TWO WEEKS IN IRELAND (2003) #4

CORK  

This country is just so beautiful. It is green like I have never seen before. Not the raw green of Queensland, or the olive green of South Australia.  This is a fresh, rich green with too many shades to count. Looking out the windows I see …cattle clustered in multicoloured groups like liquorice all sorts, …slate grey churches standing timeless among the hedgerows, …showers of sunlight breaking through the heavy clouds and then, as we rounded a corner, the valley opened up in front of us. Undulating hills shimmered with the eerie green of a Summer afternoon in Brisbane just before a hailstorm. Then bursting from a mass of clouds clustered at the top of the tallest hill, a brilliant rainbow escaped upwards into the sky gradually fading and then vanishing into the clouds waiting above. A herd of about 23 bay horses stood motionless facing the one direction paying homage to the beauty unfolding before them....

There IS magic in Ireland.  

One thing to remember when traveling in Ireland... (maybe even Europe), is not to carry US$100 bills because no one will exchange them. Oh well, life wasn't meant to be easy. One cashier couldn't quite grasp the fact that I  was an  Australian, working in Shanghai, being paid in US$, banking in Hong Kong and we just wanted to spend some Euros in Cork. That afternoon we went sightseeing  driving  to towns like Youghall, Ardmore and Ballymacoda.  One of the highlights of the day was visiting St Mary's Collegiate Church in Youghall. This church is one of the oldest in Ireland and was founded in 450. We found a page in a visitors' book from 100 years ago that had an entry from a Queenslander. 

The next day we all bundled into the car for a little trip to Blarney Castle. Js friend GJ drove there but had a few at the bar so I had to drive back. GJ being the lovely man that he is decided to navigate me back the "easy" way to avoid all the traffic.  Omigosh it was an interesting drive in and around and down tiny lane ways with hardly enough room for one car let alone a multitude going in all directions. More than once I had to drive up on the footpath to get past. Eventually we got home and had a little rest before heading out for a big night in Cork. GJ took us to listen to a Blues Band which was very good and we would have stayed if the bar hadn't looked like something out of a very bad B grade movie with extras scattered around gazing at nothing in particular with vacant looks on their faces. The seats were padded boards sitting on kegs and it wasn't long before H and I decided to call it a night and hit the sack. 

A lovely sleep in until 8 then up and ready for breakfast. The breakfast room was full of British men over for work. When GJ was ready he took us on a tour of the nearby towns. First stop Cobh a picturesque town with a star studded maritime history. The first Atlantic steamship crossing was made from Cobh. The Lusitana was sunk offshore in 1915 and it was the Titanic's last port of call before setting off. Next stop Kinsale.... an intimate village with medieval buildings and streetscapes. It is called the gourmet capital of Ireland and has an annual 4 day gourmet festival. We seemed to be winding along forever on tiny twisting roads before finally arriving back in Cork. GJ and J were busy so H and I entertained ourselves at a local pub. Home to bed for another early night.

TWO WEEKS IN IRELAND (2003) #3

CLONMEL                                                                                                                                                      On the drive from Kilkenny, I was constantly reminded of the beauty of this country. Although the weather was dreary the landscape was amazing. The countryside between Kilkenny and Clonmel gradually fills with large hills which roll past the car windows their tops barely visible through the thick clouds surrounding them. The fences have disappeared beneath the thick foliage and not one surface is immune to the determination of nature to leave it's mark. At last Clonmel appeared and we settled for a B &B down by the river which was only 20 Euros a night because it was actually a B & -- !  It was a huge rambling house built on many levels which met at awkward angles and corners. Every corner seemed to be collecting dust or piles of peeling paint. Once settled in we parked the car and headed out to meet the people of Clonmel.  J had an interesting encounter with a twitching Romanian lad wearing a sports coat. He was very interested in J's phone and offered several times to swap with her.   Later  when we got back to the hotel we found a message from Arthur, “Would the foreign girls call if they wanted to go sightseeing.” ( at this stage we didn’t know who Arthur was). So we called anyway and he picked us up in his little, red car

We were pleasantly surprised to see it was the elderly gentleman we had run into and chatted with twice earlier that afternoon. Each time we had found him standing outside a different church watching a different funeral. He was a true Irish gentleman and seemed very happy to have new people to talk to,  and believe me, if anyone had ever kissed the Blarney stone, it was this man..  Well, we saw all the sights which he felt were significant enough to share with us which were the following important landmarks... 

