Passing time in Dublin

I’m ready to go home even though I’m not really sure where that is. Losing my passport left me with this feeling of incredulity. I’m absent minded and forgetful but I’ve never found myself in a bind quite like this before. After an unsympathetic visit to the Canadian Embassy in Dublin, I was really upset and not at all in the mood for sightseeing. I had to cancel my visit to Glendalough so that I could appear at the Canadian Embassy at 9:00 a.m. this morning and throw myself at their mercy.

I signed in to the embassy at 9:05 this morning and filled out all the forms and paid my (hefty) fee for a temporary passport. I was told to come back at 2:00 p.m. since the Dublin office is 5 hours ahead of Ottawa and wouldn’t be able to get approval from Ottawa until that time. I walked around a bit and then decided to take the hop on / hop off Dublin tour. I took pictures of the highlights but did not visit any sights. I’ve had enough of looking at things; I was just passing time until I could return to the embassy.

I finished the tour around 1 and went for lunch. Lunch was quick and it still wasn’t 2 yet by the time that I finished eating, so I went for a walk beside the canal. When the clock struck 2, I headed to the embassy. I was asked to wait.

I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Good thing I remembered to bring a book with me today. I guess there were some complications with the passport and I finally got it just before 5 p.m. I’m thankful to the lady who processed my application and got me the passport. She’s the same one who made me lose all hope of getting my passport in a day but she pulled through for me. I must remember that actions speak louder than words.

I’m the owner of a white temporary passport. I guess the fee also pays for a real passport when I get to Ottawa but I didn’t know that at the time (or I would have paid a few more Euros to get a 48 page passport). I have to exchange the temporary passport for a 24 page passport within 60 days. I can leave Dublin and get a little bit closer to Ottawa, though it doesn’t quite feel like going home.

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Irish culture

Today I walked on cliffs in the clouds with birds while the sea roared below. That’s what it felt like. I couldn’t see further than a few hundred meters away because of the thick fog swallowing the Cliffs of Moher. The burren and cliffs tour that I was on was saved by the spectacular views of the burren and of the Irish countryside, as well as the visit to Aillwee Cave and the stop to see the slab tomb at Poulnabrone Dolmen. Note to self: Don’t expect to be able to see spectacular sights at high altitude when on a day trip. Stay in the area for at least 24 hours in the hope of catching a clear view. That’s what I did in Banaue, in the hills of India; I’d forgotten the lesson.

Tonight, I continued my immersion into Irish culture, not the land but song and dance. It was a quick 5-10 minute walk to the Salthill Hotel from Clare Villa. I paid a fixed price for the deliciously satisfying three course meal on offer for the night before experiencing the magic of Trad on the Prom show. I have no pictures because they’re not allowed of the show but you can see them at http://www.tradontheprom.com. The musicians and talented and versatile. Out of the five main performers, three of them demonstrated more than one talent. The dancers were high energy, enthusiastic and well synchronized, simply fantastic. It was a full and enjoyable day.

Yesterday was a more relaxed day. I walked around Galway, exploring the Spanish Arch, the museum, the market, St. Nicholas’ Church, the Galway Cathedral, Cobbin River, the River Walkway. I got most of my gifts at the market which sold a variety of crafts, wollen wear, baked goods, vegetables, fruits, cheese, hand bags made in Nepal, some jewellery made in Ireland while others were made in Sweden and other places. I stopped by the river to finish my book, and to watch the fishermen and the other people enjoying the sunshine. As I walked on, I saw some swans and ducks in Galway Bay. I’d given my feet quite a workout but I’d do it all over again.

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Claddaugh and Clover

to be continued …

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Traveling around Ireland

So far, I’ve taken both a bus and a train. The train ride from Dublin to Belfast was beautiful. Well, the scenery can get a bit boring after a little while, all the farms, idyllic pastures, cows, sheep, more or less what I imagined Ireland to be. It feel a bit surreal going over water on the train tracks. Since all i could see around me, it feels like we’re going through the water or maybe even on the water since there is no apparent disturbance to the water’s surface. That was the best part of the trip for me.

