We woke up Saturday morning to a beautiful day...sunshine and warmth and decided that today we would need to get out of Dublin and explore other local areas. For just 13 euros total we both were able to hop on the DART (train) and travel either North or South along the coast. We decided Howth (rhymes with both) would be our first destination.
Howth is also a peninsula and is surrounded by Ireland's beauty...the water, lush, green grass, and the amazing Georgian architecture that still remains from long ago. In so many words, the area is breathtaking...surrounded by the vast sea, a fishing village, European homes, sailboats, and countless accents, we were in awe that this village was just minutes away.
Lunch was delicious...fish and chips for Brian and salmon cake and chips for me; it was the kind of place where the line forms out the door and where you eat is up for grabs...the first park bench you can find outside. We are definitely taking visitors here.
After Howth, we decided to go to Malahide and see the infamous Malahide Castle and park that seems to be labeled as a tourist's gem. Malahide Castle, set on 250 acres of park land, was both a fortress and a private home for nearly eight hundred years. The Talbot family lived here from 1185 to 1973, when the last Lord Talbot died.
Our first stop in Malahide was to Coffee Scene, a local cafe, for a mocha and latte; afterwards we walked though massive trees to take us to a gorgeous, green park with rugby pitches (fields), playgrounds, craft store, and finally at the end was the castle.
The day was amazing..."summer" is still here and knock on wood, we haven't had rain in a while. In fact, the rain literally stopped after I went out to buy rain trousers.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Dublin Dragons
The 29th of September marked the day that Brian played in his first American football game in Ireland...it was a pre-season game, and for Brian, it was a chance to play some football.
Dressed in crimson and black, the Dublin Dragons were ready to execute their skills (60% of the team were playing for the first time) and learn from what Brian had to offer. Unbeknownst to me, Brian would not only play his regular position as safety, he also played linebacker, wide receiver, quarterback, and defensive end.
His stats:
-1 interception
-1 fumble recovery
-2 quarterback sacks
-8-10 tackles
-2 receptions for 40 yards
-2 runs for 40 yards
The Dragons lost 29-6, but everyone had fun and I really enjoyed watching Brian play the game he loves most.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Catching up...
With 2 weeks of work under my belt, rain trousers in tow, and an exact morning routine timed to perfection, I feel like we have been here longer than a mere month and a half.
Work is going well; I've learned that the Irish work culture is to slowly ease the 'newbie' into the workplace...which means I most likely will not start seeing my own families until the beginning of October. I'm anxious and ready but know that I will appreciate this time once I am in full swing. I have a 6 page list of people in the community to know, meet and greet, and introduce myself and my role in hopes of 1) informing the greater community about Barnardos work and what our project offers to the community, 2) obtaining more referrals from the community, and 3) creating more collaborative community connections.
I have attended 2 parent and toddler groups; it's run so differently than the one I'm used to at my previous job and I can't help but give a lot of input or 'suggestions' at what could be different. I'm very careful about what I'm suggesting as not to say "our" way is better, but to point out how, for example, having the parents sit around in a circle and introduce themselves and their kids should be encouraged instead of having the facilitator introduce everyone, which takes away the parent's voice and takes away an opportunity for the parents to engage with each other and share their family with everyone else.
Social care in Ireland is similar to the States in that social workers/case managers for families are overworked, underpaid, and have long lists of families to tend to, many on wait lists; however, it is different in that it's still behind the times in its process, how they respond to CPS (child protection services) calls/referrals, etc. I'm still learning more about the system and will continue to share as it all becomes clear...
Ireland, in the last 10-15 years, has just only experienced true diversity of living in a multi-cultural/multi-national country. In Ireland's recent economic boom many young people, couples, and families immigrated to Ireland hoping for better economic futures. Many people immigrated from China, Phillipines, India, Africa, and Eastern Europe. With the recent surge in diversity the people of Ireland have actually gone through a culture shock of absorbing so many different cultures. With that comes the notion that not everyone is Catholic...
