Subject: Emerald week one
Date:      Thu, 22 Feb 2001 12:47:29 -0500
Everybody-I've been in Ireland a week and the adjustment was just like crossing a state line. No problems whatsoever.  Of course, easing the move was the accommodating and friendly nature of the Irish, my deluxe house, and my
1998 Ford Mondeo. Driving was a bit tricky the first two days, and I started my driving experience by getting in the wrong side of the car and wondering where the steering wheel went. I still pull the seatbelt with the wrong hand, and get nervous driving down many of Cork's narrow streets with cars parked every which way, leaving most every driver with that nagging question in the back of their heads if the road is a one way the other way or not.
Work has been totally relaxed, with my eight co-workers all extremely friendly and a laugh every 5 seconds at lunch. The Irish wit is pretty nice to be around, and it never is away long. Quitting time on Fridays is 4, and leaving by 5 the rest of the days is strictly enforced.
I acquired the gift of gab after some discussions on the top of Blarney Castle (3 miles from my house) whether or not it was worth it. I had to Lay down on my back, have my arms raised over my head by an old Irishman, Bring my head all the way back and lean up to kiss the stone over about a 150 foot drop. The real trick was getting down the tiny steps on the stone spiral staircase - Irish engineering in the 11th century is not quite user friendly.
The countryside is beautiful, and driving to work today (5 minutes) the clouds were a magnificent threatening purple, and cast areas of light onto the typically Irish green hills, but the grass had such a crazy golden glow.
I bought some paints Saturday, and depending on the weather this weekend, I'm going to try to get out and push that acrylic around (no oils, yet). Besides Blarney (and some surrounding Blarney pubs), I've gotten my feet wet in Cork and went down to the harbour (Cobh) where the Titanic last saw land and the Lusitania too. It was a nice ocean front marred by oil refineries and shipbuilding cranes, but had an amazingly immaculate stone church that was on a hill overlooking the quaint waterfront.
That's all for now, but I'm thinking about heading up to Dublin for St. Patrick's day, and I may try to take a weekend flight somewhere the week before - perhaps Paris?

Subject: gab & guinness
Feb 27 2001
Driving to work today was an example of the balance I've discovered here: I rocked out to Madonna's latest technopop musings, and as her 'Music' died down, I flipped to the next station to hear Neil Diamond's 'September Morn'.   Talk about a way to start a day, Neil Diamond singing about flying halfway 'round the world is one way to do it.

I headed to Macroom this weekend, which is a small city about 40 minutes west of here with a big stone castle and more color on the buildings there than 2/3 of the eastern seaboard.  It's such a pleasure to see vivid pink and yellow buildings rising up out of the grey cobblestone surrounded by shockingly green hills.  I'm holding out on the superlatives because I've heard I should save those for the west coast, which is the direction most of my next few weekends will take me.

Drinking here is one of the best activities around, and I've used my newfound gift of gab to strike up conversations with anyone around.  It's hysterical hearing the stories and views of a drunken Irishmen.  One had told me he convinced American women in the US they only live in thatched houses and had black and white TVs.

Talking to everyone here is extremely easy, and you'll always find someone willing to chat for a bit.  I bought one girl a beer Friday night and next thing I know I'm sitting at a table of 6 Irish girls and then headed to the dance floor with one on each arm.  I like it here.

Feb 28 2001
Everybody-
The warnings are out, the hysteria is in:
Foot and mouth disease hits the Emerald Isle.
Because the damn British can't keep their cows, lambs and other living meat products healthy and free of Mad Cow Disease and now the latest outbreak of foot and mouth disease, a disease that can be contracted and passed along by humans with no ill affects unless you've got four legs and some hooves.  If found in animals, they (seriously) kill all the animals and light the farm on fire.  It's fairly intense, but funny to think Mad Cow kills people and there was less uproar, but now that the farmers and producers are losing their cattle and animals (hence money) it's an intense international crisis.  Money makes the world go round, whether it's green, pink, blue, or yellow.
So, the affect of all this on yours truly is an Irish advisory to stop all unnecessary travel through the country and especially to the UK.  People driving from Northern Ireland to the Republic have to drive over disinfectant mats, and all meat and dairy products (including sandwiches) are being confiscated as people arrive from England to anywhere in the world.  They've even cancelled horse racing, rugby and a bunch of other sports and such over in the UK, a country I will arrive in next Friday night, to take in the sights at the Tate Gallery in London.  I've reworked my long awaited trip to the Ring of Kerry this weekend for the one after St. Patrick's Day, which there are also mutterings of canceling most of the Dublin events I was hoping to hit on the 17th.   So, if you are American, and are reading this email, dump some of that damned tea into your local harbour and let's show those Brits exactly how appreciative we are of their disease ridden countryside.  (No matter how 'special' our friendship W and our former Great Leader say America's relationship with Tony 'I'm in bed with the Yanks' Blair is)
Also, I was quite appreciative of the touch at Waxy's on Marlborough St last week as the Liverpool-Bradford City soccer match started.  Of course, that's English Premier League Action, and as the national anthem started, the mute button was hit, leaving the bar to listen to some Irish chatter and sense a void in background noise. At least some people know how to show their reverence for their country, even if it takes silence to do it. Now only if fat suburban yuppies can honor America by simply taking off their hat during the National Anthem at ballgames.... But that's another rant, and now it's time to soothe my soul with some Irish wit, Guinness, and some friendly native women, not necessarily in that order.
Dump that tea!!!!!!

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