Bakker Bugle Blog » expat

Oh, American Press, bless your heart

Anita — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:57:47 +0000

The US State Department released a broad travel advisory for Europe on Sunday. It cautioned Americans who are traveling to Europe to be extra vigilant. As one would expect, some of our loved ones in the US expressed concern over our safety. Suffice it to say, I have felt safe and continue to feel safe in Luxembourg. In fact, I cannot imagine a safer place to be.

But feeling safe and actually being safe are two different things. So, in the interest of learning as much as possible, I checked my usual online newspapers on Monday. The most prominent piece was in the Wall Street Journal. The article was reasonable in its tone, but the photo and video captions made be laugh. Not a “ha-ha” laugh: I was laughing at you, American newsmedia. You amuse me.

A screen grab of the article:

The first video caption reads “With armed soldiers patrolling under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, tourists seemed undeterred by the warning…..” Of course the tourists are undeterred — those soldiers are there EVERY DAY, all the time! I think their primary job is running off guys that are peddling the cheap Eiffel Tower statues. In fairness, the Journal did capture that aspect of the situation.

Still, to me, the picture with the Eiffel Tower statues is entirely unrealistic. First, the guy pushing the vacation ~~tchotchkes~~ memories would have scooped them up and gone running before the soldiers arrived. That shot was totally set up by the photographer.

For a more realistic view, here are our photos around the Eiffel Tower from September 2009. (Please keep in mind that we weren’t trying to capture soldiers in the original photos. They were so common that they were just included in the frame of some of the photos we took last year.) Click on the photos for full-size versions.

Soldier on patrol underneath the Eiffel Tower; Champs de Mars in the background

Peddlers underneath the Eiffel Tower

Why are they running?

I mean “soldier” in the broadest sense. There are many different police forces in France, almost all with militarized components.

Peddlers relax at “home base” just across the street from the Tower — on this day, it really looked like a half-hearted game of tag.

But wait! There’s more! The Eiffel Tower isn’t the only Paris landmark that the Journal dug up.

To anyone that spends time in Paris, the caption is totally misleading: “French soldiers patrol around the Louvre museum in Paris, Sunday.” Guess what, WSJ? The soldiers patrol around the Louvre EVERY DAY. We were just in Paris in September and we were at the Louvre a bunch. And we saw those guys all the time. Those soldiers may be patrolling on Sunday, but not due to any new alert from the US.

Voilà: our photos from early September of this year. Pretty much the same patrol.

But the part about the whole thing that I really appreciate is the fact that the State Department is warning travelers. Tuesday’s WSJ:

The knowledge that, on average, some 100,000 Americans are traveling in Europe at any one time also factored into U.S. decision-making, said the counterterrorism official.

What about those of us living here? Are we not a concern? At least the Canadians care about us:

I mean, there are only 1.2 million of us over here. Perhaps we should focus on that, along with the 100,000 that are traveling? However, not one article that I have read in our beloved American press has thought to point that little nugget.

I suppose the American press is focusing on those who are reading their newspapers and watching their television shows. That would make perfect sense — except I pulled all the WSJ information above from the European edition. Thanks for caring, my English-language “local” press.

Census Sadness

Anita — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:50:40 +0000

Both of us read a lot of US news, even while following the local Luxembourg headlines. So I am well aware of the upcoming US census (http://www.census.gov/), from the anger over the Super Bowl commercial , to the return rates, to the questions on the form and whether they are reasonable.

But what I didn’t realize until about a week ago: we will not be counted in the census. Intellectually, I understand the reasoning. We don’t live in the US. Why should we be counted in the US numbers? But emotionally – I don’t want to be left out!

The fact that we will miss being in a census count could be important – not today or tomorrow, but 50 or 100 years from now. Recently, we have been working on a genealogy project for both sides of the family. (Mostly Will’s work.) The census data from the early 1900s was a treasure trove of information. My heart is a little sad to know that, for 2010, I will not exist from a US perspective.

Perhaps I’m being over maudlin from the long winter and I just need spring to come. For all our friends and family in the US, please remember that the census is important. Take it seriously and return those forms — the due date is this week!

