Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The ides of March


I forgot to mention that yesterday afternoon I talked with a former student. For her college speech class she's investigating education around the world so she asked me about Northern Ireland. 

It was such a lovely conversation! It didn't hurt that for part of it I was on a bench in the Botanic Garden. For the rest of the conversation I walked to Viv's school. 

It's such a gift watching students grow from the people they are in my class to adults navigating the world. I'm overwhelmingly proud.

In other news (you're going to roll your eyes in a sec), The Times News (see what I did there?) editor, Marta Gouger, emailed me responses to the survey they posted on their website and I have some exciting things to investigate!

First!

It looks like Vivi and I are going to London!

Second, there are lots of things people want to know more about, from the IRA to the weather to fashion to Brexit. I'm going to recruit some folks from Belfast to answer the questions more in depth than I'd be able to and I'm going to try my best to get all the answers in video so you all can hear the fantastic accent I get to hear daily.

I was emailing earlier with a fellow Fulbrighter (Hi, Marjorie!) and she asked if people in Belfast say "brilliant" as much as those in England and I told her that the word I hear more than any other is "wee" and it's...brill. (Sorry, everyone. I'm in a corny mood apparently.) I also hear CRAIC a lot.


To find out more phrases, you can go to this link.

I really like "what's her/his/your age" rather than "how old is she/he/are you".

I also love "half twelve" instead of 12:30.

Those of you back home are digging out from a huge storm; this morning I walked through the quad and thought of you all and I saw this view and wanted to remind you: spring will come.





Almost every day I walk by the Palm House in the Botanic Garden, but too often I'm on my way to pick up Viv; today, though, I went in.

Image result for botanical palm house belfast
not my picture














I'm so glad I took the time to visit the flowers, but I wish you all could smell the hyacinth. The scent was powerful and magnetic - it pulled me through the room and it was impossible not to smile. What joy!



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