Today is Paddy’s Day – the biggest Irish holiday which the whole world like to celebrate. If you have ever been to Ireland, even in the worst weather, you will leave thrilled. Well, what exactly happened? What is the phenomenon of this small island where the wind ruffles your hair every day, and the rain drips on your face? I asked different people. Irish who live here or abroad, and people of other nationalities to whom Ireland became home.
Continue readingPosts tagged Ireland
On the crossing – Celtic Imbolc and St. Brigid
May the darkness within you recognize
there’s hope for clarity paths ahead
from the Imbolc blessing
Heavy clouds hug the beginning of February, the rain does want to stop. And the lockdown in Ireland will be until March. The crisis is perching on the windowsill along with green mold. Therefore, instead of looking out the window, I stare at Instagram, and I recognize a familiar symbol in the photo – a square cross made of rushes.
Continue readingBrew Monday – a day of making tea for yourself and others
Blue Monday was introduced to the calendar as the most depressing day of the year by UK psychologist from Cardiff. January is probably very gloomy and wet in the Welsh capital located on the Bristol Channel, major inlet extent to the North Atlantic. I can imagine it because we have in Ireland the same, even worst.
Continue readingBreaking out of the comfort zone with Xiaojian Zheng
Volunteering connects diverse people because helps us to break out of the comfort zone. This is always the beginning of the adventure with the community but also with ourselves.
Continue readingRubbish open wide their jaws
Oh, let me get wet and cold at last. I want to do something useful for the earth today
– I thought, after a month of lockdown.
As was raining the volunteer’s clean up at Claddagh beach in Galway have been cancelled. But around midday the rain stopped, so Aga, Mary, and I took litter keepers, gloves and bags and we went to the shore of Atlantic.
Continue readingThe Power of Volunteering – Sita Karki and Hugh Murphy
Today we celebrate International Volunteer Day. On this occasion, I would like to introduce you to my volunteer friends: Sita Karki and Hugh Murphy.
They were born in various countries, are completely different ages and have other passions. But equally, they share a big heart and volunteer work as Wave Makers for the European Capital of Culture Galway 2020.
Continue readingWave Makers keep community spark
Even if something undesirable happens in our life, it always has many hues. The pandemic of Covid-19 and lockdown have been hard and surspised news for everybody, also for the team of Galway 2020. However Wave Makers not the first time look after the light between clouds. They built the bridges to stay with touch with the local community.
Continue readingCards and letters – a great way to connect
Outside the window is a November grey, cars move along the wet street, but their noise reminds me of the sound of the sea. The flame of a cinnamon candle lights up my kitchen, where I write letters to residents of nursing homes.
Continue readingVery close from here
Who knows where it is:
the constant dogs, auroras, and wild gardens?
It is very, very, very close from here
It is there, where losing, no one wins
There is the lake and the peak in parallel
and I dance, I swim over, to the void - for nothing.
-sings Mela Koteluk.
Continue readingMaybe a song will cheer us up today
Once again Ireland showed me that it does not take much to create the magic.
On the 1st of October is chilly and wet. I put on the Wave Maker’s orange jacket and get on my blue bike. Nothing is happening on Walter Macken Place, and the Mervue housing estate seems to be lifeless. I can see mold on the buildings and temporary road works on the street. However, when I look more closely, I can notice sunflowers in the garden and even a small greenhouse.
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