Luxembourg by the numbers: From news352.lu

Will — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:45:15 +0000

Anita and I stress the number of non-residents commuting into Luxembourg just about every time we talk about life in Luxembourg. To us, it seems to touch nearly every part of life here. Add to that the number of non-native residents, and you have part of what makes Luxembourg City a special place.

We’re often unclear on the numbers, particularly with respect to non-native residents. You can imagine my delight, then, when I found the following article, “Luxembourg: A City of 156 nationalities,” in 352 Luxembourg Magazine, the leading English-language weekly in Luxembourg.

The article’s origin is the multilingual news site, news352.lu. Due to their gracious permission, I will quote the entire article, which was written by Adam Walder:

There is no doubt, the capital of Luxembourg is an extremely cosmopolitan city. According to the mayor of Luxembourg the City has no fewer than 156 different nationalities. In total, foreign residents are even more than native Luxembourgers.

91,857. This is the figure released this morning, that has been doing the rounds, and a figure that Luxembourg’s mayor Paul Helminger, is particularly proud of.

This is the figure for the number of inhabitants in the capital in late 2009. A great leap forward, since the population was 89,907 in late 2008. “12,000 arrivals a year, it’s huge!” Exclaimed the delighted mayor. To this figure the internal migration must also be added to the City. 7,000 people have simply changed neighbourhoods.

“Luxembourg is a highly mobile city” continues to brag Paul Helminger which highlights the fact that in 2009 there were more births than deaths (1,099 against 635).

Many Portuguese and French

The most striking information released is the percentage of foreign residents: over 64% of the total population is of foreign nationality. Among the most represented countries are the obvious ones with 13,990 Portuguese and 12,536 French. They are mainly located in Bonnevoie or Kirchberg.

The residents of Luxembourg nationality however are much less likely to live in the capital: they represent only 35% of the total population. “We have noticed, even since 2007, that the population figure of Luxembourg nationality has increased slightly” stated Paul Helminger.

The voting problem

A big dilemma is noticed when you look at the number of residents of Luxembourg City registered to vote. There are 223 non-Luxembourgish voters less than in 2008. “This is probably due to migration movements” the mayor said adding “but an effort must be made. I can not imagine running a city with more than 60% foreigners, and they can not vote! ”

I think this is a great presentation of the numbers, and a bit of local perspective on their implications. Thanks again to Mr Walder and news352.lu for their good work.

Reference: Walder, Adam. (24 Feb 2010). Luxembourg: A City of 156 nationalities. Retrieved from http://hello.news352.lu/index.php?p=edito&id=24320

Bugle-Blog CLASSIC

Will — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:59:23 +0000

The Bugle does not aspire to comprehensive coverage of anything in particular. So it’s not a revelation that we didn’t get around to all of our ideas for blog posts about Ireland. When we moved from our home in Dublin, we took with us a long list of experiences that we still want to share.

Beyond that, our interest in Irish affairs is hardly over. For example, we followed the second vote on the Lisbon Treaty, which took place last Friday. (The referendum passed.)

For good reasons, then, we will continue to write about Ireland.

In a moment of serendipity, our staff developed the following brand during a seminar on branding at the Bastelengebläers HQ:

To launch the brand, the staff chose a tasty sample to whet your appetite for old stories from our time in Ireland. The following photo from the mean streets of South Dublin contains shocking content, so you may want to send the children to play outside before you scroll down.
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Okay, maybe that photo isn’t staggering. Let’s zoom in a little — scroll down to see the shocking close-up.
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That’s a Missouri license plate! In Ireland! (Is your mind boggling?) Let’s go to the CSI-cam for the incontrovertible proof that will impel the perp to confess spontaneously, er, I mean, that will help you understand our shock at the time.

Anita and Will spent the next hour speculating about the means, motive and opportunity that would bring a car from Missouri to Dublin, Ireland. Not to mention the hazards of being on the wrong driver’s side. And is a Missouri plate even legally meaningful in Ireland?

