And now for the answer portion of our evening...

Awhile back I opened myself up for another question-and-answer session, and I've finally gotten around to compiling and answering a few of your popular questions:

How is Ireland? Shamrock. Leprechaun. Guinness. 
OK, I'm a little surprised to still be getting questions like this. Belfast is in Northern Ireland, which is a different country from the Republic of Ireland (for those who are more recent followers of my blog, I will direct you here for a more in-depth explanation).

Asking someone in Northern Ireland about living in Ireland is like asking a Canadian how they like being from the States. Same land mass, different countries. There is still significant Irish culture here - street signs in Nationalist neighborhoods are written in both English and Irish, and you'll likely see Irish tricolour flags flying in these areas... but since I work for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), my placements are in largely Unionist areas. In that case, the question might be more appropriate as, "How is Northern Ireland? Union Flag. Cuppa Tea. Bonfires..."

After all that, the answer, of course, would be that it's great craic (translate). I'm really enjoying the opportunity to be here, to spend time with the people I've met here, and to take weekend trips to places like the Giant's Causeway or Blarney castle.

Have you picked up any local habits or sayings?
Things I've caught myself saying (in total seriousness), and was completely surprised to hear come out of my mouth:

• I haven't a baldy (or a baldy notion). - I have no idea.
• Ach, she's a wee dote. Give us a nurse. - Your baby is adorable. Let me hold her.
• He completely does my head in, he's mustard. - He drives me crazy, he's stubborn.
• Dead on - all right
• He's always taking the mick out of her - He is playfully making fun of her.
• I haven't seen him in donkeys - it has been a long time.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones I can think of for now. 

When are you coming home?
Well, it depends on what you consider "home"... I'll fly into the States on 7th August, and spend a few weeks at my childhood home in Orlando. I will then head back to my adopted home of Louisville - timeline is still TBD, but I'd like to be in O-town for my baby brother's birthday on 18th August and in Cincinnati for my niece's on 23rd August... so that's the general idea.

What will you do when you get home?
Yes, I am looking for jobs. Not-so-officially, since I'm still about 3 months away from being back in Louisville, but more like considering what the next year has in store. I may head back to the corporate realm as an administrative assistant (which I've done for the past 12 years), head back to school, or embark on some other adventure that is a combination of the above. Time will tell.

You ask, I'll answer!

Hello, everyone!

I realize that I'm getting questions across several different platforms - and rather than answering them all individually, I've decided to do another FAQ round. So send in your questions!

A few guidelines:

1. Send questions via the comments section below, or via twitter (@pdcentre). If you'd prefer to remain a little more anonymous, message me on facebook or email tricia.mcreynolds [at] gmail.com. 
2. There are no stupid questions - in fact, I'd prefer those if it clears up common misconceptions that I face often. There might be inappropriate questions, which I reserve the right to kindly pass over, but I will do my best to answer everything. 
3. There is no timeline (send to me by xx/xx) or anything, I will just write the answers up once I have a few good questions. 

So there you go! Start asking!

#flegs

(I've been working on a post for a while that I was going to put up before this, but I think I need to address this first: )

Image: BBC

There are certainly exceptions, but Northern Ireland and its politics don't generally appear on the radars of most people I know back home. When there is unrest in the city, it barely makes news in the UK, much less abroad.

So when tensions began to arise a few weeks ago, I decided it would be better to just wait for things to settle down a bit before addressing them with people back home. If we're being completely honest, I hoped that it would all blow over before anyone heard - it's a lot easier to say, "Oh yeah, there was some disagreement. Doesn't that suck?" in retrospect than to have to answer specific questions about the incidents and my safety here in Belfast.

But then I was in Paris for New Years, and stories about Belfast were on the news. Then it must have made its way to the States, because I started getting concerned emails. So I thought I'd just address it all here now. It is an incredibly complex issue that I know I can't do justice (which is why I usually refer you, my faithful reader, to people that are more knowledgeable than I about political matters), but I will do my best to summarize:

In early December, Belfast City Council voted to limit the number of days that the Union flag was flown above City Hall. This made several people upset, and groups began to form to protest this decision. Some of the protests were more peaceful than others - which have turned violent on occasion. Protesters have used social media to organize events, often with the addition of "#flegs" (hence the post title).

