Another Sunday evening it is.
Experienced the original meaning of the concept Sunday Driving today. Went with Julia for a real drive around the country side (she even took some Irish hoom-pa-pa music to listen to in the car). Seems to be a favourite way of spending the sunday afternoon in Ireland (after watching sport, preferably in the pub). Julia showed me the village she spend the most part of her live, we went to the graveyard to watch her parents and her first husband’s grave (we actually drove with the car into the cemetery, and parked in front of the grave, a strange thing to me, but completely normal here) and went to Millstreet afterwards. Millstreet, a very famous place, ‘cause in 1993 EuroSongFestival was organised here. This weekend the place to be for all Westlife fans, as they are performing here three nights in a row. By the way, I’m following the pre selections of this years festival every sunday evening together with Julia, don’t think Ireland is going to survive the qualifying round.
Although my first impression of Julia was a bit caricatural , we go quite well together at the moment. We even had a very deep conversation about live and things saturday afternoon. Think I have to be very grateful that I have someone this first weeks to look after me. She made me real Irish food again this weekend. Saturday bacon and cabbage, today roasted chicken, with roasted potatoes, carrots and peas. During the week I cook myself, cause my stomach would never survive a daily doses of it.
At work everything is quite all right. After a bit of a difficult start, I found out that the Mediterranean ‘mañana’ also exists in Ireland (Julia told me that even one of the Spanish EVS girls felt a bit frustrated at the beginning). Irish time is flexitime. It makes just no sense to try to rush a matter (so don’t expect the bus to be in time, when the driver first wants to finish his cup of tea). I have to take the things as they come. As long as I keep that in mind, I’ll manage well I think.
I spend the whole week just reading about energy, energy, energy. First have to get used to the English terminology, before I can really start to do me own thing. My task at the County Cork Energy Agency is to work on public awareness about topics as energy, sustainable living, renewable energy. How I put that in practice is completely up to me. I’m not accountable to anyone. In other words, it’s completely in me own hands how successful and valuable this year is going to be.
There is only one minus and that’s the financial side of the project. There will be no other option for me than find me a parttime job for the weekend, cause Ireland is just so incredibly expensive. But even that can turn out quite good, as it is another opportunity to meet people and get some work experience.
This working week is going to be a very short one, as I’m taking off on Thursday, Friday and Monday. Thursday the bus to Dublin to see Luka Bloom in Vicar Street. Friday I’m travelling to Belfast. Going to spend the weekend there with two great guys I met in The Dubliner in Antwerp. Looking forward to it. It’s promising to be a great weekend, as Jonny is going to guide us around in his hometown. A real Northern- Irish experience. And the icing on the cake: all together seeing Luka Bloom on Sunday night. Monday morning the bus back to Mallow, a trip which will take me about nine hours. Ideal to catch up some sleep.
4 comments:
Your English is quite allright, but still you are making some mistakes. Thinking about life is a good thing, but you should try to write it properly! So far I've got the impression that you are doing fine out there. Bring Julia my regards.
Perhaps you should learn your sisters and your mothers how they can save some money and be more friendly for the energy account.
Have a good time!
Hey Saskia-it's Vicky from the LL. Really cool this Blog thing..never participated in one yet. You sounded a bit low about progress at work in the beginning...but just saw an update...hmm...maybe it went through while I was typing this epic response! LOL! Just remember it's all still really new. Also it's a new culture and a new place, and a new language!!!! LOL.. I was going to mention the whole 'irish time' concept. There's an irish distance concept too...tehehe...especially when you've blisters...everything is just 'down the road'...and miles later you're wondering 'huh?'... It think it's an optimist's view of time and distance! That's all. The time thing works really well for me as my Argie parents were VERY time relaxed. Major culture clash with our Swiss german friends!! ((-:
Had such a giggle about the Cork accents! That's a really tough one for me too, and you were making me remember me telling my little cousin on a trip to Ireland, 'no worries just look at me and I'll tell you what's being said if you get lost'...and of course I was more lost than she was in a lot of places! ((-;
Julia sounds like a really lovely person! Yes, sometimes people seem a bit like characters but so long as they are kind you're sure to make a friend! Cork will be fun to explore and get to know like the back of your hand! I thought when I saw you in Gent that you were traveling from Dutchieland. I'm getting really confused about exactly where people are from! So you're from Antwerp then? I do remember about your recorders! Glad you took them and I hope you get to play soon.