1. A theatre that the owner was trying to sell for one million but he wasn't going to get that much,       "he shouldn't be asking for such an amount of money."

2. A place where they sell cars... (we saw that twice)

3. Dunn’s Stores which are open 6 days a week. "marvelous that"

4. The new roundabout "this is really nice to see"

5. The place where “they have freezers which freeze meat.”

6. All the shops and flats owned by his ex brother in law.

7. An Indian restaurant. "I don't like Indian food much"

8. A German Supermarket.

9. The recently erected statue of an Irish tenor that he went to school with.

10. A huge garden supply place where we stopped and had a cup of tea.

11. Several other monuments to martyrs.

12. The highlight, was a visit to the cemetery where we saw his wife's' grave. 

It was wonderful to see and hear what was special to Arthur and to know that he was doing it to be neighbourly to two strangers in town. We had to smile when we found out his name.. 'O'Malley'.  

That night we started at Hearns Hotel  and had a drink. Derek the barn man was very helpful although when J asked if he knew Denis McMenace (she really thought that was his name) he had to think a bit. Finally he realised who we were talking about and went off to call him. When D showed up we were suitably sympathetic about his poor broken wrist. I would like to tell you that is was broken in some heroic action but I can't. Anyway we caught up on all the gossip and reminisced about his time in Shanghai. When we moved on to the next place we were privileged to meet 'Uncle Dickhead' .(sorry about the language, but that's how it was) We had a great time chatting and listening to the band. As usual we were the last ones in the bar and got home lateish.

The next  night, we went over to a pub where we knew there was going to be a band.  It was like going back in time to the local small town bush dances in country Victoria. The band was great and people gradually filled the hall but sat around looking at the empty dance floor. We  grooved away at out table causing a few raised eyebrows but many more smiles.   Met up with a random truck driver just passing through and I did my best to do his jive and he tried to salsa. I think we met in the middle with a very interesting Latin/Irish style. J chatted with a local who was trying to tempt her with the use of his washer/ dryer and sausages for breakfast.  Sensibly she declined. Got home about 4am and was a bit weary at breakfast.  Another local sat down at the next table and greeted us with "Have a big night girls?" then promptly gave us the number of a 'mad' friend of his in Cork  who would show us around. 

Surrounded by snoring in our riverside B & ? I couldn't get back to sleep.  I knew I had to take the car down to the car park to avoid paying parking fees so left the ladies to their duet and raced downstairs. With the car safely stowed I raced back and jumped back in to bed for another snooze. Once we were all up and ready we set off to find some breakfast. We followed D's directions  to find Nimhs.  "Walk down the road and when you smell apples turn right." Believe it or not, but the directions worked and we were soon eating  the best breakfast yet.  After breakfast we headed out and asked a local for directions out of the town. "It's a bit complicated so don't follow the signs because they get turned around." We followed them anyway and actually managed to get out quite easily. 

TWO WEEKS IN IRELAND (2003) #2

DUBLIN

We awoke our first morning in Ireland to blue skies, bright sunshine and and the smell of bacon.  Breakfast was great and H got to taste her very first black and white puddings which she said were "not black or white and not even puddings". I think that she will be giving them a miss from now on.  Most of the day was spent on the hop on and off city tour taking in sights such as St Patrick's and the Guinness Distillery. Did you know that Mrs. Guinness (the poor woman) had 21 children?. We actually saw the President heading off in her car flanked by dozens of police on blue bikes. At the end of a busy day doing nothing much really we went out in search of a good Irish dinner. I think we passed 2 McDonald's, an Australian pub, 2 Chinese takeaways and an Italian Pizza shop before finding anything remotely Irish. So about a third of the way through my first ever pint of guinness I decided that Ireland wasn't a bad place to be. 

