I just got back from a long weekend in Dublin, my first there. Fascinating place, fascinating people.
I got to know a few people who have lived there all their lives, and they provided an interesting view of all the (obvious) prosperity that is Ireland today. They talked about what it was like growing up there before the boom (circa 1995), and living in a place where there were "no prospects." I found myself remembering a line from the film The Replacements, where one of the characters refers to the Irish as "the niggers of Europe." One of the people I met there had an even more powerful state- ment. She said that during the 80s and early 90s, no matter where you traveled in Europe, even to Eastern Europe, "There was no place you could go that wasn't better than Ireland." (in terms of economy and standard of living, that is) These folks grew up and went to college and got degrees knowing that there would be no jobs waiting for them when they graduated. There were families where no one had worked for generations, because there were no jobs. And now it's boomtime. I found it fascinating to see how they're dealing with it. There is, of course, a mix of good and bad in how they're dealing with it. They're a happy people by nature, and happier now that the young people can grow up with "prospects" for their futures. But at the same time, Dublin is one big construction zone, and the new buildings are being designed by an architect named Greed, and with absolutely no thought given to preserving any of the charm of the old city. Oh, and the Irish now officially carry *twice* as much personal debt than the people of any other European country. So if the boom tapers off a little, and their now-high salaries don't last, these folks are in for a rude shock. But anyway, I just thought I'd write a few impressions of the place and its people while they were still fresh in my mind. They don't relate to TM or FFL or even people trying to cyberfuck kids, but it was a fun time, and I just thought I'd share it... Unc P.S. Oh, and what they say is correct...Dublin *IS* the only place in the world where Guinness tastes like Guinness. It just doesn't travel...fortunately we can... To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
