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Category Archives: Irish University
The Irish Way
When I first landed in Dublin last August, I had very little idea what the year had in store. I had not been to Ireland, I knew only the basics of Irish history, and candidly, I had not even been … Continue reading
Posted in Trinity College Dublin
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Gestalt
There’s a compositional idea in some 20th– and 21st-century music known as gestalt, referring to the perception of a larger structure created by many unique components. In composition, it basically means the juxtaposition or superimposition of different ideas without connective … Continue reading
You’re Very Welcome
You’re very welcome. Very welcome to University. Very welcome to the pub. Very welcome to church. Very welcome to Ireland. Ireland is often said to be the land of 100,000 welcomes. Almost wherever you go across the island, Céad Míle … Continue reading
On the Pacific, In Pubs, With Time
On Sunday afternoons in the oldest pub in Dublin, there’s music in guitars and in glasses of Guinness. I go sometimes. I duck under waving pints and make my way to the center of the room. It looks like every … Continue reading
A Close Fall in a Year of Lessons
When I was an EMT in college, I responded to a 911 call to find a man in his fifties, white as a sheet, panting in a stairwell of a parking garage. The paramedics’ ECG quickly and unambiguously confirmed that … Continue reading
An Idyllic Irish Year
This spring’s schedule has been a whirlwind for me, and I still have over a month remaining in Ireland, but this last Mitchell blog post has suddenly thrust me into a mode of reminiscence. Not to worry – I hail … Continue reading
Friendships
When I moved to Ireland I had been told of how welcoming and friendly the Irish were. Despite this glowing reputation, I had concerns as anyone might have about being able to develop close friendships with such a dramatic move … Continue reading
have your tea biscuits and eat them too
As I was tumbling from a pier in Howth, I felt as though I had a lifetime to think about feathers. Bird feathers and bowling balls because in a vacuum they fall at the same rate, at the exact same … Continue reading
Blessings on blessings
I’ve always thought that being mindful of one’s blessings reaps rewards for mental health and spirit. Finding ways to be thankful brings assurance and perspective to testy times and can help a person recognize – even maximize –unique opportunities whenever … Continue reading
Normalized No More: Gaining Perspective from Irish Prisons
The first time I stepped foot on Rikers Island, New York’s main jail complex, was in 2012 for a college course. I was struck by the long bridge, big fences, high walls, and sharp barbed wire. The old, run-down buildings, … Continue reading
Posted in University College Cork
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Diplomacy – the Irish way
As I approach the midpoint of my year in Ireland, I am both surprised how fast the first half went by and looking forward to all that is to come in 2018. The “homestretch” of last semester saw me mostly … Continue reading
Posted in University College Dublin
Tagged Brexit, diplomacy, International Relations
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Silent “M”s and Silent Nights: an Ode to “oments”
“Where are my international students?” Unable to escape the subsequent prodding and nudging by the giggling sopranos around me, I warily raise my hand. The director turns his attention to it, unfortunately and apparently the only hand in the room. … Continue reading