That’s it for today. You can look forward to posts in the future about:

Things we miss about Ireland and from Ireland, such as: lamb on the grill, super-sugary chocolates, clear skies just moments after rain, the oceanfront at Dublin Bay.
Photosets that somehow failed to make it to Flickr
Minor adventures in the Irish countryside
and probably ~~much much~~ not much more!

The most useful phrase in French

Will — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:03:32 +0000

Anita is becoming famous in some circles in Luxembourg for her French!

For months, she practiced one and only one phrase in French:
Je suis desolée. Je ne parle pas français.
What does it mean, in English? “I’m sorry. I don’t speak French.”

Anita’s pronunciation is so good (and effortless) that people don’t believe her. Usually, they switch to English (although sometimes with an intrigued look). Sometimes, they continue to talk to her in French! Once in a while, they switch to German, leaving her with no reply whatsoever.

Despite Anita’s quandaries, we recommend that everyone who plans to visit a French-speaking country take a few moments and learn this phrase. We’d like to think that it conveys a certain respect for others, moreso than “Parlez-vous anglais?”

That’s a polite way to ask someone to speak English, but it’s also a demand of sorts. It just seems a bit curt — imagine the following little skit, between an American grocery cashier and a French customer who knows little English.

Customer Marcel: Hello. I want to pay.

Shopkeeper Ned: Hello! That’s a great brand of ice cream you’ve got there. Did you see that we have it in chocolate and rocky road as well? My daughter loves the chocolate kind.

Customer Marcel: Do you speak French?

Marcel was a bit abrupt, don’t you think? I think Ned would be more inclined to try his high-school French if Marcel said, “I’m sorry. I don’t speak English. Do you speak French?” (Anita and I are thinking about skits a lot right now, since our French lessons are underway.)

We often need people to switch to English to accommodate us (or at least we need them to tolerate our bad French supplemented by charades). So we say “Parlez-vous anglais?” all the time, and we find that it works much better after we say the magic phrase.

To help you learn it, here’s a recording of Anita’s impeccable rendition:
Je suis desolée. Je ne parle pas français.

And, should you need it, her quite passable request:
Parlez-vous anglais?

We arrived in Luxembourg

Will — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:19:42 +0000

We arrived before our stuff — “on holiday” for official purposes. We drove into Luxembourg with several large suitcases in the back of our Skoda estate (i.e. station-wagon). The contents of the suitcases were an inexplicable combination of stuff that I thought might be useful, stuff I forgot to send with the movers, and stuff that Anita purchased or used in the US. A security official would be sorely confused by our traveling habits.

On the way, we passed an IKEA near the border with Belgium. IKEA would come to dominate the remainder of our weekend. Almost as soon as we arrived at our new apartment, we dropped our airborne burden and drove to Belgium (15 minutes away) to seek a bed for our unfurnished apartment. If we failed, we would need to spend the night in a hotel and try again the next day.

We found a big, comfortable bed and mattress. A very big mattress, for a relatively small car. Unlike everything else at IKEA, the mattresses don’t come in flat-packs. Our Skoda did a great job — except when we exceeded 50 kph, when our new mattress threatened to take wing and make its own way home. We took the back roads, which were gorgeous on that warm and sunny day.

We got some wise but discouraging advice from a neighbor, in French, about the likelihood of getting our mattress up the spiral staircase to our 3rd floor apartment (4th floor, the way Americans count). We pushed and shoved and by the time Will exhausted every curse he knew in French, we made it all the way up.

By that night, we had a partially-assembled bed and a mattress in the middle of our bare, unlit living room. We had two days before the movers arrived — but that’s a story for the next post.

To a new country, to find new adventures

Anita — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:51:54 +0000

The staff had some fun on the first of this month, but our move to Luxembourg is no April Fool.

My work will take us from Dublin to Luxembourg City later this year. We will take the Bakker Bugle with us, and our beloved readers, of course. We’re excited about the move and, in the next month or two, we’ll find out more about where and when we’ll take up residence.

Will and I will be learning a new city and new languages. You’ll read about our adventures at our new home and all over Europe. Plus, the BBB&B will be open and accepting reservations as soon as possible.

