Shaun's Tiger Town Tangents: DAY 5

8:30 am Camp ends with no real excitement. We spend one whole hour towards the end passing out t-shirts and taking a group photograph that will end up in the local papers. Apparently a basketball camp is big news in Ireland. I tell the campers my new quote that has stuck with me lately and I have been using at all the camps- “If you think you can, you are correct. If you think you can’t, you are still correct.” Love it. One camper’s dad said he loved it as well. As for the campers I’d say 25% were listening. Of that group probable 30% grasped it. All in all, the average Irish kid seems a little sharper and much better at listening than your average American kid. They seem to respect their elders a little better as well.

4:00 PM After camp, one of the Sligoneans drives me around for a quick tour of the area. This includes beautiful views of the countryside. Steep green hills overlooking clear blue loughs (lakes). Also, there is a place called Holy Well that apparently our boy Yeats used as inspiration to do his poetry thing. As my tour guide eloquently added, “Not sure why the hell it is holy though.” I later learned that it is called that because that is the place in town where Christians were first baptized.

5:00 PM Following this driving tour and with my new found knowledge on how to lock a door, I took another longer jog around town. Tried to make it to this Holy Well to take some pictures with my cell phone (my new backup camera), but it ended up being too far. Funny enough, four people asked me for directions on this run. See, I told you I look very Irish, but I had to inform them I have no clue where anything is in this town.

7:00 PM Joined my host for his Gaelic football practice, oops I mean training. At one point it got cold and rainy so I hid in his car to finish up his book I borrowed about Allen Iverson. In my non-jogging spare time over the last 3 days I managed to finish the 240 page biography. Iverson is a fascinating enigma. Always close to trouble, but seemingly by most accounts a pretty decent person. Good husband and dad and supports 31 jobless deadbeats from his hometown, who probably STILL collect welfare at the same time. I wonder how many people could make it out of the magnetic pull of the ghetto. He is again my favorite NBA player. Call me crazy, but I love how hard he plays.

9:00 PM After training we try to get Chinese. Yes, Chinese in Ireland. Apparently it is very good, but also very different to what we are accustomed to in the states. The place is somehow closed at 9 on a Friday because the owner is a “humpy” lady, Irish for lazy. Worked out great because we went out to Strand Hill for another Chinese place that was half the price and of course connected to a pub. So, we had to have a pint of Guinness while we waited. It was worth the 15 minute drive out there for the incredible view and sunset. This was my first chance to see the Atlantic from the East side. Weird to think that there is nothing between Me and my homeland but that body of water. Also crazy to think how millions of immigrants crossed that body of water on shabby vessels with nothing but sail power to get there. Color wise, It was very close to a Clemson caliber sunset and with the added mountains and ocean I would have to give it a 9 out of 10.

10:00 PM The Chinese is very different and I find it pretty good. I have the least sophisticated palette of anyone I know so you should probably decide for yourself. Couple of MGDs and we call it a night. Wild and crazy Friday night in Sligo, Ireland.