to Dublin and beyond!

So quite a bit has happened since I last wrote an entry. About three weeks actually, hence the length of this entry. Sorry!

The week after St. Patrick’s Day was a good week. For our seminar we were in Derry/Londonderry in the Fountain. The Fountain is a section of town that is exclusively Protestant. We talked with William, a man who has been living there his whole life. He is working to develop the area and restore it to the thriving neighborhood and industrial area that it was before the Troubles. William told us of what life is like in the Fountain. It used to be booming with a population of nearly 15,000, but now is home to less than 500. Many people left this area because of the violence during the Troubles. William also said that any male living in the Fountain aged 14-40, has been hospitalized at least once due to sectarian violence. The Fountain is an interface area; it is surrounded by walls to keep people safe, even though interface areas are where the most violence occurs in cities. There are even gates along one of the walls that get locked at 9pm every night to help control the violence or chaos that the youth create. Now-a-days almost all the ‘stuff’ that happens at the walls are the actions of kids who are looking for something to do. What we would call criminal mischief here they call it anti-social behavior or ASB. ASB is a big issue communities are working on. It was interesting to hear William’s story and his perspective because most people in Derry/Londonderry never hear about the Fountain. It is essentially forgotten by everyone.

The last week of March was a slow week at the Junction, so I went next door to Peace & Reconciliation Group to see if I could help them out. I assisted a bit by looking up information to go into their Cross Border Heritage Project Packs, a project they are working on. These packs are lessons about Irish history that are fun and interactive, and are to be used with children on both sides of the border. The goal is to learn about the child’s history as well as the other’s history, ie Protestant/Catholic. They created a video to go with the lessons. I actually learned a lot about Irish history and how to write to the level of elementary age students. Working with young kids in schools is an important thing to help fight sectarianism. Sectarianism is learned from parents and a child’s surrounding, so reaching them early is essential. It was neat to see the project come together. I missed the launch of the project because I was in Dublin for 5 days.

The next week, March 28- April 1, was our trip to Dublin and the borderlands. On Monday we left at 8:30 am and travelled to B’fast to pick up the other half of the gang. We then made our way across the border. We stopped near the border and looked out on a field. It seemed like a normal enough place, but then Nigel told us that this border was where the majority of deaths of the Troubles took place. Nigel encouraged us to think and reflect about borders. What do they mean to us? What/who do they keep out? Why are they there? Etc.   

Here is a picture of the group at Newgrange.

We then visited Newgrange.

Newgrange is a burial passage tomb that is over 5,000 years old. It was built in Neolithic Times. It was created before the Egyptians were building the pyramids. It was fascinating how old things are here on this continent. I mean we have old stuff in America, but not this old or maybe I just haven’t been to the right old stuff.

Tuesday was our “touristy” day. We saw the Book of Kells at Trinity College. It was really old and kind of cool. I think I enjoyed the other old documents that were in the Long Room library better. There were lots of documents from the time of the rebellion, the civil war, partition, etc.

We then went to the Kilmainham Gaol or Jail. For short it’s known just as Kilmain. It was quite old and the location where the rebels of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and executed. Luckily I had read up on my Irish history to know some important names and events, otherwise the tour wouldn’t have been as interesting.

That night we went to a football (or as we call it soccer) match. It was Ireland vs. Uruguay. Uruguay won 3-2, but it was still fun. Our seats were five rows up and right behind one of the goals.

After Kilmain we ventured over to the Guinness Storehouse. It was a big open exhibit, so there were no tour guides leading you around. It was nice to have the freedom to wander and look at the exhibits, but it seemed very impersonal compared to the Bushmills Distillery that we went to our first week in NI. My favorite part of the exhibit was the advertisements. Some were really old and pretty funny. The Guinness toucan, which was originally a pelican, might be my favorite. At the end of the tour we got a “complimentary” pint of Guinness. Even though I’m not a huge fan of Guinness I still finished mine. You can never waste a Guinness while you’re in Ireland.

Wednesday we went to the Dail and met with representatives from various parties included Fine Gael, Labour, and Sinn Fein. It was interesting to hear their perspectives on Northern Ireland. Some said NI was an issue, others said it wasn’t. Ireland seems to be more worried about their current economic issues than the friend to the North. After our meeting we toured the Dail and we received our very own Proclamation.

