Thanks Ireland!

Ireland has had absolutetly beautiful weather for the last week. Bright sunshine, no cloud to be found, a light breeze and 75 degrees...this sort of weather makes me want to stay. If only, it was like this year round.

Not only have I had great weather, but I got to spend the last few days with my Mitchell class. We started off on Wednesday in Dublin with a great reception where we received our class rings, a silver band with symbols depicting Irish history. The next few days were spent enjoying last bits of Irish culture. Some of the highlights were a chat with John Minihan and a look at one of his exhibits, a cooking class with Rory O'Connell and a lovely dinner in Kinsale (the "food" capitol of Ireland) at Crackpots. (Ireland has this emerging, and very popular food culture where there is a big emphasis on locally produced foods. Kinsale is at the heart of this revival and I recommend everyone stopping there in their travels through the island. I wish I had gotten there earlier!) So after all the excitement of the past few days, I'm now sitting in a bare dorm room with two huge suitcases blocking my door.

Y'all I'm coming home! Tomorrow morning to be exact. 

Packing up has been harder than expected, and I don't mean because my suitcases weigh more than I do. Not that I haven't enjoyed Ireland and my course, but there is no denying that I was homesick. My deep love for Mississippi proved a harder habit to break than I had ever imagined. For the past two months, as I began to wrap everything up I thought that I would be itching to leave. I sort of had this idea that it had been a good year, good learning experience, but it was time to bring it to an end. Honestly, even just a few weeks ago I thought I was ready to pack up and head back South (a very different south than my Irish south). But I have been surprisingly emotional the past few days.

I came to Ireland thinking it would be an extension on what I had experienced during some of my study abroad experiences in college. I would drink a lot of beer, take some cool pictures, meet some new people, and extend my carefree college experience for another year. I also thought it was a reputable enough thing to do post-college, reputable enough that nobody would question that I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life.

While I drank some beer (not really that much) and took some pictures, I grew up more this year than I ever expected. I learned things about myself that I didn't even know could be learned and I made some friendships that will last a lifetime. While I might have complained to a few of you about the slow mail or the constant use of potatoes, those surface level frustrations can never compare to what I really experienced this year. While I have always said that my love for Mississippi can be a complicated one, I think it is safe to say I have similarly complicated feelings for Ireland.

So while I am happy to be getting back home to MS cooking, a nice big shower, driving again, and cheap bud light...there are other, deeper parts of Ireland that I will always miss. There is struggle in Ireland for identity and ownership, that I have no doubt extends to 1916 and before. That translates into a modern Ireland that is quick to assert itself culturally, and incredibly proud of its history. But this quick and dominate assertion of a national image of "Irish" doesn't include everyone. Identity is complicated, and getting to watch the complexity of being Irish unfold has taught me more about being a Mississippian than I ever imagined. I have some good friends with kind souls to thank for letting me into their lives and giving me a real understanding of what it means to be "Irish." I also have some American friends with incredibly thoughtful natures, who have taught me about the complexity of being "American" and just how far our place shapes us. Those lessons and those friends will always be with me.

So this is it. I started this blog to keep friends and family updated at home, while also forcing myself to keep track of my year, both in travel terms and in personal reflection. While the personal reflection might not really be complete, the year is. I want to thank y'all for reading. On a live album, the Avett Brothers make a comment about it being hard to sound sincere from a microphone. Well, I think a blog might have the same problem. It is hard to sound sincere from a blog post, but really, I mean it. Thanks you the time, the comments, the encouragement and the positive thoughts.

While this blog won't stay active, I will be blogging about the next stage in life. As part of our commitment with Mississippi Teacher Corps, all of the teachers update a blog with reflections on the challenges and rewards of teaching.  So maybe a little bit of Ireland will make its way to the MTC website . For everyone back in Mississippi, I'll be in Oxford all summer training with MTC. As for next year, I think (there is a little bit of holdup, but it should work out) I will be teaching high school social studies in Jackson, MS.

Ireland, you and your people will be missed. Stay green and I hope to see you soon!

So one last time,
Cheers Y'all! Thanks for the year, Ireland!
  Chelsea

London Calling

Sorry for the lack of posts the past few months! My life these days is usually filled with me waking up, spending all day in the library working on my thesis, and then coming home to do thesis reading at night. I really am living on the edge. Instead of boring you with the details of life in the Maynooth Library, I thought I would just give the blog a break until something exciting happened to come along.

If the title wasn't enough, a little of The Clash...

Last week, I hoped over to London for a few days with friends and a much needed thesis break. I was happily surprised by London! I had never had much of an interest in London, for some reason expected it to be sort of bland? Unfair judgement on my part. What I really liked about the city was the spread out, neighborhood feel. London lacks a real city center, giving each neighborhood a unique character. That, and the fact that it is just a really big city, so obviously there will be different areas with different feels. Luckily for us, we stayed in the SoHo area and spent most of our time in what I would consider "very hip" London.

Everyone was just so stylish?! No offense to the Irish but there is this really popular trend in Ireland for guys to wear sweatsuits everywhere. After a year of sweatsuits the polished dapper blazers and loafers of London were a nice surprise.

I was traveling with a fellow Mitchell scholar from West Virginia and her sister, and friend who happened to be visiting Ireland for a few weeks. It was nice to see London while getting to listen to accents with a soft edge and getting to take about one of my favorite things: place. (no surprise there, right?)

For only being in London two days, we knocked out most of the sites. Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, House of Parliament...saw most of the official sites on a walking tour (which we just happened to have perfect weather for! A rare UK treat right now!). Then we spent the afternoon at the Tate Modern Art Museum. And wrapped it all up with a pint and Turkish food with Ole Miss friends!

