Updates from the Emerald Isle...

More as it comes...

8-9-06
Enjoying an unexpected “unsecured” net connection from the apartment, so am working like a fiend to catch up with on-line tasks, among them a multitude of posts to, er, keep you posted !

To Ballymun (north and west of Dublin Center) today to meet one of the first Dublin HFH homeowners there as we assessed Monday's garden project. Alsp began inventory of the HFH site office there, slated to be a refurb in the near future if another IVP can be located/recruited.

Have “phoned home” via e-ail to HFH mentors for resources to use as construction supervisor, as I am now being introduced (things changing rapidly!)….planning in the works to go to Northern Ireland and the Belfast affiliate for some realtime site experience and coaching so I can in turn schedule, bid, teach, and accomplish the refurb I’ve been inveited here to do, so fingers are crossed in anticipation that this will be possible before we begin here...things are VERY different in many ways!

At once challenging and exciting, like starting over in some respects, but with an array of skills and knowledge already in place.

Guestimated a refurb schedule based on what I know thus far, gathered still more info, and like the Energizer bunny, just keep going and going and going!

8-8-06
First official workday…into the city center to get the governmental okay to be here longer than 90 days, registered with the US Embassy, then successfully out to the HFH office via another bus route (whew).

Housed in a two bedroom apartment in Chapelizod (about 7 o'clock relative to Phoenix Park on a Dublin map)...with nice open LR, kitchen with tiny washer (an unexpected and most welcome surprise!), and full bath. Very simply furnished, a bit quirky (one tiny load of laundry takes 2 hours to wash, the refrigerator freezes everything, still mastering the boiler to achieve hot water for a.m. shower) and that said, very cool to have a space to myself “to come home to” for the first few days.

Unexpected “wrinkles” in the works…Sultan Latif, the 29 yr old Afgahni from the US slated to join me this Friday cancelled his trip due to unanticipated family health concerns An invitation has now been extended to a retired shop teacher and former Peace Corps volunteer. No idea whether or not he will be available on short notice, so hanging loose on that count with fingers crossed.

There remains the possibility that I will be solo here ….made more interesting in that there was/is no executive director in place at present, and the Project Manager contact I began with leaves next Wednesday for alternative employment, so will truly be operating on the fly….and it would seem that I may in fact be the leader of the band on site as well, as there may or may not be a construction person there with me. Plan to just keep asking questions and learning my way forward. Ever the adventure, yes?

Am gearing that day and/or weekend trips to Scotland, the UK, Rome, Prague, Paris, and Madrid are quite doable...apparently airfares can be very reasonable, so I may be seeing more than Ireland! The “work” schedule supports that possibility, as even volunteers are entitled to 5 days “off” per quarter…just a matter of working out the site schedule accordingly, which is my responsibility. Amazing! Definitely wanting to check out as much of Ireland as possible while here, with the other a tantalizing added bonus!

Other trivia and fun facts….

Contemplating but not yet convinced I’m prepared to take on “hiring a car” to explore. Almost all are manual, and given the opposite configuration, will be shifting left handed and driving on the “wrong” side of the road…and I thought the motorcycle was an exercise in hand eye coordination! Add in that a fair share of the drivers hoold licenses though they've yet to pass a driving test, and road trips take on an entirely new dimension! At least they're all small cars...imagine bumper cars in realtime for a feel of the traffic here...

License plates here designate what country you’re from, the first two digits indicate the year the car was made, the next letters indicate the Irish county you live in, the remaining numbers are random.

Vocabulary: boot versus trunk, crisp versus chip, chip versus fries, and many many more…FUN! Reminds me of being in college and listening to the cross country (versus cross cultural) differences in words and turn of phrase.

Pronunciations: Quay = key, d’s are soft with a “th” sound added in, emphasis is on different syllables than in the US, so paying attention is a must…have stifled dozens of “huh?”s already. Add in Irish in a multitude of dialects and some fairly fast talkers, and conversation gets lively and colorful very quickly!

8-7-06
Bank holiday today so no work…instead my first solo foray into city center via bus, caught a North Coast tour to Malahide Castle…occupied for 800 years by the same family, just vacated in 1975 …quite amazing to see...my first castle experience...

8-6-06
1030 church with Julie (her church is an offshoot of CORE), followed by a relocated indoor picnic at a member's home due to rain. A strecth from the promised scenic park and waterfall setting, but great company and conversation. One o the families there is going to Seattle in two weeks on holiday...small world, yes?

Habitat notes: Job is described as acting liaison between construction leaders and volunteers… Looking forward to meeting them and Sultan (he joind us this Friday) and getting started.