Thursday we travelled into the Wicklow Mountains. After driving what seemed like a long time, we arrived at the Glencree Peace & Reconciliation Centre. Glencree is all about shared learning, partnership, support, and dialogue. It is connected to the Corrymeela community up in Ballycastle, where one of the guys is doing his internship. They have a lot of programs working with different groups of people, ie women, political leaders, victims/survivors, international aid, etc. With a few minutes to spare, because we arrived early, Nigel taught us how to play touch rugby. Only one person in the group had ever played rugby before but everyone picked up on it pretty quick. It was super fun! We also ventured to Glendalough Monastery. It was beautiful beautiful view!

Friday was our last day of our field trip. We travelled to the border and met with a man named Ian, who created the organization Crossfire Trust. Crossfire Trust is a Christian org. that works to heal the wounds of society. They do a lot of great work with a charity shop, families of the disappeared, those who need support & counseling, just to name a few. Ian was very inspirational and I think I really liked the work they did because of their Christian ethos. Here in Northern Ireland religion is a big issue and to put your faith into your work and essentially out on the line is a difficult thing. Ian told us we need to listen and feel more. I think if we all did that a bit more maybe our world would be just a bit better.

After meeting Ian, we travelled to where Nigel is from. He told us his story and now I can see why Nigel is such a strong and wise person. He is the foundation of our program and without him our program and experience of Northern Ireland wouldn’t be the same. We then travelled back to Belfast and Derry. On the way home Nigel suggested we each play a song that means something to us and explain it to the group. It was such a little thing, but I felt it helped us bond as a group and better get to know each other, as well as share our music which is always good!

Last week was a good one. We didn’t have a seminar because we were all ready to not be together after spending 5 whole days with each other. So everyone had Monday off. At work I transcribed a manuscript that was handwritten in tiny cursive. It was slow work, but it kept me busy. It was for a booklet that the Junction is producing about Ethical and Shared Remembering. Friday we turned in our field trip reflection papers. I found this paper an easy one to write. Our reflection papers are much more about feelings and critical thinking, rather than the normal academic type of writing.

 Friday I got off work early and went for a walk because it was so beautiful outside. This weekend we went to a fundraiser on Saturday night, Derry for Japan. A bunch of local bands performed. It was a mix of rock and punk, so not completely my cup of tea but it was still fun. Also it was for a good cause. Sunday Phil & I went to another new church that I found while on my walk on Friday. It was the closest one to where we live. It was very nice and smaller AND they did the sign of peace!! It might not seem like that big of a deal, but Phil & I were both stoked about this because no other church that we’ve gone to have done it! I’m still pretty excited about it. I’ll definitely have to return to that church because it was my favorite so far.

Yesterday we had our seminar here in Derry at the Magee campus. We talked to Grainne, who works in INCORE (an international conflict research centre) within the University of Ulster. She talked about policy and practice relating to reconciliation. It was interesting. In the afternoon Nigel left us with many things to think about including the topic of storytelling. I found this very thought provoking because I am writing my individual paper on storytelling. This weekend is our last weekend in Derry, so it should be enjoyable. Next week is our last week of our internship and the last week the Junction is at the Junction. Thursday day is moving day. We are moving into a different building so a new building can be built in place of the old one.   

I'm famous?

Last week Kelly and I were in the newspaper. We were promoting fairtrade at a local grocery store. Here is the link to it. http://www.derryjournal.com/news/business/fair_s_fair_in_the_trading_game_for_derry_charity_1_2501763

St. Paddy's Day & such...

Monday we had our weekly seminar in Belfast. We met with the Good Relations Unit of the City Council. It was interesting to see all that they do and how busy they are. The Good Relations does a lot of work that goes unnoticed and is under appreciated. We also got a tour of the City Hall.

It was cool and really old. We were able to sit in a very important chair.

We then headed over to the Northern Ireland Assembly, also known as Stormont.

It was much stricter security-wise. We sat in on a session of official government business. It was kind of boring because government and law-making isn’t exactly my cup of tea. We then got to chat with different MLAs (members of the legislative assembly) from different parties. For example, we talked to a Sinn Fein, SDLP (Social Democratic & Labor Party) and a UUP (Ulster Unionist Party) representative. It was interesting to hear actually what their party is about in an abridged version. One might think they were different because they are in a power sharing government and in Northern Ireland, but they were still politicians and could talk the talk. It was an exhausting day of politics.

Tuesday I travelled to Omagh (which is about a 1.5 hour bus ride away from Derry) for a workshop, but once I got there I found out the workshop was cancelled. I was kind of frustrated, but those in charge of the workshop were very sorry. One good thing was I learned how event planning works. Those interested in an event must inquiry/ say they are interested in the event. Once enough people sign up, then the planners confirm the event and the event takes place. I felt silly for travelling all the way to Omagh, but in the end I learned something so it was okay.