98% of the schools in Ireland are Catholic; many are funded and run by the Church, the Church continues to have a big say in how the schools are run. Only recently has Ireland begun to address the issue that not all children are Catholic and will want to attend Catholic schools. Educate Together is an organization that advocates for setting up what they call "multi-denominational or non-denominational" schools; there are quite a few in the area, but not enough to accomodate the number of children coming in. You can read about Educate Together's work at www.educatetogether.ie.
Brian has managed to find not just 1, but 2 American football teams to play for...the Dublin Dragons and the Dublin Rebels. The Dublin Dragons are what Brian considers to be placed between a JV and Varsity high school football team and the Rebels, though he hasn't seen them play, he's heard they're one of the best teams in Ireland. So, you might think the answer is obvious for which team Brian would want to play for...no, it's not that simple. In an ideal world, Brian would play for both teams, but what his decision comes down to is this...does he want to play on a weaker team but know that he could bring his skills and expertise to the team and hopefully carry the team all the way to the Shamrock Bowl OR does he want to play on a stronger team, bring his skills and expertise, and know that the team already ranks pretty high? There is something exciting and rewarding about knowing that you could help a team become stronger with the assets they already have in addition to new knowledge and energy.
A local club football (soccer) team recruited Brian as a free agent to play on their weekly Tuesday games; they play on a 5 vs. 5 field, so the field is much smaller, the game is quicker, and is a touch game, meaning that ball control is key. I, on the otherhand, was able to play in a 7 vs. 7 soccer tournament on Sunday and was asked to play on a local women's club football team for their winter league. I'm thrilled and look forward to polishing up my game with true European women players. The tournament was a lot of fun and for a good cause--SARI--Soccer Against Racism in Ireland. We played 30 minute games (15 minute halves) and ended up winning 2nd place overall.
Upcoming events:
Friday, 19th, September: Dublin Culture Night
http://www.culturenight.ie/
Saturday, 20th, September: Dublin Dragon football game in Belfast
We'll make the journey there if it's indeed a real game and not a scrimmage.
Sunday, 28th, September: Donegal Mooathon (half marathon)
http://www.mooathon.com/
I'm contemplating doing this half marathon with a friend for a number of reasons; 1) we've heard it's beautiful, 2) we're in Ireland, 3) the experience.
That's all for now...please tell us, what's the crack with you??
Love,
Rosanne and Brian
Work is going well; I've learned that the Irish work culture is to slowly ease the 'newbie' into the workplace...which means I most likely will not start seeing my own families until the beginning of October. I'm anxious and ready but know that I will appreciate this time once I am in full swing. I have a 6 page list of people in the community to know, meet and greet, and introduce myself and my role in hopes of 1) informing the greater community about Barnardos work and what our project offers to the community, 2) obtaining more referrals from the community, and 3) creating more collaborative community connections.
I have attended 2 parent and toddler groups; it's run so differently than the one I'm used to at my previous job and I can't help but give a lot of input or 'suggestions' at what could be different. I'm very careful about what I'm suggesting as not to say "our" way is better, but to point out how, for example, having the parents sit around in a circle and introduce themselves and their kids should be encouraged instead of having the facilitator introduce everyone, which takes away the parent's voice and takes away an opportunity for the parents to engage with each other and share their family with everyone else.
Social care in Ireland is similar to the States in that social workers/case managers for families are overworked, underpaid, and have long lists of families to tend to, many on wait lists; however, it is different in that it's still behind the times in its process, how they respond to CPS (child protection services) calls/referrals, etc. I'm still learning more about the system and will continue to share as it all becomes clear...
Ireland, in the last 10-15 years, has just only experienced true diversity of living in a multi-cultural/multi-national country. In Ireland's recent economic boom many young people, couples, and families immigrated to Ireland hoping for better economic futures. Many people immigrated from China, Phillipines, India, Africa, and Eastern Europe. With the recent surge in diversity the people of Ireland have actually gone through a culture shock of absorbing so many different cultures. With that comes the notion that not everyone is Catholic...
