Ireland feels strangely like home (a book)

Late last year, I went to Ireland for the first time. I was lucky enough to spend eight days there, touring a handful of counties with family. (My sister and I are married to brothers -- long story -- so it was me and my sister, and our husbands, who are also brothers.) Starting in Dublin for a couple days, we took a driving tour and spent a couple days in counties Roscommon, Galway and Kerry (Killarney) before heading back to Dublin to fly home.

Dublin

Our first night in Dublin we took a really early morning walkabout,
suffering from jet lag as we were. We passed by this creepy old church
on our way up the hill to Killiney Hill Park, which boasted of
the best sunrise views.

Killiney Hill Park did not disappoint, with beautiful views
overlooking parts of Dublin

On the other side of the jut were some seriously moody clouds

Then, we hopped in the car and took off for Roscommon County,
and I saw surprisingly little of the countryside...
Ireland really likes to wall off its highways and roads, as shown here,
presumably so the citizens don't have to see ugly cars
tearing through their beautiful pastoral views. :) 

 Roscommon 

We arrived at the Kilronan Castle.
I'll admit it, I totally geeked out and took all the touristy-type
pictures. I even realized I'm a tiny bit of a foodie underneath
it all. I just had to have access to afternoon tea every day.

Please?

Here's a few photos taken during a walk around the grounds
of Kilronan Castle, when I wasn't inside ordering
afternoon tea and chortling over it like a
crazy person.

This was an old entrance into the castle from
the Ha Ha (there are what looked like
horse stalls to the right). I assume this is where
the carriages pulled up and dropped off guests.

Secret passageway?!

Everywhere in Ireland you find roads and walkways
bordered by these walls. Most are extremely old, as
illustrated by this tree's roots burrowing into it.

Afternoon tea at Kilronan Castle.

While the scones were always my favorite part
of afternoon tea, the artistry of all the different
components always induced me to eat.way.too.much.
Every time.

Downstairs bar in Kilronan Castle (a few others
trickled in over the night, but we mostly had it
to ourselves)

This was my first chance to visit Ireland, though my sister and I grew up on stories of our mixed Ireland and Scotland ancestry. Nonetheless, my sister and I were both really taken aback at how comfortable we felt in Ireland, how much we felt like we "fit right in". Of course, the Irish are very welcoming and friendly, without a doubt, so even my mixed husband felt comfortable (which is often not the case in America, from which we hail). But mannerisms, vocal tones and volumes, driving style... such things I wouldn't have expected to be passed along through DNA, half a world away. According to our husbands, though, my sister and I don't fall far from the Irish tree... which was the source of a lot of teasing as we hurtled nilly-willow through the country on those narrow, walled-in roads.

Galway 

In Galway, we stayed at the comparatively modern
G hotel. The cupcakes looked a lot yummier
than they were, but that's probably what I get for
trying to eat every sugary thing I stumbled across.

It was Halloween, and the afternoon tea I ordered
at the G hotel reflected how seriously the Irish
take this important holiday. 

It broke my heart walking away from
this spooky display half-eaten, even with four people.
But doing anything else would have had
serious consequences. (Like, the plane wouldn't
have been able to take off...)

Exploring "old town" in Galway... This tiny corner
pub was my absolute favorite. I took a picture
so I would always remember.

It was a little cramped :) 

Cliffs of Moher

We spent one of our days in Galway driving over to and exploring the Cliffs of Moher. My sister and husband are not fans of heights, so it was fun to be able to turn the teasing elsewhere for one day. Below are a few photos from the trip to the Cliffs.

It was like driving in another century

According to Google, this was Dunguaire Castle that we
happened to drive past. We pulled over for a quick exploration,
but it was closed up. (Probably due to obnoxious tourists.)

When there was a hill to climb, you can expect some
seriously intense switchbacks. 

We pulled over to enjoy the view halfway up this hill, and my
husband played his new Irish whistle for the cows. 

And finally, once we were at the actual Cliffs I was too busy to take many photos...

The Cliffs were magnificent.

My husband and sister couldn't stay far enough from
the edge as we climbed up to the clifftop.
Eventually, we came across this sign and they
just couldn't contain themselves any longer.

