Dublin

Though I hate to remove that amazing album cover from the top of the list, there are more posts to make.

Dublin is a bit chillier than London (and much more so than Amsterdam was) but it’s nice to be back. My first and only time here previously was August 2002. I think I’ve told the story. I taught a brutal summer semester, and decided to get over it with two trips that month.

The first was to Istanbul, which I adored, still adore, and always will adore. Istanbul is still my number one city. I’m very comfortable around water and very comfortable in Islamic cultures and amidst old architecture, and Istanbul (much more than the already lovable Alexandria) gives me all of this.

For the second trip, I did a sort of “roulette wheel” plan, where I went to the AUC travel agent and said “give me the cheapest option from among Iceland, Ireland, and Scotland.” I had never been to any at the time, but have since been to all. I was actually rooting against Ireland at the time, because I grew up appalled by all the Irish kitsch found everywhere in America. But Ireland was the winner of that contest, and I steeled myself to make the best of it. However, no need to have steeled myself– it’s wonderful here.

It’s been wonderful again. The only downer of the whole day was that my passport control guy at the airport was the biggest ass I have ever encountered in such a job. The only thing making my own horrendous treatment somewhat more tolerable is that I saw him act even more rudely to a family of 4 ahead of me who looked… Malaysian, Indonesian, something of the sort. He treated those poor people like al-Qaeda infiltrators– an especial shame since the son and the daughter (both 8 or 9 years old) were clearly having the time of their lives on this big exciting trip, and were very curiously observing Mr. Passkontroll as if he were their momentary hero, blessedly ignorant of what a jerk he was being to their very own father at that moment. At least he only treated me like a lying piece of trash, not like a potential criminal. I’m glad I know the whole history of AUC, because he decided to test me (after I named my employer) by throwing me off balance with a series of questions about my University that only a pathetic institutional history buff like me would know.

But so much for that jerk. The taxi driver was great, filled with tips about how I should spend tomorrow (naming a particular fishing village easily reachable by train).

Anyway, great to be here, and it’s going to be a full week.