I took a position as a teacher with the Irish American Cultural Institute for the month of July. I'll be teaching high school students from the US at a few different places around this lovely Island: Waterford, Dublin and Galway. The pay ain't that great, but I get a free flight to Ireland, an apartment (well, it has a shared bathroom) and all my meals included. Ain't so bad. But I do have to teach 4 hours a day and I'm kinda making it up as I go along. Why did they hire such a hack?
We arrived at Dublin airport at 9:40 a.m. today, 3/7/07 (D/M/Y). No real hassle through customs, but there was an issue of some students with missing luggage, cash and cameras. One kid from California grabbed the wrong, albeit identical, bag at the airport, but the bag he picked up belongs to a woman named Rose from Puerto Rico. We might figure it out.
We hopped on a bus from Dublin to a little place called Glendalough in County Wicklow. Glendalough is the site of an old monestary founded by a saint named Kevin and it has a pretty wonderful graveyard. Pics will be forthcoming. There was one tombstone for two brothers: One died in 1921 at age 19 and the other in 1988 at age
86. Together at last. Missed you, bro!
Then we stopped for lunch when the most pleasant experience happen: A girl with a peanut allergy had to be rushed to the hospital because Irish yoghurt "May contain traces of peanut." She pricked herself twice with her EpiPin, but complained that her throat felt like it was closing. And it was, so she's staying at the hospital overnight. What a good start!
Tomorrow I'm planning a lesson on Irish-American identity issues. I'm kind of torn with my feelings on Irish Americans. I've never had a postive view of cops, I think binge drinking is sad and pathetic and I just hate pub crowds in the states. We're going to discuss reasons why and how people celebrate St. Patrick's Day. People celebrate their Irish roots or the Irish roots of others by getting totally fucked on cheap booze and green beer. After we resolve that it's a celebration of Irish culture, we'll talk about why gay and lesbian Irish Americans are excluded from the Parade every year.
The Ancient Order of Hiberians, the group that runs the parade, justifies the exclusion by arguing that St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday. The Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization thinks that it's simply a celebration of Irish culture? Who is right in this?
So I'm off to have my first whisky in Ireland so far. Let me know where you is.
3 comments:
I am in Valhalla NY. I am about to pick up my sister at the train station, eat faulty falafels, and go watch Kensico Dam fireworks. Remember those? I wonder if Shadow will make it this time. Keep up the blog, bloke!
Glendalough was very peaceful. Ireland is a nice little country, i hope to go back to there next summer.
Right now I am in Los Angeles, CA and tomorrow is Independence Day. Las year I was in Ireland for the 4th, its a little odd being in a country that doesnt celebrate the holiday.
Holding it down upstate. Celebrating independance from work tomorrow.
That brother shit was poignant, man. Keep up the good observations.
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