Home Sweet Home!

After a year of adventures, I have returned to one of my favourite places... home! You know you are back in Canada when you have Tim Horton's three times in one day. My travel from Ireland to Canada was a smooth 6.5 hours and I arrived in Toronto to spend a few days with my father's family. I had a great time playing with my cousin's daughters and entertaining my grandparents on violin. My uncle even took me to the Tractor-Pull at an agricultural fair as an re-introduction to rural Canada. Imagine a red-neck event with souped-up trucks and tractors and really loud engines.

From southern Ontario I flew north to Winnipeg and then drove five hours east to my parents' home in northwestern Ontario. After living on an island for a year, five hours in Canada really seemed like a whole lot of nothing. At home I received a warm reception, especially from my dog Chip who has since been devotedly following me around. My Grandmother brought the whole family together for a fabulous Saturday meal and afterwards we played our traditional game of Rummoli.

Since the temperature was breaking the 30 degree Celsius mark, I headed up the lake on Monday for some fishing and swimming with my sister Laura, cousin Rebecca and her girlfriend Kelsey. I do believe the freshwater lakes in our area rival the best in the world. We had quite a time water-skiing and tubing behind the speedboat. I managed to wipe out on top of a underwater rock (luckily with no major injuries), while my cousin Rebecca survived aerial stunts on the inner tube. With our bodies exhausted, we relied on fishing for amusement.

Rocking the water-skis! I managed with two, but Rebecca excelled at slalom.

 

Kelsey and I braved the inner tube.

 Rebecca, Kelsey and I with the small-mouth bass I caught.

We boated past the stone mermaid on Rainy Lake.

Water like glass and a rosy sunset... paradise found at home :)

Being home is not all fun and games though, my father seems to have a long list of tasks around our elk farm. Yesterday I helped feed the animals and today I labelled product and picked up a tractor tire in town. I'm not complaining though, I haven't been working hard and it's nice to be around animals again. If you are interested in seeing some videos and pictures of the elk, check out the Rainy River Elk Company facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rainy-River-Elk-Company/212009815487694

Since being home I have looked back over my year and wondered how to summarize it. But how does one go about describing the best year of their life? In my case, I consider my good fortune and incredible enjoyment. When I set out almost a year ago I was nervous to try something new and different, but quickly learned to trust my capability. The confidence I built allows me to face challenges with enthusiasm, whether it be leading workshops, traveling solo or jumping off a bridge. I have rediscovered my creativity and strengthened my commitment to lifelong learning, not just in the classroom but also in life experience. When you branch out beyond what is comfortable you meet the most amazing people and see beautiful places.

I have been so lucky to meet an array of wonderful people from all across the world. For starters, I am very grateful to my classmates and housemates who provided a welcoming environment upon my arrival and were such good friends throughout the year. I learned so much from my course lecturers and fellow music educators, and had many engaging musical connections with workshop participants. I am delighted to have gained so many acquaintances (and couches to sleep on) whether it be newly acquainted family members or fellow participants in Roche Continents. From the man with Down Syndrome who played shadow puppets with me to the man who bought my lunch after I switched airplane seats with his daughter, I have observed many positive sides to human nature.

I am still in awe of the places I have visited in my travels (as a recap, this year I've traveled to Ireland, United Kingdom, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain), though I have also become aware of all the places I have yet to see. I cannot name a favourite even if Ireland lies very near the top of the list. What I enjoyed most about Europe was being so close to so many vibrant cultures. After a two hour plane ride you appear in a whole new land with fascinating language and customs.

Some of the moments which stand out most in my mind are those which provided panoramic views. For instance atop Cliffs of Moher, Prague Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Rome's Vittorio Emmanuel Monument, London Eye, Salzburg Fortress, and mountains in the Alps and Pyrenees. Why are people always so taken with high vantage points and expansive views? I believe it all ties to perspective and understanding the bigger picture. I feel that living abroad and traveling has given me a more thorough perspective, both about the world and myself.