Westminster Abbey

Ol' Big Ben

Ryan and Matthew: Ole Miss-UK residents. I think the state of Mississippi is pretty lucky to have these two as representatives abroad! Seriously, Ole Miss grads at London School of Economics and University of Cambridge. Impressive stuff. 

The disappointment of London: bad, bad food. Sure this is a stereotype but a few of our meals helped perpetuate that myth (exception, we ate some great Turkish food. Something new for me, and pretty delicious!). I'm sure there is some great food in London, we just didn't have the best luck in finding it.

Besides bad luck with snacks, I liked London and want to go back! I didn't get enough time to do some of the more laid back things...like shop at one of many London markets, see some British punk rock history, and take a cheesy picture on Abbey Road (you just have to). So London will keep calling until next time!

Cheers Y'all!
 Chelsea

The Hurricane that is the Alabama Shakes

Last night I saw one of the most powerful musical performances I have ever seen. Granted, I usually say after every show I see, “that was the best show I’ve ever seen.” I get a little carried away. But this time y’all, this time I mean it. The Alabama Shakes. 

The lead singer, Brittany, has a voice that can hit a high pitch and come down instantly. It’s almost like her voice is this car with the best brake system around. That quick stop allows for this incredible power in their songs that is constantly pulling you in and swirling you around, just like a hurricane.

So here is this band from Athens, Alabama playing a venue (small but reputable) in Dublin, Ireland. I thought I might be the only person in the audience who actually knew their stuff. I was sooo wrong. The show was sold out and the crowd joined in on a good number of songs. The few the crowd didn’t sing along to were some of the songs the Shakes haven’t put on their album. Of those, my absolute favorite: Hurricane Strut. So yes, my hurricane reference isn’t totally my own doing.

I went into the show expecting to hear some really great music. I knew how powerful the band was when it came to playing. But I didn’t know exactly what to expect when it came to stage performance. Sometimes the most talented musicians let the music speak for itself and go for a more subtle approach. The Shakes stage presence was far from subtle, but the perfect fit for their music. They just rocked out and had a hell of a time doing it. 

At points Brittany gets a little bit of “jesus hands” going where it looks like she has caught the spirit as her hands raise in the air and shake. When she introduces the band she gives them all stage names that reflect the band’s mix of soul and gospel with some serious fun-having thrown in. So the Alabama Shakes turn into Mahogney T. Jones, Cobra Snake Jackson, Scooter Johnson and Styrofoam Jones on stage. 

Quick side note: weird small world, the guy standing behind me in the crowd grew up in Meridian, Mississippi. WE ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD! 

I was giddy like a little kid to see them last night and I woke up this morning in a great mood. Standing in the audience hearing a deep rich southern accent kill it on stage, well I just sort of felt like I had everything I wanted in one place.

BUY THEIR MUSIC. SEE THEIR SHOWS. THE ALABAMA SHAKES NOW HAVE A NEW STALKER NAMED CHELSEA.

And now, back to writing my thesis... after a couple more watches of this. 

Cheers Y'all!

 Chelsea 

I'm Coming Home!

Yeah, it has been a while. Sorry about that. All I can really say is life has been pretty low key lately with lots of thesis work. But I do have some pretty exciting news, tomorrow, well tomorrow I'm coming home!!!!

Before the state of Mississippi erupts in cheer (just a lil joke), I'm coming home-TWICE. First, I'm literally getting on a plane tomorrow to fly back to Mississippi for a week! This is a very last minute trip and means that I will be spending next Saturday at one of the greatest days of the year, Double Decker. Hope to see y'all there!

But the real reason for the trip also helps explain how I'm coming home in another way. I am flying home to take the Praxis, the test I need to become a certified teacher in Mississippi. I'm excited and proud (and a little bit nervous) to share that I am a part of the 2012 class of Mississippi Teacher Corps! So come end of May, I'm packing up my Irish bags (hopefully with a finished thesis in there somewhere) and flying home, for good. Well, for at least two years. I got this awesome news from MTC two weeks ago but I wanted to wait and share until I had a school placement. The weight got too much to bear, because I still don't have that part to share with you. But it should be developing any day now and if I run into you over Double Decker, hopefully I will be able to tell you where I will be teaching within the state!

I know that I have a challenging two years ahead, but I'm ecstatic to meet those challenges head on! Now I'm having trouble sleeping because I keep having these dreams about what my classroom is going to look like. I don't know why I've fixated on this particular part of teaching, but I keep having these dreams where there are cheesy "DREAM" and "ACHIEVE" posters covered with Michael Jordan floating around. The life of a first year teacher...oh the things to come!

In other random news, I spent yesterday at a Benedictine Abbey. Glenstal Abbey is set in Co. Limerick, almost in the center of the island of Ireland. Not that I have really spent much time at Benedictine Abbeys but this was far from what I expected. Let's just say if I were to ever become a monk, I want to join these guys. We spent the whole day with some of the funniest old men I've ever been around. Men, who take their faith and scholarship very seriously. Yet men who are able to approach all of life with a calm, and humor that is too often missing in our busy lives. It was just really really neat stuff and I woke up this morning feeling blessed to have spent the day with them and to turn around tomorrow to spend a few days in Mississippi.

So Y'all I'm coming home. It has been quite a journey, and it isn't finished yet. Thanks for reading about all of it along the way! Hope to see you at Double Decker!

Cheers Y'all!
 Chelsea

Good People and Seders

I'm currently throwing together these blog posts from my dorm because the whole country of Ireland has shut down. The Pope's Children do not play around when it comes to Easter, specifically Good Friday. This is the one of the few (maybe only) day all year where alcohol is not allowed to be sold. Most businesses and all schools shut down from Friday to Tuesday to celebrate Easter. It's 10:50am for me, usually the time that I head to the pub but since it is closed I guess I will write this blog post...

(to clarify, that was joke. a bad one, but a joke still) Anyway, these thoughts are a jumble, so buckle up! 

