West Cork's Sky

When the sunshine is out in Ireland we should have a party because for me, the summer is like our autumn. My friend asked me what was the difference between the winter and summer in Ireland, so I've tried to guess saying the name of the month, obviously she laughed first and afterwards she said to me, the only difference between the summer and winter in Ireland is the temperature, the summer is warm but is raining almost everyday. 

I love looking the sky in this part of Ireland, it has something special, moreover when you've spent a full winter putting up with rain and wind everyday, it's lovely may be staring this wonderful sky, the clouds are like brushstrokes dancing at the background.

I have to say goodbye to this cute place, time goes so fast, and you could understand now why everybody is sad when leaves Ireland...

My friend's house in West Cork

My last days are gonna be spent in this house, it belongs to my friend Jessie. This is a typical house in the countryside, the picture shows one side of the house, where the conservatory it's. These kinds of places are usually very special in these houses, they've many windows to get a lot of light, as well as be the warmer part of the house. The house is surrounded for landscape, it means there are much grass that should be cut every week. In Ireland the grass grow very fast, indeed the warm temperature in summer add up rain plenty times during the week, both together help the vegetation to grow so fast. This house is called The Ring Fort House because in the middle of the landscape there is a Ring Fort (you can't see it in this picture), which was used in the past for former farmers to build inside some shelters, this way they could protect themselves from the wind and rain, they used to keep their cattle inside the Ring Fort as well, nonetheless this is very little so I suppose it belonged only to one family. Irish people don't like to sow any vegetable inside because they're superstitious, above all in the countryside, and they think if you ate some food from this place, you would get sick. We don't have any problem so, we are using this space to sow some fruits and vegetables. 

DSE Dublin and Cambridge Exam

DSE (Dublin School of English)

My time here is finishing, in fact I've already finished my English lessons in Dublin School of English. It was a nice experience, I met people from different parts of the world, like Japan, Italy, France, Check Republic, Hungary or Lithuania. When you are surrounded for people from different countries, trying to learn English, it looks like all of us are a family, indeed we can communicate better each others than with native English speakers. Anyway, I recommend this college because teachers put all their energy teaching us English. The  College is at city center near Temple Bar (a very famous part of Dublin plenty of pubs and live music) and like curiosity, The Dollar House, which is the name of the building, was a lot of years ago a bank, therefore it wasn't really weird to find some absolutely thick steel gates, where in the past workers left the money. The picture shows the college the first building on the right.

Cambridge Exam

When I decided to go to Dublin, only two weeks after that I put my name down to get a Cambridge certificate, that meant I had to do a Cambridge exam. In the beginning people told me, it was too soon but I decided to study really hard grammar and try to get it. When I went to UCD (University College Dublin) I found there people really prepared to do this exam, they were talking about the tests, the marks and the exercises, however I didn't know what I was gonna find there, to be honest I knew the exam had three parts but nothing else, so I started to undergo with this situation, I didn't want to do an ridiculous actuation, but this was only five minutes before starting the exam. It was so funny because the speaking part was done with another Spanish girl, so we felt weird speaking English each other, but the result was grand. Last week, I was checking my email and I discovered I was received an email from UCD, so I rushed over the laptop looking my marks up on UCD website, and unbelievably I had passed my exam, I get eighty three points nearly to get a pass with merit. Obviously the worse part was listening, that needs a lot of time working with and I know I need to improve it really much. Somebody could think it's not really important, because is only B1 level, but it's truly remarkable that I didn't speak anything when I arrived to Ireland, so I've improved a lot. Thank you everybody who helped me to pass this exam.

Malahide Castle, Dublin

Yes it's true, Ireland has plenty castles and Malahide is one of them. I went to Malahide Castle cycling from my house, about twelve kilometers, nonetheless the way is really flat so you can enjoy cycling just as looking the views and gardens. This is one of the oldest castle in Ireland, surrounded for 260 acres of beautiful flowered gardens. People were there playing soccer or having a picnic on the gardens. I enjoyed walking across of them, and incredibly I needed to seek a shade, because I was rousting, we had twenty five degrees, believe me, in Ireland this is so much hot; eventually I finished my visit reading a book lay down opposite the castle. There were many children belong a school trips, so the atmosphere was cheerful and riotous. I found there beside the castle, an old crumbling abbey with a little cemetery. On whole the views are wonderful and in spite of I didn't visit the castle, I was delighted with the sights.

