wish my name were irish

so i’ve just spent a week in belfast and a few days in corrymeela and i was absolutely dreading our last week in northern ireland (to be spent in derry).  i’ve had it up to HERE with the other 14 people in the group. i never want to hear about conflict mediation and peace walls and interface areas and sectartian violence EVER again.  AND THEN I meet my homestay family in derry.

a lovely young italian man picked me up– name is alessio.  he’s married to a woman from derry.  no kids.  they invite a gay couple over for a bottle of wine.  he cooks rosemary pork and parsnips and potatoes and something green and spinach-like with chili peppers in it.  THEN rum-soaked bananas with chocolate and vanilla ice cream.  and desperate housewives.  and a bbc special on the history of the guitar.

despite a week full of conference rooms and NGOs and conflict flipping mediation, my week in derry is looking up.

also, they named their cat charles bukowski. alas, i could not understand this for the first 6 hours because their accents were so THICK that i had no idea what they were saying and finally connected the numerous bukowski titles in their library with their eccentricities and realized the cat was named bukowski.

AND i have a new favorite drink, courtesy of the bushmill inn…bushmill’s whiskey and ginger ale.