Ireland: "the US is just good entertainment"...

I am always interested to hear what other countries think of the US. In Ireland, people had relatively strong opinions/feelings about the US.
Long story short, the clutch went out on our rental car and we got stuck in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere- somewhere near Ballydesmond. So we needed to call AA (no not triple A, double A). After waiting a lot longer than an Irish 5 minutes AA arrived and I ended up next to him in his truck to get to the Shannon Airport.
Once he found out I was American he starting ruffling around in his side compartment, until he pulled out a large container full of CD's. After putting in ACDC, The Dropkick Murphy's, and Kid Cudi, he found the CD he was looking for-it was recordings of talk shows criticizing Bush, Tiger Woods, Paris Hilton, and other American icons. He laughed heartily, and I must admit that I thought it was pretty good stuff. He asked me about my opinions of former President Bush (who is apparently hated by nearly all Irish, and particularly by this man) and Obama (who the Irish were generally in favor of, mostly because he was going to visit Offaly county in May).

I, in turn, asked him about his opinion of President Kennedy, who all Irish seemed to love, to the point a main square/park in the large city of Galway was named after him after he visited for less than 24 hours.
The AA man seemed to have steadfast opinions on many American presidents and celebrities. However, as he said, to the Irish "the US is just good entertainment for us here overseas, just f***ing funny stuff."

Overall, this instance and the trip in general reminded me of how brightly the global spotlight shines on America. There are many stereotypes about American politics, tourists and general ways of life.
One article further highlights what the Irish and other Europeans think of us Americans. Is there a way to improve how we are thought of by the rest of the world?

The View from the Top

I can't believe it. It's over.

At 2:16 today we turned in our junior themes....CONGRATS EVERYONE!!!!
I just had to take a post to acknowledge everyone's hard work, some sleepless nights, great teamwork and class bonding (through peer editing, interviews and late night Skype sessions). We did it, and I hope everyone's relieved, proud and finally taking some time to celebrate Passover and Easter.

(and no worries Doc Oc and Bolos, I'll write a legit post shortly!)

Ireland: Simplicity

(A continuation of my trip to Ireland...please note that this was my personal perception of the 'state of things' and is not fact or applicable to the country as a whole!)

Within a half hour of landing in Shannon, Ireland I realized that the Irish sense of time is somewhat skewed. An airport security guard warned my family and I of a "Irish 5 minutes". In reality their 5 minutes is a half and hour in reality.

Throughout the trip the "Irish 5 minutes" was applicable across the country (from Galway to Glendalough). The Irish seemed to have a much laid back attitude about life in general. My high-strung family, used to rushing around, stressed out about work, school and time was somewhat confused by the degree of relaxation that the Irish generally seemed to incorporate in their everyday life.
My sister attends the National University of Ireland in Galway. She has noted, as a very high-achieving and self-motivated student, that Irish students take school less seriously than students in America... one could definitely say they're more laid back and take time to enjoy themselves even more so than students at certain so-dubbed "party" schools in the US.
It seemed to me that the Irish follow a different lifestyle with different priorities and a different mindset.

I think that America, or at least the Northshore, could take a lesson from the Irish. We should all take a 20 minute break from our day to sit down with a cup of tea, and heck maybe even a scone!

(In major cities there were advertisements for therapy and yoga and such in many places. In fact Ireland has it's own Stress Management Institute... check it out!

Ireland: Heritage

Clonmacnoise, Ireland                                        March 29th, 2011

"May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be ever at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall softly on your fields
And until we meet again, May God hold
you in the hollow of his hand"

~ Traditional Irish Blessing

Ireland: Housing Boom

For my Spring Break this year, I left the US to visit Ireland for 10 days. It was a brilliant trip, and a lovely country. While I was overseas I noticed many cultural and economic differences and figured I could share some of them with you all. (Maybe a series of posts on Ireland...)

Most people are familiar with the Irish potato famine and the hardships the country and people have faced. However, what many do not know is that the economy of Ireland today is in a deep recession, like the US. Ireland fell victim to a housing boom. Contractors constructed a multitude of houses. On my trip I saw clusters of modern houses, all similar in style and size. The majority of the houses/building however were empty. Ireland spent a huge amount of money on this housing project leaving the banks in debt. For more detailed information on Irish finance news please visit http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1015142.shtml .

The debt was substantial leaving the Irish government to look for advise from other countries. The US prompted the Irish to bail out the banks, which has now left Ireland in a deep recession.
In my opinion, the US led Ireland astray.

Above is a chart where the increase in buildings constructed corresponds with a net migration (out of the country) likely due to the bad economic times Ireland is under- likely due to the housing boom and bank bail-out.

"We Are One"

Today, April 4, 2011 marks the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. This year a "We Are One" campaign is taking place in honor of MLK's dream of collective bargaining and equal rights. The event is occurring across the country where union members and their supporters are coming together to show their support for unions, the middle class, and workers rights. The decline of unions is curious, and especially prevalent today due to the events that have taken place in Wisconsin. More information about "We Are One" is available here: http://www.aflcio.org/splash_april4_live.cfm?continue=/commonspot/sync/packethandlers/do-packet-steps.cfm

Events, rallies, vigils, speeches and community meeting are taking place in every state. There is so much you can do to show your support for unions, and events are even happening in the New Trier Township. Tonight (April 4th) at 8:00PM in Wilmette at 1324 Gregory Avenue, "Teachers that believe in reducing the structural system/control of tenure (while upholding Union Rights)" are meeting for the  "Teachers of the Burbs" event as part of "We Are One."

Show your support for America's labor movement by signing the pledge to make a difference! Thanks!