Electric Penguins of Destiny: September 2007

Thursday, September 06, 2007

One of the Bells

One of the Bells, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

Just for shits and giggles, here's one of the bells from the church belltower, just after someone rang it....

Stairs of Jeff

Stairs of Jeff, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

I was going to call them the ‘stairs of death’, but we didn’t really have too much of a problem with them. Although Jeff did get stuck on the bottom stair in this picture. Twice. While trying to go to the top and running into other groups. Then having to backtrack downstairs to let them past. He spent some time on that step.......we *finally* made it to the top on the third try.

Atop the Belltower

Atop the Belltower, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

A shot from the other side of the belltower. Jeff is crazy and not wearing his earmuffs. Meg and Coll are. I was.

Apparently when we were coming up the stairs, a family was coming down. And the adults all had their headset thingies on. But not the little girl. And she was so miserable and in pain she was whimpering.

How fucked up is that?

Google Maps

Google Maps of Shandon St, Co. Cork, Ireland, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

If you go to google maps and search on ‘ireland cork shandon’, you’ll get an arrow at Shandon Street in Cork city (see image above). If you look at the satellite view, you can see buildings. The one at the end of Shandon Street that is more impressive looking is the catholic church.

The one off to the right is the belltower of the protestant church where we performed our symphony.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

View of Cork city from the Shandon Belltower

View of Cork city from the Shandon Belltower, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

This is a view from the top of the belltower. Or at least as far as you can walk up. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of the front of the church we were in. Apparently we were in the protestant church. The much larger and more impressive catholic church can be seen in this picture.

Fortunately, I *am* a dork, and so I found the coordinates on Google Earth if you want to see a picture of the belltower:

"Bells at Shandon" lat=51.9037668954, lon=-8.47752900883

Actually, I’m not quite sure if that will work. Let's try something else...

Job (well) Done

Job Well Done, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

I think the only way to know for sure would have been to stop a local on the street and ask about our performance.

But that would have been far too much walking......and up and down stairs..........so trust us, that we were amazing...........

We then continued up to the actual bells.

How Sweet the Sound

Playing the Bells, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

= )

Amazing Grace

Playing the Bells, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

Oh, it was beautiful. The music we made.....

The Bell Ropes

Playing the Bells, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

Once we escaped the clutches of the chatty cashier guy, we headed upstairs to this room. With eight ropes. And ‘music sheets’, which consisted of a series of numbers. It was decided that Coll and I would be playing, while Meg read off the numbers to us.

I felt bad thinking about all the construction guys who were currently working just outside of the church....

We decided that the least obnoxious and most recognizable song for us to play was ‘Amazing Grace’. Coll took bells 1-4 and I took 5-8....

'Skyscrapers Are Gay'

'Skyscrapers Are Gay', originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

It’s true. Skyscrapers are gay. It’s a documented fact. I’m pretty sure they’ve done studies. We even obtained some photographic evidence to suggest as much....

Cork was very interesting. We were in the middle of a big city. Which was actually comforting to me, in a weird way. We really didn’t stay too long....just long enough to ring the bells at the church in Shandon (and learn about the 'People's Republic of Cork'). Where Meg had quite a long conversation with the guy behind the desk. He’d apparently spent a bit of time in San Francisco. They chatted a bit, and then we made our way up to the bells...

The backstory on this one, is that my parents and my uncle and aunt on my dad’s side were in Ireland seeing the family. They stopped into this church where you allegedly could ring the bells yourself. There were eight bell ropes, and music sheets for various songs. I guess they started playing a bunch of music and cracking each other up. My mom will tell this story and giggle about those poor people who work and live in that neighborhood and have to hear the crazy tourists playing the bells all day (it’s pretty adorable).

Naturally, visiting Cork to play the bells at Shandon was a requirement on our list of things to do in Ireland.

'I've Always Wanted To Kiss A Cop'

Phylis, Meg, Coll, Jaws, and John, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

We left from Cashel to make our way southwest, to our homeland, Co. Cork.

But not before acquiring the best quote of the trip.

If you want to hear the story, ask Coll.

Bob the Dog

Bob the Dog, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

Phylis and John had a dog named Bob. He was pretty cute.

He was running around the yard as we were packing up the car and saying goodbye.

And then he decided to piss all over our car........and unfortunately Jeff just missed the perfect picture:

The Chestnuts B&B, cont.

The Chestnuts B&B, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

We were instructed by my mother to take a photo at the sign outside Phylis and John’s place. Jeff was kind enough to oblige:

The Chestnuts B&B

The Chestnuts B&B, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

I had heard the name Phylis used a bunch already on this trip. I was a little confused, until I realized that Phylis and John ran the B&B we would be staying at in Cashel. Apparently, my parents had stayed here on their first trip in 1995, and again when they visited Meg earlier this year. Naturally, my parents got to chatting with them, and they all became fast friends. My mom had sent over a scrapbook with Coll to give to Phylis, who apparently was having a hard time finding them anywhere near her...as she lives in the middle of the country.

