And that is why I chose jason_els. :smile:
Thank you, Jason. :hug:
Hoo boy.... not sure if I should say, "you're welcome," or smack you!
Another question or some: What is your very favourite thing about Ireland?
Her people. They're warm, friendly, and genuine without being naive fools. I am ever so glad that Ireland was nothing like it's portrayed by the Irish community and travel industry here. As my friend Máire says, American Irish, "... are more Irish than Irish." Ireland's an unpretentious place, unlike some lands to the immediate east and it's far more progressive in some ways than we are here. Shirley Temple Bar would never have become a legitimate TV fixture over here just as we'd never air Podge & Rodge. I find the Republic a fascinating, beautiful place. On my first visit I was there over Samhain and I was fascinated by the ritual of lighting bonfires, playing games, and dressing the kids to parade. More remarkable was going with Máire and Charney down to the cemetery to visit the ancestors. Doing that made me feel I was seeing a rare part of a vanishing tradition.
What is your least favourite thing about Ireland?
The north is unquestionably different. I was shocked by the poverty of Belfast but even more so by the occupying armed forces who were everywhere. I was nearly shot by them in Banbridge because we parked somewhere completely legal but did so in a car with Cavan license plates. Whenever anyone on the other side of the pond complains about America's alleged, "gun culture," it pleases me no end to tell them that the only place I've had guns (6 of them) pointed at me was in the UK. I was with my friend from here, an American who married Máire. We stopped for lunch in Banbridge, went outside back to the car and noticed the entire street was empty. As we walked to the car we looked down the street and there was a group of British soldiers aiming their guns right at us. They hadn't said a word or told us anything. Máire was back at home in Castlepollard and as we were being interrogated by somebody who never said who he was or who he was with, the Garda were at her doorstep asking her all kinds of questions. Mind you this happened all because we parked a legal car with legal plates in a legal place. We were let go of course after they had been all over the car, but two years later the Banbridge bomb went off and lo and behold the Garda were back Charney and Máire's doorstep while I received a call from the FBI making sure I was in the country.
That part of Ireland I absolutely loathe despite the fact I think the north is just as lovely and the people just as great as down south.
Would you ever consider living there?
Sure! I've thought of it many times.
What is your very favourite thing about NY?
New York feels like it's the center of the world, as though where ever you are is where things are going on. You never wonder if there's someplace more exciting or important. Everything is world-class and even if you can't always afford it, it's a point of pride and even a bit reassuring to know it's there. There is an enormous dynamic energy to the city. Now I live outside the city out in the sticks. Despite this, nothing happens in this state or region that isn't influenced somehow by the city itself. When I can afford it, I'll move there.
What is your least favourite thing about NY?
The expense, the hassle of getting around, the taxes, and the randomness of the crime. There are plenty of parts of New York I'm extremely uncomfortable going into and sometimes that's for good reason. Other times it's my anxiety getting the better of me. I admit that I am intimidated by the city even though I've grown up around it.
History of Wales - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Indeed we do, but from a somewhat different perspective than you presume. :smile:
Someday I should tell you about my Merwyn ancestors. Wales has been part of the UK since the 1400s :wink:. Were you Manx or Irish I wouldn't give you half as much of a ribbing. I didn't know you were a member of Plaid Cymru.
Wow! Thank you so much for all your answers!
I love your taste in music, by the way.
Whoa! Thank you! Most people made fun of it at the time. Only lately have I been vindicated.
If you could start a charity organization, what would it be?
No need to start one. I think there are many great charities out there now. When possible, I try to support my former boarding school, the
Trevor Project, which supports gay youth in crisis,
NOCIRC, which fights against routine male infant circumcision, and
World Wildlife Fund.
If I were to start a charity, I would endow a botany-oriented university with a chair in the study of carnivorous plants, and endow two chairs at my former boarding school to ensure that art history and philosophy are always taught there.
Which was the last book you read?
I'm reading three at once!
Wish I Could Be There: Notes On A Phobic Life by Allen Shawn
On The Edge: My Story by Richard Hammond of
Top Gear
Body for Life by Bill Phillips
What do you like most about NY?
I refer my colleague to the reply I made some moments ago.
You bet! I love driving! I currently have a red Subuaru Forecter XT. It's the ultimate winter car yet is a blast to drive and is ungodly fast.
If you could spend one entire day with anyone, who would you choose and what would you do during that day?
I really can't say.
