I Heart Ireland

Hello April! I've been in Ireland for about 5 months now. Where does the time go? This week was spent enjoying some of the sites of Dublin, or what I am now referring to as I am dating Dublin. It's a complicated relationship that has been on again off again for years now. Right now I would say we are in our honeymoon phase.

I forgot to mention that last week I saw a play called Heroin about, yep, heroin. The play was set and performed in an area of Dublin called Ballymun, where the flats are (equivalent to the projects in the U.S.) and an area notorious for heroin use. Unfortunately Dublin has a problem with heroin use, which the play addressed. I have been working with former heroin addicts and their family members using theatre as a means to communicate their experiences. I did enjoy the play, although I did feel at times it was too theatrical and missed the deeper issues at hand.

Having spent my childhood travels being dragged to museums this week I dragged myself to the National Gallery where I saw an exhibit on art by Irish painters for the 19th century. Then I went to the National Gallery's photography exhibit which was photographs of Irish estates and mansions from the 19th century. I also went to the Chester Beatty Library where they had an exhibit on world religions. Finally I went to the gallery at the Project Arts Centre and saw an exhibit called "Things" where the artist has recorded snippets from various songs in which the word "thing" is heard in the lyrics. I thought it was an interesting concept but I wanted something visually to go with it. It felt a bit uncomfortable being in a gallery staring at white walls. Perhaps that was the point. It did make me think about the sounds that I have been hearing here in Dublin, to name a few: seagulls crying, pigeons cooing, horses trit-trotting down the street, sirens, when it gets windy here it really howls, bottles and cans being tossed on the street late at night, various Dublin accents...I could go on and on. I appreciate that the exhibit kept me thinking for the rest of the day. And the best part? All of this was free!

Yesterday I went with some friends to Howth for the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival. Unfortunately we arrived a bit late and the pub was out of prawns! So we settled for some classic fish and chips and a pint of Guinness. If a milkshake is a hamburger's best friend, I think a pint is fish and chips' best friend. It was nice to get out of the city for a bit, I know I said Dublin and I are dating earlier, and it's true, but sometimes I just need a quick break.

Thanks for reading!