Almost break time

Well it is my last week in Dublin before I head home on Saturday for the Christmas holidays. I cannot believe I have been here for three months. The time has gone by so quickly. I will miss Dublin and living in college over the vacation. But I am sure January 13th will arrive quickly enough.

This week is one filled with writing, writing, a little reading, some more writing, and then some heavy reading. I may actually leave the computer for a whole couple of hours on Thursday night to celebrate the end of the term with my classmates at the Post Grad Xmas Ball.

My Melmoth paper is shaping up nicely although a bit slower than I would like since I decided to rewrite the whole thing with an all new focus this last weekend!

I have completed all the research for my Swift paper and will be writing that over the break.

My reading for class is a bit behind at the moment, but I will be caught up by the time I roll into class tomorrow morning!

But I am glad to report I have lost no essential mental capabilities in my endeavors. So far, so good... let's hope the rest of the week stays this sane.

It is freezing and lovely here - hope there is beautiful snow when I get home to Canada and beautiful sunshine when I get home to California!

Bye for now; I will post the rest of my Reading Week adventures to the blog over break.

The Work Continues

Despite the lovely carefree nature of my Reading Week vacation posts, I am still slaving away at work as the weeks go on.  (By the way there is one or two more Reading Week posts yet to come...I know it was a crazy vacation!)  Currently I am working on one of three papers I would like to have mostly done by the time I go home Saturday week.  Well only one is technically due before I leave, but the other two are due when we get back and I do not want to spend my whole vacation working on them!  So I plan to have one completed and turned in by next Friday, a second in draft format, and a third with the research started.  The one due first is focusing on Melmoth the Wanderer because I cannot seem to leave it alone.  I think some of my classmates may be concerned by / jealous of my intense devotion to this novel.  I am arguing that Melmoth represents an Adam and Eve figure who has fallen because his pride caused him to desire more knowledge despite the fact that all the characters see him as a Satan figure.  Through the novel and the character, Maturin makes it clear that humanity does not need a Satan figure because we are capable of causing our own corruption through the demands of societal norms and religious institutional cruelty.  I hope to get it ready for publication later on in the year.  The second paper focuses on Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels - specifically Book Four.  I argue that Swift does not view the society of the Houyhnhnms (talking horses) as a utopia because they have reason but no other essential human qualities necessary to balance out reason.  The third paper will focus on the idea of the threshold in the plays of Sean O'Casey - although that is still up for approval if I think of a better idea once I start the research.
Other events which are not boring descriptions of my academic papers:
I found fried egg candy which is apparently 'very Irish!'  It tastes like creme and then some strange citrus.  It was definitely a unique experience.  My friend Jenny actually bought some!!!

Back to school...I was invited to join an 18th century literature research network by one of my professors.  I attended a conference for the group this past Saturday and very much enjoyed my first conference as a professional.  The link for the network is: http://www.eclrni.com/  and if you look under Members you will find me incorrectly alphabetized under my middle name Tanner.  But it is very cool to be a part of it, and no one else in my class was invited to join!
The final exciting school news is that I will be submitting an abstract to participate in a conference happening at Queen's University in Belfast in April.  It is called New Voices and is looking for papers on various topics surrounding visions of Ireland.  My paper on Irish masculinity seems to be a great fit - so I will submit and see if I will be able to give my first official conference paper!
Okay, well back to Melmoth...

Reading Week Part Three

Tuesday was a longer day (we had to meet our tour bus at 6:15am) and we did not get back to Dublin until after 9pm.  We traveled across the country to Galway on one bus, and then we transferred to a tour bus for a drive out to Connemara one of the most scenic locations in the west of Ireland.

Our first stop was unexpected but turned out to be one of the most interesting.  It was Ross Errilly Friary which was a Franciscan friary founded in 1351.  It is one of the most extensive and best preserved of the Franciscan friaries in the country.

The doorways were incredibly small but you could still see so much about the way the place was designed and would have been used.  It was attacked by Cromwell's forces in 1656 but all the friars had been forewarned and escaped before the attack.

Next we stopped in the town of Cong which is only known for one thing.  It is the location of the film The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  It is a town in which everything is named around the film. We arrived in the town around noon and nothing was open.  It was a bit spooky.  But we did wander outside the bounds of the town to find a monk's fishing cottage near the remains of an old Abbey.

A very interesting look at a place once used to catch fish for the sustenance of the monks in the Abbey.

The town of Cong sits right on the county line between County Galway and County Mayo.

Back on the bus and headed off to see Connemara.  We had quickly realized that we were by far the youngest people on this particular tour and that our fellow travelers were a bit irritating.  But our tour guide was wonderful so we just kept looking out the window and listening to him.

As we drove through Connemara we saw the beauty of the land but wished we had been able to stop and take some more pictures.

The landscape was beautiful and the roads were windy and small!

