22-23 June 2007

Ok. Actually, without looking at my clock, I truly have no clue whatsoever what day it is. Poet Pat Boran comes to speak to our class and talks about the creative process (at least, I think so) and the artificiality of the less spur-of-the-moment creative processes, as in music. He speaks about Robert Frost's poem, "Birches"

When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay.
Ice-storms do that. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-coloured
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
[...]
which I have actually never read, but find incredibly interesting in respect to Boran's presentation. He is my favorite speaker and manages to make everyone laugh and actually teach us something at the same time. I mean, very few people can make jokes about sex and drugs and somehow relate it to poetry.

The following weekend, Stephanie, Suzie, Sam, Eric, Emily, Dan, Matt, Laura, Ben, and I decide to to go Belfast. A few of us catch a cab to the bus station even though it is only a few blocks away because it is 5:30 in the morning and we are all tired and lazy. We wait outside for the bus station to open and catch the early bus to Belfast and we are very late meeting our tour bus at the station because Bus Eirann stops at every stop along the way. I have "Happiness is a Warm Gun" in my head all weekend. We finally make it to the bus station but have to call ahead and tell our tour guide that we are going to be late (nearly thirty minutes). I haven't exchanged any Euros for Pounds yet, but by the time we get to the bus station there is no time to visit a cash machine. We get on the Paddywagon bus, which is slightly embarrassing. The bus is bright green with a leprechaun painted on the hood and rear and is basically offensive in every possible way and obviously caters to tourists, but the driver makes fun of it. He says that in Northern Ireland, and more specifically, Derry, where he is from, he never thought he would be driving a bus that color. He is quite funny, tells us his name is Joseph Patrick Mulligan in Irish, and sings nearly the entire time we spend on the bus. Not to mention the fact that his tour is very well synchronized up with Irish music, and perfect comedic timing.
We listen to some pipe music while traveling through the fog, which Joseph jokes about, and I am really enjoying the fact that every tour guide has a great sense of humor, especially when it comes to Irish weather. Our first stop is the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in County Antrim. The bridge is suspended over the water between two bits of land and although we have to do a bit of hiking to get there, and I very nearly fall down some stairs on the path, it is an amazing view and the fog that surrounded us for most of the day has cleared up a little and we can see the water and the birds and the caves below the bridge. Being here reminds me of Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic," for some reason, and I am really enjoying the scenery and am enjoying the things I'm seeing outside of Dublin more than being in the city.
We continue on the tour and go to Giant's Causeway and our driver tells us the folklore behind the site.

We hike around for a couple hours climbing all over the strange rock formations and really underestimate the work required to do so, and have to hike back up the hill in order to get to the bus.

I realize that we are surrounded by tourists and we are reminded once again when we get back to the bus and two of our passengers (from Spain) are not back because they don't speak English.

I am glad we aren't the only tourists here. We then drive around Derry and the driver tells us to wave at his sister if we see her car drive by.

He puts on a Cranberries CD which is nice, because I can finally get to sleep for a while in between stops even though riding on the bus all day has kind of made me feel sick.

We finally get into the city and take a tour and get to look at all of the wall murals.

They are really impressive and our tour guide took part in the civil rights movement in Ireland and having a person who actually took part in the marches and riots actually helped me understand the history much more. When we get back on the Paddywagon our driver starts playing "Bloody Sunday" by U2. Best tour guide ever.
We head back to Belfast and stay the night in a hostel, which I had never done before now. The next day we go to a market and walk around Belfast while we wait for the bus home. Everyone is tired and ready to get back to Trinity.
When we get back that night I realize that I've spent more time doing things outside of Dublin that I have in Dublin, so that night a group of us go to The Flowing Tide and watch a hurling match and walk home in the rain.