Image: Belfast Telegraph

Now, opinions differ as to whether the protests are purely about the flag or a symbol of greater unrest: I visited a facebook page managed by a local group for up-to-date information this afternoon. This is notable because today (9 January) is the first time that the flag has been flown at City Hall since the initial decision - in honor of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's birthday. Most in the group were of the consensus that there would be no protesting today, because the flag is flying... and making a commotion would create an argument for those who say protesters are just "recreational rioters". Others in the forum replied that they feel the issue has moved deeper than just the flag. It is not my place to determine whether or when the flag should fly over City Hall. I can't say whether the flag is even the issue anymore. But it seems that the occasions of violence represent real anger and frustration in these communities which cannot be brushed aside.

With that being said: First and foremost, I am safe. I have not felt unsafe since the trouble has begun. Yes, I see more police land rovers than before and it's really annoying when you're waiting for a bus that isn't actually coming because the road is blocked elsewhere.  But this is a situation where even just a few blocks distance makes a difference. There are not wild bands roaming my neighborhood with torches or anything. I reiterate, we feel totally safe here. Our friends and coworkers look out for us, and let us know if we should avoid certain situations or areas at certain times. This is also where the social media aspect helps us - we know when there will be a gathering, so we don't go there!

The people acting in violence are the vast minority of the population. The majority of people I meet hate to think that this is what the rest of the world associates with Belfast. We have SO much more to offer than the images of violence that make media headlines. The upcoming 4 Corners Festival is just one of many examples - notable here because it ends with a prayer and worship service at my church!

So please, family and friends back home - don't worry about me. Or if you do, make it because I'm a klutz and not because you think I'll be water cannon-ed on my way home from work!

xox

Update: find an article from another perspective here. 

A Lifetime of Change

I will interrupt this week's planned rehash of Belfast-ness for a moment to talk about the Young Adult Volunteer program. It's coming up on application season for 2013-14, which means it's been a year since I walked into the YAV office to let E. know my decision to apply for "a year of service for a lifetime of change".

What a whirlwind these past 365 days have been!

The decision to take a completely different path in my status quo was difficult for me, but definitely the best choice I've ever made. The PC(USA) has recently renewed its dedication to Young Adults by challenging the YAV program to triple its size and scope in the next five years. This means it's easier than ever to join this wacky YAV family, and to find a program that suits your passions. To do this, they have made a few changes to the program that I'm really excited to share:

• Additional site placements in Boston, Peru, Philippines and South Korea. Work in each site generally focuses on the major issues in that city or country - like Northern Ireland's dedication to peacemaking and reconciliation, Boston's food justice program, root causes of poverty in Peru, education in South Korea, border policies in Tucson, urban ministry in Miami, Chicago, Hollywood and others.... a complete list of sites and their work can be found here. 
• Lower funding requirements! This year I was blessed to have amazing support from family, friends and members of my congregation to raise the $8000 required for International service. Next year, funding requirements will be cut in HALF - meaning $4000 for an International site and just $3000 for a National site placement.

Becoming a part of this YAV family (which, if you'll notice, is the only way I refer to this group) has been incredible. When I walked into the placement event back in March, I felt for the first time that I had found "my people" - goofy and fun with a heart for the Lord.

This program has been in place for almost 20 years, which means they KNOW what they're doing. Discernment and placement events ensure that the best fit is attained for both the candidate and site, and I was completely prepared at orientation for the upcoming challenges of mission service. 

International Placement Event at LPTS - March 2012

Orientation at Stony Point - August 2012

Things you should know if you're considering the program:

• Young Adult Volunteers are between the ages of 19-30. Sometimes you need to be 21 for specific / international sites, but they even accept second-career old fogeys like me.
• The Louisville office is there to help you make the best decision for you, and to ensure you're in the right place. I had the benefit of proximity, but they were SO helpful when I started the discernment process.
• You don't actually have to be a Presbyterian. You will be doing the work of the church, but the PC(USA) partners with other denominations to do their work around the world. Members of this year's YAV group alone come from the PC(USA), Methodist, Mennonite and Catholic churches. 
• I'm sure it's obvious, but: I am always happy to answer questions about my journey. Feel free to email me any time!

