My Favorite Things

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Woah. I have finally escaped Belfast (my blog may say I'm in Belfast, but I'm really in Glasgow). Sometimes I get stuck in places for a little longer than I intend to...like Belfast...for a week. When I first got to Belfast I was uneasy about the peace wall and the UDA and IRA grafitti everywhere(it's not really everywhere) and the really bad UFF murals...but after a while it seemed totally normal (no, it really didn't). Yea, I have no point here. Most of my time in Belfast was spent watching Donnie Darko and drinking lots of soup and Carlsberg with my pirate friend Kane-O.

However while in Belfast, I was introduced to my new most favorite thing about Europe: the Eurovision Song Contest!!!! Each country in Europe (+Israel for whatever reason) has a song entry by an artist that is chosen to represent their country. It's a bit like a cross between American Idol and the Miss America Pageant to compare it to American things. Every country gets to vote for their favorite country but they aren't allowed to vote for their own country. It gets a bit political. Everyone votes for their neighbors and no one votes for the UK. This year (the 51st!) Finland had a landslide victory with their hit song "Hard Rock Hallelujah". I meant to place a bet at the bookies (theres lots of bookies in this country) on Finland (cuz it was obvious they'd win) before the contest, but I never got around to it. Damn, I could have been rich. Kane-O's friends have a big Eurovision party every year where they serve international foods and everyone has to dress up in a costume representing a different country in Europe. I went as China. It was awesome. Did you know that Protestants and Catholics in Belfast alike come together during Eurovision to dance? It's beautiful.

I like Ireland. It's pretty and the people say "like" just as much as Californians (but at the end of sentances instead of at the beginning and in the middle) and they pronounce "film" "fillum". You can't get much better than that! The people of Ireland were right friendly and I love that they are so open about their past. Everyone is willing to talk about it and I think that is great. Don't you?

Back here in Scotland. Glasgow is as cool as I remember it. This morning I thought I'd probably travel around Scotland a bit but after reaccessing my funds and remembering the awesomeness of this city, I've decided I should stay here and try working for the next four weeks. Wish me luck with that. And come end of June woooo SPAIN PORTUGAL AND MOROCCO!!!WEEeEE@S! I'm going to start working on my Spanish tomorrow.

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Photos

UDU UDA UFF UVF
Always watching you...

Rubbish...or is it?
wood and stuff for Unionist bonfires in July

Sinn Fein
Falls Rd.

Peace Wall
Wall between Shankhill Road and Falls Road dividing the Catholics from the Protestants

Bobby Sands
First hunger striker to die

Bush sucking oil from Iraq?
is this mural trying to say something? (this is on Falls Rd. Can you figure out whose got the better artists?)

Building Facades
I like it when the building's gone but the front is still there

Europa Hotel
Most bombed building by the IRA.

Baby season
Babies grow on trees in North Belfast

OH yea!
I forgot to mention that a member of the IRA captured me and held me hostage after spotting me walking down Falls Road with a British flag on my chest...what?

Eurovision!!
Representing Portugal, China, Ireland, and Norway (but then Finland when they started to win)!

Comments

[anonymous]

Kllesifhishfansssseeebyss@! hi!! sorry, i've been wanting to email you for a while but final projects, final papers, one year anniversaries, several mothers days, birthdays and finals all within the last few weeks have taken up a whole lotta my time. SURE looks like u're having a good ol time over there, even as a hostage with a gun to your head! nice. i miss yarse :( i realise that this summer i will have like.. robert to keep me company and maybe claire but she's here for just two weeks. keep on having more phun and i'll talk to you soon! *~*MUAHZ*~*<##33!