CNB

Tonight is Culture Night Belfast. According to the program, 264 events in eight hours spread over 100 venues. These types of festivals annoy me because I have to look through the 68-page brochure, circle the dozen or so I want to prioritise, write them down on a single sheet of paper, and make note of where each one is. Then a strategy for visiting each of the outdoor stages and clubs. I wandered around the city from 6pm to 9pm and then took the bus home. Each club was extremely crowded and the lanes of the Cathedral Quarter were so packed, you couldn’t move. I think this is one of these events that is better left to the extroverts. I did enjoy the vibe though. Everyone has a great time on Culture Night.
If I were to pick one highlight, it would be the girls doing Irish dance on an outdoor stage. Part of it is the Irish music, which I associate with being in America and feeling homesick for Ireland. And part of it is the way the girls bounce and twirl. The patterns of the dances are so intricate and the girls so lithe and lovely.

Lest anyone think my life is a big party, I spent two hours this morning gardening and much of the day vacuuming and cleaning showers and toilets. I spent most of the week calling and e-mailing corporate PR people who are trying to make me go away. And I put multiple coats of paint on two picture frames. I’m getting very close to hanging my gallery of Irish landscapes, having bought enough to fill the wall. I went to an auction last night where I got a lovely oil landscape for 10 pounds. I’m getting excited about putting the finishing touches on the living room.
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