Bakker Bugle Blog Say it three times fast. In Luxembourgish.

30 July 2007

Let’s Go to the Mall!!

Filed under: dublin,expat — Anita @ 8:24

On Saturday, we ventured out of the city and headed south into the suburbs. Will wanted to go to a specific bike shop and we needed to get some groceries. Will did some searching and found a spot with several stores that we wanted to go to. Turns out – it was a Mall!

Let’s Go to the Mall: #1 in Canada, 1993 This was the first time we had been to a more “American” shopping center, unlike back home when we went to the shopping center every Saturday morning. It started to rain when we arrived, so we spent a couple of hours wandering around, looking at the stores and seeing what was available. One major difference is most malls also have a large grocery store as one of the anchors. So we were able to get a storage container for the guest bedroom, a curtain for the living room and our groceries all in one stop.

While we love our city living, it was enjoyable on a rainy afternoon to wander around, killing time at the mall.

Video still courtesy Robin Sparkles.

27 July 2007

Becoming a resident, Part 2

Filed under: expat,mental state — Will @ 10:36

Another part of becoming a resident is the realisation that local practices really are the most practical response to local conditions. That idea looks obvious when the words appear on my screen! But consider the ugly American tourist who says, “They do things wrong here. Don’t they know about [fill in the blank: Wal-mart, fast food, turn lanes, etc]?” There’s a milder version of this arrogance, and here’s my best description of it.

It rains a lot here, right? I paid attention to how people dealt with the light showers that can come from nowhere, even when the sun is shining. Most people carried umbrellas everywhere, but many toughed out the rain, wearing a coat.

I hate carrying things around in my hands, and I prefer to use a smaller bag when a bag is necessary. So, from the options I saw, I chose to wear a decent coat and leave the umbrella at home.

CAUTION: THE FOLLOWING MAY INSPIRE ENVY. The coat serves a double purpose. When the sun is out, it serves as an ideal pillow for a grassy knoll or a park bench.

Here’s my experience without the umbrella. I’m not just running from my car to the indoors; I’m walking a real distance around the city. I occasionally arrived at a store or a cafe soaking wet, and anxiously tried to avoid shaking drops on people and goods around me. My approach just wasn’t working.

So I started carrying an umbrella. And later, I noticed that many of the people “toughing it out” through a light rain were carrying an umbrella — they just had a different threshold for using it. When it rained a little harder, very few were without umbrellas. And the ones without had an expression on their faces that read, “Damn, I wish I had my umbrella.”

So now, I carry an umbrella almost every day. I walk through light showers while the men and women in fine work clothes use an umbrella immediately. But in real rain, we’re all under cover.

This post is about joining the mainstream. Eventually, one comes to understand the minority opinions and the exceptions to the rules. I don’t expect that to happen for many months. Many people reside in places — even their hometowns — without ever understanding the practices outside the mainstream.

When it comes to our last home, in Gurnee, I wonder whether I even came to understand the mainstream. I took a minority approach to life in the suburbs — even a dissident approach. Was that the arrogance of the visitor, condemning the mainstream habits of locals without understanding them? Or did I already know the mainstream, and so adopted an informed alternative? It didn’t occur to me to ask the question, while I was living there.

I wonder what I’ll learn here.

24 July 2007

First Trip to Galway (of 2007)

Filed under: ireland,travel — Will @ 21:29

We visited Galway last year, because our friends Chris and Katie are working for the Big A there. We took a long weekend (half-day Friday) to visit this year. It was the perfect opportunity to talk with good friends and fellow Americans-in-Ireland.

And it was the perfect time to see them. By the time we got on the train to come home, Anita and I realized that a few days away from Dublin was the medicine we needed. We got some of the annoyances with Irish customs off our chests and we told better stories about what we were discovering in Dublin. So we returned to Dublin refreshed.

Naturally, there are photos of Galway on Flickr.

We’re going back next month, to see the sights with Anita’s mom. I’m looking forward to it very much. Connemara was my favorite part of our trip to Ireland last year. And, we’ll get to take another shot at the Cliffs of Moher.

20 July 2007

Our street in U2 video

Filed under: dublin — Will @ 10:05

The video for U2’s “The Sweetest Thing” was filmed in 1998. The video consists of a horse-drawn carriage ride down Fitzwilliam Street, heading northeast from the intersection with Leeson Street. In other words, it’s right through our neighborhood. And it’s a pretty good representation of what it feels like to go down that street today. (Well, without the marching bands and elephants most days.)

YouTube has the video. In that version, Bono passes closest to our home right after the banner that reads “I’m Really Sorry” at about 1:56. The next thing you see, behind the violinists on the flatbed truck, is Fitzwilliam Square, the private park across from our place.