First things first. LISTEN. NOW. (please)

The lead singer, Brittany, has a tattoo of the state of Alabama on her right upper arm. Whatever you have to say about my love for MS, I have yet to take it to the permanent ink level. 

Like countless other youth in revolt around the country I've been listening to the Alabama Shakes on constant repeat for the past four months. I love these Athens, Alabama natives and I'm anxiously counting down the days until I get to see them in May! There first full length album came out this week and the buzz around them is growing into something closer to a rumble. They've gotten tons of love and most of you probably already know about them. While I wanted to share my love for them with the world via blog, I also wanted to talk about their email list. They send out the nicest fan emails ever! You can tell that these are just four kids from Alabama who had never left the country until a few months ago and now are embarking on an international tour. Check out these opening lines from the latest email blast...

"First and Foremost, thank you. Thanks for all of the support and love you have shown us. As our record is released and we take a second to reflect on the last 6 months, we can't help but smile and feel blessed to be where we are right now and feel excited for the future. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

So that is just the first paragraph but the whole thing sounds like friends updating other friends on their lives. Join the email list! It will make you smile every time you get an update! I'm thinking about making a sign for when I see them in Dublin that says "I"m from Mississippi and I love your emails." Maybe they will give me a special shout out in their next email? Things to think about. 

Next up on the list of good people, Old Try.  

I just ordered this print from Old Try. 

 

"I spent five years in Mississippi, riding around the Delta, the Piney Woods, the Coast, the Hill Country. Pulling into and driving out of hollers and fields and getting into trouble and finding myself growing from a boy into a man. I found my Saviour there and found my voice. And now even though I’m far removed from it, I still think about those crisp Indian summers and that oppressive humidity and the bugs and the howling dogs and the laughter of the place that the world simply doesn’t get. I still don’t fully get it – but it sure got me."

-the description underneath the print on the website

To start with, how could I not buy this print with that description under it? So maybe he read North Towards Home one too many times, but so have I.  The description isn't really the best part here. Yet again I get another awesome email! My "shipment" notification email was this personal email from the guy who makes the prints saying that he spent his morning working and listening to the Alabama Shakes (OMG-what is going on in Alabama, they are stealing all our thunder MS!) and that my print should be safe and in my hands soon. Quirky, funny, and totally unexpected. 

LESSON OF THE DAY: SEND NICE, FUNNY EMAILS! (when possible...)

I've posted before about Southern Hipsters, Old Try and Alabama Shakes are more proof for my theory (ok, not really my theory. More like what Southern Studies academics spend their lives talking about. maybe I'll let them take the credit for the theory). 

So if you read the title you are probably wondering where seders come in? Ahha curve ball, not just about southern hipsters. Tonight my good friend Jess is hosting a Passover Seder for all of us non-Jews out there. This will be my first seder (which shouldn't be too much of surprise seeing that I grew up in Hattiesburg, MS) but this is what my little bit of research has taught me...a seder is a family/community meal where everyone gets together to celebrate and retell the story of the liberation of the Israelites from ancient Egyptian slavery. The retelling involves different stages and songs and drinking of a special wine for four cups. This could all be wrong, my ignorance is embarrassing, but hopefully I'll be a little less ignorant after tonight. I'm looking forward to learning more and sharing a good meal with friends! It will be a seder, with lots of good people! 

Oh and don't worry, we planned ahead and bought the wine needed for our seder yesterday! I know y'all were worried! I hope everyone enjoys their time off for the Easter break! 

I've got big life updates happening at the moment, I'm holding in all the excitement until the right moment to share it on the blog. Ah, who am I kidding my mom already knows...

Cheers Y'all!

 Chelsea 

Brussels: A Winner has emerged!

Brussels, Belgium: land of beer, chocolate and waffles

This says it all. Of course I would love this place! How could anyone not love a place known for beer, chocolate and waffles? C'mon!

I just got back from a nice little weekend away in this land of sweet and savory treats! But I was pleasantly surprised by more than just the food in Brussels. The trip was organized by the Irish Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the first few days were filled with meetings and receptions that centered around a variety of work within the European Union.

A couple highlights of this more official part of the trip:

-We stayed with host families. This in theory sounds incredibly creepy. Staying in a person's home you have never met before? Yeah I'm not so into that but I got proven wrong this weekend. All of the hosts are staff from the Irish Office so with the heavy background screening required for Irish Foreign Service we knew that we were walking into a reasonably safe environment. My host was a young, cute Foreign Service officer who lived by herself in an awesome apartment in one of the cutest neighborhoods in Brussels! It sort of felt like we were sorority sisters (laugh away, I'm letting the cheesy come out). It was just so nice to be in a real house (not a dorm room).

-We learned a ton about the European Union and the complexity behind trying to create a unified policy among 27 countries who are still very much individuals. Besides the EU meetings we also got to spend some time at Google! Y'all go to work for Google (if only it were that simple). You have probably read some about this but it is just such a cool environment! We also had a reception at the Irish Ambassador to the EU's home and lunch with the US Ambassador to the EU!

-Brussels is like D.C. I spent my summer in DC and by the end was ready to come home (but this was largely because my tonsils were slowly killing the rest of my body-sorry that is gross). I know people have mixed feelings about DC, but one of the things that is really cool and that felt really similar in Brussels is the city is run by hoards of young people. Just like DC, Brussels offices end up being staffed with lots of young interns and staffers, all with an interest in politics. So you go to the bar and it is filled with 20-somethings in suits talking about policy. After life in a college town filled with teenagers dressed in short short skirts and high high heels talking about who threw up last night, the slightly older but still young crowd was refreshing.

After the "official" part of the trip was over a group of us hung around in Brussels for the weekend. Friday we experienced a classic Belgian dinner with mussels, fries and beer. Good stuff.

