This Past Week

I gave my first Rotary presentation this past week at Strabane-Lifford, a club which prides itself on being cross-border (Strabane=N. Ireland, Lifford=Republic of Ireland). All went well and I was able to meet another Sam Martin (above). He invited myself and John MacCrossan to his house after the meeting for tea, where I met his lovely wife and was given a tour of the house and serenaded with no less than 3 different types of traditional flutes.

Also this past week, John Hume came and spoke to my class. John Hume is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Gandhi Peace Prize, and the Martin Luther King Award, the only recipient of the three major peace awards. He was one of the key players in the Nothern Ireland peace process and a native of Derry. He spoke briefly about the principles that guided him to pursuing peace by peaceful means in the midst of the Troubles and I was able to capture a few snapshots.








The realization that I have two major term papers due in early December hit this week. What the heck have I been doing for 8 weeks?!?! I had a brief moment of panic and then went to the library where I checked out a mountain of books, which made me feel like I was making progress. I also purchased two notebooks and a highlighter, which also made me feel studious. I think for my Peace and Conflict Research class I will focus on the history and effectiveness of the Non-violent active peace movement. For my Conflict of N. Ireland class, I am going to complete a paper on the role of community relations during the Troubles, now, and the future of community relations in the peace process in N. Ireland. If you have any resources, let me know!

I also joined the trampoline club here at Magee. Yes. A trampoline club. Now, I like you, was wondering what exactly that MEANS. Will I be confined to jumping safely in the middle and only allowed to try new things (or in my case, old things!) with a harness and a watchful eye? Not so, my friends. We set up 2 competition-standard trampolines, which means that they propel you much higher and faster than any in-ground or backyard trampoline will, and the lady leading it is a coach by profession. We also set up a type of trampoline that I not only have never seen but never heard of. It is the equivalent of vaulting with a trampoline. Not only was I allowed to do flips (no harnesses or an American litigation-fear-based caution), but I was challenged with a few new skills. I also got called out on the fact that I had been a competitive gymnast, and not a competitive trampoline-ist? I had a blast and have been sore for about 3 days now. Can't wait for this coming Wednesday! Hello, Stress, I will jump and flip you into oblivion!

Other good moments from this past week...

Playing and singing out at open mic night at Mason's pub after taco night at Adriana's...

Watching the match between the Celtics and Manchester United and picking out the cute footballers from Man. U. with Kevin's mom...

Enjoying a dinner of Indian food with three Japanese students in N. Ireland...

Buying my first pair of boots, European style!

Receiving my absentee ballot, finally! Check, check, check. Send tomorrow.

Simply Whelmed

I've had the general feeling of being overwhelmed lately. Unfortunately, the word overwhelmed always tends to carry a negative connotation. I am not drowning in a sea of desperation; quite the contrary. I have a positive overwhelmed buzz. The kind where life presents so many opportunities, discussions to have, people to talk to, books to read, places to travel to, events to plan, moments to enjoy...

However, there is an element sometimes of feeling overwhelmed with a flavor of frustration. I will be sitting in one of our seminars, after a 3 hour lecture, and everyone in the room has an opinion. A valid opinion. One that comes from life experience, academic experience, clinical experience, work experience. We are agreeing, disagreeing, partially some of both. Usually, I like to sift things out and come out with a nice, neat answer. That's easy enough, isn't it? To just be sure that this very deep, very complex topic has just one, clean answer? No. I know better. My experience tells me that it is never never that simple. I have to listen, toss it over, discuss it, and appreciate the process. But I'm overwhelmed.

Time is a tricky concept. We have this notion that X has to happen in X amount of time. Such a premise may or may not be true, but I'm learning that so much can happen in so little a time, and conversely, so little can happen over a long period of time. Often, it is not what we expect or plan for. More ambiguity. I'm overwhelmed.