Reflections

Lately I feel empty, nobody knows what will happen behind the corner, but it looks like I couldn’t already feel anything new, neither writing these lines are filling me. Sometimes the sadness is overwhelmingly stronger than the rest of the feelings and you can’t live up to your own expectatives. A friend of mine told me, not really a lot of time ago, she belives in people, I wish to trust in this fact but I can’t, besides if I can’t trust in myself, How could I belive it?...

The time goes and I remain in the same place, the wind ride its properly aromatic breeze summer and I smell to homesickness yet, I’m waiting for the spring when the autumn is already here, if I think in white the reply is black…

Eventually I’d preffer don’t think, I would like to live in peace and enjoy looking to myself and thinking that today I’m nearer to the happiness than yesterday.

A little trip in Howth (Dublin)

Howth is like a peninsula in the north-east of Dublin. A lot of time ago was a village of fishers but nowadays is a district of Dublin. Is a very busy place in holidays and at weekends, many people usually go to this part of Dublin for walking, having a coffee or eat in a restaurant. Is a very expensive place where usually live rich people. You can see the size of the houses, they are bigger than the rest of the city and if you are richer you'll be living at the top of the hill. Anyway, Orla and I went to Howth to practise some sport, in our case hiking round the hill. We could enjoy walking with the sights and breathing fresh air. The trip actually was a little bit tiring because eventually we spent four hours walking, but you can choose shorter ways. Here there are some pictures of this place.

I don't like the farewells

I don't like anything the farewells, I prefer to think we could meet again in the future. This was the letter that I used like a farewell. It has some mistakes but I didn't want to revise it, I prefer to remember this moment this way.

My Irish Family

Four months ago, I arrived here searching peace and a place where learn English, but I didn't expect to find a new family. My friend Noelia, who has lived in Ireland several times, told me that the Irish people are very friendly, but I didn't know that they were very friendly. It's been four months really amusing and wonderfull. At the begining I was really frightened because I had never worked before with animals in general and a lot of times, I was guessing what I had to do because I didn't understand anything and I am very shy although I look like backward, so I didn't want to ask much times, anyway in that moment I couldn't understand anything. Only one week after arrive here, I knew already that I was with a nice family.

It has been four wonderfull months, with plenty new experiences, work with cows, hens, sheep, cubs and my friend “slurry”. I won't never forget the time that I've spent here, because now this country and this family are a part of my heart.

Pegy the grandmother: Pegy has been my grandmother here, she always was caring me, cooking good breakfast and scones. I like your smile Pegy, because you always know to put a smile in your face although we are very tired. I think you're a very strong woman and I wish you the best.

Geraldine the Boss: I'm astonishment beause you're very strong, I like call you “Steelwoman” because you're working all time, even when I was really tired you were carring hey or cleaning; I liked very much work with you, because you are very lovely with the animals and you know how to work with them but please “don't use more ropes”.. Thank you Geraldine you are a nice person and I need only one day to discover that; you have done a lot of things for me, like to take me a nice places, show me the sold of cattle or invite me (not hot whisky) in a plenty pubs with Irish music, even when you were very tired you've driven a lot to carry me with our friend Natascha, so thank you. I think you're the best farmer in Ireland.

Charlie: I like Charlie because he likes explain me things on the farm, he taught me to drive the tractor and work with the cows. I'm sorry Charlie because sometimes I didn't understand you but I promise you I'll go back when my English be better, I don't know when and then we could talk about soccer or differents things, maybe I'll need to go back soon if Liverpool wins Premier, hopefully. Thank you so much Charlie and I wish you the best again.

Luky, Dugly and Lady: altough you were fighting sometimes, I miss you so much, because each of you have a special things. Lucky is lovely but a little jelous, Dagly however is a lonely dog but he likes play all the time and rise to my room, oh sorry Dugly I hope Pegy won't angry to hear that. Lady is a special dog, she only wanted to be near me when I had food, but she is funny and I like her also.