Saturday a few of us headed to Bruges for the day. The best way to describe Bruges-cute. It seems pretty clear that Bruges is a tourist hub. Luckily for us the weather hasn't warmed up and the sky is still grey in Belgium so the crowds are low but I get the feeling that come summertime Bruges is so crowded it might lose a bit of the "cuteness." In Bruges, like Brussels, I ate a lot of chocolate and drank some good beer.

Cathedral of the Holy Blood

So Bruges is kind of like a religious pilgrimage city. It is filled with really historic beautiful churches. This one claims to have a vile of Christ's blood, which you can pray over...for a fee, of course. 

Cute Waffles. I now have dreams about the smell of waffles that covers the entire country of Belgium

the cute streets of Bruges

just cute

I hope one day I can get back to Brussels and Bruges! I would love to make stops there on a larger trip of France!

Cheers Yall!
 chelsea

The West of Ireland

I spent the last few days on a bus tour of the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, both pristine pieces of western Ireland. The best part: the weather here has been unusually beautiful! The past two days have been 65 and sunny! For Ireland in March this is really (really really really) unusual. Needless to say the country is going wild! I've never seen so many pairs of shorts for 65 degrees. There is this kind of neat/sort of odd celebration in "bad weather" countries when they get a piece of nice sunshine. The whole country joins in this awesome mood and celebrates together for a few days. Basically one big outdoor party!

I went on the trip with the International Society at NUIM. The International Society puts together trips, almost every other week, for any student interested at Maynooth. But because most of the trips are around Ireland and it is called the International Society, the trips are usually filled with students studying abroad. So at any time on the bus you could walk down the aisle to hear French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, English, and I'm sure a few others thrown in.

This week is packed. I got back from Killarney late last night and am turning around on Wednesday to head to Brussels, Belgium for a few days with the Mitchell Scholars. So I'm going to leave this post mainly to pictures. Brief run down-left on Thursday around noon for the five and a half hour drive. Made it to Killarney, the place we used as home base for the three days. Spent Friday on a day trip of the Ring of Kerry. Then Saturday on a day trip of the Dingle Peninsula. Sunday we had a free day in Killarney where I got to take in mass at St. Mary's Cathedral and spend some time soaking up the wonderful sunshine while reading outside.

Last bit before the pictures, Irish landscape is starting to all look the same to me. This shouldn't come as a major surprise, it is a small island so it makes sense there aren't major difference in landscape. But I'm also becoming immune to the beauty of it all which is the downside to being in anyone place for very long. So I fell victim to thinking that the Ring of Kerry sort of looked like everything else I have seen (especially the landscape around the Cliffs of Moher). However, the Dingle Peninsula switched it up a bit with more fishing villages and a greener hillside. This switch up made me partial and Dingle was my favorite stop of the trip.

The Ring of Kerry-hard to explain, but it refers to an area in southwestern Ireland. One of the favorite spots for tourists in Ireland who have rented a car because it can get pretty remote

Killarney National Park-Ring of Kerry. I take these solo shots everywhere I go. Cheesy yes, but my Mom likes them.

No Moroccan waves but nice for Ireland

(a few of my friends from the Morocco Surf Trip were on this trip as well so we impressed everyone by talking about the waves like we had a clue, I personally had no clue but just learned to use words like swell and sets from Blue Crush). 

Homemade in Dingle, Ireland. With flavors like honeycomb and sea salt how could you not love Dingle, Ireland?

Dingle Harbor 

I'll be back sometime next week with updates from Brussels! Enjoy your week! 

Cheers Yall!

 chelsea 

St.Patty's Day

Before I get to St. Patrick's Day, I've got to fill you in on something else first. I saw The Civil Wars on a few days ago in Dublin and I am still in a state of ecstatic giddiness from the concert. Hands down, one of the best live shows I've seen in a long time. It was intimate and had that sort of electric feel to it you only catch occasionally at shows. I used to get that feeling when I watched Dave Matthews Band live (shout out to Oak Grove High School, when Dave brought Warren Haynes on stage in Antioch...yall know what I'm talking about) but oh how times change. Thanks goodness. Back to the Civil Wars, they were so good live I can't listen to the album now. And their album is incredible!
Have a listen for yourself but GO see them if you get the chance!

The stuff they write is just as incredible, but I can't get enough of this cover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZhIm-XtZIk

Then onto this weekend. There was this small celebration here in Ireland, you might have heard of it? St.Patrick's Day?

The celebration of St. Patrick's day across the US has left this as one of the biggest questions I get asked about when I tell Americans that I'm living in Ireland. Sorry to disappoint, but the Irish take on St. Patrick's is a little different than just the big drunken fest we expect at home. I would be doing you all an injustice if I didn't tell you this history (and this is where everyone stops reading) but I promise it won't be too long!

Well to begin with the day is a celebration of a patron saint. This might seem obvious by the name but I think its really easy to not think about when the green beer is flowing. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is credited with bringing Christianity to the Emerald Isle. The story goes that Patrick was kidnapped from Wales by Irish slave dealers and kept in Ireland as a slave for several years. Upon his escape he returned to his family, joined the Catholic Church and then moved back to Ireland to spread the message of the Catholic Church throughout the island. There is some historical dispute, but he died in the middle of the 400s on what some have agreed to be March 17th.

*Just a quick side note, Patrick is probably the most popular of all Irish names. Every good Irish Catholic family has at least one Patrick and one Brid. Brigid of Kildare is another of Ireland's patron saints and Brid is the Irish version of Brigit or Brigid.

Back to March 17th...with the history as a saint's holiday the country often referred to as "the Pope's children"(much more historically than present) celebrates the day accordingly. St.Patrick's day for many Irish growing up and for a lot of families still today centers around mass attendance.

