Cody here:
So, now that we have resumed bloggage, I suppose a post about our Yule-ing and tiding is probably a nice way to carry on. I guess before I get into that I will say that in our gap in posting things have been going well. Our roof is fixed and, while I haven't gotten any real grades, I do think i am coming to understand the Irish university system a little better, even if I think they need to get over their grade numbering system in which a 70 is an "A." At the very least, no Irish person can make fun of Americans for clinging to the imperial measurement system until they start grading out of 100.
We've had three particularly "Christmas" outings or events since December started. We had a "night out" during the Cork Winter street festival, a trip to the Belfast Christmas Market, and a nice Southern inspired dinner with some friends. I guess I could provide a breakdown of each of these events and their relative festive-ness, but, instead, let's talk about Belfast. I think I have a point here.
So, now that we have resumed bloggage, I suppose a post about our Yule-ing and tiding is probably a nice way to carry on. I guess before I get into that I will say that in our gap in posting things have been going well. Our roof is fixed and, while I haven't gotten any real grades, I do think i am coming to understand the Irish university system a little better, even if I think they need to get over their grade numbering system in which a 70 is an "A." At the very least, no Irish person can make fun of Americans for clinging to the imperial measurement system until they start grading out of 100.
We've had three particularly "Christmas" outings or events since December started. We had a "night out" during the Cork Winter street festival, a trip to the Belfast Christmas Market, and a nice Southern inspired dinner with some friends. I guess I could provide a breakdown of each of these events and their relative festive-ness, but, instead, let's talk about Belfast. I think I have a point here.
The Troubles are "over": to begin with (see what I did there), so, I'm going to start just by talking about the Christmas Market itself. Simply put, it is excellent. You can get any kind of food you can imagine from nearly any country you can imagine: hot Asian noodles, German sausage, Dutch pancakes, all within a stone's throw of one another. On top of all the food there is a nice little spread of trinkets to buy to take home. What stood out the most to me about the Market though was simply the variety, the multi-cultural nature of its offerings. It was a rich lesson in the variety of accents if nothing else.
The Belfast city center had a similar charm across the board. It really is a beautiful city, full of impressive buildings and, despite actually being part of the United Kingdom, had all of the Irish trademarks of a well-developed tourist trade, with a variety of bus tours (including one that Madilyn and I took to see the stunning Giant's Causeway), and maps to help visitors find the top sights.
However, if you know very much about the history of Belfast, maybe the most appropriate structure we visited in the city was Victoria Square. Victoria Square is a large shopping center, named after the former Queen herself (as is probably pretty obvious). It is a unique structure, that, using basically a large suspended glass ceiling to roof a courtyard between several different buildings, creates an open air shopping mall in the middle. What is most impressive about the building is the large viewing area it has in a dome up many, many, many stairs above the city. From this dome one can see most of the Belfast city center.
What is so appropriate about a visit to the Victoria Square Shopping Center you might ask? Well apart from the obvious importance of the local shopping center in the modern version of Christmas, it is this: Victoria Square is the Belfast city center cast in architecture. I say this for two reasons: the first being that its shiny modern appearance hides what it actually is, it is a fresh coat of glass on an old city space; the second, glass is fragile.
And here we get to a brief history lesson. To those of you who don't know, Belfast is most famous for "the Troubles" a violent back and forth between the Republicans (usually Catholic) and Unionists (usually Protestant) of Northern Ireland who have different opinions of whether or not it ought to be in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement which fought discrimination against the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. Suffice it to say, Belfast's history is fraught .
You wouldn't guess it by looking at Belfast city center though.
Partially, this is a good thing. It is a sign of recovery and success. It is a city dusting itself off and trying to make the most of its future.
But, on the other hand, glass is fragile.
And here we get to a brief history lesson. To those of you who don't know, Belfast is most famous for "the Troubles" a violent back and forth between the Republicans (usually Catholic) and Unionists (usually Protestant) of Northern Ireland who have different opinions of whether or not it ought to be in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement which fought discrimination against the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. Suffice it to say, Belfast's history is fraught .
You wouldn't guess it by looking at Belfast city center though.
Partially, this is a good thing. It is a sign of recovery and success. It is a city dusting itself off and trying to make the most of its future.
But, on the other hand, glass is fragile.
These images are from East Belfast, a relatively short walk from Victoria Square. I do feel it is worth stressing these are from Protestant Unionist groups, just because many Americans seem to suffer from the impression that the Troubles are all the Catholics or Irish Republicans' fault.
Let me stress my interest in this post is not to take a side (even if I may have one), but it is worth remembering that old addage: It takes two to tango.
And, to revisit my intro, much like Marley from Dickens' A Christmas Carol, whether or not the Troubles are "over", they can still haunt, and, much like Victoria Square that can be a good and a bad thing. People can choose to commemorate those that made sacrifices for what they believe in and sometimes acknowledging tension is the best way to control it. History is a tightrope walk between forgiving, forgetting, and commemorating, but maybe the most important thing to remember is Mr. Dickens (or Gonzo the Great if you prefer the Muppets version of the story like myself) knew it would take the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to save Scrooge's soul.
As we head into a tumultous 2017, maybe we can all learn something from Belfast at Christmas time. We can choose the division simmering just below the surface or we can learn that the market is only open for a little while so we better try everything we can while we can.
So, in the interest of protecting that beautiful glass dome, maybe we could all use a night at the Christmas Market.
Let me stress my interest in this post is not to take a side (even if I may have one), but it is worth remembering that old addage: It takes two to tango.
And, to revisit my intro, much like Marley from Dickens' A Christmas Carol, whether or not the Troubles are "over", they can still haunt, and, much like Victoria Square that can be a good and a bad thing. People can choose to commemorate those that made sacrifices for what they believe in and sometimes acknowledging tension is the best way to control it. History is a tightrope walk between forgiving, forgetting, and commemorating, but maybe the most important thing to remember is Mr. Dickens (or Gonzo the Great if you prefer the Muppets version of the story like myself) knew it would take the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to save Scrooge's soul.
As we head into a tumultous 2017, maybe we can all learn something from Belfast at Christmas time. We can choose the division simmering just below the surface or we can learn that the market is only open for a little while so we better try everything we can while we can.
So, in the interest of protecting that beautiful glass dome, maybe we could all use a night at the Christmas Market.