This change is no fault of Ireland, of course. We have a long list of things we love about this island and its inhabitants, and an even longer list of things we’d like to do before we go. It is simply time to take new opportunities elsewhere. Thank you, Ireland, for your hospitality, for your good graces, and for letting us be part of this exciting place.

And thank you, dear friends, for being our patient audience for the past two years. Your support means the world to us. We are so glad that we can take you with us!

Friday’s Inauguration

Will — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:57:06 +0000

I know, I know, the title is a weaker pun than even Bugle readers should expect.

We partied with friends at TGI Friday’s on St Stephen’s Green. It’s the most American drinking establishment around here, and they did the place up for Tuesday night.

An article in The Irish Times that got me thinking: “Irish catalyst in Obama’s journey” by Patrick Cosgrave (who reports on the work of historians and the observations of Obama’s friends).

Barack Obama owes a whole lot more to Ireland than an ancestor or two. His journey of change and his central vision were born 150 years ago because of Ireland. … Who inspired Barack Obama? One figure appears to stand above all others: Frederick Douglass.
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In a letter from Ireland to William Llyod [sic] Garrison, one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Douglass wrote: “I seem to have undergone a transformation. I live a new life.” He went on to add that, “instead of the bright, blue sky of America, I am covered with the soft, gray fog of the Emerald Isle. I breathe, and lo! the chattel becomes a man! I gaze around in vain for one who will question my equal humanity, claim me as a slave, or offer me an insult.” Prof Patricia Ferreira, of Norwich University, concludes that “although from a young age Douglass possessed the inclination to be a leader, Ireland was the site where this trait blossomed”.
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Douglass, it seems, inspired Obama more than any other individual … because it was Douglass, “transformed by Ireland”, who first articulated change in a way America has never forgotten and in a way to which Obama has given a new meaning. “Behold the change!” Douglass wrote from Ireland. Behold Obama!

A selection of Irish articles on the inauguration:

Time for Obama to be as good as his eloquent word – Irish Independent: This week, the first black American president will move into the White House — a residence that was partly constructed by black slave labour. And, although Barack Obama is not himself descended from slaves, his wife (and thus his children) are. Whatever President Obama achieves, or fails to achieve in office, the extraordinarily moving fact of his election will dominate history’s view of him. … So why do I think that there is anything dubious about Obama’s gift for words? Because the miraculous effect of them cannot be a substitute for action.
Moneygall, you’ve got competition – Irish Independent: A second Irish village is laying claim to be the ancestral home of Barack Obama. The tiny village of Moneygall raised American flags and tricolours side by side yesterday. The excitement started early in the morning in the Offaly village when an Obama bus pulled up outside of Ollie Hayes’s pub. But in the nearby village of Shinrone, Co Offaly, it was a more low-key affair, as they have only recently discovered links to Barack Obama.
It’s Obamarama time! – Irish Times: The American Ireland Fund is hosting a daytime event for supporters at a building on Pennsylvania Avenue, with excellent views of the parade. On Tuesday night, the leading lights of Irish-American society will don black tie and ball gowns at the Phoenix Park Hotel near Union Station for the first ever Irish inaugural ball. Irish Ambassador to the US Michael Collins and former taoiseach and EU ambassador John Bruton are among the guests of honour at the event, which is hosted by Irish-American Democrats, a political action committee that raises money for Democratic candidates who take an interest in Irish causes. … The Irish event is the biggest of the ethnic balls…
Illegal Irish “need Obama’s help” – Irish Times: An Irish MEP has written to US President-elect Barack Obama to highlight that up to 50,000 undocumented Irish immigrants living in the US need his “political assistance now more than ever.” Seán Ó Neachtain, Fianna Fáil MEP for Ireland North and West, urged Mr Obama to consider introducing measures to allow undocumented and illegal Irish to remain in the US legally.

Give thanks for your butter

Anita — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:36:15 +0000

There are many things that I love about living in Ireland. There are a few things that annoy or trouble me. But there is one thing that I clearly hate — the fact that butter comes in a single chunk of butter — 454 grams, to be precise. Why is it 454 grams, you ask? Because that is as close to one pound of butter as you can get in metric terms.