Wednesday was a slow day at work because no one was really around. I think people were getting ready for the holiday on Thursday.

Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day. It was a bank holiday and a holy day of obligation, so let’s just say it was an official holiday! One of my friends, Sara, was organizing a group from her organization to be in the city parade, so the three of us who didn’t have to work volunteered to be in the parade.

 In Sara’s eyes it was a disaster because it seemed like pure chaos. In NI there isn’t a lot of structure and no one is ever on time. So for us Americans it’s a bit tough sometimes. Our group eventually found our (ridiculous) costumes, face paint, place in the parade, and we were ready to go. As you can see from the pictures we kind of looked like Disco Dali Lamas or something just as outrageous.

It was a lot of fun, even though it was crazy. After the parade we went back to our flat to finish our papers before going out.

We went to a bar, Peadar O’Donnell’s, for a couple pints of cider. It was packed just like every other bar on St. Patrick’s Day.  It was a good time and there was live music. There was no green beer in sight, but everyone in town was quite crazy. People started drinking in the morning so by the evening it got a wee bit ridiculous.  

Friday, most of us didn’t have to work, so we relaxed and hung out. We stayed in and watched movies. Newsies was one of our choices, so I may have belted out a few of the songs that I may or may not know by heart. Kelly and I made Nigel’s famous Glenny wheaten bread recipe. We didn’t exactly have anything to measure stuff, so we guesstimated. Kelly called it soul food because you just go with it and see how it turns up. We only had 1 bread pan so we used a mini cake pan too. It turned out awesome.

Saturday was also another relaxing day. That night we met up with a high school friend, Tonya, who is also studying here in Derry. I felt kind of bad because I had been in Derry for 3 weeks and hadn’t seen her until last night. It was kind of funny because I thought I saw her from across the street, so being me I yelled her name. Luckily it was her, so I didn’t feel like a dork. We met up at a bar and had a drink. We swapped some of our NI stories and such. It was good craic.    

Today I went to a new church. This one was a 30 minute walk compared to the 15 minute walk to the closest Catholic Church. I had no idea where I was going but apparently my sense of direction is better than I thought because I ended up where I wanted to be! It was a nice mass and much more welcoming than the big cathedral that I had gone to previously. Tonight Kelly & I made our second batch of wheaten bread; this one turned out a bit different than the last but I suppose that happens with “soul food”.

Tomorrow we have our seminar here in Derry. Hopefully this week will be more productive than last week.

Derry, the Junction, Seminars and Co. Donegal

A lot has happened since my last post. I have moved to Derry/Londonderry,

(This is the view from my bedroom window and yes this is the sunrise. Crazy, I know that I was up early enough to see the sun rise.)
 started my internship, began our weekly seminars in Belfast & Derry, had a surprise going away party and gone on a day trip to Co. Donegal. At the beginning of March, I started my internship at the Junction, a community resource and peacebuilding center. At first there wasn’t a lot to do, so I was kind bored. But I soon figured out I needed to take the initiative to find my on tasks and go to workshops and conferences. This self-directedness was one of the things that drew me to the Junction because I knew it would be more of a challenge than just being given lots of tasks and work to do. The first week at the Junction I got to go to a presentation about Ethical Remembering and Commemorating the past that my supervisor gave to a group of community workers, leaders and volunteers. One issue that is coming up in the next few years is how to commemorate the past without alienating or putting down “the other”. It’s quite an interesting topic. This past week I went to another conference about Being the Change You Wish to See. It was put on by an organization that focuses on international development. It was good and there was a lot of variety of participants, i.e. parents, students, community workers, professors, random people from the community, etc.

Last weekend those of us in Derry travelled to Belfast for a surprise party; one of the guys in our group hasn’t been feeling well for 2 months, so he made the difficult decision to go home to the States. He had no idea we were coming! It was great to spend a little more time with him before he left. It was a good trip to Belfast even though the reason we were there wasn’t the best.

Every Monday we have a seminar which is our class. We alternate between Belfast and Derry. The first week we were in Belfast. We met a man whose wife and father-in-law were killed in a bomb in East Belfast. He talked about the pain and how he turned that pain into something productive. He is working on making Northern Ireland a better place. That afternoon we went to East Belfast Alternatives, an organization that works with youth and paramilitaries. They do a lot of work with restorative justice. They gave us the tour of part of the East Belfast neighborhood. Some of the little kids (like 5 year olds) were yelling at us and telling us to go away. It isn’t an area that is toured very often, so when a group of 15+ people are wandering around their neighborhood they probably didn’t exactly like it.

