tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118135955738934002024-02-19T06:43:30.277-08:00Letters to AranEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-13299870885091966392011-11-09T20:34:00.000-08:002011-11-09T20:34:56.177-08:00I'm Moving!Letters to Aran has moved to <a href="http://emilyherzlin.com/">EmilyHerzlin.com</a>! <br />
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Isn't it exciting?<br />
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Don't let the name change worry you. I'm still the same Synge-obsessed woman I've always been. <br />
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See you there..!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZG6M5JDLtRmsolVuonNOkekXe0X2S_BuzGGZpNumaOzmYa9SbOLz4FFO3G1mJFepXQdg4e_48ZLLhLGn59nlQigXkRGGvX6-i5yulQTJ5pV3PSnFV3cO1V9J4r-CV3zOcBYikl_F-w/s1600/emilyheaderbetter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZG6M5JDLtRmsolVuonNOkekXe0X2S_BuzGGZpNumaOzmYa9SbOLz4FFO3G1mJFepXQdg4e_48ZLLhLGn59nlQigXkRGGvX6-i5yulQTJ5pV3PSnFV3cO1V9J4r-CV3zOcBYikl_F-w/s640/emilyheaderbetter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-28958083934835485442011-10-29T11:46:00.000-07:002011-10-29T11:54:08.349-07:00Literary FootprintsI recently stumbled upon this interactive map, showing the places that Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's <i>Catcher in the Rye</i> visited in New York.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/28/nyregion/20100128-salinger-map.html">Walking in Holden's Footsteps, NY Times</a><br />
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Which inspired me to try to map out the places Synge visited on the Aran Islands.<br />
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This morning (thanks to the freaky SNOWSTORM in New York today!) I came up with a very rudimentary version of my own Synge map, but this is in no way complete. I'd like to develop this further using a more detailed map in the future. These are places I was able to visit during my own travels (with the exception of Gregory's Cave - I couldn't figure out where that was exactly).<br />
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If anyone knows of places to add, please let me know! <br />
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Maybe in the future I'll also do a Synge in Wicklow map, since there are so many places he visited in the Wicklow countryside, as well. And the Blaskets, and Kerry, and France, and Germany, and...oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?<br />
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** <a href="http://blogame.org/blog/info/">Italish</a>, a project through the publishers <a href="http://www.querciandrobertson.com/">Querci and Robertson</a> (they're Italian writers with interest in Ireland, and vice versa), is doing <a href="http://blogame.org/blog/blog/category/mapped-irish-books/the-aran-islands-by-john-m-synge/the-aran-islands-by-john-m-synge-mapped/">a similar sort of mapping</a> game of Synge and the Aran Islands. It's in Italian!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-52430045260332867612011-10-27T06:52:00.000-07:002011-10-27T06:52:00.215-07:00The Stinging Fly comes to New York!Last night <a href="http://arts.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> was treated to a visit by five Dublin writers and the literary magazine <a href="http://stingingfly.org/">The Stinging Fly</a> in honor of their latest issue, which has a <a href="http://stingingfly.org/new-york-stories">New York twist</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W7wWqC1N4Jxj3jlBe-uIzOg87BQNDJxZMknRSivyWll73cMR_TFyZgmhIS56stQazjzKUNrMGSYD_5yvkN7e8Dq3S2PqpnXtMKglZjZ9hs8npf9O7f6qph60rkpGrpja07u4PT4FSA/s1600/stinging-fly-poster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W7wWqC1N4Jxj3jlBe-uIzOg87BQNDJxZMknRSivyWll73cMR_TFyZgmhIS56stQazjzKUNrMGSYD_5yvkN7e8Dq3S2PqpnXtMKglZjZ9hs8npf9O7f6qph60rkpGrpja07u4PT4FSA/s400/stinging-fly-poster2.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>The Stinging Fly was started in 1997 and publishes new Irish and international writing including short stories, poetry, author interviews, essays, and book reviews. Three issues are published each year, and in 2005 The Stinging Fly Press was created for book publishing as well.<br />
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<a href="http://emermartin.com/">Emer Martin</a> began the reading with a darkly funny excerpt from her latest novel, <u>Baby Zero</u>, showcasing her punchy dialogue and distinct characters. I enjoyed her reading style as well -- she really inhabited her characters with her voice and facial expressions. I definitely plan on picking up a copy of her book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.faber.co.uk/author/sean-oreilly/">Sean O'Reilly</a> read next, a piece whose name I sadly didn't catch (the room the reading took place in had the windows wide open and the street noise from Broadway occasionally interfered), but the piece was a tense dialogue between a man and woman having relationship problems who cross over from Northern Ireland into Donegal. I enjoyed the realism of his dialogue, and the anger that bubbled underneath the words. (If anyone knows the name of the piece he read, please inform me!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.poetryinternational.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=19748">Aifric Mac Aodha</a>, the literary editor of the Irish language magazine <a href="http://www.iriscomhar.com/">Comhar</a> and Irish language poetry editor of The Stinging Fly, read poems in Irish and in English. I loved hearing both the original and the translation. I've been to many readings in that room (Dodge Hall 501) and I wondered if anyone had ever spoken Irish in that room. Aifric had a very soft voice, but her poetry had a quality of violence, even sharpness, and I enjoyed the contrast. She also read a poem about a pilgrimage to an island -- I particularly enjoyed that one, for obvious reasons!<br />
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<a href="http://keithridgway.com/">Keith Ridgway </a>read an excerpt from a short story that was fiction-but-based-on-true-events, about a young man over from Ireland living in New York. One line that I liked in particular was something like, "I'm twenty and stupid. The two don't necessarily go together but I happen to be both."<br />
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<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/max-mcguinness.html">Max McGuinness</a> finished up the reading with part of his short story "The Great Irish Novel" about a man who is challenged to write the so-called great Irish novel. He read in a booming, dramatic voice that echoed through the room. The dialogue was snappy and funny, and I could definitely see his theatre roots (his first play, <i>Up the Republic!</i>, was performed in Oxford and Edinburgh in 2007-8).<br />
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It was an extremely enjoyable night, and I felt inspired by the writers who read their work. Many thanks to The Stinging Fly for making the trip to New York, and the <a href="http://columbiajournal.org/">Columbia Journal</a> for putting the evening together.<br />
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Tonight (Thursday) at 7pm there will be a launch party for this issue of the Stinging Fly at <a href="http://www.swiftnycbar.com/index.html">Swift Hibernian Lounge</a> at 34 East 4th Street. Readers will include Ciaran Berry, Tim Dwyer, Martín Espada, Emer Martin, David McLoghlin, Idra Novey, Jana Prikryl, Mark SaFranko, and more. Go hear some fantastic Irish literature!!!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-69264238678422071682011-10-14T08:15:00.000-07:002011-10-14T08:15:12.099-07:00Kindred Sculptors: Noguchi and the Aran IslandersLast weekend I took a day to explore a bit more of the neighborhoods of Astoria, Queens, and thanks to a Japanese sculptor, I found myself transported back to the Aran Islands for a few lovely hours.<br />
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God, I love New York.<br />
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First stop in Astoria: <a href="http://www.thekingfalafel.com/">The King of Falafel</a> (it won a Vendy Award for best street food in NYC). Mostly lived up to the hype.<br />
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Second stop: <a href="http://www.socratessculpturepark.org/">Socrates Sculpture Park</a>, where said falafel was consumed while sitting in a field buzzing with dragonflies amongst strange, amorphous sculptures in front of the East River.<br />
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Third stop: <a href="http://www.noguchi.org/">The Noguchi Gardens and Museum</a>, a museum devoted solely to the work of the Japanese sculptor, Isamu Noguchi, whose 20th Century artwork made me think about -- you guessed it, the Aran Islands.<br />
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Noguchi (1904-1988), worked with huge slabs of stone (many different kinds, from basalt to marble). He didn't shape them into recognizable forms, but would work for a few months to a year or more on one piece, getting to know the stone by the process of slicing, chipping, hammering, polishing, to reveal all the stone's qualities. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa-yt4whoG2ErnC0IR-dkPbUxoYlm4FlzHDsgPrjyPGTW8WaJlWdCLywcKzLTU3mO-o3vZSzRP-TWO_zvRny6MyPj68VazmfgnHC9OuuFgcop_stFip0KCPcfCgFCKdOXeNawuYa56A/s1600/IMG_0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa-yt4whoG2ErnC0IR-dkPbUxoYlm4FlzHDsgPrjyPGTW8WaJlWdCLywcKzLTU3mO-o3vZSzRP-TWO_zvRny6MyPj68VazmfgnHC9OuuFgcop_stFip0KCPcfCgFCKdOXeNawuYa56A/s640/IMG_0145.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3qRs9RppMqIKC9ZD152n68wXcCR_1aEr2Mrutd3_TX456tA51_YsQdmn6NAFQIstDZHs8ZanRSAZ_jXpCJhIy82exmJWT5Jxqaqxnjly0nkelClUiC6ovIQEDABOkl8O4-jdbzeaIw/s640/IMG_0147.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="476" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe this was a basalt sculpture. I liked the rock's natural color variation.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwez81u26VwtsYwaoDpUccCgGyFf-tHjA46NQD39WLYe4Jdk22V8Z6N2zOZZ00p3LRBEbRg2slmzI2JtF_Jg4cbMcZa3QwVKlEIpN6HTBkHB67pD1uuZVPEFKhrw5Gb9SXCAQS2_4WqA/s1600/IMG_0149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwez81u26VwtsYwaoDpUccCgGyFf-tHjA46NQD39WLYe4Jdk22V8Z6N2zOZZ00p3LRBEbRg2slmzI2JtF_Jg4cbMcZa3QwVKlEIpN6HTBkHB67pD1uuZVPEFKhrw5Gb9SXCAQS2_4WqA/s640/IMG_0149.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone Fountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDd54ffdYbw3rilG4iFFOvF_Ln4OUw-91yL82KegAZTrusfg6snHWFdcF_qoYk_YYtOAeVtF3zv0tSH7cZoY_z2HO5VQLoB69leCSsTzzE2PMg2hRjenE4VJfuc26PCP8-C6nUqJsbyg/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDd54ffdYbw3rilG4iFFOvF_Ln4OUw-91yL82KegAZTrusfg6snHWFdcF_qoYk_YYtOAeVtF3zv0tSH7cZoY_z2HO5VQLoB69leCSsTzzE2PMg2hRjenE4VJfuc26PCP8-C6nUqJsbyg/s640/IMG_0148.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I'm not sure what kind of stone this was, but I liked how the outside was raw, and that even though he carved out a smooth chunk on the inside, he marred it. It reminded me of the rocks on Aran, and how the elements would always play a role in shaping the stones on the island, and the land itself. The Aran Islanders, of course, shaped the land as well by cutting up the stone to make farmland. They effectively created their landscape. I wonder if Noguchi would have seen the Aran Islands as a work of art.<br />