98% of the schools in Ireland are Catholic; many are funded and run by the Church, the Church continues to have a big say in how the schools are run. Only recently has Ireland begun to address the issue that not all children are Catholic and will want to attend Catholic schools. Educate Together is an organization that advocates for setting up what they call "multi-denominational or non-denominational" schools; there are quite a few in the area, but not enough to accomodate the number of children coming in. You can read about Educate Together's work at www.educatetogether.ie.
Brian has managed to find not just 1, but 2 American football teams to play for...the Dublin Dragons and the Dublin Rebels. The Dublin Dragons are what Brian considers to be placed between a JV and Varsity high school football team and the Rebels, though he hasn't seen them play, he's heard they're one of the best teams in Ireland. So, you might think the answer is obvious for which team Brian would want to play for...no, it's not that simple. In an ideal world, Brian would play for both teams, but what his decision comes down to is this...does he want to play on a weaker team but know that he could bring his skills and expertise to the team and hopefully carry the team all the way to the Shamrock Bowl OR does he want to play on a stronger team, bring his skills and expertise, and know that the team already ranks pretty high? There is something exciting and rewarding about knowing that you could help a team become stronger with the assets they already have in addition to new knowledge and energy.
A local club football (soccer) team recruited Brian as a free agent to play on their weekly Tuesday games; they play on a 5 vs. 5 field, so the field is much smaller, the game is quicker, and is a touch game, meaning that ball control is key. I, on the otherhand, was able to play in a 7 vs. 7 soccer tournament on Sunday and was asked to play on a local women's club football team for their winter league. I'm thrilled and look forward to polishing up my game with true European women players. The tournament was a lot of fun and for a good cause--SARI--Soccer Against Racism in Ireland. We played 30 minute games (15 minute halves) and ended up winning 2nd place overall.
Upcoming events:
Friday, 19th, September: Dublin Culture Night
http://www.culturenight.ie/
Saturday, 20th, September: Dublin Dragon football game in Belfast
We'll make the journey there if it's indeed a real game and not a scrimmage.
Sunday, 28th, September: Donegal Mooathon (half marathon)
http://www.mooathon.com/
I'm contemplating doing this half marathon with a friend for a number of reasons; 1) we've heard it's beautiful, 2) we're in Ireland, 3) the experience.
That's all for now...please tell us, what's the crack with you??
Love,
Rosanne and Brian
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Back to reality again...
After 41 days of bliss, lounging around, hanging out with each other while checking out the city, restaurants, people watching, finding pure entertainment in the simplest of things, truly enjoying each other's company, I started my job as Family Coordinator (in layman's terms, family therapist) at Barnardos on Wednesday, September 3rd. It was my boss' idea to start me in the middle of the week so it wouldn't be overwhelming having a full first week of work. I like how the Irish think!
Barnardos is a non-profit organization that supports children who are at-risk by working with them, their families, and their communities through one on one support, group work, classes, and advocating within their communities. There are over 40 Barnardos projects in Ireland; I'm in the newest project that's set up in the Corduff/Mulhuddart area; we are known as the Springboard project which means we provide the most intensive work to families based on the community's needs. Each project varies in the types of support it offers based on their community's needs. We offer a Parent and Toddler group, parenting classes, breakfast clubs, and individual support.
I work with an amazing team of 6 people (and 1 hamster, Cuddles, as an office mate); they have all been incredibly welcoming and has made my 'induction' feel warm and welcome. Each person I have met so far from other projects and headquarters have also been incredibly supportive and welcoming.
Our office is in a home within the community we work in; unless you see the sign on the front of the door, one would have no idea that we are located there. We have 2 playrooms, 2 offices (1 with 4 people in it, and the other with 2), a bathroom, and kitchen. I'm in an office with 3 other people that is smaller than the office I worked in alone back home. It's what realtors might call, cozy.
