Miscellaneous

2-November-2025

The last few weeks have been disjointed for me due to illness, which forced me to drop out of my tour of Ireland. Consequently, this blog may also feel a bit scattered, as my plans and actions have lacked continuity. However, things are starting to come together as I make arrangements for my final days in Ireland. I’ll be returning home on December 5th, with my last day in Waterford set for November 29th. I chose to stay in Waterford long enough to enjoy the first week of Winterval, a Christmas fair that is the largest of its kind in Ireland and promises to be fun.

Another reason for my extended stay in Ireland until December 5th is to complete my course at Trinity College in Dublin. Unfortunately, I’ve missed three classes due to my tour and illness. Tomorrow morning, I’ll need to get up at 6:30 (too early) to catch the 8:30 bus to Dublin. The course has been fascinating, focusing on American history. The last class I attended covered the Declaration of Independence and sparked some intriguing discussions.

We explored the philosophy of the radical Whigs in England, who were concerned about the balance of power in Britain being undermined. They identified four signs of tyranny that citizens should be wary of:

1. High Taxes

2. Large Public Debt

3. Standing Army

4. Large Number of People Employed by the Government

We examined how these conditions were present in the 1770s, and many of us felt that similar signs of tyranny exist today in the United States.

I regret missing the lecture on the U.S. Constitution, which I believe is a God-inspired document and a template for many other countries' governments. I will need to catch up on the reading for that lecture. Tomorrow, we will be discussing same sex marriage. I will almost certainly be in the minority on that subject.

Tomorrow, I will complete my immigration appointments and pick up the Irish equivalent of a green card. I will receive my permanent resident card just a month before I leave the country. Going through the immigration process in a foreign country has been challenging, even though I met their requirements relatively easily. This experience has deepened my understanding of the anxiety that immigration causes for so many people.

Halloween has its roots in Celtic culture, including Ireland. I anticipated it would be a significant event here, but I was mistaken. I saw notices for Halloween parties at a few pubs encouraging fancy dress (costumes), but I struggled to find bags of candy in the grocery stores. When I inquired about trick-or-treating, I was assured that children did participate. I stocked up on candy to be ready and made sure to be home by 5:00 PM (17:00) on Halloween night. I turned on my lights and waited, but no one came. Now I have a lot of candy, so I guess I’ll take it to my Bible study group on Wednesday. It seems the Celtic celebration of Samhain thrived better in the New World than in the Old.

I visited two museums in Waterford as I check off items on my to-do list before I leave. First, I

Long Case Clocks or Grandfather Clocks

explored the Irish Museum of Time, which turned out to be a disappointment. I had hoped for displays showcasing how time was measured throughout history—especially curious about methods used by the ancient Egyptians and Chinese. Unfortunately, the museum primarily featured clocks donated to the collection, with a predominant focus on long-case clocks, which I know as grandfather clocks. While these clocks were beautiful, they lacked the historical context I was seeking.

Next, I visited the King of the Vikings, a virtual reality presentation that exceeded my expectations. I learned about Viking history and discovered that there were two types of Vikings: the fair foreigners (Norwegians) and the dark foreigners (Danes). Interestingly, the Danes were often regarded as more violent than the Norwegians, although I suspect most Irish preferred to avoid both groups. The presentation provided insights into their daily lives, conquests, and raids.

Waterford is the oldest town in Ireland, established in 914. Other significant Viking cities in Ireland include Dublin and Wexford. Overall, the Viking Museum was an enjoyable experience and much more engaging than the earlier visit.

While I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve had the television on, watching a program about Big Bend National Park in Texas. I’m really looking forward to the television back home; mine here isn’t smart, so I can't download or stream anything. I only get about 12 channels—RTE (the Irish national stations), SKY (British television, mostly news), and Virgin Television (also primarily British).

I’m amazed at the number of classic U.S. shows I can watch, like The Golden Girls, The Wonder Years, The Goldbergs, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Recently, I’ve tried to catch some significant games that the Irish are following. I watched the Irish Women’s Football team (read soccer) play against the Belgium women. They had two matches: one in Ireland and one in Belgium. Ireland won the first game 4 to 2, while Belgium took the second game 2 to 1. Adding the scores together, Ireland had 5 goals total and Belgium had 4, so Ireland emerged victorious. I'm not sure what that means for their standings or if they’ll play again in a tournament, but the Irish were certainly happy about the win!

I also watched the Irish men’s Rugby team face off against the New Zealand men’s Rugby team in Chicago. I’m not sure why the match was held in Chicago—maybe it’s a neutral site? Ireland started strong but ultimately lost 13 to 26, leaving the Irish fans quite disappointed.

Waterford Weather:     Cloudy

High 55 F (13 C),  Low 52 F (11 C)

Sunrise  7:26    Sunset  4:57  (16:57 IST)

Hours of Daylight:  9 hours and 31 minutes

Interesting Clock Face It would be a big help with Military or 24 hour time

Beautiful Autumn Trees from the Window of My Apartment