We saw a number of 'famine cottages' which are left from the Great Famine of the 1840's.  Cottages like these were left abandoned because the potato crops among others failed and families could no longer afford to pay landlords rent.  It is a period of Ireland's history which saw about a million deaths and about a million emigrations.  The west was greatly effected because that is where most of the Irish farmers had been pushed by the English forces and the land was not as easy to farm.

The one stop we did make in Connemara was to meet Joey the Connemara pony.  Joey was absolutely lovely and ate a carrot out of my hand until he decided to latch on to the side of my hand with his teeth...  Then the tour guide told us he does nip occasionally... I laughed!  Later on I had to get a tetnus shot because apparently that is what you do in Ireland when you get bit by an animal!

The next piece of our journey took us by the entrance to Ashford Castle which is a posh castle which you can pay a great deal of money to stay in overnight...yes please!!!  But instead I got a picture of the entrance. It was the location of Pierce Brosnan's wedding.

Doesn't look too impressive from here...

Finally we arrived at my future home - Kylemore Abbey!

Isn't it perfect for me??  And I think I may buy Joey (the Connemara pony) to come along and live with me here (so Andrew and I don't get lonely)!
This castle was built by a wealthy Irish man for his wife.  After her death, he left and it became a refuge for some Benedictine nuns from Brussels.  It was then turned into an international girls boarding school which just closed a couple of years ago.

The Gothic church seen through these trees was built as a memorial for Mitchell Henry's wife Margaret after her death.

Here is a clearer view although much less artistic!

Inside this Gothic church is simple and elegant but incredibly moving.

Again the stained glass was amazing!  It was one of the most peaceful places I have ever been.

Here is a view of the water on which Kylemore Abbey sits.  Right up my alley!!!

When we left Kylemore Abbey after some tchotchke shopping we got back on the bus to Galway.  We transferred to a different bus to get back to Dublin and watched The Quiet Man film on the way...well I watched it, Auntie Gail fell asleep.  It was not a good movie....
The other movie the tour guide continually referenced was "the filem The Field" which sounds only slightly more interesting than The Quiet Man.

Reading Week Part Two

Monday November 7th marked the first of three days of Irish adventures for me and Auntie Gail.  That first day we went on a guided tour of Glendalough (pronounced Glendalock) in Wicklow and the medieval town of Kilkenny.  The tour company we went with was called Paddywagon and had giant green buses with leprechauns on the back - not touristy in the least!  Glendalough is 'the valley of the two lakes' and was one of the most beautiful places I have seen.  When we first arrived around 9am, there was a lovely layer of frost over everything that gave it all such an air of mysticism.  There is a monastic site by the lakes which still has the original round tower used by the monks to hide in if the monastery was attacked (common at most of the monasteries we saw).  It could not be burnt down so it offered a safe refuge for the monks.  It also provided a lookout point.

Here is part of the graveyard that now fills most of the settlement site.

We then started our walk towards the first lake or the Lower Lake.

The fog made it difficult to see very far past the lake but it also made the morning absolutely gorgeous.  The walk then lead us on a path through some forest towards the Upper Lake.  It was probably about a mile distance between the two.

The Upper Lake was magnificent!

We look tired but the lake is there to make the picture worthwhile  :)

On the walk back from the Upper Lake, the sun began to come out and it provided a beautiful light around the monastic round tower in the distance.
At this point we had to hurry back onto the bus because we had stopped at the little hotel right there for scones!!  The beginning of a week of many scones!

We then drove to Kilkenny where we would spend the afternoon.  It is an old medieval city which is so charming that we wanted to stay much longer than our allotted time.  The main attractions were Kilkenny Castle and Black Abbey which had some beautiful statues and stained glass windows inside.

A small detour was made on the way to Kilkenny to stop at this dolmen which is an ancient tomb.  This particular one is called The Brownshill Portal Tomb.  It was built between 4000 and 3000 B.C. by early inhabitants of the island.  I had just finished reading about one of these dolmen which were tombs in some of the literature for my course - so it was very exciting to actually see one.

Once we got to Kilkenny the first sight to be seen was Kilkenny Castle.  It was especially interesting that day because the Irish Army was there doing an exercise of some kind.

Kilkenny Castle was beautiful on the outside but not all that impressive on the inside.  I found out half way through our tour that I was not supposed to be taking pictures for security reasons...I continued to take covert pictures.

This picture of the dining room was taken before I was told to desist my photography!

Black Abbey was the next site.  A beautiful church!

I was especially impressed by the beauty of the stained glass windows.  That was a common feature seen throughout the week in all the abbeys and churches which I thoroughly enjoyed.

By the time we were done with these sites, eating a bit of local fare for lunch, and checking out a few of the local shops...it was time to get back on the bus to head back to Dublin.

We returned to Dublin tired and happy after a beautiful day in Ireland.

