Is it Friday yet? Doesn't it sometimes seem like the weekend was so short that it may have been a figment of your imagination or it may not have happened at all? My weekend was a pretty quiet one, by Irish standards. No 18th birthdays, 21st birthdays, communions, christenings (although I was invited to one), confirmations, retirements, weddings, or funerals.... Although next weekend I've got a 21st birthday and a 60th birthday.
I don't understand the whole '21st birthday' thing over here. They hire out halls, throw dinner parties with bands and catering and fancy dresses... all for the 21st birthday. What's so great about turning 21? At home you can drink legally for the 1st time when you turn 21 - here that already happened at 18. Nobody here really seems to know either, because I've asked. From what I can tell it's just a great excuse to throw another party and drink and dance the night away. Who am I to complain? :-)
Friday was my first soccer training with the new team. Not that it's much of a 'new' team because with the exception of a young woman named Leah, it's my Gaelic Team wearing shinguards. If you read my blog about Gaelic, then you might recall me describing it as 'kind of like soccer, but you can use your hands'. Now picture a group of women who were used to those rules on a soccer pitch (that's what they call the fields over here). It was pretty funny. I'd say maybe 50% of the girls knew the rules and that might have been pressing it. It should be a good time season though - we were certainly having a good laugh and a lot of fun. Our next training is tomorrow night and our first game is next Sunday. Should be interesting...
Saturday I went to buy shinguards. Didn't exactly think to throw them in the suitcase on the way over since I haven't played soccer in years... Our assistant coach for Gaelic (also a bit of a coach for the soccer team - go figure) works the till (register) there. She got a call from another teammate of mine while she was checking me out to tell us our Gaelic coach got engaged a few hours earlier. He's been dating the girl (a sister of another teammate) for 10 weeks. Are you starting to see how small this town is? It gets better. So I walk up the street, turn into one of my favorite pubs to see if anybody I know is in there (which of course there would be) and run into my coach's new fiance's sister (they're triplets - one plays gaelic, one is engaged to my coach, and this is the third) and my friend John who stop me to say 'You'll never guess who got engaged today!!!'. I bet you a pint I will!!! :-) Yep - my coach. No joke - same rumor in less than 2 minutes from 2 completely different sources. Gotta love this place.
Sunday was even quieter - caught the local rugby game and enjoyed the lovely weather. I love being outside. There's nothing like a beautiful Sunday to end your weekend. Now if next weekend would just hurry up and get here... ;-)
I don't understand the whole '21st birthday' thing over here. They hire out halls, throw dinner parties with bands and catering and fancy dresses... all for the 21st birthday. What's so great about turning 21? At home you can drink legally for the 1st time when you turn 21 - here that already happened at 18. Nobody here really seems to know either, because I've asked. From what I can tell it's just a great excuse to throw another party and drink and dance the night away. Who am I to complain? :-)
Friday was my first soccer training with the new team. Not that it's much of a 'new' team because with the exception of a young woman named Leah, it's my Gaelic Team wearing shinguards. If you read my blog about Gaelic, then you might recall me describing it as 'kind of like soccer, but you can use your hands'. Now picture a group of women who were used to those rules on a soccer pitch (that's what they call the fields over here). It was pretty funny. I'd say maybe 50% of the girls knew the rules and that might have been pressing it. It should be a good time season though - we were certainly having a good laugh and a lot of fun. Our next training is tomorrow night and our first game is next Sunday. Should be interesting...
Saturday I went to buy shinguards. Didn't exactly think to throw them in the suitcase on the way over since I haven't played soccer in years... Our assistant coach for Gaelic (also a bit of a coach for the soccer team - go figure) works the till (register) there. She got a call from another teammate of mine while she was checking me out to tell us our Gaelic coach got engaged a few hours earlier. He's been dating the girl (a sister of another teammate) for 10 weeks. Are you starting to see how small this town is? It gets better. So I walk up the street, turn into one of my favorite pubs to see if anybody I know is in there (which of course there would be) and run into my coach's new fiance's sister (they're triplets - one plays gaelic, one is engaged to my coach, and this is the third) and my friend John who stop me to say 'You'll never guess who got engaged today!!!'. I bet you a pint I will!!! :-) Yep - my coach. No joke - same rumor in less than 2 minutes from 2 completely different sources. Gotta love this place.
Sunday was even quieter - caught the local rugby game and enjoyed the lovely weather. I love being outside. There's nothing like a beautiful Sunday to end your weekend. Now if next weekend would just hurry up and get here... ;-)
1 comment:
its truely great to know diffrent culute as for me i am from indain and i am studing in singpore it just wasy u experic the cultur shock,but ye one thing wat is comm i miss my my famly like anything, away ife goes on after finishshing education we wil be better of an d wil have time til then enjoy and God bless u
if in case u wan get back 2 me u can reply me on silverstudpearl@rediffmail.com
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