I've tried to do my job the best way as posible and I hope you are pleased with it. All things that I did here I did with my heart. I don't like the farewells, because them doing me very sad, so I prefer to think that already is nearer the next time that we meet again.

I wish you the best

Jose, April 6th, 2014

Roosmore

Clonakilty

Ireland

Things that I made on the farm

On the farm I made many things, but I'm going to show you some of them, maybe the most important things. It could look like they aren't really amazing, nonetheless you need to think that all of them were made with a very bad weather, without the properly tools and I made it alone. Some of them were a challenge, but finally I could put up with it.

The tyre gate:

This gate was very old, so with the some pieces belong to the old ceiling I changed it. The steel at the top would have been dangerous and for this reason I decided to cover it with an old tyre. On the farm, we had a lot of old  tyres; they were used to stop de plastic that covered the grass. 

The tv support:

In the kitchen we usually spent a lot of time, eating or watching some tv, but in the beginning it was over the table, besides when somebody crossed the kitchen we didn't watch it and it was really low, therefore it was a very uncomfortable situation. I made it with old steels belong the old cubical and I need several intents to get a well done system. Finally with this system we could watch tv whereas we were eating the dinner or whereas we were washing the plates.

The shelf:

The kitchen was very old and narrow, so I decided to make a big shelf to put over it a lot of things, because sometimes we didn't have enough space for cooking. I used strong old timbers and my imagination and some old steels to make the angles.

The chair:

There was a very spoilt chair in the living room, without seat. I knew how to do this job because I had tested this technique several times with different chair, but I had never worked with an asymmetric chair like this, so it was really a challenge for me. I learnt to use nails while I was working with the rope. I think the result is so nice. Thanks Gustavo and Antonio for send to me the rope from Spain.

The gates:

I worked with different gates, for instance the gate at the top on the right was made for me. Behind this gates would stand the sheep. In Ireland is very usual to find rain with wind together, as a result the rain is getting in the sheep's house and we needed to change the strong (is a kind of vegetable that may be used to cover the floor to turn it into more comfortable for the animals) every day. The idea was to make something that we could open in summer, unless that build a fix wall, maybe using the welding machine, we decided to make a gate. 

The gate on the left was covered with old steels and this way the cows, who was sick or maybe were going to be mother soon, could be protected from the wind and the rain.

The Irish Gate:

We had a timber covering this space, therefore we couldn't use this space like a gate. I made this gate with the possibility to open it from in or out, so we didn't need to leave the gate opened, whereas we are working with the sheep, furthermore we didn't need to open the rest of the gates that were very big. I decided to paint the gate in San Patrick's Day, with the colours of the Irish flag, because I wanted to put some colour surrounded such a boring grey colour.

The work table, my final project:

Finally, after three months arranging the tools every day, and working without a properly table, I thought It'll be interesting to make a work table. I used some old steel angles and shopping some timbers, we got a very nice work table. I made two drawers to arrange the tools and a little tools panel. The table could move up or down because the floor was very irregular, and this way we could level the table properly.

You can think, four months are much time and it is, but the rest of the time we were working with the cattle, or selling it, or travelling a little, or going to a pub; not everything in the life may be work.

My job on the farm II

Milking Parlour: Everyday twice, we had to carry the cattle form the cubicle to this room for milking.

We could milking at the same time sixteen cows. We used to use air compressor to start the machines, but sometimes in Ireland the electricity doesn't work maybe for storms or strong wind,

thereby these machines are prepared to work with the tractor. We needed to clean the cows, extract the milk and after that apply a special product over the udder to protect it. Usually a good cow made over thirty liters per day. While the cattle is milking we used to lay a little pellets and the cows love this product, so the job was easier this way. 

The sheep: during the winter and maybe some spring time, the sheep are in this house. The movie shows me putting oats for them. They were really amusing and they were trying to eat oats from the bucket because are a little bit impatient with the food. 

Branding: I've discovered this task with a farm's neighbor who name was Ernie. He was really kind and usually he spoke with me very slow. Beforehand it could be a painful for the cows but it isn't really. We used to use a steel frozen numbers, this way this part of the cow's skin is burnt and the new hair will be white. It was more hazardous to avoid kicking our feet.