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(Or, if the islanders would have thought Noguchi was nuts for spending time playing around with rocks instead of farming).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu8loBA5jG8rhrzmFDzABUCS2qZ9stZIvRlIO5OF_am1XK4Tm1nR26fI04sf9oqPS6dVGMCOBCaDqvP2HsGQfTSHIThD7sn7XqWWRNZ3sCJ9X-DIXftI8S7pDyzJkQ_1TzHP8DZOYCw/s1600/noguchi+cliffs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu8loBA5jG8rhrzmFDzABUCS2qZ9stZIvRlIO5OF_am1XK4Tm1nR26fI04sf9oqPS6dVGMCOBCaDqvP2HsGQfTSHIThD7sn7XqWWRNZ3sCJ9X-DIXftI8S7pDyzJkQ_1TzHP8DZOYCw/s640/noguchi+cliffs.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limestone cliffs on Inishmore, near the Black Fort, eroding</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVgJt1a6JWrwXoiCdepfJ2DRNNWjKrQyYtpZjQjfJmbO9A_zLM5-4ZH0_s_AHuqWKLlVjwf-VvzLorPR1WOACVFnMWuOUBA9HYLWAYVI_A5p5FReJ7JuWguKX8Y0aFGckkiaWip3a2A/s1600/noguchi+crikesglints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVgJt1a6JWrwXoiCdepfJ2DRNNWjKrQyYtpZjQjfJmbO9A_zLM5-4ZH0_s_AHuqWKLlVjwf-VvzLorPR1WOACVFnMWuOUBA9HYLWAYVI_A5p5FReJ7JuWguKX8Y0aFGckkiaWip3a2A/s640/noguchi+crikesglints.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crikes and glints in limestone in Inishmaan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7_LWwctSikAi7EuL3PQXysIOWr8tvcE0SGbBVZtCT8xqDP7SqSgqX3lVpjfLsQbXhwBPUEfEGdyWEn6koxdDVJZ_n7YZwHkprXSJ_p5HCYxN4EQC-S_Iqb0FOf7DbFod9LyAd2MnXw/s1600/noguchi+wormhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7_LWwctSikAi7EuL3PQXysIOWr8tvcE0SGbBVZtCT8xqDP7SqSgqX3lVpjfLsQbXhwBPUEfEGdyWEn6koxdDVJZ_n7YZwHkprXSJ_p5HCYxN4EQC-S_Iqb0FOf7DbFod9LyAd2MnXw/s640/noguchi+wormhole.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wormhole, Inishmore</td></tr>
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I feel like Noguchi would have gone crazy over the Wormhole. Look at all that color variation!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-72543186370289950082011-10-07T08:51:00.000-07:002011-10-07T08:51:56.675-07:00Blue Skies SmilingSummer has finally fled New York, and the beautifully cool air has been reminding me of Ireland. I've been hard at work on my writing, but still trying to get outside more.<br />
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A few nights ago, the sky at sunset reminded me of one particular day on Inishmaan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfj20o1GFTkyM1A6-mDzA8PhyE0Qz1YjJStv0bqkzIARq7Z4Bdk9SbrbDIK0PiJ1vtrlr6ueOv5ygnTug6AI1n6EBus08UJwk4HtHMSjZvO907gQmtx_o6c5bdy7suc0te3BkZiB08A/s1600/blueskynyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfj20o1GFTkyM1A6-mDzA8PhyE0Qz1YjJStv0bqkzIARq7Z4Bdk9SbrbDIK0PiJ1vtrlr6ueOv5ygnTug6AI1n6EBus08UJwk4HtHMSjZvO907gQmtx_o6c5bdy7suc0te3BkZiB08A/s640/blueskynyc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over NYC</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4neZzlAMsoohtq5bGgXQ-GGIT9inPmZuzucYMFb9lUyos2YTB5OZltgJG_MGYoSXDXtnYcbdVCmThQqMTGs6T3_6u68kEZVX9Ie0OQanTh8pn9IpWYtCb6qlweu46dWD_0uI25k8DA/s1600/blueskyaran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4neZzlAMsoohtq5bGgXQ-GGIT9inPmZuzucYMFb9lUyos2YTB5OZltgJG_MGYoSXDXtnYcbdVCmThQqMTGs6T3_6u68kEZVX9Ie0OQanTh8pn9IpWYtCb6qlweu46dWD_0uI25k8DA/s640/blueskyaran.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm passing by Inishmaan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's hard to see from the photo, but looking out into the distance, beyond the railing, the blue sky over the Hudson was almost the exact color blue in the Inishmaan photo, with a layer of flat clouds drawing a parallel line over the horizon. There are guardrails in the Inishmaan photo, too, but they're made of a different kind of material. And across the water there's another bit of land. For Inishmaan, it's Inisheer.<br />
For us, it's New Jersey.<br />
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In other news, I went camping for the first time last weekend. Synge would be proud, I think. He had great respect for the nomad:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This old man I have spoken of wanders about Wicklow. As he sleeps by Lough Bray and the nightjar burrs and snipe drum over his head and the grouse crow, and heather whispers round him, he hears in their voices the chant of singers in dark changers of Japan and the clamour of tambourines and the flying limbs of dancers he knew in Algeria, and the rustle of golden fabrics of the east. </span><br />
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Granted, I was just a nomad for one night, but for me (an admittedly anxious person to begin with, afraid of bugs, the dark, and things that go bump in the night) it was a great accomplishment. And I had a great time and even got 8 hours of sleep!<br />
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As soon as I have the photos uploaded I'll share my camping experience, as well as hiking through a ghost town in the woods, just an hour outside NYC!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8MIdHInWrhE-TbiSrNURtTnpaYiBWpYFDRcoOZbziow_XHGGZFCEhW0ye_xD2HbiH31if1qwFN75MYTqk0-JUTIcmMbGZkIs7QQR-5osnVatq2l_c9P1bVxQzG-NUkDt8r09iVUCaw/s1600/bearmtnhike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8MIdHInWrhE-TbiSrNURtTnpaYiBWpYFDRcoOZbziow_XHGGZFCEhW0ye_xD2HbiH31if1qwFN75MYTqk0-JUTIcmMbGZkIs7QQR-5osnVatq2l_c9P1bVxQzG-NUkDt8r09iVUCaw/s400/bearmtnhike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking at Bear Mountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-47746122032649718272011-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:002011-09-12T10:48:45.510-07:00Green with Envy and Environmental-FriendlinessI'm back from my blogging hiatus, rejuvenated, rested, and swirling with creativity! It's been a very productive past few weeks as I've been organizing my interviews and notebooks from this past summer's trip to Aran, thinking about how to arrange everything. I'm happy to say it feels like it's coming together.<br />
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Lately I've been yearning more and more for a garden, and hoping that the next place I move to will either have some sort of backyard space or roof space, or even just a little balcony where I could grow some tomatoes and cilantro.<br />
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Hanging out the other day on the roof of my friend's apartment, I could see her neighbor's hardcore roof garden, which only made me more envious.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zrQh9FiqYSq9ob6UPTFiZprRxiCpWP1D2mnpuVtOeANc4dhk1OTyfdPRehVsCpqwvzKEeAPpHFnf5r7KY-QzyjG_yZ8UACXLeIiJZUX5h5oODZ3IdpsIsaUI_dWkRBs97sD19mKnmg/s1600/roofgarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zrQh9FiqYSq9ob6UPTFiZprRxiCpWP1D2mnpuVtOeANc4dhk1OTyfdPRehVsCpqwvzKEeAPpHFnf5r7KY-QzyjG_yZ8UACXLeIiJZUX5h5oODZ3IdpsIsaUI_dWkRBs97sD19mKnmg/s640/roofgarden.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secret roof garden. WANT.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then today I saw that my aunt <a href="http://www.weberlifedesign.com/">Carol Weber, an interior designer</a>, posted a link to an <a href="http://www.examiner.com/interior-design-in-new-york/decorating-the-abode-s-exterior-with-a-beautiful-living-roof">article in the Examiner</a>, a publication she writes for.<br />
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The article covers how many companies in the U.S. are trying think of creative ways to make roofs of buildings more environmentally friendly, including creating green spaces on roofs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiFerXyzD7nqo170eXmE6XUM4Fc0lbQ_JRLxBtq3CKp6NGoqR2zhyphenhyphen9nykowAdS5MVCiWU88NsuVjknz234g6-8FBj3ky2QiaCWztgHo2FLMQjmTitxk62soc3gJ6jXEdbypO_Uc7nnw/s1600/greenroof2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiFerXyzD7nqo170eXmE6XUM4Fc0lbQ_JRLxBtq3CKp6NGoqR2zhyphenhyphen9nykowAdS5MVCiWU88NsuVjknz234g6-8FBj3ky2QiaCWztgHo2FLMQjmTitxk62soc3gJ6jXEdbypO_Uc7nnw/s400/greenroof2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
At first glance, this photo from <a href="http://greenroofs.com/">GreenRoofs.com</a> looks like a house overgrown with vegetation. On closer inspection it is a house with a carefully constructed design, and the green plants on the roof serve a specific purpose.<br />
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According to Carol's article, there are two types of green roofs, intensive and extensive. Taken from her article in the Examiner:<br />
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<i><b>Intensive</b> green roofs use about 12 inches of soil and can act as a park with many types of plants and shrubs. Many intensive roofs have walkways and benches as well. They include added layers to the basic vegetation to allow for an intense irrigation, drainage and root protection system. This type of roof top works well on flat roofs, such as a typical city skyscraper.</i><br />
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<i><b>Extensive</b> green roofs are much lighter with only about 3 inches of soil and a simple layer of planting requiring low maintenance. These roofs are used mainly for their environmental benefits and can be used as a material even on a sloped rooftop </i><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">This all of course made me think of the Aran Islands (as many things do).</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">I remembering reading about <a href="http://www.aran-isles.com/-normal-0-false-false-1.php">a cottage on Inis Meain</a> that uses this kind of green roof technology to create a sustainable home with a low carbon impact.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMxK7Uh94JcDKa9y1T5bWpnINLT278iU9D1DgNrrrwZ8OwlnwlxWAONS7jfs0bTezI5GTRgpJJuUqPkBXtnpKgDuyc7h0fa-xf0wVBd7p-l0GN83X2Ea2908lq68r62eG5gmWXu7B3Q/s1600/cottageseapinks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMxK7Uh94JcDKa9y1T5bWpnINLT278iU9D1DgNrrrwZ8OwlnwlxWAONS7jfs0bTezI5GTRgpJJuUqPkBXtnpKgDuyc7h0fa-xf0wVBd7p-l0GN83X2Ea2908lq68r62eG5gmWXu7B3Q/s640/cottageseapinks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sustainable cottage on Inishmaan, photo from <a href="http://www.aran-isles.com/-normal-0-false-false-1.php">Aran Isles Blog Post</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The roof is made of thatched rye, and has a living green roof of sea pinks, which are the beautiful pink flowers that grow naturally on Aran.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSuT6Mbp3i55Sug6x9oKkBtK8rH5v6lEjsQev2gr1gItBTiNXIR7JENPtaC4QICDcSeqE_rRR-5QjiyrCpLYGScmBPhhhhIXAA3ss7YgrewRzhCOBTj5LoaNgou5IU-mV7LaSLg0CHA/s1600/seapinkspossibly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSuT6Mbp3i55Sug6x9oKkBtK8rH5v6lEjsQev2gr1gItBTiNXIR7JENPtaC4QICDcSeqE_rRR-5QjiyrCpLYGScmBPhhhhIXAA3ss7YgrewRzhCOBTj5LoaNgou5IU-mV7LaSLg0CHA/s640/seapinkspossibly.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Imagine a roof covered in little pink flowers. Pretty, functional, AND good for the environment. What more could you want?<br />
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I wonder if they'd turn the roof of my building into a Green Roof?<br />
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Sigh.<br />
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-6836717270728284732011-08-28T12:15:00.000-07:002011-08-28T12:20:10.168-07:00We Weathered the StormSo as you've probably heard by now, Irene was not the mega disaster city officials feared it would be. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/nyregion/wind-and-rain-from-hurricane-irene-lash-new-york.html?hp">Though millions did lose power</a>, trees fell, streets and towns flooded, and a few deaths were caused (I believe the unofficial count now is 16, but I'm not sure on that), it really could have been much, much worse.<br />
