Aaron and Anne-Sophie

I took a short trip in Ireland on my way to meet Anne-Sophie in France to visit family and then headed back to the US via Boston and Maine for a wedding. Here are the photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/aaronka/IrelandFranceNewEngland2009#

I called it my Celtic journey, but in fact most Irish and Bretons originated from northern Spain, and were influenced by the arrival of the Celts much later. Still there are many similarities in culture and landscape in all three places I visited.

I just wanted to say a few more words about Ireland. I had my requisite Guinness, proper Irish breakfast, Irish whiskey, and all that. I also checked out some of the music of Dublin (you gotta see “Once"), Ireland’s ancient history, and natural beautiful green landscape mired with bogs and darkened by overcast weather. However, as usual, I’m going to go there. I have to talk a bit about the political situation and conflict in Northern Ireland. I’m not going to bore you with details (there are some that accompany the photos), but the point is to learn how conflicts can be resolved from the example of Northern Ireland and explore how peace can be maintained. Although there are several differences, there so many similarities to other conflicts such as in Israel-Palestine that can benefit from the example of N. Ireland. In fact, a major player in the N. Ireland peace process, George Mitchell, is Obama’s envoy to Israel-Palestine.

In a nutshell, Irish have been oppressed by the English for hundreds of years, and only recently gained independence in the south, and finally gained civic equality and political participation in the north, which is the main reason for the current peace. They decided to use a diplomatic process and got rid of discrimination in places such as the job force. However, tension still exists, and self-imposed separation still happens (though that happens in the US too). There are still hardliners who still want Northern Ireland to be more British because they originally came from England and Scotland to colonize Ireland (though the UK themselves may not want N. Ireland because it’s more trouble than it’s worth), and others who would like to join the Republic of Ireland because they were more connected with the original Irish here before the English took over. But most now just want to be. The separation and differences have been lessened as the economy improved and religion became less important, so why separate? What does it mean to be Irish? With their history so layered, from the original inhabitants, Celtic, Norman, Viking, and English influence, it is all those things. What is Palestinian and what is Israeli? They have even more layered mixes both culturally and genetically. Do we need separation? Can’t we just be? Give everyone equal rights and let them decide who they are? A wedding in Maine, the bride with an Irish surname and the groom with a Chinese one, what does it mean anymore? At the same time, I can say I tasted and felt something uniquely Irish when I was there; Different than Irish-Americans or Breton-French. I kinda want them to always be the same for me, so I can go visit and experience that different-ness and take a break from being me . . .from being American. If we all became the same, then why travel?

PS-Job Update

The good news is that it appears I will be working at Wilson High School, which is just 2 blocks from where I live in DC. The bad news is that is not as a full-time social studies teacher. It will be as aide to a special needs student, which is good experience, but half the pay.