Report from Clontarf Castle

My mind's been a blank for the past week, a condition that regretfully is becoming more and more common. I don't know if it's because of age, brain overload, or a general lack of lucidity. Right now I am sitting on a bed fit for a queen, suitably enough considering that I am at the moment staying at a castle hotel in Dublin.

I wish I could come up with some incredibly creative and keen observations about my experiences here, albeit brief and extremely limited since I will have no time to explore Ireland, that could act as metaphors to some broader, philosophical truth, but my mental fuel guage is reading empty. So in this neanderthal state, I am able to focus only on my basic needs, and I can only take note of what I am feeling here and now.

Luckily enough, I can honestly say that I am feeling pretty content at the moment. The bed I am in is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. The wind is howling as the rain batters against the window. And since the maid had opened my window earlier, my room is filled with a certain dark dampness that seems to fit perfectly in this type of enviroment, allowing my comforter to "comfort" me all the more.

The people I've met since arriving yesterday have been, to use their most common term, "brilliant". I think they would have no problem striking up a conversation with a lamppost. They excuse themselves for crowding even when they're not even close to nudging you, but a word of caution: I saw the customs officer rip into a passenger like a lion simply because she wondered why he was asking her about her studies. Looking back at my own upbringing, their need to maintain a certain level of decorum (great word, huh?) makes me feel right at home.

After a long day of lecturing I am basking in the opportunity to just zone out, space out, and completely relax. And funny enough, I don't even feel the least bit guilty, despite the fact that I am presently in the country that turned otherwise turned Catholic guilt into an art form. So if you don't mind, I am now going to go down to the Knight's Bar so that I can order a pint of Guiness (this coming from a girl who can't even drink an entire beer). Cheers!!