So just a disclaimer because I don't know who is reading this but my method of talking to people isn't exactly scientific. I just want to hear what random people have to say...and know that some people will have a lot to say and some won't have anything.
also for those of you who don't know me you should probably know that I'm not the best at cold opens. I am scared at the thought of rejection and nervous talk and am basically a spaz when it comes to talking to strangers about something only I care about. So that was one of my big goals for this trip as a whole--actually talk to people. That is stepping out side of my comfort zone. Granted so is all of this experience but just trust me.
So below are the synopses of the students I talked to at Trinity College today. Overwhelmingly there was no consistancy in most of their answers...except no one really cared about climate change.
#1 Paul
One of the major themes he talked about was his generation. That was his response to a lot of my questions. Early on he said that he has always felt European, he loves being Irish and everything but he always felt European. He said that Ryan Air had a lot to do with that. So to me I took that as traveling was a big compenent of feeling a part of Europe. I asked him about bigger issues in Europe and how he saw Ireland as a product of that, specifically climate change and the migrant overflow (and then I said is this migrant overflow something that you feel a part of in Ireland, because obviously in America we don't see it as "our" problem it is, more broadly "Europe's problem."
His response was interesting, he said that he is used to a lot of races and that he has met a lot of good people that were racist, but that they were against so many different people. He said there was a little riff with Eastern Europeans (who are, interestingly enough also part of the EU) but that people had reasons who being racist against certain people and that is largely do to lack of education and it is the states job to educate people to not be racist. He said that it isn't like the states where it is basically just blacks and whites. So thats good. Hey America--you're being called out by a random Irish guy eating lunch for being racist...in a bad way. Figure it out America.
#2 Kate
Kate just finished a four year biology degree and doesn't see climate change as something that can be done on an individual level. She's leaving it up to the government.
She gave some different ideas which was really interesting. She feels more Irish than anything relating to the EU as a whole. If anything, she feels closer to other English speaking countries like Austrailia and the US. Which is great becasue it took me like five tries to get her name right...reminder her name is Kate, I really thought it was Case. Anyway she felt like there were too many cultures to really have a sense of identity.
Then I asked about the big vote in Ireland, asking "do you think that other countries are looking at you guys and saying yes I want to be a part of that!" And she said yeah, but if it this same vote happened in any other country outside of the EU she would have the same reaction to if it had happened to a country in the EU.
Then I asked about the migrants, because this has been a topic I just want to know more about recently because it is really emotional and I've been seeing signs around the city saying "public discourse: what to do with the migrants" This is when Kate switched to "we." She said that Ireland was fortunate that they don't have these border control problems like these other countries do. But she is glad that Europe is trying to help more than the contries in the Pacific that are just hard and fast saying "no." We both agreed that it was a terrible thing and it is really making us sad.
Kate thinks that the EU is starting to decline.
Kate was nice.
#3 Fiona
Again with my grace on entering into these conversations. Unbeatable.
Fiona was about ten minutes away from taking an exam so we were brief and she talked in absolutes.
She is half French, but definitely does not feel European. She feels Irish and like the places where she lived (a little French but also UK).
Again we have a overwhelming feeling that the climate change is not her problem and that the legistlation really does not affect her.
However, because now this is just something I have to ask about to see if people have any kind of connection to the news...the migrant problem IS Europe's problem. It is more a problem for Spain and France, italy and Greece but everyone feels it. So this leads me to think (as this is a small theme) that this sense of urgency is really something that is a common European threat...and when I bring up climate change there isn't a sense of urgency among the random people I am pulling over. Maybe I will randomly pull over an environmental enthusiest.
I need to be more casual. But so far everyone has been nice. Good call on starting in an English speaking country Amanda.
#4 Fiona
The name of the day is Fiona...she is from Northern Ireland and a little bit harder for me to understand. But some of the big take aways
Dublin feels a million miles away from Brussels. She is glad they are taking proactive measures of issues but does not really feel the impact of them.
She doesn't really feel European, she feels Irish but she is glad that Ireland is a part of the EU and hopes that England doesn't leave and that would be bad.
She asked if this was my thesis and I panicked because I wasn't prepared to explain the program so if anyone asks...this is my masters thesis. I am the worst at interviewing people. Baby steps though...I have to learn to talk to people at some point in my life.
#5 Leo
Leo was nice. He made probably the best analogy so far. That the other countries in the EU are like siblings. "I'm myself and I have my brother. We are each our own but we depend on each other for things." He feels very Irish and used that in his analogy as well that he was not going to stop feeling Irish like his brother won't stop feeling like his brother and that's okay.
He admits that he doesn't know much about EU legislation (which is fine I'm not judging anyone on that), but he is glad that they are doing it.
I asked about the dynamic between Eastern and Western Europe and he said that he definitely saw that divide (I said that the articles that I've read from Western Europe are more leaning towards "yes we are a united Europe--where as Eastern writers take the "wait, hold on, what about us...you are united with us" side.)
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