I got to Belfast quite around 8 p.m. I made my way to my guest house and then to Ryan’s for irish fare. I had a seafood blanky (??). I’m not sure if I have the name right but it is basically like a savory pancake. It was quite good but a little bit too high on salt.

Yesterday, I took the bus from Belfast to Dublin and another from Dublin to Galway. It was a long trip (over 6 hours). The bus made lots of stops. I dozed in and out of sleep the whole way and was happy when I finally got to my hotel. The host at Clare Villa is very nice. The room is lovely with a double bed and both a tub and shower. I was very comfortable but felt lame for staying in so I went out for a walk to the beach around 10 p.m. I was also kind of hungry. I had a hard time finding a place that served food so late. I got fish and chips at Salt and Pepper because it looked like I had no other choice. Of course, I found a few more options after that such as Chinese take out and an Italian restaurant. I ended up walking about 4 km. It was around midnight when I got back.

Queen and Country

I had a few hours on Friday morning before my bus trip to Dublin. I decided to visit Queens University and the Botanic Gardens, both walking distance from my Camera Guest House. I first dropped off my laundry; I opted for drop off service since it was only 2 euros more and would save me time. I then went for a walk through the Botanic Gardens. The Palm House was closed but I enjoyed walking through and looking at the plants and flowers. I enjoyed smelling the fresh cut grass and the rain as it was drizzling most of the morning. The rose garden had a wide variety of shades and colors of roses. The roses weren’t very fragrant but there are some other very fragrant flowers in the gardens. Although I was there before the tropical ravine was officially open, one of the people working there was inside and I he made no argument when I walked through the unlocked door. It was hot and humid in there as you can imagine.

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My next stop was Queen’s University where I went to check out the Canada Room and the Visitors Center. There is a larger than life Pio Fendi sculture of Galileo in the black and white checked hall in the Lanyon building. I was curious about the Canada room. It was explained to me that it is so named because Canada assisted with its renovation and there is a close partnership between the university and universities in Canada.

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I still had a few more hours. I walked down Shaftesbury Square. I thought of going to Ormeau Baths but it started to rain so I dropped into the Europa Drop Center to get my ticket and hang around reading my book and enjoying a smoothie. I had enough time to pick up my laundry and have a quick lunch (bad Chinese buffet) before heading to the bus station to take the train to Dublin.

Protestant || Catholic

I’m in Ireland. I got here Wednesday evening (17th June). Actually I had flight connection troubles so I flew into Ireland and took the train to Belfast instead of flying into Belfast as previously planned. I lost track of time and was surprised when I realized that it was already 10:00 p.m.; the sun was still up.

I spent Thursday exploring Belfast. I took a hop on/hop off bus for the first time. I probably would have seen things more thoroughly if I hadn’t, and then again maybe that’s optimistic since it rained off and on all day long. The highlights of the trip were Stormount Estate, City Hall, St. Anne’s Cathedral, Titanic’s Dock and Pump House, none of which I stopped at. I would have liked to visit Stormount Estate and St. Anne’s Cathedral but it was raining and cold at the time and I couldn’t convince myself to do it. City Hall was closed for renovations. I got off the Bus at Skankill Road and had lunch there before walking over to Falls Road. The murals on the two roads send strong messages about the culture and history of the area. I spent some time talking to an older man in a coffee shop on Skankill. He told me some of the murals that I should see and shared some of the history of Skankill with me. He was a primary school teacher and now is a methodist ??. I didn’t quite catch what he said. I asked him to repeat it but I still didn’t catch it through the accent. Skankill has a more intimate feel than Falls Road in my opinion.

Lunch was fish and chips at Beatties. It’s a plain place with tables and pews that remind me of my school days. The portions of fish and chips are generous and served in about 7 minutes. I learned during the meal that fish and chips is a healthy food. I’m not entirely convinced but there was a large poster proudly stating this. I also ordered a pastie because I wanted to see what it was. It is a fried potato cake of a pinkish/red color. I’m not sure what is done to it to get it that way. I was curious about what a bap is but I had way too much food as it was and left most of it behind.