KILKENNY                                                                                                                                      Another yummy breakfast and then set off to the airport to pick up the car. Hmmm, J's license was expired and H didn't think she could change gears with the 'other' hand so guess who gets to be the driver. YAY!!!!!!! I was so nervous about driving after so long. (what if I couldn't? which pedal does what? what are all these buttons for? The indicator switch should not be on the left!!!!) Anyway J and H promised not to laugh so we set off. It was great to be behind the wheel again. If I took my eyes off the road, I could see green everywhere, thick  foliage creeping towards me trying to reclaim the space. The trees appeared older and grew more thickly. They seemed to have been standing guard since the beginning of time.  Little villages surprised me, suddenly appearing around corners with flashes of bright colour before vanishing back into the landscape.  On one side of the road I saw a flock of sheep standing naked and embarrassed wondering what had happened to their woolliness. The many houses along the way seem to be clutching the thick ivy to their grey-stone walls in fear of crumbling without the support.  The country side changed as we headed towards Kilkenny.  In Macroom, there was a Guinness Drug Delivery located in Temperence Lane. (hmm that made me think). We passed through town after town, each one more beautiful than the last until we arrived.

I was so drained from concentrating on the road and traffic and watching the speed, I fell straight on to the bed for a snooze. We thought it was an omen to have found a place near the centre of town with a car park and it was called O'Malleys.  Later we set off on an afternoon tour of Kilkenny's highlights. Our guide was a friendly chap who brought his two children and dog along for the ride. Muckross house was grand and rather imposing. It reminded me of the manor from "The Secret Garden".  Muckross house has 365 windows and 52 chimneys. “One window for every day of the year and one chimney for every week.”  We took a 'jaunt' around the grounds with Sally (the horse) and saw the ruins of an old abbey.  Torc Waterfall was cool and if you stood very still and listened you could almost hear the tree spirits whispering their ancient secrets and with each breath feel your batteries recharge. That evening  we set off in search of dinner and stopped at Paris, Texas for a long cold Kilkenny and a hearty Irish meal of Nachos and Fajitas.  I spent some time looking at the jewellery in the shops and found a nice little silver ring so now I have my very own 'ring from Kerry'. Home for an early night because my body is still confused by the late night daylight. It was a bit difficult to sleep with the duet of snoring filling the room but eventually I fell into a deep sleep. I slept like a baby until a strange moaning sound woke me. After a few minutes both H and I sat up and looked at each other. It was J and I am unable to describe the horrible nightmare she was having. All I can say is that it involved a big hairy scary chauffeur but no more details!!! 

TWO WEEKS IN IRELAND (2003) #1

We began our four continent journey with a stop for coffee at Starbucks. Of course we were doubtful that England would have what we needed in the coffee range so we thought we should stock up. The journey to Pudong was uneventful. We saw the usual sights... child taking a dump on Nanjing Lu, a truck with about twenty heads peeking over the high sides, pajamas on bicycles and of course the driver who had to stop and hoik at every opportunity...AHHHH SHANGHAI ... smoggy one day...smoggy the next. There are times when it becomes obvious that one has been in China too long without a break. Everything seems to become too difficult to cope with. Taxi drivers, pedestrians and temperature takers with laser guns in hand. So here I am finally.... 36,000 miles in the air going VIRGIN. I love this airline and vow never to fly with anyone else. As we boarded I spied a familiar face amongst the crew. Last time I saw him was late at night in a very dark and seedy bar called Goodfellows situated in Ju Lu Lu. Any airline that hands you a glass of champagne before you take off gets my vote. It was difficult to contain ourselves as we simultaneously let out a silent cheer celebrating the beginning of our journey and farewell to China. With engines screaming we took off straining to tear ourselves from the grasp of the thick polluted air dragging us down. But , we made it and blue sky was visible outside the porthole windows. The next 15 minutes the three of us were technologically challenged trying to work the in-flight entertainment controls. Anyway to cut a long flight short, we landed an hour ahead of time in Heathrow and only had a few days to kill before taking the jump across to Dublin.

