Posts

Posted on

Blog Post 2: Chríochnaigh mé mo chéad seachtain!

I finished my first week at Oideas Gael! It has been a whirlwind of experiences, sensations, and intellectual challenges, so sitting down and putting it down on paper is helping me process. My first  course started on the 1st of July, and ended today. Bhí sé go hiontach! I do not know where the days when, but they flew by so quickly.

When the bus from Dublin first winded into the hills of Donegal, and I caught my first glimpse of the ocean, I felt this welling of happiness and excitement, and knew immediately that I would have a wonderful time. In one of my courses last semester (‘Irish Drama’ offered by Prof. Susan Cannon Harris), I had been very intrigued by how landscape and seascape seem to have an overpowering presence in the plays of Synge and Yeats. And when I reached Gleann Cholm Cille, and found myself—a small being buffeted by winds—between the towering cliffs and the grand, steely blue ocean, I felt validated; what I had intuitively gleaned from the Irish plays now played out in my mind fully. I was, and continue to be, awed and attracted by the magisterial largeness of land and sea.

On that first night, Rónán Ó Dochartaigh (the wonderful language director of Oideas Gael) held a gathering, and created a space for all the participants to meet and interact with each other. I was blown away by the inter-generational friendships promoted by the school, and its very open pedagogical structure; I have attended class with people from all age groups, and people who have vastly different jobs. Considering that I have only known academic environments in my life, and had started learning Irish within a university classroom, I was familiar only with certain modes of using the language. But learning as part of a very mixed group of people, who have different expectations and usage of the language—and constantly talking to them in Irish—was a marvelous experience. In just a week, I feel far more confident in my ability to have a conversation in Irish outside the classroom.

If I had to pick one defining experience from the week, it would be the sheer warmth and openness of the people of this small town, and the school. Being a very recognizably South Asian woman, I am not the most obvious speaker of the Irish language. However, from the moment I got to Gleann Cholm Cille, I have felt accepted, and comfortable. And I am blown away by how committed my teacher, Dierdre, has been towards helping me mold the language to express my own cultural background. Being here, I think I have a better understanding of the adaptability of language; no matter where you are from, and what your linguistic and cultural inheritances are, it is more than possible to learn an ‘alien’ language and make it your own.

I have also met two donkeys; Bhuail mé le dhá asal. I have been feeding them carrots each day, and have Pavlov-ed them into becoming friends with me. Every morning, as I walk down to the school, I see them in their paddock, waiting. It’s a grand feeling, being friends with two lovely donkeys. Is breá liom na hasail. Tá siad mo chairde anseo.

Tá mé ag faire ar an aigéan anois. Tá an aigéan an-ghalánta…an-mhór…agus an-gorma. Tá mé ag scríobh mo blog post. Tá sceitimíní orm don tseachtain seo chugainn!

Posted on

Second Post – Amman, Jordan

My time in Amman has been nothing like I have expected. My routine is the same each day, wake up to get to Qasid around 9:30, do work from then to class time from 1-5, and then go home and do homework for the night. On weekends, my friends and I explore Amman and Jordan through new coffee shops to work on homework, travel to the sights, and catch up on sleep.

However, trying to pinpoint a singular moment where I had a critical incident is hard, mostly because each day is something new. I think the largest difference in my time in Amman is what I was expecting vs what I am actually experiencing. My habits of school and studying stay the same as they are at Notre Dame, but the environment in which I do them has completely changed.

There are a multitude of incidents that have challenged what I was expecting to experience in Amman. The roads are more like open highways with no markings and no crosswalks which makes crossing the street a big game of chicken and a large muster of confidence. Water is a scarce item, something to be expected in the Middle East but nothing I had ever worried about before. Fruit is abundant and has become a main component of every meal. Most cafe’s double as art galleries or bookshops. Many people greet you on the street with “Hello” or “Welcome to Amman.” The city itself is extremely hilly, making grocery runs a workout and a question of “do I really need that heavy item?” Cats roam the streets, cafes, and restaurants. My Arabic is improving and each week I feel more confident to try and use it outside the classroom. I attempt to pick up on the more nuanced items such as social etiquette and mannerisms in Amman. Going anywhere by yourself as a woman is something that never happens. Clothing usually is loose and covers most of my body, except for in certain parts of Amman.

Before coming to Amman, I did little research about where I wanted to go, cafes and restaurants, etc. I think it was partly because I had not fully realized that I am going to Jordan. In short moments between studying vocabulary or talking with friends at a cafe I realize, “Wow, I actually made it to Jordan.”

This experience so far has been unlike anything I have ever expected. In writing this blog post, I’ve created multiple different drafts, pushed back my publish date, and looked over and re-written multiple times. These last three weeks in Jordan are hard to put into a singular post. I hope that I did my best in this one.

Until Next Time.

Posted on

Critical Incidents So Far (DIVE)

For our scheduled day-trip to Florence, my friends and I went to a restaurant recommended to us by a Notre Dame Professor. While ordering, I knew that I was very hungry and I had always wanted to try the famous ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ so I ordered a ‘primo’ dish, and then asked the waiter for the steak as my ‘secondo’. Using the ‘D’ from ‘DIVE’, I saw a look of shock from his face. I then heard him ask me “for everyone?”, which made me interpret that he did not understand me and thought that I could not eat the steak myself. He then said, “you know it’s one kilo” and then I politely told him that if I was not able to finish it myself that then I would share.

I feel that the staff verified their doubts in my ability to finish the steak when they felt the need to bring it out before cooking it to show me what I was about to eat. They asked me if this is what I was expecting, and I said yes. At this point, I made it my goal to finish the steak myself. The secondi dishes came out, and within 30 minutes I had finished the entire steak, all 35 ounces. For other critical incidents, I will certainly use the DIVE method as I thought that it was a strong source of motivation for myself and in my abilities while living abroad.

Posted on

DIVE Reflection

At a restaurant earlier tonight, my friends and I were talking when someone who had kept staring at us leaned over and slyly offered to translate the menu, which was already in Italian and English. In the moment, I was taken aback and wanted to tell him to stop being a bother, but instead I just went along with it and he left us alone. At that moment, my interpretation was that he was simply being rude and nosy. As for my own cultural expectations, I usually expect Italians and other Europeans to be annoyed by Americans and think that we do not know anything about their culture. Aside from being a little annoyed by his antics, I did not think much of the incident. After using DIVE, I could understand if he was joking and/or drunk and did not mean to come across as rude.

Taking his actions objectively, there is no guarantee that he said or did anything with malice. The objective description differs from my interpretations in that there is no debating the objectivity or trying to provide explanations for other people’s behavior. I did not verify this incident specifically, but the same guy was drunkenly cursing out the waitress not long after, and she seemed unbothered. Perhaps Italy just has different standards for conduct in restaurants, which would make me less frustrated by him. I think the DIVE plan is useful, and I have probably been using it or at least something similar without knowing. I will definitely aim to use it in the future when considering critical incidents.