Thank you to everyone who has read my blog throughout the year. Without readers I would not have had the motivation to write 68 posts! I loved my adventures this year and I hope you enjoyed them as well. Thank you to all my great friends who visited me in Ireland. I would not have traveled all the places I did without you. Thank you especially to my family who were my most dedicated readers. I always had support from home, which made my year fly by even quicker. One year ago, my mother left me a note wishing me luck on my adventure. I have carried this note in my wallet throughout the year and although it is a bit ruffled now it still acts as a reminder of all I can accomplish. I hope everyone can find similar inspiration for exploring their potential.

End of a year, end of a blog, endless memories.
Slán Abhaile (Safe Home in Irish),
Shannon

Roche Continents 2013

This past week, I had the privilege to be one of 100 young students from across Europe participating in Roche Continents Youth! Arts! Science! conference in Salzburg, Austria. This expenses-paid event is sponsored by the pharmaceutical corporation Roche, and collaborates with the famous Salzburg Music Festival. Participants represented 40 different nations and were challenged to "explore the common ground of creativity and innovation in Arts and Science."

The conference was an enjoyable blend of lectures, concerts, group work and socializing.
Initially, no one quite understood the purpose of the conference, but as time passed it became clear that we were learning not from lectures but from social interaction and observation. I am still processing the experience, but I know I have come away more knowledgeable and that I had a hell of a good time. Over the last two days, we worked in groups to prepare 10 minute presentations which let our creativity shine. Many groups had incredibly inventive ideas, such as marionettes, parodies, installations, bicycle music, shadow puppets in the building's bunker and much more. My group told the story of "Pomme the Traveling Penguin," presented in the style of a pop-up book. As narrator I had to lead over 100 people (all of whom were highly educated) through a hokey-pokey style penguin dance... three times. I think it was one of the bravest things I have ever done!

Since my group's theme was travel, we put up a map to see where everyone else had been around the world.

Of course not everything at Roche Continents was work! The socializing was the best part, especially when assisted by free alcohol. Roche spent a huge amount of money on the event and it really showed. We were never hungry because the catering was fantastic, plus the waiters were always there to refill your glass. As the week progressed, everyone got increasingly tired from the many nights spent lounging outdoors in armchairs.

On our free afternoon, I had signed up with a group to visit an ice cave in the mountains. We spent a hilarious bus ride planning to buy a castle together. Upon arrival we were greeted by a long line up to the tram, estimated to take 1.5 hours. Our guide suggested hiking up to the cave instead, so we started trekking up and up. After my mountainous hike in Spain I was hardly enthusiastic to repeat the process in wimpy sneakers, especially considering the steep, dangerous parts of the trail. Thankfully we all reached the top safely, though we were all heaving and soaked with sweat (not the best idea when you are going into an ice cave). We had started hiking at 1000m elevation, and went up to the cave at 1641m. Inside the cave we hiked up more stairs to 1750m. After all the eating we'd been doing we needed the exercise! Hiking in the mountains is a hard challenge, but always an accomplishment with deserved picturesque rewards.

 See that tiny building? That was where we were going...

 Perhaps one of the less safe places on the hike. I didn't really like the idea of walking across a rock slide.

 But as we got higher, the views made the effort worthwhile.

Congrats! We made it! 

Inside the cave was beautiful and not as cold as I was expecting, since the temperature stays around -1C all year. When the snow melts in the spring water drips through the limestone into the cave to form ice, which then melts over the summer. The ice stalagmites and stalactites form intricate ice sculptures, and in parts the ice is estimated at 80m thick. At the entrance, visitors are given small open flame lamps to amplify the experience (or perhaps make you forget you can't take pictures). What I really wanted to do was slide down the tempting ice slopes, however I postponed the idea due to a lack of efficient braking system.

  

When we exited the cave we were greeted by surprising cloud cover. It was surreal to think that an hour before we could see for miles and now could only see 30 metres!

It was back in May when I found out I was accepted to the conference, and one of the first things I did was research the Salzburg Festival. As a classical violinist I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see a variety of concerts at one of the most prestigious classical music festivals in the world. By some strange miracle I discovered that El Sistema was in residence for the 2013 Festival... and that they were performing the just before my conference began! Sistema is a social movement in Venezuela which provides free musical education to children and I have spent much of my year volunteering for an Irish Sistema program. The opportunity for to see the Venezuelan Children's Orchestra live was phenomenal.

