Broke in Armagh...

Well folks, the crunch is definitely ON. Literally, LITERALLY all I have talked about since my arrival here is the Price of Things and the Price of Things to Come. Ironic, since people here certainly have more money than people in Berlin, but I guess if you stand to lose more by the dreaded R word then you're justified in having a bit of a moan. But Jaysus, it does get a little dull and makes me appreciate the very non-financial orientated vibe in Berlin.

I have just realised the massive hypocrisy of criticising people for talking only about money in a blog more or less solely concerned with my own financial situation so I will stop.

It is so nice to be here, which makes the recent violence even more horrific. And so unjustifiable it makes my blood run cold. This is not what Northern Ireland wants and anyone who would consider a return to the Troubles as a remotely acceptable option has abdicated any right to represent us. I think the wife of the murdered policeman puts the pointless horror of it best, saying "A good husband has been taken away from me, and my life has been destroyed. And what for? A piece of land that my husband is only going to get six feet of." Not in my name, you bloody well don't. What is immensely heartening (if anything coming from such awfulness can be seen as heartening. What kind of a person can view a pizza delivery guy as a "collaborator"?) is the unanimous condemning of both the attack at the barracks and Craigavon from everyone, apart from maybe a few bored kids who have blindly swallowed another generation's prejudices. We are not that country anymore, and I really, really hope that the political system is secure enough for it to stay that way.