LONDON
Well, here I am. In a London basement on a beautiful rainy day checking emails. So far everything is going well, no huge upsets. Our hotel is great. It really is lucky that I took the cat out of my backpack before I left because there really was no room to swing it and I now know why it is called the 'Water Closet'. It is about the same size as the box they gave us to hang up our clothes. Luckily you can have a shower while sitting on the toilet, if that is what you want to do. Bacon, beans, eggs and toast for breakfast everyday it's almost like heaven. In fact that's where I thought I was when I lay down on my bed and discovered that bouncy mattresses do still exist. Not much happened Thursday, I relaxed into the day and set off downtown for necessary items like ...tweezers. ( well, tweezers do perform some really important functions.) We had a great time doing a couple of the “London Walks”. It was exciting to find out that our guide Emily played the mother in “The Empire of the Sun” J and I had watched it several times just recently because it was based in and around Shanghai. Emily told us some interesting stories about Steven Speilberg and John Malkovitch and her time in Shanghai without her new baby. At some point we thought that we'd give Starbucks one more chance.. so two Caramel Macciattos coming up. "Much better, London: 8 out of 10 this time." Next we headed for the place that we with curves and live in China would describe as Paradise: Marks and Spencer's Underwear department. The things they can do with Lycra now days. They have things to suck you in at the bottom and push you out at the top. They come in strapless, backless and even frontless.(hmmmmmm) You can buy snakeskin straps, invisible straps and even straps with little English flags.. if you are feeling patriotic. The 'ego boost' bra caused a few heart palpitations just looking at it let alone trying it on. Well after long consideration and deliberation, I decided that it was ridiculous to try and improve on perfection so I didn't buy anything. Thursday evening I went out for a BBQ dinner at Elaines' house out in Acton Town. It was great to eat real food in a real home again. After dinner I think we solved all of the problems in the world over a cup of coffee and then Elaine drove me back to my little hotel. I staggered up the stairs and fell into my comfy bed. Next morning as I opened my eyes to the early morning sunshine, I thought to my self: " I think I'll go to Ireland today."

Laden with slightly heavier backpacks, we set off for Heathrow. 

THIS IS CHINA #6 "THE 4TH OF JULY"

The crowd wanders around the various stalls and activities. Smiles and hellos and Hi theres. Families, singles, couples and teenagers all together today to celebrate, meet old friends, make new friends and consolidate contacts. So what's happening in Shanghai on Sunday the 2nd of July? The 4th of July of course.... This is China!

Sitting back under a marquee I am weighed down by the blanket of humidity that the day has wrapped around me. The rain is falling on the expanse of lawn and the brass band plays on despite the drops falling into the instruments creating a percussion all of it's own. Looking around I am captivated by the scenes acted out in front of me. I could be anywhere in the world. The band plays everything from "Born in the USA" to "The William Tell Overture" and the Frisbees fly from one end to the other. I see the gentle touches and the quiet secrets passing silently between the couples scattered across the lawn. In horrible contrast, too many older Western walruses lumber along with one or two human accessories draped over their arms. Stunningly beautiful girls act as welcome distractions from the wives waiting patiently at home. The amazing thing is...most of these men actually believe the girls are crazy about them... Acting classes start early in China.

