Some pictures...and a check-in

Working hard to help out a wee one with her "masterpiece" down at Louis Mulcahy's studio
The new fashion trend in Clogher, Co. Kerry: pottery soiled navy blue overalls. So hot.
I didn't realize they had a marble statue in Cork made in my honor?!
The next cover of Irish American magazine ( a breathtaking spot we saw during our scary, yet beautiful drive through Conor's Pass)

So...it's been sometime. I should have posted some blogs over the weekend during my trek to Tralee, Killarney and Cork, but couldn't find it in me to leave the sun for a stuffy indoor internet cafe!

I currently find myself a bit overwhelmed, as the Galway Races are on this week, bringing thousands of more tourists into the city. What a change from quaint little Ballyferriter. I feel like there is so much to write of my past months experience down at the studio, but feel it difficult to sum up in a simple paragraph. That's what my journal is for, I guess. All of life's questions are still waiting to be answered (sorry Mom, no real epiphanies quite yet). My mission by Tuesday of next week: secure some work, whether it be at the pub or elsewhere, and get a place of my own. My friend Sandy (who, like my last housemate, hails from England) has opened her place in Rathoon, a 30 min walk west of the city, to me which has been incredibly kind of her.

Oh, before I forget, I have to write of my first "true" Irish cinematic experience. Last Tuesday, Giselle and I drove into Dingle City to do the usual grocery shopping and email checking...and stumbled upon an old cinema. We saw that Tuesday night at half eight (aka 8 thirty) the film club meets. So we buy our tickets to Black Snake Moan and head in. If any of you reading this have actually seen this incredibly awful movie...you're probably thinking..."why in the hell would a film club in Ireland waste their time on a Hollywood movie that basically consists of a scantily clad Chritina Ricci and a let down performance from Samual L Jackson?" I know. Despite the movie itself having no real entertainment value, it was the cinema itself that had the charm...ripped, yet very comfy blue seats, a huge golden velour curtain hiding the small screen, the free tea and (exceptionally strong...aka bad) coffee, and of course, who could forget the verbal preview of next weeks movie. Yup. With a homemade spotlight consisting of a light bulb in a metal can attached to an old coat rack shining down on his papers, the owner of the place reads aloud the plot of the movie. He then holds up the glossy poster for the film reading snippets of reviews by Rolling Stone, New York Post etc.

What a riot. And of course...only in Ireland.

Pictures from our drive out to Sleahead

Gizelle (my new English housemate) and I ventured out to Sleahead on Wednesday night. As we arrived the gray clouds came with us. My favorite shot thus far in my journey...
Now you know why they say there really are 40 shades of green here...

Within the hour the sun once again graced us (Sleahead Pier)

As my nana said, "you got a goose, you'll get a goose..."

Meaning..since I'm working the weekend, I had my choice of 2 days to take off during the week...and I, of course choose yesterday and today, the only 2 days with severe rainstorms! I've been out and about anyway here in Dingle all day...finally got to western union to cash in on my 2 stolen travellers checks. shit! the exchange rate is insane right now. I've no idea why all the Irish aren't spending their summer in the states the way things are going! at this rate, working at the pub sooner than later seems like the best plan. although(not sure if I already wrote this) i have decided to stretch out my stay here for another week. OK... i have a minute to spellcheck before i go over the 15 minute marker here in the cafe. more later...

Has it really almost been a month?

Clogher Beach - where I got "lost" for a bit today before heading to the studio and below...my journey on foot this morning...


So I've a new housemate...Gizelle (no, not Bundchen) from England. She's quite the character. She has it in her that in the next two weeks she'll teach me every English swear/slang that exists. I have yet to try to stop her. Conor has headed back to Limerick, so it's really nice to have her energy in the house...especially now since the tv, cd player, bongos and the "good" pots and pans are gone.

I've decided to extend my stay down here for another week. I originally planned to head back up to Galway on the 24th - I just can't go quite yet. I haven't got my fill down here, you know? I'm sure the pub work as well as the apartment can wait until the end of the month anyway.

The pottery studio still continues to impress me. I've decided to walk a few times a week...the 3 miles are just incredible, plus the exercise makes me feel less guilty about the evening Guinness consumption. I took a detour walking today and wound up an hour and 15 minutes late...I think the shots that I got were well worth being a bit late.

The simple life

This is actually the view from Louis Mulacahy's pottery studio...you now know why I choose to eat lunch outside, rather than in the canteen, even on rainy days! Home sweet home...
My newest discovery...Beal Ban. A gorgeous beach, only 15 minutes away. Haven't taken a swim yet, although I feel it coming.
My neighbors. No really. I walked out back last night to take some pictures of the sunset and Lou and Harry wanted to send you a warm Irish smile.

Maybe I'll stick with one picture per blog...that just took f-o-r-e-v-e-r. So...

