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Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:47 pm
by flipflop
Suckers for punishment, it's the Presbyterian in them. I remember driving to Dunedin in south NZ with the wife a few years ago, it was winter. I suddenly realised this was the furthest I'd ever been geographically from home, and probably ever will be. I said to the missus "Wheres does this remind you of?" as the wind and rain lashed the little car, "It looks like your Mum's place". I'm right the other side of the Earth from Ulster and Scotland, and here I am driving to "Edinburgh" along a winding road with grass, wind bent trees and sheep everywhere. In a right-hand drive car. It was a weird experience.

Fucking Presbyterian Jocks/Ulstermen sail around the world, could have settled in hot & sunny Oz, or the warmer north island. But no, in the words of the Billy Connolly skit: "Head south brothers, I know an even colder place!". A bit of sun would be too much of an indulgence, Catholic even.

Cheers

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:57 pm
by vagabond
flipflop wrote:Suckers for punishment, it's the Presbyterian in them. I remember driving to Dunedin in south NZ with the wife a few years ago, it was winter. I suddenly realised this was the furthest I'd ever been geographically from home, and probably ever will be. I said to the missus "Wheres does this remind you of?" as the wind and rain lashed the little car, "It looks like your Mum's place". I'm right the other side of the Earth from Ulster and Scotland, and here I am driving to "Edinburgh" along a winding road with grass, wind bent trees and sheep everywhere. In a right-hand drive car. It was a weird experience.

Fucking Presbyterian Jocks/Ulstermen sail around the world, could have settled in hot & sunny Oz, or the warmer north island. But no, in the words of the Billy Connolly skit: "Head south brothers, I know an even colder place!". A bit of sun would be too much of an indulgence, Catholic even.

Cheers


*lol* Seems true for a lot of people. The Scandinavians that came to America moved to a place pretty much the same as they left. I like bucking the trend and am enjoying having become a temporary resident of somewhere that's 72 and sunny almost every day.

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:04 pm
by flipflop
I met some Dublin blokes when I was in NYC/New Jersey in 1997, they spent the whole holiday looking for 'Irish Bars' - once they saw that electric green shamrock above the Bud sign in the window there was no stopping them. Inside was always full of more of the daft cunts, all sat listening to the diddly-diddly with damp eyes. I was honourary "Orange Bastard" until my patience ran out and I went looking for "American Bars" - a difficult mission in New Jersey.

So, I guess most people want a home from home no matter when or where they're from

Cheers

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:30 pm
by vagabond
flipflop wrote:I met some Dublin blokes when I was in NYC/New Jersey in 1997, they spent the whole holiday looking for 'Irish Bars' - once they saw that electric green shamrock above the Bud sign in the window there was no stopping them. Inside was always full of more of the daft cunts, all sat listening to the diddly-diddly with damp eyes. I was honourary "Orange Bastard" until my patience ran out and I went looking for "American Bars" - a difficult mission in New Jersey.

So, I guess most people want a home from home no matter when or where they're from


I think historically most of our cities had their ethnic enclaves which became much more heterogeneous in the 20th century w/ the ability for mass migration. Lots of people still obsessed with claiming this or that heritage which, unless it's within three generations, I consider not to count. That's a whole other discussion.

Odd that some Dubliners wanted to drink in our version of an Irish bar. There's a company in the US that makes all that stereotypical tat.

Anyways, I bought the Afghan Connection book along w/ a collection of Somerset Maugham's travel writing. Will tie in well w/ finishing Lone Survivor and some other regional books I've been intending to read for a while.

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:57 am
by Kurt
flipflop wrote:I met some Dublin blokes when I was in NYC/New Jersey in 1997, they spent the whole holiday looking for 'Irish Bars' - once they saw that electric green shamrock above the Bud sign in the window there was no stopping them. Inside was always full of more of the daft cunts, all sat listening to the diddly-diddly with damp eyes. I was honourary "Orange Bastard" until my patience ran out and I went looking for "American Bars" - a difficult mission in New Jersey.

So, I guess most people want a home from home no matter when or where they're from

Cheers


When I travel the local bars may do but every so often I get the urge for real beer and a familiar environment...mostly for the beer. But I will usually seek out an English bar or if a German bar exists I will go there. If the Irish Bar serves a good breakfast then I go there in NYC but thats it. Most Irish bars are such a mono-culture of beer it gets old really fast. No use looking for a Wisconsin bar because it has to have an electric pizza oven for Tombstone Pizza and a deep fryer for cheese curds and have lots of dead animals on the wall, let kids in to play video games and have a large friendly dog that just hangs around and greets everyone.

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:44 pm
by vagabond
Kurt wrote:No use looking for a Wisconsin bar because it has to have an electric pizza oven for Tombstone Pizza and a deep fryer for cheese curds and have lots of dead animals on the wall, let kids in to play video games and have a large friendly dog that just hangs around and greets everyone.


That does sound like the a few of the bars I went to in Madison

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:22 pm
by flipflop
I've got that gig in Kandahar confirmed, flying out tomorrow

Cheers

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:23 pm
by rickshaw92
flipflop wrote:I've got that gig in Kandahar confirmed, flying out tomorrow

Cheers


Congrats dude. Stay safe and post pics!

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:48 pm
by vagabond
rickshaw92 wrote:
flipflop wrote:I've got that gig in Kandahar confirmed, flying out tomorrow

Cheers


Congrats dude. Stay safe and post pics!


Same. Take care and best of luck.

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:01 am
by flipflop
Cheers

Re: Crimean War Illustrations

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:49 pm
by AztecDave
When I was in Kabul, one of the ISAF conference rooms had an original map of Cabul circa 1840, drawn by Sir Frederick Abbott, an Engineer in Her Majesty's forces. Beautiful map. Great detail on the British garrison, Bala Hisar and Palaces, gardens, canals, etc. Cabul was actually a very nice place to be. He was brother to none other than Sir James Abbott, founder of UBL's last known address, Abbottabad.