Dooblin

Matt and i walked around the city today. It appears that Dublin has become some kind of international hitching post. I don't know if this has only happened in the last few years or if it was always like this. My guess would be that when it became an E.U. member and opened its borders to multinational corporations the droves of international visitors crashed like waves upon Dublin's streets.

At one point while strolling by the canal i looked over to my left and saw 3 or 4 blocks dedicated to modern business offices. Smart looking buildings made of large glass windows, matte steel supports and wood paneled overhangs. Your basic modern building. But i found it interesting that these buildings were built in complete disregard for the rest of Dublin's many stone and brick structures.

I understand what these buildings are meant to represent. Its the new "we mean business Dublin" look. I understand that Citicorp execs. want their employees to be equipped with the latest in office building trends. I know that these execs. understand that by creating a sterile environment for their employees to work in they are in fact encouraging them to catch the capitalist spirit of "work hard, produce more".

Today was a cynical day for me. Cities do that to me sometimes. Add to that being jetlagged and having my critical brother along and you have a bad combo. I enjoy criticism (and think it is actually a very useful tool for any thinking person) but today was a bit much. Matt and I talked about America, capitalism, community, and the stories our culture was telling the rest of the world about us. There were high points in the conversations but it became a too much after a while.

Maybe a pint of Guinness will help to lighten the mood. Matt told me that the people at Guinness don't even consider Guinness to be "good" unless its within 15 miles of where it was brewed. I think the brewery at Saint James Gate is only a mile or less away. I'll let you know how it goes.

Matt in the city centre with 8 mil. in hand.