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| | the great american roadtrip? hmm...i had to interview an international student and do a profile on them for creative non-fiction. of all the possibilities...hahaha.
The Great American Roadtrip.
Pushing his shaggy, auburn curls across his forehead with his fingertips, Conor McNally asked, "Do you party hard, Ashley?"
On the first day of Eng 215, Conor appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary--a typical American college student, besides the slight foreign touch his European football jersey added. No one took any special notice in him, sitting in the back of the class, quite relaxed. He looked like he'd been here for years. But when it was his turn to talk about himself in class, it all changed. His thick Irish accent came pouring out in quick, stammering sentences, and all heads turned to see the "boy with the accent." After a few trys, Conor managed to communicate that he was fresh off the plane from Ireland, arriving only three days before classes began. He was not impressed so far with North Carolina, to say the least. But then again, it had only been a week.
His only other exposure to America up to this point was a brief trip to New York City.
"Do you party hard?" he asked, interrupting my memories of my first encounter with him, which was only weeks prior to our conversation. I decided to ignore his pressing question and choose another topic. After all, I had never met anyone really from Ireland before.
"I loved growing up in Belfast. The humour amongst my friends and the majority of people I come across is definitely different to what I've come across in the States, so far--I have only been here a month. But people here seem A LOT more sensitive and easier to offend. There isn't a lot of cursing here either or a whole lot of drinking and drugs." That makes sense. Obscene jokes, constant cursing and crazy parties ignited his teenage years, leaving Conor with many fond memories of home. I can say this with surety from the wistful manner he relates his extra-curricular activities back home, including his many assisting adjectives in the delivery. "I really do find myself having to be more reserved and I find it very easy to shock people with jokes, etc. when that isn't my intention." I have no idea why.
"Do you party? You know, party hard?" he asked me, after only a few more minutes of conversation. Avoiding the topic once again, we went on to why he decided to come here. What made him chose to come to America? His answer is one of the most interesting reasons I cold have ever imagined I would hear.
"I went backpacking for six months in Australia. It was probably the best six months I've ever had in consistence. Unbelievable fun. So many beautiful girls, mainly Swedish, and loads of interesting characters." Conor not only saw many beautiful Swedish girls, but also that blessed movie depicting college life as amazing parties, one night stands with beautiful girls, and porno tapes--Road Trip. With it, he decided America was the place for him. Six weeks later, her was off to...
"I didn't actually choose to study at State for any particular reason, I only had a few options and I originally thought I was coming to UNC. No joke." He surprisingly takes it with a laugh, his main qualm about it all being the fact that there aren't enough parties. And, the drinking laws, something poor twenty year-old Conor will have to endure either until April or until his friend from back home ships him a fake ID.
"Do you know any parties, you know partying hard? Hard partying parties going on this weekend?" he asked, once again, in the middle of a sentence. After assuring him that I did not in fact know of any parties and that I did not "party party hard," he refrained from asking any more, but was obviously confused about why I wouldn't know these things. Suddenly, the conversation got much more serious.
"The bad thing about Belfast is the sectarianism. If you meet the wrong people in a nightclub or end up in an area of varied religion you will get beaten up or worse. I am a Catholic so when I was growing up I would receive peer pressure to hate Protestants, etc. I live in an area in Belfast also in which large Protestant areas lie directly beside Catholic areas and so growing up I would be involved in fighting or being chased by other groups when you're simply going to a friend's etc. Everyone gets very used to living this way though." I had heard of the religion dichotomy before in Ireland, but never really understood what it was like. When Conor asked me what kind of Christian I was, I wasn't sure how to reply. When he said he was Catholic, I figured out what he was talking about. Then, I got nervous, I didn't want him to hit me. "I used to be Catholic," I said, "But I'm Protestant now." He didn't mind at all.
Going on, Conor explained how it was just the normal way of life, growing up in Belfast, "for example you know not to wear a certain football top in certain areas because some are directly linked with being either Protestant or Catholic. The Celtic Football Club is affiliated with Catholics and Rangers Football Club with Protestants. It is strange to go to other countries where this doesn't exist, although I know in America there is a lot of racism and violence in general." He didn't elaborate, but it was obvious that he had an understanding of this element of American culture prior to coming here. From there, we had a lovely conversation, discussing trivial things such as politics, news coverage, Bush and transubstantiation.
I asked what his impressions of the country were so far. But, in a month of living here, Conor hasn't left State's campus. He would like to though, because he's heard that there are some killer parties at off-campus houses. He's hoping to make some American friends so that he can party with them. I wished him the best of luck.
Although Conor is still getting used to his boring life in America, he has a pretty good attitude about it all. Who knows, if he does decide to stick it out and stay, he may even make it to UNC.
As he walked away, Conor turned to me with a bewildered smile and said, "That was the most serious conversation I've had since I've gotten here." I couldn't help but laugh.
| | | Posted 10/16/2006 10:45 PM - 7 comments
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