Dave (from the Independent Republic of Mancunia): So, name three good bands.
Hans (from Sweden): Blur, —
Dave: Wrong!
In other news: I don’t want to join the usual liberal twittering about “our” tarnished national reputation, but almost every person with whom I’ve had a meaningful conversation in Belfast has opened our conversation with the words, “No offense, but Australia sounds like a fucking racist place…”. Setting aside the question of why I’d ever be offended by such an observation, I’ve really noticed in only a few days that even taking into account the sort of people I talk to, white people in Ireland are far more attuned to questions of race than most places I’ve been to. I guess this is for obvious reasons, but it’s nonetheless startling to experience. Obviously, this isn’t to do with any “lack of racism” in Northern Ireland (!!!); rather, it’s that “race” exists far more visibly in a way that can be clearly articulated.
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