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NYC officials defended the decision to shut down subways and buses, as some of the train yards in low-lying areas did get flooded, and had the trains been there, it would have been a real mess. <br />
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I spent the night in with Kyle, eating pretzels and Cadbury chocolate, baking muffins with flax seeds and sunflower seeds because I forgot to buy bread, and watching a <a href="http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/">Parks and Recreation</a> marathon. I wonder how Leslie Knope would handle a hurricane. Probably she'd try to save the penguins from the zoo, first.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpILH4n5JU9p9pnj3JSHsNR9IH0YG5Tp10KX63Q44zD-hStXIzpvXf4i9QWiAd73Otx2stzldGRM-HEX-erFdbdvfjOJunW2sUVT_Nz_jP1yU-yQfAbj7fpU2MHKhoaSse5H8TJu16Q/s1600/lesliepenguins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpILH4n5JU9p9pnj3JSHsNR9IH0YG5Tp10KX63Q44zD-hStXIzpvXf4i9QWiAd73Otx2stzldGRM-HEX-erFdbdvfjOJunW2sUVT_Nz_jP1yU-yQfAbj7fpU2MHKhoaSse5H8TJu16Q/s640/lesliepenguins.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leslie saves the penguins from the Pawnee Zoo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Damage in my neighborhood was really minimal:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7CRc608taLjoO3HZO-2oJ84usHGyOrEiLvzfPsUVbP0V7lCcfOLLhH-X6zh0U0gQbH38Che4Lzhoce68B0CTa2ZqO1MwyQM381wLbMNabvHKz8zWSzx54029wN0VzP3OtDdUSJBnOg/s1600/irene1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7CRc608taLjoO3HZO-2oJ84usHGyOrEiLvzfPsUVbP0V7lCcfOLLhH-X6zh0U0gQbH38Che4Lzhoce68B0CTa2ZqO1MwyQM381wLbMNabvHKz8zWSzx54029wN0VzP3OtDdUSJBnOg/s640/irene1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbia University Campus - not too bad</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6vDx5VKJ-9AYRB859PqBOAJVSKGHvp6b7SO6vqOjjQxdzD6xb6YmM-Dc2fHUrXpcQMYkYQawzf5rUgUnnlIp5DUKFbh-T0-AqWrojOBngExXQHJ7pAdU5Q5qx5urGptZ5scb6V7fmg/s1600/irene2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6vDx5VKJ-9AYRB859PqBOAJVSKGHvp6b7SO6vqOjjQxdzD6xb6YmM-Dc2fHUrXpcQMYkYQawzf5rUgUnnlIp5DUKFbh-T0-AqWrojOBngExXQHJ7pAdU5Q5qx5urGptZ5scb6V7fmg/s640/irene2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riverside Park - a little swampy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtivbgyikSkMcstWFI3rZ00lO4nPxKRnJdV_jJlroTDJ5INHpXyhuabPiDmjzm54x9JXPwSnNMFnZjnag24anxp8mV4Jp-sQLe4UbZzUiUE1eqHZfs-7Y7uDqKLN2FWQZkoYyuCu5SA/s1600/irene3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtivbgyikSkMcstWFI3rZ00lO4nPxKRnJdV_jJlroTDJ5INHpXyhuabPiDmjzm54x9JXPwSnNMFnZjnag24anxp8mV4Jp-sQLe4UbZzUiUE1eqHZfs-7Y7uDqKLN2FWQZkoYyuCu5SA/s640/irene3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few trees down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All in all, New York City fared pretty well. There are even <a href="http://www.howaboutwe.com/date-report/1705-nyc-where-to-get-bagels-coffee-brunch-today">a bunch of places open for brunch today</a>. You know us New Yorkers. We can't live without our bagel and shmear.<br />
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No ferries from Aran needed for me this time around. Thanks anyway, Mr. <a href="http://www.obrienline.com/">O'Brien</a>. I'll let you know next time I need a ride.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aZ9z5JGCG2OQOCKsobb3iuKKmoFrGrshaIwE5ZC9I_RN2xEDDdG8EPFJQp2dCTPUgbcoK7tcWGyCYXKVeVScQ45tgs-hkjy_3r5C4LllsP4QYyaYMwm5ZEr85LuZK0HhrdJDSj8k7w/s1600/doolinferryonboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aZ9z5JGCG2OQOCKsobb3iuKKmoFrGrshaIwE5ZC9I_RN2xEDDdG8EPFJQp2dCTPUgbcoK7tcWGyCYXKVeVScQ45tgs-hkjy_3r5C4LllsP4QYyaYMwm5ZEr85LuZK0HhrdJDSj8k7w/s640/doolinferryonboard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-83326539839911644862011-08-26T20:53:00.000-07:002011-08-26T20:53:23.987-07:00The Big Wind is on her Way!Taking a break from my blog hiatus to update on Hurricane Irene.<br />
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The NY Times is answering questions about how to prepare for the hurricane, <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/hurricane-irene-questions-and-answers/">HERE</a>. <br />
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Friday in New York we enjoyed a sunny day of calm before the storm - <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/hurricane-irene-what-you-need-to-know/?hp">Hurricane Irene</a> is on her way to possibly pummel New York and the east coast of the U.S. We don't know much right now about the storm's expected trajectory or what category hurricane it will be by the time it gets to us, but NYC <a href="http://www.andrewcuomo.com/">Governor Cuomo</a> has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/26/nyregion/new-york-city-hurricane-evacuation-zones.html?hp">ordered evacuations</a> of low-lands and shoreline residences in the Rockaways, Battery Park, and <a href="http://www.coneyisland.com/">Coney Island</a>, as well as other parts of <a href="http://www.lowermanhattan.info/">lower Manhattan</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-zxG9T-KJZrfMguL5fD_ZLfK1I6RHR8caqTb6y62AWGpDzhTcoDEYDSCX-aJzyJPLexaOvPDRSwrFBq7mkLiT7xi6LaGimsStuK6ygiQ7S6LcJYOgTvTRjn7W52lPgVh4xkLZXwrig/s1600/east+river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-zxG9T-KJZrfMguL5fD_ZLfK1I6RHR8caqTb6y62AWGpDzhTcoDEYDSCX-aJzyJPLexaOvPDRSwrFBq7mkLiT7xi6LaGimsStuK6ygiQ7S6LcJYOgTvTRjn7W52lPgVh4xkLZXwrig/s640/east+river.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A calm East River, looking across at Manhattan from Astoria Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The entire subway and bus system is also going <a href="http://www.mta.info/index.html">to begin shutting down Saturday</a> at noon in preparation for the storm, along with the LIRR and NJ Transit.<br />
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New York isn't used to all this talk of hurricanes, and all the last-minute panic got me thinking about how so many places in the world, including the Aran Islands, are used to wet and wild weather on a more routine basis. The islands themselves have survived countless storms. The <a href="http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/BigWind.html">Night of the Big Wind</a> in 1839 brought incredibly destructive hurricane force winds and rain to the islands. An ice age melt left these stones deposited all over the islands:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcStnS3O__S4FoFPlizQPS-0e01B0Pop92oOCdKQCUk_zQQNnMgikU3ckE6POLIn6pmboCmu-uQQ6798ak-_q7X0HbMj4q1pnNbhKca1ozqsg92k54lY5CeqOxAPjEVeVPgdnmwZL5fg/s1600/iceagestone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcStnS3O__S4FoFPlizQPS-0e01B0Pop92oOCdKQCUk_zQQNnMgikU3ckE6POLIn6pmboCmu-uQQ6798ak-_q7X0HbMj4q1pnNbhKca1ozqsg92k54lY5CeqOxAPjEVeVPgdnmwZL5fg/s640/iceagestone.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Age deposits. "Tourists"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Other places in the world are more prepared, both logistically and mentally, to deal with this kind of a weather event. I have a feeling that most New Yorkers are not sure if we've adequately prepared ourselves.<br />
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Maybe if I had a curragh I'd feel better. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyjudrBkawC9TcRhZuUiM8ZlED2r68MTT6Xz6bwVadyGwKZODwdwvmzPcHE_OCcduI5alykSdQuxTM_evc7QDvvPsjo7SjzaIKrPe6Z2q6m6Oah0OxszOTuXiIS58ry1Ge2v9Vl_mDw/s1600/ifihadacurragh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyjudrBkawC9TcRhZuUiM8ZlED2r68MTT6Xz6bwVadyGwKZODwdwvmzPcHE_OCcduI5alykSdQuxTM_evc7QDvvPsjo7SjzaIKrPe6Z2q6m6Oah0OxszOTuXiIS58ry1Ge2v9Vl_mDw/s640/ifihadacurragh.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curraghs at the old pier on Inishmaan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Every few years a hurricane grazes us here in NYC, but usually does not cause this level of alarm. This is the first time we've had evacuations, and the first time the MTA has issued a total shutdown. In <a href="http://letterstoaran.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-rain-conquered-mta.html">my last blog post</a> I wrote about how a somewhat heavy rainstorm got the subway stuck underground for an hour. No wonder the MTA has cancelled service. <br />
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Grocery stores this afternoon were swarmed with confused shoppers buying up the city's supply of canned beans and peanut butter, bottled water and batteries.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iKdXy-xHvWi0d7ytpkgnvHJSfp1IwAQ3fVeKBvBK3F2jMOZPIBGxSVaBfstiZVC_nD546h1FRJdefAjyI4eYPnYOXJqss9KrQ3g93HQUyWaL6qwduSR2E0dkeCP4KNX482I5RY6joA/s1600/nobread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iKdXy-xHvWi0d7ytpkgnvHJSfp1IwAQ3fVeKBvBK3F2jMOZPIBGxSVaBfstiZVC_nD546h1FRJdefAjyI4eYPnYOXJqss9KrQ3g93HQUyWaL6qwduSR2E0dkeCP4KNX482I5RY6joA/s400/nobread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No more bread at the Gristedes at 103rd and Broadway!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As long as my power doesn't go out, I'll update again soon.<br />
<br />
If you don't hear from me by Monday, send over one of the <a href="http://www.doolinferries.com/">Doolin Ferries</a> to come get me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqo1gqXhX67TAWJecV4am9xvsH53o5ueqX2dE6yDqc6xFvcb4njjpO3ITQKVRDEE9WgF0eRoPSr49YP7LLotnM6ayA8ZWecddNip4nRdCxuiP0yDEJ7kUB8R6uBju_Nmm1V4JpXCrR6A/s1600/doolinferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqo1gqXhX67TAWJecV4am9xvsH53o5ueqX2dE6yDqc6xFvcb4njjpO3ITQKVRDEE9WgF0eRoPSr49YP7LLotnM6ayA8ZWecddNip4nRdCxuiP0yDEJ7kUB8R6uBju_Nmm1V4JpXCrR6A/s640/doolinferry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Happy Hooker - how much does a one way ticket from Manhattan to Inishmore cost?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-46446676660810779822011-08-22T08:19:00.000-07:002011-08-22T08:24:35.421-07:00Be back soon!<b>Letters to Aran</b> will be on hiatus until Labor Day weekend as I write, plan work, research, and gear up for the fall, and then I will return with more posts about Synge, Aran, theatre, and NYC!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdod6CF5c-Oa-338xhoAYXkHPEsz9ho5ggy2SF3HKKmx2JfTwM5hBq2laVCRrzPywP-QkshO1EScVlP02TreqRiuldv3guECGTtBT_kILhLU4Tquk5Pt6nHY7RzwzocbVgkpSP3L2Rdw/s1600/summersunsetkilleanyharbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdod6CF5c-Oa-338xhoAYXkHPEsz9ho5ggy2SF3HKKmx2JfTwM5hBq2laVCRrzPywP-QkshO1EScVlP02TreqRiuldv3guECGTtBT_kILhLU4Tquk5Pt6nHY7RzwzocbVgkpSP3L2Rdw/s640/summersunsetkilleanyharbor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Sunset, Killeany Harbor, Inishmore</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-2094264769123778222011-08-11T10:35:00.000-07:002011-08-11T10:35:54.036-07:00How Rain Conquered the MTALife on the Aran Islands, historically and even now to a degree, has been dictated by the weather. Stormy seas, wind, and rain, could seriously impact the lives of the islanders. Over time the islanders had to adapt to their living conditions, and the local mythology (and even ancient Celtic spirituality) expressed the power of the elements.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJinNSiepIgHcw5UhT4FRGG9duZ5ZlUkiYwcT-60wQNrjKlsgff_zsHbnp-U06Qd2Fhc-GdehUKbRII4fe-padGMKo_Kz2FTH-bgEJcCE9W1Kiq0RTDg5kbqPb9zpdS6f7tjhSqAfWg/s1600/rainstreakedwindow+aran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJinNSiepIgHcw5UhT4FRGG9duZ5ZlUkiYwcT-60wQNrjKlsgff_zsHbnp-U06Qd2Fhc-GdehUKbRII4fe-padGMKo_Kz2FTH-bgEJcCE9W1Kiq0RTDg5kbqPb9zpdS6f7tjhSqAfWg/s400/rainstreakedwindow+aran.