I could deal with a big block of butter if only there were measurements on the wrapping.

The wonder that is American butter comes in a package of four sticks to a pound, with tablespoons and other measurements clearly marked on the wrapping. Irish butter, by contrast, arrives unadorned. It comes in the same kind of waxed-paper wrapping as American butter, but no useful scales or handy particulars mar its gleaming gold packaging.

A poor cook is left to either (1) guess or (2) calmly force the butter into a measuring cup, making sure that all the air pockets are gone.

You may have noticed, by my tone, that this drives me crazy. As many of you know, I love to bake. But between the tiny oven and the butter, I’ve been driven to distraction.

So, for all those American cooks out there, preparing for their Thanksgiving feast, please take a moment to appreciate the lowly American stick of butter. Pause for a moment and reflect that if you need six tablespoons, it is easy as can be. Take heart that American ingenuity has again triumphed over old-world “complacency”. Love your butter and give thanks for its genius – it’s the best there is.

Well… American butter’s taste may not be that great, but it’s darn easy to measure!

Memo to North American tourists in Europe

Will — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:57:43 +0000

Through a FOIA request submitted this summer, it has come to the Bugle’s attention that all American tourists travelling to Europe received the following instructions:

From: North American Tourist Authority
To: US and Canadian Citizens bound for Europe
Date: [redacted]

Dear US and/or Canadian citizens bound for Europe,

Tourists from North America have always been drawn together by the sound of their non-British accents. For decades, the Standard Greeting among these travelers was, “Where are you from?” or “Where ya from?” or some variation thereof.

As of [redacted], 2008, the new Standard Greeting is “So, what about this election, huh?” Please use this Greeting when encountering any person with a non-British accents in Foreign Countries.

An image of the letter, as received by the Bugle in response to our FOIA request, is available in PDF form.

The Bugle already sent a letter to the President of NATA with the following message:

We respectfully request that American expatriates receive timely notice of any future changes in the Standard Greeting. NATA should be aware that expatriates with American accents may be disoriented when visiting tourist sites around Europe without having prepared a Suitable Response to a new Greeting.

That is all.

Message to the USA: Register to Vote!

Will — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:08:58 +0000

Our absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election in the US arrived today. Happy Day!

The Bugle would like to use this occasion to remind you that we are approaching the registration deadlines for most localities. (Illinois is Tues, Oct. 7; Missouri is Wed, Oct. 8; New York is Fri, Oct. 10; Iowa is Fri, Oct. 24; and in Wisconsin you can register on Election Day.)

If you’re not registered to vote at your current address, right now is the best time to do it. There are several organizations that will to help you register with online resources. Here are three; pick any one — just do it today!

Obama’s Voter Registration Tools
McCain’s Voter Registration Tools
The venerable League of Women Voters are the best at it

I believe that the election of the US President is sometimes not the most important one, because your local authorities affect your day-to-day life more immediately. They often determine the policies of zoning, development, traffic, and policing that make your community what it will be tomorrow. If you’re tired of hearing about Obama, McCain, Palin and Biden, look into the issues at stake in your local elections.

Books Report: Ireland and the Whole World

Will — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:09:04 +0000

During a few rainy, cold days in June, I devoured two books: Jared Diamond’s Collapse, and John Waters’s Jiving at the Crossroads. It’s been years since I read an entire book in a day or two, so this was sheer joy for me. Plus, the fact that both of them were non-fiction makes the books themselves even more remarkable.

I read Waters’s book on Irish politics in the 1980s in one sitting. I was completely absorbed by it because it spoke to my experience and then it offered so much depth and insight beyond my own awareness. Here’s a passage that resonated with my exposure to Irish society so far (pages 31 and 32):

The nature of our political ‘beliefs’ was always difficult to explain to outsiders. Your ‘politics’ were a bit like the colour of your eyes: you picked them up from one or both parents, you did not question or even think about them very much, and yet they became part of what other people perceived you to be.

