Camphill Duffcarrig Community Village

I worked in Camphill Duffcarrig Community Village from May 2002 till June 2003 as a co-worker; cooking, cleaning, also working in Weavery, Basketery, Estate Group and helping ladies with Autism and Downsyndrome mainly. There, I met really great people and one of them is Josie McCarthy from the US. She is now a food program manager in Oregon and her short message this morning reminded me of the time back to Ireland.

Duffcarrig House

I lived in an amazingly large room just upper ground of the living room.

Willow chair

(L-R: Willy, Simon M., Raymond, Little John, Eiji, Heidi, JoonHeon, Mike)

Core town forest (Simon)

Simon M. and Lee used to walk along the forest. It is beautiful

with blue bells underneath in spring.

Community store(L-R: Maire C, a co-worker, Sara)

I was a shopkeeper for few months.

Duffcarrig beach(L-R: SangBae, Lee, Joerg and Utz behind)

The night before SangBae left, all of us ran into the sea as he had never swum for a year. It was in the middle of December with bloody wind but we carried bottles of wine and made a fire. The chicky ones were just watching and waiting for us outside.

Co-worker's caravan

(L-R: front-Basti, Lee, SangBae, Joerg, Birgit
/ back-Gabi, Martina?, Anna-Maria)

Just before we went to the beach at the same crazy night.


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http://www.foodforlanecounty.org/Programs/Family_Dinner/Dining%20Room.html

Dining Room Serves Up Dignity with Dinner


For Josie McCarthy, FOOD for Lane County’s Family Dinner Program Manager, the Dining Room is all about the ability to serve.
"When life is treating us good we enjoy a meal out, so why not give to those people whose lives have been unkind the opportunity to be waited on," McCarthy said.













FOOD for Lane County Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator Laurie Trieger joined other volunteers recently to serve diners.



McCarthy, who spent 28 years as a waitress and restaurant manager, is also a social worker. She lived for 10 days on the streets of her native Chicago, researching a book she would later write on homelessness. The experience gave her a window into a world few of us will ever see.


“The restaurant experience is out of the picture if you’re homeless," McCarthy said.

"You’re living raw every day, just doing whatever you can to survive. Being homeless, living on the street or in your car, going through dumpsters for food, that kind of life strips you of your dignity. One goal of the Dining Room has always been to restore some of that dignity.”


The Dining Room menu includes fresh fruit, a salad of mixed greens, a meat entree, a pasta or potato dish, vegetables, a dessert and a beverage of coffee, juice, milk or tea. All at no cost to diners.


Families with children and seniors 60 and older are invited to eat Tuesdays and Fridays. Single adults are invited to eat Mondays and Wednesdays. Since 2004, the Dining Room has experienced a 50% increase in service, averaging 150 diners a night.




Serving More than Meals


The Dining Room is a far cry from the soup kitchens of yesteryear that evolved from the Depression era.

Eugene artist Alison McNair leads a craft table on Friday nights

at the Dining Room where children can make cards for family

and friends.

"I feel good about the food we’re serving," said McCarthy.

"The meals are hot, the food is nutritious and it tastes good. But the Dining Room is about more than food. It’s about connecting with another human being, even for an hour. It’s having someone look at you and smile and say, 'What would you like?' and 'Can I help you?' It’s about being seen when most of the time you're invisible."

This summer, Market of Choice is donating fresh flowers for the tables.
“The diners love the flowers,” McCarthy said. “For most people who have been surviving on little or no income, the flowers take them back to a time when they were able to enjoy some of the extras in life. Fresh flowers say our diners are worth it.”


Homeless, Not Helpless

Several diners are also regular volunteers. Others want to help but don’t know what they can do or don’t think anyone would even want their help.

"A woman came in recently who’s been coming for years," said McCarthy. "She’s homeless, but she wanted to pay for her meal. So she gave me $1.55 in change. It was all the money she had."

McCarthy recalled another night after the Dining Room had closed.
“I was driving home and was stopped at a stop sign downtown. A diner who is also a Viet Nam vet stuck his head out of a cardboard box he lives in and yelled, “Hey Josie! Great meal tonight!” Then he crawled back into his box.”

