Winter Solstice in Dublin

Winter Solstice in Dublin
Originally uploaded by Dave G Kelly

Happy Yule everyone!

Photo by David Kelly.. Solstice 2007

3 Months tomorrow!

Well i've been here 3 months tomorrow! While there isn't a lot to report since mid October as can be seen by the action on this here blog... things are still settling themselves in. ie: I am still amongst the unemployed in this country. Funny how unemployment is at the highest rate it's been since 1996. Guess when the last time I was here was! Yep, 1996. I know how to follow the financial trends eh?! haha.

I have of late been staring at the sky a fair bit. Well more precisely, the view from my 'quasi home office' - ie: the dining room table until I get a desk. One thing i have loved about Ireland and Scotland is the ever-changing (and rapidly so), sky. (I'm thankfully told that my friend Nat stared at the tree outside her window when she wasn't working f/t and has many pictures of it too)

here's one view...



and about 1/2 later!



So, keeping my spirits up can be trying on some days, but I do believe things will fall into place and as long as I stay calm, keep applying for work and believe in the choice I made, it will all work out.

Christmas is in the air and the decorations and lights went up early here for two reasons.



1. to boost moral and 2. to try and boost spending. I agree with the first aspect, not a big fan of the 2nd for a couple reasons. One Christmas shouldn't all be about the gifts, though I like giving and of course receiving, but I like the coming together with friends and family more. Also, the fact that I am not financially able this year to give the way I normally would, i'd rather the holiday sneak by and my guilt can ease itself off as we enter the New Year!

Christmas has also been an interesting time in my life. (Great as a child, not so much as a teen and onward, with hope for when i have children to make it magical again) It was truly a magical time when I was a child. In our house we celebrated a few tradtions...one, on December 6th, Saint Nikolaus Day.

The most memorable of this tradition happened when I was 4 years old. Saint Nikolaus would come to our house in the afternoon for a concert. The children who lived on our road and a few from town would also come by and we would sing a song, or read a poem or play a song on the violin (my contribution), and he would give us a little gift and all was well with the world. This was actually the 2nd part of the day. The first part of Saint Nikolaus Day starts the night before when you put your shoes (shined preferably) at the end of your bed and if when you wake in the morning there are chocolates and treats, then you can rest on your laurels til Christmas, because you've been deemed good for the year. IF however, you have stones and twigs (I never did!) then you had a few problems and you had until Christmas to prove yourself.

Anyway. Saint Nikolaus had a side-kick. His name was Krampas or Schmutzli (literally translated: Dirty Man!?) He did not come along everytime and in fact he didn't come again to our house after that first visit when I was four. The day was lovely, Saint Nikolaus was there, we sang, we had treats and then BANG! The front door slammed open and you could hear chains clanging down the hallway. From around the doorway came a man dressed in burlap and twigs and chains and soot all over his face. He informed us he was there to take away the kids and adults who had been bad that year. (I guess the parents thought it would be funny or teach a moral lesson) When he said he was coming to take my Dad, my sister started crying and said NO NO TAKE ME! and I was so scared I peed my pants on my Mom's lap.

Another tradition was that we celebrated was that we put the tree up on the 24th and also celebrated on that day. My sister and I would be sent upstairs for the afternoon to sleep, (instead we were far too excited and either lying there with upset stomachs or jumping on the bed). My Mom would decorate the tree in the living room blocked off by a thick velvet curtain and then hours later we would be called down for dinner and listen to the radio of the satellite tracking Santa's sleigh. After dinner a bell would ring signaling Santa's escape back up the chimney and the curtain would open to reveal the tree! The tree with real candles and gold and silver ornaments, some with mirrors and some wooden ones sent over from Germany, and some that we had made. The room was lit only by the candles for the most part and it was a warm and beautiful sight. Music was played by us and carols sang and then we would each take turns giving gifts.

Now I am here and it will be quite different than those memories, but it is part of the adventure I set out on this year. I was going to go to my sisters in Spain for the holidays, but it's not the right time to travel. I may go over to Scotland to see my friend Ann, but again it's a wait and see situation.

Other than that I have not been on lock down and have been able to get out a little also. Ah yes, and not without incident. One night after seeing the band, Eli Paperboy Reed and the True Loves I was chatting away with some people I had met not watching where I was going and WHAM! I slammed into a lamppost, knocked myself out and almost got hit by a car when I had fallen partly onto the road after knocking myself out. Yes, in all honesty some pints had been drunken beforehand, but it was truly because I was looking at the person I was speaking to and not looking in front of me. Luckily, it all ended well and although I had a concussion and a headache for a week I survived another adventure. Haha! Andrew almost bought me a t-shirt today that said "I love lamp" (post). hahahaha

Another great band I saw was Prenup, made up of Hothouse Flower & Pogues alumni, Fiachna O Braonain, Dave Clarke and Cait O'Riordan. I had met Fiachna many years ago at the Horseshoe in Toronto and had contacted him when I arrived here in hopes of making contacts and through this, he was gracious enough to send an email to his mailing list to introduce me and my work experience. I thought it was very sweet of him and thanked him heartily after the show.

Also going to see Stereolab this coming Saturday and there are many other shows I'd like to go to but will have to wait til more money is coming in. All in good time.

k
well, have babbled on here long enough for the moment. Will write more soon and attempt at more often as well. :)