my thoughts about the book

After having read the book, it is high time I convey to you my thoughts about the book as a whole.

For starters, let me tell you that "Jaywlaking with the Irish" is for me a masterpiece of a book and probably the best I have read for some time.

This is so because:

a) the topic is absolutely riveting
b) Monagan's writing style is indescribably beautiful
c) the insights you gain into Ireland are accurate and absorbing
d) the family's lives in a new country are depicted very earnestly and you can relate to many of their problems which makes the book much more true-to-life

Secondly, my admiration goes to the family for taking the plunge in the first place and starting life anew miles away from home. They had their ups and downs, they went through thick and thin, but they did prove that the sky is the limit for any dream a person may nurture.

Finally, I must say that initially I was shocked by the ending of the book as I was expecting a fairytale one. After brooding about it a day or two, I came to the conclusion that the family's decision to go back to the States because of their unselfish love for their old relatives is praiseworthy. After all, home is were the heart is.

Chapters 25 and 26

At the start of the year two in Cork, just as the family thought it was finally accepted in the Irish society, 9/11 knocked on the door.

This tragic event shocked not only the Monagans, but also the rest of the world. Everyone realised that there was no safe heaven in the world anymore.

I have an indelible memory of the 9. November 2001. I had school until 8 p.m. and was blissfully unaware of the horrendous happening until I came home. Having opened the door, I saw my family glued to the TV and watching what first appeared to be an action film. I asked my mother, flabbergasted: "Since when are you watching action films?" and she said to me: "Dina, something terrible happened. New York has been attacked by terrorists." I stood there transfixed and my prayers went to the victims and their families.

But, I digress. The Monagans being American felt unbelievably sad. Even more so when they were confronted with the anti-American feelings in Ireland and the fact that Ireland would not actively participate in the war against terror. Suddenly they didn't feel Irish anymore.

Although I can comprehend the way the Monagans felt as American citizens, the fact remains that any country has a right to decide if it will send their citizens to war or not. After all, by sending them not only would a great number of the soldiers die, but Ireland would also become a potential target for terrorists attacks.

Talking about 9/11 there is always the notion in some places that America deserved what it got as it has always been a reckless superpower wanting to rule the world. While I certainly do not in the least agree that America deserved 9/11, where thousands of innocent people lost their lives, it is true that especially in the aftermath of the war America sought supremacy over other nations. It is also true that no one has until now been able to determine the real impact of 9/11.

A month after 9/11 Irish people soldiered on. The Monagans joined and found a new equilibrium in their belief in the saying: "Carpe diem!"
In accordance with that saying they bought a house and had it renovated. All the while they contemplated about going back home, but they finally did it when the family's near and dear started to die in America. They were amazed by the true shock of their Irish friends when telling them about their departure.

This is when the family knew that Ireland has become their heart's home, to which they are going to return in the forseeable future.

The last vocab quiz for you:

1.unnerve
a)frighten
b)help
c)improve

2. give sb a wide berth
a)to teach someone
b)to talk down to someone
c)to avoid someone

3.feckless
a)rude
b)dishonest
c)unenergetic

4.rampant
a)controlled
b)uncontrolled
c)alarming

5. petrify
a)terrify
b)calm
c)scare

Chapters 23 and 24

Chapter 23 revolves around Monagan's worries for the children's well-being.

On the one hand, the family has managed to lead nothing if not a fulfilled life in Ireland. On the other hand, truth be told, their kids used to have much more wholesome pastimes in America as well as the parent's full attention. Guilt started to creep in Monagan as he desperately tried to re-create the family life they indulged in in America.

At this point let me leave my impressions of the main storyline behind and focus on a question which ties in just perfectly with what I was just writing about. I found it in our script (page 12) and it goes like this:

Moving abroad is well and good for young people with no dependants. Parents on the other hand...( the rest you can imagine)

The assertion that parents should not move abroad is not in accordance with my personal view. The way I see it, anyone can move abroad (young, old etc) as long as all the pros and cons of this major decision had been weighed up. Children are, accordingly, no hindrance whatsoever in moving. On the contrary, they are the one's who usually breath life into a new home.

