From Johnnie Fox’s – a 211 year-old pub high up in the Dublin Mountains: I believe this is what they mean by the Irish gift of the gab.
Author: ieatmypigeon
Christmas Crackers
I read a story written by one of my lecturers recently. It was about a family Christmas and in it, the mother bought two kinds of Christmas crackers – ones for the adults and ones for the kids. I was confused. Why would the kids need a different kind of cracker – were the adult […]
The Call
While I was growing up, I was sent to Catholic school in hopes that religion would take. While it never did, I remember being powerfully impressed by one particular idea when I was a child – The Call. “It’s a message from God,” said my 2nd grade teacher. “When God wants you to become a […]
On This Day in Dublin, 12 December 2009
A group of rowdy teenagers is singing loudly on the top deck of the double-decker 74 bus into City Centre. Their voices float down in ecstatic screams as they switch the program from Christmas carols to Beyonce hits and, shockingly, to Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.” They might be drunk. They might be 13-16; hard to say […]
On This Day in Dublin, 11 December 2009
Yep. People are still mad about The Budget. But at least South Park’s on at 10.
What Good is Sitting All Alone in Your Room?
You know how it goes. Move abroad, start making glittering plans for all of the new international trips you’re going to take. After all, Thailand/Russia/Peru were never so close before! Then: Work. Life. School. Life. Work. School. Or in my case: School. School. School. You wouldn’t think that having class for only 6 hours a […]
Your 84-Word Mini Berlin Culture Lesson
There is an extensive railway system – underground U-bahns and rapid transit S-bahns. You buy a ticket to ride at a machine near the entrance of the station, and then you take the ticket to another machine on the train tracks to validate it. There are no barricades between the ticket machine and the validation […]
Un-Turkey Day
Thanksgiving in Japan, 2008: The equipment: Two gas burners, one toaster oven, one microwave, no kitchen counter. The menu: Pan-roasted chicken, Maggie’s World Famous stuffing, mashed potatoes, canned corn, green bean casserole, gravy, dried cranberries, Mon Frere red wine. The Veuve Cliquot Champagne was a congratulatory gift from Nakata-san after Obama was elected. Thanksgiving in […]
On This Day in Dublin, 23 November 2009
A group of Dubliners are talking about Pat Kenny’s RTE One interview with some of the many civil servants who are planning to strike tomorrow. Man 1: And he, asking yer one what she’s had to give up now that she’s on the dole. He, making 600,000 euro a year. Be a little sympathetic, you […]