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain-streaked window, Inishmaan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEr6YsBz5E0N8Ykh029vu0E_WUzOCyluXuMSQxWl7BtrTYqWv5Ndlv6PM2GTYVLl7cf0fUvzIpXIUM6AmjvnMw5iC1Xn8pw8XjX_AiSkEhob4vD6o7PF8PeRKId5vKwJhpK9aE6QL7vQ/s1600/aptview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEr6YsBz5E0N8Ykh029vu0E_WUzOCyluXuMSQxWl7BtrTYqWv5Ndlv6PM2GTYVLl7cf0fUvzIpXIUM6AmjvnMw5iC1Xn8pw8XjX_AiSkEhob4vD6o7PF8PeRKId5vKwJhpK9aE6QL7vQ/s320/aptview.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my room - sliver of sky</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's funny - so much of the time, in this city of New York, on this island of Manhattan, we fool ourselves into thinking that we're more powerful than the elements. When it rains we can take shelter in apartments, coffee shops, restaurants. We can have <a href="http://www.freshdirect.com/about/index.jsp;jsessionid=V20vTD6JZRtNdRnKJLk2QmGjNp2tMnlVT22L2gvDjvhTp2jqPqWp%21596171121%21-439590421?siteAccessPage=aboutus&successPage=/index.jsp">groceries</a>,<a href="http://www.seamless.com/"> take-out</a>, <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Default.asp?cookie_test=1">clothing</a>, pretty much anything delivered to our door. I can't tell you how many times I've stepped outside to see glistening pavement, having been completely unaware that it had rained. My window looks out across at a brick wall, and I only see a sliver of sky, so most of the time I don't know it's raining unless I hear the pitter patter of raindrops hitting my air conditioner. In this modern age in this modern city, it is possible to be completely oblivious to the weather.<br />
<br />
This past Tuesday proved that New York City hasn't got the weather beat.<br />
<br />
I was on my way downtown to see <a href="http://www.jerusalembroadway.com/">Jerusalem</a>, a play with many Celtic influences (more on that later). I left my apartment with plenty of time to make it to meet my mom, sister, and boyfriend for dinner before the show. In fact, I left enough time so that I'd be ten minutes early (call me obsessive, but I like being early for things). I knew it was raining outside (I'd checked the forecast online, and also I heard the rain on my A/C), so I brought my rain jacket, umbrella, and wore shoes that handle water well.<br />
<br />
I scowled at a woman who was walking in front of me and twirling her umbrella, sending water droplets flying into my face. What a jerk, I thought.<br />
<br />
I made it to the subway, relatively dry, only having had to walk one block to get to the station. All was going according to plan.<br />
<br />
But you know what they say. We plan, and God laughs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGd-qmJgiAhNVftjDn192myLmrTRqFKLxa5EzMwIuvSIcXp-Ipk4ZSqLWfatcIABQ8uup_Wta7-S1ZQ_kswWPDyUFPCmeJ7UuLBRTS1zV1wQ7a1pUPPqpb1ssQYNJeD5nfgA8dbOFyqg/s1600/1train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGd-qmJgiAhNVftjDn192myLmrTRqFKLxa5EzMwIuvSIcXp-Ipk4ZSqLWfatcIABQ8uup_Wta7-S1ZQ_kswWPDyUFPCmeJ7UuLBRTS1zV1wQ7a1pUPPqpb1ssQYNJeD5nfgA8dbOFyqg/s400/1train.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh 1 train - why do you hate me?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
In between the 103rd st and 96th st stations, the 1 train stopped. This happens from time to time when there's train traffic. Usually nothing to be concerned about. But two minutes turned into five, five into ten, ten into twenty, twenty into <i>forty</i>. Forty minutes stuck underground, in a tight, enclosed space crowded with fifty other people, feels much longer. Not to mention the anxiety of New Yorkers in general. We're all on tight schedules. Forty minutes seriously derails our plans (pun intended). People were beginning to get angry. Kids were whining, babies crying. We weren't being told much by the announcer, just that there was a "signal problem" at the station and they were "working on it" and "we <i>should</i> <i>hopefully</i> be moving <i>soon</i>." All those uncertain terms and the announcer's increasingly unsure tone didn't reassure me. After a few more minutes the announcer squawked - we were all to walk to the rear car of the train - then walk <i>through the tracks</i> to get back to 103rd st. The train was being taken out of service.<br />
<br />
Due to water damage - <i>from the rain</i>.<br />
<br />
I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.<br />
<br />
As we all began to shuffle through a space that looks like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsAWd-BXNnMhMGb3DRQwMv-FxT9RwNeurzNppXi5IkvuhazQOMKzBJiDNE3QumER5sAGcLwLrskUuCRH_aQzIEpPk1lnfHw5Y8W8vnn2FwZ_EiVg7Lrdo-GmK3zMd6QCVwoWEtbdgMg/s1600/1traininside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsAWd-BXNnMhMGb3DRQwMv-FxT9RwNeurzNppXi5IkvuhazQOMKzBJiDNE3QumER5sAGcLwLrskUuCRH_aQzIEpPk1lnfHw5Y8W8vnn2FwZ_EiVg7Lrdo-GmK3zMd6QCVwoWEtbdgMg/s400/1traininside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
but feels like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUhHKLkrRt3MChLYJpZ3yfWtDfY6fU0R3wPP9gNRQxqnrcIZw4JFl5X64WhouFEnGuVRePCePtnOEg1LNUiLPrCM1eGDSrxjhLUtVH4sfTyi8tJB4238ykhi1LpdG5PF2BXYexhR1Yw/s1600/sardinecan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUhHKLkrRt3MChLYJpZ3yfWtDfY6fU0R3wPP9gNRQxqnrcIZw4JFl5X64WhouFEnGuVRePCePtnOEg1LNUiLPrCM1eGDSrxjhLUtVH4sfTyi8tJB4238ykhi1LpdG5PF2BXYexhR1Yw/s1600/sardinecan.jpg" /></a></div>...people were getting angrier and angrier at the situation, rolling their eyes at people walking slowly through the cars, cursing the <a href="http://www.mta.info/">MTA</a> for their ineptitude. People began taking photos and video on their phones in disbelief. An irate man and an MTA worker got into an argument, and the MTA worker left the car in a huff, muttering some choice words under his breath.<br />
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The general feeling on the subway: Zillions of tax dollars to maintain the subway system, enduring fare hikes amidst service cutbacks, and it had been undone by some <i>rain</i>? It was even raining that hard!<br />
<br />
Thankfully we didn't have to walk through the tracks. The damage was repaired and the train lurched forward, and everything was okay. Fifty-five minutes later.<br />
<br />
The shock and disbelief finally turned into humor. A feeling of camaraderie erupted on the train. People began joking about the situation, how ridiculous the whole thing was. People I'd usually never talk to on the subway became instant friends. We'd all been through this surreal experience together, and now life would continue.<br />
<br />
For me it was a reminder that I don't live in New York City - I live on the planet Earth. And weather exists, and weather affects me, and sometimes things break down. We may have lots of services, choices, and conveniences, but we can't make the rain go away.<br />
<br />
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-1451218678766351912011-08-05T07:55:00.000-07:002011-08-05T07:55:46.190-07:00Break out the Pen and Paper!Check out <a href="http://www.aranisland.info/wordpress/2011/08/05/the-art-of-aran-writing/">my latest Aran Islands Blog post</a>, on writing and writers of Aran!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2epbRuRbDKT57V5i4ygY-Ri27Evon9v8hA_3B9erMDhRbPjtj52fu5rmy-PF9WHxbOP8aCR_v0yGNSgyaHWQLIIjFSZYynT3VUA-PFzYSt1kJVrqUT-l9oajO_Csilp9kRrrkqLrMA/s1600/syngechair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2epbRuRbDKT57V5i4ygY-Ri27Evon9v8hA_3B9erMDhRbPjtj52fu5rmy-PF9WHxbOP8aCR_v0yGNSgyaHWQLIIjFSZYynT3VUA-PFzYSt1kJVrqUT-l9oajO_Csilp9kRrrkqLrMA/s400/syngechair.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Synge's Chair, Inishmaan</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Because most of the time a camera isn't good enough...Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-63815943788022438592011-08-03T10:53:00.000-07:002011-08-03T10:55:29.644-07:00From the Garden to the Gaeltacht - Synge and WicklowDuring my trip this past summer, I traveled from Aran to the Wicklow countryside, in the east of Ireland. I wanted to see what was "home" to Synge - what he had grown up around, what made the Aran Islands seem so wild and exotic to him. I wondered, as I took the <a href="http://www.aranislandferries.com/">ferry</a> to Rossaveal, the <a href="http://www.aranislandferries.com/">shuttle bus</a> to Galway, the <a href="http://www.ridegobus.com/">GoBus</a> to Dublin, the <a href="http://www.irishrail.ie/home/">train</a> to Rathdrum, and a cab to Avondale, how Synge made this journey a hundred years ago. For me it took from 8am to 6pm (with wait times in between connections). I imagine it took him much longer to make his way back east.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11yNAOQbfT_U9wDSC_y9FK_g6VXdkR3VOTRVUooQKHPHbuhAhTKu7D4hBtYqoRxR68IpBmIY1UpUBbQuvsREdXxb0WRuG_Hm5sjRW8ScNQDpSj8JdYM9hLvieMhWrj0xdOMuP9jlmXg/s1600/DSCF1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11yNAOQbfT_U9wDSC_y9FK_g6VXdkR3VOTRVUooQKHPHbuhAhTKu7D4hBtYqoRxR68IpBmIY1UpUBbQuvsREdXxb0WRuG_Hm5sjRW8ScNQDpSj8JdYM9hLvieMhWrj0xdOMuP9jlmXg/s400/DSCF1822.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rainbow that wished me farewell on the ferry from Aran</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Synge used to walk and cycle around Wicklow. Synge's walks in these areas, and the people he encountered, inspired the plots and characters of many of his plays (in addition to his time spent on Aran). In his Wicklow writings he mentions places such as Glenmalure, Sally Gap, and Rathdrum. I wasn't able to make it to all the places he talks about, but I did see enough of the area to get a good feel for it.<br />
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The Wicklow landscape is so different from Aran. Aran is bare, exposed, gray-brown-green, angry waves, and raw slabs of stone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDb8czEzxtIlEtaBox0JONqXXyiEw4BCFkXLeybAHcahySeZnQgVw-fiGwkJG-GadvPMGpkKrOjfd6XPO8cWrAD_tuHxhk4M00RJ4l-Mb5FQzD6FFQ9nAiOGFNnb9lc18X_4ifK361g/s1600/inishmaanbarren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDb8czEzxtIlEtaBox0JONqXXyiEw4BCFkXLeybAHcahySeZnQgVw-fiGwkJG-GadvPMGpkKrOjfd6XPO8cWrAD_tuHxhk4M00RJ4l-Mb5FQzD6FFQ9nAiOGFNnb9lc18X_4ifK361g/s400/inishmaanbarren.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inishmaan, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Wicklow is called "The Garden of Ireland," for good reason. Trees and bushes and ivy and grass and flowers abound.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxPNTSxPaDPrSNtUL6vmPab5t_j1B-3jt7ons7IBn6FfvdGpoCQtnLQXTMfHgB2MBDzr68KHKLQUgf-w5ecYStboz4g1UUWSnVW5SpLPlhvL4rMl1qoZxTze1l4-hIeFJh38m9fd0kQ/s1600/wicklowyellowfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxPNTSxPaDPrSNtUL6vmPab5t_j1B-3jt7ons7IBn6FfvdGpoCQtnLQXTMfHgB2MBDzr68KHKLQUgf-w5ecYStboz4g1UUWSnVW5SpLPlhvL4rMl1qoZxTze1l4-hIeFJh38m9fd0kQ/s400/wicklowyellowfield.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden field near Avondale, Rathdrum, County Wicklow</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The Wicklow mountain peaks scrape the clouds. The gaps between the mountains form secluded glens.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GOLbqDFV2CnBRvgpKdjRxUoBWawxUlpciL31ct4hw_LebQQp2SWIoli1_jVGWxJvGO0K4vCNookiLbun7ew0KidbjpORXFuXLExqB60-QXj1b1jMVT4kNtW3x_5TMI0a-5dVEBAgHg/s1600/wicklowmountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GOLbqDFV2CnBRvgpKdjRxUoBWawxUlpciL31ct4hw_LebQQp2SWIoli1_jVGWxJvGO0K4vCNookiLbun7ew0KidbjpORXFuXLExqB60-QXj1b1jMVT4kNtW3x_5TMI0a-5dVEBAgHg/s400/wicklowmountains.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Lake in <a href="http://www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie/">Wicklow National Park</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Wicklow is wooded, with green trees, carpets of grass and moss, and bubbling streams, and rolling fields.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhxiloE_xmbeJMy-xg_t4EXo-IRjoxR0gOKtvdequ4M-bIbZJOtQimB1kpY8sRel8WQc8LsFcY2aGFYOXr2YXMA-8y2oxp3Tddq6iSiVCX1uOaC3fa9Xr8U4bl_7U_26mmdVf6CRWcw/s1600/wicklowmoss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhxiloE_xmbeJMy-xg_t4EXo-IRjoxR0gOKtvdequ4M-bIbZJOtQimB1kpY8sRel8WQc8LsFcY2aGFYOXr2YXMA-8y2oxp3Tddq6iSiVCX1uOaC3fa9Xr8U4bl_7U_26mmdVf6CRWcw/s400/wicklowmoss.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trees, grass, moss galore! Wicklow, Ireland.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7_NwAWwfrR_rRqLOX-JIJFmNmyq2O3bybZ-qYbxRDFSq9EGCopcK4g7VugzrJrnvGcTtCvShbSCZ_D2gxREfvjatljhC56rfcqPm89rRuZmKFD9I0H0VEvJ6-t4eBORxWzepgOUVEw/s1600/wicklowstream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7_NwAWwfrR_rRqLOX-JIJFmNmyq2O3bybZ-qYbxRDFSq9EGCopcK4g7VugzrJrnvGcTtCvShbSCZ_D2gxREfvjatljhC56rfcqPm89rRuZmKFD9I0H0VEvJ6-t4eBORxWzepgOUVEw/s400/wicklowstream.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Avonbeg River, flowing through Glenmalure, Wicklow, Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's no wonder to me now, after having seen the place Synge came from, why Aran was so strange to him. If Wicklow were a chalkboard, Aran is what it looks like after the eraser dust settles.<br />
