So much to do, so little time! (Wednesday/Thursday)

Jim, my fiddle "tutor", opened the week with a story about how he had just been doing a fiddle workshop in France. He told that the language barrier had been a real problem, and said how he was excited for that not to be an issue this week. I think my face must have registered quite a bit of disbelief. Though at that point I had only been here for a day, I had already had to add quite a few new vocabulary words to my bank, as well as deceipher some pretty thick accents. Here are a few examples that come to mind right away:
     peerie = small
     fae = from
     bairn = baby/child
     trow = small mischievous critter
However, I was reassured last night when I found out that they can't even understand each other. I was taking a break from the dancing and was chatting with Lawrence, one of the local storytellers. As it was just after midnight, we were wondering how late the dance went. Richard, one of the organizers, was standing in a group nearby and shouted over "'alf an oor yet!" to which Lawrence yelled back "Happy New Year!"

Twice this week they have bussed us out to other communities for the day. Fiddle classes continue as usual, but there are also optional trips around the countryside. Even the bus ride, and the opportunity to interact with the different locals gives you more of a flavour of the islands. I'm finding it extremely difficult to capture on film. Part of it is the wind, the horizontal rain, the shifting shadows when the sun is out, and the smells. Part of it is the sheer expanse of everything surrounding you.

I think that everything started catching up with me on Wednesday. I had a pretty rough afternoon. Everything seems very similar on the surface, but there are little differences that are hard to pinpoint. Almost hitting people that you pass in the hall, because you move to the right and they move to the left, reaching for the toilet handle and having to readjust your aim for the right side. Not being able to all out play your fiddle, because you don't share a single tune in all of your repertoire. Trying to assimilate a new style so that you can start picking up even portions of new tunes played at breakneck speed in the sessions. Not enough sleep over an extended period of time. Jet-lag. No alone time. It wears away at you. I had a pretty rotten attitude on Wednesday afternoon, and a sour disposition.

But I'm back now. I had to get away for a bit, go for a walk in the "bracing" wind. Humble myself and go apologize to a few key people.

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