Irish People

So this post is less about my cultural learning and more focused on the people I've met and how in general the Irish act. Now, as many people already think, the Irish are some of the nicest people in Europe, not to dismiss this fact, because all in all it is true. But there should be the stipulation that they are the nicest people to strangers and English speaking foreigners (minus the Brits or any French) and largely, people over here (all Europeans in general) think that most Americans are really polite and Europeans are asses or morons. Odd how things work out like that.

Now on to the people I've met, for the most part the Irish friends I have are good-natured and fun, the only down side being they kind of whine a lot, it seems to be a favorite past time. It's possible that I've just grown annoyed with living with three Irish girls, but even in the pubs, the Irish love to tell people how bad their government is or how rotten school fees are (they pay wayyyy less then we do) or something else that isn't so bad, but still gets complained about. Also, those retched gossip celebrity mags are freaking popular over here as well.

Ok enough with the negatives, some of the great things about the Irish is the embrace of charity (and drinking), fun-loving spirit (and drinking) and also mass youth exodus from the strict church influence that only 10 years ago held a tight grip in Irish society. It's strange to think that now, even though there are areas that are still staunch Chritians that believe in destroying stem-cell research or keeping homosexuality illegal, but by large the youth aren't like that. There is a new generation of Irish that have grown up without a huge Catholic church influence and without the serious conflit to the North, which may very well shape the country in a vastly liberal direction. Ah well, time for a break, more from Ireland later!

P.S. if any of you missed it, Sarah Palin's daughter is no longer getting married to the guy who got her pregnant. Makes me wonder if they planned the wedding as a political move or if the daughter was just sort of forced into it by momma Palin.