We were greeted at the door by Phylis with warm hugs (as if greeting family). She showed us our rooms, and asked if we’d like some tea. We got our luggage settled, and headed to the sitting room. Phylis made her way in with tea, and eventually John joined us. We told stories and got acquainted, and enjoyed some delicious tea and raspberry scone/cake thingies. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

John and Phylis had suggested that we go to a trad show later that night in town. Meg said that it was a very good show, so we made plans to hang out for a bit, get some dinner, and see the show. Jeff headed off for a much needed nap, and the girls all gathered in their room down the hall.

This was probably one of my favorite memories of the trip. The sights were gorgeous, the fun we had all together was awesome. But these moments alone, just the sisters, was very precious to me.

After a while, Jeff joined us. We eventually headed into town to get some dinner before the show. I was starving at this point. Especially when Meg told us about the place she was taking us to. We walked up to the cafe, and the door was locked. Even though there were people inside. Ordering. The front door was locked.

And it smelled so good.

Dejected, we headed back towards where the show would be. We tried the B&B/Restaurant next to the parking lot. No dice.

We headed to the theater, since they serve dinner before the show. They were done serving food, since it was getting close to show time. We decided to skip dinner and head to the bar and get a drink, then find some food after the show was over.

Which I’m glad we did. The show was amazing. It consisted of a series of traditional irish music and dancing and singing. It was phenomenal.

We did go to a fast food place after the show called ‘abrakebabra’. Which was edible, but ultimately made me feel pretty gross. Especially since we went straight to sleep afterwards.

Breakfast the next morning was, as Phylis would say, ‘lovely’. We ate with a family from the east coast, and chatted with them and Phylis and John. Who were damn entertaining in their own right. They do a pretty good two person show. Coming in and out of the kitchen to serve us tea and toast and eggs and sausage and bacon. (mmmmmmmmm)

At some point, John sits down to chat. Phylis joins us. Everyone is telling stories and having a good time.

Eventually, Phylis notices that we never got any yogurt. She rushes off to the kitchen, and makes a comment to John about forgetting the yogurt.

He responds that yes, he did forget the yogurt. He then goes back into telling stories.

About a minute later, Phylis opens the kitchen door to say, ‘I’ll just get the yogurt then’, and then closes the door again.

John doesn’t flinch.

They were pretty hysterical.

Meg at the Rock of Cashel

Meg at the Rock of Cashel, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

Meg told us a story about a large celtic cross that had fallen in the back cemetary...

The grounds around the buildings are home to an extensive graveyard, which includes a number of high crosses, such as those pictured. The entire plateau atop the rock, on which the buildings and graveyard lie, is walled. One of the largest and most famous high crosses on Cashel was recently destroyed when lightning struck a metal rod that ran the length of the cross.

It was pretty amazing to see just how large this structure was. And a pretty sad sign of the times when Meg grabbed a discarded chips container before I took a photo of the fallen pieces...

Rock of Cashel, cont.

Rock of Cashel, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

Thank you, Wikipedia:

The Rock of Cashel (Irish: Carraig Phadraig), also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock , is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, County Tipperary.The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion, though few remnants if any of the early structures survive. The majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century A.D. The buildings which crown the Rock of Cashel present a mass and outline of great complexity, rivalling other sites in western Europe. The complex has a character of its own, unique and native, and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe.

The Rock of Cashel

View from the Rock of Cashel, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

From Waterford, we headed northwest to Cashel, Co. Tipperay, where we would be spending the night. For the second time on the trip, I crashed out in the backseat. Meg made sure to plan the route into Cahsel to make sure we came in the super scenic way. And I slept through it. Ooops.

She did wake me up right before we got to the Rock of Cashel. I jolted awake to see an old stoned structure up on a hillside...

The First Murphy's Sighting

The First Murphy's Sighting, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

I had to take a picture of this place in Waterford, for obvious reasons. Luckily, this was the last time I took a picture of a placed with this name on the trip. Otherwise I would have a butt load of photos of random dining and drinking establishments...

'Butter or Mayo?'......'Sure.'

Lunch in Waterford, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

We stopped off in the town near the factory to grab a quick bite to eat before getting back on the road to head to Cashel. We stopped off in a small little convenience store/deli type of establishment, where I think us foreigners were a little confused by the process. I ended up with ham and mayo on a baguette, and jeff ended up with chicken, cheese, mayo, *and* butter on a baguette. (which he later said was quite delicious)

It was an absolutely beautiful day. The first of many for us on the trip. Aren’t my sisters adorable?

The Waterford Crystal Facory

The Waterford Crystal Facory, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

The first stop on our trip was going to be the Waterford Crystal factory in Co. Waterford. On the car ride over, each of us travelers crashed out. Jeff, in the front seat, probably slept the least of us all. Coll and I in the backseat, however, spent a good amount of the entire trip snoozin’ in the Peugot. Admittedly, I did the majority of said snoozin’. But on this first leg of the journey, we all had nap time.