<br />
Considering where I was coming from, it was a real change for me, too.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFhJ0PoM_eCZptv8h8cacHRnVhDKb14nAXsvuo8mjIKWgd54F-fhyqCi9N_HuoHEjoc4mPJVf_ApKqO8t6h81-UXGPylmQ5EFc0IF4nCOJlsVE9GeOPZ1PSmU2cHZQKAph3Bp_RqCCQ/s1600/brooklynbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFhJ0PoM_eCZptv8h8cacHRnVhDKb14nAXsvuo8mjIKWgd54F-fhyqCi9N_HuoHEjoc4mPJVf_ApKqO8t6h81-UXGPylmQ5EFc0IF4nCOJlsVE9GeOPZ1PSmU2cHZQKAph3Bp_RqCCQ/s400/brooklynbridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NYC</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Next time: more on Synge's plays that were inspired by Wicklow...Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-86822286234561335922011-07-29T12:24:00.000-07:002011-07-29T12:24:37.581-07:00The Eastern End of the Western WorldCheck out <a href="http://www.aranisland.info/wordpress/2011/07/29/off-the-beaten-track-hidden-gems-on-inishmores-eastern-end/">my latest Aran Islands Blog post</a> on the hidden gems of Inishmore's eastern end.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzOSoq3-xMVOSwGnC6IZvs-YARFvhZv4f9Y7fKkRKUZxOsAgyaluSdRoYGQvXbdrPeL0ECor45e1m7F-82ML73nHY9m7TwArqtQF6rfkd54pYBiRvt4I4EF-FxZJA0wizY4hBwDTDnw/s1600/blackfortlongpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzOSoq3-xMVOSwGnC6IZvs-YARFvhZv4f9Y7fKkRKUZxOsAgyaluSdRoYGQvXbdrPeL0ECor45e1m7F-82ML73nHY9m7TwArqtQF6rfkd54pYBiRvt4I4EF-FxZJA0wizY4hBwDTDnw/s400/blackfortlongpic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Black Fort, exterior. Inishmore, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Highlights include the Black Fort, a beautiful coastline, and the puffing holes.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-62909270156275227962011-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:002011-07-27T11:07:36.022-07:00Thatch-HappyJust came across<a href="http://irishfireside.com/2011/07/23/meet-the-thatchers/"> this post on the Irish Fireside Blog</a>.<br />
<br />
A pub in Denville, New Jersey is building a traditional thatched roof! There's a nice<a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07/thatchers_traditional_craft_le.html"> article</a> in NJ.com about the process of thatching the roof, as well as some great photos as well.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRgPUBYRMJv3jrjKpWrbHgX8qVCQZUH_NsIbDzWFZNuVnK4WTlfeX8lI7gyvaf_i9Utk7ycUZheksyac5ToB_DR2cdDe4M0-ju3D2bJdc9QmtwkaHoJxPTDh-qDbVuFHqIkP8PfE_pA/s1600/thatchingnj" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRgPUBYRMJv3jrjKpWrbHgX8qVCQZUH_NsIbDzWFZNuVnK4WTlfeX8lI7gyvaf_i9Utk7ycUZheksyac5ToB_DR2cdDe4M0-ju3D2bJdc9QmtwkaHoJxPTDh-qDbVuFHqIkP8PfE_pA/s400/thatchingnj" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from NJ.com <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07/thatchers_traditional_craft_le.html">article</a> of Master Thatcher Colin McGhee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I wonder what it will look like when it's done!<br />
<br />
Maybe like this?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxpd5nVyz5jv-i9jxBVOioBA6qWonDS2NUHbEcXDSs2OLgoI4g2jOlUwagodlAIE-4uK4WDkU0m5cEmzsf2Tm48DtNbmyfVElJf5EX0_dhwMBBaw53xU0_uaLV1ow0WmQyYnoe-1c8A/s1600/aranthatchhouse1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxpd5nVyz5jv-i9jxBVOioBA6qWonDS2NUHbEcXDSs2OLgoI4g2jOlUwagodlAIE-4uK4WDkU0m5cEmzsf2Tm48DtNbmyfVElJf5EX0_dhwMBBaw53xU0_uaLV1ow0WmQyYnoe-1c8A/s400/aranthatchhouse1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">200 year old thatched cottage on Inishmore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Or this...?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LOR4VO6kh5DaZMnK2yqRir5d44cMcRf6H9qkyOZ0NnAEkyDm9Khekw1mR9aeoyROR3OVpwxFVGK27fKM4CfordI7Uo4jXbwetly91BvkvkWzq-msxkDqwypvKxuGJI9OJLM0GmdFFQ/s400/aranthatchhouse2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thatched cottage on Inishmore</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Or this...?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQI6r9SsiSfRkuEBD4D2ooamtPUiB72qYE_n15XnCcppIaG6UqDwGLALmx_PJyZw_-W6wcPHg6fOR-TT8KwwiMWrolYkxnPkAxQkTbEhJe38F7XXfvQkClH0T1iGE_GsRAAjNRNIBPKA/s400/aranthatchhouse3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thatched cottage on Inishmaan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Or this...?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5ebZ6tWwjJKMQz9xrBYhTRC2zEXf9MvnhGU11SA8XZP5M35vUoSHqc0BReDwesSLVtVpVqclx-MOVuIeA8LwLw96NkP8wODZFnRpJxv0t6WCVHN-yh0cErf2t-oL6N1TFwpmMv3I6A/s1600/aranthatch4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5ebZ6tWwjJKMQz9xrBYhTRC2zEXf9MvnhGU11SA8XZP5M35vUoSHqc0BReDwesSLVtVpVqclx-MOVuIeA8LwLw96NkP8wODZFnRpJxv0t6WCVHN-yh0cErf2t-oL6N1TFwpmMv3I6A/s400/aranthatch4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.manofarancottage.com/">Man of Aran Cottage</a> on Inishmore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Or this...?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLiSF4OOZ-kEsnr-CF6AHCEKnzZBq8VaoIKXtb1kY3QtF38gb-RRfJIT_uJPIT70cM_biJSWbKYraL6HsHAupl2eFkyQ6rUDmp7cA3bBK7y5OGuDRCgju8-eCbsA1eo0s6R3FraRmag/s1600/aranthatch5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLiSF4OOZ-kEsnr-CF6AHCEKnzZBq8VaoIKXtb1kY3QtF38gb-RRfJIT_uJPIT70cM_biJSWbKYraL6HsHAupl2eFkyQ6rUDmp7cA3bBK7y5OGuDRCgju8-eCbsA1eo0s6R3FraRmag/s400/aranthatch5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teach Synge on Inishmaan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I just hope it doesn't end up looking like this... <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHf5Bj1qsQTYZj2hPWxIO9T-rrpNb0kg6IF8Ub_3h5JO_HufbVNxvYSDJCplwszYLjY0_u190AEkiUUTcsonkgUlFjz_PBGS1jUa6UnF_B_huzroFkxnLSKrtFmk1fdl8y9COtLbYMQ/s1600/aranthatchdead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHf5Bj1qsQTYZj2hPWxIO9T-rrpNb0kg6IF8Ub_3h5JO_HufbVNxvYSDJCplwszYLjY0_u190AEkiUUTcsonkgUlFjz_PBGS1jUa6UnF_B_huzroFkxnLSKrtFmk1fdl8y9COtLbYMQ/s400/aranthatchdead.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thatched cottage with a chunk missing on Inishmaan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-87093608516476398602011-07-26T10:32:00.000-07:002011-07-26T10:32:54.119-07:00Yeats and Synge - Innisfree vs. InishmaanI know why I went to the Aran Islands. Because of Synge. (If you're just tuning in, check out <a href="http://letterstoaran.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-first-we-met.html">this post).</a><br />
<br />
But why did Synge go to the Aran Islands?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQ_4ATnaK3aogcDlgbnDPLCbk7EoAk7cJ4SqmuhlLo7Jvwh5LseJ8tHUM5sEzUhlleRPkUVTkzMEbUn91hPJLjR2HOJdzjPcwUT9gUlRBK45kSYVv0M6orr8FL3Ah20G2TltiNH73dg/s1600/syngefort4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQ_4ATnaK3aogcDlgbnDPLCbk7EoAk7cJ4SqmuhlLo7Jvwh5LseJ8tHUM5sEzUhlleRPkUVTkzMEbUn91hPJLjR2HOJdzjPcwUT9gUlRBK45kSYVv0M6orr8FL3Ah20G2TltiNH73dg/s400/syngefort4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dun Conor, Synge's favorite Aran Fort</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
That's a question I've spent a lot of time wondering about, and writing about, and the answer is, I think, that it's very complicated. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejElkKQYSdRTCd8_bXbDRpvvCaZmHw3D2JBFj8nD6yOh_09cQanmNM7PrPhtXGwJpxZooZFwjHL3cuTBM7QnNJRusigMCE5RN0wc_syWvuPko3zLabXMb-dD552wwL6GwwAxkkBDjtA/s1600/yeats3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejElkKQYSdRTCd8_bXbDRpvvCaZmHw3D2JBFj8nD6yOh_09cQanmNM7PrPhtXGwJpxZooZFwjHL3cuTBM7QnNJRusigMCE5RN0wc_syWvuPko3zLabXMb-dD552wwL6GwwAxkkBDjtA/s1600/yeats3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WB Yeats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The most popular myth surrounding Synge's inspiration to travel to Aran is that W.B. Yeats told him to go. Synge met Yeats while he was living in Paris in the mid 1890s, and Yeats famously recalled that he urged Synge to go to Aran to "express a life that has never found expression." Yeats was not terribly impressed with Synge's poetry at that time, but he saw some promise in the young writer. Yeats had just visited Aran the previous year, and believed there was fertile ground there (for a writer, that is, not so much for farmers).<br />
<br />
But Synge may have been familiar with the Aran Islands before he met Yeats. His cousin Alexander Synge, a Protestant priest, attempted to convert the Catholics there some fifty years earlier. Needless to say he was met with some resistance, and got into a bit of a scuffle with some fishermen when he brought in a motorized boat. He left the island convinced the people there were heathens. And yet, even though some of the islanders remembered there was a Synge who had traveled to the island previously, JM Synge makes no mention of any leftover hostility in his book <i>The Aran Islands</i>. So either people forgot, or were quite forgiving. Synge was also reading the work of French critic Arthur Symons at the time, and Symons had accompanied Yeats to Aran.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJFRYYEjDeODQR8qILLIDhXGMaJTul2E9-a5W6OWWwDtAP2-BPCFiF0taw7yiZNEdGNxUK85ZG6jRO-RCuBF_QnJa9GsDrGo4crwHP1GHgOjDsZJcWm2BQzJmA28prVB7s5TU2eysGg/s1600/inismaan+curragh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJFRYYEjDeODQR8qILLIDhXGMaJTul2E9-a5W6OWWwDtAP2-BPCFiF0taw7yiZNEdGNxUK85ZG6jRO-RCuBF_QnJa9GsDrGo4crwHP1GHgOjDsZJcWm2BQzJmA28prVB7s5TU2eysGg/s400/inismaan+curragh.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curraghs at the old pier on Inis meain</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Given all this, I was tempted to write of Yeats' unparalleled influence as just some more of his melodrama. (For some reason, I've found that Synge-o-philes get a little bit nasty when it comes to Yeats. It seems I have to watch out for this tendency in myself!)<br />
<br />
