I went back to France last week. Worked a couple of days in Montpellier and then Saturday in Marseille. We're planning to go back again in April, the week after Easter, because I enrolled Carol and Sierra in a week-long French language course in Montpellier.
In Dublin, on the way to the bus that takes you to the airport, something occurred to me that I should mention. I don't want to generalise, but I noticed something about the Irish that was exemplified by this one innocuous event. I was crossing the bridge near Connelly street and there was a panhandler sitting against the rail in the middle of the bridge with his cup out. An older man was coming towards me and we did that little dance people do when they are trying to avoid running into each other. The man was probably in his late 50's, long white hair, and he wore a cheap maroon windbreaker from a university he obviously didn't attend. His sneakers were beat up, but he walked with his back straight and his head up. He was cutting across the pedestrian traffic (hence our near collision), heading towards the beggar on the bridge.
Me, I tend instinctively to go out of my way to avoid panhandlers, but here this old man was going out of his way to give some other poor bloke a bit of change. This is not untypical. Again, I don't mean to generalize, but the Irish are some of the most caring, giving, cheerful, helpful, and generous people I've ever seen. If you ask for help or directions, they will try to help - even if, for example, they have no clue about the directions. I often feel stingy and morose next to the Irish generosity.
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