The Waterford Factory pretty much rocked. Coll gets the most giddy at factory tours, but I think that we all found it equally fascinating. Especially because we got to walk through a relatively small factory, where we were standing less than 20 feet from the workers themselves. Sometimes much less. Put it this way: I could feel the silica entering my lungs while we were watching them carve the crystal (I know....nerd). Which was pretty bad ass, by the way. We also got to see them blowing the glass, attaching handles to pieces that were already carved, etching designs, and constructing a gigantic chandelier.

The tour guide confessed that it was only her second week on the job, with the first week being comprised entirely of training.

Needless to say, it was a good thing that we had our own personal tour guide along with us.

The Journey Across the Atlantic

The Waterford Crystal Factory, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

Coll, Jeff, and I woke up before 6:00 am on the morning we were leaving. Sean got out of bed to drive us to the San Jose Airport, where we began our journey. We had a 4 hour flight to Chicago O’Hare, followed by a 7 hour flight to Dublin, Ireland.

With the time change being what it is, we touched down in Dublin just after 6 in the morning on Wednesday, August 29th.

Which means that at some point while I was sleeping on the plane, crazy sadistic gnomes came in and stole the day from me. Those jerks.

Meg met us at the airport (next to the smoothie stand). We got the initial hugs and giggles and smiles of excitement out of the way, and then hoisted our luggage and headed for the car.

Meg assures us right away that we packed well and that she rented a car with an ‘extra large boot’. I *really* wish i had taken a picture of that car. Or at least of us with all our luggage. Or both. Because I am actually very impressed at the amount of luggage and clothing that we managed to pack into that little red Peugot...and extra large boot or no, it was a tight squeeze.

The plan for the trip was to spend the first half of it driving across the Irish countryside, stopping at strategic locations to do and see the things we all were interested in. The second half would be spent in Dublin, seeing where Meg has lived and adventured for the past year.

We didn’t waste any time, and headed for our first stop: Co. Waterford.

We chatted and caught up and continued to express our excitement for the trip. Us Americans took some time to scope out the driving situation in this new country, grilling our Dubliner sister about everything: signs, roundabouts, traffic patterns, and even the Guarda. Who apparently are pussy cats who don’t carry weapons and occasionally have their shapely bodies comically stuffed into a small bullet proof vests.

Once we got a little further away from the Dublin traffic, we turned on the radio. The trip to Waterford was going to take about two hours, heading south through Co. Kilkenny. The first song we hear?

‘Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It’ by none other than Will Smith, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air himself.

Let’s just say that this trip started off on a good note....

And some goofy dancing.

= )

(as a side note: I’m not sure if anyone has ever actually looked up the lyrics to this masterpiece.......but there are some gems....

Now honey honey come ride
Dkny all up in my eye
You gotta prada bag with alotta stuff in it

Givin up jiggy make it feel like foreplay
Yo, my car, yo its infinite-

In the middle of the club with the rub-a-dub, unh
No love for the haters, the haters
Mad cause I got floor seats at the lakers
See me on the fifty yard line with the raiders
Met ali he told me Im the greatest
I got the fever for the flavor of a crowd pleaser
Dj play another
From the prince of this
Your highness
Only mad chicks ride in my whips

Women used to tease me
Give it to me now nice and easy
Since I moved up like george and wheezy
Cream to the maximum I be askin em

Flatten em
Psyche
Kiddin
You thought I took a spill
But I didnt

*sniff* it’s......beautiful)

The Backstory to the Ireland Trip

Meg, Coll, and Jaws in Cashel, originally uploaded by jawsmurphy.

I come from an Irish family: The Murphy’s. We’ve always been proud of our heritage, growing up hearing stories of the large Irish Catholic family that we come from. Strange as it may seem, some of my fondest memories from grade school are from the funerals of some of my family in San Francisco at the Irish Cultural Center. The Irish definitely have a way of celebrating the life of a person, as opposed to merely mourning a death. These were the times that I was able to hear all the stories of the extended family in San Francisco. And this was when I started to learn about who I was, and where I came from.

My parents were the first to make the trip across the pond to the Ireland, naturally. My two older brothers were in charge while they were gone. These days we got to stay up late eating ice cream and playing board games, filmed a horror movie with all the siblings, and even covered for a brother when he had his girlfriend over. (though I would never tell...)

My parents returned, and showed us pictures from their trip. We got to hear stories of visiting castles, listening to music, and trying to understand what the heck the family from county Cork was saying through their thick accents. We saw pictures of the greenest land you could ever imagine, with rolling stone walls as far as the eye could see.

It was only a matter of time before we each made our own journey 'home'. Sean and Blythe went a few times while they were studying abroad in London. Beejay and Elena went after they were married, where Elena told Beejay that they were pregnant (with Declan). Megan decided to get her master’s in Theatre and Performing Arts at Trinity College in Dublin. Colleen and I were planning to visit her before she came back stateside.

And so we did, accompanied by Jeff, from August 28 - September 4, 2007...