"Santa" is an Americanism - in the UK its "Father Christmas" isnt it?

[janmoomoo]

Or am I being pedantic?

With a can of heiny in his paw and a sausage roll in his anorak pocket. (his last meal!)

Did you see the recent documentary about him on rté?

You'd never know him, would you?

Very intelligent, very ruthless and completely out for himself.

Typical politician, I guess, but he did the, 'I'm a man of the people' 'A boy from the Northside made good'

Charlie taught him well.

meant to put he did the man of the people thing very well.

I've had a drink [end of the week and all that]

I'm English, and when I was young, it was always Father Christmas. However, people seem to switch between the two names all the time, so I'm quite happy saying either.

Sitting on the fence? Never.

I'm also having a wee drinky. WIne in a tumbler. Classsssss! It reminded me of being in Mildred's restaurant in greek st (?) ah sometimes I miss Landan!

Where's Ireland's Barack Obama??? THat's what I want to know. We need somebody charismatic but honest with good policies to traipse in and save the day. I am waiting.

It's a small tumbler. ACtually it was a nutella jar. So not massive at all in case you thought I was a lush and a poor embassador for Ireland. Tiny trickle of wine, that's all.

How are you finding being back home, Liffey?

Maybe it is impossible to stay principalled once you get the power

It took me a good ten months to reassimilate Tnog. After 15 yrs in blighty I honestly felt about 35% English. I kept walking about thinking 'I'm in Ireland'. Everybody sounded SO Irish. Even my parents sounded ludicrously Irish. I felt like saying Stop exaggerating your accents! And my parents have very soft accents. I have settled back here though. To start with though I felt foreign or something like foreign. Self-conscious about being Irish? In shops, I kept handing over a ten euro note in panic because I couldn't count out the cents quickly enough. I would open a newspaper and I hadn't a clue who Katy French or Brian Lenihan were. Before, when I'd been home, it was just a mad tailspin of fitting everybody in. I knew I was going back. It was odd for a while, thinking; this is it, I'm not going back. But NOW, I'm glad. I'm going to book and pay for my plot in a cemetary in Wicklow, wild horses won't drag me more than four miles away from Kilmacanogue now.

I hope my dd is going to be the first female Taoiseach to have principals, honesty and charisma. She was born in England though. I might have to Tipp-ex over her birth cert. Or will it not matter?!

What an essay! I got carried away there. You were expecting 'grand thanks!'

I can understand how you feel.

I lived in England for a little while after leaving art school and studied in Manchester, was there for about 3 years.

Really liked it and found mancunians lovely on the whole, but it would never be home, culturally very different and not where I wanted to settle.

It takes time to find your niche, to feel at ease with yourself especially when you come back to such a changed country.

I'm in Co.Wicklow too, a bit further along the coast than you though.

We moved here from Dublin about 8 or so years ago after I had a nervous breakdown...long story.

I think for all the changes good and bad Ireland is still a fantastic place to live, there is still [just about] a laid-back attitude and a time to stop and chat.

Your daughter has Irish blood flowing through her veins, it doesn't matter where she was born it's where she lives now, where her roots will be, she can be whatever she wants to be.

Yes, outside of Dublin people are still friendly and kind. I didn't have an NB, but when I came back here, having left the x with a rucksack and two children, people were so kind. They were turning up on m&d's doorstep with toys for the children, supposedly old things but some of them clearly new! and vouchers for me because they knew I'd no clothes! (long story, left the x, bad circumstances, much better now). Have had rough couple of years, but people are on the whole very kind! In real life! they can be dead chppy on mumsnet and rollercoaster, but I bet the same people in real life would be handing you a tissue and saying there there!

Not to say that Dubliners aren't nice too, but they don't have that who are you what's your name what's wrong with you and can I fix it attitude!

Liffey, that sounds very tough.

I think given the opportunity most people are kind and in whatever way want to help others, but life can by times grind you down, makes it difficult to think of others, people come to the table with all sorts of baggage, people are sometimes just so caught up with their own problems and I guess that's where MN can be a wonnderful place to off-load anonymously.

I get a bit overwhelmed sometimes with the whole forum and am forever taking huge steps away from the computer, I'm too sensitive and eaisly depressed, I need to see the bright side, laugh and joke otherwise I end up in a very dark hole.

You sound very strong and lovely with a great sense of humour,Liffey, your children are very lucky to have you.

Liffey, that sounds very tough.

I think given the opportunity most people are kind and in whatever way want to help others, but life can by times grind you down, makes it difficult to think of others, people come to the table with all sorts of baggage, people are sometimes just so caught up with their own problems and I guess that's where MN can be a wonnderful place to off-load anonymously.

I get a bit overwhelmed sometimes with the whole forum and am forever taking huge steps away from the computer, I'm too sensitive and eaisly depressed, I need to see the bright side, laugh and joke otherwise I end up in a very dark hole.

You sound very strong and lovely with a great sense of humour,Liffey, your children are very lucky to have you.

feck

Thanks Tnog. It was worth saying twice! I know we're lucky really. We escaped from an angry man, and we've nothing materially, but we are healthy, happy, and I have a plan for the future I sound like one of the prossies from 'pretty woman'.

It is scary on forums sometimes, how posters pile in, one after the other to take another swipe at somebody. I know that's been me on occassion (on rollercoaster) and you can't stop yourself going back to it! Getting upset, but still looking to see who's said what about you. You're right, step away! Stay a bit detached from it.

I only see your name occassionally. You post in moderation! I@m on here FAR too much.

Well, in Germany Saint Nicolas (der Nikolaus) comes on the 6th of December and Father Christmas/ Santa Claus (der Weihnachtsmann) comes on the 24th....lol...

No idea what the original english version is....and don't really care...lol

It's important to have a plan.

Keep looking ahead to the future.

Have you ever climbed the Sugarloaf?

I know exactly what you mean about feeling hurt by words printed on the screen, if people can post positive things that help you, then equally words that are posted in haste and judgement and without sensitivity can crush.

the conversation had so moved on, hadn't it....

Geansai -

lol Bella, you really do enjoy calling me Slut, don't ya

I just can't resist it. I do think you are a jolly good sport and, of course, a truly lovely human being for taking it so well. And, as I've said before, I would have used that name too if it wasn't just too true in my case. For you, obviously, it's mere irony

....of course........