A quick update

I really haven't had much time to get online and update everyone who's reading (thanks for letting me know by the way!)

And no Don I haven't tried bacon and cabbage - well, the bacon is ok... but I really dislike cabbage. The Guiness, I think, is much better than the states - it doesn't travel well. It's best in Dublin, but I can only have a half pint of it - it's got a very strong bitter flavor. And it's really rich.

And I'm totally healthy now everyone, no worries!

Mom, Dad and I have been exploring the Glen. We went to the Silver Strand the other day with Poppy and Lucy, two ladies from Northern Ireland that we met at the school. Mom and Dad hiked over a giant mountain about 3 miles away into the neighboring town. They went to the woolen mills and to see a dolmen - an ancient burial site.

Fiddle week has been pretty good... learning by ear is challenging, especially since I've been trained classically... but our instructor talks a lot, and it's often about the geneaology of the area and people and places nearby - which means nothing to me as I don't know any thing, any place or anyone that is particular to the area...

I think I may have been better suited to travel the country more to get more of the different styles of fiddling... I've been told I have quite a mix, which makes sense because in fiddle books they usually put quite the mix in, so one minute I'll play a tune from Sligo county and the next will be from Clare or Cork. I knew very few Donegal style tunes - they're almost all major and they are all very smilar to each other - after a while they all blend together... only every once in a while will you get one that sounds quite different.. its' challenging. And you feel somewhat out of place when you are trying to play in a session and a tune sounds like one you know but it's just different enough that you can't play well enough to keep up with the other musicians. It's frustrating.

It's mostly frustrating because it's not about ability here -which I've got in loads... to be perfectly honest, and I'll probably sound like a jerk saying it, but I'm more of an advanced technique player than most of the fiddlers playing in the area. I can get a better tone and I'm way more in tune than most of the locals. Here what seems to make you really good is knowing all these tunes - it's repetoire and quantity more than quality - although that does play a role too. The best of the best of the best are those that were classically trained but live here so they have the technique and the repetoire. They're GOOD. I wish I knew more so that I could play more...

Right now I need a break from the pubs... it's annoying... sessions start at 11pm and go on until 4 or 5am... and then everyone gets up for class or work at 10am. I can't survive on 3-4 hours of sleep so I play for an hour and then leave, so if they play any tunes I DO know it's usually later in the night and I miss it all... Argh.

Yeah, I think I've been here too long. I'm looking forward to going home. It's way too rainy.

Quick Post

Since I never have time to be on the internet while in the Glenn... well I would, but I'm always working the times that the computer lab is open... even today I stopped a little early so that I could post.

It's been the same since the last post really. Looking forward to tomorrow though - rents are coming and there's going to be a huge session at the Glen Head Tavern. Tommy Peoples' family is coming.

"Tommy Peoples (born 1948) is an Irish fiddler.




He was born near St. Johnston, a village in the Laggan district in the east of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. He has been a member of well known traditional Irish music groups, including 1691 and The Bothy Band as well as performing solo since the late 1960s. He plays with a unique virtuosic technique in the Donegal fiddle style. After moving to Dublin in the 1960s, where he was employed as a policeman, he subsequently moved to County Clare and married Mary Linnane, daughter of Kitty Linnane, long-time leader of the Kilfenora Céilí Band. He now resides in his home village of St Johnston. His daughter Siobhán Peoples is a noted fiddler in her own right.



Tommy Peoples is currently the Traditional Musician In Residence at The Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal."

(Thanks Wikipedia!)

That last bit isn't right - he recently passed away. So his family has been coming down and playing with the locals - it's a trad music fiasco here. There are people of all levels and styles and it's great - they're all open to new players because of all the tourists coming in for the culture and language courses.

Last night I was at Biddy's and there was a session. I re-met a fiddler that I borrowed a fiddle from last time. He's a really nice guy. I also met Jerry - I stayed at his house in January when I was here. I saw his sons wandering around but never caught one of them to say hi. Might be awkward anyways.

I'm sad that I haven't had a chance to really take a walk and take pictures yet though. I've been working basically 9-5 and after that it's dinner, quick rest, then at 8:30 there's usually a concert then straight to a pub. And then daylight is gone - the day has flown by. I can't wait 'til I have more time to be out and about. I just like to explore at my own pace sometimes.

Anyways, I'm off to An Cístín right now (the restaurant next door to, and in conjunction with, Oideas Gael. The name literally means "The Kitchen") for some supper.

By the way, all this entering and picking up and glancing at children's books really really really makes me want to write one... and illustrate it. I wonder if I could become published... if the one's I saw were I'm sure I could (though I couldn't read them as they were all in Irish, oh well).

Just a thought.

I might get a chance to post this weekend, but I'm not sure. I defintely won't tomorrow... so, ttyl.

FIXED THE COMMENTS

Turns out default setting wasn't "Anyone" - it was only registered users. Now anyone should be able to comment! If you can, leave one on this post so I know who's reading!

I'd appreciate comments to let me know that someone out there is reading... if not I'll stop blogging.

