Well, I'm a little late for St. Patrick's day, but you really have to hand it to the Irish -- just 60 miles from the greatest colonial power the world has ever seen and yet they have managed to keep their independence, although not without some bitter struggles.
St. Patrick arrived in 423 AD and started converting the locals to Catholicism. (There never were any snakes in Ireland; the myth refers to St. Patrick driving out the pagan religions, represented by a serpent.) By 600 AD, Catholicism was the primary religion, and remains so 1,500 years later.
Although the Normans (under William the Conqueror) invaded England in 1066, it was a hundred years before they took any interest in Ireland. In 1171, the Irish Kings swore fealty to King Henry II, with the Pope legitimizing this by declaring Ireland a "feudal possession of the Papacy under the overlordship of the Lord of Ireland." England then proceeded to ignore Ireland for the next 400 years.
When Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church of England, his claim on Ireland--as a "possession of the Papacy"--was in doubt. He set out to re-conquer Ireland, and have himself declared head of the Irish church as well. However, subduing Ireland took nearly a century (and two more monarchs), and the country remained predominantly Catholic. To counter this, the English encouraged Protestants to emigrate to Ireland, and established Penal laws to disenfranchise the Catholics and keep the Protestants in power.
This, naturally, led to a series of civil wars.
In 1800, the Protestants in Ireland voted to become part of the United Kingdom, and remained so until 1921. When Ireland finally won its independence back, the county of Ulster (which was primarily Protestant) elected to stay with the UK, becoming Northern Ireland. The ruling Protestants continued to suppress the Catholics, leading to an apartheid-like situation which brewed for the next 60 years.
This came to a head in the late 60s, as paramilitary groups like the Ulster Volunteers and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) waged guerilla warfare. As the violence increasingly spread to English soil, the UK introduced internment without trial, banned all marches, suspended and then disbanded the Northern Ireland government, and finally instituted martial law, all of which only served to escalate the violence further. It would be 27 years before a cease-fire could be brokered (the "Good Friday Accord" in 1998) and home rule restored to Northern Ireland. In that time, over 3,000 people were killed in what was sardonically known as "The Troubles."
Since 1999, the unionists and nationalists have shared power in a very fragile relationship. However, the violence isn't over: Just a year ago two British soldiers and a policeman were killed by Republican dissidents. Further, the residents are still divided over whether to belong to Ireland or the UK, so this issue is far from resolved.
Interesting side note: Ireland declared itself neutral in World War II (although many Irish volunteered for British forces, and the Irish government assisted the British in planning D-day). Churchill secretly offered to return Northern Ireland in exchange for Ireland's open support, but the Irish government did not trust Churchill and rejected the offer.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Scottish dogs
I guess I have to be a good UK citizen and give equal time to famous Scottish breeds (and one Welsh):
Corgis are the Queen's favorite, and they now all come stamped "By appointment to her Majesty the Queen."
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Sunday, March 28, 2010
English dogs
No, I'm not referring to the punk band (and odds are, neither were you). I missed Crufts, but with a Scottish terrier taking best in show in New York last month--and English breeds winning the previous four years--I thought I'd post a quick guide to English dogs:
 Airedale terrier |  |  Border collie |
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2 years late
I moved from Los Angeles to England on May 26, 2008. I just found out that on February 26, 2008, England had a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. It was the largest earthquake here in 25 years. I didn't even know England had earthquakes, but it turns out they have them all the time.
Still, the Richter scale is logarithmic, so the Northridge quake was some 50-times stronger then the 5.2 quake, and most quakes here are less than 2.0. And while Britain had 6 quakes in the past 30 days, California had 10 yesterday.
I'm just grateful the quake occurred before I arrived. Otherwise, I would never live it down.
Still, the Richter scale is logarithmic, so the Northridge quake was some 50-times stronger then the 5.2 quake, and most quakes here are less than 2.0. And while Britain had 6 quakes in the past 30 days, California had 10 yesterday.
I'm just grateful the quake occurred before I arrived. Otherwise, I would never live it down.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Bloody Sunday
On May 2, 1970, at Kent State University, the Ohio National Guard was called in to contain a student protest against the American invasion of Cambodia. On May 4, National Guard troops fired into the crowd, killing four and wounding nine others.
On June 13, 1970, President Nixon established the Scranton Commission, which issued its findings in September 1970, concluding that the Ohio National Guard shootings were unjustified and that "The Kent State tragedy must mark the last time...loaded rifles are issued to guardsmen confronting student demonstrators."
Posse Comitatus already prohibits the US military from being used for domestic law enforcement, although there is an exception for National Guard troops under a state governor.
Now compare that to...
On January 10, 1972, in Derry, Northern Ireland, the British Army Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights march. Thirteen people, seven of whom were teenagers, were killed, while 14 more were injured. (One later died.) Five of those wounded were shot in the back.
An inquiry was called and, in April 1972, concluded "there would have been no deaths if there had not been an illegal march."
