Well, it seems that after approximately 6 years the construction of the new house which is our new home is completed. Now, that means that we can live in the house and eat etc. in the house but it will probably not be finished-finished 100% for some more time. But we move in tomorrow if plans go accordingly...
Why are we moving in tomorrow, you might ask, when the house was ready since Wednesday? A curious question - but a good and fair one!
I met a neighbour and told him we were moving in on Wednesday. He asked would I not wait till Friday. Then all hell broke loose. I don't know why but the tradition is that Friday is the only day to move if you want to be blessed with good luck. Look HERE for a discussion of the topic. Far be it from me to challenge the traditions/superstitions of the learned heads of west Mayo.
Rather than draw attention of a negative sort to the move we decided to move on the Friday which is tomorrow. As a result we will have compromised internet access for some time so...
While I will try to post blogs I am not committing to it for some time - say a month - into the new year. But I might get to it (before that) too.
There you go. When in Rome..., When in the West of Ireland....
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wrote off the Car!
I was in Galway last week (first mistake). Visited a pub in Galway on Thursday night. Great trad. music session was going strong and then Sharon Shannon joined them impromptu. That was good.
Left Galway on Friday to go to Armagh (second mistake) via Athlone. The guard at the Dublin Road advised me to detour to Gort, Loughrea and on to Athlone. I took his advice (third mistake).
Gort was flooded and I was detoured around it. Got to Loughrea after driving through a small flood. Headed on for Athlone through Portumna. The guards signaled the drivers to go through a deeper flood. I as in a long line of traffic so I kept going (fourth mistake).
Car cut out in the middle of the flood. It started again. I got through and then - BANG! Car wrote off.
Stranded in Portumna for the night. Settled down in Hotel room and relaxed. Got back to Galway on Saturday and stayed with friends another night. Got back to Louisburgh on Sunday after being a passenger in a car that went through 4 or 5 small floods.
It is amazing what water can and will do.
One mistake I did NOT make was to settle for 3rd party insurance. Fully comprehensive will cover value of car. Will always have fully comp. insurance on my car in future. And will not drive through floods again - just because "they" are.
T.
Left Galway on Friday to go to Armagh (second mistake) via Athlone. The guard at the Dublin Road advised me to detour to Gort, Loughrea and on to Athlone. I took his advice (third mistake).
Gort was flooded and I was detoured around it. Got to Loughrea after driving through a small flood. Headed on for Athlone through Portumna. The guards signaled the drivers to go through a deeper flood. I as in a long line of traffic so I kept going (fourth mistake).
Car cut out in the middle of the flood. It started again. I got through and then - BANG! Car wrote off.
Stranded in Portumna for the night. Settled down in Hotel room and relaxed. Got back to Galway on Saturday and stayed with friends another night. Got back to Louisburgh on Sunday after being a passenger in a car that went through 4 or 5 small floods.
It is amazing what water can and will do.
One mistake I did NOT make was to settle for 3rd party insurance. Fully comprehensive will cover value of car. Will always have fully comp. insurance on my car in future. And will not drive through floods again - just because "they" are.
T.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Mayo Science Fair: www.bladair.com
We launced www.bladair.com yesterday at the Mayo Science Fair in The Traveller's Friend Hotel in Castlebar.
The Mayo Education Centre launched one of it's recent projects yesterday as a part of the Mayo Science Fair. I was invited to be a part of the event and therefore I introduced many young budding bloggers to the world of blogging as Gaeilge (through the language of Irish).
The blog is live at www.bladair.com and it is a very easy step-by-step process.
The idea is to engage the language in a fun way that is not "academically" emphasised on the surface but is obviously educational covertly. (There may be a contradiction there - but y'know what I mean).
Each month until next march there will be two prizes of 50E awarded for good (the best) blogs.
So there you go. New technology plus economic prizes, being used to encourage our youth to engage with new technology through the medium of the Irish language.
Now, how else can we use new technology for other positive humanistic projects?
The Mayo Education Centre launched one of it's recent projects yesterday as a part of the Mayo Science Fair. I was invited to be a part of the event and therefore I introduced many young budding bloggers to the world of blogging as Gaeilge (through the language of Irish).
The blog is live at www.bladair.com and it is a very easy step-by-step process.
The idea is to engage the language in a fun way that is not "academically" emphasised on the surface but is obviously educational covertly. (There may be a contradiction there - but y'know what I mean).
Each month until next march there will be two prizes of 50E awarded for good (the best) blogs.
So there you go. New technology plus economic prizes, being used to encourage our youth to engage with new technology through the medium of the Irish language.
Now, how else can we use new technology for other positive humanistic projects?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Got to sit as a facilitator/educator for a couple of hours.
As part of the Science Fair in Mayo, a competition is being held for students from the ages of 12-18. They must create a video by capturing the raw footage on a mobile phone, and then the completed product must be between 30 sec.s and 2 min.s long.
The Mayo Education Centre, in conjunction with the County Council has provided the facilities for the editing/uploading etc. of these projects at it's state-of-the-art building in Castlebar.
I have been given the opportunity to advise the students in this setting.
The youth of West Mayo are computer savvy, visually creative and efficient. They are also polite, well mannered and a pleasure to advise.
It's good to be back!
The Mayo Education Centre, in conjunction with the County Council has provided the facilities for the editing/uploading etc. of these projects at it's state-of-the-art building in Castlebar.
I have been given the opportunity to advise the students in this setting.
The youth of West Mayo are computer savvy, visually creative and efficient. They are also polite, well mannered and a pleasure to advise.
It's good to be back!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The job search continues.
It's been busy the last couple of weeks with many things going on. I applied for three positions in the Galway VEC. I was invited to interview for two of the positions. The interviews were last Thursday. I got word today that I did not get the job(s).
The applications were a form document which recorded much of the details of my qualifications but I included a copy of my CV and reference letters also. I did not learn how many applicants there were, or how many made the "short-list" for interview.
The interview panel was made up of three people. Two of them were officials associated with the VEC and one was the principal/director of the school in which the advertised position was available. Therefore the panels for both jobs had two people in common and one was different for each post. Both interviews took place in the same building.
It is a long time since I interviewed for anything so I do hope to get feedback from the panel to help me in improving my interview skills. But I did feel good about my chances for one of the positions, and I am particularly interested in learning from the panel about my performance in that interview.
After approximately eight weeks living at home I have been invited to interview for two jobs. In my book that is not bad going. So, being positive and looking forward to the "right" position coming up is what interests me now.
In the days when I was chasing acting jobs, rejection rolled off me like water off a duck's back. This isn't the case today - But It Will Be Tomorrow. I have a strong back.
It is human to question things and it is human to be disappointed and it is also human to get up and carry on. My position is out there and I will find it and it will find me. Perhaps more "water has to be shed off this duck's back."
And, if so, it will be.
The applications were a form document which recorded much of the details of my qualifications but I included a copy of my CV and reference letters also. I did not learn how many applicants there were, or how many made the "short-list" for interview.
The interview panel was made up of three people. Two of them were officials associated with the VEC and one was the principal/director of the school in which the advertised position was available. Therefore the panels for both jobs had two people in common and one was different for each post. Both interviews took place in the same building.
It is a long time since I interviewed for anything so I do hope to get feedback from the panel to help me in improving my interview skills. But I did feel good about my chances for one of the positions, and I am particularly interested in learning from the panel about my performance in that interview.
After approximately eight weeks living at home I have been invited to interview for two jobs. In my book that is not bad going. So, being positive and looking forward to the "right" position coming up is what interests me now.
In the days when I was chasing acting jobs, rejection rolled off me like water off a duck's back. This isn't the case today - But It Will Be Tomorrow. I have a strong back.
It is human to question things and it is human to be disappointed and it is also human to get up and carry on. My position is out there and I will find it and it will find me. Perhaps more "water has to be shed off this duck's back."
