I suppose every country needs its excuse to set of fireworks. The US has the 4th of July, I'm told it's New Year's Eve in Germany. Here in Northern Ireland? It's Halloween. There are quite obviously plenty of outlets for illegal fireworks, lighting up the entire city and makig it sound as though it were under siege. I really would have liked to watch it all from the mountain, it would have been a fabulous show, but it was pretty exciting to experience Halloween right in the middle of it all. Few of the yp were about, so it wasn't too successful as a night of detached work, but really, I've never seen anything like it. Literally every corner of the city had major firework shows (although only one was official), with real, Washington DC-on-the-4th-of-July size fireworks. We saw some people setting them off in pretty stupid ways...but we (and the people we were passing) appeared to make it through the night ok.

I took a field trip to Glengormley today. It a small suburb just north of Belfast, and their library was the closest that had the book I need. Due to completely illogical policies, I had to go to them to pick up the book (libraries in NI need help). I go on the bus, no problem, and confirmed with the bus driver that this bus stopped in Glengormley. This led to a conversation about where the stop was that left me utterly faithless in my ability to communicate. Eventually I just nodded and sat down, clueless. And then I got a bit anxious. How the heck would I know where I was and when to get off? I texted M, who was great, and sent me the names of the two biggest stops just before mine. And when we passed those and I began to panic, I turned to the gentleman across the aisle, admitted my ignorance and learned that he could not hear. Apparently he reads lips pretty well, got the jist of glen-gorm-ley, and was ever so kind to put away his book and direct me as to when to get off. Mission accomplished.

I get off the bus and attempt to look intent upon reaching my destination, except that I have no idea how to get to my destination. So I walk. I call into a charity shop (there's a great skirt on the rack, but I don't feel like shopping) and ask the woman at the counter for directions to the library. Finally I set out, for the first time, actually intent upon reaching my destination. Lesson learned in the past two years: there's nothing quite like the feeling of successfully using resources and accomplishing small adventures on your own. Like all libraries, it was small, and it took about one minute to pick up the book, but it was in a pretty neighborhood so I walked for a bit and stood under the trees out front, listening to the birds sing as though it was the first day of spring.

The rest of the day I spent reading. I read in Clements over coffee and a panini, I read in the Central Library. It's so refreshing to have a day on my own, productive still, but relaxing.

I've just finished reading the Sharing BVS newsletter, which our European Coordinator so diligently compiles from emails, reports and blogs of the European volunteers. I have to admit, reading it always makes me a bit giddy, remembering what it is that I am really a part of in BVS. It also leaves me in awe of the other volunteers and the amazing work they are doing. If you'd like to read it/share it with anyone you know, I'd love to send it your way. Remembering is good for me, especially tonight, when I'n desperately trying to reign in my boomeranging emotions.

Afterschools was mad today. We were "understaffed" (i.e. we had a normal number of staff and volunteers, rather than our typical 1:2.5 ratio) so it felt like the two hours lasted 8. And looking forward, we have marathon Halloween events coming up this Friday and next (7 hours of Afterschools on both nights), so if I haven't posted in awhile, you may want to check up on me...

And then tonight, we took our multicultural group to the Indian Community Center here in Belfast. It was a really great night they had planned for us: a chat about India, the location, religion, culture, information about their gods and goddesses (they have 330 million!) while sitting in their temple, sari demonstrations, Indian snacks and henna. The boys were totally into it, sat really respectfully through the talk in the temple and asked great questions. The girls drove me mad at their lack of respect and completly rude behavior. Seriously, they're 15-18 years old...

To dwell on the interesting bits (and bobs, as the NI say): the temple resembled a party store explosion. The colors were fabulously bright, the columns were wrapped in rope lights, there were glittering banners, garlands and streamers. Someone asked why it was festive, our host consulted the temple priest and said that it was to invoke joy, happiness. It's easier to feel happy when the environment is bright. He also pointed out that India is a very warm place, tropical in a sense, and how do people in places like that dress? In Hawaii, you wear bright colors, flowers and prints that you'd never wear in Belfast. The colors and glitter bring India to this cool northern city.

The food was great- don't know what it was or what it's called, but it was good. And the woman who dressed us in saris was wonderfully sweet (and gracious even when our girls got pushy). There was an Indian drum demonstration, and it turns out the drummer goes (went?) to school with some of our yp. After the talk in the temple, one of the boys asked if he could put a donation in the box at the alter. He's one of the toughest in terms of ethnic slurs and assumptions; those are the moments that make it seem like something is actually sinking in. That makes it worthwhile.

Apparently Halloween is the whole month of October over here. It's firecracker and fireworks time (which makes our detached walks that much more exciting). And tonight I had trick-or-treaters. I've got to admit, the boys were cute. All in costume and make-up, with their plastic pumpkin pail, they sang me an enitre wee song. I checked their bucket, and they had some Haribo sweets and a handful of coins, so I emptied my wallet of the one and two p coins that were weighing it down. Afterward, I sent a text to my friend, a native of Belfast, to make sure trick-or-treating happens on the 31st here and she said yes. Apparently, kids will go out all month to collect easy change. And I was a gullible foreigner... needless to say, when the two girls knocked on my door an hour later (older sisters, I presume), I reminded them that Halloween is October 31st and told them to come back then.