Adventures in the Unknown

Saturday, October 19, 2013

"...Should stay in Dublin"

....Should stay in Dublin. But if I'm telling all of my stories, I have to tell how today went.

There were 4 sites that we had to visit while we stayed in Dublin: Kilmainham Gaol, the Museum, the General Post Office, and the Four Courts.

We started off by taking the Luas (the monorail system here in Dublin) all the way up to the jail. Is it weird if I use the word gorgeous to describe a jail? Because this place screamed of historical beauty. Maybe it's the criminal justice and political science majors in me (or I'm that crazy/creepy that I think a jail looks gorgeous), but this jail was really cool. We got to see some famous cells (including P.H. Pearse, and Eamon De Valera (the last prisoner to ever be held in Kilmainham)) and the exercise yards and execution yards. Really fascinating stuff.

From there we went around the city to get to the Museum to see the exhibit labeled "Understanding the 1916 Uprising", which covered the Easter Rising happenings in 1916 (which was where all the imprisoned leaders were from). Again, really cool exhibit, but mostly just pictures of people and not as interactive. I think the most impactful thing in this exhibit was the quote "We know their dream. Enough to know that they dreamed are are dead." People fought for their freedom and died for their cause. Standing in that room (and in the execution yard at the jail), it finally hit me how hard the Irish fought to escape British rule. That people died fighting for their cause. I guess a part of me is inspired by that; the fact that someone believed so strongly in their cause they were willing to die for it.

The last stop we hit was the General Post Office (GPO for short). The Four Courts wasn't opened, so we couldn't go there. The really cool part about the GPO was that the bullets fired during the Easter Rising around the GPO are still in the architecture today. Bullet holes covered the front pillars. Whats more, people were protesting the government outside when we got there (you know, normal "they lied to get into power and aren't doing anything" blah blah blah). It still was really cool to see that the government left the remains of such a historic event for modern day.

We ended the day with a "Musical Learning Demonstration". Led by Antony and Andy, we went to two pubs (the Ha'penny and Brannigan's) to listen to live music being played. At one point, our whole group got up and sang ShoSholoza (the traditional South African song), as well as stumbling through parts of The Rattling Bog. As much fun as that was (no sarcasm here), the best part was when one of the other guys in the group turned and asked "What part of the States are ya from?", to which I responded "Pittsburgh". His immediate reaction was "No shit. Me too!"

Well what do ya know, even in a little pub in Ireland, Pittsburghers are meeting each other! What a small world!

P.S.: We went through a store today and I actually almost fell down from shock. Sitting there, on the rack, was a throwback yellow Pittsburgh Pirates jersey. #21, Roberto Clemente. So much Pittsburgh in one day!

Inside of a cell

Eamon de Valera's cell

Remembrance of James Connolly

The Museum

the GPO

Still there

Dublin!

Brannigans

Neither were statues

Friday, October 18, 2013

"What happens in Dublin..."

So I'm sitting in the Dublin City Inn right now, and it's been such a rollercoaster of a day. Recap:

It all started this morning when we had to take our 4 hour bus ride from (London)Derry to Dublin. Another embarrassing story: I bought a bacon and egg sandwich at the bus stop so that I'd have lunch on the bus. I set my bag in the overhead compartment and decided to pull my sandwich out of the bag so that I would be able to easily reach it. I unzip my bag and the sandwich falls from the bag all over the seat. Yup, egg all over the place (Takes a bow for the most awesome travel stories about spilling things).

So we get to Dublin and it's pouring rain. The group from (London)Derry had to meet up with the group from Belfast, but of course there was miscommunication and we couldn't find them. And it's raining. And we're wondering the streets of Dublin. Awesome.

We got everything figured out and settled into the Inn when we had to go to the Dublin Castle. This was the center of British rule in Ireland up until 1922 when Ireland became a free state. It's now used for ceremonial meetings and the Presidential Inauguration every 7 years.

