Experiences as an Outsider

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There is little question that in the two days since my last entry I have been witness to events, directly and indirectly, that have created a lasting impression. Though this is to be expected I did not believe it would come so quickly. To begin, last evening I attended an international student dinner held in one of the many halls of the university. I suppose it is fair to say that there was hardly a dull moment. I sat down, along with an American friend, at a table already occupied by five other international students. As one may expect greetings were quickly exchanged. However, when my friend and I were asked about our native country our new aquaintences, who were from France and Germany, became quite rigid. It was not until my friend began telling them of his five month stay in Paris that the ice between the two parties began to melt.

Yet, this was not the end of our evening. After dinner the vice-chancellor of the university gave a speech welcoming all of the forty-nine nationalities represented. He then introduced each of the countries, having its members stand up in recognition. Upon announcing the United States my friends and I stood up to a mix of applause and booing. At that same moment the lone representative of Iraq, a young woman who will be studying Law, approached the Americans and embraced them. It is nothing that I have ever experienced before and am still not quite sure what to think or how to feel.

Our impressionable experiences continued into Saturday. Two of my friends and I decided to explore Belfast's notorious west end. Because it was a such a beautiful day, rare in Northern Ireland, we decided to make the trip on foot. To the average European this would not have been a long walk but to we American's it was one heck of a trek. We first visited the Fall Road or Catholic Area. Though I had seen this area before it is impossible not to be touched just as deeply the second time. The murals that cover the sides of buildings and walls tell stories of a violent history and desperate struggle for independence.

My friends and I then passed through the "Peace Wall" into the Protestant section of the west end. Once again, I was deeply touched. It is impossible not to be. It is but fifty yards that separate two different perspectives and ideologies; two perspectives and ideologies that have been at war with each other for hundreds of years. We were fortunate enough to strike up a conversation with an older gentleman who was happy to share his knowledge with international students. He assured us that the "Troubles" are indeed over, and that both Catholics and Protestants want to develop a peaceful understanding. However, after finishing our conversation with the man we heard shouting on both sides of the street. A young man, probably thirteen or fourteen, was wearing a Celtic jersey (a sign that he is Catholic). He was verbally assaulted by the boys and girls around him. He likewise returned the rhetoric. Perhaps it is to be an uneasy peace.

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Photos

Portrait of a Martyr
Portrait of Hunger Strike leader Bobby Sands on the side of the Sinn Fein headquarters.

Portrait along Shankill
Protestant portrait commemorating its struggle to preserve Ulster.