Tangerine Tiles

Last month, international hispsters descended on Austin for two weeks of SXSW music, film and interactive festivals. In the neighborhoods surrounding downtown, we spent our days weaving through pedestrian herds. Or, as I like to refer to it, we played a skinny jean and vanity glasses version of Frogger. Two weeks of temperate weather, blooming [...]

This last post regarding Ireland was delayed due to a nasty illness upon my return (as one friend suggested, I’m allergic to leaving Ireland). However, as today the Irish hold special elections in the wake of the financial crisis and EU bailout, it seems appropriate. Regular blogs return in March. An Irish friend called his [...]

I have a final blog to wrap up the Ireland trip that’s a reflection of economic and cultural shifts I’ve seen since the early ‘90s which I’ll post in a few days. However, as many of you have expressed interest in visiting my beloved country, I thought I’d share a brief list of things I [...]

The names above were my high school English teachers (blessed with the great fortune to have Mary Adams twice). These ladies helped a young girl with a passion for stories discover the layers of truly great work. The first time I remember absolutely sobbing while reading was our A Farewell to Arms assignment. I then [...]

As I sat in the hotel lobby waiting for my brunch partner, I was surrounded by gaggles of human, non-feathered hens in heels and a few sequins. I found it dressy for Galway, which I would equate as the more casual, more artsy little sister of Dublin — dare I say, the Austin of Ireland. [...]

Today, I received a life gift, as the benefactor referred to it: an enrichment one might otherwise have missed. I was offered a gracious tour of Inis Oírr, a lovely lunch with coffee (Oh, how I’ve missed you, my love), indulgence of my request to translate Gaelic poetry and the finest reward of conversation after [...]