Saturday, March 16, 2013

Mo Ghile Mear

If you'd like to help yourself with a cup of tea, it will give you something to do while I blabber.

Servez-vous une tasse de thé pendant que je bavarde... Cela vous fera passer le temps!


We don't celebrate Saint-Patrick's Day in France, except in all the Irish pubs, of course!

But I have a little personal celebration, because my last trip to Ireland was a life changing one.

La Saint-Patrick, c'est la fête nationale des Irlandais, et j'ai une raison tout particulière de la célébrer.

Lors de mon dernier voyage en Irlande, j'ai pris des décisions qui ont changé ma vie du tout au tout.


During that trip I took three very important decisions.

I didn't actually act on impulse.

It's more like the trip triggered the decisions.

Picture yourself on your sofa at the end of the day, watching a film that is not great, but ok. You know all along  you could watch something way better that you have on DVD, but that would mean getting your butt out of the sofa and you're just too lazy or too tired to do it. When the commercial breaks blasts loudly in your ears with the exact same commercials as the last time, you finally gather the energy to grab the perfect DVD. Does it ever happen to you?

My trip to Ireland was that commercial break.

Je n'ai pas pris ces décisions sur un coup de tête en une semaine de voyage... C'était là dans un coin de mon cerveau depuis un moment dans une sorte d'épais brouillard et tout un coup, l'Irlande a dissipé ce brouillard et m'a permis de voir clair... Assez ironique d'ailleurs, car la météo cette semaine-là, n'était pas vraiment au beau temps, comme les photos vous le prouvent!


I decided to end the relationship I was in. It's a big decision to make when you're thirty (which I already was at the time). But I had seen that coming for a while already. During the trip, it became clear that if I couldn't find magic anymore in a realtionship while on this magical island, it was no use to keep trying. Magic is very important.

J'ai décidé de redevenir célibataire. La magie, c'est très important, et il n'y en avait plus dans ma relation.

 I also decided if I wanted to be happy I needed to be in a celtic land because they have magic. Brittany immediately came to my mind. In France,if you're a state teacher like I am, you have to fill in "wish" files when you want to change the area you teach in. Two months after those holidays, I "wished" for Brittany and I got it. It was the first and only times one of my "job wish" was granted! - Magic! (did I tell you it's very important?)- I also wished for a permanent position but they only needed substitutes, so that's what  I am for now!

J'ai aussi compris qu'il me fallait vivre en territoire celtique près de la mer. A mon retour, j'ai demandé une mutation. La Bretagne? Impossible à avoir me disait-on. Mais surprise, je l'ai eue! Ne vous avais-je pas dit que la magie, c'est  très important?


 Last, I decided that I needed to learn how to drive. It seems unrelated, but it isn't. I hated driving. I was perfectly comfortable with someone else driving for me. But becoming single again meant I either couldn't move anymore or I had to drive. I was aware chances of finding a job in Brittany were scarce, chances of finding a permanent one were close to nul. "I need a car!" Oh, my! Did people make fun of me when I said this! But, magic happened again, because I somehow learnt how to drive and I even enjoy it now. So let's repeat after me: magic is very .... (Important! Who wasn't following the demonstration?)


Finalement, j'ai décidé d'apprendre à conduire: ça a l'air sans aucun rapport, mais il y en a un. Quitter la région parisienne en tant que célibataire m'y obligeait. Toute ma famille a bien ri quand j'ai annoncé ça, pensant que je n'y parviendrais jamais. Et au grand étonnement de tous, non seulement je conduis, mais j'aime ça. Là encore, je dirais que la magie, c'est très... (important, bon sang! Qui ne suivait pas?)
 

So every year, I make a point to bake or cook an Irish recipe...  Check this year's  recipe: Tea Brack A La Magali!

I hope you at least enjoyed the pictures while I was pouring my heart out to you!

Chaque année, je cuisine donc irlandais pour la Saint Patrick, une sorte d'hommage à ce voyage. A tout bientôt, donc, pour ma recette de Tea Brack

Merci de votre visite.