In January 1998, on the 26th anniversary of what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday," Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new inquiry. In 2000, the inquiry opened with 116 days of public hearings. The judges retired in November 2004. In February 2008, the Secretary of State revealed that the inquiry was still costing £500,000 (US $750,000) per month. The report was expected in 2008, but on November 6 of that year, the chairman announced the report would take at least another year. In 2009, this was pushed to March 2010. It has not been published yet. The total cost for the inquiry is now over £200 million (US $300 million), more than half of the cost is believed to be legal bills.
The UK still has no restrictions on deploying the military against its own people.
On June 13, 1970, President Nixon established the Scranton Commission, which issued its findings in September 1970, concluding that the Ohio National Guard shootings were unjustified and that "The Kent State tragedy must mark the last time...loaded rifles are issued to guardsmen confronting student demonstrators."
Posse Comitatus already prohibits the US military from being used for domestic law enforcement, although there is an exception for National Guard troops under a state governor.
Now compare that to...
On January 10, 1972, in Derry, Northern Ireland, the British Army Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights march. Thirteen people, seven of whom were teenagers, were killed, while 14 more were injured. (One later died.) Five of those wounded were shot in the back.
An inquiry was called and, in April 1972, concluded "there would have been no deaths if there had not been an illegal march."
In January 1998, on the 26th anniversary of what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday," Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new inquiry. In 2000, the inquiry opened with 116 days of public hearings. The judges retired in November 2004. In February 2008, the Secretary of State revealed that the inquiry was still costing £500,000 (US $750,000) per month. The report was expected in 2008, but on November 6 of that year, the chairman announced the report would take at least another year. In 2009, this was pushed to March 2010. It has not been published yet. The total cost for the inquiry is now over £200 million (US $300 million), more than half of the cost is believed to be legal bills.
The UK still has no restrictions on deploying the military against its own people.
York in a day and a half
I had a weekend to kill, about £200 in my pocket, and I needed to replenish my soul...so I went to York.
How to describe York? Well, the University of York calls it "a historic European city," which makes me wonder what kind of jobs their English majors get. The York's visitor's bureau describes it as "one of Europe's most inspiring cities," which tells me who is hiring the English majors. York city council says, "York is truly ageless - a city for all time and all people," which is a bit over the top, while Wikipedia states it is "is a walled city situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire," which I guess is a little under the bottom. York was named the "2007 European Tourism City of the Year" but second place went to Gothenburg, Sweden, so I'm not sure how much credence to give it.
I could tell you the history of the town--which is a fascinating strata of civilizations: The Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxon, Vikings, and finally the Normans--but instead I'll try to explain it as I feel it.
Like the Earth spinning at 25,000 miles per hour beneath your feet, time also pins you and drags you forward, unnoticed but inexorably. You don't notice the Earth's rotation unless you're in space; you don't notice time unless you're in York.
Walking along the city walls, the Minster, the Shambles, the river: Somehow, in an infinite-number-of-monkeys sort of way, this city was built, piecemeal, in fits and starts and through many setbacks, to become a perfectly formed jigsaw puzzle, each piece locked in so tightly you can't imagine it being anywhere but York, and you can't imagine York being without it.
The Minster is the second largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe (the first being Cologne, Germany) and was built between 1230 and 1472--yes, nearly 250 years to complete. It is 518 feet long and its three towers are 200 ft high. It is known for its stained glass, some of which are bigger than tennis courts. It is an awesome--and humbling--spectacle.
The Shambles is actually a medieval street. The story is that before indoor plumbing, people threw their waste out the window into the street, so buildings jutted out for sanitary reasons. I suspect it was just an easy way to get a few more square feet without having to pay for the land. In any case, you can see there buildings practically touching, and you have to marvel at the fact that they're still standing.
The Guildhall was, sadly, destroyed by a German bomb in WW2, but it has been beautifully rebuilt and now houses the cheapest marketplace you've ever seen. The guild lords would be horrified.
And runner up for the strangest thing I've seen: A busker playing a piano in the middle of the sidewalk. I gave him a £l just for his audacity.
How to describe York? Well, the University of York calls it "a historic European city," which makes me wonder what kind of jobs their English majors get. The York's visitor's bureau describes it as "one of Europe's most inspiring cities," which tells me who is hiring the English majors. York city council says, "York is truly ageless - a city for all time and all people," which is a bit over the top, while Wikipedia states it is "is a walled city situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire," which I guess is a little under the bottom. York was named the "2007 European Tourism City of the Year" but second place went to Gothenburg, Sweden, so I'm not sure how much credence to give it.
I could tell you the history of the town--which is a fascinating strata of civilizations: The Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxon, Vikings, and finally the Normans--but instead I'll try to explain it as I feel it.
Like the Earth spinning at 25,000 miles per hour beneath your feet, time also pins you and drags you forward, unnoticed but inexorably. You don't notice the Earth's rotation unless you're in space; you don't notice time unless you're in York.