And, if so, it will be.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Container arrives in Louisburgh
The container landed in Louisburgh driven by a very competent acquaintance of mine. He drove down the narrow approach road and in the gate as if it were a 5 lane freeway. I was worried that there would be difficulty with bringing a truck, with a 40 foot container attached to it, on to the back roads of West Mayo. The driver knew the terrain and he knew the destination so this eliminated some of the potential issues that might arise.
A neighbour came over with a forklift to remove a couple of heavy items. There were (P.J., J., S., M., K., H., J., S., B., J., P., F., and myself) thirteen people involved in the unloading of the container. Most of these were organised but some of them saw the need, parked outside, and joined in the effort. The community spirit is alive and well in West Mayo.
Anna had made a bunch of sandwiches and supplied drinks but there wasn't much time for either. Most of the helpers had a drink after the container was emptied but didn't indulge in the vittles.
The driver has transported materials, furniture and goods on the continent of America, Europe, Russia and in Ireland and said that he never saw a container emptied so fast. It took almost one hour to unload the container and a good portion of the goods were moved to the upstairs during that hour. Sometimes the obvious must be stated: "Many hands make light work."
I had been informed by others that it would be easy to empty the container in 2 to 3 hours but even at that, I was concerned that we might not get it done in time. Although, having an acquaintance as the driver helps to alleviate the anxiety associated with the container's return (some shipping companies put time restrictions on the container availability). He put us all at ease and conducted the offload professionally.
The arrival of the container and the unloading was an unexpectedly pleasant experience. I had somehow managed to forget much of what was in that container. The familiar items will, I think, remind us of San Francisco as we open the boxes and set up our new home. The house is being finished now but it may be December before we get to move in.
All in good time. The move has been great so far.
A neighbour came over with a forklift to remove a couple of heavy items. There were (P.J., J., S., M., K., H., J., S., B., J., P., F., and myself) thirteen people involved in the unloading of the container. Most of these were organised but some of them saw the need, parked outside, and joined in the effort. The community spirit is alive and well in West Mayo.
Anna had made a bunch of sandwiches and supplied drinks but there wasn't much time for either. Most of the helpers had a drink after the container was emptied but didn't indulge in the vittles.
The driver has transported materials, furniture and goods on the continent of America, Europe, Russia and in Ireland and said that he never saw a container emptied so fast. It took almost one hour to unload the container and a good portion of the goods were moved to the upstairs during that hour. Sometimes the obvious must be stated: "Many hands make light work."
I had been informed by others that it would be easy to empty the container in 2 to 3 hours but even at that, I was concerned that we might not get it done in time. Although, having an acquaintance as the driver helps to alleviate the anxiety associated with the container's return (some shipping companies put time restrictions on the container availability). He put us all at ease and conducted the offload professionally.
The arrival of the container and the unloading was an unexpectedly pleasant experience. I had somehow managed to forget much of what was in that container. The familiar items will, I think, remind us of San Francisco as we open the boxes and set up our new home. The house is being finished now but it may be December before we get to move in.
All in good time. The move has been great so far.
Images of Home
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Images of the approach to our new home: Installment #3
The reek is clearly visible from the Westport to Louisburgh road.
This is the approach to Louisburgh village.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Images of the approach to our new home: Installment #2
As requested I am posting photos of our new home/life. This will be an ongoing part of this blog.
As promised I am showing here the approach in the rain. The hint of course is the windshield wipers. Doesn't it even look good in the wet?
Our driver was very understanding when we needed to slow down or even stop to take some shots:
As promised I am showing here the approach in the rain. The hint of course is the windshield wipers. Doesn't it even look good in the wet?
Our driver was very understanding when we needed to slow down or even stop to take some shots:
Testing Cattle in West Mayo
The rain has made itself known today. But it is forecast to clear up in the afternoon.
I was over in the house organising things at about 8.15 a.m. and I got a call from M. I've known M since childhood. He was having the "testing" done on the cattle and was wondering if I could come over for twenty minutes to help with herding them into the yard. I was only a half mile away so I said I'd be straight over.
No bother getting them in the yard but couldn't get them in the shed. The vet arrived. You are supposed to be ready and waiting when Mr. Vet arrives. We weren't ready or waiting. He, the vet, was understanding and patient, but you'd be on edge to be ready for him anyway (kinda like in the old days how you'd be on edge if the priest was visiting!)
As we got the cattle into the crush the rain came hard. I was dressed for a San Francisco day except for the wellys I had purchased a week ago for lawn-cutting. So I had the wellys and that was a good thing. We were through fields of long rushes chasing after the livestock and sinking in the wet muddy soil. Even though I had wellys my jeans were wetted up to my thighs. The mud got on my jeans at the level of my knees. I don't know how this happens but it does and it reminded me of the days before I left, many of them spent in long wet rushes in the wet fields running after cattle.
The vet was "testing" for T.B . This is done, I believe, on all animals over 18 months if they're being sold ,and on animals over 24 months regardless of whether they're being sold or not. Mr. Vet trimmed a little hair off the animal's coat before inserting two quick injections located above the shoulder. After asking him, he answered that the trimming was a way for him to identify where he prodded the animal, so he could inspect that area in a few days to observe the reaction to the injection. I tried to see where he had removed the hair from but it was not clearly obvious to me. He also took blood from the animals in a very private, I would say, location. M., the farmer, lifted the animals tails up high while the vet took a sample of blood from the underside of the tail. This extraction was the exact same as we humans experience in the doctors office except not at a similar location. I can only imagine what it felt like to the cows and I hope that is the way I stay for life!
All done and we let the animals out into their fields again. I presume they were happy to be released and to have the invasion of their privacy over. Mr. Vet went on his merry way.
I was soaked to the skin. M. and myself talked for a little while and the coldness set in through the wet clothes. I was afraid I'd get pneumonia. I haven't got it yet.
I left M. at approximately 12 noon. Note to self: 20 minutes is 3 hours and forty-five minutes in Ireland. Note to self: Remember this and I'll be fine.
Got home. Changed. Lit turf fire. Anna was frying (again). We have to stop the fries. Brilliant. Rested on couch and had to remove my sweater. I was all warm and fuzzy again.
The day is clearing up now and it is promised good for a few days again. We've had great weather since we came back. It is indeed nice to be here and I think we are settling nicely.
I was over in the house organising things at about 8.15 a.m. and I got a call from M. I've known M since childhood. He was having the "testing" done on the cattle and was wondering if I could come over for twenty minutes to help with herding them into the yard. I was only a half mile away so I said I'd be straight over.
No bother getting them in the yard but couldn't get them in the shed. The vet arrived. You are supposed to be ready and waiting when Mr. Vet arrives. We weren't ready or waiting. He, the vet, was understanding and patient, but you'd be on edge to be ready for him anyway (kinda like in the old days how you'd be on edge if the priest was visiting!)
As we got the cattle into the crush the rain came hard. I was dressed for a San Francisco day except for the wellys I had purchased a week ago for lawn-cutting. So I had the wellys and that was a good thing. We were through fields of long rushes chasing after the livestock and sinking in the wet muddy soil. Even though I had wellys my jeans were wetted up to my thighs. The mud got on my jeans at the level of my knees. I don't know how this happens but it does and it reminded me of the days before I left, many of them spent in long wet rushes in the wet fields running after cattle.
The vet was "testing" for T.B . This is done, I believe, on all animals over 18 months if they're being sold ,and on animals over 24 months regardless of whether they're being sold or not. Mr. Vet trimmed a little hair off the animal's coat before inserting two quick injections located above the shoulder. After asking him, he answered that the trimming was a way for him to identify where he prodded the animal, so he could inspect that area in a few days to observe the reaction to the injection. I tried to see where he had removed the hair from but it was not clearly obvious to me. He also took blood from the animals in a very private, I would say, location. M., the farmer, lifted the animals tails up high while the vet took a sample of blood from the underside of the tail. This extraction was the exact same as we humans experience in the doctors office except not at a similar location. I can only imagine what it felt like to the cows and I hope that is the way I stay for life!
