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.
