My Dublin Life

It's still January, and it's grey and rainy, but in the parks the most fantastic thing is happening; the snowdrops and other spring flowers are starting to come out. Maybe not such a big deal, but as where I come from it's still the depths of winter, it's just a lovely little reminder that the days may still be short, but spring is just around the corner. And while I know that the Irish moan about the rain, I have something to say to them: if it didn't rain this much, the parks would be a lot less pretty. They'd dry up in the summer, the trees would be smaller and it would all be less lush and gorgeous.

I love snowdrops. When you look at them the first time, they look quite small and simple. But then you look again, and they are beautiful. There's the little, bell-like flower and the dainty green rim around it. Plus, they way the peek their heads out through the decaying leaf-mold is a nice touch, appreciated by students of Gothic lit., like me. They are living reminders that, while January can look like death, it's really part of the cycle of life.

[Sigh.]

As I'm from a small community with nature encroaching from all sides, I need the countryside and I really do appreciate that within just a few minutes walk from my apartment, there are several really beautiful ones in Dublin's city centre. Plus, the grounds in college are gorgeous. It's so strange. I've only been here for eight and half months, but it's starting to feel like home.

Dublin Tourism asked me to mention the podcasts on their site. And actually, they are seriously pretty cool. So if you haven't been here, and you want to get an idea of what's it's like, check 'em out.

While Dublin is a pretty city, most of the buildings, even the big ones, are quite simple on the outside. I'm not that well-travelled, but I think that they'd be more obviously "fancy" in other places. The amazing thing is that when you go inside, they vary hugely, and can be really extraordinary. I've kind of gotten used to it, but I was reminded again yesterday evening when me and my Boyfriend went for a post-cinema drink at this place on College Green, The Bank. Although it's right near college, I had never been there before. Wow. We just had one drink, but it's an amazing building. It used to be a bank (well, d'oh) and they still have the old vaults downstairs. People (misinformed people) say, "Well, why not just buy some beer and drink it at home to save money?" but they are missing the point. Drinking a "glass" (half pint of beer) or a hot whiskey in an amazing old place like that is less about the drinking than about basically renting a table so's to soak in the atmosphere. I'll definitely be going back. My Uncle Joey has been down in Wexford for a couple of days, but he's back tonight for 2 more days in the city and I'll take him there. You never know: he might decide that I deserve to be treated for a meal out!

We'd been to the cinema to see A Serious Man, which paints a generally depressing picture of middle age, American Judaism, family life...you name it. It's by the Coen Brothers. It was good, but it made me feel anxious. I like the Screen on d'Olier St though. It's not swanking and gorgeous and arty like the Lighthouse. It's not huge and American like Cineworld. It's in an ugly cement building that looks like a bunker and the decor is strictly functional. But in a good way, like you're supposed to be focusing on the movie, not the flashiness of it all.

Back at the apartment, Bepe was weird. We came in and although he was half way through watching something on TV he just muttered goodnight and went away. Trying to give us some privacy? Or being rude? Boys; they are hard to understand.

Called in to the Douglas Hyde Gallery at college today. I was going to write about how great the show was, but one of the blogs I watch did it already. Check it out: http://inkywrists.ie/2010/01/16/james-castle-at-douglas-hyde-gallery/

Honestly, I feel like one of those cartoon characters that has to prop up their eyelids with matchsticks to stay awake. What a weekend. The words "fifty-something uncle" don't usually summon up wild weekends, but Uncle Joey is no ordinary 50-something.

Some of the highlights:

Massive pub crawl on Friday evening. Uncle Joey liked the Brazen Head so much, he asked me to only take him to old pubs, so we went from one to another, building up and then maintaining a pleasant "almost drunk" state. For some reason though, we ended up in The Dragon. While the main point of The Dragon is that it's Dublin's best gay club, it's a friendly place where anyone can go and the decor is *absolutely amazing*. I don't go there much but I do love the way it's kitted out. On Saturday, it was an Irish Breakfast (of course), followed by a DART trip to Bray and more pubs, including, fortunately, a trad session that I'd tracked down. My uncle was totally in his element and by the end of the day he had a bunch of people around him while he sang. I wish I'd inherited his confidence instead of my teacher parents' reserve. By Sunday, Uncle Joey had already made some friends, so he had a dinner invitation and, to tell you the truth, I was almost relieved. I'm the young one here, but I was worn out.

Strangely enough, the only person I've ever met not to really like U.J. is Bepe. They met Saturday, and Sunday Bepe said rather disapprovingly that he looked "rough". Such an odd comment coming from him. I'm so confused I'm not even offended. Though as B and his friends like to drink beer and shout at the television when the soccer or rugby are on, whose being rough then? B is in a bit of a tizzy right now, because Italy is playing Ireland on Feb. 6th and his boss has given him a ticket to the match. So, lucky me, two whole weeks of listening to him talk about the Italian team and how they are going to win: LIKE I'M INTERESTED.

Tonight, the plan (mine, anyway) is for a quiet evening. Uncle Joey is taking me and my Boyfriend (who I'm introducing as a "friend") out for a meal. I get to choose where and I'm not sure. Something healthy might be good as after that weekend, I could do with a bit of a detox.

