I suppose the most important thing that has happened since my last post is that Obama won the election! Wahoo! I had to stay up till six in the morning here to watch the results coming in. It was worth it. I wouldn't have been able to sleep not knowing who was elected.
The Irishman's nephew was christened and afterwards there was a big party. The Irish seem to have a party for any and every occasion. Who's complaining? Not me.
I have been busy with the theatre company, I was in Kilkenny last week for a workshop and am going to Cavan this weekend for a seminar. The company is expanding and next week we are moving to our new office across the hall. It's very exciting. We even get a little outdoor patio.
Last weekend the Irishman and I had friends over for dinner. It was our first time entertaining in our now not so new apartment. It was really nice. Once I got over the stress and the cut finger. I made this and it was delicious!
I am still running so far my best is 5k in twenty-four minutes. Last week the sea was beautiful and flat and while I know it's the middle of November I decided that I had to go for a dip. It was freezing! I could feel all the bones in my body and I'm pretty certain I could actually feel my blood flowing through my veins. While my die-hard attitude is impressive I think I will wait till spring before I can comfortably swim in the sea again.
I have started volunteering in a cafe so that I can add more work experience for when I am finally able to have a paid job here. The cafe is part of a shop that fixes bicycles, recycles old ones, and offers classes and biking advice. It's pretty cool. Plus I love coffee.
Ireland has made international news recently in a not so great way. An Indian woman, Savita, died from an infection in a hospital after suffering through a miscarriage for three days. She repeatedly asked for a termination since the baby was not going to make it but she was denied because "this is a Catholic country."It is a tragedy. Ireland has erupted in heated debate with demands for legislation to allow abortion. Last week there was a march through the city. I debated whether or not to go. On the one hand I felt that the issue of a right to choose is so important but on the other hand I am not Irish or an Irish citizen so I wondered if it really was my place (or obligation) to protest. But then I realised that Savita was not Irish (I'm not sure if she had citizenship) and that as long as I live in Ireland its laws still affect me. So I went to the march along with at least 12,000 others. As I walked through the rain I thought about the protests I have previously been to and realised that this was the first pro-choice march I have ever been too. This surprised me for a moment but then of course Roe v. Wade was in 1973 long before I was even born. Up until the recent U.S. election, where a woman's right to choose was a major issue and causes massive separation between the Right and the Left, I had been guilty of taking my right to choose for granted. I had merely assumed that my rights were protected and would remain so. And while I have always been aware of Ireland's lack of legislation on abortion rights I never thought that it could affect me but I now see that, sadly, I am wrong. Ironically, Ireland has just been added to the U.N. Human Rights Council which, in retrospect, is alarming. If you are reading this and feel as strongly as I do spread the word and urge Ireland to legislate, regardless of whether or not you are Irish, it is an international issue and it's time for Ireland to step up to the plate.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! They don't celebrate it in Ireland and somehow I got confused and thought it was next Thursday so I don't think I will be having any turkey tomorrow. Oh well. I suppose I can have a fashionably late celebration next week. For those of you celebrating tomorrow, enjoy! I know I have much to be thankful for!
Till next time!
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