Child acrobats hide behind the stage eating hamburgers in between balancing 10 spinning plates on stalks of cane. There is even a Charlie Chaplin wandering around frightening young children. Clowns bound around dressed in what looks like my bedspread. Then the Marines appear in their stiff uniforms to raise National Pride with the flags they bear and the crowd stops, stands and sings "The Star Spangled Banner".
Of course this is China so there are those who show no respect and continue their conversations ignoring the tearful faces of homesick citizens. The band plays on, and I catch the words...
"I see trees of green, Red roses too...."
My gaze takes in the patchwork of nations spread out around me, and I think to my self...
"What a wonderful world.

THIS IS CHINA #5 "Taxis"

Taxis in China are a real experience and I guess you can only understand if you have lived here or someplace similar. I have categorized taxi drivers into the following.....



ACCELORATUS INTERUPTUS : This group of drivers has a permanently shortened calf muscle which prevents them from keeping their foot on the accelerator for more than 2 seconds at a time. The constant jerking back and forward is reminiscent of the EARLY LEARNER DRIVER days when the instructor or family member had to put up with the kangaroo hops up and down the driveway and the closest empty car parks. These drivers are easily spotted by watching the passengers heads bounce violently back and forward as they drive past.



DEFYUS DEATHUS: This driver believes that he is invincible and that driving down the wrong side of the road with oncoming traffic bearing down at full speed is the only way to drive. I have found that the best coping mechanism is to sit calmly, take a few deep breaths and tell yourself that the driver is not going to put himself in danger.



SWERVUS INANOUTUS: This driver has the ability to fit his cab into the smallest spaces between traffic. Crossing at intersections this driver enjoys heading out into the traffic before it has cleared and winding in and out of the traffic before finding the correct lane on the other side sometimes this means heading off to the left and zigzagging across the intersection. Ending up on the wrong side of the road is no problem because he can just reverse back down the road until he is able to enter the correct lane.



HONKUS CONTINUS: This is more a characteristic of Suzhou drivers. Any trip in a taxi is accompanied by regular horn tooting. The drivers will toot at anything within a metre to 100 meters. They toot at cars traveling alongside, in front of and those crossing the road. They even toot if you are stopped at the side of the road waiting to cross and looking directly at them approaching. It could be 2 in the morning and the road empty. As soon as something comes into sight ahead the driver stars tooting and will continue tooting until he has passed the other vehicle. The tooting is important because drivers in China don't know how to use the side mirrors or the rearview mirror. The just look ahead and wouldn't know there was a car coming up unless they heard the toot. Pedestrians too just walk out into the traffic leaving it up to the drivers to see them and swerve rather than waiting for a break in traffic.



FLASHUS HIBEAMUS: This is exactly the same as the condition above except in Shanghai the drivers are discouraged from tooting so they flash lights instead.



TAKUSTHERONGWAYUS: You can almost see the yuan (dollar) signs flash in the eyes of the drivers when they see a 'lao wai' (foreigner) approaching. The average driver will take any opportunity to find the long way to any destination. I have been in one cab driving along a road about 2 blocks from my destination when the driver took a 10 min detour and we ended up right back at the point where we had left the road. I have found the best thing to do is to sit in the front with a map and continually ask where you are. If you know for sure the usual cost of a particular journey you get out of the cab and hand over that amount and walk off

THIS IS CHINA #4: PIZZA HUT

Pizza Hut is in China and it is always a great meal to have if you are desperate for something western. The other wonderful thing about Pizza Hut is that they are guaranteed to have good toilets. You can have pizza delivered if you pay for the cab when it arrives. Most of the pizza is thick crust but thin is becoming easier to get. Recently a friend of mine told me that she went into Pizza Hut to have pizza but she wanted a thin crust pizza. For some reason the thick pizzas are cut in wedges and the thin are cut into squares. She requested a thin pizza cut into wedges and was met with a blank look. Of course it took a great deal of time to get across to the girl what was wanted. She said no it wasn't possible and when my friend asked "why????" The girl looked very puzzled and answered, "I don't know".
Remember the all you can eat pizza deal???? Well China has it too. You pay a certain price and you get to fill up at the salad bar. The only problem is, that you are told as you pick up your tiny salad plate...."one time only." So a friend of a friend took her tiny all-you-can-eat –one-time-only plate and began stacking it as only an Australian on a mission can. She was carefully balancing the salad when she was firmly told that she had too much on her plate. So she sat down and enjoyed her all-you-can-eat-tiny-bowl-filled-one-time-only-but-not-too-full-meal. Yep, This Is China!!!

