An Irish Faery Tale

Our hero, Rory O' Donoghue is caught by nightfall on his way to sell stockings at a neighboring fair. Upon seeing a well-lit home, he peeks in to find a very old man who bids him, by name, to come in. At this point, things begin to get weird. A chair pulls itself up by the fire, and the old man requests Rory to have a seat. The old man then declares to the air around him, "Rory O' Donoghue and myself would like to have our supper." An intricate dance of inanimate objects ensues as dinner makes itself for the old man and his guest. After they'd eaten, dinner cleans itself up, and the old man offers to Rory: "Do you know, Rory, how I spend my nights here? I spend one-third of each night eating and drinking, one-third telling stories, and the last third sleeping. Sing a song for me now, Rory."

This proves to be a test Rory cannot pass, as it turns out, he's never sung a song in his life. The old man, in a negotiable mood, requests a tale, then, instead. This, also, is impossible for our hero, for he's never told a tale in his life. "Off out the door with you, then!(13)" replies the old man, and the door slams itself on Rory on his way out. So, Rory strikes out along the darkened roadside, and after walking awhile comes upon a campfire.

Beside campfire is a "man" roasting some meat upon a spit. The man welcomes Rory to his fire by name, and requests that Rory turn the meat on the spit for him, but not to burn it. No sooner does Rory take hold of the meat, then the man disappears, and the meat begins to talk to Rory. In his horror, Rory leaps up and takes off down the road, with the meat and the spit in hot pursuit. In the end, they catch up with him and beat him about the back and neck as he runs. Upon spying a house, Rory opens the door and runs in. Lo and behold, it is the same house he had spent time in earlier that evening, and the old man is in bed. The old man welcomes Rory by name, and asked what had happened to him. Rory related the tale, and the old man responds:

"Ah, Rory! If you had a story like that to tell me, when I asked you, you wouldn't have been out until now. Lie here on the bed now, and sleep the rest of the night."

The next morning, Rory awakens with his bag of stockings under his head, and not a house to be seen around him.

http://www.clannada.org/theology_faerymyth.php

Floating down the Rhine, and my last wishes

Recently spent a nice week in Basel, Switzerland. The best part was definitely jumping in the Rhine river and being carried through the city by the rather strong current...

I recommend real sports like this to anyone who is feeling bored and zombie-like due to too much internet.

Other recent activities include visiting the Neckar Hôpital des Enfants Malade in Paris (the Children's Hospital), where a friend's two-year old had to have surgery on a lymph-node. Their baby is just fine, but I also met Julien, a near-three year old who won't talk and mysteriously had a broken eye-socket and what we suspected were cigarette burns. He gave me a hug once, but when we turned to leave he shot the most intense, make-you-feel-guilty-for-leaving look. But still, we left.

In other news, you may find below my wishes for when I am old and senile:

Don't be sorry or sad for me,
be happy for my return to innocence and simplicity,
and teach me again and again not to fear-
for fear is itself the only thing to fear.
And give me poets
to calm me and keep me company.
And children with a good heart,
and patience
for an old storyteller.
The truth is the only truth.
Don't patronize me,
but do make me laugh
with genuine, good, simple humor.
Rabbits and hats falling.
For the record, I have always talked to myself aloud...
And NO television!
Let me be free, though,
no prisons or walls or jackets-
let me wander free,
together with the poet and the child.
Protect me from burglers, swindlers and rapists,
and tuck us softly
into the future.

These are my wishes. (and music).

School's Out!

Hello again,
I've been rediculously busy these past weeks, getting things wrapped up from school - grading 300 pages of student essays and writing final reports.

Looking forward to a week in Switzerland and a week in Scotland this summer.

Saw the Radiohead concert in Paris on June 9th, and it was everything and more.

Trying to enjoy a day off before the rush continues, doing laundry and trying out the new facebook - it's a phenomenon.

Enjoy the following - Best of Radiohead - with Best of Shakespeare cinema

Cheers

Real Dancing

So much to write, so little time to concentrate.
Meanwhile, here's an awsome clip of some awsome dancing:
American Idol Gives Back Dance Clip

Tibet : Now or Never

With the spontaneous protests and riots in Tibet these past weeks, I do believe that now is the time to make a public stand against Human Rights abuses by the Chinese government.
The opportunity for media attention during the Olympic Games will not come again, and I call on all of us to publicly boycott the Olympics in 2008 and condemn the Chinese government's policies of torture, censure, pollution and exploitation of the people of China and Tibet.

Read the Economist's excellent summary of the problem here.