Courtesy Jeff Moles (@jeffmoles)

FAQ: Stateside edition

Whenever I tell people where I'm from, there are always many questions. I've compiled a few of my favorite / the most popular for your reading pleasure:

Image via google search from here

5.   Are there cowboys in Kentucky?
4a. Where is (insert name of state)? or alternately,
      4b. How far is ____ from ____?
3.   Where do Amish people live?
2.   Do you know Christina / Zoe / Linnea / ...?

And by far the most popular question I receive:

1.   Do you have Kentucky Fried Chicken there?

Transitioning

Ah, where to begin...

My last week in Louisville was full of happy goodbyes, family and frantic packing. My brother came in for the weekend, and I was so glad to have the opportunity to celebrate his birthday with him on Saturday. Sunday was my commissioning at Second Pres (with the gift of a lovely prayer shawl from the Busy Needles knitting group) and a goodbye party hosted by my dad and step mom in their home.

Annual "August Birthdays" dinner

Kind words from friends

While my intention was that I would be packed and ready to go in time to get a good night's rest on my last night in my own bed... of course that didn't happen. My second carefully-packed bag ended up being overweight, so I spent hours unpacking, repacking and weeding out unnecessary items to reach my goal of 50 lbs. per bag. As a result of that and other random last-minute preparations, I got about 1.25 hours of sleep before we had to leave for the airport soon after 5 a.m.!

My travel buddy Will was a lifesaver...
And incredibly tolerant of sleepy Tricia, hyper Tricia
and bomb-scare-in-Newark -airport-causing Tricia
(I'll save that story for another time)

The aforementioned "Sleepy Tricia",
in my Busy Needles prayer shawl
(post-nap in the Chicago airport)

We arrived at the conference center in Stony Point, NY that afternoon, and have been "orienting" ourselves ever since. It's been so nice to be in the company of the friends I made back in March, as well as meeting MY FUTURE FLATMATE and those matched with National sites (and therefore not involved in the International placement event).

I know some of you are confused as to why I'm in New York right now instead of Belfast. This week is meant to be a transition from our homes and familiar cultures into our lives in new cities and countries. We will spend time in fellowship, learning about the challenges we will face in these new communities, and preparing ourselves for the journey. 

Everyone I've spoken to in the past few weeks has had some version of the same questions for me: "Are you excited?" / "how are you feeling?" My honest answer was usually some version of "yes I'm excited, but mostly exhausted" / "I'll tell you in a few weeks once I've been able to process everything." It doesn't matter how much you try to prepare yourself, there are always unexpected challenges when you move - especially when that move is split between a storage unit and a foreign country you've never visited. The past few weeks have been exhausting emotionally as well as physically, and I still don't think I've fully recovered! Of course, all-day seminars on serious topics like sexual harassment and cultural sensitivity, combined with the desire to stay up late socializing don't help much, either! 

I'm sure I'll be able to express my experience more eloquently at some point in the future, but I know a lot of you have been texting, calling or facebooking to check in with my time here ...and I've been relatively unresponsive. It's nothing personal, but I'm just trying to take things moment by moment in an attempt to be present in the emotions and with people that are going through this journey with me.

Love you, mean it!

xox

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that my fundraising letters have been showing up in mailboxes across the country, I've begun to receive a few frequently-asked questions. I will take this opportunity to address them below:

When are you leaving?
I will leave for orientation in Stony Point, NY on August 20. Assuming I have no visa issues (which happens on occasion for NI participants), I will leave New York for Belfast on August 27.

What happens if you raise more than $8,000?
That would be an awesome problem to have!

Just kidding... with the amazing support I've received to date, raising more than $8,000 is certainly a possibility. The average cost to support a YAV during their year abroad costs the PC(USA) anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 (thankfully they don't make us raise the entire amount!). Any fundraising I do that exceeds the minimum requirement will still be applied to my year in Belfast.

What will you do with your car? / Is that washer and dryer still available?
Like many of my personal items that will probably cost more to store than they would be worth to replace, I plan on selling my beloved Yaris before I head out in August... and yes, I have had enough people reference the availability of my aforementioned washer and dryer to address it in the FAQ post. Unfortunately for your dirty clothes, the pair have already found a loving home with Alex and Corinna.

Any other burning questions? Add 'em in the comments section!