I feel that so many things have changed for me. I've met so many fantastic people. Their story is so different from mine. I'm learning from them. I'm currently entrenched in 3 books, with at least 10 in the queue-- additional article and journal reading as a daily side. Men and women have devoted their life (or a good part of their life) to a particular idea, cause, or research process and I'm trying to absorb what they are saying. What do you keep, what do you throw out, what do you save for later? My head spins with all these new thoughts, new ideas, new realizations. One of my friends said the other day, "When I am sitting there [in class] uncomfortable, I love it! Because I know then that I am learning." Sometimes I have to go for a run or watch TV to take a break from it all. Then there's the future to consider at some point...what do these people, these books, these ideas all mean to my life? I am feeling like it is too early to start that process...I'm overwhelmed.

Then, of course, there is just the brass and tacks of every day life. Finances. Transportation. Groceries. Keeping in contact with people back home. What will I be for Halloween?!?!? I'm overwhelmed.

And yet I don't feel weighed down. Some of the components of my new routines and experiences here in Derry are complex, ambiguous, and complicated on a personal, academic, and logistical level. But life is rich and I don't want to place any kind of negative slant on these new things. Therefore, I'm simply whelmed.

I'm Not Waiting for Godot

Before I begin a remarkably boring rant, I gave correct directions to two lost Irish ladies today downtown. I think I now officially qualify as a denizen of Derry. I finished my first jar of Nutella. If you do not know what Nutella is, I beg of you to never find out. You will then fight a Nutella addiction for the rest of your remaining life. Also in case you didn't know, I have a "sexy American accent." That's all for now on Sam's random news.

Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot is coming to Derry this month. After being frequently urged to buy a 20 GBP ticket as early as possible I decided to go to the library and read the play.

I labored through the discourse of Estragon, Vladimir, Pozzo and Lucky. I too, was hoping Godot would make an appearance (although I knew instinctively that he would not). I finished reading the play and felt a combination of indignation, confusion, futility and dissatisfaction. Although, there is no denying the fact that Waiting for Godot is also a comedy. Hoping to extract some sort of meaning to the dialogue, I picked up a critic's response and read that too. Basically, Beckett himself refused to define, categorize, or shed light into the events, or lack thereof, that take place under the singular tree. After lauding the play's significance to the litarary world, (which I shall not dispute in any way) the critic timidly speculates basically nothing.

Several hours before reading Waiting for Godot, I also read an essay by Walker Percy. In simple terms, Percy focuses on the way that individuals contstruct their universe through the use of symbols, or language. He goes on and on (and on, I might add) about dyadic and tryadic relationships and the concept that each individual lacks a symbol for him or herself and so has to create, or assume, an identity in the understood universe through the use of language. Semiotics. Where am I going with all this? Where is Percy and Beckett going with all that?

I left the library and continued to think about Waiting for Godot. I also thought of Percy. And the discussion I had in my Peace and Conflict Research class as well as Jim's class of Concepts of Identity and Conflict that I am auditing. All of the theories/discussions/philosophy/critics/politics have produced in me a peculiar combination of mental liberty and entrapment. I'm overwhelmed. Perhaps from Beckett's point of view he was trying to use language to mimic language itself and create an awareness of how our hollow speech is an attempt to stave off the harsh realities of the meaninglessness of life and the inevitability of death. Perhaps he and Percy alike wish to liberate humanity from identity and social constructions we have created through our language.

I don't know and do not particularly care what either meant to say from the outset. By the time I reached my flat, I felt an accute sense that I wanted to create something. I wanted to write. I wanted to paint or sing or scrapbook or blog. Something. Anything. Regardless of who sees or hears or interprets or understands, I wanted to make a small personal contribution to the universe that has meaning to me and take solace in the fact that for all the complexities of this life and these theories, I can create, experience, live, think, and BE.

So, thank you Beckett and Percy. You forced me to contemplate insignificance, futility and false reality constructions and have put me in a remarkably good mood.

Even still, I for one am not Waiting for Godot and think I'll pass on making my 20 quid contribution to see the live performance.