Two really cool things from the tour. First, the throne in the Throne room was made for the King of England. It was huge (apparently the king was 6`6 and about 340? If I remember correctly...)! I was seriously debating asking the tour guide if I could sit in it, but he said "the last person to officially sit in it was [the ruler before Queen Elizabeth II]", so that was out of the question (but the officially made me think that he just sits in the throne in his free time).

Second, we took a tour down the powder tower and showed us the little door that people would've used from the moat. Leading up to the door was stone steps, so I asked "Is the door still up there and go somewhere?" The tour guide's response? "Just watch your head.". So I got to walk up the stone stairs (Nothing was there, but apparently I was not allowed to do that. So cool.)

We decided to go to dinner at the Stag's Head, which was the ideal Irish Pub. And, you guessed it, I got my first order of fish and chips! I felt like such a tourist and local at the same time. The fish was really good, but the chips, holy crap. They had to have took a whole potato, cut it into 4 chunks, and served it as some chips (fries). Such a great meal!

Well, tomorrow we're off to visit more of Dublin, but so far I'm not that impressed. Everyone has told me good reviews of Dublin, but I feel like Dublin is not for me. Maybe it's because I've only seen a few parts of the city, but I think Dublin is to Cleveland as (London)Derry is to Berea. It's not that I don't like it, don't get me wrong, but I feel like people have oversold Dublin to me.

But you know what they say, "What happens in Dublin..."

Dublin Castle

Powder Tower

The stone stairs

Irish landscape from bus ride to Dublin

Irish landscape form bus ride to Dublin

The Spire

First Day Abroad

So we decided to get breakfast in (London)Derry at this little place called Wetherspoons in the Diamond. I guess it would help if I told you all what the Diamond is, huh? I guess you would call it the town center in the States, but it's this little area that's "squared in" in by the streets surrounding. In the middle is this statute with an angel on the top with a sailor on one side and a soldier on the other.

After breakfast we went down to get bus passes so that we'd be able to get to our service placements throughout the week. We ended up exploring the Service placements in the Creggan Country Park, Rosemount Youth Center, and the school in the Fountain.

As soon as we entered the bus, it was like we traveled back to the '60s in the States. Everyone knew each other and were talking to each other and being friendly. It was like the community life that you see in the movies with people talking and having fun.

I think it was at that point that it hit me that I was in Ireland. Kuz said "You know, the world really isn't that different", and I guess he's got a point. It's not that different: the land looks the same, and yeah, some cars are different (Driving on the opposite side of the road than the States? Hello, still getting used to it), and the people all look the same. The only difference is the person's mindset, and I really think the biggest difference here in Ireland is that people here take relationships more seriously. I feel like people in the States are more concerned with money and wealth and advancement and having a really prestigious job, where Ireland is more about relationships and having a good time with each other.

While we were walking into the Fountain, it was very clear that the Fountain was a Protestant area. Right after we walked under the bridge/walkway, the atmosphere changed. Maybe it was the colored sidewalks (British colors), but to me it felt like it was the last remaining colony (like a zombie apocalypse was happening outside and I was in the only remaining human colony). Very different feel to it.

After dinner, a group of us decided to go out and visit the pub and find some live music. First we went to the Cellar Bar, which was nice but dead. NO one was in there except our group, so I walked up to the bartender and asked what was up with this pub. She responded that it was a disco bar that only got busy on the weekends. So we are planning a return trip when the disco is in full swing. (note: I'm not sure if disco has the same meaning as disco in the States. I'm assuming it has the same connotation as a club in the States. I have no idea).

So we ended up with the rest of the people in our house at a place called Castle Bar. We walked in and there was live music playing and a couple people being loud and having fun. I sat down at the bar (what better way to meet people, right?) and got a Guinness (first one! Surprisingly I like it haha) and started talking to the bartender. And no coincidence, he said he just moved back from Pennsylvania (small world, huh?). It was so awesome! The guy next to me was pretty fun to talk with (a drunken Irishman who was not holding back anything). But then this random guy showed up with a fake dreadlock and started talking about how America should switch to socialism and started rambling about politics. But the best part was the group of students from the university who played music in the corner. Such a great first pub experience!

Next stop, Dublin in the morning for the weekend!