22nd of May to 26th of August, 2017.
In Cork.
After almost three months here, now that I am just leaving I decided write about it.
I am listening Outra vez, by Roberto Carlos, and of course trying not to cry while I am thinking about Lulu.
Yesterday I started what looks like will be a marathon about travels movies. The first one was “Tracks”, a completely different kind of travel but still very motivational one, because of the determination of the person who the movie was about it. The second one, today, was a kind of documentary about the famous “sabbatical year” for travelers and how we and the world see those kind of travelers. I thought would be better but it is to much “mimimi” and I do not know if it is because was made in 2005 but it is very conservative and even racist. What remains for both it is how everybody who is outside of this kind of travels see it as a terrible, impossible thing, some just imagined for such crazy people.
The Philip family leaves in Ballincolig, a small village circa of forty minutes from Cork City. Actually, it is in Classes Lake, a Residential place about thirty minutes walking from Ballincolig. You do the math.
Angela (12) speaks English better than me, that is for sure, and Tom (6) is going to the same way. Bejoy and Annlin speak the famous Indian English, so sometimes it is a bit difficult to me understand them. I mean, it was.
At the first week Thomas, Annlin’s father (finally got his name), was there so I was a kind of spectator, just learning. The kids used to pass the whole afternoon in front of the television and I thought “That is it?”. Since the beginning I realized that would be difficult take Tom out of the bed in the morning and make him eat. Kids. At least, after all, he always behaved well with me in the morning and never cried.
About my routine at the beginning? I do not know if it is something interesting to put in here… let me see: I prepared and gave them breakfast; changed Tom and then we three took the bus to school. After left them at the school door I usually went back home walking after make some shop at Tesco. At home, after do the clothes, I usually had my breakfast while I watched one or two episodes of Friends. Then I wrote a little bit, read a little bit and make some research. Sometimes I took a nap as well.
But about Cork: I like Cork! I really do. I mean, the centre of Cork is completely and amazingly charming. The river Lee dividing the city looks pretty as well. And the only thing sad about it is the fact that I do not have more money to could going each day to a different restaurant / pub. There are a few things you can do:
– Take a good and long walk along the river, from this beautiful apartments called Atkins Hall, just a little before the huge hotel The Kingsley, and go crazy until where you can.
– Where else you can go is a big list of possibilities so you make your own plan and routes: Cork City Goal is really nice and beautiful, for the price, it totally worth it; don’t let the University College Cork out of your plans, it is amazingly beautiful and you can walk around without pay, of course, so do it; Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral is also really beautiful, don’t miss it, but go inside and pay is up to you, I was happy enough to be just outside; and than, of course, allow yourself to get lost around the rest of the “island” town because is full of small to big monuments and old buildings and very interest places, apart of all those cute small pubs and bars, one more charming than the other, so you will just have a little trouble to decided where to go.
– In one of my goings around Cork, I went to this Pub, Sin é, where I kind get fall for a old guy who worked there. He had this very nice style, old fashion plus a rebel new one and I really liked. He looked a nice guy as well. The thing is: I was prepared to make him a complement before I leave the place when I realized my pen had gone. I talk with one of the clients, who I was talking before, if he had seen, but nothing. So one of those very old costumers, who are always on the pub, heard us talking and went until the bar to ask if somebody did not take my pen by mistake, and Aidan (the guy I was enchanted) freaked out! He sent the old costumer go fuck and put my pen back in my table. He was not rude directly with me but his whole attitude was ridiculous! And even so, knowing that he was being a completely jerk for nothing, I try to apologize with him! Pfff. If it was today, I would send him to go fuck and make him eat my pen. If you are reading this now Aidan, know it that you lost one admired in less then five minutes just because you were an asshole. And I will not even tell you that I came back there, a few weeks later, trying to see you again one more time before I leave Ireland. You were not working that day.
But even before that, I have to admit something kind of bad but also kind of understandable to a poor traveller as me: I went to this other famous pub of Cork, The Oliver Plunkett, looking for some Irish music (same reason why I would to Sin é). Unfortunately, it was just a cover band that day, so I just ordered a veggie burger and a beer. The burger was too expensive, even more for a veggie burger: 13 Euros! So, I do not know at what point, but I realized that I did not had any commands with me, that I supposed to give to some one at the door before I leave. There was not anyone at door, and since I was not at the bar but also not in a table, I did not need to pay after my food and beer came. Then I decided leave without pay. I took a deep breath and went to the toilet, thinking that if when I left it, someone look at me in a suspicious way, I would just walk until the cashier and pay, otherwise I would just walk to the main door and leave the pub. And that was what I did. After one block I started walking faster and faster, not running, just faster until I was far away enough to breath. I am not saying that is something nice to do or that you should do it as well, I am just telling you what I did. That is it.
Apart of Cork, there are a few castles around that, it depending of how are you travelling, you can arrange some visits. All or at least most of them you have to pay. I decided go to Blarney Castle, an easy and cheap one, with direct bus from town for a very reasonable price. I just did not expected that would be so nice. If you decide for this one, definitely save one whole day to visit. You can bring you own food and make picnics all over the place during your walks. There are a lot of different trails you can choose to do, or just do all of them. There are beautiful houses and castles all over the property, there are lakes and small waterfalls, the poison garden (full of poisonous herbs) and a lot of interesting and mystic places. All of this apart of the visit to the castle itself, where the most famous attraction is to kiss the eloquence stone (which I did but obviously did not work). The castle people offer to take a picture of your kiss but than of course you have to pay. So if you are with a friend just arrange who takes pictures of whom but if you are alone (like myself) just make friendship with people on the line (it will be a line) and ask them the gentle favor.
Back at home stuff, so I had to cook my own food: breakfast, lunch and dinner. What is great to someone like me who loves to cook. And of course sometimes I tasted some Indian food that Annlin or Bejoy prepared, very good, sometimes too spicy for me, but I always liked.
Sometimes they paid my dinner or lunch when we all went out together. Sometimes they ordered pizza and paid for me. One night we even went to this very nice Hotel Restaurant, very fancy, and I did not pay for anything.
The kids sometimes behaved very bad, being very mad with each other or with me, but also sometimes they were very kind and lovely. Unfortunately, I think most of people in the world are like this.
I will not give more any other personal details about them because I do not think it is a nice thing to do.
For the time I have been here I was very well treated, I ate, I cooked, I drunk, I clean, I ironed, I played, I taught and I learned. Next week I am leaving to Spain and all my reflections about that I will tell you in another chapter.
