Boring Blogger

I have to say that I've really been slacking in the blog department lately.
Sorry about that.
I guess things haven't been too exciting around here this month. I haven't really gone anywhere, or done anything particularly blog-worthy, I don't even think I've taken any pictures!
April has been kind of a roller-coaster month for me in many ways. I guess I've realized that I'm running out of time here and evaluating everything, and thinking ahead to the summer, and trying not to jump ahead of myself and live these next couple months to fullest!
I KNOW.
CONFUSING.
Its nearly May (WOW!), and by May 17th I'll basically be finished club work, and I'll be focusing on completing some practical projects for the church. On the 28th I meet Karissa in Belfast and we'll be gallivanting over Ireland for 30 days! Then I arrive back in Fermoy for another week before the Summer Bible Camp starts, and then a few days after that I fly home.
I just spent like...five minutes...sitting here, contemplating that.
Seriously.
I can't quite wrap my mind around it.
Its like trying to touch your ear with your tongue.
(Did you just try?)
Um...ya...I don't quite know how to feel at this point.
Excited to go home, sad to leave. Nervous about starting something new in the fall. Wondering how I'm going to fit back into Kamloops life...not that I think I'm too good for Kamloops :P
Just not sure how it goes anymore. It feels like I've been away forever.
Anyhoo, I'm just rambling now, probably cause I'm really tired and I need to sleep. Speaking of which I'm really not looking forward to the jet lag. I think it will be worse going "back" in time.

Until next time.
Your wee Irish friend.

Irish-isms

The quest for cultural knowledge continues!
Here I go...

What kinds of goodies can you get in those bakeries you mentioned?

I try to stay away to be honest...everything looks SO YUMMY! There are all sorts of fresh breads of course, including Naan bread which I'd never heard of before. Its like a flat chewy sort of bread with lots of herbs and stuff in it. Usually eaten with Italian food or something. Its good.
Cookies aren't so popular, but cupcakes and loaf cakes are, lots of cakes in general actually. Danishes, tarts (pies), and croissants, are a few more favorites.

Describe a typical church service in the church you attend.

Well the service starts at 10 AM, and no matter how hard I try I always just seem to get there at 9:59, even though I live the closest. I blame the traffic because I have to cross a busy street to get there.
Because we are officially "vacant" (that always makes me snicker) -meaning we don't have a minister- everyone sort of has their own area that they pitch in to help with. Usually Christine will start by coming up to the front to welcome our visiting minister, and make the announcements. Then Mark will open in prayer, then read from the Bible (to do with the worship), and then we will sing a hymn.
After that there is usually another reading (to do with the children's address) and another hymn. The minister will do the children's address, and we will sing ANOTHER HYMN.
Then we will have the collection, and then the children go to Sunday School, and then guess what...another Hymn! (Its known as the Hymn Sandwich service)
Finally the minister gets to speak, and when he is done we say the Benediction, which I have never read so at first I just kind of mouthed it, but now I know it goes something like this...
"May the Grace of God, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, forevermore, Amen." But don't quote me on that.
And after that there is tea and biscuits and visiting!

What does a 'typical' Irish person look like? Any distinguishing characteristics? Do you look like one? :)

That's a funny question because I could point out people that look really Irish, but I can't really say why they look Irish. So no, I can't really give any distinguishing characteristics. And I don't think I look like one. Maybe I should try the fake tan...

Are people as "busy" and "metro" as North Americans, or does it seem a little bit more laid back?

In the big cities like Belfast and Cork, I would say people definitely give off a city vibe. Having said that, I don't think its to the same extreme. The smaller towns are definitely more laid back.

How about "global issues"? From casual observance are the Irish freaked about global warming, healthy eating fads, and wars in Iraq too?