The video doesn’t get much past that. I bet they chose to film down our section of Fitzwilliam Street because further down, you get to Merrion Square and the ESB building. Although Merrion Square is more famous, the ESB building breaks up the architectual impact of all those Georgian residences.

Another YouTube video: biking down Fitzwilliam. For sensitive viewers, beware the Blair-Witch camera work.

19 July 2007

Good Thursday Morning

Filed under: dublin — Will @ 11:25

I saw beautiful, sunny skies as I helped Anita out the door this morning. One must seize the sun when one finds it, so I decided to take another fitness ride as soon as possible.

I found a better way to get to Phoenix Park, and the rush-hour traffic was less intimidating than I’d thought. I saw another stunning part of the Park, and watched the rainclouds come over the Wicklow Mountains. I beat the rain home.

Good morning!

The new way to the Park takes me along the Grand Canal. On my way back, I saw two unusual boats making their way slowly down the canal. One was essentially a giant push-broom for the water’s surface. It skimmed the trash and the loose weeds along the grassy sides of the canal.

The other boat took a little time to figure out. It had one motorized blade poking just above the water. The blade looked like an oversized hedge-trimmer. When the boat passed, I saw that there was a second blade, well below the surface, so that the two blades made an inverted T-shape. So I guess that this boat was clearing the center of the canal of snags.

I’ll have to take photos of the boats someday. Always something new…

18 July 2007

Our first visitors

Filed under: dublin,entertainment,expat — Anita @ 21:03

Settling into our lives in Dublin has been a long (but fun) process since Will arrived. One of the fantastic parts about living in Dublin is how often colleagues from work have a reason to be in our city. Our first visitor was my former co-worker and friend, Jenny. Jenny had a conference the last week of June and she made sure to let us know that she was in town. We arranged for me to pick her up on my way home from work and bring her to the city centre. It was awesome to see her – she got to see our messy apartment and go to some of our favorite pubs with us. Since it was a Wednesday night, we were all very well behaved.

Which leads me to our next visitor, my friend Merle. Merle happened to be in Dublin over a weekend, so she joined our traditional Friday happy hour. Every Friday, Will, my co-worker Kathryn and I stop at a pub to call an end to the week and signal the start of the weekend. Merle was a welcome addition to our crew. We explored several establishments in the city that were new to us, which allowed us to extend our normal happy hour into an evening of … celebration! Kathryn’s boyfriend met up with us, so we were a happy group of five, enjoying some of the best sites Dublin has to offer.

I may be getting a bit too old to enjoy all the best sites Dublin has to offer. At least all in the same night.

Here’s a special thanks, to Jenny and Merle, for taking the time out of their busy trip schedules to spend some time with us. We enjoyed seeing you and we can’t wait for you to come back!

17 July 2007

Cycling Today: Will 1, Rain 2

Filed under: sports — Will @ 15:21

It doesn’t take long to get from the city centre to the outer suburbs of Dublin, and I’ve cycled out to those suburbs as an explorer. By “explorer,” I mean that I stopped frequently to take pictures, to have coffee, to find my bearings, and so on. And I used my commuting bike, which is comfortable — and can carry a lot of cargo — but is not a speed machine.

So, today, it was time to switch from Explorer Mode to something more closely resembling exercise. The skies darkened as I fixed a few glitches on my mountain bike. But rain on a day like today usually doesn’t last long. So I headed into the drizzle.

It felt great to accelerate so well past the traffic. Before I left the city centre, though, the drizzle turned into a downpour. I was wearing a t-shirt and no jacket, so I waited for a while under a building’s overhang. Pedestrians came and went. Sometimes, waiting under a building by the street is pleasant, a kind of enforced break in one’s day. This was a long break, and I was already damp enough to feel a little cold. Score one for the rain.

I saw a patch of blue sky over Phoenix Park, my destination. And if I gave up, rain would win. So I headed for daylight. The further I went, the less rain fell, and I had a great ride through the enormous park. (Anita and I only made it halfway through the last time.) As I rolled downhill, I began composing this post in my mind, and I judged the match a tie:
Will 1, Rain 1.

Well, it had not stopped raining in the city centre during my absence. The bike paths were underwater and the rain was relentless. My legs were fine, but my torso was quite unhappy. A stripe of water and dirt ran up my t-shirt from the water off my rear wheel. I looked like a wet dog by the time I got home.
Will 1, Rain 2.

Close followers of this blog may remember that I suffered a defeat at Sandycove Beach several days ago. Rain didn’t bring its A-game (like it did today), but it scored nonetheless. In that post, I didn’t mention the most dispiriting part of that day. A drizzle blew into our faces as we sat in our chairs. Anita reached into her bag, found her umbrella, and popped it open. The umbrella was between us, so she couldn’t see the open-mouthed look of incredulity on my face. Score one for the rain, with an assist from Anita. Thus, for the 2007 season, the overall score is:
Will 1, Rain 3.

