Baile Atha Cliath

I wouldn't normally share my dreams in such a public venue as the internet...I mean...I wouldn't want just anyone psychoanalyzing me...but last night's dream was truly noteworthy. I kid you not, I literally conjured up a dream in which I was dancing an improvisational ballet pas-de-deux with famed gangster-rapper 50 Cent to a song by George Gershwin. I am not making that up. I couldn't make that up if I tried. Any interpretations are welcome.

This morning I came THIS CLOSE (you can't see me but I am gesturing two fingers very close together) to leaving my cell phone in the hostel in Limerick. That would have sucked.

It is a good thing that this morning was the last time I had to move my stuff because my suitcase and I are no longer on friendly terms. At the beginning of my journey with gentle coaxing I could convince Suitcase to close or even to move if I wanted it to, but that is no longer the case. Suitcase cries out in agony when I try to close its zippers and moves only on its own very unreasonable terms. Our relationship has turned bitter and spiteful.

You will recall at the start of this trip I was having a lot of anxiety over being in small towns. As a self-proclaimed "city person" I was having a lot of trouble slowing my pace down enough to appreciate the simple rural lifestyle. After several weeks I really got the hang of it though. As a result, I faced culture shock again today when I arrived in Dublin. The Dublin area actually has fewer people than the Portland area, but because it is the biggest city in Ireland and the center for the country's government and economy, it sort of looks and feels like a huge metropolis...especially when you've just spent a month and a half in sheep and cow territory. When I got off the bus I had a few moments of panic. The crowds! The noise! The buildings higher that two stories!

I readjusted to city-speed pretty quickly though and was able to obtain a soy chai latte almost instantaneously.

I had been in contact with someone from Riverdance several months ago when I was writing up my proposal and application for my grant and they said that I might be able to get an interview with one of the cast members while I was here. I didn't ever really hear from them again though, so I kind of assumed that that wasn't really going to happen. I received an email the other night though that instructed me to come to the stage door before the show in a few days and ask for Niamh O'Connor, the female lead of the show, at which point I am to conduct a 20-30 minute interview. Oh dear. There are a few problems with this situation. First of all there is my crippling social anxiety and my extreme vulnerability to star-struck behavior. Secondly, it seems, from the email they sent me, that they assume I am far more professional and prestigious than I actually am. Finally, because I had assumed I wasn't actually going to be doing this interview, I have no questions prepared. A bit problematic, no? At least I have a few days to become less anxious, more professional, and better prepared.


All neuroses aside, I arrived safely in Dublin, the hostel is in a great location, and I should have plenty of fun things to do for the next week.