Ireland: The Good, the Bad, but Not the Ugly. Day 1.2

Day 1.2 8:38 am. Friday, September 3, 2008

Um. I think I am in love with this country.

9:00 am

Tour lecture time.

Topic One: Vikings settle Dublin in 998 (about 5 minutes of speech)
Topic Two: Guinness (at least 20 minutes of speech)

Irish slang to learn:

1. "I'm a craichead" or "I'm having the craic" or "good/great craic" or "the craic was mighty" or "the craic was up to 90"#
--This means "I am having fun" or "I enjoy good times!", not to be confused with drug use.
2. "feck" (a derivative of the f-word)
--Completely acceptable, can even be said to your grandmas or priest
--For example at the dinner table: "Feck off grandma, I don't want anymore feckin' potatoes" ... "I was only feckin' askin."
3. "eejit"
--same as "idiot", but much politer and less mean

Now for the Irish music!

10:58 am

It's not even eleven o'clock and I have already had a 'tiffle' of whiskey and a pink cupcake (I can't resist adorable foods).

Just toured an Irish Whiskey Distillery. My favorite part was the sounds of the still-working water wheel - an ominous creaking and groaning that didn't quite fill up the room but rather snuck up behind you and wraps around your shoulders. Strangely comforting...I didn't listen to most of what the tour guide said - wasn't interested, and too fascinated with the 300 year old working machinery. (Which, hypocritically, was probably what she was talking about. Ah well.)

On to the monastery!