But then I found this poem:<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Lake Isle of Innisfree</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><pre style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.</span></pre><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really love this poem. I love the pentameter, the gaps in the pentameter on the fourth line of each stanza, the stressed pauses, the idea of peace dropping like golden honey, and the stark, jarring realization at the end that the speaker is not on Innisfree at all, that it's all in his imagination. Yeats wrote this poem in 1888, and it was published in 1890. Innisfree is not one of the Arans, it is an island in the middle of Lough Gill in Sligo that Yeats visited in his youth. So of course, it was not as isolated as the Arans, but something about it captured him. He was inspired by Thoreau's <u>Walden</u>, and the poem expresses his desire to go and live a simple life. The majestic beauty and mysteriousness of the place he describes reminds me of some of Synge's writing about living in nature:</span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> <style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">This old man I have spoken of wanders about Wicklow. As he sleeps by Lough Bray and the nightjar burrs and snipe drum over his head….he hears in their voices the chant of singers in dark chambers of Japan and the clamour of tambourines and flying limbs of dancers he knew in Algeria, and the rustle of golden fabrics of the east. As the trout splash in the dark water at his feet he forgets the purple moorland that is round him and hears waves that lap round a boat in some southern sea. He is not to be pitied. (From Synge's Wicklow writings).</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here, Synge expresses his own sense of the magic that comes from living in touch with nature, just as Yeats does in his Innisfree poem. Although Yeats may have been inspired by more mysticism than Synge was (who knows, really?) there was something about nature that was mystical to Synge. I can't say I know enough of Yeats to come to any real conclusions, but it's definitely made me rethink the importance of Yeats' influence on Synge.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Regardless of who should be given the credit, I'm just happy that Synge went to Aran...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKuCii03KIBpQHEK6cIwRD6Kid-K6i282rx2LY7-P7sDWgCQrE-tfXpNAjXtXBC9qvrvZtBngT9lXoRs1MN2fMTz-U2_WYAxskUVWYj_2OYTvOpLV4K7pTk_68Nt7PZTI5Phple2W-g/s1600/mehappyonwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKuCii03KIBpQHEK6cIwRD6Kid-K6i282rx2LY7-P7sDWgCQrE-tfXpNAjXtXBC9qvrvZtBngT9lXoRs1MN2fMTz-U2_WYAxskUVWYj_2OYTvOpLV4K7pTk_68Nt7PZTI5Phple2W-g/s320/mehappyonwall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ...because who knows if I ever would have gone, if it wasn't for him?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-59445800503916326872011-07-22T04:52:00.000-07:002011-07-22T04:52:24.702-07:00In the Middle of the Big IslandCheck out my latest Aran Islands Blog post, hidden gems between east and west - <a href="http://www.aranisland.info/wordpress/2011/07/22/off-the-beaten-track-on-inis-mor-the-middle-of-the-big-island/">In the Middle of the Big Island.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExrYg2sViPgPiXabgMsW9T0fArPiQrFqTSGj-ihxaMD-6iK2XKHF-2_rc_9DmDr1gpHAb-5ZAsG2uQ9TtZ9rmBPgTS7cGZNlijootJZdmvsnIIwxpyd1pNAFVScM7d_We_eWwRElpQQ/s1600/DSCF1360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExrYg2sViPgPiXabgMsW9T0fArPiQrFqTSGj-ihxaMD-6iK2XKHF-2_rc_9DmDr1gpHAb-5ZAsG2uQ9TtZ9rmBPgTS7cGZNlijootJZdmvsnIIwxpyd1pNAFVScM7d_We_eWwRElpQQ/s320/DSCF1360.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Highlights include<a href="http://letterstoaran.blogspot.com/2011/06/synges-holy-well.html"> Synge's holy well</a>,<a href="http://www.aranislandshostel.com/"> a fabulous vegetarian dinner buffet</a>, and a medieval monastery.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-18985843465789070592011-07-19T11:06:00.000-07:002011-07-19T11:06:11.588-07:00Sailor Monuments and Garden PeopleLast week I took a walk on a hot, humid summer evening through Riverside Park, heading south. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just to walk. It's been my experience lately that just taking an unplanned walk somewhere, whether it's Aran or NYC, can lead me to unexpected discoveries.<br />
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First I came across the garden at 91st Street, famous as the meeting place in the movie <a href="http://youvegotmail.warnerbros.com/">You've Got Mail</a> where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks finally lock lips.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-l0AS6f-xQLDAd0DZRpUshp6v9x6CoZAOM57qXQn-WAJu8VtP_9gVOcPQ4YAiqBB86MmZdnwq-l-aaQplgu09657eNvEJy6uI42w9ZTNmv1y5as72f6gWfugmUGaTlClMrGYxaES0g/s1600/Meg-Tom-sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-l0AS6f-xQLDAd0DZRpUshp6v9x6CoZAOM57qXQn-WAJu8VtP_9gVOcPQ4YAiqBB86MmZdnwq-l-aaQplgu09657eNvEJy6uI42w9ZTNmv1y5as72f6gWfugmUGaTlClMrGYxaES0g/s400/Meg-Tom-sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of the Garden People</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>It's truly a beautiful spot, and the flowers were in full bloom. I noticed some people moving about amongst the flowers behind the metal fence, gardening and weeding, who didn't look like NYC Parks employees. They were wearing their own clothes and straw hats. I approached one of them who had a clipboard, and it turns out that they are <a href="http://thegardenpeople.org/gpevents2.html">The Garden People</a>, a group of volunteers who take care of this garden. I put down my name, and plan to go volunteer this weekend or next. I got the green thumb from <a href="http://letterstoaran.blogspot.com/2011/06/beautiful-day-in-garden.html">my day gardening at Killeany Lodge</a>, I suppose. And before I try to make some sort of window herb garden in my apartment, it will be great to learn from some more experienced gardeners how it's done.<br />
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I've had this parsley plant since Saturday. If I can keep it alive for two weeks, I think about adding some basil.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimn4bSNypTQMgDDIaidoTYcUCwVpenokznqM7Kob_hdLOZ25odFLBBFWrSPaA4ccjOT2dLr2ohqBPqzfIj2GcoyM-nZG1q20HGERQb5sdWCR_EP509wxjQ37xBmUSwjFqOUOIK8ncekg/s1600/DSCF1937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimn4bSNypTQMgDDIaidoTYcUCwVpenokznqM7Kob_hdLOZ25odFLBBFWrSPaA4ccjOT2dLr2ohqBPqzfIj2GcoyM-nZG1q20HGERQb5sdWCR_EP509wxjQ37xBmUSwjFqOUOIK8ncekg/s320/DSCF1937.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor little parsley plant in a barely sunny New York City apartment window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But I really am looking forward to working on a garden in New York, especially a garden as beautiful as the one on 91st Street. I can imagine that it would give me some sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing I helped to make my neighborhood a greener, prettier place. So I'll let you know how that goes.<br />
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The other discovery I made wasn't exactly a new one: I walked past the Soldiers and Sailors monument a few blocks down on 89th street. The monument commemorates those who fought for the Union during the Civil War. The monument is inscribed with the names of the enlisted who fought and died, and it's about 29 meters tall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Riverside Park, New York City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Seeing this monument dedicated to soldiers and sailors immediately brought to my mind the monuments on Inishmore that line the roads in both Eochaill and Killeany. These were erected to commemorate sailors lost at sea, and are also inscribed with the names of the dead.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzC1Sdn3Vpz4hx9bkCZo3lK_CZe1VCmja1-1dKKNwrwzqd-__msy1l3oJfvtenyjkfFkWcSoHEOXeiLVFG8ffxhKqbHWwwQoF5s2rdnjff5NcT-svjmeEH3jltzaBZ2rBWv7HHBw4sTQ/s1600/P7160482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzC1Sdn3Vpz4hx9bkCZo3lK_CZe1VCmja1-1dKKNwrwzqd-__msy1l3oJfvtenyjkfFkWcSoHEOXeiLVFG8ffxhKqbHWwwQoF5s2rdnjff5NcT-svjmeEH3jltzaBZ2rBWv7HHBw4sTQ/s320/P7160482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ5sAdp3SdW8YWb_wLyAKlrc2LtOzPq9d562FhWUNKedvwc5B2QMpydU-9zzHucgZED6A8JIwnyw_0QdPe7H-CFWy93BntynPjV9pNpiySyIenSbP89Jtxy3Fv-r9j6J2ySQdTh3gLg/s1600/P7160483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ5sAdp3SdW8YWb_wLyAKlrc2LtOzPq9d562FhWUNKedvwc5B2QMpydU-9zzHucgZED6A8JIwnyw_0QdPe7H-CFWy93BntynPjV9pNpiySyIenSbP89Jtxy3Fv-r9j6J2ySQdTh3gLg/s320/P7160483.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The scale and construction are certainly different, but the sentiments are similar. A stone structure, something that seems permanent and solid, to commemorate lives that have been lost.<br />
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The more I look, the more connections abound between Aran and New York. People are people, no matter where you live.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNP49KS2HR2vyVHij4aezSQtakzaRzSHL9UhNq9qkkV41FyI10zj4yZxe_ffGCEot98oopXxPIMi_f9siRoRAimFWip8gHmUYpOpYMFPcZ1J44W7BxwQerrFYLS2NI3pjtHe1K8yI0g/s1600/DSCF1936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-30311408072275135612011-07-12T14:35:00.000-07:002011-07-12T14:35:50.439-07:00Outdoor Spaces - Connections Across the Pond - Aran and NYCNo matter where we are, what time period, what part of the globe, humans have always had an impact on their natural surroundings, and have worked with what was available to fit our needs. Even the pre-Christian islanders who first settled on the Aran Islands changed their landscape forever.<br />
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The islands are said to have been covered once by thick forests, which, like much of the mainland, early peoples cleared to use for lumber, and to create farmland.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHLhybQZn9bB8OgVtwQHcODaRO07ieDuFYWxzWQPQ8vK63-4w3N-6_Y8HF2PQ375qJQoQ6OJPhsKWLJWpajNXuu7vPT8HreFRVtENHBmqqISISMC1DlFn-hDQugnNlZxppQQFE2N0XA/s1600/arantreeblog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHLhybQZn9bB8OgVtwQHcODaRO07ieDuFYWxzWQPQ8vK63-4w3N-6_Y8HF2PQ375qJQoQ6OJPhsKWLJWpajNXuu7vPT8HreFRVtENHBmqqISISMC1DlFn-hDQugnNlZxppQQFE2N0XA/s400/arantreeblog2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now the trees on Aran mostly look like this one.</td></tr>
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The sheets of limestone were broken up to clear the land, and walls were constructed out of the stone debris to divide the fields between families, clans, tribes, etc. This was what was practical, useful, and necessary to do to meet their needs for survival.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdarj-L14B8-r5IDgW0N9U8-2ZLucjRuJBIwwc3QdXgbqQiR6GnvZ4fl3Kg7yTAdhPVfQBYwOWywYaDZ4TmnUVELexIbpdM2pqTBLGLxDM3G4Z-pOWR4ftTbDOGy0sa9GMXoR1qP0iQ/s1600/DSCF1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdarj-L14B8-r5IDgW0N9U8-2ZLucjRuJBIwwc3QdXgbqQiR6GnvZ4fl3Kg7yTAdhPVfQBYwOWywYaDZ4TmnUVELexIbpdM2pqTBLGLxDM3G4Z-pOWR4ftTbDOGy0sa9GMXoR1qP0iQ/s400/DSCF1507.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone-wall fields. Inishmaan.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmPjKt_ONsfIBu3Yl0iwyht2mPft05XfVmSwkHkWLosanmuo9TvnldJAy7vZqAp4Y67trvrZH0TjXI4easA2L98kuya1-p4gY01I3B1oxRsQl1_n5dbuU52jwCgTtaLDKpLZNg5W4rQ/s1600/highlineflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmPjKt_ONsfIBu3Yl0iwyht2mPft05XfVmSwkHkWLosanmuo9TvnldJAy7vZqAp4Y67trvrZH0TjXI4easA2L98kuya1-p4gY01I3B1oxRsQl1_n5dbuU52jwCgTtaLDKpLZNg5W4rQ/s320/highlineflowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers on the Highline.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Oddly enough, I started thinking about all this again a few days ago when I took a stroll on the <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/">Highline Park</a>. The Highline is an elevated park built on the long defunct railroad tracks on the west side of the city. (According to the Highline website, the last train ran in 1980 pulling three carloads of frozen turkeys). It runs from 12th Street to 30th Street, through the neighborhood of <a href="http://nymag.com/realestate/articles/neighborhoods/chelsea.htm">Chelsea</a>. Sections of it have opened piece by piece as construction goes on.<br />
