Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Very proud of you Tom.  Have to admit it's a bit of a relief that even you find this difficult now and then because you make it look so easy most of the time.

No, it's certainly not easy, you know what I'm like with food. I had to give myself a stern lecture yesterday.

I have one thing in my favour though, I'm even more stubborn than I am greedy.

Oh and I'm also wonderful, but you knew that already.

[tikay]

Very proud of you Tom.  Have to admit it's a bit of a relief that even you find this difficult now and then because you make it look so easy most of the time.

No, it's certainly not easy, you know what I'm like with food. I had to give myself a stern lecture yesterday.

I have one thing in my favour though, I'm even more stubborn than I am greedy.

Oh and I'm also wonderful, but you knew that already.

Sigh, I'm so jealous. If only I could learn to be stubborn.

[RED-DOG]

Very proud of you Tom.  Have to admit it's a bit of a relief that even you find this difficult now and then because you make it look so easy most of the time.

No, it's certainly not easy, you know what I'm like with food. I had to give myself a stern lecture yesterday.

I have one thing in my favour though, I'm even more stubborn than I am greedy.

Oh and I'm also wonderful, but you knew that already.

Sigh, I'm so jealous. If only I could learn to be stubborn.

 

[Laxie]

Very proud of you Tom.  Have to admit it's a bit of a relief that even you find this difficult now and then because you make it look so easy most of the time.

No, it's certainly not easy, you know what I'm like with food. I had to give myself a stern lecture yesterday.

I have one thing in my favour though, I'm even more stubborn than I am greedy.

Oh and I'm also wonderful, but you knew that already.

Sigh, I'm so jealous. If only I could learn to be stubborn.

 

*cough 

 

[77dave]

I watched QI this morning. Did you know their are no moles in Ireland. Also most photos you see of moles above ground are of dead moles. Very rare to photo a live mole above ground. Have you ever seen yours?

[RED-DOG]

I watched QI this morning. Did you know their are no moles in Ireland. Also most photos you see of moles above ground are of dead moles. Very rare to photo a live mole above ground. Have you ever seen yours?

No, but I have seen the mole hill grow before my very eyes as the mole brings more soil from underground.

Well I lie actually. I did catch one alive when the trap I set went off at the wrong time and just caught him by the "arm" as it were.

But, (I hasten to add) that was before "Big" Tony Kendall showed me the error of my ways.

[RED-DOG]

And no. I didn't know their are no moles in Ireland.

[RED-DOG]

I listened to a R4 prog this morning. "The Glasgow Effect"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xpkw5


Bloody hell......

[kinboshi]

And no. I didn't know their are no moles in Ireland.

They must have moved out with the snakes?

[Laxie]

Tom, I'm stuck. 

Sarah is watching a show called 'Truth about the Travellers' on TV3 right now.  I noticed her watching last week and said nothing.  Tonight I noticed she was taking notes during the show so I asked her about it. 

Turns out her class will have a visitor from Kerry Traveller's Development Project soon.  Sarah is part of the 'research team' for her class.  She's been asked to gather information regarding Travellers which puts to rest the stereotypes established by the 'settled' community. 

A few minutes ago she asked me if I could send you a message asking for your views.  Along the lines of what are the misconceptions that annoy you the most.

My reply, "Sarah honey, Tom's not a Traveller.  He's a Gypsy."

"What's the difference?"

"Well damn.  Apart from the accent, I honestly can't give you an answer.  Let me ask Tom."

So I sit here shamed by my 13 year old because I've read your diary from the very first post over many months and can't answer her question.  What's the difference?

Over to you with my apologies. 

[RED-DOG]

The Gypsy people originally come from Northern India, which they left for Persia sometime around the 900s They are recorded as first appearing in Europe in the 1500s.

Irish Travellers on the other hand, are indigenous to Ireland.

Gypsies and Irish Travellers are entirely separate groups, and both are recognised as ethnic minorities in their own right.

Gypsies share a common history, language and culture, So do Irish Travellers, but it's not the same as the Gypsies.