…The process is complex to the outsider, but second nature to the individual member of the community in question. When two of the town’s inhabitants meet in the street, a process occurs in which both are able to flash up in some part of their brains a ‘description’, a social image, of the other. This unwritten description will include such data as the person’s address, occupation, … their mode of dress, speech and general physical demeanour, and of course, the person’s political ‘persuasion’. This information will enable both of them to define the nature of their relationship.

…Both the individual in question, in that instant, will have come to the same conclusion as to their relationship. Other than by leaving, it is almost impossible, within the ordinary activity of one’s life, significantly to alter one’ own position in the pecking order.

…If one were to take, say, five people from various part and backgrounds in such a town and, having dosed them with some form of truth serum, ask each of them to draw up a list placing themselves and the other four in the correct order of their ‘importance’ in the town, all five lists would be the same. Deep down, everybody knows where they stand.

Waters was a columnist for the Irish Times, and I have the impression that he was a bit of an outsider to the world of Irish journalism. For me, he filled many of the gaps in my conception of Ireland that persisted after reading thousands of newspaper articles. I’d like to share more of his work with you, and I believe his book is currently out-of-print in the US. I’ll look into the copyright issues, etc, involved in sharing more of Jiving at the Crossroads with you.

I couldn’t read the other book, Jared Diamond’s Collapse, in one sitting. It is a much longer book! The massive popularity of this book a few years ago means that I have little new to say about it. It is very well-written and presents fair-minded analyses of the collapses of societies from pre-history to the present day.

I was enthralled by his vivid descriptions of civilizations that I’ve heard about in snippets about throughout my life: Anasazi, Maya, Easter Island, Greenland Vikings. The book’s arguments are unsettling when he turns to present-day societies, but he is not scare-mongering in any way. In fact, I found him unduly optimistic!

Required Reading for Ex-pats in Ireland

Anita — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:43:17 +0000

Before we moved to Ireland, our good friend and frequent commentor Dave gave me a copy of The Lonely Planet’s Irish Language and Culture. The book, unlike a tourist guide, goes into lifestyle and society, sport, slang and entertainment.

For many months, I would read a little bit about Ireland before I went to bed. It helped give me insight into the Gaelic Games, helped me memorize the four provinces and the 32 counties. I also picked up several classic Irish phrases, included “You’re grand,” “No bother at all,” and “Jaysus!”.

Here’s a big thank you to Dave for the book. Now that Will and I have finished it, it will move to a place of honor in the guest room, so all our visitors can have the opportunity to learn just a little bit more about the country they are visiting.

American Politics in Dublin

Will — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:14:15 +0000

I have political interactions with Dubliners more than twice a day (when I’m out and about). Here’s two from today.

First, in the hardware store: The two workers there know me and they know that I’m American. One asks, “How about yer man McCain. Do ya think he’ll win?” Discussion ensues, bringing in another customer (Irish). All seem to hope that Obama wins the primaries and the election.

Second, not really an interaction, but a poster I saw all over town:

Happy New Year

Will — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:07:23 +0000

Last month, Anita and I spent several days in the American Midwest. Our return to our former (and future) homes in the US gave us a new emotional and intellectual perspective on Dublin and our lives in Ireland. For about a week, I’ve been contemplating a long post about that new perspective.

I have notes that I jotted as we traveled, and they still make sense to me. But I haven’t been able to bring them together and write something articulate. So that disquisition will have to wait until inspiration strikes.

In the meantime, it’s a new year, filled with promise. It appears that most Irish professionals returned to work on the 7th, and that many residents of Dublin traveled during the long break. So the whole city feels like it really is starting anew. I’m familiar with that feeling from the semester-based academic schedule. Anita’s jobs, in the past, required a lot of work during the first few days of the year (and preparation for that work in the last weeks of the old year). I’m not sure whether she feels any different in 2008. For years, we both dismissed the idea of January 1st as a legitimate interlude in an ordinary person’s life, but this year, it feels right.