THIS IS CHINA #3 SUZHOU DENTISTS

One night a few of us were sitting around chatting and the subject of dentists came up. Generally, I think you can find good dentist here and the work is very cheap. You might have to make a few adjustments in your expectations.. this being China and all. When doing a big job, like filling several teeth close together, the dentist will fill them as one big tooth and not separate them. This of course can eliminate the need for flossing! It is also a good idea to make your appointment early in the day. A friend of mine realized she must have been one of the last patients for the day when she was told to spit and leaned over to spit to see that the bucket she had to spit into was full.
This is definitely China.

THIS IS CHINA #2: "HOSPITALS"

B, E and I went to the number 2 hospital to visit Li Li (our local music teacher) who had a baby a few days before. She was in Ward 11 listed as the "Baby Friendly Room" and all the rooms had 3 beds. To get there we were interested to pass a door marked 'delivery waiting room' we peeked through the window to see that it led to deserted courtyard. I presume there was a room on the other side but you never know!! Li Li had paid for the other two beds so that she could have the room to herself. We fell in love with her beautiful little girl who had the most perfect little face. The Chinese are way ahead of us in some ways. Most new mothers hire an Ayi(maid/aunt) who is with them 24 hours a day from before the baby is born. Li Li's Ayi was sleeping in the hospital room with Li Li and the baby and fussed over them providing for every need. The Ayi lives with the new family and does all of the cooking, cleaning, and anything else that is needed. The new mother stays at home, inside for 1 month and isn't expected to do anything. The mother is paid the whole time she is on leave and has about 2 or 3 months leave for a natural birth and 4 if it is a Caesar. The mother is not allowed to eat or drink anything cool or cold so it was lucky we didn't take any fruit. The Ayi stays with the family as long as she is needed. One of my friends still has an Ayi living at home with the baby(14months), the mother, the father and the grandparents. It is considered lucky if a boy baby looks like his mother or a girl baby looks like her father. Li Li's baby looks like her father but does not have a name yet because Li Li has 4 months to consider the perfect name for her baby.
While looking for a present and a card for the baby I came across a lovely card.
The card reads (in Chinglish) ...
"It is a new start,
It is a beautiful day.
The day is full of harryness,
Are you harry?"

THIS IS CHINA #1: FEB 2000 "NAMES"

Halfway through my first year at Suzhou, I came back from the Chinese New Year break to find that my class had increased slightly. When I arrived school I found that I now had 14 new students!!!! I rushed around finding extra books and chairs etc. Another little problem I had was that it took a while for me to find out the correct names of my children. For eg. On Wednesday I was told that my two new Korean boys in K3 were named Di Yong and Di Hyong. The next day I found out they were actually called Ji Yong and Ji Hyong. OK so I changed all of the name tags and book labels! Well on Friday they became Jae Yong and Jae Hyong, and this week they are Jae Young and Jae Hyeong...
Oh Well, THIS IS CHINA!

In The Beginning PNG#1

I set my watches and clocks five minutes early. I like to think this habit began when I rushed out of the womb six weeks early resembling (as my loving mother says) a 'skun rabbit'. Then at just 6 weeks old my family moved to Papua New Guinea. Looking back I have to admire this mother of mine who (with dad) moved with 4 children under five to a tiny island with no friends, family, telephone, doctors or shops.