For the concert, the Venezuelan Orchestra consisted of over 250 performers aged 8 to 13. They ensemble had 18 double basses, a number I have never seen before in one ensemble. They performed works by Gershwin, Ginastera and Mahler at a very high standard under conductors Simon Rattle and 18-year-old Venezuelan prodigy Jesús Parra. Their encore piece "Mambo!"included fun choreographed movement on stage and thrilled the already impressed Salzburg audience. Each piece received a standing ovation and the applause did not stop till every child had walked off stage. I found the performance incredibly emotional because I was finally seeing the outcome of a program of which I had learned so much. The children all played with so much skill and passion it would have been impossible not to be moved by the experience. During intermission I was also lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Sistema founder José Antonio Abreu. I think I was as excited as when I saw the Pope. This one man's vision has shown the world how music education should be taught.

 

As part of Roche we were taken to many of Salzburg Festival's contemporary music concerts. It was funny seeing scientists come across new music for the first time. I believe they were a bit confused of what to make of it! For me, the concerts got better and better throughout the week. On Sunday night we saw a chamber music concert of Asian composers (Takemitsu, Hosokawa, Fujikura and Yun) conducted by famous oboist Heinz Hollinger. Monday night brought a performance of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra featuring Mahler Symphony 4 and a Harrison Birtwistle violin concerto performed by Christian Tetzlaff. I greatly enjoyed Wednesday's performance of the Ensemble WienBerlin, a wind quintet made up of musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic. These musicians were incredible performers and I happily watched how they communicated musically. They brought to life the works of Taffanel, Ligeti, Birtwistle, Hosokawa and Nielsen.



The fancy stage of the Mozarteum where the WienBerlin quintet performed.

 



On our final evening, we dressed in our finest attire to attend a performance of Harrison Birtwistle's opera Gawain. Gawain was a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, and his tale is one of humble self-discovery as he travels to his death. Like many of the week's concerts, the opera took place at the Felsenreitschule where once a scene from Sound of Music was filmed. The carved stone arches provided an imposing, earthy backdrop to the dystopian setting of the opera. Instead of being set in medieval times, the opera was set in a future where mankind had destroyed the world and regressed to animalistic behaviour. Many elements were shocking, including scenes of cannibalism, seizure-like dancing, live dogs on stage, and a continuously high level of musical intensity. I have still not decided if I liked the opera, but I do know the artistry and visual impact of the performance was beyond anything I had previously experienced. I have incredible respect for the daring interpretation, much of which can be attributed to the visual artist Joseph Beuys whose former works made subtle appearances throughout the opera. Overall, it was a performance none of the Roche participants will forget.

 The stage for Gawain.

 Dressed up for our final evening.

 With my wonderful roommate Annemiek!

 Hanging out on the arm chairs... with wine of course!

Roche Continents was the perfect way to wrap up my year abroad. Being around so many talented youth from multiple countries reminded me why I love Europe so much. Many amazing people, places, and experiences are a short plane ride away. In addition the conference inspired me to continue being creative, innovative and individual. It strengthened my commitment to lifelong learning, keeping an open-mind and working collaboratively with other disciplines. I hope more than anything that I can revisit and work with these people in the future. It is amazing the friendships you can create in only seven days.

Tomorrow I return to Canada for the first time in 11 months and 20 days. After my Roche experience, I viewed my return as bittersweet since it meant the end of my exciting adventures. However, now that I think it through I realize that I am simply starting a new adventure, one where I will continue to learn interesting things and meet wonderful people. It is simply a new chapter which I am excited to undertake. And besides, someday I will be back to Europe.

As my amazing year ends, there is only one more blog post to be written.
See you then,
Shannon

How Irish am I? Part II

Alright, this question of "How Irish am I?" is a bit ridiculous considering I am pretty proud to be Canadian, but last December I posted Part I and now feel compelled to complete the cycle with Part II. However, there are still a few quirks in my personality which have not escaped being influenced by the Irish. This whirlwind year has definitely changed me as a person and I believe for the better.

