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.
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