I saw Queens university and the Botanic Gardens from the bus but didn’t have enough time to visit that day so I went shopping at Clarks for shoes instead. I usually wear a size 8 or 9 in US sizes. I guess sizes are different in Northern Ireland. I had to keep asking for smaller sizes until the 6.5 finally fit.

It was around 6 p.m. when I finished shopping. I decided that that was too early to call it a day so I went to watch at movie before heading back to the guest house.

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Baha'i Pilgrimage

I’ve just completed my nine days pilgrimage in the twin cities of Akka and Haifa. This was an overwhelming experience. There’s a term for the state that I was in: God intoxication. I’ve walked the same paths walked by manifestations of God. I’ve visited the shrines of Baha’u'llah, the Bab and Abdu’l-Baha, the prison city of Akka, the terraces surrounding the shrine of the Bab, the House of Abbud, the Mansions of Mazra’ih and Bahji, the house of Abdu’llah Pasha, the House of the Master and pilgrim houses, the burial sites of the members of the Holy family and the administrative buildings of the Faith. I met eight of the nine Universal House of Justice members and five International Teaching Committee members. I saw pictures and portraits of the Blessed Bab and the Blessed Blessed Beauty. I made friends and belonged to a family of people on a voyage similar to mine. For my nine days here, the Pilgrim Reception Center and the Pilgrim houses in Haifa and Akka were my homes; I only went to my guest house to sleep.

How can I explain the experience of pilgrimage? There is really nothing that I can write here that will adequately describe the myriad of feelings and thoughts that I experienced in these nine days. I didn’t necessarily feel how I thought I’d feel at various points and emotions hit me at unexpected moments. A common feeling was that of inadequacy and doubt that I deserve this bounty or am equal to the responsibility of it. As I listened to members of the ITC and the UHJ speak at the pilgrim talks, I felt both better and more intimidated, better because it seems that even they grapple with feelings of inadequacy, and intimidated because there is so much being done and I need to find my role, and make my contribution towards creating a better world. There are so many people doing great acts of meritorious service.  I’m inspired to think about the future and to consider what my best self can do, and then take actions to achieve those things.

Tonight, after I circumambulated the shrines of the Bab and Abdu’l-Baha, I stood on the terraces and felt the breezes, smelt the flowers and listened to the sound of running water as suggested by one of the counsellors. I looked at the cities of Haifa and Akka and tried to imagine what they would look like in 5 years, in 10 years. I can’t imagine what they looked like in the time of the Central Figures of the Faith. But the biggest question on my mind was where do I go from here. In what ways will I use my experiences from my pilgrimage, the inspiration and the blessings and transformations that I’ve experienced to make a better life from this point on?

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Thunk … back to Earth

So I haven’t even finished processing my pilgrimage but I’ve been snagged back to earth at the Tel Aviv airport, at entry security (not gate security). I had every item examined. At one point, I was worried that my back up hard drive would be confiscated and/or my laptop power cord. I’m happy to report that my concern was unwarranted and all items were returned to me. It only took 1.5 hours for the process and the security lady escorted me to passport control so I didn’t have to go through security a second time. All the security people that I encountered were very nice and friendly. Security is taken very seriously here.

Revisiting India

Back in India after 4 year. I’d forgotten all the things that challenged me while living in India: the smells, the staring. Funny how the do not urinate and the post no bills signs are blatantly ignored. One of my friends likes to count how many men he sees violating those edicts.

I was happy to see my friends in Bangalore after such a long time. Although some of them are Canadians, we hadn’t managed to meet during our summer vacations to Canada.

Bangalore did not feel like an old friend. She’s gotten some fancy furnishings. There are McDonalds all over the city (new within the last 4 years), a Hard Rock Cafe downtown, at least two new international schools, a new airport in Yelahanka (about 30 km from the city center). Canadian International School has a new campus outside of the city. It’s a nice space with a view of the water and with trees around. The drive there was long however.

