Reflection Day 1 (3/3)

I will base today’s reflection on what I saw, heard, and experienced. The tour was particularly meaningful because I learned so much about Galway’s history and it gave me a much better understanding of the city. I especially enjoyed leaning about the churches, both young and old. They hold not only spiritual, but political significance and seeing part of that exposed was very eye-opening. When I have read about Irish history, Galway is seldom mentioned, so this is information that I would most likely not have learned if not for our wonderful guide, Paddy.

Also, simply being in Galway, I have noticed similarities and differences between Irish and American culture. Pop-culture is roughly the same, from music to T.V. to fashion, but simple customs I have found to be quite different. Everything seems a little “slowed down”: everyone walks a little slower and spends time socializing in parks and cafés. It really was interesting to watch and seemed like a very pleasant lifestyle. It is still a bustling and busy city, but people seem more focused on each other rather than simply going from A to B.

In contrast, the traffic seems to be a bit wilder. Speed limits seem to be a bit higher here and I’m not sure if pedestrian right-of-way holds true here! Add this to the calmness of the pedestrian traffic, and a new flavor of city life is formed. These differences, however big or small, are making me realize that I am not in America anymore (as if the round-abouts and left-oriented driving weren’t enough).

Another thing that I noticed about traffic is that brick plazas are not strictly pedestrian. It has been interesting seeing where people can and cannot drive and I am sure that I will never figure it out. The road through the main shopping district has pylons that retract and pop up as needed, so in the morning they are down to allow traffic to work and then up in the afternoon when pedestrian traffic is heavier. I think that it is a very practical and efficient way of sharing the road in a busy city

Something else that I took note of was that there are a lot of street performers and it seems to be a more embraced activity here than in the United States (where it has been my experience to see it looked down upon and sometimes even deemed criminal). Here, it is like a free performance and people are encouraged to join in. It seems to be a culture difference that I quite enjoy , though I would be too shy to join.

As far as what a “city” means to me, this one, while busy, is still quite small. I enjoy its closeness and find it to be a fascinating area that reminds me of Blacksburg, Alexandria (VA), and Tokyo, in its own ways. I cannot wait to explore it tomorrow.

I have found that American music is very popular here. It is in the stores, on T.V., and nearly every street musician was playing an American song. I am unsure why this is, but I found it to be very interesting.

Overall, I am not experiencing a lot of culture shock, but I really do like the differences. It is interesting to hear both English and Gaelic and fun to observe and learn the customs. I can’t wait to learn more and I am really looking forward to our travels tomorrow.