I'm staying in a room in Tig an Tobair (Gaelic for house of the well) with another intern at the pottery studio, Conor. He's in his third year at Limerick Art School and had some family ties with Louis Mulcahy, so here he is. I forgot the joys that come with having a roommate...cooking dinner, drinking beers, having some good laughs, cleaning out the hair in the bathtub drain...you know! Speaking of bathtubs. We actually have no shower. Yup, three or so baths a week does it for me...but I must remember to turn on the boiler 2-3 hours before I actually want to bathe. Cold baths=no good

Ballyferriter is a quaint little village that at the moment is flooded with teenagers at "Irish School." They come down here to live in a Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking region) and learn a bit. I've genuinely tried to learn some, but it's like no other language ever created. So far I've got...

Failte-welcome

Slan-goodbye

Slainte-cheers

Good enough for now.

The majority of folks both in Ballyferriter and Clougher (where the studio is) speak Irish as their main language, and in a way, I feel, look down a bit on English. Families and groups of Irish camp kiddos come into the studio speaking Irish and I just turn and point to Joan, the local woman who runs the "Open Room," I'm working in.

Basically my job is to center 1-1 1/2 pounds of clay for kids and their parents and let then "have a go" with their future masterpiece. It can be a lot when it gets busy, but come on...does it get any better than that? Especially when I get to walk outside and see that view above! Pretty incredible.

So many of you are thinking...what a great adventure...what amazing things she is doing...it's all so wonderful...I agree. But I must share with you the chaos I've been dealing with since my first night in Dingle last Saturday night -- that is, the night that my wallet was stolen. Yup it sure was.

We (myself, Conor and his 7 insane friends from Limerick) started on "the black stuff" a bit early in Ballyferriter then taxied it into Dingle for our first night on the town. We went into The Little Bridge, a renown place for it's djs and dance floors. Long story short, despite keeping my bag on me, a fellow dancer must have unzipped and reached in! After having a panic attack in the taxi on the way home, my next step was to call my Aunt Lul. Calling mom was absolutely out of the picture...you know how moms worry. Anyway, the next morning I get a call that the wallet itself was found, but of course lacking the 250 euros I had been carrying in it! I know what you're thinking...what in the hell are you carrying 250 euros on you? I had no idea what the ATM scene would be like out in the country, so I went to the bank in Galway and cashed in a few travellers check.

SIDE NOTE: when travelling in Europe DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT get travellers checks! No one uses nor accepts them anywhere here! ok...

so...my license , debit card, and credit cards were all in there, but Lul had already cancelled them, so I still had no access to cash. I've been on the phone almost daily with TDbanknorth trying to get a new card send to Ballyferriter. It should be here tomorrow. Although I thought I heard a knock earlier today...I went to open the door and a sweet woman was wondering if we sold cards. See, Tig an Tobair used to be a shop and cafe back in the day, and with all the signs still up, people can knock every once an awhile. She saw the note I had left FedEx on the door (Please knock loudly) and saw that I was a bit disappointed the she wasn't clad in all blue Fedex gear...and of course asked what was going on. Twenty minutes later, she refused to walk away without putting 20 euros in my hand. She reminded me that good things happen in Ireland too.

So here I am...2 hours and 3 minutes later at the local internet cafe in Dingle...off to get a kebab with my newly acquired 20 euros.

The pottery studio with a view

I am in quite a rush, so I'll be unable to get pictures up today...but, the view from the pottery studio in Clonagh is absolutely unbelievable. Had my first day of work. What a place! The day consisted of counting some inventory (fairly monotonous) in the morning, but then got more exciting, as we unloaded the biggest kiln I've ever see in the afternoon. My last few hours were spend teaching some little kiddos how to make a masterpiece out of a pound of clay...we even coaxed some parents to hope on the wheel as well. All in all, I think this will be an incredible experience--if it's three weeks or three months. Okay, we're off to SuperValu for some super cheap groceries

Dingle is it...

Actually it's Ballyferriter where I'm living. Dingle is a 20 minute, 15 euro (one-way!) taxi ride...so I won't be in town too much. Ballyferriter has really all you need: a small, way over priced shop, a Post, and 4 pubs. The views from my back door are absolutely spectacular. (Sonny, I'll take your advice on the program to upload some more pics)

I'm living with Connor McQuire, a nice guy from Limerick, who will be here with me for the next three weeks or so. He's a student on summer break working as an intern, like myself. He's only 22...and has been in the house by himself the past few weeks, so he decided to invite his 7 closest mates up for the weekend. Let's just say there were some crazy bongo sessions, lots of off-key singing and plenty of Bavaria imbibed (that's basically the Dutch version of PBR). If they had can deposits like we do the States, Connor and I would cash in this morning!

The crew of them went up to the Aquarium today...I passed up the offer, to walk around Dingle a bit, get some laundry detergent, toilet paper, and of course...hit the Internet cafe. I'm unsure if I will have access to a computer at the pottery studio, so my next post may not be for a few weeks once I return up north to Galway. I'll find out soon enough, as my first day is tomorrow!

Pretty excited to get my hands on some clay and meet the production artists. I wonder how different it'll be from good ol' River Street potters??!!