After mass many celebrate sort of like we would on July 4th, they spend the day with family and friends in homes or in small towns at the pub. The big celebration that happens in Dublin is used to promote Ireland and Irish culture. What that turns out to be is a lot of tourists and foreigners (think Mardi Gras, you can't keep a big party quiet for very long). There is a huge parade in the morning and then the see of green, orange, and white (the Irish tricolor) fill up all the local pubs in Dublin city center and spend the rest of the day drinking like the Irish. And this is largely why the actual Irish don't go to Dublin City Center on St.Patrick's Day.

Front of the USA Today-Dublin

The disappointing part of the parade: No Sweet Potato Queens....

I personally did a little bit of both. So I went into the city and watched some of the parade. Then a group of us rode out to Howth for a pub lunch and nice scenic walk. So a nice mix of tourist and local. Howth is a really cute, quaint fishing village just a 20 minute train ride North of Dublin.

Sorry to disappoint that I didn't have the wildest beer filled St. Patrick's day ever. I think my partying ways got left behind at Ole Miss. But I did have a really nice fun filled day! I hope all of yall had fun celebrating St.Patrick's wherever you were! Up next, I'm spending the end of this week traveling the Ring of Kerry in southwestern Ireland! Updates soon!

Cheers Yall!
 chelsea

(please forgive the google images, I was hoping my camera would be in by St.Pattys and well it didn't quite make it. Good news-it is here now! So I won't bore you with anymore google images and I won't have to keep pestering my friends to be my photographer)

Southern Hipsters

Fair warning, this post has nothing to do with Ireland…

While in Berlin, my friend Jess made the comment that all of her "cool" friends from Yale had moved South (some through TFA, some just because). We had a little bit of a chat about the evolution of southern culture: something that was once insular and shunned by the rest of the nation, into something now with a hip almost cult like status. 

In the last post I spent a good bit of a ramble talking about my connection to place, my sense of place and my definition of a sense of place. All really vague ways of saying that I like a certain type of culture. No surprise that how I define my sense of place fits pretty perfectly into a southern Americana context (surprisingly an Irish one in a lot of ways as well, oh should I change the first line?). Anyway, these next few random bits are in this similar thread of place. It probably seems like after two posts about my sense of place that I'm feeling homesick or that I am just spending all my time in my room thinking about MS and not experiencing Ireland. Trust me on this one, I'm doing alright. I’m actually feeling really good this semester. I’m just having to create my own space to talk about these things since I no longer live in a place where these discussions happen just about everywhere (Barnard classrooms, Square Books porch, or Larry's patio with a beer in hand). 

To create my own form of southern hipster, here are a few things that I've been lovin' on lately and thought you might enjoy them too! 

For the ears…

Ryan Adams with Emmylou Harris-Oh My Sweet Carolina

I like to think of this as the musical version of Willie Morris' North Towards Home

 For the eyes and mind...

G&G Me With a Buccellati Silver Spoon by Marc Smirnoff

The editor of OA gives some critique to the competition, Garden&Gun, but in the critique you hear the real conflict about modern southern culture. Great stuff! 

From and for my soul (but I will share)…

missing my camera these days. it should be back in my hands very soon! 

Caveny Barn, Kings Mountain, NC

missing summertime these days too! Luckily the weather is showing signs of promise here. It is staying lighter longer and we are seeing sunshine! 

Last bit, Charter Schools in MS made the Huffington Post, the state is close to raising our HOPS and Water Valley gets a big shout out in the New York Times! All this positive press adds to my theory about recent southern "coolness."

Cheers Yall!

 Chelsea 

Berlin: The Favorite City?

Don’t let the title fool you, I have mixed feelings about Berlin. Since last summer, I’ve  heard over and over that Berlin is loved by all my friends who have ramblin’ ways. This praise comes from a wide range of friends with an even wider range of tastes. I thought, “wow if all of these people love Berlin, how could I not love Berlin?”

Sorry to disappoint, but the love wasn’t there. Maybe I set my expectations too high and there is no city in the world that could compete with what I was expecting? This could be a possibility but I think more likely it was that my expectations were misplaced.

So with the little bit of traveling that I’ve been doing, along with an awesome class that I am taking about how we define communities, I’ve been doing some thinking about what I value in place.  Because as most of you know, and you might be able to tell from that blog post about how I vacation in the MS Delta, I am a person of place. Sense of place is important to me.

It is easy to confuse my constant talk of MS with just an abnormal amount of state pride. But I’ve come to realize more recently my attachment to place, and place based culture and history are things that I like find myself attracted to, even when dropped around the World, say in a place like Ireland.  You can never really answer questions like this, but I think my natural inclination to place isn't as much Mississippi as I once thought. Say if I had grown up in West Virginia instead of Mississippi, I like to think I would still have an abnormal amount of pride in my Appalatchian roots. Mississippi just happened to be a place that fostered and brought out this connection to place within me (honestly, West Virginia probably wasn't the best example because I think in this respect it is really similar to MS). 

My reference to this idea of "sense of place" can often seem really vague.  Here are some of the particulars that I keep returning to: 

-more rural than urban

-a distinct foodways, music scene or accent 

- resident’s close connection to the land 

-the local history is acknowledged/promoted/taught

So the argument could be made that all cities, no matter the size, have their own food, accent, music and history. Or the opposite that no place really has these features anymore because of globalization. Both have a bit of truth. But the last bit to my thoughts on place, is harder to quantify but can't be ignored.  There is a sometimes indescrible spirit to a place. Tough stuff to put into words, but I don’t want to discount it. (These last few paragraphs are filled with problems, wholes and generalities when ti comes to this debate on place. I'm just going to leave all that to be fleshed out in the halls of Barnard Observatory).

That turned into a bit of a ramble but I think it helps explain why Berlin wasn’t my city. Berlin has some really cool things going for it. Incredible museums being the top of the list! It is clean and has great public transit. And from what I can tell, loved by most people.