Charlie's English lessons and the tractor: it was so funny to work with Charlie. Sometimes I didn't understand anything but we were good friends. It was my first day with the tractor and when we were taking the movie I had explained Charlie that I wanted he talked a little, but not only two words, for this reason I was laughing during the movie. When the cubicle's tanks were full we needed to put the slurry on the field. It was a interesting and stink job.

The bees: really I worked only one time with the bees because the weather was really bad, but I took this little movie and I thought would be interesting to show it to you.

The cubs: they were really amusing, but sometimes this job was very tired. We had to carry the milk from the milking parlour to the house, maybe three hundred metres. You had to use your arms holding two very heavy milk buckets full of milk, so sometimes we had a very big elbow ache. The movie shows two of them after to be fed, they usually are “lovers” because they use their tongues to taste the rest of the milk each other in their mouth.

The welding machine: an old welding machine was a very good partner for me, we did together some gates, a work table and a lot of fixes. 

The dogs: Lucky and Daugly were playing and fighting all the time like brothers. They liked play with a ball or with a bucket lid. I did some things more, but this was my daily job on the farm. 

It was a very good experience and in full likelihood, all of you could be enjoy it like me, the Irish people are very friendly so you only need a smile in your face.

job11 from jose manuel on Vimeo.

Irish Sports

Three weeks ago, Nicole (my new partner like a workawer on the farm)and me went to Cork watching two matches: one of them was Gaelic Futbol, is very different than soccer because the hands may be used for the players, and there are two types of goals, into the goal with three points or above the goal with a point only. The another one sport is Hurling, the rules are similar but the ball is smaller and the players use a stick to hit it. You can find a lot of information in internet if you are interested, for me was a great experience.

sport from jose manuel on Vimeo.

Oliver

This is Oliver, like Oliver Twist. He is a little lamb who was alone, because his

mother dosen't like him; sometimes sheep have two lambs and only feed one of them, for this reason Oliver was alone and needed our care. The picture shows Oliver being fed with a baby bottle. Now Oliver is very big and he always wants more milk. He will need milk (cow milk) until three months at least, but this a amusing job.

 

 

Dungarvan

Dungarvan is a medium town between Dublin and Cork. It has a lovely castle in the

middle of the town, but in this part of the year is closed. Also, it has a lovely beach, where the people in summer is fishing all the time.

 

 

Frozen morning

This winter has been really hard, the weather was bad all days; heavy showers, heavy wind, 

storms and rain a lot have been our partners this part of the year, some days we have found 

frozen mornings while we were working, but now the spring is coming and for this reason, I 

couldn't avoid a smile when I remembered this picture. I have been able to put up with this

weather, congratulations.

 

Pretty cow

Pretty cow is a small cow who is working on the farm. She is very friendly and when I am 

cleaning her “room”, she is always happy and trying to “kiss” me all the time. She isn't really big, but is a good worker and all days has milk good enough.

Thinking V

Dedicated to my friends Gustavo and Sandra (and Bruno and Lola also)

  

Sometimes is appropiate for you to move away to feel near the people. Sometimes anybody knows what do you need really, not even you. For a moment I went off myself, I lost my energy, I was disappointed with myself, but despite all of them you have been leading me to choose the correct way. This is a good place for a heart hurt, anyway my heart now, is a part of your. Thank you for help me to mend myself.

Thinking IV

Dedicated to my friends Sergio and Noelia (and Jorge also)

When I need to think in somebody who is honest, I think in you; when I think in somebody who is just, I think in you; soon I set out from here and that do me very sad, but then I remember my friends, they will be waiting me, like ever. I think that I need to go ahead, I need to put up my fear and get away from myself, but with them this task will be very easy, because they are always beside me, pushing and getting up me when my heart, sometimes leave me. Thank you Sergio and Noelia, maybe in the future I could make up for all things that you did for me.

Curiosities

Sometimes I have gone with our neighbour Ernie to "Branding" (I will explain that in another one time) and one of them, I found near the farm that we were working "The Orange Castle". This castle below to Jeremy Irons, the famous actor. Really, I don't like so much, specially I don't like the people can have a private castle, what's happen if the rest we want to visit it...We can't.