At the end of the day, I think I'm justified in stating that moving to a foreign country with your children in tow won't certainly be a piece of cake, but it will enrich the lives of the children and make the parents happy. After all, only satisified parents are good parents.

Chapter 24 saw the Monagans' returning to America for the summer holidays. While the children had a whale of a time, the parents were proven right in their decision that America wasn't a place to live in anymore. Everywhere they looked they were besieged by the same isolation and indifference as ever.

It was high time to return to year two in Cork.

The vocab quiz (features vocab I owe from the last chapters)

1. steep
a)too high
b)too much
c)too fast

2.unflappable
a)unaffected
b)uncooperative
c)stalwart

3.scant
a)very little
b)hypocrisy
c)very much

4. glossy
a)a magazine
b)a cake
c)a drink

Chapters 21 and 22

In chapter 21 Monagan continued his quest of finding sponsors for his Irish magazine project. This time around he knocked on the door of the managing director of Ulster Television. (today it is called UTV- for further information take a look at- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTV)

What amazed Monagan about the director was his approachable manner. He was not only welcoming, but also decent, promising Monagan that he would do everything that was in his power to help. How rare is to find such directors today. Most of them are, after all, nowadays stern and impose everything they wish with an iron fist. Or is it just my stereotypical belief to hold directors to be like that.

Anyway, the family are making big steps forward and have decided not to let problems crush their dreams. Together with this decision came the realisation that the life their were leading in Ireland was much more rich yet very unpredictable.

In chapter 22 we (the readers) are lead into the mysterious yet fascinating world of hurling. If you wish to find out more about this unusual sport visit http://www.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/gaa/introhur.html

Apart from that, Monagan wrote again about the "relationship" of the Irish with alcohol. What made me rub my eyes in disbelief were some of the statistics Monagan presented in the book-

20 percent (!!) of the Irish children take their first drink by the age of nine.

Ireland has the highest rate of teenage binge-drinking in Europe.

I would say that these statistics and the whole problem the Irish have with drinking is paradoxical. Surely anyone would suppose that the poorer the country is, the higher the rate of alcohol abuse, but Ireland is a very rich country. So how come? I'm certainly not the right person to say, but my guess is that most Irish people do consume drink moderately, and that the young have started to consume it so massively because of peer pressure, which is the case with the young in most other developed and developing countries.

Besides peer pressure as the main factor of the young drinking, there is this feeling of invincibility between the 13 to 18 years old. This nothing-can-happen-to-me syndrom can have grave consequences as the young usually don't have the slighest clue how dangerous alcohol can be.

However, the question is- How to make the young aware od the drawbacks to alcohol? Advertisements and campaigns are, in my opinion, not enough. So, what else?

Honestly, I don't know. What I do know, however, is that there is always a limit on any action that is taken against alcohol abuse. If someone, for example, falls under the spell of "false" friends it is very hard to reason with him/her. Ultimately, it all boils down to raising the awarness of the young about the treacherous alcohol through the good, old means of advertisements.

Chapters 19 and 20

What enthralled me about chapter 18 is the story about the volunteers of the search-and-rescue lifeboat team (their internet address is http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/news/news_detail?articleid=138304) in Courtmacsherry (picture below).

They are all men who put their lives in grave danger almost every night because of their deep-felt understanding of the duties of a citizen. All the problems have to be tossed aside, exercises need to be carried out before they all start their battle with the rough sea to save yet another life. Could anything be more self-sacrifising?

What's more the story also reminded me of the fact that nature is unpredicatble. As much as the human race tries to tame it, they'll won't succeed.

Before I forget, one volunteer was also transcribed as saying that machines are, after all, only machines and cannot, therefore, be trusted blindly. How true. This revelation made me realise that because we rely so heavily on machines ,we may not be as ingenious as people from underdeveloped countries.

In chapter 20 the ultimate disaster happened-the house had been robbed. The police came and poked their noses around the house.

As in most other developed countries in the world, Monagan wrote about the police being understaffed, demoralized and the prisons being overcrowded. In other words, the rule of law in Ireland was finished. What was most scary, though, was the fact that a great number of crimes had no apparent motive and the police was helpless when it came to tackling them. The government, on the other hand, promised the earth and moon to the citizens, but never brought the promises to life.