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19 comments:

  1. Good morning Magali!!!
    What a beautiful post - those photos are just amazing!!!
    And I agree - magic is extremely important.
    I've always wanted to go to Ireland - and it seems such a shame that I've been to Paris so many times and Ireland is soooo close!
    It's my heritage - I have to make it a point to get there -
    Need some magic for it to happen I think - so I'm going to start wishing ( with all my might )
    Have a happy St. Patrick's day - because he certainly blessed you, my friend!
    XOX

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  2. Your shots of Brittany are beautiful. I love the rainbow looking as though it is a shooting star heading towards the sea. Magic is essential in our lives, it brings smiles and melts hearts. It certainly sounds as though you are going to have a magical life where you now are. Enjoy! Chel x

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  3. Hello Magali, what a beautiful post!! Magic is what helps us and guides us in decision making in our lives. I like you and I like the way you write, the honesty and 'realness' is warm and true. I wish you all the very best Magali.

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    1. Do you know where I could buy one of those cups. I just love the design and colour.

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  4. Ahh, it takes a lot of courage to make changes too. I'm glad those doors opened for you. I have never been to Ireland, but I have ancestors from there. The earliest, Patrick Sullivan, my maternal grandfather X 5, came from County Cork in 1819 to Wisconsin, my home state. My paternal great-grandparents, the Harringtons, also emigrated from Ireland. I may never get there, but I always wear green on St. Paddy's Day!

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  5. Félicitations pour toutes ces décisions qui bouleversent certainement ton quotidien de manière radicale .Mais tu dois être bien jeune encore pour changer du tout au tout .
    J'aimerais avoir ta force de caractère pour tout remmettre en question .
    Bises & bon week end . Babette

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    1. Je suis très flattée de ce commentaire... Ma grand-mère me trouve toujours très jeune et mes élèves me trouvent très vieille... Comme quoi tout est relatif!
      Bon week-end,
      Magali

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  6. Hi Magali, well it's lovely to hear you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in your own way. Sounds like you found a little 'luck of the Irish' when you were here, I am very glad things worked out for you...

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  7. Cuddling instants of purity, with just a cup of... coffee, and you, showing the beautiful way. Thanks a lot, and please, do keep on !

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    1. Ah, the cup of coffee gave you away. I'm really flattered a French colleague took the time to check the blog and I'm also very uncomfortable that you chose the day I wrote a personal post, which is really rare!Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your... coffee!

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  8. Magic indeed! We all need a touch of that in our lives. Along with some magic comes personal strength, you have lots of that too! Wishing you all the best. in your future. Patty/BC

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    1. Thank you so much for that sweet comment. Wishing you the most magical Sunday,
      Magali

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  9. i loved the story, the view and the tea! thankyou :)

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  10. What a touching post. I am glad that you were inspired to make life changes that would bring you happiness. I wish and pray that your life long dreams will be fulfilled. I have never been to Ireland, but oh is it ever on my 'to do someday' list. Your pictures are as gorgeous as I imagine it to be. Happy to be following you.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  11. I was in Ireland in 2009 and it changed my life as well. I live in USA but am of Irish heritage. I loved it there and would go back to live if it was anywhere near practical. I made a few life changing decisions from my time there...you are absolutely right...you must have the magic. It is very important.

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  12. Oh what a lovely rainbow. I had falsely assumed you were from Brittany so I have that straight now! Have a great day!

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  13. Oui, bon, parfois le célibat a du bon... mais partager une cup of tea avec un amoureux, c'est sympa aussi...
    Mary

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  14. I do believe in magic and the invisible hands that are helping people onto the path they are meant to be walking on. There is no coincidence.

    I think you are meant to be in the place where you want to be.

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  15. Everyone needs a little magic. I'm glad that you found some. My husband and I visited Ireland once. It was our first trip out of the US together and for me it was magic. It was the one place I had ALWAYS wanted to visit. And I would return in a heartbeat.
    Making a decision like you did was a brave one. Some people would just rather be in a relationship rather than leave one that isn't working. I'm sure it wasn't easy but if in the end you are happier, then it was worth it.

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