For me, the buildings just felt too big.  It all just felt big. And while there is this acknowledgement of the dramatic history of the city, mainly through the wide range of museums, that history felt really removed from the actual people of Berlin. The museums are for tourists and they are curated by people from around the World.

To be fair, I didn’t spend time with local residents. I didn’t eat at their favorite restaurant, or hear about a community oral history project or even see the up and coming band of Berlin. I’m sure all of these things exist. I'm sure if a Berlin resident read this post and my made-up list of place definition they would have a serious bone to pick with me. 

Last point so I don't seem so harsh, this is the first point where I have really critiqued a city. My other travel posts usually just include a run through of the events (which is soon to come) but I think my thinking about place means that I should be more honest about what I like and don’t like while traveling. (I almost feel bad critiquing things in a city, like the city itself has feelings and I'm going to hurt them. Maybe this idea of place has gone too far....)

Despite what above sounds like me being a Debbie Downer, the weekend was fun. Jess and I (the photog that you hear so much about) successfully navigated our way through a weekend filled public transit riding and days spent with heads cocked to the side looking at museum exhibits.

"Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall!" at the Brandenburg Gate

And no, I do not know the guy posing at the bottom of the picture

Checkpoint Charlie

One of the highlights was getting to visit the Berlin Jewish Museum on a private tour with the lead curator. This is one of those times when having cool friends really pays off (despite the fact that everyday you get to have a cool friend). Really random part about our tour. Our tour guide’s father was born in Berlin, immigrated to Cuba and then somehow ended up in Vicksburg, MS. Small World. (if I can get in a bit about MS everywhere I go this semester I think I might have a new skill to add to my resume. Chelsea Caveny: Spotter of All Things MS Around the World)

The Pergamon Museum. The most visited museum in Berlin and one of the cooler things I've seen within a museum. They have huge rooms that house antiquities. This is part of a gate of Babylon pieced back together. My snap and shoot camera doesn't really do justice to the size and detail of the gate...

Reichstag: home of the German parliament. HUGE! Just plain ol BIG

pieces from the Berlin wall that have been moved to the site of the Berlin Wall Memorial

For all the Berlin lovers, sorry to disappoint. I learned a lot and had a good weekend! But I’m not giving it high marks as my favorite city.

Next up, a week without travel to work on class assignments and reading. Really living on the edge.

I’m listening to this while writing this post. Maybe this explains my need to get very southern studies and explain my feelings on place?

Cheers Yall,

 Chelsea

The Ghosts of Belfast: Part 2

So you got the background, here goes a run through of a really busy weekend!

I headed up to Belfast on Wednesday afternoon from Dublin with three other Mitchells. We caught a bus and in just two and a half hours we were in a new country! While there are no passport checks at a border (the ease of violence in the north has helped this happen), you do have to use Northern Irish pounds instead of the Irish Euro. So that can be a pain.

We started off the weekend with dinner at Made in Belfast on Wednesday night. Basically we ate in an Anthropologie store, which is just cool. With an early morning we started out Thursday with breakfast in our hotel (swanky and cool, the Fitzwilliam) with Eammon Mallie and Martina Purdy, both local journalists. They gave us some good background and general insight into the conflict and how it is being handled in 2012. At breakfast we heard a tone and themes that we would continue to return to throughout the weekend, truth and reconciliation and complexity.

Then we moved on to tour Stormont. The piece of property where the Northern Irish Assembly meet as well as where the executive is housed. After a brief  tour of the parliament buildings we made our way to Stormont Castle to meet the First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson leader of the DUP party and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness leader of Sinn Fein (both of these links give some insight into the critiques of both politicians). After brief introductions our group got to ask a few questions. In true power sharing style, each question got a response of some sort from both men. One of the interesting pieces brought up was support by both men to turn the former Maze prison (where most paramilitary served their time) into a reconciliation center. And just out today, a little more on that.
We ended by stepping outside for a quick photo (which I will eventually find somewhere and post).

Northern Irish Assembly 

Stormont Castle-Home to the NI Executive

After our time at Stormont we headed to the famous Crown Pub for lunch where we met with two scholars from Queens University who both work with former paramilitary members. After lunch we headed to the Prostestant neighborhood of Sandy Row to talk with former members of the UDA. This was the most moving part of the day. While we all sat listening, the weight of the past weighed heavy on the men as they told us their stories. It was an important reminder how time and place define us all.

Unfortunately our chat with the former paramilitary members was one sided. While the men we talked to were very fair and talked openly about how both sides were at fault, it would have been neat to hear from former IRA members. Talking with former IRA paramilitary is currently a tricky situation. There is a major issue of trust at the moment due to a case with Boston College.

We ended our jam packed day with a reception at the home of the US Consul in Northern Ireland. The reception was great and not like what would be expected from a state department reception. It was laid back and casual and almost felt like a night in college at a professor's home.

Friday was filled with more history as we took a tour of the murals of Belfast and listened to a lecture from Pete Shirlow on post-Troubles Belfast. Two interesting things happened in relation to Mississippi. First, we met Catherine Clinton at lunch. She is a historian who focuses on the American South and I read a few of her books in undergrad. With her focus on the American South it is a natural fit that she has friends at Ole Miss. Then we spent the night at a literature reading hosted by Queen's University. We heard from three different poets and Stuart Neville, a crime writer. After the readings our group posed the question about places of conflict and their role in defining identity. In the course of that conversation Stuart Neville mentioned Tom Franklin and Crooked Letter Crooked Letter. (they share the same agent) I also owe Neville a thanks, because his novel is where I stole the title for these blog posts. The Ghosts of Belfast is an easy read that combines suspense along with some historical fiction. If you don't mind some violence, I recommend picking it up.