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I've only been to the park a handful of times, but I think it's fantastic. The narrow space is used well, with sections of green grass, colorful flowers, trees, bushes, and spots to take in views of the city.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVmrOjagvSbI6sJaGKWGT75rcMHNgTDrqDv_fARAXnyBxSoklbP_xTIOBv1XTUW4A1-hI5Fq2vsQwdYQ7vR0pBnMvSFEey1XFT3KfgHP2VLZQkDOMmd61nC4KmaLbsuaWT9u-cHfgdw/s1600/highlinestreetview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVmrOjagvSbI6sJaGKWGT75rcMHNgTDrqDv_fARAXnyBxSoklbP_xTIOBv1XTUW4A1-hI5Fq2vsQwdYQ7vR0pBnMvSFEey1XFT3KfgHP2VLZQkDOMmd61nC4KmaLbsuaWT9u-cHfgdw/s320/highlinestreetview.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Highline, bustling with activity. Views of the Manhattan streets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I like how certain elements of the design complement the setting: old train tracks peek through flower beds, benches rise up out of the concrete floor like gears on a train,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPDYXtjVSXCKbmR6a1TVWY47Ea3hwbjJznaBuTV7M-5lBEmlp1uVKyp71htdf_VqqI6-8wUjkrnUJSOCBtpyjds2YxtBEn2JxK2mRtqTEcLoQtP2dGR3ZOEU8NwK1vM34E853ux-dpg/s1600/highlineyellowflowersconcrete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPDYXtjVSXCKbmR6a1TVWY47Ea3hwbjJznaBuTV7M-5lBEmlp1uVKyp71htdf_VqqI6-8wUjkrnUJSOCBtpyjds2YxtBEn2JxK2mRtqTEcLoQtP2dGR3ZOEU8NwK1vM34E853ux-dpg/s400/highlineyellowflowersconcrete.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the seemingly undulating pathway on the right of the flowerbed</td></tr>
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and clever design elements show up when you least expect them, like this geometric bird feeder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFt2X1px219PotLTjG2e2OsR-T-zrcEy0xyAQ7Vd-HLYERopJV_LLtIrdauc_JaazLHkNimxMvypOhVn0toP_RBg2OzITKaGFVqyFPSzW1tZVpKxiI2uYCvP-56jFdnhYuxV8zNJKqKw/s1600/birdfeeder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFt2X1px219PotLTjG2e2OsR-T-zrcEy0xyAQ7Vd-HLYERopJV_LLtIrdauc_JaazLHkNimxMvypOhVn0toP_RBg2OzITKaGFVqyFPSzW1tZVpKxiI2uYCvP-56jFdnhYuxV8zNJKqKw/s320/birdfeeder.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birdfeeder. The Highline Park, NYC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I remembered that there's also a semi-elevated, sloping, green grassy lawn just outside of <a href="http://new.lincolncenter.org/live/">Lincoln Center</a>, near the <a href="http://www.metoperafamily.org/">Met Opera House</a>, across from the <a href="http://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa">Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library</a>. They've named it the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/05/21/lincoln_center_lawn_opens.php">Illumination Lawn</a>. I had coffee on the Illumination Lawn (hehe, I love the name) with one of my good friends during his lunch break from work at the <a href="http://www.apple.com/retail/upperwestside/">Apple</a> Store.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOocATTSqRPwBjVZbus4K1-VXyO0hmfdQWWpYlaju-GCjx5qg_FVhGSQjkVJI2S14EQFCHvfwsROtxsLcCbbT9drgArIXOL4uj86wYdlC_d96NXXpp8UUhWayx_qZuoERzFYhAN2o4gg/s1600/illumlawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOocATTSqRPwBjVZbus4K1-VXyO0hmfdQWWpYlaju-GCjx5qg_FVhGSQjkVJI2S14EQFCHvfwsROtxsLcCbbT9drgArIXOL4uj86wYdlC_d96NXXpp8UUhWayx_qZuoERzFYhAN2o4gg/s320/illumlawn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Center Illumination Lawn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So how does this tie in to Aran?<br />
<br />
I'm not a psychologist or sociologist or urban planner, but I think what New Yorkers are craving is space (at least this New Yorker, anyhow). Green space. Outdoor space. Pretty space. Space to be, away from the busyness of the city streets. And since space is limited in this city, where else <i>is</i> there for parks to be built but...UP!<br />
<br />
Like the Aran Islanders, we're working with what's in our environment to fulfill a basic need. The need for parks may not be as crucial for survival as the need for viable farmland, but we New Yorkers sure do need some space to relax, because relaxation can lead to happiness, and happiness - I believe - to a better, longer life.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGevABHdRcP22r2WhgWL3YG3NFKq8Z1wvrufat5EQP_pfWD0VAfWw94tnS2R_RCkGzyx1ogNAKTcku9GpQu8KYOMWLoVRUufBHwCMaCXnMr0Qp0YU5A-laXpsXneE7UIpIrvaXnRU6w/s1600/meonhighline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGevABHdRcP22r2WhgWL3YG3NFKq8Z1wvrufat5EQP_pfWD0VAfWw94tnS2R_RCkGzyx1ogNAKTcku9GpQu8KYOMWLoVRUufBHwCMaCXnMr0Qp0YU5A-laXpsXneE7UIpIrvaXnRU6w/s320/meonhighline.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Emily on the Highline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If you know of any other interesting/inventive outdoor spaces like this in NYC, or anywhere, please share!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-60717369260697716322011-07-07T12:53:00.000-07:002011-07-07T12:53:23.677-07:00With This Limestone Inishmaan, I am in LoveRead about my adventures on Inis Meain, Synge's favorite of the Arans, <a href="http://www.aranisland.info/wordpress/2011/07/07/part-three-of-aran-adventure-2011-%E2%80%93-a-trip-to-inis-meain/">HERE</a>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMcbgUXd3NarLMq0mbbjJWAqKYRrdy2gA1r5-M2nEFBudMMDIkHjdZgmrOpmfFncmcbgZnYhewYpuQiE64zzPKPKaGfjw1vSs-YFholx3QSRSD1iD-ijCklBS0wJcdAVt1olfyDjXKw/s1600/DSCF1593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMcbgUXd3NarLMq0mbbjJWAqKYRrdy2gA1r5-M2nEFBudMMDIkHjdZgmrOpmfFncmcbgZnYhewYpuQiE64zzPKPKaGfjw1vSs-YFholx3QSRSD1iD-ijCklBS0wJcdAVt1olfyDjXKw/s400/DSCF1593.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inis Meain, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-8578851107449762342011-07-05T11:25:00.000-07:002011-07-05T11:25:14.479-07:00Slán go fóill, Arainn!I am sitting in a pub in Galway having a glass of Bulmers to celebrate the last night of Aran Adventure 2011. Instead of doing a rushed recap of everything I've done in the past few weeks, I offer these two lists: ten things I know I'll miss about Aran, and ten things I've missed about New York.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDoJk-ANOkIzF1zbmpIgvMRj1C74DC26rDePt8LIXCTb4WBijqKFM8HBBBTa4kwsrTtw4nrqv1n4zYSGtsK993UmjRkyua8xFuXqFWUzAp2YacARJwUT8t800TuHJO09V7n_cRoB39Q/s1600/DSCF1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDoJk-ANOkIzF1zbmpIgvMRj1C74DC26rDePt8LIXCTb4WBijqKFM8HBBBTa4kwsrTtw4nrqv1n4zYSGtsK993UmjRkyua8xFuXqFWUzAp2YacARJwUT8t800TuHJO09V7n_cRoB39Q/s320/DSCF1813.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Ten things I'll miss about Aran:</b><br />
<br />
1) Hiking to pre-Christian forts, monastic sites, and remote, wild places<br />
2) Sitting and watching the waves crashing against the cliffs<br />
3) Feeling connected to nature<br />
4) Stillness/Silence<br />
5) Spontaneous singing in pubs<br />
6) Wearing comfortable hiking clothes every day, and not even worrying for one minute about my hair<br />
7) Daylight lasting until almost 11pm (at least in the summer)<br />
8) The color of the water<br />
9) Irish cider (had to throw that in there. It's so delicious!)<br />
10) Feeling amazed on an almost daily basis<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FrFqS78UBDF62Q4PPacCeP17fOTCisni14yeuqrIbWiUvBtVKGvwvpenTD2jUUuqP0XPTcBbdpimUgZS9l1F1R2_GImiy_eoX_HjnaAt9PVJ4MdN_InDwfpb18ggqmS5t6NWWqiQTA/s1600/DSCF0620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FrFqS78UBDF62Q4PPacCeP17fOTCisni14yeuqrIbWiUvBtVKGvwvpenTD2jUUuqP0XPTcBbdpimUgZS9l1F1R2_GImiy_eoX_HjnaAt9PVJ4MdN_InDwfpb18ggqmS5t6NWWqiQTA/s320/DSCF0620.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b>Ten things I've missed about New York:</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
1) My family/friends<br />
2) My bed/apartment/home<br />
3) Reliable internet (lame, I know, but it's true)<br />
4) Businesses, coffee shops, public transportation, past 6pm<br />
5) My writing routine<br />
6) Cooking healthy meals every day<br />
7) Wearing skirts/non-sensible shoes<br />
8) A relatively more predictable climate<br />
9) My favorite places in NYC: Central Park, BAM, the Village...<br />
10) Feeling amazed on an almost daily basis.<br />
<br />
It's been a great adventure, and I'm happy to return to home.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i><b>Slán go fóill</b></i></span></span>, Arainn.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-77309288931429915232011-07-02T15:13:00.000-07:002011-07-02T15:13:11.685-07:00Synge-Lovers Unite!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sMypZNK7M2cT1Tv0nGuA89ycaZapRo97YSKjsFSZ5H9kINkNVtUQgsCGJ4czrNJ73-BMt0jZTrX7qFGnIv1NlcbM_8QOjfVxBJoaK4M3z7VPjzpJBh4NsnzR_yUgklQ34W4OlD1nYQ/s1600/DSCF1825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sMypZNK7M2cT1Tv0nGuA89ycaZapRo97YSKjsFSZ5H9kINkNVtUQgsCGJ4czrNJ73-BMt0jZTrX7qFGnIv1NlcbM_8QOjfVxBJoaK4M3z7VPjzpJBh4NsnzR_yUgklQ34W4OlD1nYQ/s400/DSCF1825.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field near Rathdrum, Wicklow, Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A brief recap of the goings-on at the <a href="http://www.syngesummerschool.org/">20th Annual Synge Summer School</a>, to be expanded upon later.<br />
<br />
Discussions of:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Irish drama in times of crisis </li>
<li>The distinction between "space" and "place"</li>
<li>The impact Synge has had on modern Irish dramatists</li>
<li>The "fact/fiction" book <u><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1842098858">Ghost Light</a></u><a href="http://www.josephoconnorauthor.com/novel-ghost-light.html"> by Joseph O'Connor</a>, and the implications of the blurred boundaries between fiction and nonfiction and what this says about our culture</li>
<li>Religious themes in Synge's works</li>
<li>The strong women of Synge's works</li>
<li>An outing to a "performance piece" by Una McKevitt at the <a href="http://www.mermaidartscentre.ie/">Mermaid Arts Center in Bray</a>, which has sparked so much discussion at the school</li>
<li>Ezra Pound's view of the Irish as informed by his views on Synge</li>
<li>a walk through <a href="http://www.heritageisland.com/attractions/avondale-house-forest-park/">Avondale Forest Park</a></li>