Last Monday our seminar was in Derry. We spent the day at the organization that does international development. A man who was blinded at age 10 talked to us and told us his story. It was amazing because he has never been angry about what happened. There has never been any bitterness in his life. It was incredible.

On Friday a few of us went out. We ended up at Peadar O’Donnell’s. There was live music, and it was a good time. Saturday Nigel took us to County Donegal. The weather was rainy & cold, but it was still awesome. We went the Glenveagh National Park. We toured a castle which people lived in until the 80s. The view was amazing!

We then went to the Atlantic Ocean and frolicked along the beach.

Some people wrote messages in the sand. Someone even drew the shape of Minnesota in the sand. We even saw a rainbow while in Donegal. We rocked out to music on the way back to Derry.

Today I didn’t do anything exciting, but it was awesome to just relax and not really worry about anything. My flat mates (roommates) and I made burgers and fried potatoes for dinner. It was delicious! This week will be good. Tomorrow I’m in Belfast for our seminar. Tues & Wed I’ll be in Omagh for a workshop. Thursday is St/ Paddy’s Day, so I don’t have to work. Friday I don’t have to work either! It’ll be a little weird but brilliant.

B'fast

On Wednesday we went on our field trip to Belfast. In the morning people met with their supervisors, got coffee, etc. Then we met an republican (an IRA man) to give us a tour of the nationalist/Catholic neighborhoods. He showed us murals and told us a little about himself. While we were with him he took us to the cemetary where the hungerstrikers are buried. There is a special section for those who died serving the IRA during the troubles. This is a mural of Bobby Sands the first hungerstriker to die.
While in the nationalist neighborhood/The Falls, we also went to the Irish Republican History Museum. There were many artifacts from the troubles and even before. It is soley run but donations and volunteers. We also ate lunch with the republicans and were able to ask them questions.

After lunch with the republicans, we met up with an ex Loyalist. He shared a little about his past, that he was in prison, how long, etc. He showed us the murals in unionist neighborhoods/ the Shankill Road.

The last place he took us to was a memorial for the Battle of the Somme. It was a battle during WWI where 770 or so Ulstermen from Belfast went to fight for the British and only 70 some men came back. The Unionists want the British to never forget that they served them and lost man along the way. Overall the trip to Belfast was good. It was very interesting to get both persepectives, unionist & nationalist, even if they were more towads the extremes of loyalist and republican.

Thursday we debriefed/reflected about Belfast and prepared for our internships. In the afternoon we went to Nigel's for lunch. All of us got to meet his adorable family. Everyone enjoyed seeing and interacting with children because it is something we are currently lacking. After lunch and spending time with Nigel's family, he took us to a beach near his home. It was kind of chilly, but many of us took our shoes off & ran in the water. Some of us raced along the beach, took jumping pictures, and other ridiculousness that young people do. It was fun and my feet were frozen by the time we left. Thursday included packing and cleaning, as well as going out in Portrush once more before leaving.

Friday was moving day, so the Belfast crew left at 8am and we left at 2. We arrived in Derry at our flats and the keys didn't work. We thought we needed a locksmith, but it turned out it was just new and sticky. Most of us unpacked and went and got food.

Yesterday we wandered around the city exploring. We walked along the city's walls, through the city center, and to the grocery store. I found a Catholic Church, so I went to mass this morning. It was nice except it was a big cathedral and seemed somewhat impersonal.

I start my internship tomorrow morning at the Junction. I'm excited about it but also a little nervous. That's about it for now. Oh, also a few of us planned our spring break, we're headed to Scotland!

Field trip to Derry, my day of birth and beyond

Last week was our first “real” week here in Northern Ireland. We started classes and had many different speakers who came to talk to us. We learned/talked about Irish history, the conflict being religious or not, the murals, identity perspectives, gender in Northern Ireland, the Battle of the Bogside and Bloody Sunday to just name a few.

On Wednesday we went to Derry/Londonderry for a field trip. Derry is what nationalists/Catholics call the city, and Unionists/ Protestants use the name Londonderry.  Some people call Derry/Londonderry “the Stroke City” because of the / in the name. I’m going to use Derry because it is shorter and more convenient. Derry is where the “Battle of the Bogside” took place as well as Bloody Sunday, just two of the horrific events during the troubles. While in Derry, those of us interning there met our supervisors, while others explored the city a bit. I met Maureen, the director of the Junction. I start at the Junction next week. Here is a picture of a paint "bomb" on the wall.