"To make even a small difference in someone's life is an honor for me," said McCarthy.

"Our diners give back to me so much more than I am able to do for them. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help."

For more information about FOOD for Lane County’s Family Dinner Program or to volunteer, call (541) 343-2822 or email jmccarthy@foodforlanecounty.org.

Communication

In A Little Prince, the prince learns how to tame a fox and a rose.

The fox says the happier he would be, the closer the time the prince drops by gets if he comes to visit him at 4pm every day as he expects him then.

However, it's not always exciting to get used to expect something happening or somebody in a regular base. It's probably because this kind of regular cycle can't go forever; there's always a breakdown of the cycle and it causes severe headache especially without knowing what happens.

Nevertheless, interestingly, things are easily got tamed without consciousness.

That's why one can freak out, facing a breakdown; it hazards people into psychological panic.

One knows somebody is always there to listen to him and things are easily shared with him. Then, what if he doesn't exist there any more?

Just sitting in a daze?

Actually, it's more likely getting used to a type of communication than to somebody, a specific person.

It doesn't mean that his existence is very important itself but the communication with him becomes more vital then. It's probably because an appropriate communication access is hardly possible to be built up again in the world; never be the same.

Of course, it's silly to make everything new every moment being afraid of getting used to it.

Then, it's the best to get used to absense of it?

As long as one can stand the vanity, it would possibly work.

So, isn't it a difficult question?

.

.

.

From [Attraction] by Lee Byeong Ryul

I found a photocopy of a page from a travel essay

in piles of my stuffs before I left for Seoul.

I remember it's done just before I returned the book

to my friend a couple of years ago.

It's a little surprise to make me look back

what I've nearly forgot.

(There could be silly mistakes of translation.)

=============================================

[Attraction] Lee Byeong Ryul


#024
I leave...

When I'm breathing a dry breath in a city just like a huge fish bowl,
speaking loudly about a secret with somebody who should be the first exception to talk to or share with,
feeling like releasing eveythining surrounding myself all of sudden,
checking the balance from a bank account when eyes are open in the middle of night,
avoiding the front page of the day's newspapaer while waiting for an order in a snack bar,
when I hear a whale ,which should breathe with it's lungs, is pushed up to the surface to breathe by it's friend whale,
watching a squat snail crawling far away and it's wet trace,
realising there's nothing touching my heart while lying down in remote sea being naked,
nodding reluctuntly at what people say without logic ; maybe there're only men and women in this world and all the stories in the world are all about men and women,
being in the middle of a crowd who get tired even before the hope arrives knowing waiting is the hope,
pitch darkness comes in the middle of day time, so the day gets heavy,
feeling like closing my eyes as the body gets hot with sweet breeze,
something filled up is spilt over,
fixing a picture frame leant somewhere after moving in for a long time just after somebody tells me,
don't feel like turning around in moon light with love already took over each other,
sitting in a daze with a backpack packed without any special purpose,
don't feel like turing around any more after walking on and on,
feeling just grateful without any special reason, without anybody to be grateful to,
when the flowers in the garden kept blooming and falling in lunar cycle say that it's the time to be back,
Realising I can't see somebody any more; never again...

The Mammy Novas

Fuck.
I just can't get out of these French folks web page; still many pages to translate.... damn.
They remind me of an Irish movie, 'ONCE' and my French artist commune friends who took over a univ's property in Clermont Ferrand last year and this cute short-hair guitarist is somehow like Zach Condon of an one man band, 'Beirut'.

It's a little sad to dance alone; where are thou my friends?!!





"The Mammy Novas" is a French band based next to Paris who revealed its own funky rock and roll sound just to make girls (and why not boys...) dance. This brand new group (formed in january 1906 or 2006) is now trying to conqueer the world and become more famous than Jesus or even the Beatles. I mean, just a little consideration would be enough...