These Mississippi connections were surprising but there were some deeper similarities with Mississippi and Belfast that I suspected I might find when I visited. Belfast is a city where place means a lot. It can determine your safety, but on a larger scale every piece of your identity. I often feel a similar way about Mississippi. It can be all encompassing over personal identity. They are also both places where the past is in a delicate balance. Both places have made lots of progress from their past, but at times it seems to be in question (just out today on this issue in Belfast). I'm still fleshing out all my ideas on how they are related, so I'll get back to you on this more eloquently at some point (also when I don't have lots of reading for class).

To finish off the weekend we spent Saturday driving to Giant's Causeway on the coast and finally over to Derry for a Saturday night showing of Carthaginians. Carthaginians follows a group that live in a graveyard awaiting the rising of the dead and all haunted by personal tragedies along with the tragedy surrounding Bloody Sunday. Sunday was spent in Derry with a quick tour then back to all of our respective homes across the island.

Giant's Causeway

It was a busy busy weekend but I learned so much interesting stuff! Next up, I'm off to Berlin! More updates to come soon! 

The Ghosts of Belfast: Part 1

This weekend I got to head up to the north of Ireland for the third installment of “official” Mitchell bonding. Our long weekend focused on teaching us about a more modern history of Ireland, one that defines Northern Irish politics and culture…"The Troubles." I think "The Troubles" is the perfect name for what happened in Northern Ireland. It denotes that something bad went down but it has an air of mystery to it and as you will see and as I'm learning the complexity of the violence does leave you with the question sometimes that is at the core of most murder-mysteries, "who done it?" I’m going to break this post up into two parts because I learned a lot but mainly because I've taken the liberty of turning this blog into my own personal classroom (and now the drop in site hits makes so much sense...). This first one will be more context and history and the next one will be a run through of the weekend. In general, thanks for reading!

Here is the history of Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland means the 6 counties in the north part of the island, which have been one of the four countries of the UK since 1921) in the past 50 years condensed into a few paragraphs. I can only imagine the horror if some of the scholars I met this weekend happened to read this. Luckily, I think my three fans are in Mississippi. 

Here is a breakdown of terms. You should be scared, there will be a quiz later.

Catholic, Nationalists, Republicans: want to see a united Ireland where they feel that the Roman Catholic Irish identity will be respected

Paramilitaries: IRA (Irish Republican Army: The Official and Provisional, by the mid-70s the provos as they are often known is the group we are most likely talking about)

Political Parties: Sinn Fein (political wing of IRA), SDLP (Social Democratic and Labor Party)

Sinn Fein's current office in West Belfast on Falls Road with the mural of Bobby Sands on the side of the building. Sands was a member of the IRA and died in jail while on Hunger Strike. In 1981 IRA members in prison took on a hunger strike campaign to demand rights as a political prisoner instead of classification as a regular prisoner. Political prisoner status leaves certain freedoms like being able to wear your own clothes, but the strikes stood for much more than just getting to wear a jumper (what we would call a sweatshirt or hoodie). 

Protestant, Unionists, Loyalists: want to stay a part of the union of the UK, feel that identity as an Ulster Scot Protestant is central to this part of the island, and in later times that the UK is a better home than Ireland

Paramilitaries: UDA (Ulster Defense Association) and UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters were the name used by UDA under violent attacks) and  UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force)

Political Parties: DUP (Democratic Unionist Party), Ulster Unionist Party, and smaller Progressive Unionist Party (linked to UVF) and Ulster Political Research Group (linked to UDA)

Belfast is a city geographically divided by religion and allegiance. All of the neighborhoods take up markings to denote what sort of area you are entering and often to promote community pride. While many of the murals have changed drastically over the years and there is a push to have them all promote peace, some still remain. Like this one on Sandy Row, a well known Loyalist area. 

The third party of conlfict in this is the state itself. The British Troops and police (RUC-Royal Ulster Constabularty) are often cited as instigators of violence or perpertrators themselves. They also get equal criticism from both sides. Just because one group is classified as loyalists and unionists does not mean they are uniformally pro-British. 

I'll say this once, but I feel like I should be saying it after I write any line for this post. Every bit of this conflict is complicated. Within the Catholic v. Protestant conflict there are really high levels of in-fighting and feuds kill just as many as actual fighting between paramilitaries. There is also a class element present. Most of the actual violence and deaths take place in very working class neighborhoods. Then probably the most complicated part to put into words, identity. From the outside you wonder, why are neighbors killing neighbors? But I think at the core of this conflict and most others, there is a sense of deep rooted identity with certain sides. People define themselves based around the conflict and that sort of identification can often be the biggest barrier to peace. Last bit on this line of complexity, language is really important and tricky when talking about Northern Ireland. For decades people were causious of how they choose words because it could get them killed. And now in talking about the conflict, it also can show your side of bias. A great example, some might call the men of the IRA freedom fighters while calling the men of the UFF terrorists. And vice versa. 

So here goes a paragraph to explain a complicated history...
The Civil Rights Movement led by Catholics (former post on Derry helps to explain this some) began to demand civil rights for full and equal citizenship within Northern Irish society. This is highly debateable, but many would agree that when they didn’t get those basic rights from the government, they were pushed into the hands of more radical and violent forces. The IRA emerge (not for the first time, but that’s another piece of Irish history) to bring what they see as an end to an unjust occupying government (the British) and to use, sometimes violent and deadly means to bring about a united island of Ireland. The response to this was that the UVF (also not a new organization) along with the UDA originate to protect mainly Protestant neighborhoods and then form more militant paramilitary wings. The bottom line is that through the 1970s, 80s and 90s Northern Ireland is a violent place with what I would call an incredibly complicated civil war taking place in working class neighborhoods. This time of violence is referred to as "The Troubles." And while the count varies, at the end of the violence over 3,000 people were dead. An incredibly important piece of this period of history is that the self-government of Northern Ireland is abolished in 1973 by the British Government (their reasoning being the excessive violence) and Northern Ireland becomes a place of direct rule (this also helps reason why the British troops had such a part in the conflict). 