After meeting our supervisors, the group gathered for our tour of Derry. Our tour guide was a native of Derry. He showed us around the Fountain, a unionist neighborhood, took us on the walls. Derry is also known as the Walled city because it has walls around part of the city. He then took us to the Bogside, which is a Catholic/nationalist area. We also stopped at the Free Derry Museum to learn more about Bloody Sunday. A woman whose brother was killed on Bloody Sunday told us her story and now her involvement in the peace process. It was moving to hear her talk about him and the stories of others who died on that day. She also told us about the investigation that looked into the event and tried to make sense of the events. It just came out last summer and brought some of the families closure, while one man, a father I believe, said he hadn’t learned anything new about that day. On Tuesday before going to Derry, we had watched a movie about Bloody Sunday, and at the time I had thought it was powerful until I heard the personal stories about those who were killed on Bloody Sunday. It was an emotionally draining day for everyone. It took some time to process. I’m still not sure if I’ve processed it all.

Wednesday was my birthday so after our field trip and a nap, we went to a nightclub to celebrate. It was Kelly’s, the biggest nightclub in Northern Ireland. It was fun, but not exactly everyone’s cup of tea.

Thursday we reflected on our field trip and got to go on a walk in the afternoon. WE went to Mountsandel Wood. It was the earliest record of civilization in the whole island of Ireland. It was a simple and not particularly beautiful place located along a river in Coleraine, where the University of Ulster is located. It was very peaceful, and it was nice to get away from the group and constant noise.

Friday we had speakers talk about young men and Social Work in Northern Ireland. Both topics were quite interesting. I could relate to a lot of what the Social work speaker talked about. It was similar to what I had learned in my Human Services classes. For example he spoke of congruence between your personal and professional lives, humility, personalization/person based care, critical consciousness/intentionality and continual learning.

Friday night we went to a pub and listened to live music. One might think it was traditional Irish music, but that wasn’t the case. It was actually pop and some random other stuff. One thing that I thought was a wee bit bizarre about that night was the fact that there was a dog just chilling in the bar. Somebody brought their dog to the bar with them! It was well behaved and all, but it just wasn’t something I was expecting to see.

Saturday some of us rode the train to Coleraine to explore. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and we were exploring/shopping/wandering around. We weren’t really looking for anything in particular so we ventured into what felt like 20 shops, including bookstores, thrift stores, clothing stores, and a mall. We happened to run into Nigel, our program director, and his family. He has 2 adorable kids and his wife is very nice. When we returned to the flats we bragged to the rest of the group about getting to meet his family. Also I watched the sunset on Saturday. It seems like such a simple thing, but being next to the ocean makes it that much more majestic. And it was the first one I have seen that wasn’t obstructed by clouds.

Saturday night I received a belated birthday gift from my flat mates. It was fake mustaches. So while hanging out around the flats we wore them. It was pretty fantastic and ridiculous. Never before had I seen 7(ish) adults wearing fake mustaches, side burns, eye brows, and a soul patch. Unfortunately they were falling off of us before heading out to karaoke. We went to another local pub to do karaoke. About half of our group performed a song. The crowd loved us. I’m not sure if 1. It was because we Americans, 2. We were awesome, 3. We were terrible, or 4. We danced a lot. Either way it was a lot of fun. 

Sunday was just a relaxing day. A few of us went to church at the local church, a Church of Ireland. It was nice and we got to witness a baptism. I think it’s neat to experience different church services, especially when something exciting like a baptism takes place. 

So since I’ve been here in Ireland, my flat mates think I’m a really good cook. My dad will be proud. I’m not saying I’m not a good cook; it’s just something I hadn’t thought of before. I guess most of them don’t cook or aren’t as creative as I am. I’ve made tacos, pasta, fajitas, grilled cheese, and homemade garlic bread. Really it’s nothing too out of the ordinary, but apparently stuff that they have not thought of. I enjoy cooking at the end of the day. It gives me time to distress and add some creativity.

That was last week. This week we go to Belfast on Wednesday for a field trip; then on Friday we move to Derry or Belfast. It going to be weird to split up, but I’m excited to start my internship. Also once I get to Derry I’ll hopefully have easier access to the internet, so Skyping will be more of an option to keep in touch with people. Hope all is well for everyone reading this! Love you and miss you all!

address...

So I may have given everyone a much too complicated version of my address. Here is the updated version...

Marcy Mueller
Room B140B
UNESCO Centre Office
University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA