm cynical enough to feel like no one I vote for will ever make it, or make a difference, so I might as well throw my vote away for something I believe in.
Besides, Kucinich lived in a car when he was 17. Now there is a man I feel can understand my needs.
Right now, though, instead of Ireland I'm going to talk about America.
I have made up my mind that I am absolutely going to vote for Dennis Kucinich. I've admired him for a long time, and this video made me love him just a little more:
As one of those way-too-many Americans who has no kind of health care whatsoever, I agree that it should be made a priority. This summer, I turned twenty-three and had to go off my parents' insurance, and I certainly can't afford my own right now. I recently informally polled my friends to see how many people in my general age group had health insurance. It was about 60%-- 40% were completely uninsured.
I've heard people joke about elections and say "Who are you voting for?" "A rich person who I have nothing in common with." Dennis Kucinich may get a congressman's salary (I have no idea how much they get paid, but I assume we take care of our Reps, especially as they vote on their own pay) but I feel like he knows where people like me are coming from. Dennis Kucinich has his priorities more in line with what I believe than any candidate I've ever seen.
I know he probably won't win. He's an underdog. Still, I've finally found a candidate who I can actually support. (I voted for Kerry last time. I didn't particularly like him-- I recall the website johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com-- but it was really a lesser-of-two-evils situation.) You may think I'm being young and idealistic and throwing away my vote, but it's really not the case. In fact, I'm cynical enough to feel like no one I vote for will ever make it, or make a difference, so I might as well throw my vote away for something I believe in.
Besides, Kucinich lived in a car when he was 17. Now there is a man I feel can understand my needs.
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