Over at the other Boston Irish in Dublin, Cormac Eklof puts out a plea for baseballs. He reports that "right now, Irish baseball has no balls. Send us anything you got! ... That's what I said. Irish baseball has no balls." I may bring some over when I am heading over to Dublin in a couple of weeks. If I am stopped by customers officers, I can say that I have just brought over "a load of balls" from America (they will ask: "What, you've brought over a box of election promises?").
Up north in Derry (not the one in New Hampshire), they have the opposite problem, too many baseball bats. A judge told the court there he is "amazed by the number of baseball bats in this town". Famously, during the "troubles" in the North of Ireland, there was a brisk trade in baseball bats, but very few balls or gloves were sold, and indeed there were no baseball teams. But why not whack people with hurley sticks, which are more common in Ireland? This discussion thread ponders that important question (snippits: "I believe that they are often heavier than hurley sticks--and they in recent years now tend to be narrower at the base where you grip them.", "I think that weight for weight, you'd get a bigger whack with a baseball bat. It would have less air resistance and force over surface area would mean greater pressure on impact.", "Protestant bad guys may prefer to be unarmed than to use this symbol of a Gaelic sport for their misdeeds").
Ouch.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
$14.6 billion later, life is created
The Silver Line bus was a side-effect of Boston's Big Dig.
At Courthouse Station on the Silver Line we see another side-effect: The Creation of Life. Not only are the overhead wires live, they are also alive.
At Courthouse Station on the Silver Line we see another side-effect: The Creation of Life. Not only are the overhead wires live, they are also alive.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Postscript: Kilkenny Cats
Postscript to my match prediction: Kilkenny absolutely annihilated Waterford
"The winning margin of 23 points was every bit as devastating as it sounds, as Kilkenny simply out-classed and out-played Waterford in every sector of the field, inflicting the sort of defeat no team could have deserved, let alone expected."
http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/gaa/2008/0907/1220629604775.html
"The winning margin of 23 points was every bit as devastating as it sounds, as Kilkenny simply out-classed and out-played Waterford in every sector of the field, inflicting the sort of defeat no team could have deserved, let alone expected."
http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/gaa/2008/0907/1220629604775.html
Kilkenny Cats
The All Ireland Hurling Final start in 15 minutes, and I'm getting my prediction onto the blogosphere: The Cats (Kilkenny) will beat Waterford. There is a match-tracker on the RTE website.
[ Where does the "Cats" nickname for Kilkenny come from? I've heard several stories behind it, all involving unpleasantness towards cats, and the stories are collated together on the Wikipedia Kilkenny Cat page ]
Allez les chats
[ Where does the "Cats" nickname for Kilkenny come from? I've heard several stories behind it, all involving unpleasantness towards cats, and the stories are collated together on the Wikipedia Kilkenny Cat page ]
Allez les chats
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The best way to get crabs in Boston
I think this slightly risqué sign for the Barking Crab is new, catching the eye of people (like me) exiting the Children's Museum.
"... and make them snappy."
"... and make them snappy."
Friday, September 5, 2008
Getting paid $25,000 to go home
This week a politician suggested paying unemployed foreigners over $25,000 on the condition that they leave the country. Where? In Ireland. Leo Varadkar represents Dublin West, and suggested that unemployed foreigners receive six months of benefits (equivalent to over $25,000) if they agree to leave Ireland. The reason is that Ireland, like much of the Western world, is experiencing an economic downturn.
In Spain, the same Irish Times story reports, unemployed foreign nationals from 20 countries have been offered €18,000 to go home on condition they do not come back for three years.
In the UK, there does not seem to similar calls to pay people to leave, but the Economist reports that some of the people who moved to the UK since 2004 from Eastern Europe, numbering over one million people, are returning home now.
It is hard to draw analogies with the US. In many parts of the European Union, it is possible to travel and work anywhere. Ireland and the UK allow people from many Eastern European countries to work in their countries, and have seen an influx of people from Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, etc. As such, the analogy may be migration between US states rather than immigration into the US from (let's say) Mexico. It may be more analogous to like California paying migrants from the East Coast to return home. Also, European countries have more generous benefits, so they are worried that yesterday's visiting worker becomes tomorrow's benefits tourist. Finally, most of the workers being paid to leave by Spain (and maybe Ireland if Leo Varadkar's idea takes off) are there legally. But, in the US much of the discussion seems to be about illegal/undocumented workers. Indeed, I have seen some US proposals that are the opposite of the European idea, where the workers themselves are paying to stay (rather than being paid to leave) and become legal residents.
