Divides of all shapes and sizes

Two red eye flights with a lovely day in NYC in between and I have made it to Ireland! I took a couple of buses very early in the morning to arrive in Rostrover N. Ireland on Thursday mid morning.

The people here are very kind and open. Everyone greets everyone on the street, ( the Irish do not say top of the morn'ng to ya, they were quick to inform me, ah the lovely American who precede me in this village).

My bus driver forgot to let me off at the centre and so I ended up riding his whole route and seeing the country side while he educated my on why one shouldn't try to use the Euro in N Ireland( north south conflict issue) among other things. I tried to explain snowboarding to him when he asked if I do winter sports, ( skate boarding and surfing were lost comparisons)

I eventually arrived at the christian renewal centre and have rested, become acquainted with the community and am learning the routine

The scenery is pristinly bucolic. Rostover the village is exactly what you would hope for, stone churches, brick homes covered in ivy, a pub every other store front, with old English font signs in gold.The sea is one border and the "mountains" ( big hills) are the other. The Mourne mountains are a national park and so there are lots of walking trails that I have spent my afternoons meandering along.

The place I am staying at (CRC) is a 150 year old manor house. It is huge and has many corners and rooms tucked in crevices ( no secret passages, but I'm not done snooping about, i did find the attic!). There are 7 or so community members who live and run the centre. We eat all of our meals together and pray twice a day together. All are kind and gracious people. The pace is SLOW to put it mildly. The work day begins at 10, tea time at 11, lunch at 1, and we are done by 4. So as I hoped, I have time to rest, walk, read and be, I feel quite spoiled with so much me time. Although it is only day 3, i am surprised I'm not sick of it or bored yet. My cold is slowly fading.

I am learning in every conversation about the "troubles" as the conflict in Ireland is referred to here. Although the country is in a time of "peace" all admit the lack of fighting is more of a frosting than a sign of reconciliation. The towns are divided (banks,schools,pubs,music, culture,stores) protestant and catholic and the opposition is right underneath the surface. I have been told no bombs are progress, and the sides at least speak to each other, but no one feels peace.

For example, we went to a Benedictine monastery on Friday night, they were hosting a messianic Jew who was speaking on the significance of the Jewish roots to Christianity. My host told me both Catholic and Protestants were present as Benedictine were liberal monks and a Jewish speaker was unbias. some color coding of stick people ( the only way to keep the story short it to leave it at that) on a PowerPoint slide, ended up being divided into red, and yellow on one side and green on the other. the comment "orange and green I see" ( the colors of the two sides in conflict) was made and although a laugh went through the crowd, there was this palpable tension as well. Something so unrelated to the conflict was still viewed as a reflection of the divide.
I feel so unaware of the how present the troubles are, like walking in fog, i tread lightly in all I say and yet still trip on it. I made a comment about wanting to have my first Guinness in a Irish pub, and a women near by said "obviously you are a protestant christian girl if you drink in a pub;" evidently a good catholic girl doesn't speak of drinking in a pub. My host assured her not to worry, I was just American. :)

i am definitely more liberal than those in the christian realm here; I'll write more next time, but doing yoga is as bad doing drugs to them, i fear!

I haven't braved the pubs yet, as there isn't anyone to go with, but I am American so at least I can you that as an excuse for my brassiness!

Love to you all!
I will attempt to add photos tommorrow!