On the Wall

I apologize. I realize that I'm really not that great at updating on a regular basis. Actually, I'm pretty bad at it. But the worst part is that I don't even really have an excuse. I mean, at least Andy was in the Amazon rainforest without an Internet connection. I've just been sitting in my apartment, thinking "I really should update my blog," and then checking my email or facebook. I'll do my best to post more often from now on. (We'll see how long this lasts...)

Nothing spectacularly exciting has happened since I last updated. The week after we got back from Missio Dei was pretty calm. That next Saturday (the 21st), several of the international students and I decided to go to Londonderry/Derry. Yes, you have to spell it like that, or you'll run the risk of starting a civil war. While many people don't care what you call it, there are a few fanatical Loyalists who insist that it's Londonderry, as well as some fanatical Republicans who are adamant that it's Derry. Even the newscasters here call it "Londonderry-slash-Derry," just to make sure that they don't upset anyone. Kinda ridiculous, but it's the idiosyncrasies that make life interesting, I guess.

Anyway, we left early Saturday morning and took the train to Londonderry/Derry. The ride was very scenic, with a mixture of cliffs and farmland on one side, with the ocean on the other. It was hard to get pictures, though, with the movement of the train. We arrived in town around 9, which gave us all day to walk around. A bit of history about Londonderry/Derry: it is the only city in all of Ireland with its original city walls still intact. The walls were built between 1613 and 1618, and all of them are still in almost perfect condition. Even King James of England couldn't get through. It was so much fun to walk along the walls, knowing about their history. Replica cannons still point out from the walltops (giving tourists like us plenty of picture opportunities).

the view from the train windows

Louise and Carrie

the two boys in the statue are supposed to represent the
two opposing sides reaching out towards each other

the Smith family crest
I was going to buy it, but it cost six pounds... so I just took a picture.

Carrie and Sarah on the edge of the wall

You can tell what kind of neighborhood you're in based on the colors that
the lampposts and curbs are painted. Red, white, and blue for a
Protestant neighborhood, and green, white, and gold for a
Catholic neighborhood.

We spent a while on the walltops, and then we toured St. Columb's cathedral. It was so old and beautiful inside! By the time we were done, we decided that we were pretty hungry. We had lunch at a Witherspoons. Witherspoons is a chain pub/restaurant- there's one in Coleraine, too. They take old, historic buildings and build the restaurant inside, preserving the original architecture and history of the building. I think it's a really neat way to celebrate culture. The one in Coleraine is in the old courthouse; I'm not sure what the one in Londonderry/Derry used to be. It's part of the town diamond, whatever it is. I had my first traditional Irish stew (amazing!), and Carrie had shepherd's pie (also very good). I was nervous to try the shepherd's pie- I mean, doesn't it sound kinda sketchy?- but it turns out it's just ground beef and gravy underneath a layer of mashed potatoes. Most of the other people got fish and chips- also delicious.

When we were done with lunch, the group split up. Carrie, Louise, and I went to a tiny part of town called "Craft Village." Up until this point, I must admit that I was slightly disappointed. I guess I had this very romantic idea about what a historic Irish town should look like, but with the exception of the walls, Londonderry/Derry looks basically the same as any other European city: lots of modern stores all crammed together and stacked on top of one another. However, the Craft Village, though probably just there for the sake of tourists like us, fit my expectations. It had narrow little alleyways with brick buildings and wrought iron fences and lamp-posts, with ivy growing and little stairs up to some of the shops. I can't really give an adequate description- you'll just have to see the pictures (coming soon!). The first shop we saw when we entered the "Village" was a yarn shop, so I bought some wool yarn (yay!). This made me very happy. Carrie found an old map in the next shop. We had fun just browsing and window-shopping.

the Craft Village

Eventually, we began to get a bit tired, so we went to one of the malls to find a place to sit. Remember how I said that Londonderry/Derry doesn't quite look like a historic Irish city? I forgot to mention that having not one, not two, but three shopping malls kinda adds to the modern feel. I definitely was not expecting that. We rested for a while, and then took an earlier train back to Coleraine. We all wanted to have a chance to relax in our rooms and get something to eat before the Ceilidh.

We walked back into town that evening to a church hall for the Ceilidh put on by the International Friends church group. A Ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee) is a night of traditional Irish dancing and music. Everyone is expected to join in. The dances weren't the Riverdance kind (though we did get to see that). They were more like the old group dances. We all had partners- it almost seemed like a combination between the old English dances and square dancing. I really can't explain it very well, but it was a blast. I absolutely loved it. For the first two or three dances, I was paired with a small, older Irish woman named Patty. She was so energetic and so enthusiastic- she was so much fun! After the first couple dances, she and I got split up. Carrie and I were partners for a lot of the other dances, though we did tend to switch partners often. I had so much fun. I wish I could have taken more pictures, but everyone was dancing, so I wasn't able to take more than one or two myself or ask anyone to take some for me.

the musicians at the Ceilidh

The other thing of interest that happened that week was on Monday (the 23rd). At the International Friends gathering that evening, they had planned that we would watch a movie. Any guesses as to the movie they picked? I'll help you out: no, it wasn't Napoleon Dynamite (thank goodness). Put it together: we're in Northern Ireland, we're a bunch of international college students, they're all older people. Of course, they would want to show us something that represents their culture, right? Educational? ...I'm still trying to figure out how they ended up with Mamma Mia!. It was hilarious- the movie was alright, but these big, burly, older Irish men were so excited and were singing along to all the songs. I was sitting between Carrie and one such Irish gentleman- it was a comic discrepancy between his singing and her sighs and mutterings.

Actually, I've found that it's more acceptable for guys to like "chick flicks" and "girly" shows over here. Many of the guys that I've met watch Friends- admit it, you would never catch an American guy admit that he likes that show. They aren't just older men, either- most are either college aged, and I've even witnessed a few friends' 15 year old younger brothers watching.

Once again, I apologize for how late this is. Carrie, Louise, and I went to Belfast yesterday, so hopefully I'll be able to have that post up within a few days.

Love and hugs!
Erin