All done and we let the animals out into their fields again. I presume they were happy to be released and to have the invasion of their privacy over. Mr. Vet went on his merry way.
I was soaked to the skin. M. and myself talked for a little while and the coldness set in through the wet clothes. I was afraid I'd get pneumonia. I haven't got it yet.
I left M. at approximately 12 noon. Note to self: 20 minutes is 3 hours and forty-five minutes in Ireland. Note to self: Remember this and I'll be fine.
Got home. Changed. Lit turf fire. Anna was frying (again). We have to stop the fries. Brilliant. Rested on couch and had to remove my sweater. I was all warm and fuzzy again.
The day is clearing up now and it is promised good for a few days again. We've had great weather since we came back. It is indeed nice to be here and I think we are settling nicely.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Building a House (Post #1)
The Celtic Tiger is now a memory and you could be forgiven for assuming that prices are low and trades-people are available all over the place. They are not. But the system/culture here is strong. Trying to organise things in the US style just doesn't work, and frankly it is nice to see the culture restate itself.
Time is not something to be used as a commodity here. Time is living. It is a philosophical entity to be experienced and enjoyed and lived, not something to be scheduled, abused or misunderstood. Things get done here when they get done - not when you/I say they will be done.
We are at the finishing stages of constructing a new home that we started approximately six years ago. It has reached this stage by allowing the cultural approach to timing and scheduling take it's course. It has. It worked out beautifully while we were away because there was no sense of urgency on our part. Indeed we enjoyed getting to know some new people and rediscovering old acquaintances through the project.
Now that we are living here and somewhat anxious to get into our new home we are more aware of the schedule (lack of) and the cultural philosophical approach to time. Forty minutes chatting on the side of the road is still in vogue as it was when I left 20 years ago - and that is nice, it's a good thing.
Anyway, we/I are accepting the "time" as it is and in fact we are pleasantly surprised at the progress of the project and this is all happening within this approach to "time." We are "settling in."
Trades people show up when it fits into their "time." Generally if you ask a trades person what time they will be here tomorrow it is received with amusement/bewilderment and the question is not answered directly. Trades people don't show up when they say they will, if they say when, but they do show up and they work later here than my experiences of the US. So the work is getting done in "time." And it is on track. And it is getting done right (I hope).
Without trying to apply pressure to any individual I feel strongly that administering any kind of time-pressure on trades people here would have adverse effects (and we/I don't want any of those!). It gets done when it gets done.
For now it is getting done in "time" and also in time. So that is keeping everyone happy. It seems that we are settling in!
Time is not something to be used as a commodity here. Time is living. It is a philosophical entity to be experienced and enjoyed and lived, not something to be scheduled, abused or misunderstood. Things get done here when they get done - not when you/I say they will be done.
We are at the finishing stages of constructing a new home that we started approximately six years ago. It has reached this stage by allowing the cultural approach to timing and scheduling take it's course. It has. It worked out beautifully while we were away because there was no sense of urgency on our part. Indeed we enjoyed getting to know some new people and rediscovering old acquaintances through the project.
Now that we are living here and somewhat anxious to get into our new home we are more aware of the schedule (lack of) and the cultural philosophical approach to time. Forty minutes chatting on the side of the road is still in vogue as it was when I left 20 years ago - and that is nice, it's a good thing.
Anyway, we/I are accepting the "time" as it is and in fact we are pleasantly surprised at the progress of the project and this is all happening within this approach to "time." We are "settling in."
Trades people show up when it fits into their "time." Generally if you ask a trades person what time they will be here tomorrow it is received with amusement/bewilderment and the question is not answered directly. Trades people don't show up when they say they will, if they say when, but they do show up and they work later here than my experiences of the US. So the work is getting done in "time." And it is on track. And it is getting done right (I hope).
Without trying to apply pressure to any individual I feel strongly that administering any kind of time-pressure on trades people here would have adverse effects (and we/I don't want any of those!). It gets done when it gets done.
For now it is getting done in "time" and also in time. So that is keeping everyone happy. It seems that we are settling in!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Buying a Car.
Today is a fantastic day. Today is the first full day that Anna has her own car. We decided to get an automatic Ford Focus because the difficulty of learning to drive a manual along with adjusting to the tight roads is a little overwhelming and time demanding at this point in time for Anna.
But today Anna has her independence back. Neither Anna or myself would call ourselves materialistic but this day has me appreciating a car that has given Anna her freedom back. The simple things like running to the shop, visiting friends etc. are a major task when depending on one manual car and one driver.
Anna and Tommy Og are gone to Westport , and Sarah is sleeping in her bouncy chair in front of the open turf fire in the front room that looks out to a view of Croagh Patrick . The Lisbon Treaty, which was voted in in a referendum in Ireland today, is being discussed on the TV. And I am here in the dining area updating this blog...
The car is an automatic Ford Focus, 2004 sedan. It is spotless. There are approximately 70,000 miles on the clock. We bought it from a company that rents cars and also sells them. So this was a rental car and a friend of a friend found it in Tipperary town.
Great to have good friends. One of mine drove me to Tipperary Town on Thursday and I bought the car and drove it back after stopping in Galway to deliver three applications for jobs teaching media studies.
Before we left San Francisco we sold a 2003 Ford Focus automatic with 30,000 miles on the clock for 4,000 dollars. It was probably worth 4,500-5,000 dollars but we got a quick sale to a friend of a friend. The car we bought is a 2004 Ford Focus, automatic with 70,000 miles on the clock and we paid 6,500 euros for it and we feel, and are informed by a reliable source, that we got a good deal. That's how it goes. We must stop comparing things because it can be annoying!
I called the insurance company, that I had insurance on the other car with, and they transferred the insurance to the new car until we get it sorted out. Interesting to learn that we cannot have one insurance policy for the two cars (as they do in the US). We must get a whole new insurance policy for the new car and this will probably be expensive. I will post later how that goes and if it works best to put Anna's name on that policy as the primary driver.
Whatever the cost it is worth it. Anna has her independence back today and she and Tommy Og are gone to Westport, Sarah is sleeping in front of the open turf fire...
And I will take 40 winks now in front of the open turf fire with the view to Croagh Patrick through the window.
But today Anna has her independence back. Neither Anna or myself would call ourselves materialistic but this day has me appreciating a car that has given Anna her freedom back. The simple things like running to the shop, visiting friends etc. are a major task when depending on one manual car and one driver.
Anna and Tommy Og are gone to Westport , and Sarah is sleeping in her bouncy chair in front of the open turf fire in the front room that looks out to a view of Croagh Patrick . The Lisbon Treaty, which was voted in in a referendum in Ireland today, is being discussed on the TV. And I am here in the dining area updating this blog...
The car is an automatic Ford Focus, 2004 sedan. It is spotless. There are approximately 70,000 miles on the clock. We bought it from a company that rents cars and also sells them. So this was a rental car and a friend of a friend found it in Tipperary town.
Great to have good friends. One of mine drove me to Tipperary Town on Thursday and I bought the car and drove it back after stopping in Galway to deliver three applications for jobs teaching media studies.
Before we left San Francisco we sold a 2003 Ford Focus automatic with 30,000 miles on the clock for 4,000 dollars. It was probably worth 4,500-5,000 dollars but we got a quick sale to a friend of a friend. The car we bought is a 2004 Ford Focus, automatic with 70,000 miles on the clock and we paid 6,500 euros for it and we feel, and are informed by a reliable source, that we got a good deal. That's how it goes. We must stop comparing things because it can be annoying!
I called the insurance company, that I had insurance on the other car with, and they transferred the insurance to the new car until we get it sorted out. Interesting to learn that we cannot have one insurance policy for the two cars (as they do in the US). We must get a whole new insurance policy for the new car and this will probably be expensive. I will post later how that goes and if it works best to put Anna's name on that policy as the primary driver.