Prices appear to have gone up. A 4 hour taxi (max. 40 km) cost me Rs 950. Some things remain the same, however. Traffic is still crazy (even more so than Sudan), rickshaws still try to rip up foreigners, the gobi manchurian is as tasty as I remember and the masala dosa remains as crispy.

Remembering my fabulous spa experiences when I lived in India, I went to Spa.ce for a spa package. I had a body polish, manicure, pedicure, facial and massage. For the price of the package (expensive for India), the treatments were mediocre. The lady didn’t put any moisturizer on after she did my facial. My nail polish application was poorly done (too close to the skin and not neat around the nail). I’ve had lots of massages; this one didn’t leave me feeling more relaxed. At the end of my treatment, I was brought tea while I was drying my nails but the therapist never returned to check on my progress.

I stayed in Bangalore for 4 days, the perfect number to visit friends. Thanks Liz and Jon for letting me stay with you even with all the moving craziness.

I flew from Bangalore to Pune (approx. $75 CAD). I stayed with a friend that I’d taught with at Canadian International School in Bangalore; she now teaches at Mercedez-Benz International School. I went in to work with her on the first day. On the second day, I went to Four Fountains spa for a sixty minute Swedish massage and facial. It was a decadent experience. The best part is that it cost me less than $40 for both therapies. The therapist explained what was going on at each step an was very attentive, ending with bringing me green tea after she escorted me to the reception area.

On day 3, I was going to do the Pune Darshan but it was sold out. As such, I didn’t see much of Pune althought there isn’t much to see as far as I can tell. There is an Osho ashram that I might have liked to see but I don’t think that I missed much. I left for Mumbai by bus the next day.

I had one day in Mumbai. I got off the bus in Borivali and went to one of the travel agencies there. I rented an 8 hr (max. 80 km) taxi with driver to go around Mumbai for 950 Rs. (Remember to shop around in India; the previous travel agency told me the cost was $1800 for non-AC!) I went to the Gate of India, saw the Hotel Taj, stopped at Hariman Point, drove down Marine Drive, walked around Chowpatty Beach, had lunch of batura, channa and paneer masala, and an ice cream soda at Cream Centre. It was expensive at 368 rupees. I discovered that I don’t like ice cream sodas; I should have had a fresh lime soda or lassi instead. My last stop was at a mall (whose name I did not note). I thought of going to the movies but there was nothing playing that I wanted to see. The zipper of my purse was broken and I needed a new backpack so I spent too much money buying those items. The adventure began as I was ready to leave.

The taxi driver had given me his cell phone number to call him to pick me up when I was ready to leave. I did not know where he was packed. I looked around for a phone booth but there are none at the mall. Before the Mumbai attacks, I would have been able to purchase a SIM card to put into my phone but it’s now impossible for visitors to India to purchase them. I finally went to the customer service desk and explained my predicament. The man on duty there called the number on his cell phone. It turns out that I had written the number incorrectly. I didn’t know the license plate but I knew the taxi number. I told the two men helping me this number and they told me to wait 5 minutes. It was a bit more than 5 minutes but they found my taxi!! Yay customer service agents at ?? Mall in Mumbai.

It turned out that all my travel around Mumbai costs Rs 1300 since it was 120 km. An organized tour would have cost me Rs 800 but I was too late to join one. I would have gone to Elephanta caves but I was told that it wasn’t worth the trip, and I didn’t want a hectic day. I checked into Hotel Suba Galaxy (a 15 minutes complimentary drive from the airport). I got a tiny room for Rs 3500 including taxes and service fees. The room was very clean with complimentary WIFI, chocolates, water and tea. Breakfast is also complimentary although I left too early to experience it. The room is expensive given its miniscule size but it was the cheapest that I could find online and the proximity to the airport is convenient.

I’m sitting at Mumbai airport waiting to board my (delayed) Turkish Airlines flight. I haven’t found a WIFI hotspot here so I’m just typing this up but will have to wait until I have Internet access to post it. My final destination is Tel Aviv, where I will take the train to Haifa. At this point, I’m hoping that the flight from Istanbul is delayed so that I don’t have to wait at Ben Gurion airport for the estimated 5.5 hours.

Pictures of Mumbai

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