And, as I finish this post, the rain is gone again. That’s what gets to me — Dublin weather actually gloats.

13 July 2007

Becoming a resident, Part 1

Filed under: dublin,expat,mental state — Will @ 18:12

The first step to becoming a resident of a city? Actually moving there. The moving company retrieved the paper and cardboard Wednesday evening, so I can say that we’re moved in.

Just hours before that, I realized a less obvious step in becoming a resident of Dublin. I had to complete an errand quickly, so I hopped on my bike and sped through traffic. I went around and across the Liffey River. As I weaved between buses, I saw exactly the view that appears on standard postcards of Dublin. It was lightly cloudy and the warmest it’s been in weeks.

For the past six weeks, I’ve sauntered through my errands, stopping frequently to admire the city. I was, in effect, still a long-term tourist. I’d say that I was thinking like an university student who spends a summer abroad. I had life’s little tasks and inconveniences, unlike someone on holiday, but my mental state was that of a tourist nonetheless.

Anita's pic of Custom House on LiffeyWednesday, I noticed the Custom House as I zipped across a bridge. I didn’t ignore it, but I didn’t feel the awe that caused me to say, “I love Dublin,” whenever anyone asked. The Custom House was just there — impressive, yes, but mainly a traffic pinch-point for my purposes at the time.

In other words, I’m thinking more like a resident of Dublin. I wouldn’t say that I’m more callous to the beauty of this city. In fact, I’m finding new things to love all the time. But what I rarely feel is a peculiar, emotional response to the city, a sense of vast possibilities around every street-corner. It was so strong sometimes that I literally felt it in my chest. It felt just like the anticipation of something wonderful — like a thick envelope from your university of choice, a long-awaited engagement ring, or an unexpected recognition of your hard work.

I haven’t felt that lately. I still have the optimism and sense of possibilities, but it’s more intellectual and removed. I welcome the shift, because I believe it is necessary to live here, in the actual city, rather than some self-centered fantasy. A few weeks ago, I actually said that the city specially welcomed me, because the weather was excellent for my first week. That was hyperbole, of course, but it did reflect the self-orientation that tourists have — must have — in order to “experience” a new place.

9 July 2007

DVR Does Dallas

Filed under: entertainment — Will @ 20:46

OMG!!!! Somebody shot J.R.!!!


- I'll kill him. I'll kill him!
- Take a number, there's a lot of us ahead of you.

J.R. EwingI wonder whether that banker who lost 20 million dollars did it? Or Sue Ellen? She started drinking again, after all, and she found a gun. And J.R. called her a slut!!!! He insulted her a lot, but if somebody called me a slut…!!! But the writers really want us to think that it’s one of the investors in J.R.’s scheme.

Anita thinks its Cliff Barnes. You know, the OLM debacle, shutting down Field 23, and everything in between??? He’s got to have enough of the Ewings after this season!!

You’ve got to admire the way that Jock and Bobby stood with J.R. as all those suckers came to complain about the bad Asian oil deals. After all, those guys could have done their own research about the rebels that wanted to nationalize the wells!! But then it’s hard to see why J.R. lied to Jock about it?!

I’m surprised that J.R. wasn’t able to bribe the rebels. I think they could have spent more time on that angle. Maybe one of the rebels did it! Now, I wonder if he’s dead. I can’t imagine Dallas without him!!!

Lucy mentioned a disco in Dallas during this episode. Does it really exist?!? I’d love to go there someday! It will be very popular this weekend, after being mentioned on Dallas.

8 July 2007

How did he DO that? Tour Stage 1 (updated)

Filed under: sports — Will @ 22:05

Robbie McEwen was in a crash and injured his wrist about 20 km from the finish for Stage 1. With about 7 km left, he just reached the peloton — the massive group of cyclists jockeying for position. (Thanks to tdfblog’s story for fact-checking.)

McEwen is a consummate sprinter, so the race is only worthwhile if he’s in front of the peloton. In about four minutes, he and his team (Predictor-Lotto) had to get him through the almost one-hundred other riders in the Tour. Every one of those riders knew that, if McEwen were allowed to get through, he might beat the others’ teammates.

So I was astonished to see Robbie McEwen just burn past all his competitors in the last 200m of today’s race. Eurosport TV had an overhead view that made it look like all the other sprinters were dragging anchors. If you have about three minutes, take a look at the video on YouTube. The backstory is first, and the overhead view is toward the end of the clip.

In last year’s Tour, he won three stages with superhuman sprints like this one. But the commentators (and I) believed that he’d be exhausted from making his way back into — and then through — the peloton.

Guess not. That’s why I love following the Tour — every day brings you a new group of heroes.

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