Chinese factory workers see their families once or twice a year, working 6 to 7 days a week for less than minimum wage.
Chinese mine workers risk their lives daily to extract coal that is burned at obscene rates, polluting the air with carbon emissions, all to produce $5 shoes and plastic Happy Meal toys.
Journalists are restricted from taking video, pictures, or even questioning the policies of the government, often risking imprisonment or kidnapping to reveal daily living conditions in China.
Tibetans, living under occupation since 1959, are continually arrested, tortured, and murdered for demanding free speech, freedom of religion, and free elections.
This must stop, and we have the power, as free people in democratized nations, to effect this change.
Refuse to buy products made in China, and TELL the store-owner why.
Refuse to watch the Olympic games, and TELL your cable provider why.
TELL your government to NOT send atheletes to the Olympic Games.
TAKE 1 hour of your life to go outside on the streets and merely stand tall among protesters in support of Tibet.


I had the honor of participating in a protest Friday, in Paris, simply because they were passing by where I was walking. I did not have a flag, I did not have paint on my face, I did not scream or chant. I was dressed for work, and only stayed 30 minutes, but I stood among the exiled Tibetans as they shouted for freedom, and supported the movement by being there and marching with them for at least a little while.

Click here to read about Friday's protest near the Eiffel Tower.


Know how good it feels to do what is right. To help others.

Sharing and manners

One culture shock aspect you may encounter if you actually get to know a French person might be the expectation of communal sharing. It is seen as basic manners to them, but may seem socialist or even communist to Americans.

To avoid looking selfish or rude, I have listed a few situations below with suggestions. Big surprise, they usually involve food.

l'Apéro (l'apéritif) : The cocktail before the meal.
If you are poured a drink, you may not take even a sip unless everyone else who is having any has been served, and everyone who might possible want to have some has been offered.
Drink slowly and purposefully, since you'll probably only get served 12 ounces of beer every 20 minutes or so. If you feel like re-filling your own cup, be sure to offer everyone else a refill first. The aim is never to get drunk, but only happily tipsy. Acceptable drink choices for the apéro are: Ricard, Martini (the vermouth), Champagne, Port, wiskey, coke, juice, water, or other mixed drink. Not acceptable are wine, liquers like cognac, coffee, tea, or milk.

If food is served it will either be snacks like potato chips, olives, peanuts, pistachios, only help yourself after the host has finished putting out all the hors-d'oeuvres and pouring all the drinks. Savor each chip/peanut/olive, since only a handful is served for the whole table, and never take the last one.

Mealtime:
If you feel that grumble of hunger that means it's time to eat, don't even think about snacking. You must wait until everyone else who might also eat this evening is ready for dinner, and dinner is ready. Sometimes you may need to wait an hour or more, but if you're really starving, you can have apéro (see above). You must sit down together at the same table and share whatever is cooked by putting equal portions on each plate. If someone is allergic to a certain food, or really, really hates it, they may have a separate option, but otherwise each person does not choose what they individually want to eat for dinner. Sharing the same food and eating every bite is part of the ritual that says we are family and community. Even when people are fighting or bored, busy or hours late to dinner, they still sit together, even if they're not speaking to eachother. Food, and time, must be shared. If you run out of water, wine or bread and would like more, be sure to offer to everyone else first, cutting up more bread if necessary. Whoever is serving the dinner must actually serve, doleing out portions and fetching seconds, offering the next course and making sure the coffee is ready at the end.

Snacks:
The few times snacks do happen in France, they're usually in private. You'll almost never see a French person eating in public, never while walking, never on the train, never even waiting for the train. If they are scarfing down a cookie in the metro station, chances are they're not French. Eating in front of others without offering is seen as rude, even when they're complete strangers, so nobody eats in public. A park bench at lunchtime is different, since you're not sitting accross from someone on a train, but almost always, the French will buy a small snack and then wait until they're at home or at their desk to have a bite. If anyone else is around, you must have enough snacks to share equally, even if the other person didn't ask, or doesn't seem hungry.

Birthday parties:
gifts are communal too. While there's nothing wrong with buying a personal gift to give from you to the birthday person, you may find that everyone else at the party has chipped in for one big gift: tickets to a show or a new camera for the birthday person.

Cleaning: paradox of formality vs. familiarity
When you're close family or friends, you might be expected to help set up or clear up after an event. Bring chairs, set the table, wash the dishes, sweep the floor, take out the garbage. If the host is working hard, you should go to help. Although, when at the table, someone else usually does the actual serving of food.

Evenings out:
Why go out with just two of your friends when you can invite everybody? While this does lead to some fun evenings with the group, it can also get tiring and prevent really getting to know any of them more personally. Still, failing to invite anyone may lead them to feel excluded or snubbed.

Live together, eat together, party together. While it took some getting used to, it is nice to feel that there's always people who'll be there for you.

Why I love American Idol

Compassion

is a word we seldom use
is a skill that needs practicing

it is the love of another human being
just because they're human

it is crying for someone else's pain
not because it hurts you
but because it hurts them

it is pitying victims without belittling their suffering
it is respecting them
listening
and imagining yourself in their place

compassion takes courage
it takes strength
to take someone else's burden

compassion grows wisdom
feeds honor
and love

Try to not turn your back
try to not look away
just because it's uncomfortable

try to share
to say ok
to trade places for a day

and fear
and ignorance
and hatred
are defeated.