8-5-06
Ensconced for the weekend at the Royal Hotel in Dublin Bray. Slept late, started late (1000!); set to explore and answer questions about long distance calling, minutes, how to load the phone with minutes, how to access internet at internet café, and just walking. A “bank holiday” weekend here, so carnival atmosphere at water’s edge versus usual quiet beauty (or so I’m told).

Walked to Bray Head for 360 view of countryside about 1 mile seemingly straight up through the woods and then a rock face to get to the top, then back down to the walkway to Greystone along the sea (about 6 miles), back to Bray by Dublin Pass using the “rambler” bus pass for the first time, off the bus a distance from the town center to stroll my way back in (another 1.5 miles) and look at the houses and town from another perspective.



Multicultural area, with a variety of looks and languages. First impression: people here seem clear about themselves, who and how they are, and “wear” it accordingly, regardless of shape, size, etc. A comfortable space, and apt reminder to be who we are, regardless.

Looking forward to countryside time as the stay gathers steam….Dublin and surrounding areas though friendly feel close and crowded, and that said, also impart a laid back atmosphere much like Washington state “time”, i.e., not a lot of rushing about.

Habitat observations: Fences are stone or concrete. Refurbs are done with block, new construction is concrete or “timber” frame construction. Lots of bright colors used in exterior painting, particularly on the older buildings, very narrow stairways inside and out.

Vocabulary: Clamped versus towed, queue versus line….lots of soft “sh” sounds to finish words usually harder phonetically. Midges versus mosquitos. Dinner on Albert in Dublin Bray at an authentic pizza parlor called “Pizzas and Cream”….filling! Met with Julie from HFH and two of her friends, Elizabeth and Anna for a bona fide girls night out. Fun!

8-4-06
Arrived 0815 this morning in Dublin, with farms and associated livestock immediately adjacent to the runway, and noting already dual signage in English and Gaelic. For ABFers, first number noted…42 OPEN I am open to new opportunities. Pretty cool.

Picked up by Christine Healy, met office staff Jessica (IVP Volunteer Coordinator from US), Karen (GV Coordinator), Julie (Accountant). Remaining staff on leave, so will meet and greet as they return...

Went to HFH office, bank for euros, bus station, and Christine’s for a nap and lunch, back to the office for pick by Julie and on to Bray, south suburb of Dublin for a two day stay at the Royal Hotel in Bray. Apartment will be available Sunday, two bedroom with washer included (yay).

Impressions….most buildings in the city are attached to one another, as are most homes (duplex at minimum). Brick and concrete construction to withstand Irish climate. Colorful and classic. Much to learn in how to maneuver!

Especially for Habitat folks...Quizzing folks here already re building routines….concrete and brick to withstand wind and weather, and most dwellings are two stories and connected with one another, so those are the first changes. The plan is to start myself and Sultan out on refurbishment projects, and they have some very large New Hope type work coming up in 2007, so will be interesting to see how those plans evolve while here.

Properties are granted to the affiliate by the city council in Dublin; cost to build a two bedroom unit are $100-120,000 ($120-145,000 USD), so being granted the property makes it possible to build in an otherwise cost prohibitive market. The floor plans are chosen for the families based on need and availability.

“Gardens” (small yards) are not included, though occasionally the affiliate helps with that as well, and in fact, that will be a first project for me next week. Volunteer crew here number more women than men (so I am told), and Sultan and I are here as liaison between the construction staff and the volunteer teams….sounds familiar, and may become great additional training for a women’s build at some point in my future. Who knew? That’s a bit of what I’ve learned on my first day here. Will be in Bray for the weekend, then back Sunday to move into an apartment about a mile from the HFH office. Monday will be an exploration day, and Tuesday work begins in earnest, 5 days per week, most often Tues-Sat. There is some flexibility in scheduling to allow us the opportunity to explore the country here and there while in residence. I'll even earn 5 vacation days while here...amazing!

All are very excited to see me (feeling at once grateful and humble); they’ve had great success with the IV program to date; my prayer is that I will leave a continued legacy of success in my contributions here

Vocabulary….loo/toilet versus bathroom/restroom; boot versus trunk; dolly versus baby or little girl; Brilliant/grand/glorious versus awesome/amazing; overtake versus pass; skip versus dumpster...and the list keeps growing....reminds me a bit of word games as a kid!

July's end 'til 8-3-06

On the way....flew into Chicago en route to Dublin. Hosted by Ry and roommates and met 4-5 other friends of theirs (nice!) and spent a few days catching up with several friends, some I've not seen since 2001. Very cool.