Tasks

So I finally got the rut down. Here at 10am, help set up for coffee break at 11:15 by bringing cups to the table (there's 150 people so that's a lot of cups). Then I go upstairs and enter Titles, series numbers, isbn numbers, publishers and dates, and descriptions into a file to post items into an online store. At 11 I go down and help in the kitchen with the mad rush that is coffee/tea break. Pouring, handing, washing, drying, conversing, general multitasking. After that I go back to the books or some other random task for about an hour then go out for lunch. Come back at 2, do more books, or if there's something else going on, like today the boss, Geordin (I think that's how you spell/pronounce it? Terrible, I know), told me to go see a quick fiddle concert instead. Then at 3 I help teach beginner tin whistle classes (I picked it up like that because I still remembered all the recorder crap drilled into me from 3rd grade). Another coffee/tea break at 4, but I get there late and leave early so I don't have to deal with the total craziness because then I go right back to teaching, or assisting. Then at the end of that class they always want an encore, and both the teacher and I fiddle so he's been playing them trad Irish, and I've been playing them trad American. Once in a while we'll play together too. Then I vacuum and clean (worst part of the job. I HATE it. HAAATTTEEE cleaning so FREAKING much). And then I go!

Today I came up to the computer room to type this up to let everyone at home know what I'm up to. I know I'm not on much now but that's because this is the only place with internet. Really annoying, but whatever.

My housemates are fantastic. Their from Wisconsin - UoW - M (University of Wisconsin - Milwuakee). Tanya and Cory - both really nice, down to earth girls. They're really easy to talk to, and just last night we were sitting there talking for almost 3 hours while making dinner and whatnot. Cory and I have a bit in common - we both love SciFi so we raved together about Firefly (of course). She even had a firefly shirt with her (NEED... birthday... coming...along with the full season! :) please?)

Finally got some laundry done and went up to the store today on my lunch break. Got some bread and chicken and pasta and sauce and peanut butter and eggs and milk and etc. That's a lot of ands...

I don't remember what the concert/event is for tonight but I'll probably head down for it. Last night it was a 45 professional play... but it was all in Irish, so I didn't go... I wouldn't have any idea what was going on, unless they had real life subtitles!

Anyways - parents are leaving on the plane tomorrow, right? See you on friday!!!!!! :)

Irish!

I just found this fantastic webpage on speaking Irish! Check it out!

http://www.erinsweb.com/gaelic1.html

Back in the Gleann!

So I decided to continue my journey, despite my incredibly terribly timed strep throat.

I'm glad I did. I got a good nights sleep (the first in a while because cities are WAY too noisy). 12 hours of sleep. At least 6 or 7 hours of which were uninterrupted bliss. I had to make a white noise track on my computer though - the silence was causing my ears to ring. So I made one with crickets, rain and the sea (I know they don't really make sense together, but it sounded nice and it put me to sleep).

I won't be uploading any pictures and whatnot (unless I get them from the internet) because I'm using public computers. I suppose I could bring my laptop in but that would be a hassle and I've also got work to do. I don't really have time to go fiddling with tracks, photos and movies. Not to mention it would slow down the already basic internet here. Instead I'll just keep you updated via text!

Got in around 7:30pm yesterday, maybe a little later and found out I was staying in this 3 bedroom 1 bath cottage next to the school. There are two other girls staying there - I've only seen one so far, the other girl and I seem to be running out on each other. Oh well, we mostly keep to ourselves anyways. They've been there for a while. I met some great ladies on the bus yesterday. One has been coming for a few years and the other it's her first time. There are so many people here. Apparently it's the best Irish language school in the country.
The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, herself is even here! Imagine that! This week is the advanced Irish language course, next week is the fiddle school (yay!). Liam said I'm welcome to come down and sit in on classes in the morning whenever I want. You betchya! I probably won't know what the heck is going on half the time but that's ok. Submersion is the best way to learn, right? I mean... that's how you learn as a child... We'll see.

Parents will be here on Friday! Looking forward to seeing them! There will be lots of fiddler's jamming here that night. I'm almost sure of it!!

Ugh

I've been stuck in this hotel room for 3 days straight. You think I might be able to do something productive while stuck here but I can't - I don't have the energy or the concentration level. I can't even watch a movie for more than 20 minutes. I fall asleep every 2 hours for 4 hours... Wake up all sweaty. This sucks so much... I was so looking forward to this trip and now I'm miserable... And I'm terrified the meds aren't working.

I leave for Donegal and Gleann Cholmcille tomorrow. The closest doctor from there is probably the hospital at Ballyshannon - about 2 hours away. Ugh... if I don't get better that's where I'm going to end up, I know it. Though I have to say it was a tad easier to swallow chocolate ice cream today... But still... I can barely walk. This sucks so much.

Expensive Icecream.

I paid 12Euro to get a bowl of ice cream to my room today! SHEESH. It was all I could eat though. And there was no way I was going downstairs or out in general. I woke up at 7, read the rest of the book 7, Harry Potter, then went back to sleep at 8ish and didn't wake up again until 5pm...
Yeah I'd say I'm sick. It sucks so much.
I'm missing all the concerts I wanted to go to :(