Once the wall between us and the edge of the cliff ended and I wanted to keep going, I had a ugly rebellion on my hands. Being dragged away from "certain death", I was gifted with the chance to drive us back to Galway, like candy dangled in front of a baby to distract them. "Driving while in Ireland" should be classified in some subcategory of thrill-seeking sports. Any one of the following things could be intimidating to a driver, but throw them all together and I'm surprised I could pry my aching hands off the steering wheel when I finally pulled into the hotel parking lot that night:

Cows grazing on the narrow strips
between the switchback road heading
up the hill... Think about their cute,
bovine eyes and don't take your eyes
off that road!

1. Crazy high speed limits on a strange route
2. Driving on the wrong side of the road with road signs you don't recognize (American, remember?)
3. Narrow roads enforced by ancient walls on both sides of the road, with ancient trees growing out of them and encroaching into the road
4. Switchbacks (with cows)

It was a thrill I'll always remember. And even better, we had comprehensive insurance coverage on our rental car. Regardless, any missing paint from said encroaching tree branches are totally not my fault. Ancient trees should know better, they've seen humanity at its worst.

Kerry 

We only had one night in Kerry, but we toured the beautiful town of Killarney before we had to hop in the car for a long drive back toward Dublin.

We walked to this glade not far from our hotel (before afternoon tea)

Walking through certain parts of Killarney was a transportive experience.

And of course, even though it makes me feel
bloated, I had to have at least one delicious Guinness. 

Tipperary (unofficial stop)

On the long drive back toward Dublin, we stopped for some coffee and expected adventure at Tipperary. 

As we walked the streets of Tipperary in search
caffeine, we stumbled across Cahir Castle.

Cahir Castle has an interesting history

Maybe 15 minutes later, as we finally located our caffeine fix,
the sky abruptly clouded over

Thirty seconds later, double rainbow wow aside,
it was looking rather ominous... 

As we started walking back toward our car, the sky with the funny double rainbow suddenly opened up and began pouring down the fattest raindrops I've ever experienced. As someone who's lived in Los Angeles and Seattle, I thought I knew rain like no-ones business. Turns out Seattle rain is a joke. We were instantly drenched all the way through, freezing, so we gripped our coffees tight and ran. We drove the rest of the way to the Dublin airport steaming slightly as we slowly dried out under the care of our rental car's heating vents, on blast. Brrrrrrr!

Ireland wins. In so many ways.

things around the new neighborhood (north seattle)

I know I am nowhere near as convincing as Amazon when it comes to the nicer things in life for a Seattlite, but we just signed a couple year lease at our new place and I thought I'd share a couple reasons why:

Richmond Beach Park has beautiful trails and beach
access... but barely a close second to Lincoln Park

There are lots of close parks and walking paths
to chose from

There are so many interesting trees and plants
growing in the neighborhood -- I like to snap
pictures while out for a walk 

A school in the neighborhood has this tree whose
branches are obscenely burdened by thousands of
itsy-bitsy tiny apples. 

Found this guy outside the window of our
workroom one Fall morning.

another reason to love patrick rothfuss, author

When obvious is awesomeness.

Because it deserves its own post. Found here.

best tv show theme song this year

I'm one of those people who select their music based on the emotions, or memories it evokes in me; either of a decade (hi, 80's and early Jazz), or a favorite TV show.  The latest song I've added into my song rotation of obsession is this intro theme song from the newly debuted show, Outlander, on Starz. It perfectly evokes the feelings of... well, the show, yes, but so many more intangibles. It's a good thing, despite my inability to articulate it.



You can tell I loved Enya when I was a kid, can't you?
 

bestest b-day :D

Happy birthday to me! Two more years to 40.

It's been the best birthday ever, so far.

My present! :D

1.) I'm spending it with my favorite people every (Johnny and the kids), and they're doing everything I tell them to do.  *Evil grin.*
2.) Today is the day that the renter of the unattached garage/mother-in-law is supposed to be moving out, and we are going to acquire it. John and I are on pins-and-needles, because we can't wait to see inside! If it's big enough, we may move our bedroom out there and leave the house to the teenagers; good riddance! The bad news is, it's noon and there is not a single sign that he's packed a single box, much less ordered a moving truck. 
3.) Yesterday I received the formal offer for a new role at my company that I recently applied for.  There are many upsides to this new role, including that:

