Early Observations

What's different in Ireland

After being here a few days I have more observations about Belfast and Irish people. Our first day everyone immediately noticed the school uniforms on high school aged kids walking around. In most of Europe high school is called college, and university or other education comes after college. We first noticed the hiked up skirts, but Rose pointed out that the same was done at her Catholic school, and I recall those I knew at private school doing the same. We saw a group of boys by the Student Union in black blazers with white stripes, black shorts, and gray socks; pretty sharp looking uniforms. It was pointed out at the lecture Thursday that the uniforms are social control, not only do they tell what school the student goes to, but everyone knows all the uniforms and which are Protestant or Catholic. Friday at City Hall the Good Relations representative told us that the city is hoping to build integrated schools.

On our second night here a few of us on this trip were in the student building where we ate breakfast everyday. We were talking about the different things we had noticed; obvious at the time would be that the university building becomes a bar at night. Mike also noted that he did not know how to pass people when walking. Since traffic goes to the left, does that apply to walking too? Althea pointed out how many more children there are here than in Boston. Walking back from the supermarket we passed a mother trying to keep track of at least five children.