Sunset over the Customs House, Dublin

Okay, so we're back to winter again today. But for the last few days we have finally had some summer here in Dublin. I mean walk-home-in-a-t-shirt-at-midnight good weather!
My friends and I captured this beautiful sunset on the way to a fantastic dinner in my favourite restaurant in Dublin. It's called Siam Thai, for those of you interested. It does the best green curry this side of Bangkok.
Just look at the beautiful rays of sunshine passing through clouds above one of the city's main landmarks (The Customs House).
The image really represented our mood at the time. Because of the weather we'd been sitting on the terrace of a wine bar down at the rennovated docklands enjoying chat, a nice Riesling, and general good times.
Life back in Ireland is not so bad.

Sand Sculptures

These pictures were taken in the courtyard of Dublin Castle. I used to have a summer job as a tour guide there so I have a great affinity for the place.
This exhibition is of sculptures created entirely out of sand, taking inspiration from some of Ireland's most famous cultural icons.
The photo above is Jonathan Swift imagined as his most famous creation, Gulliver. I really like it.

I think it's cool that the sculptor chose to make two heads for Samuel Beckett. Perhaps it's to signify that he was equally fluent in both French and English and is celebrated by both traditions.

A prize to anyone who can name all the famous faces featured here.

Happy Times

I got into trouble with my dad for writing such negative things about Dublin there the last time. So I'm going to put up photos of some of the (many) happy times I've had since I've been back home.

This picture was taken in the gardens of the Modern Art Museum in Dublin. The sun was splitting the trees the day we visited. It was like 25 degrees. A beautiful day. We had a nice lunch in the cafe, enjoyed some excellent art, especially some recently acquired installations by young up-and-coming artists, and generally had a very nice time. Best of all, because it's a national gallery there is no entry charge. Sure, we pay really high taxes here in Ireland, but we also get some nice benefits.

The Botanics

I'm lucky that my home is just a stone's throw from the National Botanical Gardens. It's a great place to take a walk. They have such a variety of environments: rose gardens, formal french gardens, Japanese-style gardens, woodland, wild flower pastures, hothouses, rockgardens, an interpetive centre... And again, it's all free. It's where I go to think.

Summer at the beach in Dublin

You would be forgiven for thinking that photos of the beach in Dublin in summer are not happy ones. But you'd be wrong.
Even though it was only 12 degrees and I was forced to wear a down jacket and scarf, I still had a great bike ride along the seafront.
I usually don't like bicycles, but I got an opportunity to borrow my sister's wheels for a few hours and really enjoyed the brisk sea air.
Bear in mind too that this beach is in the city, so you can't expect paradise. Plus, I think it has a kind of grey beauty to it.

Dublin is not a safe place

I've only been back a short time but it's clear to me that Dublin is not a safe city. Every time I go into the centre of the city I witness criminal activity. One good point is that each time the Gardai (Irish Police Force) have responded really quickly, if a little overconfidently.
None the less, the situation is scary and quite an adjustment for someone who has gotten used to the relative safety of Japan.
It's becoming a joke. My friends are starting to call me 'The Vortex of Doom.' These terrible things only seem to happen when I'm around. I've already seen more crazy 'welcome home' moments than my friends have seen in years. People don't want to go into town with me:
I've had street brawlers crashing into the back of my taxi and being bundled off by gardai who came out of nowhere in an unmarked police car.
I've had a police car screaming up the street in the wrong direction, blocking a city bus, and seven officers piling on to arrest one poor young guy (I say poor because it turned out the gardai had the wrong bus!)
I've even seen a young foreign man chasing after someone full speed through the city streets, shouting "Stop! Thief!" It was just like a scene out of a movie.
Overall this is not a good first impression, and I'd be quite reluctant to recommend Dublin as a holiday destination. In the mean time I'll just have to toughen myself up. Do you think yoga can be used as a form of self-defense? Maybe I could do the tree pose, blend into the background, and wait for a chance to escape to safety.

My favourite cartoon

When I was in Vienna I visited the Jewish Museum. I highly recommend it. It's not a big place, but I spent about two hours going through some very detailed exhibits.
One of these was an exhibition of the work of Paul Peter Porges, an Austrian cartoonist who emigrated to the States and became famous for his contributions to Mad Magazine. Check his work out, if you get the chance.
I love the way cartoonists can condense sophisticated humour to a one-cell drawing. It's so multi-layered. So much so that sometimes I can't even really explain why I find the image so funny.
That is the case with the cartoon above. I cut it out of a magazine when I lived in France (about a million years ago) and have kept it in my wallet ever since. Some people keep pictures of their family or dogs or something. I keep rude paper clippings. What does that tell you about me?
I find it hilarious. I think it's the woman's expression and the finger coming to her lip. Enjoy!

The Finish Line

I finally finished my trip - eight countries and a whole lot of memories later. I'm now trying to start a whole new life. It's odd and a little hard.
I'm really excited about starting my studies - I've already bought a lot of textbooks and am making headway into the reading. It's so interesting but challenging. Going back to school full-time is going to be a major adjustment - especially as I'm probably going to be older than most of the professors.
The hardest part is trying to find a part-time job. If I wanted full-time work, I'd be in a job now. But to find a way of making money that fits around my university schedule is proving to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I've even registered with a movie extras agency. More on that in the future, perhaps.
The picture above was my favourite work in the Belvedere gallery in Vienna. It's 'Judith' by Gustav Klimt.
I know 'The Kiss' is a way more famous piece but I don't like it. I find it violent and unsettling. In 'The Kiss,' I feel the woman is turning away from the man's embrace, refusing his advances. She seems to be kneeling close to an edge, her feet already dangling precariously. The more he advances, the more at risk of falling she becomes. It's an odd painting. I don't see why so many people think of it as the epitome of romance.
Of course, 'Judith' is a very dark piece, too. I'm fascinated by Klimt's composition. Your eye is drawn almost entirely to Judith's haughty, self-satisfied expression. What is she so pleased with herself for? Her beauty? Her golden robes? Her necklace? And then, down in the dark corner you finally notice she's holding a severed head. Fabulous. I'm also interested in how he made her look really quite hard, very tough, but completely feminine. Isn't it just the best picture?
I had also intended to talk about a picture 'Dusk' by Carl Moll. But in looking for an image to post on the net, I found out that the artist was a fanatical Nazi sympathiser. It changed my whole view of the work. I'm no psychologist, but if I were I'd love to study how our reactions to art can be affected by what we know of the artist. If I'd known nothing of his life, I would have talked about a soft, calm, enigmatic painting. But now that I know about his private history, I can't look at the work in the same light. Any amatuer pyschologists out there, please discuss.