One of the first things I noticed arriving in Ireland was their fixation on global warming! Everything is about global warming looming overhead, and creating "sustainable" this and that, and lots of recycling! Apparently in the last few years Ireland has made big changes to lower their "energy emissions" or whatever. So ya, that is a huge thing here. I've probably recycled more in the last 6 months than ever before.
As far as eating goes, they're really beginning to emphasize the "5-a-day" thing (that's eating 5 servings of fruit and veg a day). Its all over the grocery stores, with labels on fruit juice like "Part of your 5-a-day!", and collectible coupons if you buy over $10 worth of fruit and veg...stuff like that. On tv there are tons of programs about the rise of obesity and how 'we' don't want to end up like Americans (!), and eating right, and getting exercise, and being happy about your body shape! Overall I think they have a fairly healthy and positive approach.
Iraq comes up pretty often, nobody likes Bush, and Americans I've met say they introduce themselves as Canadian to avoid awkward questions. News about American politics is definitely around, and I think most people are rooting for Barrack Obama.

Found any fellow Irish homeschoolers?

Interesting question. As far as I can tell, homeschooling in Ireland is illegal, but no one really seems to know for sure one way or the other. So no...I haven't!

Do you still "stick out like a sore thumb"...or have you pretty much gone native now?

I think I stick out, but I'm just used to sticking out now that I don't notice. It catches me by surprise when people ask where I'm from, because its not the first thing I say about myself anymore!

are you working on your Irish accent or are you patriotically maintaining your Canadian one?

I had a bit of a scare for the first few weeks arriving where I unconsciously mimicked the Northern accent, and then I really missed my Canadian one and I couldn't find it. Didn't like that so much, so after that I was pretty serious about maintaining my mother tongue. Also I moved down south where the accent is 100X harder to mimic without sounding East Indian. I know. Random. But its true.

If you think you can do it though, here are a few tips to achieving a Cork accent.

Turn your "o"s into "a"s. Cork becomes Cark.

"th" becomes "t" and sometimes a "d". Think becomes Tink, Thing becomes Ting. This becomes Dis and That becomes Dat!

'Tis replaces It is, and Ye is the quaint Olde version of "you" (plural)

And I don't know why but Jill becomes...Jeel.

Have fun with that!

Wonder-Melon!

I stumble across the strangest things when I'm Google-ing.

Oops!

This week I had the pleasure of enjoying the Kilworth community children's drama performance. My two little friends, Kerry and Lee, had a few bits to perform each and I recognized a few other kids from here and there as well.
The evening was entertaining (to say the least) and afterwards I was chatting with one of the mom's from our mothers & toddlers group, and since I had only met her youngest who wasn't in school yet, she started pointing out the others.
"I think I saw your oldest on stage," I said gesturing at a rambunctious 9 year old with long blonde hair, "She looks a lot like you."
There was an awkward pause.
"'She' is a boy." Miriam said finally.

Ah.

Friday FAQ

Right, so here are the first few answers to your questions! I know there are more of you out there just dying to ask me some more questions about Ireland, so feel free to leave more in the Comment Box, and if there's are a lot I might do another post next Friday! Wouldn't that be exciting?!

How are the grocery stores different than (Canadian ones)?

Everything is smaller. You couldn't find a 4-liter jug of milk if you paid a million dollars for it. They come in 1 or 2 liter portions (and there's no fuss about 1% or 2%...its semi-skimmed, or "fresh" -whole- milk).
Eggs come in packs of 6 most of the time, there are no "jumbo" cereal boxes or chocolate chips to be found, and I had quite a time trying to find molasses for my gingersnap recipe because no one knew what it was!
Peanut butter has a bright US flag on it ("REAL AMERICAN PEANUT BUTTER!") and ("REAL CANADIAN!") Maple syrup is outrageously expensive.
The most popular grocery stores (Centra, Supervalu, Tesco, etc) have home delivery services and nifty little vans that zip around and drop off their bundles of joy.
There are loads of bakeries and butchers around every corner.
I can't think of anything more right now. Next!

Do you have Starbucks?