In any case, Leo Varadkar's proposal was shot down in Ireland. It is good to see that Ireland is still "Ireland of the welcomes".
In Spain, the same Irish Times story reports, unemployed foreign nationals from 20 countries have been offered €18,000 to go home on condition they do not come back for three years.
In the UK, there does not seem to similar calls to pay people to leave, but the Economist reports that some of the people who moved to the UK since 2004 from Eastern Europe, numbering over one million people, are returning home now.
It is hard to draw analogies with the US. In many parts of the European Union, it is possible to travel and work anywhere. Ireland and the UK allow people from many Eastern European countries to work in their countries, and have seen an influx of people from Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, etc. As such, the analogy may be migration between US states rather than immigration into the US from (let's say) Mexico. It may be more analogous to like California paying migrants from the East Coast to return home. Also, European countries have more generous benefits, so they are worried that yesterday's visiting worker becomes tomorrow's benefits tourist. Finally, most of the workers being paid to leave by Spain (and maybe Ireland if Leo Varadkar's idea takes off) are there legally. But, in the US much of the discussion seems to be about illegal/undocumented workers. Indeed, I have seen some US proposals that are the opposite of the European idea, where the workers themselves are paying to stay (rather than being paid to leave) and become legal residents.
In any case, Leo Varadkar's proposal was shot down in Ireland. It is good to see that Ireland is still "Ireland of the welcomes".
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Cultural vagueness and an "extratropical" storm
Boston is set to experience an "extratropical storm" this weekend. What is an "extratropical storm"? Well, according to the Boston Globe, it means that:
"...the center of the swirl of clouds will cool down, causing the storm to lose some of its punch. The strongest winds will be aloft -- not on the ground -- and less rain is likely to fall than would with a warm tropical storm or hurricane."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/09/tropical_storm_2.html
One striking feature of the US is the level of technical jargon about weather (witness the "doppler radar" forecasts on Boston TV). When I look at weather forecasts in Ireland, they seem hopelessly vague by comparison. I hear "there may be some scattered showers over the weekend" and I think "where?", "when exactly will the showers start?", "how long will they last?". But, in my experiences of Boston weather forecasts, the very technical and specific forecasts often do not actually turn out to be accurate, and I think "why be so specific?".
Where does this difference come from?
Shades of grey ("gray" in US English) are acceptable in Ireland, and it is often seen as being unreasonable (or worse, "pushy") to try to nail something down. Whereas, by contrast, in the US things have to be black and white and it is unacceptable to be vague about anything. Remember that the Irish Language survived for thousands of years without words for "Yes" and "No" (as William Safire notes in the New York Times). One of my personal theories is that the Irish weather itself may contribute to this vagueness, since it is never really summer or winter weather, even in winter or summer, and always somewhere in between. It is often "half-raining", and "half-light" goes on for hours in the evenings during the summer months.
As an Irish person, I also think that often life itself is vague. In the US, there is a strong cultural pressure to have a life plan, to plan things exactly. When the plan breaks down, you make another plan, but you don't say "maybe it's futile to plan like that, maybe I should just formulate rules which will work in an unplannable world". In Ireland, people are more likely to "muddle through". This looks hopelessly disorganized to Americans. By contrast, Americans may seem to Irish people to try to place undue expectations and controls over inherently vague things (like the weather). I think this goes back to the cultural DNA of America: pioneers taming the natural country and forging their own destiny.
A case in point is travel and holidays. One lesson I've learned is that when planning a holiday in the US, it is perfectly acceptable for Irish people to say "We'll arrive into New York on Friday, then leave from Boston the next weekend, and when we're there we'll figure out the bit in between", and have a great holiday. By contrast, most American holidays in Ireland are planned ahead like military operations, with schedules nailed down and little leeway. Then, pieces do not work out as expected (e.g. a B&B loses a reservation) and all hell breaks loose. If you forced an Irish person into this nailed-down schedule, they would feel constricted, and think "how can you plan like that?". If you forced an American into the free-form roving holiday ("vacation"), they may feel annoyed by the lack of a nailed-down schedule. Americans expect this nailed-down black-and-white organization. Irish people expect vagueness.
