It has been a good week so far. Classes have brought some intense material. We're learning more and more about the conflict and how it destroyed peoples' lives and how divided people still are to this day.
Yesterday we took a fieldtrip to Derry/Londonderry. The girls interning in Derry met with their internship supervisors while the rest of us grabbed a snack and explored a little. We went up and visited St. Columbs Cathedral and around the Bishops Gate and saw an incredible view of the city from on top of it.
A little bit later when we were all reunited, we met up with a tour guide who started at the historic walls of Derry and gave us a bit of history. We then stopped in the Verbal Arts centre for a cup of coffee and handed back out onto the Bishops Gate. We circled around through the Protestant section of the city, back through the Bishops Gate down into the Catholic section of the city. It's sad that the city is still so divided, literally by physical barriers. They are called Peace walls but that's not what they are in my opinion.
After having lunch in a community centre in the Bogside, we made our way along a street in the Catholic section and saw all the murals depicting scenes from the troubles or dedicated to victims of the troubles. They were really interesting. Our tour guide was a great guy and seemed very passionate and connected to the history of his country. He then brought us to the Museum of Free Derry . It's dedicated to the telling of one side of the story and a special part is for Bloody Sunday.
It was a very long and emotionally charged day. There's just something about being there and seeing the exact spot where someone was killed. It was hard for me not to take sides after hearing more about Bloody Sunday and watching a movie about it. However, it's not about taking sides. That's the opposite of what people need to do. What needs to happen is people accepting their differences and choosing to come together and move forward.
Today was also emotional as we reflected about what we saw and heard in Derry. We also watched a movie called Five Minutes in Heaven. It stars Liam Neeson and is about all the consequences that come with one's choices, specifically killing someone.
Tonight we are heading to the Anchor Bar in Portrush and this weekend.. who knows! It's an adventure.
Cheers.
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