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"Two Cheeks of the Same Arse"--Day 2

Irish weather can be cold and damp, not that I've experienced this myself. But if you read the guidebooks or look at travel websites for advice on what to pack for Ireland, you'll be advised to bring a raincoat and umbrella. Perhaps a light sweater and scarf as well. This is my 4th trip to Ireland and I'm not even sure if it's ever rained once. What I do know is that I'm consistently worried about getting a sunburn. So, while I've brought a raincoat, I've also brought 3 different kinds of sunscreen. I joke with friends that my arrival in Ireland brings the good weather and this trip has been no exception. It's gorgeous--mid-60s and sunny. Everything is verdant and lush from the relentless rain in the weeks preceding our arrival. It's difficult to imagine that Ireland could be any more welcoming than it already is, and then some new delight arrives!

We started the day with a hearty breakfast at home and then set out to do a trial run of the walk to the National College of Ireland (NCI), which is where our classes will be held for the next 4 weeks. It's about a 20-25 minute walk with lots of opportunities for distraction--boats in the harbor, cafes and bakeries, and enormous seagulls that don't scare easily.
Seagull surveying her territory.

We think this is a flour mill that's being converted into apartments.

Grand Canal
Once we arrived at NCI, Tim quickly made friends with the receptionist and we found out which room we'll be teaching in while we're here. He also managed to finagle a free Leap card from the custodian. I'm sure that's a story he'll detail in his blogpost. Suffice it to say that Tim leads a charmed life and things always "just work out" for him. 
Peyton with the Samuel Beckett Bridge

Kitty sticker graffiti.
After visiting NCI, we took the Luas to the ILAC shopping center--Tim needed a new phone and Peyton needed a larger mug for his morning tea. We're always a bit mystified that a country of tea lovers doesn't want larger mugs! Back in 2016 Peyton and I discovered TK Maxx, which is the sibling of TJ Maxx in the U.S. We figured this would be a likely spot to find the desired "big mug." While browsing the mug aisle, we chatted up a woman who offered some insight into why the mugs are so small. I asked her, "Why do the Irish have such small mugs?" And she quickly replied, "Because when you offer someone tea in a large mug they'll never get the hint to leave." We howled! I asked if the mugs might be bigger in Dunnes (Irish store that's sorta like a super Target) and she assured me that they would not be and that she had gotten her "big mugs" out of the country. Peyton settled on a large to-go mug and we moved on. Tim also found a phone and we had lunch at McDs (both Peyton and Tim LOVE fast food). Peyton was frustrated by another Irish lock (see the blog posts from 2018 on Irish locks), but managed to get into the McDs bathroom with some help. I was ready to be done for the day, but we still had a full afternoon/evening of meeting our students ahead of us. 

Aisling, our liaison from Anglo, grabbed our students from their rooms at the Marino Institute and brought them into town to meet at the International Bar. Everyone was tired, but seemed happy to finally be here. For the next couple of hours we were on 1916 tour of Dublin with a sharp-witted tour guide, Lorcan Collins. Even in their jet lagged state, students were enthralled with his stories about the IRA and the history of the uprising. Our tour guide was particularly adept at making connections between Irish and American political systems. At one point he described the two main political parties in the U.S. as "two cheeks of the same arse." I won't even say which part of the arse he said the tea party was. But, yes, Lorcan, I agree.
Basement of the International Bar and the beginning of our tour.
More cat street art found on our tour.

Graffiti behind The George.

Tim professing.

Lorcan had an uncanny sense of the kind of people we are, so we took a short detour through Temple Bar so he could show us the spot where Frederick Douglass spoke when he was in Dublin. It was right next door to a mask and fetish store. We're living in amazing times. We finished up the day with dinner at Brannigans and a cab ride home. Tomorrow is our first day of classes and a trip to and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with getting myself together. 

Mask and fetish store next door to the Frederick Douglass plaque.

Frederick Douglass plaque.








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