Comments | kass_rants: Long Ago and Far Away

kass_rants

Long Ago and Far Away

Oct 23, 2013 08:51

So I got an email a week or two ago asking me for permission to print a photo of me wearing the Shinrone Gown in a book on artifacts from County Offaly. (YAY!) She also asked for a high-res print-worthy version of the photo. So I had to have a root through my box of photos from the move. Needless to say, this led to finding loads of other ( Read more... )

oideas gael, irish language, old friends

Comments 18

guy_todd October 23 2013, 14:15:57 UTC

Four weeks living with locals--sounds like it must have been an incredible experience!

kass_rants October 23 2013, 14:20:27 UTC

It was lovely. It's making me think seriously about trying to squeeze in four weeks again.

alphafemale1 October 23 2013, 14:41:21 UTC

I remember you telling the story of being late to class because you got lost, and made some joke about spirited away by the fairy folk. To which your classmates looked at you somberly and remarked "Don't be joking about the little people".

:D

kass_rants October 23 2013, 14:51:47 UTC

Yeah. But it was the prof! LOL

thewolfhound October 24 2013, 02:52:38 UTC

AGOA!!! Ná bí dána le na síoga! ;)

brickhousewench October 23 2013, 15:00:07 UTC

Any chance you could track those summer friends down on Facebook and reconnect? This story seems like a good excuse.

kass_rants October 23 2013, 15:04:48 UTC

No chance that I remember any of their surnames. I found myself hard-pressed to remember some of their "real" first names because in Irish we often call people something different.

I will, however, when I'm there next summer check with Oideas Gael and see if they've been in touch. I know Liam, the director, has given out my email address to people who wanted to get in touch.

brickhousewench October 23 2013, 16:02:50 UTC

Ah, I have that same problem. "I used to know the names of everyone in these photos....."

kass_rants October 23 2013, 17:18:40 UTC

There is a chance some of them will have been in touch because they went on to do grad work in Ireland.

But, you know, the wistfulness of "the life I left behind me".

Oh! Why don't I pour myself a drink and sing something sad while I'm at it. LOL!

Thread 6

jaelie October 23 2013, 16:35:32 UTC

Oh, it would be awesome if you could go back again for another four weeks! It's incredible how much being immersed in a language helps with the proficiency of speaking it.

I know at some point, my husband & I (and kiddos) are going to go to a language program week in Ireland, though not for a few years yet, as the kiddos are still a bit too young.

kass_rants October 23 2013, 17:31:05 UTC

I'm going to try!

silme October 23 2013, 17:25:48 UTC

You could always visit again when you can afford it. There are some very hospitable SCA folks there who would be very happy to meet you, put you up etc. :) (I'm speaking as someone in England who has been a guest in some of those homes. :) Some of them also speak Irish quite well.

kass_rants October 23 2013, 17:32:02 UTC

Oh yes. I know. I've stayed with some before when I was there in 1999 lecturing on the Shinrone gown.

It's just that I miss the people in those photos, you know? And the good times we had back then.

Ah well.

silme October 23 2013, 19:16:41 UTC

The SCA has grown a lot in Ireland since then. Many of the members hadn't heard of the group at that time -- or were too young. :)

But, yes, I do understand. *sigh* A little over 13 years ago, I moved 5,000 miles from a place I called home for 21 years. I'd thought I'd stay there forever. (I'd adopted that place over where I'd lived previously.)