In theory, yes. I haven't seen one, but I heard there is a Starbucks in some remote corner of Cork city. Needless to say, its not very popular (I just have to point out that there is a little chain of corner stores called Spar that sells Tim Hortons donuts. Tim Hortons is loved. Starbucks is not. Ha!). The most popular coffee chain is an Irish business called O'Briens which is kind of like a blend of Starbucks and Tim Hortons. Its hugely popular and hugely over-priced!

What is the fashion trend there?

It isn't that different from what was going on in Canada when I left. A few things I noticed were:
1. a certain style of wide leg jeans (I like!!)
2. loose-fitting waist-length jackets with empire waist, big buttons, and 3/4 length sleeve.
3. long fingerless gloves that reach to elbow to make up for that 3/4 length sleeve,
4. Fake tans are HUGE here. And disgusting. People are shamelessly orange.
5. The ugg boot is also a hideous favorite.
But who knows, maybe those things have entered the Canadian scene while I was away??
For guys I've noticed a lot of buzz/crew cuts, wide-striped hoodies, and an overall skulky, goonish, appearance. Not that I'm judging. Its just an outsiders opinion.

What kind of music is on the radio?

Again, its all very similar-- thanks for ruining my authentic Irish experience globalization!
Then again I'm not a huge radio-listener so maybe it is really different. When I first arrived it seemed like all they played was "Bleedin' Love" by Leona Lewis, "Do You Know" by Enrique, not to mention a lot of Westlife (which is an Irish band...and it sucks). But really, most other music is like Coldplay, Snow Patrol, and other things I don't know :P

What are the most common kinds of cars?

In my pre-Irish life I knew five different types of vehicles: the car, the van, the truck, the JEEP!, and the RAV!!!
Now there is a sixth, the van/car. Its like a tiny fat, short van. And its popular over here. But mostly there are just cars. And I don't know their make. I just know they are cars.
There are NO trucks here (except for one....you'll read about that in a sec) And I've only seen one jeep and it lives down the road.

Any strange animals?

The strange thing is that there are no animals.
At least not wild ones. No bears, no snakes (thanks to St. Patty?), no wolves...
The scariest thing you will meet here is a badger, and the last one I saw was looking a little deflated on the side of the road. I saw a fox once too, and that was neat. But mostly there are just a lot of birds.

Where are all those cute sheep farmers?

Apparently they are out tending their sheep as sheep farmers tend to do, and not attending church to meet young single Canadian girls! I spotted one once, and he was just arrived in town driving a truck and wearing wellies and wool sweater. I was walking on the other side of the street, otherwise who knows what romance might have blossomed...

What's the most exciting place you visited so far?

Oh boy...I don't know! I really loved Kilkenny, especially climbing the tower, the Mitchelstown Caves, but the Giant's Causeway was pretty sweet too!

How many cobble stone streets are there around?

It depends how old the city is. There aren't any in Fermoy, but there's a few in Cork, and Kilkenny was riddled with 'em! (they hurt if you are walking in thin little shoes like mine!)

Is there a McDonalds around?

There are plenty of Mc'Ds...with the "euro-saver" menu that I love. Erk. Really I'm not a huge fan so I've only eaten there once, but Matt could probably tell you the location of every McDonalds in Ireland.

What's the temp / climate like compared to here?

I think its a lot like the climate on the west coast. Rainy and mild. The cold is a very different cold than Kamloops....its very damp and it gets into your bones! Brrr...
Its very windy and overcast lately, but apparently in July and August they will get "highs" of 17!! haha...
The weather is really very volatile. It will be shining happily for 20 minutes and then suddenly you look up because everything has gone kind of dark and suddenly there is this NOISE. Rain pelting on the glass of the sunroom! Then 15 minutes later is stops and the sun shines again. Lather rinse repeat.

What is a popular snack?

"Crisps" aka chips (The 'tayto' brand is the general favorite), and "Chips" aka fries! Not really very healthy is it?!

Well that's all until next time...if there is a next time!

What Do You Want to Know?