Walking along the city walls, the Minster, the Shambles, the river: Somehow, in an infinite-number-of-monkeys sort of way, this city was built, piecemeal, in fits and starts and through many setbacks, to become a perfectly formed jigsaw puzzle, each piece locked in so tightly you can't imagine it being anywhere but York, and you can't imagine York being without it.
The Minster is the second largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe (the first being Cologne, Germany) and was built between 1230 and 1472--yes, nearly 250 years to complete. It is 518 feet long and its three towers are 200 ft high. It is known for its stained glass, some of which are bigger than tennis courts. It is an awesome--and humbling--spectacle.
The Shambles is actually a medieval street. The story is that before indoor plumbing, people threw their waste out the window into the street, so buildings jutted out for sanitary reasons. I suspect it was just an easy way to get a few more square feet without having to pay for the land. In any case, you can see there buildings practically touching, and you have to marvel at the fact that they're still standing.
The Guildhall was, sadly, destroyed by a German bomb in WW2, but it has been beautifully rebuilt and now houses the cheapest marketplace you've ever seen. The guild lords would be horrified.
And runner up for the strangest thing I've seen: A busker playing a piano in the middle of the sidewalk. I gave him a £l just for his audacity.
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| Click to view all my snaps |
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Fat Duck
Finishing up on our trilogy of British gastronomic delights, I'd like to introduce you to The Fat Duck, in Berkshire, England, named the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005.
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
More English foods
Bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, black pudding, and now faggots -- you think you know everything about English cuisine?
- Mushy peas are dried marrowfat peas which are first soaked overnight in water and then simmered with a little sugar and salt until they form a thick grey lumpy soup. Artificial colours results in bright green mushy peas.
- Piccalilli is a bright yellow relish of pickled cauliflower and vegetable marrow (squash) and seasonings of mustard and turmeric. (Pennsylvania Dutch have a similar dish called chow chow.)
- Lancashire hotpot is a casserole dish of lamb or mutton, onion, potatoes, and oysters, left to bake in the oven all day.
- Jellied eels are just that -- chopped eels boiled in a spiced stock that is allowed to cool and set, and can be eaten hot or cold. (In the 19th century, eels were common in the Thames, and were cheap and nutritious. Cooking releases proteins which solidify when cool to form a jelly.)
- Welsh rabbit (not rarebit) is a savoury sauce made from melted cheddar cheese, ale, mustard, ground cayenne pepper or paprika, and Worcestershire sauce, served hot over toasted bread. (Note the name was probably a slur against the Welsh -- in England the poor man's meat was rabbit; in Wales the poor man's meat was cheese.)
- "Toad in the hole" are sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding batter, served with vegetables and onion gravy.
- Pease pudding (or pease porridge) is kind of like baked split pea soup, using yellow peas, which has the same consistency of hummus. Left-over pease pudding can be eaten hot or cold, just like the nursery rhyme.
Monday, March 22, 2010
English tarts
If you thought scones were an English dessert, you don't know dick:
- Bakewell tart is a small pastry filled with eggs and ground almonds, covered with jam
- Banoffee pie is pastry filled with bananas, toffee, cream and boiled condensed milk
- Bread and butter pudding - not to be confused with bread pudding - are slices of buttered bread scattered with raisins, covered with an egg and milk mixture, and baked. (For bread pudding you use stale bread that is soaked and squeezed dry--but that's a French thing.)
- Christmas pudding (or plum pudding) is usually made with suet (beef fat), dried fruit and nuts, steamed, and served with hard sauce (butter and sugar creamed with rum, brandy, or whiskey).
- Clotted cream is a thick yellow cream made by heating unpasteurised cow's milk and then leaving it in shallow pans for several hours, until the cream rises forms buttery "clots." (It has a minimum fat content of 55%, and is fantastic on scones.)
- Crumble is stewed fruit (such as apples or rhubarb) topped with a crumbly mixture of butter, flour, and sugar and baked until crisp
- Eccles cake is a small, round cake made from puff pastry, filled with currants (small raisins), and topped with demerara (turbinado) sugar.
- Fool is puréed fruit (typically gooseberries) mixed with whipped cream and sugar
- Jam Roly-Poly is a flat-rolled suet pudding, which is then spread with jam and rolled up.
- Mince pies are filled with mincemeat, a preserve containing apple, raisins, sultanas, and spices. These are served in individual portions, and were once banned in England.
- Spotted dick is a pudding made from suet and currants. (The "spotted" part is easy, but nobody really knows why it's called "dick.")
- Sticky toffee pudding is a moist sponge cake, sometimes made with finely chopped dates or prunes, covered in a toffee sauce.
- Summer pudding is stale slices of white bread layered in a deep bowl filled with berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, and blackberries, then refrigerated until the fruit juice has soaked into the bread.
- Trifle is made from layers of sponge cake, fruit, thick custard, and whipped cream
- Treacle tart is a shortcrust pastry with a filling of golden syrup (similar to corn syrup), lemon butter, and breadcrumbs, served warm with cream.
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