Flash forward 20 years and the tides slowly begin to change. In 1994 Sinn Fein calls a ceasefire and for the first time talks begin to move towards a peace agreement. The US seriously invested in the idea of Northern Irish peace and Senator George Mitchell (cough, cough) becomes part of the negotiating team. By 1998 the peace agreement is signed. The agreement signed on Good Friday and officially titled the Belfast Agreement is more often known by the day it was signed. The agreement includes a lot of pieces, so I'm going to do the easy route and direct you to wikipedia. The important part to note is that a power sharing government was established and Sinn Fein officially entered into the Northern Irish Assembly. 

So there you go. Conflict in Northern Ireland in a blog post. For the few of your that made it through all of that and are actually reading this last line, I commend you! And remember this is all "according to Chelsea" so if you are really interested this stuff check out some other sources. Here are a few to get general ideas...
BBC
CAIN
Northern Ireland After the Troubles-(which one of my professors edited)


Cheers Yall!
Chelsea

Galway Girl

I spent my weekend on the west coast of Ireland in the great city of Galway!

When telling people I was moving to Ireland (especially my gaggle of girlfriends), there was one comment/question that emerged above all the others. Everyone always made reference to the movie PS I Love You. I had never seen the movie, so on a lonely night in the fall (I guess I hadn't made friends yet) I watched it. Umm, it's alright? I wasn't really enamored with it.

The one part of the movie I like...the use of Steve Earle and Sharon Shannon's song, Galway Girl.

Since the movie, every American girl coming to study for a semester blares Galway Girl on her ipod the entire way over dreaming about the cute Irish boy she is going to meet. This doesn't give the  song the best reputation with the Irish. Let's just say it's not a song I would request down at Brady's Pub on a Saturday night. However, I am still sort of a tourist and sometimes, just sometimes, my sorority girl ways get the best of me. So I love it! Cheesiness aside, Steve Earle is a great American songwriter and I support most things where his name is attached.

I say all that about this song and movie because it can set the mood for you of my weekend.

Galway is a hip city. Dublin sits on the east of Ireland with its couple million people and its never ending expanse of suburbs. Galway is the antithesis. A college town of about 75,000, Galway is the only major city on the very rural west coast. It has a really lively art and music scene (all helped by the fact it is a college town) and in a way, Galway still knows itself.

The critique many have of Dublin is that it is any city. The stereotypical expectations of Ireland aren't within Dublin. Sure there are pubs and the Guinness Storehouse but for the most part it is a big city (and has all the problems that come with that). Galway has retained some of those easily definable traits of Ireland (most things are locally owned, colorful pubs, outside of town is an expanse of rolling green).

We were lucky enough to get to stay with a fellow Mitchell scholar who was nice enough to let us take over her perfectly located apartment for the weekend (she shares the apartment with another Mitchell scholar but he happened to be away at a wedding). On Friday night my traveling buddies and myself wandered around downtown Galway and enjoyed a few pints. Then we headed off to see our hostess with the most-ess in a play (which was great!). We finished off the night with a really late delicious dinner at a french restaurant.

On Saturday we woke up for a day trip out to the Cliffs of Moher. You might remember if you read the blog carefully that I went to the Cliffs already with my mom and aunt. But we had absolutely terrible weather on our first trip. I guess my luck turned around this time because we had the best weather that western Ireland has seen all year!

(good news: my camera will be back in my hands in Ireland very soon. Bad news: it might mean less of these incredible pictures from my stand-in photog Jess Moldovan)

(Galway Travelers: Dave and Jess

lil side tid bit, you can just step over a small wall and walk right up to the edge of the cliffs. And they wonder how a dozen or so people die there a year?)

We also took a different tour than the one we took back in November. This tour was nice because we got the chance to stop off at a local farm and have a brief hike up a mountain in their backyard. For not being very high up, it had some incredible views.

(coolest part, I got to carry a hiking stick)

After our long day of exploring, we headed back to Galway for a yummy tapas dinner and a few pints. I've long had a complaint about Irish drinking culture that it is dangerous (well in a couple different ways) because of the dependence on glass.  I will often wake up in the morning to walk to class and the walk ways between the dorms is littered with broken glass. Pints and bottles are the norm here. Long story short, it just makes for a big ol' nasty mess. One of the many things I loved about Galway is they addressed this problem by putting plastic cups at every bar exit. You can bring your drink outside (this isn't MS, drinks outside are pretty normal everywhere) but you have to put it in a plastic cup first. Simple stuff, but makes for a world of difference. Made it feel a little bit like New Orleans...

And in the spirit of New Orleans, I woke up Sunday morning to catch Mass at the Galway Cathedral. One of my goals for this semester is to get to mass more often. The Galway Cathedral is beautiful and one of the biggest, so I thought it was a good start. Ireland is no longer the monolithic catholic country that is once was, but surprisingly on Sunday there was not a seat open in the Cathedral (and there were several masses throughout the day). However, upon closer look it made a little more sense. I was one of the few people in the entire place not over 55 or under 5. The loosening of Catholic Ireland is easiest to witness generationally. All that being said, I really glad I went. There is something really comforting about walking into a church around the world and it all feeling familiar. Feels a little bit like home...

(I stole this picture of the inside of Galway Cathedral off of google, but I promise it is real and really this beautiful)

Up this week I'm meeting with an Irish senator, traveling to rural county Mayo for a protest, and reading a great fictional book (that I might get to meet the author of) about the conflict in northern Ireland. Updates will soon follow!

cheers yall,
 chelsea