• It's a brand new marketing & sales Writing/Editing team. I love that I will be more focused on business writing and editing versus portfolio account management. I also love that it's a new team that's still hammering out its scope of services, so it's a little entrepreneurial in spirit and will remain so for a couple years to come. But once the dust settles, I'll be in a leadership role and will be very well placed for success. 
• It's a manager role with a big raise. So we can finally start thinking about buying our own house. 
• It's a full-time, work-at-home position. No more commute! Or rather, my commute will be stepping out of the Mother-in-law (brrr!), into the house and upstairs to a tiny, extra bedroom that I'll convert into my at-home office. 

kittycat pattycake

Post by 總有路走.

nine (korean drama)

Nine (Otherwise known as Nine: 9 Times Time Travel / Nine: Nine Time Travels) (2013)
Director: Kim Byung Soo
Starring: Lee Jin Wook (Powerful Opponents), Jo Yoon Hee

Synopsis, found here:

Anchorman Park Sun Woo (Lee Jin Wook) is consumed by a family tragedy that haunts him to this day. One day, he stumbles upon a mystical gift of nine incense, each with the ability to send him back into time. Sun Woo begins to weave in and out of history, creating shockwaves that unravel the fabric of time. Meanwhile, his brother Park Jung Woo (Jeon No Min) is revealed to be at the center of the tragedy. Can he avenge his family and win back the love of junior reporter Joo Min Young (Jo Yoon Hee)? Only time can tell in this thrilling adventure of possibilities.

Trailer:


I was surprised how little fanfare this drama got. It actually slipped right by me with barely a flicker. Perhaps I was not in the right place at the right time. I discovered the drama after the fact by searching for action/ adventure dramas on DramaFever. To be honest, the description put me off slightly, with such a sheepish premise.  Incense stick time machine?! However, since I had really liked Lee Jin Wook in Powerful Opponents (2008), I put it in my queue and forgot about it for months.

As happens, I reached my tolerance threshold for cutsie romantic comedies, and went looking for something serious and intense. I'm really glad I gave Nine a chance, because it's my favorite Kdrama of 2013, hands down. Despite what you'd expect from the description, I found it to have a unique story, and to carry both emotional and intelligent elements with finesse. The pacing was a bit slow for me, as always with Korean dramas, but less so than many I've seen, and it wasn't bad enough to prevent me from watching the entire show in a single weekend. Shit, was I a wrung-out dish towel at the end of that stint.

Park Sun Woo, main male lead, is a news anchorman who just
learned he's got about 3 months to live. 

Park Sun Woo (played by Lee Jin Wook) was a very compelling character. So were his ears -- you could always tell things were getting emotional when they started popping up and down. Pretty fascinating stuff.  He was very well-rounded and engaging, nothing over-acted and always sympathetic.

Park Sun Woo's best friend and doctor, Han Young Hoon, was a great character. The actor they got to play him as a teenager was a perfect piece of casting. Young Hoon provided comedy and an emotional foil for Sun Woo; he grounded the show. While Sun Woo flipped around to past and present, plotting to save his brother, save his father (everyone but himself), Young Hoon kept him and those of us watching grounded in reality. Even while he raved about God and Devils. 

Park Sun Woo and his friend, Han Young Hoon

Han Young Hoon (teenage version)

Beside an overacting villain, the only ho-hum part of Nine was the female lead, Joo Min Young, played by Jo Yoon Hee. I found her character surprisingly boring. I wondered why anyone would suffer such flaming passion for such a boring person. I don't know if it's the writing of the female lead or the actress. She wasn't unconvincing, emotion-wise... simply not compelling.  Especially lined up against Park Sun Woo.

After the emotional roller coaster of episodes 1-19, the final episode (20) wrapped up the show in such a perfect way. I'm too used to the last episode of Korean dramas absolutely ruining the show for me, so this is worth mentioning. (See Iris, A love to kill, I'm sorry, I love you, Chuno and so many others...) But Nine ends ends on the perfect note.  This almost never happens. Bravo.

My husband and I are still trying to pinpoint what implications of the very last scene are. He believes one thing... I see it as being somewhat open for interpretation. :)  What do you think it meant?

ignore the fan-girl squeee

September 14, 2013, update:
I am so glad I spent 1.5+ hours in line, in the middle of the street in downtown Seattle right outside the Paramount Theatre, for the chance to watch this event. My sister and her girlfriend joined as well.

It was my favorite part of PAX 2013.

Here's a little video I cobbled together from videos I took before I was laughing too hard to bother trying to memorex the moment.