On the Programme Big Fat Gypsy Wedding for instance, the majority of the weddings are Irish Traveller weddings, but the programme makers don't make the distinction.

I'm familiar with some Irish Traveller culture and traditions, but I certainly wouldn't feel qualified to write about it.

If you want to know a little more about Gypsy culture, the link below will lead you to a little booklet we produced a few years ago.

PS- Just to confuse you, you will find that in the booklet often refers to Gypsies  as "Travellers" This is because that's how we would usually refer to ourselves.  

http://www.sdvsmhf.org.uk/PDF/1128.pdf

[Laxie]

The Gypsy people originally come from Northern India, which they left for Persia sometime around the 900s They are recorded as first appearing in Europe in the 1500s.

Knew this bit

Irish Travellers on the other hand, are indigenous to Ireland.

Didn't know/wasn't sure about this bit.

Gypsies share a common history, language and culture, So do Irish Travellers, but it's not the same as the Gypsies.

Knew this bit in so much as each group has their own history and culture but not sure of the differences.  Hence my question to you.

On the Programme Big Fat Gypsy Wedding for instance, the majority of the weddings are Irish Traveller weddings, but the programme makers don't make the distinction.

Knew this bit.  Shame on the producers imo.

I'm familiar with some Irish Traveller culture and traditions, but I certainly wouldn't feel qualified to write about it.

In your opinion?  Not holding ya to it.  Just curious to know from your perspective.

If you want to know a little more about Gypsy culture, the link below will lead you to a little booklet we produced a few years ago

Thank you.  Will definitely give it a read and will have Sarah read it too.  Going to make her wait until she has her Traveller research complete though.  Don't want her mixing the two up in her school report.

She's been searching the web but the problem is most (if not all) of the information is provided by some outside source and not coming from the Traveller community themselves.  I've half a mind to take her to a Traveller we know in Killarney so she can ask her questions, but her dad isn't too keen on that idea.

[Laxie]

Long and short of it - in your opinion what are the cultural differences?

[RED-DOG]

The Gypsy people originally come from Northern India, which they left for Persia sometime around the 900s They are recorded as first appearing in Europe in the 1500s.

Knew this bit

Irish Travellers on the other hand, are indigenous to Ireland.

Didn't know/wasn't sure about this bit.

Gypsies share a common history, language and culture, So do Irish Travellers, but it's not the same as the Gypsies.

Knew this bit in so much as each group has their own history and culture but not sure of the differences.  Hence my question to you.

On the Programme Big Fat Gypsy Wedding for instance, the majority of the weddings are Irish Traveller weddings, but the programme makers don't make the distinction.

Knew this bit.  Shame on the producers imo.

I'm familiar with some Irish Traveller culture and traditions, but I certainly wouldn't feel qualified to write about it.

In your opinion?  Not holding ya to it.  Just curious to know from your perspective.

If you want to know a little more about Gypsy culture, the link below will lead you to a little booklet we produced a few years ago

Thank you.  Will definitely give it a read and will have Sarah read it too.  Going to make her wait until she has her Traveller research complete though.  Don't want her mixing the two up in her school report.

She's been searching the web but the problem is most (if not all) of the information is provided by some outside source and not coming from the Traveller community themselves.  I've half a mind to take her to a Traveller we know in Killarney so she can ask her questions, but her dad isn't too keen on that idea.

She's been searching the web but the problem is most (if not all) of the information is provided by some outside source and not coming from the Traveller community themselves.

This is very true. Some of the stuff I read By so-called "Gypsy experts" would make your hear curl. It certainly makes me cringe.

While getting your information "Straight from the horses mouth" is far more preferable to getting it from outsiders, bear in mind that individuals from within the community will have different opinions about what's what, and also about what they want you to know.

[Laxie]

The more I think about it the less sense her teacher's instructions make.  How the hell is she to find out anything until their visitor arrives and properly educates them?!  Sure she'll get 'information' but doesn't mean it'll be correct.  And round and round we go with all sorts of misconceptions and rubbish.  Seems to me she's more likely being set up for a jumbo size ooops by the time the dust settles on this one.