A Lesson in Mindfulness

A couple of days ago, I was so tired after dinner that I asked Anke if it was alright not help her do the washing up (even though she had been to work that day whereas I...hadn't!). I might even have mentioned that it was a pity she hadn't got a dish washer (I am a real pain in the arse sometimes). But in the last few days, I have repeatedly stumbled across the idea of mindfulness (both Anke and Marina are trying to stick to it+I read about it in differerent books and magazines). And I also learned that doing the washing up is actually a good way to practice mindfulness. So when Marina had to check her emails after dinner tonight, I just tried it. I did the washing up. Naturally, it wasn't my first time to do it but it was the first time for me to do it WHILE I WAS REALLY THERE. MENTALLY-WISE. It was a whole new experience and was actually...fun (in the sense that I really seemed to enjoy it). Eg. some views I had stroke me as strangely beautiful. After I had finished my task, I tried to imitate some of those "views" - although that wasn't really succesful. I'll post them anyway because they still convey (if somewhat evanesced) what I experienced:

My first week in Galway

I arrived in Galway last thursday, the 27th of February. It was hard to say good bye to my family and cats but tried to do it the short-and-sweet way so I wasn't all in tears the whole time. I started the journey with an annoying cold which turned into a full sickness during my travel affecting my ears (terrible aching during the flight, half deaf afterwards), my nose (constantly running - I'm still sorry for the poor fella who was sitting next to me on the bus to Galway), throat (sore), and lungs (painful cough).

As if this wasn't enough, my sister's kitten had disappeared the night before. It really was a dramatic start for me in Galway. But things started to improve by friday night with the kitten reappearing just 30 minutes before Anke's birthday (and it certainly would have been a sad birthday without him). By sunday I was feeling a lot better and I think I'll be completely fine again by next week when hopefully the only one running will be I and not my nose!

Due to my sickness, I haven't done much to find an employment for my time in Ireland. However, I managed to apply for my pps number and to update my application forms.

But even without a job I will be busy, I guess: all those things that I never got round to do are on my to do list now and lacking time is not a valid excuse for idleness any more!

I am very excited about staying here for such a long time and I hope it will give me a new perspective on things because in the end isn't this what travelling is all about?