The area I live in has quite a large population of blind or nearly blind people, who are easily identified by their walking sticks that they tap in front of them while walking, which I learned today are called "white canes," because they have to be white with a red stripe to be seen by drivers, as opposed to black which blends into the road. So far I haven't been able to assuage my guilt of seeing blind people crossing the crosswalk by helping them cross the street (not sure about the etiquette about that and if I'm engaging in "ableism," which is prejudice against those with disabilities and perceiving myself to be better than them, but I have been able to help a couple of lost-looking people with white canes on the street to tell them which street they were on. To me, blindness deserves more attention in the public conscience, more than other disabilities (not to rank disabilities, but sense of sight seems just a tad more important in our society and our lives than sense of taste, for example, or losing an arm). Obviously no disability is wanted, and I should probably just listen as someone without disabilities, but not being able to drive or get around is a serious disadvantage for the blind, as well as witnessing some of the greatest sights of the world...like traveling. These are the real victims of our society, not the attention-seeking people who dominate social media complaining about their often self-imposed or self-aggrandizing problems (I'm looking at you, Colin Kaepernick, or you, "Spare" Prince Harry).
My biggest observation when visiting Dublin, Ireland this weekend was how few Asian tourists there were: not too many Chinese, Japanese, or Korean people I know would have "Dublin" on the top of their lists, especially with so many other European cities available, and so many further south in warmer temperatures. The bigger observation I should have made was the more general observation that I never see blind people on vacation, because well, the value of visiting a new place wouldn't be as high. Really one of the great joys of life, traveling and experiencing a new environment and adjusting one's surroundings, but Dublin, I feel, might just be one of those cities even the blind can enjoy. Dublin doesn't have a ton of scenic locations or must-see buildings/ architectural marvels that you have to see to believe, but it does have a rich history, welcoming people, and what I found to be a great sense of humor. Maybe because this was one of the few cities MJ and I got multiple tour guides (and we could actually both understand the tour guides because they spoke in English), but Irish people seemed witty, eager to talk and engage in conversation, happy to tell us about their country. The musician at the Irish Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame just could not stop bragging about Irish musical groups, giving brief mentions of the obvious and world-renowned groups like U2 and the Cranberries but diving deep into Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher, Dublin's finest but less-heralded world wide. "What's the difference between God and Bono? God doesn't think he's Bono." These were the types of jokes we heard in our short trip in the city, and humor goes a long way toward leaving a lasting impression.
MJ and I also didn't need our eyes to enjoy the Guinness Storehouse, a step-by-step exhibit of how Guinness Beer is made (all beer needs ingredients of water, barley, hops, and yeast) but also more importantly, a freshly-brewed on-the-spot glass of Guinness beer- honestly one of the creamiest and tastiest beers I've ever tasted, which made both MJ and I look forward to comparing it to one made on tap in U.S., and how much taste it loses crossing the Atlantic (in my experience, Guinness hadn't ever tasted so good). The Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced "jail") is just that, a jail, but the tour around the jail was more of a history tour describing some of the most famous events in Irish history, from people purposely getting put into jail during the Great Potato Famine because at least in jail they could get 3 meals a day and get medical attention, to the youngest inmate in the jail (3 years old!) to the most famous participants of the 1916 Easter Rising like Patrick Pearse, Robert Emmett (famous for his dying speech), and a later president, Eamon De Valera. Definitely as interesting as the tour of Alcatraz I did (and easier to escape the jail for inmates, as it wasn't surrounded by water) and cool to experience the stories. Turns out, it is sometimes good to sign up for tours, especially when you understand the native language: the stories behind the sites and attractions become more enriching.
It's really amazing the difference actually experiencing something can be: I had this vague image of Ireland before visiting of a cold island, lots of drinking (beers, whiskey) and fighting (exemplified by the exploits of Conor McGregor) that had a long and bitter history of England (who hasn't?), but actually putting foot on ground in the city can reveal that it's the European home base for many international tech companies, it's got tons of great bridges crossing the River Liffey that rivals the scenes in most European countries, like the Seine for Paris, and MJ and I didn't find the food lacking at all, especially for vegans; vegan donuts abounded and even I had lattes. Conversely, Ireland is a little expensive (more than I thought, as I had this idea it was an austere, modest place) but the dollar's still pretty strong against the Euro and most other world currencies right now, so it didn't bankrupt us to stay at a higher class hotel with a sauna. Avoided any fights and avoided getting drunk!
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