Gaelic Girl Alisa

My wedding plans with boyfriend go viral - TV and media jump on my whirlwind romance

and skip ahead to 18.23.

Our California girl finds a husband at Occupy Cork protest

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Hunting down traditional music in Ireland – radio waves filled with Lady Gaga and Jedward

In coming to Ireland I had hoped to encounter more local made music than I have had the opportunity to in the states. There are plenty of resources back home for finding more popular Irish or super-groups (which often form in, come out of or live in America) but there is little one can find of the local artists of Ireland in the States. Having been here before, I was aware this wasn’t the easiest task. But, I expected to find an easier time of it than I had previously, since I would be living here in Cork which is said to be the “Culture Capital of Ireland."

While local gigs and sessions are somewhat easy to find, these musicians do not always consider themselves "serious" and often perform largely covers. I had really hoped to find original work and so turned to the radio. I had hoped that Irish radio would be somewhat different than back home. I rarely listen to radio in the states because I find little pleasure in the standard top 40 hits of various decades being played over and over again, until the next fad comes along.
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Report from ‘Occupying Cork’ protest – camping out to return the power to the people

I am actually uncomfortable sitting here in my apartment now and had a difficult time tearing myself away from the site early this afternoon when I finally left. Not only is this a cause I desire to support full-heartedly, it is a community of loving and selfless individuals who are sacrificing their time and energy for a brighter and better future. There is hope in their hearts that burns like fire and a belief that this world should and can have a better future than the one that is currently being projected. I will be at this camp as much as I can until my departure in December. I know I will be sad to leave such a beautiful group of people whose passion has rekindled my own but, I will take that fire and share it with the world, as a beacon of hope.

The heart Ireland - nations compassion and social awareness

Do Irish fathers outshine their American counterparts?

Since having been here in Ireland I have seen more fathers actually spending time with their children than I have for many years in the States.

Having worked in the children’s department of a US chain bookstore (much like Eason’s here) I have had the displeasure of watching men and mothers alike ignore, neglect, talk-down-to, and disrespect the humanity of their own children in public more than I ever would have expected or cared to in a lifetime.

Being an employee, there was little I could do to intervene and it always filled me with contempt and bitterness for these precious little ones. Fathers would often leave their children alone in the children’s department to be “babysat” while they went and looked at the “grown-up books”, which often turned out to be VERY grown-up. Fathers on duty for the day would ignore the speech of their children and become exasperated when expected to play their part as a nurturer in the family unit.

Cork nightlife is a real turn on: I’m a California hippie getting down with it

Irish ‘Cake Faces’ girls plaster on makeup