Paradoxically, when Ireland was a extremely poor country, the crime rate was very low. This may be explained by saying that in its new affluence the country has distanced itself from the social norms of the past.

Naturally, Monagan was terrified by the whole situation and wrote his opinion on it for a national newspaper. Result- the menacing local teenagers appeared again.

Has Ireland mutated into a country that will only break the family's heart?

Finally, the vocab-quiz:

1.gale
a) a strong wind
b) a fickeling sea
c) a snow storm

2.stalwart
a) sincere
b)loyal
c)stubborn

3. feckless person
a) lacking manners
b)lacking friends
c) lacking energy

4. rampant
a) getting worse
b) getting better
c) getting wet

Chapters 17 and 18

Let me just shortly get back to the last post I published. There stood black in white that Monagan found the old Irish ways all but gone.

In order to save what still can be saved about the past and create a bridge to the present and the future, the idea occured to him that he might start a magazine about everything that went on in Cork. The only "tinny" problem was the extortionate price of putting a business like that on its feet. Actually, it was a colossal problem he had to deal with immediately.

So, he went on to collect potential helpers who would make his dream come true. On his quest Monagan met with the editor of The Dubliner and the former editor of The Irish Tatler, which are both glossy magazines with a huge readership.What he heard from both wasn't in the least encouraging. To put it in a nutshell, running a magazine is all about the advertising. The higher the quality and quantity of it, the better for you. What's more, in that brutal business there is no space for personal sympathy or antipathy. It is all about one's force of will.

By the way, if you happen to wish to read more about The Dubliner and The Irish Tatler, check out: http://www.thedubliner.ie/
http://www.harmonia.ie/ratecard/it/index.html

Monagan did seem to have the force of will necessary to make it, though.

Anyway, there is one culturally specifical entry in this chapter that is worthwhile mentioning- the Orange Day Parade (picture on the right.) BBC features on this URL
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1430423.stm
an exhaustive portrayal of such a day in the Republic together with the profiles of the Orange Order and its key figures. If you happen not to understand what Drumcree has to do with the parade, look at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/2115451.stm

Chapter 18 was special to me because I could relate it to my own life experience. It features a description of some of the little adventures the family undertook each weekend in north, west, south or east Cork. The underlying issue is that the parents wanted to show the children as much as possible of the Irish jaw-dropping panoramas and rural life. Exactly the same did my mother use to do when I was little despite many people thinking that she was over the top.

Today I say who cares what other hold as those trips we used to take have not only been burnt in my memory forever, but they have also made me who I am today- a citizen of the world.

Anyway, Monagan makes the reader aware once more of the incogruity visible everywhere around Ireland. Modern developments are maybe a few steps away of mystical monuments or a few miles from charming old villages like Cloyne:








The most important bit of the chapter is revealed in a succinct question at the end of it:
What if the Celtic Tiger comes to a halt?

Vocabulary quiz:

1. scant
a) little
b)meagre
c)old-fashioned

2.give somebody a wide berth
a) give somebody the benefit of the doubt
b)avoid somebody
c) help somebody

3. phoney
a) suspect
b) cheap
c) fake

Chapters 15 and 16

The probation period was finally over, 2001 was there and the Monagan's working life was thriving. Monagan's wife even got a job at the Cork Opera House. (picture above)

A few days after New Year's Eve the whole family went to Dublin on a visit. Seeing the city full of skycrapers, cranes and modern buldings,pubs with flashy customers etc, Monagan contemplated once again about the fact that old Ireland was all but gone.

It was replaced by a "new Ireland" were the economy was burgeoning and the Irish changing, slowly but surely, their ways so as to adapt to this "different Ireland". Monagan asked himslef if the fattening wallets were killing the Irish identity? Well, lawlessness fell on fruitful ground as well as projects which are alien to the countryside, so in some ways the old Ireland was vanishing.

Still, I think, that if the younger generation is taught about a country's past, the memories will live on.

p.s. another vocabulary quiz for you:

1.steep
a)expensive
b)high
c)shaky

2.unflappable
a)introvert
b)calm
c)unscrupulous

3.mandatory
a)advisable
b)immediate
c)compulsory

Chapters 13 and 14

Monagan finally got round the mystery of the Old Head of Kinsale (picture above), which has since 1989 been a golf course for fabulously rich Americans. Alas, the locals were given the red card and forbidden even coming near to it.