The Mammy Novas
General Info
Member Since 10/29/2006
Band Members
Yogurt Vocals/Funky Guitar : PV Nova
Cosmic Guitar : Philippe Nova
Punchy Bass : Will Nova
Crazy Sax : Louis Nova
Sexy Sax/Lalala Vocals : Melanie Nova
Groovy Drums : Gab Nova
Poom Poom Tchac : Mat Nova


Influences
Radiohead, Air, Weezer, The White Stripes, Cake, Phoenix, James Brown TV On The Radio, Beck, M, Eiffel, Dyonisos, Red Hot (in the 90's), Placebo (in the 90's), Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Ben Harper, John Butler Trio, Jack Johnson, Incubus, Hot Hot Heat, The Zutons, Franz Ferdinand, The Roots, Ghinzu, Venus, Massive Attack, AC/DC, Jose Gonzales, Portishead, Tryo, The Mars Volta, Les Wriggles, Patrice, Le Peuple de l'Herbe, El Presidente, RATM, Prohom, The Mammy Novas, Hocus Pocus, Muse, Gnarls Barkley, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jehro, Camille, Benabar, Foo Fighters, Led Zep, Malajube, Klaxons, LCD Soundsystem, Acoustic Ladyland, The Rapture, Radio4, The Cat Empire, The Dresden Dolls etc...

Sounds Like
Quelque part entre Led Zepplin, Ben Harper, James Brown et Pierre Desproges...

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/themammynovas



So, They are all family members?? Great!!

Compo /It Feels Like Uranus /ThMN

Seven Nation Army - Naosol/PvNova & Co

"Papy Kolkhoze" - The Mammy Novas

"The Billy Song" - The Mammy Novas

Killing In The Name - Naosol/PV Nova & Co

Golden Skans - Klaxons Reggae Cover

Compo - Waisting My Time - ThMN

Mind control

Slow down

&

Calm down

Phoebe & Becky

After the English camp in Gumi, my co-workers came down to Jeju

in January for a couple of days.

Phoebe is in Seoul and Becky went back to New Zealand.
Becky sent the photos today.

It was good fun to be with these sweet girls

though the weather was not really pleasant for it.

Honesty

I'm not sure if it's always the best to be honest.
However, it's not easy not to be honest, either.
I don't know where I am now.
How do people manage to control their emotion?

Special collections for Claudia

My friend, big sister... Claudia is back home, Canada now.

We worked in a same English school in Daegu

for about 6months, sharing so many things, memories and ... ?

She called me, " Sejin-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~"

all the time in a class, on the phone and even on MSN.

She's such a funny woman!!

This afternoon, we've talked about our friends in Daegu and Jeju

and I just realized things have been changed somehow;

some of them got married, have or expect their babies,

some of them who were seperated, are now together

and some who were together, are now seperated

and working in different places.... and so on.

Here, I dedicate some photos to you, Claudia!!
Remember the crazy but unforgettable moments!!
Will you really come to Korea this summer?? :-)
We'll see if I'm also around here when you come, ok?

@ the pub on 7th Floor of YALE (L-R : Claudia, Kate)

: I heard Kate is in Czech Rep. teaching English. But not with Jamie anymore.

(L-R: Sinead, Jon, Jiyoung teacher)

: Our manager teacher, Jon... He said he would move to Seoul but they're still in Daegu and expecting a baby. Jiyoung teacher was such a nive woman I remember. Well, of course, they're not a couple.

(L-R : Jamie, Little Brian)

: Jamie is not with Kate any more I heard. Little Brian is always talkative as long as he drinks some beer. He's also a funny one, huh?

@ Commune (L-R: the owner, Raymond, Jon, Sinead)

: I sneaked the photos from Big Brian's blog. They're drinking Guiness! I mean Commune now has Guiness!! I saw this photo while I was in Qatar!! This Irish girl should be happy about it, huh?

@ Love Land in Jeju (L-R : Claudia, Migi), summer 2006.

: It was crazy night with crazy statues there but you guys liked them so much. :-)

@ My old house (L-R: Sinead, Migi)

: My dad is in the room at left. We had a big BBQ all together till late.

You went back to Jeju city with Nabil by the scooter. Crazy!

@ My old house (L-R : Mirrah, Hyeyeon, Youngwan, myself), March 2007

: the TOOLS! It was just before I left for Europe.

