Shhhh. . . listen!

Looking on the map it appears that we are right in the thick of things in Dublin, but it's actually pretty quiet in our neighborhood. . . so when a bird started singing outside our bedroom window at 5:00 in the morning I had to wonder what was going on?  Birds shouldn't be singing before sunrise!  When it happened again that evening after sunset, I was able to see on the ledge a rather large, solid color bird with no distinguishing markings.  Once it woke me up again at 5:00 the next day, I had to investigate!  I Googled - "Irish songbird night" and then it came to me - - "Blackbird singing in the dead of night . .  " how could I not have known!

Ash Wednesday brought more sounds into the apartment as the Cathedral bells welcomed Lent.  From their website:

"The Christ Church Cathedral Society of Change Ringers

(Established 31 July 1670)

Greetings from the Christ Church Cathedral Society of Change Ringers, Dublin! Ringers worldwide, please note that visitors are welcome both to join in service ringing and practice sessions. Contact the ringing master, Leslie Taylor with requests for use of bells.

Those who ring the great bells of Christ Church Cathedral maintain a tradition going back centuries. The cathedral's deployment of 19 bells, ranging in weight from a quarter of a ton to two and a quarter tons, represents a world record of numbers of bells available for full-circle ringing. Every bell as it sounds out has been swiftly swung through 360 degrees, to combine with the others in the music of the changes. The oldest bells still in use here date from 1738 while the first notice of bells in Christ Church tower is an entry in the records for the death of John Kyrcham, 'maker of our bells', in 1423. "

 

Listening in my Irish class has also gained importance since I have now given up on the aspect of actually reading Irish, and am concentrating on being able to use a few phrases appropriately.  That means writing everything down phonetically.  This may not win me any points with the teacher, but it will save my sanity.  In and exercise with a classmate who was "taking the class to impress his girlfriend"  we determined that buying chocolates for her would be much easier!!

 

My reading has been focussed on Irish authors, and I find the voice in my head using the lilting Irish brogue as the characters speak - - - one advantage to being a slow reader!

 

Other activities this week included a dinner with another DIT colleague, and attending four short plays by Samuel Beckett performed in the Samuel Beckett Theatre at Trinity College - - - flashback to my ONE semester as a theater major at FSU when I would have convinced myself that I actually understood Beckett!  Having read the memoir by his widow "Must You Go" I think I'm just as satisfied that I DON'T understand him (Diane Rehm made it sound like a much better book than it was) . . . my opinion only, if you loved it, I'm sure you aren't alone.

 

Ready for another weekend, then back to the US for a short visit for Mark to attend to some obligations. 

 

Slan go foill (bye for now)