For starters my name seems quintessentially Irish and has a nice ring when said with an Irish accent. Even this past week someone in Canada commented how Irish my name sounded. In reality, Shannon is obviously Irish (i.e. the River), but Darby is in fact English though no one outside of Ireland really knows. I do have Irish heritage somewhere in my ancestry, but it is not a direct lineage like you might imagine.

Not only is my name deceiving but also my complexion. I have never been known as a tanned person, actually quite the opposite. I tend to be as white in skin colour as they come. With travels to Italy and Spain this summer I had confided my sunburn concerns with my Irish friends and they kindly made me feel better by sharing my apprehension. They assured me that most Irish people are pale-skinned just like me so I fit in perfectly. A few months ago, I found this picture on Facebook which illustrates my point well.

 

 

A few other instances have been reminders of the Irish impact on me.  On time when we were planning a party I went to buy "crisps" and as I was choosing from the selection I forgot what we call them in Canada. The term "chips" came back to me, but for a brief, surprising moment I had completely forgotten. A slip of the mind proved very telling in how quickly things can change. Similarly, when I went to Spain it took me a few days to get used to people driving on the other side of the road... the other side meaning the right side like in Canada. I don't even drive in Ireland so I'm not sure why my brain made that change. Again it did not take me long to get over the difference, but noticing it is surprising enough.

 

My comfort with the UK-style computer keyboard is another big change. I bought an Irish computer after my old computer crashed and the keyboard is slightly different. Now I will be all confused when I use Canadian computers back home. In terms of my accent, I've found that sometimes I phrase questions like the Irish do. Normally when you ask a question your inflection rises towards the end of the phrase, but many Irish rise in inflection then drop at the end. Occasionally I find myself copying this way, but then again I also find myself throwing in "eh?" Old habits die hard.

 

I have really grown to love Ireland and the country seems to equally love me. Not only do I share my name with a River, but the Irish have kindly named several businesses, buildings and streets after me ;)  Over the last while I've been taking pictures to record just how popular I am. Now I shall share all my finds with you.

 Streets named after me.

Businesses named after me.

 

 Clubs and pubs named after me.

 

 Homes are named after me... though the bottom one is a bit offensive!

 

 

Signs point towards me and buses advertise me! (understandably I go to the USA and Canada often). 

 

 Even the dry cleaners in Galway loves me.
 

 And best of all, my friend Chad found a Coca Cola bottle named after me.

 

Well, I think it is pretty clear the country is going to miss me when I'm gone! Today is technically my fifth last day in this beautiful country. I do not fly home till the 20th, but this evening I leave for a week-long conference in Salzburg, Austria. I am participating in Roche Continents Youth! Arts! Science! and am very excited to share innovative ideas with other youth studying across Europe. I'll be happy to share more details when I return.

 

Until next time,

 

Shannon

 







Our Galway Getaway

I spent last weekend in Galway city to celebrate Lauren and Chad's final days in Ireland. So many thanks to them for "going the distance" to visit me! I am very glad they enjoyed their visit and that I was able to spend time with them. They were the catalyst for me to revisit Galway, something I had been meaning to do before I return to Canada. I had been there briefly in April with my parents, but hardly got a taste of the city.

We had three days in Galway to explore and relax. The city is an artistic and cultural hub, filled with buskers, homemade arts and crafts, and numerous tourist shops. It is a great launching point to see some of Irelands best natural attractions. Day-trips to the Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher and Connemara National Park bring a thriving tourist crowd to town. Our trio considered going to the Aran Islands, but in the end just opted to stay in the city. There aren't really enough attractions in Galway itself to preoccupy you for three days, but luckily Chad was thoroughly addicted to his novel and Lauren and I were keen souvenir shoppers. That's not to say we didn't see the sights.

After learning from our Spain experience, Lauren and I joined a free walking tour on Friday afternoon (Chad was reading). In true Irish fashion, our guide was a red-haired girl named Laura wearing a green shirt. She showed us the historical sights of Galway's center and shared many tales of Irish oppression under foreign rule. For instance, during the time of Oliver Cromwell the Irish were not treated equally under British law. This inequality is represented on the side of Galway's courthouse by unbalanced scales of justice.