The Old Head is a true-to-life testimony of the downsides to modern investment.

Once brimful of history, a natural treasure with stunning vistas and lush flora, in which the locals reveled , today the Old Head is brim-full with the who-is-who list of celebrities, who reach it by helicopters and relax in the futuristic clubhouse.

No local can put his foot on its ground anymore despite the fact that something quite different was promised by its owner initially. It is really a crying shame that such eternal beauty and part of the Irish cultural heritage has been taken away from the public by an Irish man.

Investitors have become the new colonisers of Ireland. I'm very much afraid, if I think about my home country, that in 2-3 years' time the situation will be similar, if not, the same. All the magnificent, secluded Croatian beaches will become private property and we will all have to bath in the county's swimming pools rather than the sea. It may seem like a doomsday scenario, but I see it coming.

In chapter 14 I came across a description of a phenomenon I had believed the rights to whom had exclusively been sold to Croatia- the who do you know phenomenon. In Croatia you cannot do the simplest thing, like going to the dentist, if you haven't a friend who will put you forward. The job market is not an exception.

Who would have thought that the same is the case in Ireland. I guess, it is like that, in some way or another, everywhere on the planet. There has to be a certain period where neighbours and potential employers put you through the acid test before you are granted full membership in the society.

Alas, the Monagan's still weren't so far.

Chapters 11 and 12

I don't now were my head is these days as I've forgotten to feature my vocabulary quiz in the text I've posted just a few moments ago.

Here it comes:

1.taunt
a) upset
b) hound
c) scold

2. barmy
a)fishy
b)silly
c)unscrupolously

3. incongruous
a)discontinuous
b)discontended
c)unusual

4. mesmerise
a) capture
b)cloud
c)jinx

Chapters 11 and 12

In chapters 11 and 12 Monagan felt like his family was constantly shifting shapes between identities akin to the Irish mythology. (if you want to read more about it- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_mythology )

Their first identity was to be found in their struggle to become an active part of the Irish society. Though, they had connections (thanks to the Wilkinsons), their quest proved much harder than initially thought. There was no job to be found far and wide. There were, alas, malevolent adolescents to be found who were doing, or so it seemed, everything that was just possible to send the Monagan's back home.

Talking of which, it simply beats me how young people generally can be so malevolent without any reason. The most recent, though extreme example, are the young London murderers, who have taken the lives of seven people. You can read more on this topic here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2037253,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1

Their second identity could be found in the hilarious episode when Americans thought that David was Irish and took photos of him fishing. We can sum up these two identities like this: For the Irish the Monagan's were strangers and for the strangers they were Irish.
So, based on all the above, it is only natural that the Monagan's asked themselves if their decision of coming to Ireland was sound after all. This is especially a thing one asks himself/herself when your own flesh and blood (your child) says that he hates it in Ireland. Why, oh why, did they rob their children of the security they had had in America?

Then, all of a sudden, things happen, almost out of the blue, that make you aware your decision was right. In Monagan's case it was the trip to Sneem that brought light at the end of a dark tunnel.
The holiness, evaporating out of every monument there, restored Monagan's belief in life and the family's future on the Emerald Isle.

These two chapters are one of my favourites in the book in that they brought memories flooding back of times when I felt also like I belonged nowhere. I mean, I was studying in Austria (to hopefully have a better future afterwards), but my poor mother had to take care of my grandparents, bring money home and repair everything on herslef- be the man and woman in the house. My heart broke every time when I thought about it, but I so desperately wanted to break free and feel like I belonged in Austria as I hadn't the feeling of belonging to Croatia anymore.

And then, like the Monagan's, I found my strenght again thanks to faith. Although I am not an Christian who goes to mass every Sunday, I listened to some sermons now and then and I felt my broken spirit falling into place again. Faith is something that you cannot explain rationally, but exactly in that lies its beauty and power.

Chapters 9 and 10

Apparent, soon became, whilst reading the chapter 9, the genuine love in the Monagan's family. They all get along like a house on fire (more or less) and there is a close bond between the family members. If this weren't so, I'm not sure that their "Irish adventure" would have been fruitful.

