Summer vibes: dinner at the sea shore

Surfing

16 people on a bus, almost as many nationalities, two nights and two days, full of sunshine, waves, salt, beer, food, whiskey, bbq, more waves, surf boards, the king's cup, confused locals, and great stories! The surfing weekend in Donegal was *** awesome *** !!! Thanks all!!

favourites!

The other day I was facing a lovely unscheduled evening, full of sunshine and warmth and calmness. But where to epitomise all this? Though never overcrowded the beaches and parks always attract a decent number of people these hot summer nights, and I was up for some zen time with books and music and nice food. The back garden? The landlord and lady are back from Spain and would almost certainly occupy same for the larger part of the evening. Hence the decision to pull James out of the shed and make the way up to one of my favourite spots in Dublin; the viewpoint over the city in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, subject to earlier stories in this blog. I had my headphones and music with me, as well as a decent salad for dinner plus drinks and cookies to top it off. And best of all; the view in the sunshine. I sat there for almost two hours, didn’t even touch the book I had brought along, as I was consuming gorgeous Dublin right in front of me with all my might. I sat there until the sun set and the mosquitoes made me leave; off to the Dublin I had been looking at for so long, back to its buzzing streets and lively pubs. Two different worlds, 30 minutes apart.

time travels

My first time that I ever saw a cheque was here in Ireland. Big grins and awkward looks when I pulled my Ulster Bank cheque book from the envelope they sent me. Now I process them weekly, as clients still pay in by sending up cheques, or handing them over personally in the bank. A laborious and time-consuming process, but really the norm in here. Setting up a bank account took Bo four months, and we pay our electricity bills in the post office. Internet banking exists but is not frequently used, as cashiers still transfer large amounts of money in between accounts for their customers. To top it off: my annual payment for the tennis club I recently joined. 500 Euros, which I gladly paid for the awesomeness I get in return, but rather through internet banking or by credit card in order to retain proof of payment. In the end neither was possible; the flavours were cheque or cash. And guess where the ten shiny 50-Euro notes disappeared into? A cookie can, pictures and all, filled to the rim with bank notes. I love it. 

land versus sea

Although my enthusiasm for Dublin and her treasures may seem repetitive, the illustrations that feature its impeccable sources of joy are certainly not. As these days we enjoy a summery weather I am repeatedly told not to believe, the gf and I allowed ourselves just enough time after work to get changed, pack the rucksack with beach essentials, and cycle down to the coast. Whereas the dart takes you along many fine beaches as far south as Greystones, the one nearest to the city centre has its own unique appeal and is easily reachable by bike. At high tide the beach is perhaps 20 metres long, evident by the change in soil as the white thin sand fades into darker wet underground with streaks of seaweed and tiny crabs crawling around. As we climbed down the rocks separating the sand from the cycle track above the tide was low. So low, I couldn’t even see the sea. A flat wetland, with puddles and sandbanks as far as my sight would take me. Venturing well into this quagmire up and till a drier and less shallow stretch of sand we got to the point where distant waves could be discerned. Sitting down however the metre or so that my eye level was lowered was more than enough to hide the water again and all seemed endless bog again. Ships leaving the harbour seemed to be drifting on an endless desert landscape as they made their way to the ocean. How most peculiar that the change of tides covers such an immense area! An odd feature no doubt, but one I was immensely grateful for. How pure the bliss of sitting in the middle of that ostensibly endless scenery, savouring the salad we had taken along for dinner, with olives and cherries for dessert, gazing at a most intriguing landscape. Facing the coastline we have the Wicklow Mountains to our left, simmering in the distance behind the green city in the sun, colourful Georgian doors and wrought iron fences around cosy low houses. Turning further to the east the coastline disappears in the distance, its curves concealing Dalkey, Bray and Greystones from the eye, until land fades into open water, barely discernible beyond the vast stretches of sand that the sea has temporarily granted us. On our right the cranes and pipes of the Dublin harbour dominate the lion’s share of the scenery, with deep proud horns preceding the departure of yet another massive vessel making its way to the sea. Further to the east two tall white and red chimneys gaze over the Ireland’s capital; defining landmarks in a city where medieval spires have yet to concede their celestial dominance of the skies. And in the middle of all this intriguing scenery, so close to the dynamics of the city yet so very thoroughly shielded from its noises, smells and people, our sandbank offered just another insight into how truly magnificent Dublin is and how I keep falling more and more in love with its many treasures. Our light dinner was followed up by some fervently needed physical activity after a day in the office; chasing my orange frisbee while taking in the scents, sounds and sights of my energising surroundings I felt like a young dog with seemingly infinite energy. Hours we spent there, until the sun set and we ventured homeward, full of inspiration to write this precious memory down.

Minbuza

I quote Manon here when I declare myself being in a state of ‘social hangover’. Seven wonderful friends have just left, leaving me in Dublin with memories of a fantastic weekend and a tinge of a lingering headache. It was a weekend full of laughter, hugs, smiles, great food, catching up with the new, reviving the old, and fantasies about what the future may bring. Many thanks for such lovely time!

Malawi

Let’s just write it down. My thoughts, today’s insights, what’s keeping me busy walking home on a Thursday night. Let’s write it down so I’m not forgetting it, write it down so I can reread in 10 years time and realise this was one of those moments. Two things happened today. Well, more things happened; I played tennis over lunch and I had a very nice dinner prepared by Pieter’s gf and I woke up late without an alarm clock because I’m used to Bo being my alarm clock and she’s not here but that’s not what I was talking about. Two things today, on the same day, that made me realise.. well… re-realise if that’s a word, why I am doing what I do. Career-wise. Why I’m in banking and what the purpose in the greater scheme of things is. De stip aan de horizon. I sort of forgot for a while, being preoccupied with my great life here and with the banking career and with many awesome happenstances but not the true (work-life) passion that’s awaiting me in some years’ time. This morning I read a motivation speech by a young lady about why she wants to work for Rabobank, about sustainable food production in Africa and R&D in food&agri and about hunger and feeding 9 billion people in a few decades’ time. And then this night I went to a theatre to see the documentary “Where there’s a well” which is about potable water in Malawi and how this feeds into sustainable growth and a bit of traditional aid & NGO bashing – which I am always appreciative of. Well, both those things reminded me of the bigger plan, the plan I had set out a year and a half ago and what should lead me to working in the field that I am most passionate about; sustainable economic development in the less developed parts of the world. I like finance and banking and that’s why I enjoy my work & life but it’s not the true passion. It’s a stepping stone to that, cause when I’ll be skilled and experienced in a field and when I’ll be adding value then I can venture off to wherever and make a difference. Slipped the mind for a while, glad I was reminded. Twice. In one day. Coincidence?