On an invitation from Joanne (from the Fulbright Commission here in Ireland), I decided to attend a book launch on the subject of race last night.  What a fascinating view of history I discovered!

I learned a huge amount from the people who spoke at the event (Seamus Deannes, Bruce Nelson Nelson, and Kevin Whelan), which was held at the University of Notre Dame’s O’Connell House. I met people from Dublin and beyond, including a professor from South Bend who is also a priest and political historian here doing research himself.

Bruce Nelson’s book launch at Notre Dame’s Center in Dublin. Joanne Davidson, from the Fulbright Commission in Ireland, is seated in the middle.

I’m very interested in this topic, social construction of the concept of race… in Ireland and at home in the US.

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I’ve been spending more time in my engineering office — it’s very comfortable now that the heat is on there. I haven’t turned ours on at the apartment, because the southern exposure usually warms it sufficiently.

I conducted my first interview using phenomenology as the framework (in this office) today!  I’m going to start transcribing it momentarily.

My office on Church Lane.

I’m pleased to report that I successfully biked across town today.  I couldn’t bear to go the wrong way down a one-way street like everyone seems to do here. I decided to push the bike three blocks instead of figuring out where the street was that went the way I wanted to go!

And, I made it to the library I love on Bolton Street, with minor evidence of my ride this time (only a small spot on my gear-changing hand this time).

Made it across town today, by bike, without incident. 🙂

Magazine on my *all* areas of study: Engineering, Design, and the Built Environment. The Education sources are also here at this library!