Anyway, this chapter touches upon a topic we were occupied with in the last semester after watching excerpts from "The Des Bishop Working Experience"- drinking. I don't want to sound like a moral apostle (everyone has to decide for him/herself), but I just want to offer you what the Irish newspapers have to say about the "Irish drinking issue":
http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2006/11/30/story19536.asp
and
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07075/769983-294.stm

take a look round if you wish.

Chapter 10 proved me right in my belief that David Monagan is a wizard of words. This chapter features some truly compelling descriptions of the Irish countryside and the Irish myths. Never have I heard about a country that has as many myths as Ireland. Starting with the Magic Road at the Waterford Comeragh Mountains which defies gravity (the reason for this is not at all mystical-look at- http://www.dochara.com/tips/magicroad.php) and finishing somewhere with fairy circles.

Nor is any country I know steeped so much in history. It seems as though every stone on the Irish ground has the sadness or mirth of history written on it. I reveled in Monagan's portrayals of the history of the coastal village of Ardmore and its ancient oratory, of the history attached to the Charles Forth in Kinsale , which forms an important mosaic in understanding the troubles. (if you want to read a bit more about the importance of the Charles Forth-http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/history/events/dates/earls.shtm
and , finally, in his depiction of the village of Ballinspittle.

Pictures from left to right: the village of Ballinspittle, Charles Forth and the village of Ardmore.

What's left is something much more real- the vocabulary quiz:

1. intricate
a)complicated
b)compelling
c) old

2.hideous
a)hidden
b)ugly
c)difficult

3.medic
a) professor
b)a knowledgeable individual
c)medical student or doctor

4. exuberant
a)energetic
b)happy
c)confident

Chapters 7 and 8

In chapter 7 I was intrigued by Monagan's vivid description of a music festival in Clonakilty (picture is on the right). There was an abundance of colourful characters present, but what was even more colourful was the journey with the car to Clonakilty.

I have always thought that the Italians were driving like fools (maybe a stereotype). Little did I know that Ireland has the second highest rate of road fatalities in Europe.

(By the way, this could happen to your pets if you choose to drive like a madman/woman):

Irish driving can be subsumed in one simple sentence according to Monagan: "When in doubt, accelerate." Even the road signs in Ireland aren't straightforward. Result of all of the above mentioned-pandemonium on the streets. Still, it was hilarious to read Monagan's exaggerated depiction of the Irish traffic situation.

In chapter 8 the children started their schooling in Ireland. This chapter was captivating to read because topics cropped up again I have been handling during my culture classes in the first and second semester at university, namely private vs. state education and school uniforms vs. no school uniforms.

Talking about the necessity of private school always causes a fierce debate wherever it is thematised. The proponents of private schools say that the quality of education is much better there and that such schooling is likely to give social advantages in later life. Opponents, on the other hand, hold that private schools perpetuate the class system. The way I see it, we should take into account that the UK has a long-standing tradition of private schools, which cannot be terminated here and now.
Certainly, it would be much more fair if every single child would have the same educational possibilities. Alas, I hold, we must make peace with the fact that all inhabitants of our planet can never be equal. The rich will continue to send their children to private schools (old boy network etc) while the poor will send their children to comprehensive schools. Life is unjust.

As far as wearing school uniforms is concerned, I've found a great English school site that in a matter-of-factly depicts the advantages and disadvantages of wearing a uniform:
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/education/uniform.htm

My only duty left is a new vocabulary quiz for you:

1. co-educational school
a) a school were both sexes are taught together
b) a school were pupils from different countries are taught together
c) a school were practical work is part of the curriculum

2. (look) the worse for wear
a) broke
b)tired
c) unhappy

3.vigour
a) happiness
b)fastness
c) energy

4.glee
a) happiness
b) tiredness
c) sadness

Chapters 5 and 6

Once again in chapter five Monagan juxtaposes the pre-and post-Celtic Tiger Ireland. Magnificent places which once where in harmony with nature today function as building sites for the bungalows of the rich. With wealth comes the desire to change everything in a way that this newly acquired wealth becomes obvious. Thus, today many pages from the Irish past have petered out.

