LOL to Orangefest: traditions in transition

No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions.

~ Octavio Paz

Our morning correspondent is Jessica Coleman:

We woke up on this beautiful morning anticipating a big day. Today was the day of the controversial Orange parades commemorating the victory of King William over James II. James II was a Catholic who attempted to become an absolute monarch by dissolving Parliament. Parliament wanted to limit the power of the English monarchs and would not accept their suspension lying down. They invited his son in law William of Orange, a Protestant, to be their king on the condition that he would accept a more limited role as king. William accepted and the power struggle between them played out on Irish soil. William finally defeated James at the Battle of the Boyne and assumed the throne in England.

As we rose from our beds, sleepy but eager to see the spectacle, we inhaled the delicious aroma of crepes. We hurried to the kitchen to receive our share, filling each crepe with raspberry and pineapple preserves. Mr. Bizga and Ms. Duarte further enhanced our morning feast with Mexican eggs mixed with peppers and onions. It was by far and without competition the best breakfast so far!

We started the long (and still not finished…oops) process of packing up for our move to Dublin. During our packing and search for many lost articles of clothing and accessories, we readied ourselves to observe the Orange Marches.

A short walk from our dorm took us to Lisburn Road where Northern Ireland’s largest parade would pass. When we arrived, the various groups of marchers, called “lodges,” were taking a break. After about five minutes, the marches resumed. Each man wore an orange sash outlined in purple with gold fringe around his neck. Each sash said LOL for Loyal Orange Lodge and had a number designating the specific lodge. Sarah pointed out that it was like Girl Scouts, except on a larger and much more mature scale.

Each LOL was introduced with a banner picturing a virtue representing the motto of their lodge. Often spotted were character traits such as “temperance” or “abstinence.” Following the car or people carrying these banners were the members of that lodge. Each lodge rents a traditional flute and drum band that marches behind them. The ages of the men marching in the Orange Order were older, mostly men in their fifties and sixties. The bands, however, were much more youthful with the average member around 20. It was ironic to see banner after banner proclaiming temperence to the assembled spectators who in return were toasting them with alcohol. It should be noted, however, that this was most definitely a family event for people of all ages. A few baton twirlers were as young as six while some men were too old to march and followed, waving to the spectators, in a cab.

The parade was interesting in many aspects. Although my overall notion of Northern Ireland is that it is socially progressive, this parade was not. For example, the demographic of the marchers was predominantly older men. We did see two or three groups of only women, but these generally represent support groups for the lodges. Recent news headlines recorded the declining number of members of the Orange Order. This was reflected in the parade, as some lodges had but three members. The parade, much to everyone’s disappointment, did not consist of candy throwing and fun floats reminding us of the parades of our childhood. Also, the bands did not play any modern melodies, but restrained their tunes to traditional Orange folksongs. The parade was much different than most similar spectacles in the States.

Nevertheless, it was an amazing opportunity to immerse ourselves with the Protestant community during their marching season. As the lodges marched past, loved ones followed after. We came across some people from the Lower Castlereagh Community Group and said our goodbyes after promising to stay in touch. We later saw Gareth’s brother who recognized us from helping at the bonfire festival two nights before. Like any small town in the States, if you stand on a street in Belfast long enough, you’re bound to see someone you know. Because of our friendly relations with both communities, this is certainly true in our case! A friend of ours from the nationalist community used us an excuse to observe the parade.

We will terribly miss Belfast and all of the amazing people who took time out of their equally hectic lives to meet us. We can’t wait to see Dublin, but we won’t forget anything we have learned or experienced here! I know I speak for everyone here that we miss everyone at home as well!! –Me!

Our afternoon correspondent is Gabrielle Belli:

We left the parades, and most of us went back to the dorms while Pat and Ryan went out shopping for a little bit with Mr. Bizga. All of us at home needed to catch up on homework, yet again. Sonja came into my room, as usual, and we read together for a few hours. While I finished Reading in the Dark, Sonja ended up falling asleep for a good half hour in my bed. I think if everyone had the opportunity for free time like that, we would all sleep. It’s been a very long trip.

A weight was lifted off our shoulders after we had our final classes in the dorms. Ms. Duarte gave us a reading quiz on the book, and we did a couple of exercises in preparation for our final paper. Our assignment is to write a poem solely with lines from the book that exemplifies a theme or character in the novel. The paper won’t be due until after we get home, much to our relief. We then talked to Mr. Bizga about our 200-point final exam that we would hopefully take in early August and the guidelines of the final paper.

A few of us went back to our rooms to finish homework and begin packing while some people started dinner. For the first time ever, I actually packed up early; I finished packing within an hour on my own. Mom and Dad, I hope you’re proud of me. I only had to use one more duffel bag in addition to my 75-pound suitcase to fit everything. Plus, I had something to look forward to.

Tonight was pasta night! I could eat pasta five days a week and be perfectly content. It was a great last meal. We had penne with red sauce, homemade meatballs, salad, and a cool French tomato salad Mr. Bizga made. I wasn’t brave enough to eat it, though. One of the main ingredients is Dijon mustard, and here in Northern Ireland Dijon mustard is closer to wasabi than regular Dijon. However, I made up for the lost side dish with about a pound of meatballs. We sang during dinner and cleanup as usual. Tonight’s playlist was filled with classics like Elton John and the Beatles.

Packing up was next on our to-do list. We wrapped all the kitchen supplies in newspaper and bagged them within 15 minutes. There was a little dilemma, though; we ran out of small plastic bags halfway through. But thanks to Mama Belli’s crafty packing skills, I had “Handy-Sacks” with me. According to the package, they have 101 uses, and apparently packing up a kitchen is one of them. We’ve all decided that there must be a Mrs. Belli store somewhere magical, because nobody can figure out where she buys things like that.

Much love from Belfast, for the last time- Gabrielle.

Quote of the day: “We used to always play fantasy land on my jungle gym. I was the black cat and she was the princess, and I always used to save her.” -Tom