Sprát

As you may know… we are learning to speak Irish Gaelic. Well… we are now well to the point where we spend a good portion of our day speaking Irish. This does not always go as easily as we would wish. Here are a couple of fun language mistakes I made today: ;)

We were hanging out with a friend at our house, and we were talking about people’s names. I have a real hard time with some of the Irish names – especially the last names. As we were talking, I constantly kept mixing up the word “ainmhe” (pronounced ann-na-vee) which means animals with the word “ainmneachaí” (pronounced ann-na-ma-kree) the word for names. I don’t know how many times I said something like, “I have the hardest time with Irish animals” or “I can never pronounce Irish animals” or “In America we knew a few people with funny animals”. Our friend graciously just kept on laughing and helping me out of my mistake.

Later in the day, I went to a local shop for some milk. While there I ran into a local man who is an expert fisherman. We spoke in Irish about fishing and my lack of knowledge about saltwater fishing. I asked him to help me pick out something that would be useful for when the macrael run later this summer (a time when the schools of fish come so close to the shore that you can reach out and catch them with your bare hands). The man told me (in Irish) to reach up on the shelf and get a “Sprát”. I instantly knew that I did not know that Irish word…. But my mind kept racing…. “Sprát…. Sprát………. Ceard é sprát….?” My mind was blank. I looked at the shelves to try and solve the mystery but the labels were no help. I asked him in Irish “what is a sprat?” and he simply repeated the word “sprat” three or four times each time getting louder and slower. I asked him what it was in English, and he simply replied “SsssssssPpppppRrrrrrrrrAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaT” in a slow motion manner! There for a moment I felt like I was in some version of the movie ‘groundhog day’! I stood there in shock and confusement for a moment before he said in English “those silvery German sprats on the top shelf”. I picked a fancy silvery lore off of the self, and my friend said, “Now sure… that is a sprat”! I still am not sure what a sprat really is… but I don’t think that I will ask again.

Talamh an Éisc / Land of the Fish

Talamh an Éisc is the land some 1800 miles to the west of Ireland is sometimes better known by it's English name: Newfoundland, Canada. Talamh an Éiscis or the fishing ground is the only place outside Europe with its own distinctive name in the Irish language. Now - you might be thinking, "big deal". Well... It is a big deal. It has been described as the most Irish place in the world outside of Ireland. Irish settlers first came to this land in the early 1500's, and they have left a heritage of culture that is distinctively Irish. The Irish brought their surnames and place names, their Gaelic games (which later created ice hockey), their folklore, music, and religion.... but most importantly their language. This language is still alive in this area of Canada, and as of June 16th, 2007 the Canadian Government has established an official Gaeltacht (any region where the government recognizes that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home). This Gaeltacht is the only Gaeltacht to be recognized outside of Ireland. It is now known as Gaeltacht Bhuan Mheiriceá Thuaidh (or the Permanent North American Gaeltacht).

The Solstice...

Ok.... so, this is the last pic that I'll post from the solstice... But first an explanation:

Growing up in the southern USA I never knew how much the weather really affected people in other parts of the world. Don't get me wrong. We too had weather in the heart of Dixie... it was just hot and hotter. In Ireland the weather changes drastically with every season. Winter is brutal - windy, wet, and dark. The summer, however, is amazing - sunny, dryer, and long. It is easy to stay inside beside the fire on the short winter days and seasonal depression is rampant here. So when summer comes the people celebrate. This ritual of embracing the sun dates back long before recorded history. Ancient Celts worshiped nature and the sun above all else. It isn't hard to see/understand how the longest day of the year would have such importance and be a day of celebration. These celebrations go on today much like they did thousands of years ago. Each solstice is celebrated with a night of bonfires. All over Ireland people gather at huge fires for a night of dancing, singing, drinking, and revelry. I have to wonder how long this tradition has lasted in Ireland... It isn't hard to imagine (and I am certain that)people long before St. Patrick doing the exact same things. To be honest with you the whole thing disturbs me a bit, and it intrigues me a bit.

According to legend:
St. Patrick came back to Ireland in 432. He came to this land full of druids and often confronted the tribal leaders and druids with his Christian teachings. Often these confrontations were dramatic - such as cutting down a sacred tree in order to show that the tree held no power. One such legend tells of a time when Patrick confronted druids worshiping the sun. They had carved a circle to symbolize the sun on a large standing stone. Patrick denounced the worship of the sun and told all there that His God was the creator of the Sun the Earth, and the Heavens, and that they were not to worship the creation, but rather they were to worship the Creator. He then carved a large cross over the symbol of the sun as a reminder the even the sun is subject to Christ. This was the birth of the Celtic cross. A symbol that has endured through the ages.

Given the history, I thought this picture of a twelfth century Celtic cross on the summer solstice was appropriate:

Today's Random Pic...

Another picture from the Summer Solstice:

The Longest Day...

Yesterday was the summer solstice (or the longest day of the year). It was a real overcast cool day here, but the clouds broke in the evening and we were able to see a beautiful sunset that seemed to last for several hours. I took a group of students on a small road trip over to the Cliffs of Moher to watch the yearly sight. Here are a few pictures from our time in this extremely rocky area.

A Big Day...

Today is my beautiful wife's birthday!


Happy Birthday Dee!

I love you!!!

Is it really number 8?

I can't believe it... Dee has stuck with me for eight years now, and it looks like she is going to keep sticking around (Said with a smirk and a sigh of relief). It was eight years ago today that she became my bride. I look back at all of our old wedding photos, and I can't believe that those kids are really us. Were we really that young? Man....! A lot has happened over the past eight years. We have moved four times... Lived in two states and two countries... Changed jobs twice... Earned two master's degrees... We have traveled more than I would have ever dreamed... and in the process I have fallen deeper in love with Dee. I am grateful that she puts up with me more than she should... that she has a sense of humor... that she loves the same things that I love... and that she loves me unconditionally. I don't know what the future holds, but I am excited to be moving into it with my best friend.

I love you, Dee!

#3

Happy Father's Day!

A Note From The Road...

Many of you know that we do a lot of work with University students that come here to work and study during the summer months. This week is a really important time for us as we work to prepare & orientate them for their time in Europe. I wanted to post a couple of pics from our time in the UK.

Gaol for day one: Getting over jet lag and keeping everyone moving!

Silence

I wanted to post a quick note to say that things are going to be a bit quiet around our website this week. Dee and I are away with work this week. I promise to be back posting next Saturday!

Filming...