Yes, I am generalising here. But, just my observations from living in both countries. I would be more in the "shades of grey" camp. But, I'm a bit vague about that...
"...the center of the swirl of clouds will cool down, causing the storm to lose some of its punch. The strongest winds will be aloft -- not on the ground -- and less rain is likely to fall than would with a warm tropical storm or hurricane."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/09/tropical_storm_2.html
One striking feature of the US is the level of technical jargon about weather (witness the "doppler radar" forecasts on Boston TV). When I look at weather forecasts in Ireland, they seem hopelessly vague by comparison. I hear "there may be some scattered showers over the weekend" and I think "where?", "when exactly will the showers start?", "how long will they last?". But, in my experiences of Boston weather forecasts, the very technical and specific forecasts often do not actually turn out to be accurate, and I think "why be so specific?".
Where does this difference come from?
Shades of grey ("gray" in US English) are acceptable in Ireland, and it is often seen as being unreasonable (or worse, "pushy") to try to nail something down. Whereas, by contrast, in the US things have to be black and white and it is unacceptable to be vague about anything. Remember that the Irish Language survived for thousands of years without words for "Yes" and "No" (as William Safire notes in the New York Times). One of my personal theories is that the Irish weather itself may contribute to this vagueness, since it is never really summer or winter weather, even in winter or summer, and always somewhere in between. It is often "half-raining", and "half-light" goes on for hours in the evenings during the summer months.
As an Irish person, I also think that often life itself is vague. In the US, there is a strong cultural pressure to have a life plan, to plan things exactly. When the plan breaks down, you make another plan, but you don't say "maybe it's futile to plan like that, maybe I should just formulate rules which will work in an unplannable world". In Ireland, people are more likely to "muddle through". This looks hopelessly disorganized to Americans. By contrast, Americans may seem to Irish people to try to place undue expectations and controls over inherently vague things (like the weather). I think this goes back to the cultural DNA of America: pioneers taming the natural country and forging their own destiny.
A case in point is travel and holidays. One lesson I've learned is that when planning a holiday in the US, it is perfectly acceptable for Irish people to say "We'll arrive into New York on Friday, then leave from Boston the next weekend, and when we're there we'll figure out the bit in between", and have a great holiday. By contrast, most American holidays in Ireland are planned ahead like military operations, with schedules nailed down and little leeway. Then, pieces do not work out as expected (e.g. a B&B loses a reservation) and all hell breaks loose. If you forced an Irish person into this nailed-down schedule, they would feel constricted, and think "how can you plan like that?". If you forced an American into the free-form roving holiday ("vacation"), they may feel annoyed by the lack of a nailed-down schedule. Americans expect this nailed-down black-and-white organization. Irish people expect vagueness.
Yes, I am generalising here. But, just my observations from living in both countries. I would be more in the "shades of grey" camp. But, I'm a bit vague about that...
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
ICONS Festival of Irish Music and Arts
The ICONs Irish Festival in Canton, Massachusetts (which has a blog here) takes place from 12 to 14 of September.
On Saturday 13th it features Irish Dancing sessions for kids, and then Cape Breton music in the evening. Hopefully I'll be there...
On Saturday 13th it features Irish Dancing sessions for kids, and then Cape Breton music in the evening. Hopefully I'll be there...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The US J1 visa rite of passage
The Irish Times today features a piece written by a 61-year-old who traveled to the US this summer on a J1 visa. Now, usually J1 visas are used by considerably younger people, as it's designed for students who want to spend a summer working in the US. But, you can be a student at 61, so you can of course work in the US in the summer on a J1.
"Doing a J1" used to be a rite of passage for Irish students, and indeed still is. The popularity of the J1 visa took a bit of a hit post 9/11 when the US gained a reputation for heavy-handedness when issuing visas, but it's rebounded somewhat. However, Australia stepped in to become a favoured destination for Irish students. And, there is always the European mainland (a friend spent a memorable summer in Germany, in sweltering heat, cleaning the tin roofs of a former concentration camp under the watchful eye of a very conscientious foreman).