Whatever the cost it is worth it. Anna has her independence back today and she and Tommy Og are gone to Westport, Sarah is sleeping in front of the open turf fire...
And I will take 40 winks now in front of the open turf fire with the view to Croagh Patrick through the window.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Education and Opportunities: Studying and Teaching
From the point of view of further education or finding work as an instructor, this might be of interest to some of you:
Night classes are offered in many, many venues all over the country. Some of these are accredited and some are for fun, or for lifelong learning.
As a student you might find something interesting to do for a couple of hours one evening a week. Classes can be for subjects like "learning to play guitar for fun" to "flower arranging" to " ocean navigation" to "computers for beginners." The computer starter-classes seem to be the most popular.
As an instructor, you might consider trying to get in to deliver one of these night classes. If you have the inclination towards being an instructor for a class you should get in touch with the VEC of the county you wish to work in, and then also talk to the principals in the schools. It seems that the arts and crafts classes and the computer classes are successful in getting the numbers.
Some of the classes (one of which I offered) are self-funding. What this means is that if ten students sign up and pay the fee, which is usually around 100 Euros, the class goes ahead. If ten do not sign up then the class is cancelled. I honestly do not know what the instructor is paid as I have not been successful in getting the ten students to sign up.
But if your qualifications and/or strengths are in computers or art/crafts or a language you just might have the qualifications and skills that are desirable in the adult education, night class sector.
Night classes are offered in many, many venues all over the country. Some of these are accredited and some are for fun, or for lifelong learning.
As a student you might find something interesting to do for a couple of hours one evening a week. Classes can be for subjects like "learning to play guitar for fun" to "flower arranging" to " ocean navigation" to "computers for beginners." The computer starter-classes seem to be the most popular.
As an instructor, you might consider trying to get in to deliver one of these night classes. If you have the inclination towards being an instructor for a class you should get in touch with the VEC of the county you wish to work in, and then also talk to the principals in the schools. It seems that the arts and crafts classes and the computer classes are successful in getting the numbers.
Some of the classes (one of which I offered) are self-funding. What this means is that if ten students sign up and pay the fee, which is usually around 100 Euros, the class goes ahead. If ten do not sign up then the class is cancelled. I honestly do not know what the instructor is paid as I have not been successful in getting the ten students to sign up.
But if your qualifications and/or strengths are in computers or art/crafts or a language you just might have the qualifications and skills that are desirable in the adult education, night class sector.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Driving License: Installment #2
I have my provisional license now as stated earlier. If you want to get up-to-speed (pun intended) just follow this link.
With my provisional and my photos and a bit of cash I headed into the Motor Taxation Office, where I got my provisional license, in Castlebar to push on, and get my full driving license. We are happy with the progress we are making in getting set up here.
I was happily trotting into the office in Castlebar and feeling empowered and confident about applying for my full license. I handed my application form, photos and cash up on the counter. I waited.
The staff are really, really nice. It does help the experience when the people at the windows are pleasant and helpful. I waited.
She asked me for my certificate. "Damn, I forgot it." I then remembered that I had it in the car so I was given time to run out for it. I arrived back smiling again and presented said document.
"Oh no, not that. Your certificate," she said with a genuine concern. "Oh, says she, you didn't do the test, did you?" "I did" says I. "Did they give you a certificate when you passed" said she. "They did" said I, "and there it is." "But that's a certificate for the theory test, the written test" says she. "Yeah" says I and by now I was questioning the direction of this discussion! "Oh"says she, "when you do the driving test they give you a certificate and that is the one I need." "Oh", says I, "I only did the theory written test." "Yes," said she, "you need to do the practical driving test and then bring the certificate here and then apply for the full driving test." "That's fine," says I, "while I'm here sure I'll apply for the full test."
I thought that at long last we were on the one page.
Says she, "We don't do the application for the driving test." Thank God or whatever that I started to smile because she was being really, really nice (she must've thought I was a dimwit!) "But," says I, smiling by now, "that's what I am here for." "Oh we don't do those here" she said, "You'll have to apply for your test to another organisation." "Who?" says I. "The Road Safety Authority" says she.
"Aaww, well Holy God" says I to mesell. "Where are they?" says I. "I'll give you the form" says she. "You're like a mother to me," says I, "I don't know what I'd do without you" says I, and the two of us not quite laughing by now but not just smiling either!
So she gave me the form and I said that I would send it in immediately and that she was a great help. "Oh, says she, is this your first license?" "It is" says I, "except that I had a license for 20 years in the US." Says she, "You have to have your Provisional License for 6 months before they allow you to apply for the practical driving test, but if I was you," says she, " I'd apply after 5 months!" Aww, well Holy God! I couldn't hold it. I cracked up laughing - and you know what she did? She started laughing too!
In the middle of her laughter she got the words out, "Welcome home!"
With my provisional and my photos and a bit of cash I headed into the Motor Taxation Office, where I got my provisional license, in Castlebar to push on, and get my full driving license. We are happy with the progress we are making in getting set up here.
I was happily trotting into the office in Castlebar and feeling empowered and confident about applying for my full license. I handed my application form, photos and cash up on the counter. I waited.
The staff are really, really nice. It does help the experience when the people at the windows are pleasant and helpful. I waited.
She asked me for my certificate. "Damn, I forgot it." I then remembered that I had it in the car so I was given time to run out for it. I arrived back smiling again and presented said document.
"Oh no, not that. Your certificate," she said with a genuine concern. "Oh, says she, you didn't do the test, did you?" "I did" says I. "Did they give you a certificate when you passed" said she. "They did" said I, "and there it is." "But that's a certificate for the theory test, the written test" says she. "Yeah" says I and by now I was questioning the direction of this discussion! "Oh"says she, "when you do the driving test they give you a certificate and that is the one I need." "Oh", says I, "I only did the theory written test." "Yes," said she, "you need to do the practical driving test and then bring the certificate here and then apply for the full driving test." "That's fine," says I, "while I'm here sure I'll apply for the full test."
I thought that at long last we were on the one page.
Says she, "We don't do the application for the driving test." Thank God or whatever that I started to smile because she was being really, really nice (she must've thought I was a dimwit!) "But," says I, smiling by now, "that's what I am here for." "Oh we don't do those here" she said, "You'll have to apply for your test to another organisation." "Who?" says I. "The Road Safety Authority" says she.
"Aaww, well Holy God" says I to mesell. "Where are they?" says I. "I'll give you the form" says she. "You're like a mother to me," says I, "I don't know what I'd do without you" says I, and the two of us not quite laughing by now but not just smiling either!
So she gave me the form and I said that I would send it in immediately and that she was a great help. "Oh, says she, is this your first license?" "It is" says I, "except that I had a license for 20 years in the US." Says she, "You have to have your Provisional License for 6 months before they allow you to apply for the practical driving test, but if I was you," says she, " I'd apply after 5 months!" Aww, well Holy God! I couldn't hold it. I cracked up laughing - and you know what she did? She started laughing too!
In the middle of her laughter she got the words out, "Welcome home!"
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Visiting my Mother
One of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard in my life, I heard tonight - My mother laughing so hard that I worried she might collapse!
One of the beautiful things about having moved back is that I can "pop in" in to see Mammy whenever I feel like it. My mother doesn't get excited normally and therefore I don't know if she is happy or not that I am now living in close proximity to her, but it was obvious this evening that she was happy when I walked in the door. We had tea and some bread and marmalade while watching Fair City and a little bit of chat.
The phone rang. For the next 20 minutes or so I was in the kitchen alone with the TV and I could hear my mother in the phone-room laughing heartily. I had to turn the TV volume down to confirm that she was o.k. I'm not accustomed to hearing her laughing so hard. While I was away, though, she and I did laugh at times on the phone together.
What a beautiful sound. The sound of your mother laughing heartily. She was talking to her sister in Dublin, and her sister was recounting details of her conversations with their brother in Galway during a recent visit. He's a great person. I love to meet him.
