I can't express to you how wonderful it is to just go out each day and meet the people of Ballyvaughan. In the past week I have been given more cups of tea than in my entire life combined. Today I went over to the Costello's Home and farm where Finola and her husband Martin live with their three children. As is the custom here I was welcomed with a hot cup of tea and a plate of warm scones baked that morning. Finola and Martin have been farmers their entire lives, first as children helping their fathers, then as professionals. Today we sat and told stories, I of my childhood growing up and them of theirs. Something amazing I learned, figured out rather, today was that they really have a "barter" society. It was small things I noticed at first but then I began to look for it. Not many of the locals exchange money but rather lettuce, paint, a helping hand, and of course, spuds. Every week now I spend the day at the Farmers Market of Ballyvaughan meeting the growers and sellers, both learning the history of the town and about them themselves. Finola was telling me over tea about how last week Martin was finishing the paint on the house but ran out of paint. So naturally they called a friend who had paint and traded him one gallon of paint for 20 pounds of "padaduz" (potatoes).
I've really been enjoying my time meeting the locals and photographing them for my portraiture project. It's becoming more about networking than about the photography lately. I find myself having the best conversations and most enjoyable moments when my cameras, and I have 5 at this point, are all put away. All I can say is that I'm accomplishing things now that I feared in Greece. I was always far too timid to approach a stranger and ask them for a photograph. It's not a big deal when you say it like that but what I really want, what I really am asking is for them to let me observe them in their everyday life as they get recorded, photographed and interrogated. It's asking a lot of people that you don't know, so I'm very good at making good first impressions. I really feel that this project is what I came to Ireland to do and that I'm doing what study abroad students should all be doing,...and what all students around the world should give a chance.
My advice to all the J.Y.A. members, keep it up. Joel, great footage with the drummers...Chris, very interesting choice of "interview of a local"...You are all doing amazing things.

My final note. I want to thank the J.Y.A. Producer for coming up with this idea for the show, without it I don't think that any of us 10 would push ourselves so hard to be immersed culturally as we are now. Thank you.

Rog

Posted by Roger at 09:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Comments

Posted by: jsp | October 19, 2006 06:54 AM

Posted by: Christopher | October 19, 2006 02:04 PM

Posted by: Daryl | October 19, 2006 04:19 PM

Posted by: Joel | October 25, 2006 01:19 PM