I "did the J1" in the summer of 1994, when I worked for a traveling carnival on the US East Coast. I spent time in Amish Country, on Cape May in New Jersey, Atlantic City, New York State, and rural Virginia and West Virginia. I have fond memories of meeting Oliver North (whose family is from Cork), calming down co-workers who had Vietnam flashbacks, and one night making an elaborate crop circle. After saving up money at the carnival, I hitched a ride to New York City on the back of a pick-up truck, then flew to San Francisco. From there I took a went down to Southern California and Arizona (Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino, like in the Route 66 song). Then Flagstaff for the Grand Canyon. Then up to the Mid-West where I met my friend John who'd spent his J1 on Cape Cod, and together we traveled to Chicago and then down to New Orleans for the jazz (John is a big jazz fan). After that, we headed to Washington DC, and spent some time there, staying in Georgetown. Then New York, and then back to Ireland to start college again.
Reading that last paragraph, I wonder how I managed to do all that in the days before I had a mobile phone, a US bank account, a credit card, or ready access to email. I wonder now "how did I book that flight from New York to San Francisco" (the answer, thinking back, is that I simply walked into a travel agency next door to the youth hostel near Columbia University in New York City, and paid cash).
I encourage any student in Ireland thinking of a J1 to take advantage of it. Although working for a traveling carnival was insane at times, it was a better experience than flipping burgers on the coast somewhere.
It is a little known fact that the J1 arrangement between Ireland and the US goes the other way too. US students can work in Ireland legally for a summer. We don't have traveling carnivals over there, or a Grand Canyon, but even with an economic downturn there is plenty of casual summer work to go around.
[ Cross-posted to my Travel Blog ]
"Doing a J1" used to be a rite of passage for Irish students, and indeed still is. The popularity of the J1 visa took a bit of a hit post 9/11 when the US gained a reputation for heavy-handedness when issuing visas, but it's rebounded somewhat. However, Australia stepped in to become a favoured destination for Irish students. And, there is always the European mainland (a friend spent a memorable summer in Germany, in sweltering heat, cleaning the tin roofs of a former concentration camp under the watchful eye of a very conscientious foreman).
I "did the J1" in the summer of 1994, when I worked for a traveling carnival on the US East Coast. I spent time in Amish Country, on Cape May in New Jersey, Atlantic City, New York State, and rural Virginia and West Virginia. I have fond memories of meeting Oliver North (whose family is from Cork), calming down co-workers who had Vietnam flashbacks, and one night making an elaborate crop circle. After saving up money at the carnival, I hitched a ride to New York City on the back of a pick-up truck, then flew to San Francisco. From there I took a went down to Southern California and Arizona (Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino, like in the Route 66 song). Then Flagstaff for the Grand Canyon. Then up to the Mid-West where I met my friend John who'd spent his J1 on Cape Cod, and together we traveled to Chicago and then down to New Orleans for the jazz (John is a big jazz fan). After that, we headed to Washington DC, and spent some time there, staying in Georgetown. Then New York, and then back to Ireland to start college again.
Reading that last paragraph, I wonder how I managed to do all that in the days before I had a mobile phone, a US bank account, a credit card, or ready access to email. I wonder now "how did I book that flight from New York to San Francisco" (the answer, thinking back, is that I simply walked into a travel agency next door to the youth hostel near Columbia University in New York City, and paid cash).
I encourage any student in Ireland thinking of a J1 to take advantage of it. Although working for a traveling carnival was insane at times, it was a better experience than flipping burgers on the coast somewhere.
It is a little known fact that the J1 arrangement between Ireland and the US goes the other way too. US students can work in Ireland legally for a summer. We don't have traveling carnivals over there, or a Grand Canyon, but even with an economic downturn there is plenty of casual summer work to go around.
[ Cross-posted to my Travel Blog ]
Monday, September 1, 2008
It's Kerry versus Tyrone
After the semi-finals over the weekend, Kerry and Tyrone won through to play each other in the All-Ireland Football Final on September 21. I'll be in Ireland that day, though I don't have tickets for the game.
I'll watch it on TV instead, and hear commentators talk about Kerry's "champagne football", comparing them to the Brazil soccer team, and hear them talk patronisingly about the "more workmanlike" football of Tyrone. [well, the RTE commentators will say that, but the BBC Northern Ireland commentators would be more sympathetic to Tyrone].