The rest of the world seems to be entering a new period, too. The Irish newspapers took a break from Irish politics — and we didn’t read about Irish politics at all while we traveled. After the new year, even the papers seem to find the old scandals less significant. And the American primary season is finally underway; the US political class is hyperventilating after holding its breath for the past several months. The primaries are followed very closely in the Irish media. After each primary, the results are always the lead news item, even in the three-minute news summary on pop radio stations. As you might expect, the Democratic primaries receive the most attention.

We’re off to a fast start this year — no contemplative hibernation in the snow for Anita and Will! So before it becomes ridiculously late, let me be the last to wish you a charmed 2008.

The NFL on FOX SKY

Anita — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 18:53:13 +0000

When we moved to Dublin, we made the choice of getting the “local” (UK) satellite system, called SKY. We were amazed to discover this fall that SKY Sports is showing NFL games each Sunday. As we started to research exactly why, we discovered that Miami and the NY Giants were going to play a NFL game in the new Wembley Stadium, outside London. In the last few years, interest in American football has increased in Britain and now, we are reaping the rewards with games each Sunday. Today is the day of the big game at Wembley.

While we weren’t always the biggest NFL fans back at home, we have found that watching the early game on Sunday night is a relaxing way to end our weekend. We’ve even had Kathryn over for pizza and football, since she is a huge fan and hasn’t gotten to see a lot of games since she moved to Europe.

The strangest thing to overcome is the British accents talking about the game. It just sounds off. But, the beer commercials are just as good here as they are in the States. The ad firm for Coors took advantage of the combination of American and British accents. And, I think the folks here have an even bigger obsession with the cheerleaders that the guys back home. There was as much cheerleading as football in the previews on SKY Sports for today’s game.

Walking around…

Anita — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:48:59 +0000

As Sharon mentioned in the comments, we are walking a lot more since we moved to Dublin. Will is walking many kilometers every day because it is his major form of transportation. I have the car, so during the work week I walk little, drive much. But on the weekends….

Living in an apartment has changed the way I get out of the “house.” Back at Shadowrock, I could slip out the back door and sit in yard, enjoying nature at my doorstep. While our back garden is a pleasant spot, only gets direct sun for a limited time each day. In order to escape the apartment and enjoy the day, walking has replaced sitting. Sometimes we walk as the main activity, other times we walk to get to a park to sit and enjoy the sun. Either way, I am definitely walking more.

It is easier to walk in the city, because you can go a short distance (or farther afield) and constantly find things that draw your attention or interest. Plus, with parking at such a premium, I would rather walk for 15 minutes than drive for 5 and struggle to find parking for 10. Will this continue when we are again living at Shadowrock? While I want to say yes, I’m afraid that I will fall back into the convenience of a car in the garage and plentiful free parking at every turn.

But until then, each Saturday morning that I wake up and see beautiful blue skies (like we saw again this weekend) I will prod Will out of bed and out into the street, for a walk around our city. Plus, maybe the walking will help counteract the excellent Irish butter that I seem to spread on everything. Man, it’s really good butter.

Now I do hate the British

Will — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:02:37 +0000

Many times, the cheapest airfare back to Dublin includes a connection through Heathrow. My experiences with Heathrow have not been positive. Last week, however, I had an extraordinary exchange with the UK’s immigration service.

Mind you, my experience is innocuous in comparison with asylum seekers, wearers of traditional dress, and many “foreign-looking” unfortunates. So my tale feels a little silly. But the victims of my re-telling in person seem to think it is hilarious. So here goes.

I landed in Heathrow from JFK and moved toward my connecting flight to Dublin. Heathrow’s security is efficient but overwhelmed by the sheer number of passengers and the stringent application of ever-escalating regulations. I don’t object to that, although I think security theatre is a farce.

The line for immigration and customs, however, was much longer than I expected. There’s a line for EU and UK passport-holders, which moved as smoothly as the First-Class security lines in the US. I stood in the line for Everybody Else. It was the first line I’d seen that overwhelmed the British love for filling waiting areas with those familiar fabric stockades.

I had no desire to step on UK soil (especially with hoof-and-mouth on the loose again), so I wasn’t happy to wait in line with the international students, weary families, and few business-types who sought entry to the promised land. I was not impressed at all by the sign that I saw as I neared the immigration desks: “Due to new regulations, it may take longer to enter our country. Cheers, the UK authorities.” I don’t want to enter your country, you arrogant Brits.