I liked this little town that Ernie and me crossed the last week. It's a very busy town in summer, not now. Kinsale is in County Cork, and a lot of people have there a ship in theirs gardens.

Thinking III

Dedicated to my friend Margarita 

If distance means to forget, ever I will try have near a bridge or port to connect

us, ever I will try with me a picture yours for don't forget you and I will travel 

through the maze of my memory to remember you. You are a part of me now

and although I want, already I can't forget you.
Thank you so much for help me when I was lost... 

Thinking II

Dedicated to my family

The worse thing that you can suffer is to be disappointed with yourself, but sometimes we need to

get down very low to realize that. Fortunately you have helped me to get up again and I have took

over of my life. Thank you so much, I won't forget that.

Basic Notions

 

The farm has two spaces like the pictures show. We have around sixty cows for milking twice a day. In the same space the cattle eat and sleep. It has over the floor a lot of gaps to collect the slurry and keep quite clean this space, but usually the cows mess the site where them lying. The slurry isn't really smelly but is really sticky. The cows usually are quiet, sometimes they like play in the path to milking and the are really fast, if one of them run you can't achieve her and is better move them all together. This work will end in April, when the weather will be better and the cattle
will be on the field.

My job on the farm

This movie shows my dairy job on the farm, not all of them because I am doing a lot of things, but it's rather clearly with the job's cattle. I do that twice a day, once in the morning at eight oclock and once  again at seven oclock in the evening. First, usually I carry the cattle to Milking House and after that starts my  job with the slurry. In the begining I clean the floor where the cattle usually is lying, for this I use the first  tool that the movie shows; when I have finished that, I need to clean “the Canadian Path”, you can see in the movie like the floor has a big gaps to collect the slurry, so I ever use the “Slurry Sweeper” that is a little petrol adapted machine, to push the slurry, take off it and finally, put it into the tank under the floor.
 Sometimes I should use another one tool (“Guitar Sweeper”) to do a very clean job. The last tool is “The Paik”, I don't know how to spell this word correctly, so sorry; with it I feed the cattle, maybe I use sailige, grass or hay.  It's a hard job specially for your back, you should do that everyday, you can't unwinding any day because the cattle needs to eat, including Sundays and party days, so I am astonishment that the farmers here are very strong.
I have tried that the movie was a little funny, so I expect you like it.

Further:
The movie has two mistakes: “my job in the farm” should be “my job on the farm”, and “And Then The Man Invented the Machine” should be “And Then Man Invented the Machine”, thank you to Jessie McDonald (my English teacher) for help me with this.
I couldn't do a very well work with the music, because I have worked without internet and I didn't know how to mix two sings (Sorry Sergio, I think the next time it will be better).

job02 from jose manuel on Vimeo.

My Irish Trip II

Special thanks to Juanma the Vandriver, because he had never driven a van before, he had never driven on the

left and he had never driven by narrow roads like Irish roads. I think Juanma already never forgot the weather

in Ireland.

 

Thank you so much, Juanma.

Some old pictures more

Some pictures more I took long time ago.

 

 

Christmas meal

This is my Christmas meal, turkey and Pudding a very good combination. Thank you to Geraldine's sister, for that special day.

Natascha

Natascha has been my workawer partner in my farm during five weeks. She is from Germany and she helped me with my bad English. We have enjoyed very funny moments, with the sheep, the cattle, with Lucky and Dagly (The dogs), talking about soccer, christmas Shopping and into the pubs. She was my perfect English teacher during that time. Thank you for all, and I wish you a very happy moments in your future.

Thinking I

Dedicated to my friend Nieves

Sometimes, I Prefer to live in the unreality of dreams wich in the disappointing daily life...

My Irish Trip

These are some of pictures from several beatiful sites in Ireland inside Kerry Ring. Four friends and two babys have wanted to spend some days with me in Ireland from December 29, 2013 to January 4, 2014. Thank you so much to Sergio, Noelia, Natalia, Juanma and specially to Darío and Jorge the babys, because they have exceeded a very bad weather. Thank you to all of them, because to be with them have been my best present in years.

 

The Rock of Cashel

The Rock of Cashel with its dramatic silhoutte of ecclesistical medieval guildings rises steeply above he fertile plain of the River Suir, in the heart of Munster.