So I was trying to think of ideas for a blog post.
I know you guys think I'm like Superblogger or something and I never run out of ideas.
Not.
(heh. the reallly geeky inner-child that grew up in the 90's loves it when I say that)
Anyway the thought came to me, Hey you are in Ireland. Write about Ireland. People want to know about Ireland.
Well the sad fact is that when you've been in a place for a while you just get used to things, and I couldn't really think of anything about Ireland to write about!!!
So I leave the next post in your capable hands.

What do you want to know about Ireland?....

Happy Birthday Liz!

The big 2-0!!!!
We'll have to do some proper celebrating when we are reunited in the Fall....if you come back! Cause it feels like I haven't seen you since that picture was taken. Miss ya!!!

One of a Kind?

I always thought our (deceased-- bless her senile soul) dog Shen, being a unique Beagle/Retriever mix, was one of a kind. However, I've spotted a dog in the nearby village of Kilworth that looked a LOT like her! Just a little big longer and not quite as "chubby" (read: obese). Just as friendly too....
I wonder if Shen had some long-lost Irish relatives she never mentioned to us....?

Sweet Surprise!

Been having sort of a bad few days this week, but I got the perfect pick-me-up in the post today!


Thanks to all my lovely valleyview friends!!!

What Have I Done?!

I think I might be crazy...
A few of you might already know I've applied to TRU's culinary arts program...but I just found out I got in!
I'm partly nervous, partly excited, and partly...undecided.
On one hand I'd love to learn more culinary skills, especially in the baking department. I really enjoyed working in that area last summer at Homewood, and two friends there who've been through culinary school encouraged me to go for it.
On the other hand, I'm not convinced I'd like working in the industry...the high-pressure environment might not be Jill-compatible.
I figured that even if I don't decide to become a professional chef, I'd always have that option to fall back on, and its always good to have the skill.
SO...my future is secured for another good chunk of time.
I will be living in Kamloops again, and going to school.

The adventure begins August 2008!

More Exploration

Today Christine and I visited a special spot that has been on my "to do" list almost since I came...
Glanworth Mill.

Glanworth is a small village a few miles out of Fermoy, but which might have been fairly important historically judging from all the old ruins there. One being the watermill...
Nowadays the mill has been converted into a gorgeous cafe/furniture boutique. Check out the link...the style was rustic country cottage-ish...I LOVED it!
We had lunch in the cafe...portions were HUGE, and very tasty...then browsed the antique-y bits and pieces, (a bead of drool may or may not have dribbled down my chin...amazing stuff there) and after that we did my favorite part! We went out back and explored the ruins of the castle!

We climbed the stairs and then poked around the doorways and towers, and I climbed all over the walls (good thing it wasn't too windy, I might have died), and took over a hundred pictures!
It was absolutely beeeeautiful there! I wanted to bring you all to look around. It just reminded me of the kind of place we would have killed to play in as kids. So cool.

You may have noticed I'm not at my most eloquent today...I'm using a lot of those dots...and I'm being fairly repetitive. Sorry. What can I say? I'm tired and uninspired. You're just lucky you got a post at all :P

Bingo Head

When someone is really good at math, people generally say they have "a head for numbers".
What about those (hypothetical) people who aren't so good at math? Don't they get a fair share, or are they completely devoid of cranial numerals?
I have a theory.
Those (hypothetical) people who don't have a head for numbers, only have a head full of them.
And their head is sort of like a bingo cage, in which random numbers bounce, and tumble, and twirl, each quite recognizable, but without any sense of order.
This makes keeping track of them all very difficult. Its even harder to find a pattern, or string them together in any sort of understandable structure. Working out a mathematical problem in a bingo head is almost impossible.
But of course that leaves open the option of writing it down and working it out on paper.
Which I think these (hypothetical) people find very like the final stages of bingo.
When a bunch of random numbers stop moving and line up one by one so that you can get a good look at them.
They still don't make any sense, but if you're lucky you might get the answer you're looking for.