I also ignored the “Entry Questionnaire” that read, “For those seeking entry to the UK.” But the nice person at the head of the line asked me to fill one anyway. No problem, really — Ireland and its residents benefit, on the whole, from passing these bureaucratic duties to the UK. As with all such paperwork, the slip had some enigmatic categories, but it was generally clear.

While in line, I’d looked at my Irish visa stamp (which took some work to obtain). It says:

Permitted to remain in Ireland on conditions that the holder does not enter employment, does not engage in any business or profession and does not remain later than 29/8/08. For Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform.

So, in the box marked Occupation, I wrote “None.” It seemed like the prudent choice. Much better than writing, “You’re still sitting on the Six Counties,” which wouldn’t please anyone.

I finally approached the desk of an immigration official and handed over my passport and questionnaire. She immediately noticed my lack of an Occupation. Here’s what followed:

So, you’re unemployed.
Yes, I guess you could say that. [Oops, that's not a good thing to say to an immigration official!] My spouse works in Ireland, and I live with her.
So what do you do?
I keep our home, I suppose.
[She crosses out "None" and begins writing "House Husb.."] So you have children?
No.
So you do nothing?
[What?] No, I’m busy enough.
But you don’t have an occupation?
Right, I do nothing.
[She eyes me suspiciously and examines my passport again.]
Well, I suppose you could put down, “writer.”
Oh, a “writer.” [She looks up with contempt while correcting my "Occupation" entry on her little slip.]
[I stare back, in astonishment.]
[Stamp, ku-chunk, stamp. She hands back my passport and files her little slip.] Go through there, third right.

I’ll just say this: It was fortunate, for both of us, that the third right was the exit that led to my connecting flight.

I stalked away, muttering curses under my breath like an Irish nationalist. (I’m starting to learn how to add color and depth to my curses, although I’ll never have the elegant, unconscious talent of an Irish adept.) One nice thing about having a blog: My foul reaction quickly evaporated with the thought, “This is good material for a blog entry.” Thank you, loyal readers!

Irish America, #1 of a continuing series

Will — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:43:13 +0000

In my sister Theodora‘s neighborhood in Manhattan, there’s a pub that displays two Irish flags beneath the US flag: The Kinsale Tavern.

On the left is the official national flag of the Republic of Ireland. On the right is an unofficial flag of Ireland, representing the four provinces of the island. According to an unsourced website:

The Four Provinces flag has two main uses. Firstly, it is an economical way of flying the flags of all the provinces – one saves the cost of three flags and three flag poles! Secondly, it is sometimes flown when a politically neutral flag representing all of Ireland is required. For example, Irish hockey teams, which draw players from both the Republic and Northern Ireland, use the Four Provinces flag as their emblem in international competitions.

That last explanation rings true to me. As I’ve seen on numerous posters, placemats, and menus:

A Publican must be a democrat, autocrat, acrobat and doormat. He must be able to entertain prime ministers, pick-pockets, pirates, philanthropists and police whilst sitting on the political fence. (from the web)

Travel in America

Will — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:00:38 +0000

First, fair play to Dave for the Dubs spy-photo. I wonder what story brought that jersey to Lake County. Also, thanks to Sharon for the suggestion. The staff are already hard at work on the first word of the week.

My travels took me to O’Hare airport in Chicago, suburban central New Jersey, and Manhattan. My flight to New Jersey took me through O’Hare. I had a window seat facing north, and the sky was clear. So I felt a little twinge when the plane was low enough for me to see the baseball fields, wide-open parks and roads, and distinctive spaces of my most recent home. My first bit of home-sickness — just a few miles from home!

Walking around New Jersey and New York City brought my attention to some features of Dublin life that I’d failed to notice. I kept starting sentences with the phrase, “In Dublin…” and I got self-conscious about that. (I heard an echo in my head: “One time, in band camp…”)

I can’t get those new observations organized right now, but I’ll work on it soon!