Leavings and Pheasant Killing

Three stories:

1.  Last Friday the Belgians packed their bags and flew back home.  As annoying as it was to cook and clean for them all week, it was quite sad to see them go.  The students had clearly had a great time in Ireland and enjoyed meeting all the wwoofers.  One of the highlights was the last night when an Irish band came to play which was followed by group Irish dancing and lots of laughter.

2.  I killed a pheasant.  As a post-Belgian celebratory excursion to the pub on Saturday, we passed a helpless animal half-flapping on the side of the road.  The woman whose house I'm staying at, immediately said "Pull the car over, kill it, and take it home.  We'll have it for dinner this week."  Apparently I had an inner burning desire to kill a pheasant because I immediately volunteered for the job.  I also realized this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Maria (a fellow wwoofer) and I jumped out of the car and walked over to the small bird.  She picked up a rock which I then proceeded to throw onto the pheasant's head.  After a few days of hanging up to dry, it was skinned and cooked for dinner this evening.  I had leeks and potatoes instead.  Roadkill...maybe Ireland is a bit like West Virginia.

3.  This past Sunday two fellow wwoofers, Griet and Maria, left for Belgium.  They were two of the most welcoming people when I first arrived and we'd had many great experiences in just two weeks!  It was great to come to a completely new place and be able to relate to people from different backgrounds.  I guess this means a visit to Belgium is next!

 

"To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." - Munster Rugby Motto

They have Good Chocolate and Kim Clijsters

Typical day as a WWOOFer during the Belgian invasion:

Wake up at 8 and drink coffee. Make and serve breakfast. Take a rest when possible, drink coffee, catch up on reading, go for a walk, etc. Plan and cook dinner (and I've recently been assigned to separate vegetarian dishes for us animal lovers). Clean up dinner dishes, hang out with wwoofers/belgians. Repeat.

The property consists of one main house 4 separate cottages, a yoga chalet, pool/pond, hot tub, 2 pigs, chickens, a donkey, and a windmill. The family has lived here for over 20 years and are completely comfortable opening their door to strangers all the time. I learned that the best person who ever stayed in the house was a Tibetian monk named Stardust who had a great passion for life and enjoyed smiling. I'm trying to keep up and hopefully surpass this great man but it has been very difficult as a simple West Virginian. Please post any suggestions so that I may leave a happy legacy in Ireland!

I have really enjoyed observing Belgians and their customs. First, they do not have Great American Chocolate Chip Cookies so that was easily corrected yesterday with a fresh batch from yours truly. Also, they are completely comfortable to openly give one another foot massages at various times throughout the day. Students are allowed to drink alcohol on school trips but are limited to 2 beers each. The students are fluent in English and completely immersed in American culture (which unfortunately means bad pop music).

That's all for now! More soon!

WWOOFing and the Belgian Invasion

Last weekend I left Dublin and headed blindly into the hills of County Wicklow to meet a group of total strangers whom I was to live with for the next few weeks. Luckily, I was welcomed openly into a great house and the people are not too crazy. There are 4 other people here my age, 2 Canadians (yes!!), an American, and a Belgian. We help out around the house for a few hours each day in exchange for excellent, fresh food and a place to sleep. The land is really beautiful and I couldn't have asked for better weather since I've been in Ireland. The big task for this past week, was preparing the house for a group of 40 Belgian students who will be staying here for the week as part of a school trip. Things have definitely been hectic and it's taken me some time to adjust to living in such a diverse environment with different people. I am hoping to sharpen my cooking and baking skills while here as well as meet new people!

One thing that has amazed me is the amount of crap backpackers bring with them these days! Computers, cell phones, hair dryers, dress clothes, work clothes, swimsuits, etc. I've seen packs 3 times bigger than mine and can not honestly think what else I could have brought that I'd need.

That's all for now! Thanks for all the emails and messages! It's great to be able to keep in touch from across the pond.



"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simply your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." H.D. Thoreau