Reading Week Part One

I realized the best way for me to gather all my pictures, sort them, and post about my week of adventure with Auntie Gail is in small chunks so I don't procrastinate too much! :)
So the first day she was here we did a tour of Trinity College campus led by an amazingly flamboyant Philosophy graduate student who was hilarious.  We learned some random facts about campus but also some really interesting information about when it was built and the randomness (for lack of a more precise term) of the architecture as a whole - meaning all the buildings were created in different styles and at different times by different people.  Then we visited The Book of Kells exhibit in the Old Library, and I showed her my favorite place - the Long Room in the Old Library.  I am still so distressed that they won't let me study there...  But I have figured out how to infiltrate the Early Printed Books department - but that is a story for another time.

Here is us at the College Chapel.

Here we are at the Campanile on campus.


We went for a late lunch at an amazing place right near by that my mom found when she was here called KC Peaches.  I get a 15% discount since I am a member of the Trinity Literary Society.  That was the beginning of what felt like a week of lasagna because I ate it many times (there is no ricotta cheese in it over here! so I love it!)  Then I showed her around Grafton Street area and St. Stephen's Green which is gorgeous.

Here is a picture of one area of the huge park.  It is an absolutely beautiful spot for a walk or to sit and read.

By then it was time to sample the night scene in Temple Bar and show Auntie Gail what this famous pub filled street is known for.  But this particular Saturday night there was hardly anyone there...it was the strangest phenomenon.  Usually on a Saturday it would be mobbed with people.  But we had some pub food in a pub called Farringtons.  We ordered Guinness to inaugurate the experience (Gail has that picture on her camera).  And we had Cottage Pie and Irish Stew.  It was a fun atmosphere and decent food.  Although as Auntie Gail reminded me near the end of the trip - the Irish are not known for their food.

We did make a friend that night in Temple Bar...but boy did he stink!!

The we met up with some of my friends from school for a birthday.  It was a great venue called Cafe de Siecle. Gorgeous inside and great music!  There was some dancing!  And we had a great time.
By the end of all that we were exhausted - especially Auntie Gail who was battling jet lag.

The next morning we got up and went to church with my friend Andrew.  It was a Baptist church.  Everyone was extremely welcoming, and we had a great time.

That night we met my friend Ashley for dinner and had amazing Italian food and then gelato to top it all off.  Just one of many delicious italian meals...in Ireland! :)

Here is me and Ashley outside the gelato shop in Temple Bar.

The adventure will continue in Part Two when we begin our travels around the island...stay tuned.
And sorry there aren't more pictures. Auntie Gail and I haven't combined all the pictures yet.

Post Reading Week

Well Reading Week was absolutely amazing and definitely the break I needed.  Now I am back in the full swing of work and it is getting a bit stressful.  We are down to the wire with only four more weeks left in this term and two essays to write.  As I write I am sitting in the OWC -Oscar Wilde Centre (our building) working away - well not at this exact moment but I will be getting back to it soon!  As I sit on the first floor of this building (what we Americans would call the second floor) I can hear the tour buses go by declaring that this is the birthplace of Oscar Wilde.  It is at once an exciting reminder of where I am and a nuisance to my concentration.  My favorite is the Viking Tour bus on which all the tourists are wearing viking hats and scream at passersby and as they drive by the incredible house in which Wilde was born.
I know I have not posted any details or pictures about my Reading Week adventures with Auntie Gail!  I will post them as soon as I have a moment to relax.  I promise.  Let's just say it was an adventure at every turn and that we had a blast!  Oh and I got bit by a wild Connemara pony...and had to get a tetanus shot!  (That's just a teaser...)  More soon.
Okay well back to reading Joyce eloquently describe James Clarence Mangan and other scholars ideas about Melmoth the Wanderer then maybe a bit of Philadelphia Here I Come! by Brian Friel!!

Tanner/Mills the Wanderer

As of tonight, it is officially Reading Week for me here!!!  Which means I do not have class for the next week! :)  I am very ready for a break - although very aware I should still be studying.  It has been a long week of working very hard and now I am simply exhausted.  It was a nerd heaven week in that I was right in the middle of all the tough critical and analytic work and discussion I love - but, it was also incredibly tiring.  Finishing the 600 page Melmoth the Wanderer was only the beginning!!  I have decided to write my first paper on Melmoth - arguing that he is a sympathetic character (like Milton's Satan in Paradise Lost) and that he tells us his own story (of being led to make his 'Faustian bargain') through the tales of those people he has tempted.  I am very excited about the idea and my professor has said she would be very interested to see what I come up with on this topic and that she thinks it could be very strong.
I am still trying to find my niche in an area of all this wonderful Irish material which has not been as overdone as Joyce so that I can perhaps make a bit more of a critical mark with my research.  So far Melmoth and my Irish drama class (especially the plays of Sean O'Casey) are really inspiring me.  Don't worry - I still love Joyce - but he may not be the best choice for a Ph.D. thesis.  Although I am still very much interested in masculinity in Joyce and the link between writing and sexuality.
After all this intellectual business, the great news is tomorrow afternoon my aunt and godmother Gail will be here to share Ireland with me for the week!  I could not be more excited to see her and show her around Dublin and campus.  I know we will have some crazy adventures.  Pictures and stories to come!