Those papers sound scary! (-: I forget what the Cork paper was...I used to go with my friends to shops in parts of NYC that carry the Irish papers by county and more recently with a LL NY friend. All really good papers and Hot Press of course for the music info. (-: You can read the Irish Independant online for free http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ and the Irish Times http://www.ireland.com/ offers some amount for free and some requires a subscription. I remember the Cork immigrants here reading 'The Corkman', which is also online: http://www.unison.ie/corkman/
Loved the idea about the 'slow' flag!!! For when you get lost with the brogue! Creative problem solving! ((-: Also loved the sound effects to help with understanding fishes in one horse/two horse towns. LOL!!!
Great to have gotten the books. Though there's nothing like living it, or meeting up with other people who've had similar experiances too. That's a great fund of knowledge.
I'm always amazed at how fantastic everyone's English is on mainland Europe!!
You're English is very good. I'm always amazed at how brilliantly people speak, read and write English from all over Europe! Just one thing...can't remember if it was you or a response but I know my parents would sometimes say 'learn' when you mean teach something. Like 'please learn me this' is really 'please teach me this'...but as slang in English in Ireland they'll sometimes say 'learn me' such and such. Okay did I really confuse you?? LOL.. Basically it's to teach a thing and the things being taught is learned. So 'please teach me English, so I can learn it'...Oy, I'm dizzy now. LOL! I always got low marks for grammar and spelling so I'm not very good at my native language anyhow! Maybe that's why I want to get good at other languages! (-: I'd love to make it to Cork someday and learn to speak Corkese! Tehehe...
Love your choice of music. Brilliant collection you chose!!! Bet you'll discover some real jewels in terms of places and people in this year. It must be quite surreal to know how many weeks you have to go. Probably seems like a lot too now. But they do fly by so take it all in, sure!! ((-: Glad you found some Cork sun. There'll be more of it for sure.
Sounds like a REALLY great week and weekend ahead. WOW, I'd really love to hear all about the North...haven't seen the North at all...really need to see it...and I don't know Cork either...so I'm learning a vicariously through you! (-: Enjoy the Bloom tunes and the traveling! Loads of listers headed your way even one from New Jersey! Keep on the look out for familiar faces at Vicar street and you'll get to meet up for a howye and maybe a pint after? Too much fun...sure wish I was going too. (-:
Hope your sister is doing brilliantly! It is SOOO hard to say goodbye. It has nothing to do with bravery and everything to do with love and a big heart so don't be so hard on yourself!!!!! ((-:
I'll keep coming to read on how things are going and if you hear cheering buzzing in your ear that's just me from across the pond!
Dikke knuffels to Cork from New York! -Vicky
Hoipipeloi!! Een echte Hollandse groet om dit berichtje van het Belgische thuisfront te beginnen :-) Ik vind het nog altijd fantastisch dat je zo hard hebt doorgezet om uiteindelijk te kunnen doen wat je nu doet!!! Prachtig dat je de moed hebt om je eigen weg te zoeken. En je weet, Saskia, dat ik zulke dingen nooit zomaar zeg.
Ik ben er dan ook vrij gerust in dat je de kracht hebt om je in dit avontuur te smijten en tot het einde door te gaan. Met zinnen als: "It’s completely in me own hands how successful and valuable this year is going to be.", kan ik dan ook alleen maar helemaal mee akkoord gaan.
En dat het jouw handen zijn die je eigen Ierland-jaar zullen maken, merk ik reeds aan het eerste geplande concertbezoek: Luka Bloom. Hahaha, ik moest toch effe lachen. Maar ik moet eerlijk toegeven dat nu je de Ierse cultuur aan het doorgronden bent, dit wel een zeer goed excuus is om je kamer te sieren met die tientallen Luka Bloom-posters en je voordeur te openen met die Luka Bloom-sleutelhanger ;-)
Succes met het zoeken naar een job en geniet van je verblijf in Ierland!
Joos
Hi again Saskia!
Hope you had a great time at the concert on Thursday and are enjoying the North! Was learning a bit of Dutchie in trying to decode your post from Joos. (-:
Have a brilliant time on Sunday and hope this coming week goes well. It will be my birthday week! I've gotten too old to declare just a birthDAY and must have a week to celebrate! ((-: Hope your continuing discovery of Cork goes really well.
Warm thoughts to you!
Vicky
Post a Comment