@ My old house (L-R: Adam, Mirrah, Hyeyeon, Peter, Youngwan)

: Adam's gone back home to Canada, Peter's coming in March to Korea, and Youngwan is in France with Nabil, expecting their baby in May but they're coming back to Jeju at the end of Feb.

@ Jongdal Beach (Sinead) , summer 2006.

: This poor Irish girl couldn't be under the sun without long sleeves shirts and pants and SPF50 sun block cream. It's hard to be white sometimes. Do you rememeber how you did? Putting on sun tan oil everywhere and lying down under the sun to get tanned nicely. I still vividly remember you're shouting it's not enough as it's redish rather than brownish. ;-)

@ Sinyang Beach (L-R: Sinead, Migi)

: There're horses grazing at the green field. Migi, who is a mother of a baby now, was frightened to get closer to him but the Irish girl, Sinead was so friendly.

@ Sinyang Beach (L-R: Myself, Sinead)

@ Seongsan Sunrise Peak (L-R: Migi, Myself)

: Lazy us, didn't go up to the top but just took photos in front of it. Well, it's bloody hot, then.

@Jongdal Beach (L-R: Myself, Hyeyeon, Peter, Andrea)

: Multinational friends. Peter from Denmark, Andrea from Italy met all together in this small island, Jeju. hah~

@ Jongdal Beach (L-R: Hyeyeon, Peter, Migi, Andrea)

: Poor Andrea couldn't have much time with his girlfriend, Hyesook as she was killing herself at work. All of us insisted her to quit the job. Yeah, now she's free and came back from Italy a week ago but going back in March again.

@ Darangshi Oreum, the sencondary volcanic cone ( L-R: Claudia, myself)

: It was your joke to climb up this cone but I took you in slippers and you were shouting and holding my wrist nearly to destroy my blood vein. You emphasized your slippers were good ones, NIKE to climb up there. Hooo~

@ Darangshi Oreum (L-R: Andrea, Sinead, Migi)

: Poor Andrea was with us more than with Hyesook. It was good fun, though. There's out big sister, Claudia speaking Italian, Spanish, French, English and Korean!

@ Darangshi Oreum (L-R: Sinead, myself, Andrea)

: We're still half drunk from the night before but still carried a big bottle of beer. There's no water but only beer on the top. ;-)

@ Pyoseon Beach (L-R; Myself, Sinead)

: You're in a different side of the island lying down on a beach to get tanned then.

@ Sinyang Beach (L-R: Migi, myself, Sinead)

: It was just a beautiful day with hot sun.

@ YALE English school with Honesty Class (middle school the 2nd grade)

: It was the last class for both of us. We're the home room teacher of several classes together. I can still hear your shouting in my ears.

@ DongseongRo with our co-workers

(L-R: don't remember the Korean teachers' name, Claudia, Big Brian, David, Little Brian, Kate, Jamie)

: It was a kind of your farewell party though we had another big one together before we left Daegu. Do you remember what happened with the little Brian? Oh, God... It was funny, my friend.

@ Boryeong Mud Festival (the new face : Raymond)

: It was the first outing with all. The festival was a little disappointing but still good fun. I poked your belly so many times on the highway with traffic jam... for a certain reason which I don't need to mention! ;-)

@ Jeju city near the horbor (L-R: Andrea, Sinead, Claudia-front / Hyesook, myself-back)

: Andrea finally met Hyesook at midnight waiting for the whole day. The sweet boy called her, 'Amore mio~' as soon as she arrived.

@ Cheonjeyeon Waterfall in Seogwipo city (L-R: Migi, myself, Sinead)

: It was tough to explore the whole waterfall area after whole night drinking hangover. However, of course, we made it! We went to see my cousin afterwards and went to the airport to fly back to Daegu.

Weather in Jeju

Windy and snowy last night - snow everywhere in the morning - snow all gone with the sun - spring flowers are blooming - but it's still very windy.

Life also is not expectable; full of co-incidence ; if there's karma, maybe it's not only by accident.

Well, anyhow...

It's still somehow good fun to think of how people get known each other in this big world.

Yesterday, I sent more than 2o post cards to my friends everywhere.

To look back how I met them, it's such a long story, too.



Then, Life is like weather?