According to our tour guide, British policemen in England at the time only carried a wooden baton for protection. In Ireland, the British policemen carried a baton, sword, revolver and rifle. Well prepared I'd say! The remnants of British rule are visible in the strangest places, like on the post boxes. Apparently one Irish rebel came out at night and painted the once red boxes green. They have remained that way ever since, but this unfortunate box in Galway still bears the insignia of the Monarchy. "G R" stands for King George V.

My favourite stop along the tour was at the Galway Cathedral. Its grey stone makes it appear old from the outside, but in reality it was only built in the 1960s. It is located on the spot of an old prison, across the River Corrib from the Courthouse. The bridge connecting the two is aptly named the Bridge of Sighs because convicted felons were led across the bridge and would sigh at their last view of Galway. Nowadays the bridge still offers sigh-worthy views of fly-fisherman.

 The Cathedral is visible behind the trees above, while the blue tent below was set up for the annual Galway Arts Festival.

I found the mixture of ornate and simple decoration in the Cathedral's interior really lovely. The floor is an amazing expanse of Connemara green marble and the ceiling is carved from our own Canadian cedar wood! Many of the fancier art is constructed of glass mosaic, including a rather surprising profile of John F. Kennedy. Turns out JFK is rather important to the Irish because he was the first Irish Catholic president of the United States.

Our tour guide told us a couple entertaining stories about one of Galway's leading historical families, the Lynches. Have you ever heard of "lynching?" It means to hang someone, and the term was coined in Galway. Poor Mayor Lynch had to hang his own son after he had committed murder. We saw the spot where it happened. Another tale occurred around the corner, where a young lady living in Lynch Castle once received a pet monkey from her sailor beau. They were later married and had a child, however one evening a house fire broke out and the mother forgot her baby in the flames. All was thought lost until the charred monkey appeared carrying the unharmed baby in its arms. There is a statue of the heroic monkey, but alas construction on the Castle had it hidden from view.

On Saturday afternoon, Lauren, Chad and I met up with my classmate Adam for lunch and a tour. Ironically I had seafood paella for lunch, whereas I probably should have ordered it in Spain. Regardless, I was well-fed for our long walk along the seaside Promenade. Adam pointed out the best places to catch live music, get ice cream and order full Irish breakfasts. The walk along the water was nice despite a looming raincloud. We came across a charity swim where participants had swam the length of the bay, something I would not be able to do and especially not without a wetsuit. Adam and Chad also found me the message "ELK" scratched into the sand... I know its a sign, but I'm not sure for what... (for those who may not know, my parents own an elk farm). Can you see it in the picture below?

We started our Sunday by following Adam's suggestion to eat an Irish breakfast from the restaurant Riordan's. After a full year in the country it was my first time trying the famous meal, and I'll admit it was substantial. I got my share of protein from ham, sausages, an egg, beans and black pudding. Plus it was topped off with fried potatoes, half a tomato, orange juice and a mug of tea. It kept me going all day!

Our big event during the weekend was attending an Australian circus act called Knee Deep, put on by the Galway Arts Festival. The four person troupe was made up of three men and one very strong woman. At one point she had one man standing on her shoulders and the other two hanging off her. Overall the act was very impressive because of the sheer strength of all performers. They were leaping across the stage, hanging from ropes, balancing off each other and even walking on egg cartons. No matter what they did they were completely graceful. I think they must have super muscles where no regular person does, like in the neck, feet and wrists.

For a good laugh, I'll share one more amusing activity from the weekend. During our souvenir shopping, I had come across a felt deer at the Farmers' Market which I could not pass up as a gift for my mother. That evening when we were sitting in the pub I pulled it out of my purse along with my camera. I've named him Ed the "Photobombing" Elk.  The pictures are fairly self-explanatory...

 Chad was not willing to share his Smithwicks with Ed.

 Ed pops up everywhere!

 Hanging out with Oscar Wilde.

 Even in the phone booth where Ed seemed to be rubbing off on Chad.

And he saved the best for last! Sleep well Lauren...

 

This weekend produced more great times with great friends. Galway is a great city with lots of character and definitely worthy of a tourist stop. Lauren and Chad have since made it home safely, and I will shortly doing the same. I only have three more weeks left, one of which will be spent in Salzburg, Austria at a conference. That's right, I'm not quite done traveling yet :)

 

Regards,

Shannon