If nothing else comes from the move back, the fact that I was there this evening and I heard my mother laughing like this makes it all worth while. It's the little things in life that are special.
More delivery of CVs tomorrow.
One of the beautiful things about having moved back is that I can "pop in" in to see Mammy whenever I feel like it. My mother doesn't get excited normally and therefore I don't know if she is happy or not that I am now living in close proximity to her, but it was obvious this evening that she was happy when I walked in the door. We had tea and some bread and marmalade while watching Fair City and a little bit of chat.
The phone rang. For the next 20 minutes or so I was in the kitchen alone with the TV and I could hear my mother in the phone-room laughing heartily. I had to turn the TV volume down to confirm that she was o.k. I'm not accustomed to hearing her laughing so hard. While I was away, though, she and I did laugh at times on the phone together.
What a beautiful sound. The sound of your mother laughing heartily. She was talking to her sister in Dublin, and her sister was recounting details of her conversations with their brother in Galway during a recent visit. He's a great person. I love to meet him.
If nothing else comes from the move back, the fact that I was there this evening and I heard my mother laughing like this makes it all worth while. It's the little things in life that are special.
More delivery of CVs tomorrow.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Looking for work: On the road
The criteria for acquiring substitute teachers has changed recently. Used to be that a school could bring in a substitute teacher for one day. Now the teacher has to be off for longer than one day to qualify the school to hire a substitute teacher.
I distributed 22 CVs on Wednesday and Thursday to primary (grammar) schools and secondary (high) schools. Everyone was very gracious and receptive to my marketing.
I visited places like Brackloon , Carrowkennedy , Drummin , Cogula, Murrisk , Lankhill , Lecanvey , Cloggernagh and, of course, Louisburgh . These are mostly small local areas with narrow roads in remote locations.
It is now apparent that I need to pull into the side of the road while on these roads because the others do not. They are so familiar with the roads that they plough on. At least twice I thought I was going to get hit in my little 206. The only realistic aproach now is to get in out of the way and let them pass by.
Many people beeped at me and flashed their lights. I thought they were annoyed at my driving but it became obvious that they knew my sister and her car, and expected to see her driving. I beeped back, flashed my lights back and waved energetically. It made me feel good!
With my qualifications, I am registered with the Teacher's Council of Ireland to teach at the VEC further education level or at Institute of Technology level. But I can also put my name in for substitute positions in the other schools, so if there is not a qualified teacher at primary or secondary level they can consider my services. The idea is to get any position going and get "in the system." Getting in the system, I have been informed, is being paid by the Board of Education. I then get a "number" and I am "in the system" and positioned better for the next opportunity.
The people are all very welcoming. Many recognise my surname and ask about my father and sisters. It all makes for good conversation. Some took the time to talk ot me about the online Hibernia course available for training to become a primary teacher. There is still a shortage of males in this profession I am advised. Perhaps if I get some experience as a substitute primary teacher and I like it, I would go ahead and do the course. It costs approximately 9,000 euros.
The job search is going great. The weather is still beautiful and travelling the highways and byways of the West is a true joy. I imagine that the great weather is having an impact of the positivity I am experiencing at all the schools I am visiting.
I have many more to visit.
The search continues.
I distributed 22 CVs on Wednesday and Thursday to primary (grammar) schools and secondary (high) schools. Everyone was very gracious and receptive to my marketing.
I visited places like Brackloon , Carrowkennedy , Drummin , Cogula, Murrisk , Lankhill , Lecanvey , Cloggernagh and, of course, Louisburgh . These are mostly small local areas with narrow roads in remote locations.
It is now apparent that I need to pull into the side of the road while on these roads because the others do not. They are so familiar with the roads that they plough on. At least twice I thought I was going to get hit in my little 206. The only realistic aproach now is to get in out of the way and let them pass by.
Many people beeped at me and flashed their lights. I thought they were annoyed at my driving but it became obvious that they knew my sister and her car, and expected to see her driving. I beeped back, flashed my lights back and waved energetically. It made me feel good!
With my qualifications, I am registered with the Teacher's Council of Ireland to teach at the VEC further education level or at Institute of Technology level. But I can also put my name in for substitute positions in the other schools, so if there is not a qualified teacher at primary or secondary level they can consider my services. The idea is to get any position going and get "in the system." Getting in the system, I have been informed, is being paid by the Board of Education. I then get a "number" and I am "in the system" and positioned better for the next opportunity.
The people are all very welcoming. Many recognise my surname and ask about my father and sisters. It all makes for good conversation. Some took the time to talk ot me about the online Hibernia course available for training to become a primary teacher. There is still a shortage of males in this profession I am advised. Perhaps if I get some experience as a substitute primary teacher and I like it, I would go ahead and do the course. It costs approximately 9,000 euros.
The job search is going great. The weather is still beautiful and travelling the highways and byways of the West is a true joy. I imagine that the great weather is having an impact of the positivity I am experiencing at all the schools I am visiting.
I have many more to visit.
The search continues.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Irish Culture and Media in 21st Century: Potential New Career
I was ashamed of myself, well not really in a shame-shame kind of way. Everything I do related to media is for research. So I was doing some research after a couple of impromptu visitors left me in my house alone, and as I do when I am home alone I had the TV on in the other room and positioned myself and the TV and the computer so that I could be watching it while I was researching what I was researching on the computer.
As a side note which only adds to the media research, I started getting emails from acquaintances in San Francisco because the time difference meant that some of my friends in SF were at work and they were communicating with me. (Now whether this is accepted practice by the "bosses," I do not know and I do not ask!)
I have spent almost 20 years in SF. I left Ireland in 1989 on November 24th when the plane flight was cancelled and Brendan Grace and myself (and many others) were sent to hotels in Shannon to pass the 24 hour delay. (No, I don't know Brendan Grace but this did happen.) And I returned with the family to Eire on August 27th, 2009. Never once in SF did I get sucked into a phone-in "game" on TV, or a TV shopping lark on TV in SF. Now, that's nearly 20 years of avoiding.
So there was a game on the TV tonight. It's called "Play TV" and it is on TV3, it seems, late at night. (As I "researched" this info. I just saw that Madmen is on RTE 2 so I just might have to take a break from this facet of my research and indulge in some Madmen to see where we are at in the sequence of Madmen on this side of the pond.) I knew that it was a gimick etc. etc. to get us to call in and they make money, somehow, off the phone calls. You know, a 100 euro? no way would you call in, two hundred? hah! But 800? Hmmm. A 1,000? - Now it is worth a few phone calls - I might think. BUT, how much is a phone call?
(I know, I know ... they got me - but the odds...?) So I made a call from my home phone line because I was confident in my answer. Oh the problem? Here it is:
14 + 28 x 3 -1 - 7 x 2 + 2 x 4 - 2 - (11 - 2) x 6 + 3 - 4 + (7 x 2) = ? Count!
Add all the numbers in the picture!
I called and it wouldn't accept my "blocked" number. I called from my mobile and it went through. I was asked a question like: "India is in Africa - press 1 for yes and 2 for no"
"George Best was a footballer - press ....."
"Moscow is the capital of Russia - press...."
"Cork is in Munster - press..."
These questions were gateway questions to get through to the next step while using up time on the phone. If you answered the question correctly the voice on the other end said something like, "Congratulations! you answered correctly. You verynearly got through to the studio. Try again now." If you got it wrong the voice on the other end said, "You very nearly got through to the studio. Try again now and you might get through next time."
I monitored the call from the mobile for economic purposes. It cost 1.99 for a call. It said "try again." I did - for research purposes. I stopped after X attempts.
I mean I had the "right" answer, I believed, and it was 493, I thought. There were answers coming in as diverse as 14, 28, 3, 1, 7, 2, 4, etc... How could they be so varied. It is math(s) after all.
So, there you go. I'm back in Ireland for less than 3 weeks and I am calling up a TV station in an attempt to win money while knowing that it is a business model that lets only the station win big. The prize is up to 5,000+ and the presenter continues to lament at the incorrect answers and tells us, the viewers, to "try again, look at your calculations and discover where you went wrong."