Goodbye to the dusty roads of Ireland. Goodbye to bicycles as the only means of transport. Even the old Irish pubs are threatened by extinction.

It pains me to talk about the above because on the Croatian coast the situation is exactly the same. Huge and alien hotel complexes are mushrooming. Wherever there is a burgeoning economy, the environment is changed beyond redemption.

In chapter 6, on the other hand, Monagan touches upon a topic I rank as something highly dangerous. Stereotypes. Which country doesn't have them? After all, it is much easier to see the world through rose-tinted spectacles than to be culturally sensitive. This is apparently how a true Englishman looks like:I dare say, in every country you will find people who confirm a certain stereotype and those who run against it. Truth be told, it would be much wiser not to pigeonhole people, but instead have a broad view of the peoples and the society of a country. Only then can you say that you are an open-minded individual.

Vocabulary-wise, I've decided not to serve you everything on a silver plate anymore. So, I'll give you four words and three possible answers for each word's meaning. Have a merry time guessing:

1.benevolent
a) kind
b)happy
c)sensitive

2.an accomplished person
a) happy
b)educated
c)skilled

3.vacillate
a)moarn
b)fickle
c)be injured to

4.bash
a)a party
b)a concert
c)a contest

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.

Chapters 1 and 2

As I have some time on my hands before the first lesson starts, I'll share with you something I forgot to share with you yesterday.

Whilst reading the first two chapters of "Jaywalking with the Irish" I came across the term paddy, which is a racially offensive English term for Irish people. But I also found another term and it is plastic paddy, which describes a person who thinks is Irish, but was born in another place. Most plastic paddies have little or no Irish blood in them and come from the USA or Australia.

The site I found all this information on is www.urbandictionary.com. It is a useful site if you are looking for slang definitions, but such words certainly shouldn't be part of anyone's active vocabulary.

By the way, the picture above represents a part of a town in the county of Cork, which is the largest of all the Irish counties.

Chapter 1 and 2

Let me start by telling you that the picture on the left shows the town centre of Cork on a not so sunny day. (the usual weather in Ireland)

Before I give you a summary of what I've read this week from "Jaywalking with the Irish" let me tell you where you can find information about David Monagan and the book in general and about cultural references in the book-
David Monagan and the book-

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/pressroom/news/press_release.cfm?press_release_id=146

and for cultural references from the book look at wikipedia (it is really a mine of information about Cork, the Celtic Tiger etc; of course I had to check some things elsewhere, but I would recommend it as a starting point)

So far I've read the first two chapters (till page 35) and let me first say that I find Monagan's writing style absolutely riveting. He not only depicts the country in a thorough fashion, but he also manages to be funny in all the right places. I must also say that by mixing past and present experiences in the book (in other words, by not writing chronologically) he makes the book even more captivating for an armchair traveller to read.

Now, as for the two chapters, they fundamentally describe the families move+the reasons for moving as well as the meetings with the new neighbours etc Apropos of neighbours, for me it was hilarious to read how they pick their nose in other's businesses as in my hometown the situation is exactly the same. As Monagan says-"new information is treasured like pearls from an oyster."

Their reasons for moving are, in my opinion, well-known to most people-they were sick of their programmed lives and the antisocial American society( this is the case in Croatia too-the more affluent a country gets, the more isolated are its inhabitants);they felt like they were burried alive. Ireland was for them like an escapist's paradise, but David is now asking himself if their vision of Ireland was just a holiday-induced dream and if Ireland isn't getting similar to America too? (huge shopping mals)

Monagan uses a very rich and literary language, so there are many words and phrases in the book which, as indescribably beautiful as they are, I have decided not to learn. Here are 4 pieces of vocabulary I think it is worthwhile learning (my excuses if you already know what they mean):
jaywalk/jaywalker/jaywalking (a metaphorical meaning behind the title)-to walk across the street illegally-You cannot jaywalk over there.
with a vengeance-something is done much more than it is normal-The music started up again with a vengeance.
wind someone up-to deliberately annoy someone-They're only winding you up.
nostalgia/nostalgic/nostalgically-a feeling of pleasure when you think about the past-Some people feel nostalgia for their schooldays.