Donnerstag, 15. März 2007

Chapters 3 and 4


Today, I've finished reading the fourth chapter of "Jaywalking with the Irish". The more I read the book, the more I'm impressed by Monagan's writing style. The way he paints pictures with words is really unique.
I especially enjoy how he permeates the book with his experiences from the past, which are depicted so vividly that I feel like I was his witness whilst he went through them.

Like,for instance, in chapter 3, where he describes the days he spent with his kindred spirit Bun
in such an emotional way that I was touched deeply and memories of times when I felt as blissfuly happy as him then, came flooding back. Bun is also a charming character himself, a free spirit, who adores erecting beehives like this one:







What's more, chapter 3 features the names of some awe-inspiring places in Ireland like this one:
the peninsula Connemara in the Irish west county of Galway.

Isn't the nature just divine?






Chapter 4, on the other hand, was more about the Irish as people and the pub culture. What astounded me was that Monagan always seems to find unique characters wherever he goes, like the owner of the Hi-B pub-Brian O'Donnell.

Anyway, the way Monagan wrote about the characters he saw in the pub was really hilarious, but at the same time it made me ask myself if living in Ireland really is, like Monagan puts it, "a gorgeous theatre" or of it is much more straightforward than that?

There are a few pieces of vocabulary I would like to share with you:

uncanny-strange-I had an uncanny feeling I was being watched.

horrendous; horrendously; horrendousness-extremely unpleasant-a horrendous accident

serendipity; serendipitous-tendency to find interesting things by chance-Reading should be an adventure, a personal experience full of serendipitous surprises.

p.s. Especially after today's class, I appreciate it much more that we are learning about Ireland and new, different and, for some, even exotic cultures. It is a real blessing that we live in such a multicultural world where you can enrich your life every day.

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