Families we see are vulnerable to the hard parts of life; drug and alcohol addiction, abuse, trauma in their childhood, but nontheless are exposed to many of the same issues we all face daily...given their history, background, economic status, it makes it more challenging for them to cope and walk their journey.
I will be working with families from all over the world; we have many Irish families, but also many refugees from Poland, Africa, Russia, etc. I'm most excited about working with the families and learning about the different cultures and how that impacts their life here and their work with me. In addition to the individual work, I will also co-facilitate the parent/toddler class and the Caring Start class (a 6 or 8 week parenting class).
I take the bus to and from work and have a 15-minute walk to work after I get off the bus; the bus ride is very relaxing and gives me a chance to think, read, and people watch. The bus stop is literally behind our apartment and comes every 10-minutes, so the excuse of being late, isn't really there. It's been nice not having a car as an option for transportation which makes living in the city such a luxury. All that said, I was wishing for a car Friday morning as I made my daily 15-minute walk to work...I was dressed in my best rain coat and was sporting my wellies (rain boots) over my pants...the rain was pouring in all directions, I was walking against the wind, it felt like pins and needles on my face, and by the time I arrived to work my pants were soaked, the hair that was poking out of my hood was wet, my mascara was running down my face, I looked horrendous. My boss would hear nothing of me wearing wet pants, so she made me take them off, handed me a robe to wear, put my pants in the dryer, and that was that.
Lessons learned: buy rain pants and waterproof mascara.
Barnardos is a non-profit organization that supports children who are at-risk by working with them, their families, and their communities through one on one support, group work, classes, and advocating within their communities. There are over 40 Barnardos projects in Ireland; I'm in the newest project that's set up in the Corduff/Mulhuddart area; we are known as the Springboard project which means we provide the most intensive work to families based on the community's needs. Each project varies in the types of support it offers based on their community's needs. We offer a Parent and Toddler group, parenting classes, breakfast clubs, and individual support.
I work with an amazing team of 6 people (and 1 hamster, Cuddles, as an office mate); they have all been incredibly welcoming and has made my 'induction' feel warm and welcome. Each person I have met so far from other projects and headquarters have also been incredibly supportive and welcoming.
Our office is in a home within the community we work in; unless you see the sign on the front of the door, one would have no idea that we are located there. We have 2 playrooms, 2 offices (1 with 4 people in it, and the other with 2), a bathroom, and kitchen. I'm in an office with 3 other people that is smaller than the office I worked in alone back home. It's what realtors might call, cozy.
Families we see are vulnerable to the hard parts of life; drug and alcohol addiction, abuse, trauma in their childhood, but nontheless are exposed to many of the same issues we all face daily...given their history, background, economic status, it makes it more challenging for them to cope and walk their journey.
I will be working with families from all over the world; we have many Irish families, but also many refugees from Poland, Africa, Russia, etc. I'm most excited about working with the families and learning about the different cultures and how that impacts their life here and their work with me. In addition to the individual work, I will also co-facilitate the parent/toddler class and the Caring Start class (a 6 or 8 week parenting class).
I take the bus to and from work and have a 15-minute walk to work after I get off the bus; the bus ride is very relaxing and gives me a chance to think, read, and people watch. The bus stop is literally behind our apartment and comes every 10-minutes, so the excuse of being late, isn't really there. It's been nice not having a car as an option for transportation which makes living in the city such a luxury. All that said, I was wishing for a car Friday morning as I made my daily 15-minute walk to work...I was dressed in my best rain coat and was sporting my wellies (rain boots) over my pants...the rain was pouring in all directions, I was walking against the wind, it felt like pins and needles on my face, and by the time I arrived to work my pants were soaked, the hair that was poking out of my hood was wet, my mascara was running down my face, I looked horrendous. My boss would hear nothing of me wearing wet pants, so she made me take them off, handed me a robe to wear, put my pants in the dryer, and that was that.
Lessons learned: buy rain pants and waterproof mascara.
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