July 19, 2013:  I just learned that Patrick Rothfuss, favorite author (Name of the Wind and A Wise Man's Fear) and entertainer of mine, will be coming to the Penny Arcade Convention (PAX) in Seattle this year.  My entire family, as well as my sister's, has made an annual pilgrimage to enjoy this con's barrage of cos players, crowded vendor halls, sneak-peeks of upcoming new games, gaming rooms (where I once spent hours discovering Bejeweled, of all things), gamer & nerd panels, concerts and -- simply -- all things nerd. It's a magical 3 days, even for a non-gamer like myself. And the addition of one of my favorite authors to play in a live D&D game means I'm going to have to give watching this event a try, too.



It'll be a new one for me, but since I used to love playing D&D, it can't be too bad watching someone else make a fool of themselves in front of a huge crowd, right? :)

80's-licious

Thanks, sis, for the link to this tasty trip down memory lane. I thought, since I didn't have a television growing up, that I was pretty out of touch with pop culture. But turns out there was only 3 out of the list of 53 Things Only 80's Girls Can Understand (on BuzzFeed Rewind) that I didn't recognize.

I wish I could find those Lip Smackers. Savvy professional woman that I can (hrck!), I'd wear them in a heartbeat. 

Pucker up : *

a beautiful moment, worth recording

I've walked through my share of foggy mornings. Let me tell you! As a Seattleite, nothing could be more prevalent. But this morning had a semi-unique kind of fog, following our week of achingly beautiful, summer-like weather.

Have you ever noticed the kind of fog that is like walking through raindrops so tiny and fine that they aren't falling to the ground? It's "heavy", yet it's not thick. And every once in a while, a drop has condensed enough mass that you'll feel a little 'ping!' sensation on your skin as you walk heedlessly into it? This morning was full of 'pings!'

Not too chilly, just calm and surreal, with unexpected little sensations as I stroll toward the bus stop for my morning commute.

television show review: castle

Castle  (2009)

Currently in Season 5 on ABC

Creator:  Andrew W. Marlowe

Starring: Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog), Stana Katic, Molly C. Quinn

Synopsis, found here:

After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle gets permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes. A "guy's guy", he proves popular with the male team members, but immediately offends the sensibilities of the team leader, Detective Kate Beckett. Though she'll never admit it, he slowly wins her over with his innovative approach to crime solving. He brings to the table skills the others don't have: contacts in Manhattan high society, free-form creative thinking, and years of developing believable fictional characters that have inadvertently molded him into a natural criminal profiler. But life is not all crime fighting adventure for this wealthy playboy: his relationship with Beckett becomes even more strained when he unveils a new series of detective novels featuring a racy character based on her, and his home life is dominated by his mother (a fading Broadway diva) and his whip-smart teen-aged daughter.

I've never been a fan of "cop shows". Actually, "never been a fan" is a euphemism for sneering disgust. It isn't pretty.  I admit I gave Castle a shot only because 1.) my husband was begging me (don't TELL me I never do anything for you!), and 2.) Nathan Fillion was in it. Since I loved Nathan in Firefly by Joss Whedon, and loved to hate him in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog, also by Joss Whedon, giving Castle a small chance to impress me didn't exactly cause a brain rupture... despite my over-exaggerated, exasperated sigh as I reluctantly plopped myself down. But I was already hooked by the end of episode one. 



The story is great, the plot pacing is perfect, and the characters are really fun. While I still find the character of Beckett one-dimensional (she's all about the job, even in Season 5), Castle's life and the story are fleshed out and entertaining enough that I can shrug it off. More importantly, this is a "cop show" that, as a modern woman of reasonable self-respect, I can watch without being overcome with rage and bitterness about the way women are treated, talked about or acting. They managed to make a cop show with a convincingly tough female homicide detective as the ranking officer, without making it dirty, disgusting, sexist and all the other shitty things I have come to expect from "cop shows". What a relief.

I find that Nathan's character, Richard Castle, has the earnestness of his character Mal in Firefly, and the ego of his character Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible.It's an interesting mixture. I've also found that the producers of Castle aren't shy about milking Nathan's past successes with Joss Whedon in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion. I've laughed out loud at a couple of their ploys.

And to crown it all, I just found and downloaded the mystery novel by Richard Castle from my library. The whole mystery series by this fictional writer is available at my local library. I read the first one, Heat Wave, and despite not being a big mystery novel fan, I enjoyed it quite a bit. And not just because of the "thank you" from the "author" at the end of the book, written from Richard Castle's perspective. It was full of hilarious takes off the TV series. Well done.