<li>a fantastic talk by author <a href="http://www.colmtoibin.com/">Colm Toibin</a> on Irish theatre of the 1980s</li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTCuatRU-D2TszTY0ZjBM6lrKmcGf7GfL5-9V9-wbcOe0jM4YPwB1BB1FCtN4igSB-AAeblV9GmrEyE8DWuDW_mXEU1GtmeFSNZwt11zmMRz_W34WJghOPxMillywhXZOvIpHvYqHrg/s1600/DSCF1837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTCuatRU-D2TszTY0ZjBM6lrKmcGf7GfL5-9V9-wbcOe0jM4YPwB1BB1FCtN4igSB-AAeblV9GmrEyE8DWuDW_mXEU1GtmeFSNZwt11zmMRz_W34WJghOPxMillywhXZOvIpHvYqHrg/s400/DSCF1837.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avondale House Forest Park, County Wicklow, Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Tomorrow is the final day of the school, and I wish we had more time. I've met so many great people here who are passionate about theatre, literature, Synge, and learning, and I hope to keep in touch with many of them.</div><div><br />
</div><div>And I mustn't forget to mention that Wicklow - "the Garden of Ireland" - is absolutely gorgeous! Trees trees trees! And mountains! And green! And it's so different from Aran - no wonder the islands were so strange and foreign to Synge.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My time at the school has given me much to think about in terms of my own writing, my journey to Aran, and my thinking about Synge. No doubt it will take me some time to sort it all out, and I look forward to sharing my thinking about it here as it develops.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Tomorrow - touring Glenmalure and Laragh! Then on to Dublin, then home before I know it.</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-8150070148435764322011-06-28T03:11:00.000-07:002011-06-28T03:11:36.680-07:00Returned, and now Leaving<div style="text-align: center;"><i>The sort of yearning I feel towards those lonely rocks is indescribably acute...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>-JMS, The Aran Islands</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Friends, I've been horrible at updating during the trip, mostly because at night when I return from whatever hike I've been on I just want to collapse and go to sleep. I've just returned from an internet-less past four days on Inishmaan where I met the President of Ireland, watched "The Cripple of Inishmaan," sat by the fire in Synge's house, and hiked until I thought my feet might fall off. It was a beautiful weekend, except for the weather, which of course cleared up as soon as I returned to Inishmore.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I am off to Wicklow and the Synge Summer School. I will try to update more fully in the next few days, but I think I will have to save the more juicy entries for when I return home in early July, so stay tuned...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajOYdere9pNpuY5TQONQLu553vQb2DzUTp8-hXKCNH94CXVRlFJf6d8pAxv5m28FpVUSra8LmKPjtVLu3omMGK137JZXogvwMtqjQRGJTXmH7xi9n9kXRl3lkvkzw5bIlauIKfWNcKA/s1600/DSCF0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajOYdere9pNpuY5TQONQLu553vQb2DzUTp8-hXKCNH94CXVRlFJf6d8pAxv5m28FpVUSra8LmKPjtVLu3omMGK137JZXogvwMtqjQRGJTXmH7xi9n9kXRl3lkvkzw5bIlauIKfWNcKA/s400/DSCF0139.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Fiery Sunset on Bonfire Night, Inis mor, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZPbL3Sbxe_FW9rPuNZHzgnX6H7X2O2yKrYNqcvoqHsHl8TZTUOwQu3V3lZScPSGu69ENuJOw0SHlrdIownX9xrOwmKpA4jUxVXq0U3_-dZkw88Lm4qSU3M4dR9-0ER7kFU6ls63l-A/s1600/DSCF1402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZPbL3Sbxe_FW9rPuNZHzgnX6H7X2O2yKrYNqcvoqHsHl8TZTUOwQu3V3lZScPSGu69ENuJOw0SHlrdIownX9xrOwmKpA4jUxVXq0U3_-dZkw88Lm4qSU3M4dR9-0ER7kFU6ls63l-A/s400/DSCF1402.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midsummer Bonfire, Mainistir, Inishmore, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-36671752827413881732011-06-23T10:57:00.000-07:002011-06-23T10:57:13.687-07:00A Beautiful Day in the Garden<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJO1RH6kziPGbihecgouf8guZIasbS9mBiwz1p2Mmu2HHBPzI-6UOhw5qv_O5FWOtf3sfqDZyNSmdTt7yQebtUGgqbiPRGQL5mQz28k3jx5p0ls8lyl5Gb6duNY9fmEdV8liYV93FbRw/s1600/killeany+lodge+pic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJO1RH6kziPGbihecgouf8guZIasbS9mBiwz1p2Mmu2HHBPzI-6UOhw5qv_O5FWOtf3sfqDZyNSmdTt7yQebtUGgqbiPRGQL5mQz28k3jx5p0ls8lyl5Gb6duNY9fmEdV8liYV93FbRw/s320/killeany+lodge+pic1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killeany Lodge, Inis mor, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A few days ago I spent a beautiful afternoon at <a href="http://www.aislinglodge.com/">Killeany Lodge</a>, a spiritual center and eco-friendly lodge on Inis mor with a huge organic garden. Last summer during my trip I met Helmut and Irmtraud, the German couple who owns the Lodge, and I was looking forward to seeing them again. I arrived at 9:30am on Tuesday for a yoga session that was as tough if not tougher than yoga classes I've attended in <a href="http://www.omyoga.com/">NYC at Om</a>, and when I finished I had a huge smile on my face for having gotten through it, plus with all those endorphins running through me, I felt wonderful.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6aVVXICE1MYWVfKmuz0pIymiaPwP4tFVMym-2vOUsw96WiH7d5MB4dWojGseDCK8HN3inM0bbRwWL-YnXLKf4exLD6J56Da7E5evA9yAR7yWe1eN7UiTRAwBrq4ByhUitNoT_rV2Rg/s1600/aranveggarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6aVVXICE1MYWVfKmuz0pIymiaPwP4tFVMym-2vOUsw96WiH7d5MB4dWojGseDCK8HN3inM0bbRwWL-YnXLKf4exLD6J56Da7E5evA9yAR7yWe1eN7UiTRAwBrq4ByhUitNoT_rV2Rg/s320/aranveggarden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden, Killeany Lodge, Inis mor, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After yoga I splashed some water on my face and decided to help out around the Lodge before lunch. I began my work pulling arugula leaves from the garden off of the long stems, with a Japanese woman named Mako who was staying at the Lodge for two weeks and helping out in the garden. Mako told me that back home in Tokyo she has a salon and works with healing energies using different stones and crystals. She looked at my ring - a small faceted emerald - and after waving her fingers over it a few times told me it is a very powerful stone, good for seeing truth and clarity. I don't know much about crystals or energy from stones, but I liked the sound of that.<br />
<br />
Irmtraud, a 70 year old woman who did yoga better than many of us in the room, showed me to the garden, and instructed me on how to pull out weeds effectively, and how to give the soil more air by raking my fingers through it. I weeded on my hands and knees for nearly two hours, and threw the weeds onto the compost heap. Gardening is hard work! Especially a garden this size. I have such great respect for Irmtraud for keeping it so beautiful and healthy. But it was extremely satisfying to look at the stalks of garlic, now free from overgrown weeks, standing proudly in their bed of soil. Irmtraud held up her hands - her fingernails encrusted in dirt - and said that her hands look this way because if they didn't, someone else's hands would.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwsjN3lYN3oVc99OssqCOqUrRa_j1Ri3gfTVglnEsxVUv99ceYVHWynJ07_723lBz-_BltvHNpisZOpheO4CVZfrFm9FaMRS3P712tQBCJLMjgRZS-t1rdS9_Km7B4B3QDKlx8Potmw/s1600/aran+herb+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwsjN3lYN3oVc99OssqCOqUrRa_j1Ri3gfTVglnEsxVUv99ceYVHWynJ07_723lBz-_BltvHNpisZOpheO4CVZfrFm9FaMRS3P712tQBCJLMjgRZS-t1rdS9_Km7B4B3QDKlx8Potmw/s320/aran+herb+garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herb garden, Killeany Lodge, Inis mor, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Lunch mainly came from the garden: arugula salad, sauteed vegetables (I'm not sure what kind, they were bitter, and supposedly very good for the liver), salted mackerel in a tomato gravy with mushrooms, some noodles, and for dessert, the garden's first crop of strawberries of the season, and Mako made custard with eggs from the ducks in the yard. It was all delicious, and it was so special to me to eat food that I knew exactly where it came from - I had seen it on the ground, growing, just a few minutes before the meal. It made me wish I had a garden, and I feel motivated to try to make my own windowsill garden in my studio apartment. I'll have to look into it when I get home in July...<br />
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After we cleaned up, we had fresh peppermint tea, and the four of us women (me, Irmtraud, Mako, and a painter/writer named Nonie who lives on the island) talked about the island, the mysteries of the forts, and read some of our writing out loud. It was truly a beautiful day, spent with beautiful people. I'm happy to have found a small community of spiritual, mindful of people on this island. I'm sure there are others here, too, that I haven't met yet. Aran was always a spiritual place, a place of pilgrimage, where saints and seekers journeyed to - and I'm happy to see it continuing this trend, even if it looks different now than it did centuries ago.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-3835701196753403472011-06-20T15:58:00.000-07:002011-06-20T15:58:11.024-07:00Aran Rainbows Win<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdXcs5q-3lUQnVHnB9bZcSUE0r9d2iPg17iqHXweXLN8hR0s0jymwIeaKgVNhEGZG8moUZOk-FrXu9ZTaVkaHtZq7Skm3ldcF9TfhK2T18SvQMdposGsz5QMRAhWdxue1EDy24iILgw/s1600/DSCF1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdXcs5q-3lUQnVHnB9bZcSUE0r9d2iPg17iqHXweXLN8hR0s0jymwIeaKgVNhEGZG8moUZOk-FrXu9ZTaVkaHtZq7Skm3ldcF9TfhK2T18SvQMdposGsz5QMRAhWdxue1EDy24iILgw/s400/DSCF1094.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow over the pier in Kilronan, Inis mor, Aran Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813595573893400.post-15961680457404472222011-06-18T10:03:00.000-07:002011-06-18T10:03:48.623-07:00Photos that make me go "Ooohh!"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpKRMgLHbow6nM9xJnwutroPn-OKElFsgq6z0lgZ6pd6uaYXiee3u5CbBPSS5UYhSd67nel1-TRsuodYnBbLGug24tNqQUnm4BZz4dw0uX1YZMKJBanN8k-wn4TwjLtIgskv5kkLE4g/s1600/celticswirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpKRMgLHbow6nM9xJnwutroPn-OKElFsgq6z0lgZ6pd6uaYXiee3u5CbBPSS5UYhSd67nel1-TRsuodYnBbLGug24tNqQUnm4BZz4dw0uX1YZMKJBanN8k-wn4TwjLtIgskv5kkLE4g/s400/celticswirl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celtic swirl, Teampall Einne, Killeany, Inis mor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3UYpVuuN5SG1oLsMCXU3dik3tl2LzuLVb4XsVxxpQ8XRot_SCRXCgeO8-Va4-PY37jb-uDXhFPuVcOZ3GL-usp6SBISf3SG6bYlGuM7JJkQuXBmSzrbveMmW6zBtsO1eXWCb-SUv2w/s1600/DSCF0940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3UYpVuuN5SG1oLsMCXU3dik3tl2LzuLVb4XsVxxpQ8XRot_SCRXCgeO8-Va4-PY37jb-uDXhFPuVcOZ3GL-usp6SBISf3SG6bYlGuM7JJkQuXBmSzrbveMmW6zBtsO1eXWCb-SUv2w/s400/DSCF0940.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sailboat makes its way across the water, north side of Inis mor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7vA36vF9GKSokRSTRKBfB1Bk8HqlG5t3yXI8Kx1nL5TNRmFI6RaAL3FSkCAyRZBO5YnuHcOuuKtjn6tHi4yzeIxj0z82s6Npo-6MHCnWhIqmUZg67qfD3aVUCIKY1zM9uyR6AVAqdw/s1600/DSCF0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7vA36vF9GKSokRSTRKBfB1Bk8HqlG5t3yXI8Kx1nL5TNRmFI6RaAL3FSkCAyRZBO5YnuHcOuuKtjn6tHi4yzeIxj0z82s6Npo-6MHCnWhIqmUZg67qfD3aVUCIKY1zM9uyR6AVAqdw/s400/DSCF0948.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patterns in the sand streaked by the waves, beach on Inis mor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTuCfsgt1LIzYZnwvPQtEFwAyYYOtZBsjENVMq2EdLG5QIk-gzL9FL-BVx42uO4FxMoQcb6_qJQGiHLgVgSknOZoughO92T-okSlMRX1rnHnFad5gIMtmKIwnrI5cww5NgyJAaiAcng/s1600/beautifulbeachblue.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTuCfsgt1LIzYZnwvPQtEFwAyYYOtZBsjENVMq2EdLG5QIk-gzL9FL-BVx42uO4FxMoQcb6_qJQGiHLgVgSknOZoughO92T-okSlMRX1rnHnFad5gIMtmKIwnrI5cww5NgyJAaiAcng/s320/beautifulbeachblue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue blue blue beach, Killeany</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352869165965989452noreply@blogger.com2