Yes ......I used to live in Brussels for a while too. It was when I was 19 going on 20 and I was so glad to get away from Ireland. I remember how I felt, on the day I got to the metro exit, with Mary who had collected me from the airport. It was like being in Hollywood - like being on a movie set.
Wow .....it felt wonderful......I could finally be the person I wanted to be and not somebody else's idea of who I should be.
However I continued to be fairly reserved and felt a bit awkward with my Cork accent. Although I had always taken care with my diction, what I perhaps didn't appreciate at that time, was that many people really loved the way I spoke - to them it was different.
I had studied and loved the French language whilst at school and here I was in a place where I could speak the language. Trouble was those blasted Belgians just spoke it far too quickly and so it was a real struggle.
I was an "au-pair" to Chris and Mary and looked after their little 9 month old son, Shane. He was a very cute and fortunately for me, quite a placid baby. It was a shock when I saw him years later back in Ireland and he had grown up to be a fine good looking well mannered young man. He is probably married now with kids. I had a gay old time in Brussels but some awful experiences too but i got over them, as you have to in order that you can move on.
Eventually I realized that as I was not sufficiently motivated to get to grips with the French language and so it seemed best to try to get work in London (which I had visited for a weekend and just loved) and so I did .
I became house keeper to an architect in a lovely house in Teddington, Middlesex and I have to say not a very good one. That poor man. I mean I was only a few years older than his eldest daughter. I must say though that I got along with the children of the family very well.
We used to have a great time but eventually I had to go and I moved up to London "proper" where I was able to continue my hectic social life and just enjoy myself. A few years down the line after several mis adventures I started my full time academic studies and that was the beginning of the saving of Miss Aine Scannell !!!
picture provided through Peter Gutierrez on Flickr
Hi Aine, most delighted to meet you. Thank you for gracing me with your generous words and inviting me to participate in the tag. I do have a natural reticence that I work to overcome, so I appreciate very much the encouragement to share more. And yes, I will accept your tag. I could do with spreading my wings a little, too. I very much enjoyed discovering your blog. Your visual images are intriguing and compelling and I look forward to reading more of your blog.
ReplyDelete:) denise
Thanks for the heads up Aine. I had a look at the site in Browsershots to see what's going on, and it appears the sidebar is overlayed on the content section. Don't know why it suddenly did that, but trying to get it fixed now.
ReplyDeleteAine,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and for the invitation. I must say I don't know anything about the tag thing, or what Am I suppose to do. Could you explain to me what is it about. I enjoyed very much reading your blog, it is great to meet printmakers aroud the world.
Alynn Guerra