I really want to know the answer but she is getting on my nerves telling me to call again. It continues. Will we ever be able to get one individual in our society to correctly answer this mathematical problem? Are we so pathetic in our secluded homes that we could never solve the problem? Let alone satisfy the good looking woman on the screen? BTW, there are two females on the screen, the one who is talking and a photo image of an attractive (albeit subjective terminology) woman beside the graphic of the numbers problem. We are useless. There is none that can solve the problem! this has gone on for a long long time.
As I watch Madmen I wonder about the math problem and flick over. It is at 7,300 Euros and she is still asking for the correct answer to be "brought to the table" while the photo image of the other woman in a red dress, held up off her legs by her hands, is very present on the two-dimensional screen.
Oh my God, or as my daughter texted me today, OMG, - Is this the culture of Ireland that I have returned to with my wife and young family. Is this my future in the West of Ireland? Did I let my guard down because I am in the West and felt impenetrable in this remote area? Does geography actually matter in relation to the reach of the media? Am I just as penetrable by the media in Louisburgh as in San Francisco?
I think so. My guard goes back up right now! Over to Madmen. Seriously, I have switched to Madmen. I do not know the answer to the problem. My answer was called in by another and she was told that she was wrong.
I love doing media research. The analysis always turns on the analyst!
Hmmm... wonder if someone won the prize over on TV3. I wonder if this business model might be an opportunity for employment for this returned immigrant?
As a side note which only adds to the media research, I started getting emails from acquaintances in San Francisco because the time difference meant that some of my friends in SF were at work and they were communicating with me. (Now whether this is accepted practice by the "bosses," I do not know and I do not ask!)
I have spent almost 20 years in SF. I left Ireland in 1989 on November 24th when the plane flight was cancelled and Brendan Grace and myself (and many others) were sent to hotels in Shannon to pass the 24 hour delay. (No, I don't know Brendan Grace but this did happen.) And I returned with the family to Eire on August 27th, 2009. Never once in SF did I get sucked into a phone-in "game" on TV, or a TV shopping lark on TV in SF. Now, that's nearly 20 years of avoiding.
So there was a game on the TV tonight. It's called "Play TV" and it is on TV3, it seems, late at night. (As I "researched" this info. I just saw that Madmen is on RTE 2 so I just might have to take a break from this facet of my research and indulge in some Madmen to see where we are at in the sequence of Madmen on this side of the pond.) I knew that it was a gimick etc. etc. to get us to call in and they make money, somehow, off the phone calls. You know, a 100 euro? no way would you call in, two hundred? hah! But 800? Hmmm. A 1,000? - Now it is worth a few phone calls - I might think. BUT, how much is a phone call?
(I know, I know ... they got me - but the odds...?) So I made a call from my home phone line because I was confident in my answer. Oh the problem? Here it is:
14 + 28 x 3 -1 - 7 x 2 + 2 x 4 - 2 - (11 - 2) x 6 + 3 - 4 + (7 x 2) = ? Count!
Add all the numbers in the picture!
I called and it wouldn't accept my "blocked" number. I called from my mobile and it went through. I was asked a question like: "India is in Africa - press 1 for yes and 2 for no"
"George Best was a footballer - press ....."
"Moscow is the capital of Russia - press...."
"Cork is in Munster - press..."
These questions were gateway questions to get through to the next step while using up time on the phone. If you answered the question correctly the voice on the other end said something like, "Congratulations! you answered correctly. You verynearly got through to the studio. Try again now." If you got it wrong the voice on the other end said, "You very nearly got through to the studio. Try again now and you might get through next time."
I monitored the call from the mobile for economic purposes. It cost 1.99 for a call. It said "try again." I did - for research purposes. I stopped after X attempts.
I mean I had the "right" answer, I believed, and it was 493, I thought. There were answers coming in as diverse as 14, 28, 3, 1, 7, 2, 4, etc... How could they be so varied. It is math(s) after all.
So, there you go. I'm back in Ireland for less than 3 weeks and I am calling up a TV station in an attempt to win money while knowing that it is a business model that lets only the station win big. The prize is up to 5,000+ and the presenter continues to lament at the incorrect answers and tells us, the viewers, to "try again, look at your calculations and discover where you went wrong."
I really want to know the answer but she is getting on my nerves telling me to call again. It continues. Will we ever be able to get one individual in our society to correctly answer this mathematical problem? Are we so pathetic in our secluded homes that we could never solve the problem? Let alone satisfy the good looking woman on the screen? BTW, there are two females on the screen, the one who is talking and a photo image of an attractive (albeit subjective terminology) woman beside the graphic of the numbers problem. We are useless. There is none that can solve the problem! this has gone on for a long long time.
As I watch Madmen I wonder about the math problem and flick over. It is at 7,300 Euros and she is still asking for the correct answer to be "brought to the table" while the photo image of the other woman in a red dress, held up off her legs by her hands, is very present on the two-dimensional screen.
Oh my God, or as my daughter texted me today, OMG, - Is this the culture of Ireland that I have returned to with my wife and young family. Is this my future in the West of Ireland? Did I let my guard down because I am in the West and felt impenetrable in this remote area? Does geography actually matter in relation to the reach of the media? Am I just as penetrable by the media in Louisburgh as in San Francisco?
I think so. My guard goes back up right now! Over to Madmen. Seriously, I have switched to Madmen. I do not know the answer to the problem. My answer was called in by another and she was told that she was wrong.
I love doing media research. The analysis always turns on the analyst!
Hmmm... wonder if someone won the prize over on TV3. I wonder if this business model might be an opportunity for employment for this returned immigrant?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Getting a car and insurance to go with it.
A practical guide to getting mobile (set up with a car and license and insurance):
As luck would have it my sister was selling a 2002 Peugeot 206. We test drove it, Anna and myself, and we decided fairly quickly that we would invest in this lovely little "careen". There are a few reasons why this was a good idea. The engine is small 1100 cc (don't know what that means but it is good for registration), it is good on petrol/gas mileage, it is an easy car to learn how to drive a manual/stick-shift (for Anna) and although the insurance companies say it doesn't matter I think the valuation of the vehicle does have a relationship to the insurance premium.
Any way, we purchased a red Peugeot 206, 2002 with 98,000 miles for 2,000 Euros. Neither Anna or myself have ever had a license in Ireland. This means that we have to apply for a provisional license, sit a theory test, then apply for a full license, sit the practical test and then get a full license. I have done the theory test and have not yet applied for the practical full test.
The theory test is: Get the book and study it. (My nephews advised getting the cd and studying that way. I did not.) I passed. For a fee you can register for this online, show up with id and sit the test, hopefully pass it and then get a certificate to say that you have passed it. Note: you need your pps number in order to register online (your pps number is similar to your social security number and is applied for through the social welfare office - a very important number to get a.s.a.p. on moving to Ireland). I had a pps number from when I lived here but Anna did not.
Our local Garda suggested that I could then go to the motor tax office and get my provisional license with no extra work. Wrong! I then had to get an eye test (30 Euro) and two photos (15 Euro) and fill out an application form. They took it and sent my provisional license out within days.
The Provisional license for me and the US license for Anna with the promise that she would be applying for an Irish drivers license was enough for us to get insured. So I went to insurance companies.
My auto insurance company in the US gave me a form-letter (which I had requested under the advice of a friend) which had included this statement:
"Our records indicate that you have been insured with XXX from 8/22/1997 to 8/22/2009
A review of the claims records for the previous three year(s) shows that no losses were reported."
This is an important letter to have in your possesion if you are moving. Without this letter the quotes were in the area of 1,328 for comprehensive insurance or 1,247 for third party, fire and theft insurance. With the letter in my possesion, the quotes were in the area of 615 Euro to 850 Euro. One insurance agent read the quote above to mean that I had 12 years of "no claims bonus" and therefore the quote I received was for 554 Euros. The difference between third party fire and theft, and comprehensive makes it prudent to take the comprehensive if only for the windscreen.