I'll be supporting Tyrone. After all, it's the "O'Neill County" (whose logo features the O'Neill Red Hand shown below) and I'm an O'Neill. And, I know more people from Tyrone than Kerry. Although, I do remember, as an eight-year-old farm boy up in Dublin for the Spring Show, being thrilled to get Jack O'Shea's autograph. But now I'd like to see Tyrone win in 3 weeks time.
Tír Eoghain Abú
[ Tyrone image from this Tyrone Supporter's Bebo page. Kerry image from Wikipedia.]
I'll watch it on TV instead, and hear commentators talk about Kerry's "champagne football", comparing them to the Brazil soccer team, and hear them talk patronisingly about the "more workmanlike" football of Tyrone. [well, the RTE commentators will say that, but the BBC Northern Ireland commentators would be more sympathetic to Tyrone].
I'll be supporting Tyrone. After all, it's the "O'Neill County" (whose logo features the O'Neill Red Hand shown below) and I'm an O'Neill. And, I know more people from Tyrone than Kerry. Although, I do remember, as an eight-year-old farm boy up in Dublin for the Spring Show, being thrilled to get Jack O'Shea's autograph. But now I'd like to see Tyrone win in 3 weeks time.
Tír Eoghain Abú
[ Tyrone image from this Tyrone Supporter's Bebo page. Kerry image from Wikipedia.]
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Pu-Pu Chinese Restaurant in West Roxbury, Boston
Back in January, the Guardian ran a feature on questionable restaurant names, such as the Phat Phuc noodle bar in Central London (name translates as "Happy Buddha" apparently). Now that Dorchester's "El Coli" food market is renamed, West Roxbury leads Boston in the restaurant naming stakes with the Pu-Pu Chinese Restaurant.
Footnote: When I lived in Dublin, the most amusing restaurant name was the "Fragrant River" Chinese restaurant located beside a particularly stinky part of the Royal Canal.
[Cross-posted to my travel blog]
Footnote: When I lived in Dublin, the most amusing restaurant name was the "Fragrant River" Chinese restaurant located beside a particularly stinky part of the Royal Canal.
[Cross-posted to my travel blog]
Saturday, August 30, 2008
What is it with Ireland and boutique music festivals?
Ireland must have more boutique music festivals than anywhere in the world.
This weekend is the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, Laois is taking place, and the stand-out acts include Underworld (who I last saw play at a huge New Years Eve party in London's Alexandra Palace), New Young Pony Club (when will they play Boston?), and My Bloody Valentine (the Irish Sonic Youth).
Next week is the Cois Fharraige ("Beside the sea", in Irish) festival in Kilkee, County Clare. In two weeks time, there is the A Day in the Life festival in Wicklow, featuring Kraftwerk (their only appearance in Europe this year).
Ireland also has more than its fair share of large music festivals. Earlier this summer, there was the huge Oxegen festival at Punchestown Racecourse, and the Marquee Festival in Cork (Roger Waters, Morrissey).
I wish there were similar festivals around Boston. It would seem obvious to run large music festivals somewhere which is accessable from both New York and Boston, somewhere in Connecticut or Rhode Island, to draw a big crowd. Like Tanglewood except for rock and dance music. This seems to happen, to some extent, on the West Coast where there are the Coachella and Outside Lands festivals. Why not over here? If we just had a small percentage of the festival which Ireland has, I'd be happy.
This weekend is the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, Laois is taking place, and the stand-out acts include Underworld (who I last saw play at a huge New Years Eve party in London's Alexandra Palace), New Young Pony Club (when will they play Boston?), and My Bloody Valentine (the Irish Sonic Youth).
Next week is the Cois Fharraige ("Beside the sea", in Irish) festival in Kilkee, County Clare. In two weeks time, there is the A Day in the Life festival in Wicklow, featuring Kraftwerk (their only appearance in Europe this year).
Ireland also has more than its fair share of large music festivals. Earlier this summer, there was the huge Oxegen festival at Punchestown Racecourse, and the Marquee Festival in Cork (Roger Waters, Morrissey).
I wish there were similar festivals around Boston. It would seem obvious to run large music festivals somewhere which is accessable from both New York and Boston, somewhere in Connecticut or Rhode Island, to draw a big crowd. Like Tanglewood except for rock and dance music. This seems to happen, to some extent, on the West Coast where there are the Coachella and Outside Lands festivals. Why not over here? If we just had a small percentage of the festival which Ireland has, I'd be happy.
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