(no subject)
i keep forgetting to update about our mostly wonderful four days in ireland last weekend. we went to strokestown in county roscommon for the strokestown international poetry festival (mario was shortlisted, i.e. in the top 10 of 2,700 entries, but didn't get a placing). so many good people, so many friendly people, people saying hello to strangers in the streets (just like brisbane!), relaxed atmosphere. we are so going back, even if mario doesn't get shortlisted again (he came second in 2003). i have never felt so welcome anywhere outside of australia.
it was interesting to hear irish and scottish gaelic spoken (seems as though they would be incredibly difficult languages to learn) and to visit a bi-lingual country. gaelic is a soothing but sinister language to my ears. like bedtime stories whispered by a madwoman with a knife.
we went to a tiny pub in the back of a grocery store (!), where the guinness was first class and they played live irish music - a fiddle, accordions, guitar and flute. i wish my grandfather (of irish descent) could have been there with us. he played the piano accordion.
and of course, the myriad shades of green from the coach windows on our 3+ hour journey from and back to dublin were beautiful. as were the yellow fields of rapeseed (canola) and the black-faced lambs.
the literary scene in london is just so different. i'm fairly shy, and as a partner rather than participant/prize-winner at london events, i feel very relieved if i find one friendly person to talk to. in strokestown, i had lovely warm conversations with all kinds of people, including one of the judges (mary o'donnell).
europe is still a revelation. an hour's flight and you're in another country. we're island-hopping in greece in october. when i lived in australia, going to an greek island sounded like an impossibly romantic dream, an incredibly decadent and expensive thing to do. and here i am planning my second holiday there. we're flying to athens, heading to aegina and then going where the mood takes us.
and i'm going home for christmas. i can't wait for a real, hot, sunny christmas. the way christmas is meant to be.
(and i can't wait to surprise harry!)
it was interesting to hear irish and scottish gaelic spoken (seems as though they would be incredibly difficult languages to learn) and to visit a bi-lingual country. gaelic is a soothing but sinister language to my ears. like bedtime stories whispered by a madwoman with a knife.
we went to a tiny pub in the back of a grocery store (!), where the guinness was first class and they played live irish music - a fiddle, accordions, guitar and flute. i wish my grandfather (of irish descent) could have been there with us. he played the piano accordion.
and of course, the myriad shades of green from the coach windows on our 3+ hour journey from and back to dublin were beautiful. as were the yellow fields of rapeseed (canola) and the black-faced lambs.
the literary scene in london is just so different. i'm fairly shy, and as a partner rather than participant/prize-winner at london events, i feel very relieved if i find one friendly person to talk to. in strokestown, i had lovely warm conversations with all kinds of people, including one of the judges (mary o'donnell).
europe is still a revelation. an hour's flight and you're in another country. we're island-hopping in greece in october. when i lived in australia, going to an greek island sounded like an impossibly romantic dream, an incredibly decadent and expensive thing to do. and here i am planning my second holiday there. we're flying to athens, heading to aegina and then going where the mood takes us.
and i'm going home for christmas. i can't wait for a real, hot, sunny christmas. the way christmas is meant to be.
(and i can't wait to surprise harry!)