Ah. Hmm. Hmm. Yessss. Good man yourself. Now how many patron saints can you name?

So, I’ve been a bit draggy all day since I woke up at 4am and jetlag etc, but I still got everything done I wanted. Today I had my first Irish meal, walked all over the fair city of Tullamore, went to family mass, drove the car back on the highway and met EVERYONE!

Holy smokes. I mean they’re all nice people and that’s the problem. It’s overwhelming and everyone was crowded into the granny flat after mass, so there is no escaping things. So I’m figuring out how to classify the family. I’d say country folk seasoned with sophistication. This makes sense, as we are in the middle of Ireland. There may or may not have been a small gun exhibition in front of the flat, and I definitely received some venison as a welcome gift. The biggest thing that defines them is family. They’ve all got spouses and little kids and everyone knows everyone very well. It’s a true clan with an incredible support system. Granmum runs show and the family styling is different but I want to hang around more before I speak to that.

Tullamore is not exactly what I expected, mainly because it is bigger. And not only is it bigger population wise, but it’s a true town. It’s dense and not nearly as spread out as America. I mean, it took me 4 hours to leisurely walk all over town, but I really covered just about everything. It is dirty in some places, exceptionally well kept in others, grand here, and quaint there. The diversity is really noticeable here. Everyone is outside and mingling together, so contrast is very apparent. Racially it’s almost all white, but for such a small town, there were quite a few minorities. And then there is the divide between older Ireland and modern Ireland. But I thought the most interesting was economic diversity. You can see it with the clothes most

Politically I’m seeing a few things. One, like in America, at least half of the people that even bother claiming the faith, are just faking it more for tradition’s sake than anything. I was glad not to be the only one not knowing what was going on at mass, and to laugh about bursting into flames afterward. Two, they’ve got immigration problems as well. A lot of the E. Europeans that came in the boom have stayed and don’t have a job, and are living off extremely generous government safety net programs. What’s more, is the ones who have stayed are kinda looked down upon as not good enough for their own country in the first place. Many of them are slightly gypsy or some sort of refugee. And this is a huge drain on the economy.

are no traffic rules in Ireland.... Driving down narrow roads and playing chicken is the norm. If old man river, and father time pass each other on the road and want to talk, they just stop their cars, get out and say hello even though the huge bottleneck they create will back up the roads for quite a way. But, wearing your seatbelt is a must. The guards will pull your over just for that and the fine is €50! But, no problem if you want to play chicken on a street crowded with kids running across driving a stick and talking on the cell.

Anyway, I just got done eating a Tullamore staple: curry battered sausage n chips. Truly a quick delight. Last night here and is has been such a delight. Tomorrow I go to school!