So the cost of buying a car and insuring it for both of us with only a provisional license for myself is 2,554 euros. The insurance brokers said that the value of the car would make no differnece to the insurance quote all the way up to a car valued at 20,000 euros. I find this very difficult to believe. There were some small costs associated with my provisional license, 20Euro for the theory-of-driving book, 40 Euro, I think, for the test, 30 euro for the eye test, 15 euro for the photos and some euros for the actual provisional license.
It is a big deal to get on the road and mobile and legally. We are law abiding people and felt a need to get this sorted out rapidly. We managed to get it done just inside the two weeks we had the rental car for. There is a generous amount of tooing and froing to get it done. The motor tax office is 25 miles away in Castlebar. The theory test was administered in a mobile unit on a Tuesday morning outside the Tip-Top petrol station on the Westport-Castebar road. I had registered online a week in advance. One individual who had registered online a day before the test was not "in the system." So it is probably better to register a.s.a.p. so that the process is a smooth one.
We are now mobile as residents, as opposed to driving a rental. Anna is in Armagh for a few days with her family and I am hoping when she returns she'll be driving a manual stick-shift confidently.
The Peugeot 206 is brilliant. It is a deceptively small looking car. There is much space inside compared to the outside impression. The road handling is fantastic IMHO. I have driven it back and forth to Westport and Castlebar many times and up to Keady and back. For a small car its handling on the road is excellent. And the mileage is so unusual to me I am in awe. I have gone from a Ford 250 Truck at 12 miles to the gallon and the ford focus in the US to the Peugeot and it beats both - hands down. I think it is getting in the region of 40 to 50 miles to the gallon.
It does use more petrol as I push the speed over XX miles per hour but this is to be expected. If you stay steady it is extremely economic.
I did notice today that petrol in Armagh is almost 5 pounds for a gallon. This is going to take getting used to! But the mileage is good for now.
All is going well. The weather is great and I feel at home.
Posted by Tommy.
As luck would have it my sister was selling a 2002 Peugeot 206. We test drove it, Anna and myself, and we decided fairly quickly that we would invest in this lovely little "careen". There are a few reasons why this was a good idea. The engine is small 1100 cc (don't know what that means but it is good for registration), it is good on petrol/gas mileage, it is an easy car to learn how to drive a manual/stick-shift (for Anna) and although the insurance companies say it doesn't matter I think the valuation of the vehicle does have a relationship to the insurance premium.
Any way, we purchased a red Peugeot 206, 2002 with 98,000 miles for 2,000 Euros. Neither Anna or myself have ever had a license in Ireland. This means that we have to apply for a provisional license, sit a theory test, then apply for a full license, sit the practical test and then get a full license. I have done the theory test and have not yet applied for the practical full test.
The theory test is: Get the book and study it. (My nephews advised getting the cd and studying that way. I did not.) I passed. For a fee you can register for this online, show up with id and sit the test, hopefully pass it and then get a certificate to say that you have passed it. Note: you need your pps number in order to register online (your pps number is similar to your social security number and is applied for through the social welfare office - a very important number to get a.s.a.p. on moving to Ireland). I had a pps number from when I lived here but Anna did not.
Our local Garda suggested that I could then go to the motor tax office and get my provisional license with no extra work. Wrong! I then had to get an eye test (30 Euro) and two photos (15 Euro) and fill out an application form. They took it and sent my provisional license out within days.
The Provisional license for me and the US license for Anna with the promise that she would be applying for an Irish drivers license was enough for us to get insured. So I went to insurance companies.
My auto insurance company in the US gave me a form-letter (which I had requested under the advice of a friend) which had included this statement:
"Our records indicate that you have been insured with XXX from 8/22/1997 to 8/22/2009
A review of the claims records for the previous three year(s) shows that no losses were reported."
This is an important letter to have in your possesion if you are moving. Without this letter the quotes were in the area of 1,328 for comprehensive insurance or 1,247 for third party, fire and theft insurance. With the letter in my possesion, the quotes were in the area of 615 Euro to 850 Euro. One insurance agent read the quote above to mean that I had 12 years of "no claims bonus" and therefore the quote I received was for 554 Euros. The difference between third party fire and theft, and comprehensive makes it prudent to take the comprehensive if only for the windscreen.
So the cost of buying a car and insuring it for both of us with only a provisional license for myself is 2,554 euros. The insurance brokers said that the value of the car would make no differnece to the insurance quote all the way up to a car valued at 20,000 euros. I find this very difficult to believe. There were some small costs associated with my provisional license, 20Euro for the theory-of-driving book, 40 Euro, I think, for the test, 30 euro for the eye test, 15 euro for the photos and some euros for the actual provisional license.
It is a big deal to get on the road and mobile and legally. We are law abiding people and felt a need to get this sorted out rapidly. We managed to get it done just inside the two weeks we had the rental car for. There is a generous amount of tooing and froing to get it done. The motor tax office is 25 miles away in Castlebar. The theory test was administered in a mobile unit on a Tuesday morning outside the Tip-Top petrol station on the Westport-Castebar road. I had registered online a week in advance. One individual who had registered online a day before the test was not "in the system." So it is probably better to register a.s.a.p. so that the process is a smooth one.
We are now mobile as residents, as opposed to driving a rental. Anna is in Armagh for a few days with her family and I am hoping when she returns she'll be driving a manual stick-shift confidently.
The Peugeot 206 is brilliant. It is a deceptively small looking car. There is much space inside compared to the outside impression. The road handling is fantastic IMHO. I have driven it back and forth to Westport and Castlebar many times and up to Keady and back. For a small car its handling on the road is excellent. And the mileage is so unusual to me I am in awe. I have gone from a Ford 250 Truck at 12 miles to the gallon and the ford focus in the US to the Peugeot and it beats both - hands down. I think it is getting in the region of 40 to 50 miles to the gallon.
It does use more petrol as I push the speed over XX miles per hour but this is to be expected. If you stay steady it is extremely economic.
I did notice today that petrol in Armagh is almost 5 pounds for a gallon. This is going to take getting used to! But the mileage is good for now.
All is going well. The weather is great and I feel at home.
Posted by Tommy.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Baking in the heat
Oh man it is hot today. "They've" been talking about a heat wave for the last few days and I was begining to believe that it was'nt really going to come. But yesterday and today are too hot for me. I find myself looking for the shade to avoid getting too hot or even burned.
The views are spectacular and the energy level of the people is up. It's amazing what a bit of sunshine does for people here. The forecast is for more of this for at least the rest of this week and into the begining of next week.
I forecast an Indian Summer for 3 weeks. My uncle, in his eighties, forecasts that Mayo will win the All-Ireland twice before he leaves this world!
The views are spectacular and the energy level of the people is up. It's amazing what a bit of sunshine does for people here. The forecast is for more of this for at least the rest of this week and into the begining of next week.
I forecast an Indian Summer for 3 weeks. My uncle, in his eighties, forecasts that Mayo will win the All-Ireland twice before he leaves this world!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Cast a cold eye
The rain and wind died down this evening and the mountains and green hills became very obvious and clear. This sounds like it's been raining since we arrived but, really, it has not. Well that is, it - mostly - has not. I have been planning on getting some photos of the "road to Louisburgh" for this blog since we arrived but it has been sunny and clear every day I was on the road from Westport to Louisburgh since we arrived, and I am determined to give a realistic or unutopian view of the local. (So today I got some wet photos of the approach road. I now have to get the necessary cord to upload the photos - coming soon.)
Anyway, Tommy Og and myself went out of the house to give the girls a breather this evening. We found ourselves at the graveyard in Kilgeever, the local graveyard where my ancestors and neighbors have been laid down. The landscape is second-to-none (photos in near future). It is a beautiful site on the side of a hill with panoramic views of Mweelra and boglands. A beautiful, picturesque, tranquil spot. And melancholy.