I'm tired today and would like to be planning an evening in, because I was at a gig last night. I guess it was kind of a date with my Boyfriend but as he's a massive fan of the band, we hardly talked. He was up at the front getting down to the music. And I've gotta say, it was very interesting stuff, not like anything that I'd ever heard before.

The band is "The Jimmy Cake." Check them out. I am always amazed not just by how good the music is in Dublin in general, but by how much of it there is -- and every type too. It's everywhere. I love it. I'm not a musical person myself, but I like to listen and, honestly, you could go out any day of the week. There's an Opera Season starting at the end of the month. Bet you didn't know Dublin had the opera too!

Anyways, as I said, I'm tired. But there aren't going to be any early nights here. No sirree. My Uncle Joey arrived this afternoon and too a taxi to the B&B I booked for him in Phibsboro and although by rights he should be exhausted from his flight, well, this is Uncle Joey we're talking about. He's coming here soon because he wants to see the apartment and then I think it's going to be the pub crawl of all pub crawls as he wanders about town befriending bemused bar staff and inviting them to take him fishing at the weekend. I'm gonna take him to eat at the Brazen Head. That was one of the very first places I went to when I arrived in Dublin, and I think it's a good place to start. Plus, it claims to be Ireland's oldest pub, making it about the same age as the Viking Settlement in Newfoundland. That's gonna impress any North American.

And the beer's not bad either.

Sure, the weather is awful, but why complain? It's January. It's supposed to be awful. And when it is cold and rainy and we have to wear bulky clothes, well, there's no reason not to relax, eat a little too much, have one hot whiskey too many and wait until it warms up to worry about things. While I'm glad it's not January all year long, I'm happy to go with the flow.

After being a bit caught up in a minor personal melodrama, I've decided that my New Year's resolution is to take each day as it comes, work hard, enjoy life and start trying to make a plan for what I'll do when my course is finished. I started this weekend. Sunday dawned grey and slushy and very wintery, but I rang around and arranged to go to the Hugh Lane Gallery with Saoirse and my Boyfriend to see the massive Francis Bacon exhibition. I've been to that gallery before, and I like it because it's free, it's not too big and it seems to be a little different to the rest. From outside, the building looks like a standard Georgian townhouse, but inside, it's pretty fancy. The exhibition was not just about Bacon's art, but about his life and times, and there lots of bits and pieces. Photos, crumpled magazine pages, an old article about a 27-year-old George Michael. I hadn't even realised that Francis Bacon was Irish, but he was born right here in Dublin and grew up not far away. Poor man, the love of his life, George Dyer (Bacon was gay)died tragically. I can't imagine.

Anyway, getting away from gloomy thoughts, I've decided (part of the more general New Year's Resolution) not to waste Sundays anymore. There is always something to do.

My Uncle Joey arrives on Friday and will be gracing Dublin with his presence for five days before he goes down to Kilmore Quay to look up an old sailor buddy of his and maybe try to find the ancestral patch of land, which he believes to be down there. I had to go into Dublin Tourism on Monday, and as well as making vague promises to source me tickets to some of the festivals running in the city this year, they were actually really helpful. I think I've had enough family staying in my tiny apartment for now and as Bepe is here, it's not ideal anyway. But I don't want Uncle Joey in a hotel, because he's not a hotel sort of guy. He's from a small community, he's very friendly, and if he was staying in a hotel, I just know he'd hover round reception trying to show them his family photos and take them out for beers. Apparently, there are some bed and breakfasts near Phibsboro that might be better for someone like him. I'm thinking maybe this one. I think someone like Uncle Joey will be better off in a normal family house where they'll look at his family pictures and maybe even listen to his stories! I've heard that there's a very good pub for traditional music in the Phibsboro area, but as the best person to ask about that is my Boyfriend's dad and I'm too nervous to meet him, I'll have to ask trusty ol' Google instead. What I really want, though, is a place where people can come and sing spontaneously. My uncle is a great singer - traditional and other stuff -- and there's a big overlap between Newfoundland trad and Irish trad and I'm sure it'll be hard to STOP him from singing, so the sort of place where that's welcome would be perfect.

Anyways, I'm off home. Definitely a soup day and today I am thinking maybe tomato and basil...and some bread...

Oh but before I forget, the good people at Dublin Tourism asked me in particular to mention that there are loads of festivals on this year and that many of them are listed here. Folks, I've been here since April, and it's actually true. Festivals are back-to-back in Dublin, even in the dark-and-gloomy months. It might sound silly, but that's one of the reasons the thought of maybe leaving in June upsets me. Not that I don't love where I'm from, but I've kind of gotten used to the big city.

I'm feeling a lot better. Cosy night in last night, difficult topics undiscussed...

Today feels odd. More snow is forecast, but right not it seems to be melting. Kinda slushy underfoot, as I discovered on my foray outside for warm pastries. A perfect day for museum-visiting, so I'm gonna check out the temporary exhibitions, and hopefully come up with a plan while He is in the shower. There's almost always something good, so even if we have to freeze our toes off on the way there...it's worth it for culture :-)