Of course Tommy Og just ran up and down the lanes between the lines of graves oblivious to his mortality as he breathed deep the fresh, clear evening air that is the life of this part of the west. His rosy cheeks added to his healthy laugh through the lanes that belied our ultimate fate.
It was a lovely evening together. The culture here is very respectful of the dead and of the send-off we give them. I suppose the fact that we now live in a small rural population puts us close to all happenings but it is very obvious to me that death is celebrated very openly and solemnly and with respect in this local. In my 20 years in San Francisco I attended as many funerals as you could count on one hand - In my first 8 days here I have been aware of and informed of and a part of as many as 5 funerals. The Irish know how to send off their loved ones in sorrow and also in appreciation of a great life.
I walked up and down those lanes and remembered many names whose faces had not been to the foreground of my memories until now. The generation before me in the village whose coppers and shillings I appreciated as payment for running for their messages up to Annie Bea's or Durkan's, Duffy's or Mac's, Michael Tom's or Keanes, Kenny's or Morrison's. Granny Joyce (the only way I knew her) had the packet of Marietta biscuits on the second shelf in the low press of the cupboard and I helped myself whenever I was in her home. Mr. and Mrs. McKeown, Mrs. O' Malley, Connie Coyne, Mr. and Mrs. Collins to mention a few. And then I saw the final resting place of Mr. Pat Cox. Pat Cox was known to me as "Daddy Cox." A true gentleman. On Saturday mornings I would walk up the street, enter the Cox's house of my own accord, ascend the stairs and enter their bedroom asking for 2 pence for a lollypop. Never once refused!
My own family's grave is there, and in there is the final resting place of my 20 year old brother (1981), my dad, and so on. 20 years is not the youngest age represented in this graveyard. Sadly many, many more. A young 8 year old's caught my eye as did a young sister, 19, of a very good friend. And then the grave of a toddler - nephew of a very good friend.
Tommy Og spotted a tractor at this location and was highly impressed. I thought of the toddler's parents. As I walked up the hill to the exit gate - it was getting towards dusk - Tommy Og revisited to look at the tractor. He had already understood not to tread on the graves after one mishap. But he was mightily impressed with the tractor. I was walking away...
Reflecting on my mortality and the mortality of all is not an unhealthy exercise but it is done a lot less (by me anyways) while in America. The words of a good friend, originally from the Aran Islands and now living in Oakland outside San Francisco, Pat Conneelly came to my mind in quiet resolve. I had not met him in my last days in SF but he sent me a nuggett of wisdom that has stuck right into my core. He told Dianne Joyce, his neice by marraige, to "tell Tommy he is in the prime of his life." The message was received loud and clear.
Age, death, seasons and mortality are very present in the psyche here. It is nice but it might, over time, drag one down. With Pat's kind strong words I hope I keep positive when the winds get colder and the nights grow longer and the funerals seem more numerous than we are used to. Then, when the evenings start to stretch with the Spring and the Summer we will blossom again to remember good days and nights and a good life filled with the best of friends.
Tommy Og didn't want to leave. He threw a tantrum and engaged every fibre of my being to restrain him and strap him in his car seat. All of a sudden, my reflections on our mortality were as far away from me as the good old U S of A!
By Tommy.
Anyway, Tommy Og and myself went out of the house to give the girls a breather this evening. We found ourselves at the graveyard in Kilgeever, the local graveyard where my ancestors and neighbors have been laid down. The landscape is second-to-none (photos in near future). It is a beautiful site on the side of a hill with panoramic views of Mweelra and boglands. A beautiful, picturesque, tranquil spot. And melancholy.
Of course Tommy Og just ran up and down the lanes between the lines of graves oblivious to his mortality as he breathed deep the fresh, clear evening air that is the life of this part of the west. His rosy cheeks added to his healthy laugh through the lanes that belied our ultimate fate.
It was a lovely evening together. The culture here is very respectful of the dead and of the send-off we give them. I suppose the fact that we now live in a small rural population puts us close to all happenings but it is very obvious to me that death is celebrated very openly and solemnly and with respect in this local. In my 20 years in San Francisco I attended as many funerals as you could count on one hand - In my first 8 days here I have been aware of and informed of and a part of as many as 5 funerals. The Irish know how to send off their loved ones in sorrow and also in appreciation of a great life.
I walked up and down those lanes and remembered many names whose faces had not been to the foreground of my memories until now. The generation before me in the village whose coppers and shillings I appreciated as payment for running for their messages up to Annie Bea's or Durkan's, Duffy's or Mac's, Michael Tom's or Keanes, Kenny's or Morrison's. Granny Joyce (the only way I knew her) had the packet of Marietta biscuits on the second shelf in the low press of the cupboard and I helped myself whenever I was in her home. Mr. and Mrs. McKeown, Mrs. O' Malley, Connie Coyne, Mr. and Mrs. Collins to mention a few. And then I saw the final resting place of Mr. Pat Cox. Pat Cox was known to me as "Daddy Cox." A true gentleman. On Saturday mornings I would walk up the street, enter the Cox's house of my own accord, ascend the stairs and enter their bedroom asking for 2 pence for a lollypop. Never once refused!
My own family's grave is there, and in there is the final resting place of my 20 year old brother (1981), my dad, and so on. 20 years is not the youngest age represented in this graveyard. Sadly many, many more. A young 8 year old's caught my eye as did a young sister, 19, of a very good friend. And then the grave of a toddler - nephew of a very good friend.
Tommy Og spotted a tractor at this location and was highly impressed. I thought of the toddler's parents. As I walked up the hill to the exit gate - it was getting towards dusk - Tommy Og revisited to look at the tractor. He had already understood not to tread on the graves after one mishap. But he was mightily impressed with the tractor. I was walking away...
Reflecting on my mortality and the mortality of all is not an unhealthy exercise but it is done a lot less (by me anyways) while in America. The words of a good friend, originally from the Aran Islands and now living in Oakland outside San Francisco, Pat Conneelly came to my mind in quiet resolve. I had not met him in my last days in SF but he sent me a nuggett of wisdom that has stuck right into my core. He told Dianne Joyce, his neice by marraige, to "tell Tommy he is in the prime of his life." The message was received loud and clear.
Age, death, seasons and mortality are very present in the psyche here. It is nice but it might, over time, drag one down. With Pat's kind strong words I hope I keep positive when the winds get colder and the nights grow longer and the funerals seem more numerous than we are used to. Then, when the evenings start to stretch with the Spring and the Summer we will blossom again to remember good days and nights and a good life filled with the best of friends.
Tommy Og didn't want to leave. He threw a tantrum and engaged every fibre of my being to restrain him and strap him in his car seat. All of a sudden, my reflections on our mortality were as far away from me as the good old U S of A!
By Tommy.
The beginning.
Well, we have landed. A long time in the making, the move has happened. We landed in Shannon on August 27th. Friends came to meet us and transport the bags and suitcases home. Very practical.
On the 26th in San Francisco as I loaded the bags into our truck I realized that there isn't a medium sized car in Ireland that would carry all of us and the bags. I called a friend and he and his wife were there waiting. Friends are important.
I've known M. since I was 5 years old. It is nice to think that I have a friend for so long, and that as adults with young families we are still friends. We felt welcomed home and fortunate to be at the end of a journey with a 2 month old girl and a 2 year old boy. The journey was not very tough really considering. It went as smooth as one might expect with a family so young.
Tommy.
On the 26th in San Francisco as I loaded the bags into our truck I realized that there isn't a medium sized car in Ireland that would carry all of us and the bags. I called a friend and he and his wife were there waiting. Friends are important.
I've known M. since I was 5 years old. It is nice to think that I have a friend for so long, and that as adults with young families we are still friends. We felt welcomed home and fortunate to be at the end of a journey with a 2 month old girl and a 2 year old boy. The journey was not very tough really considering. It went as smooth as one might expect with a family so young.
Tommy.
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