I am going to be doing a live update for RTE's 'Morning Ireland' radio programme in a little while (approximately 7.15 Irish time). Rather bizarrely I am going to have a journalist from the Hokkaido Shimbun ('De Paper') here in my office observing me. In other words, he's going to reporting about me reporting about Japan.
And yes, I think it's a tad surreal too.
Apparently word has spread about my sure-to-win-the-Pulitizer-Prize-for-journalism reporting from Muroran and the local hacks want to see if some of my cosmopolitan glamour will rub off on them. They sent a young reporter, Yoshida-san, down to the office to interview me and, as luck would have it, while we were chatting I got a call on my mobile from the RTE news-desk in Dublin.
Boy, was Yoshida-san ever impressed. Dublin calling me, live, before his very eyes. He could barely write straight his hands were trembling so much with the excitement of it all.
"Sure, yeah, what?!" I barked down the line, while furiously searching for a pen, a scrap of paper, a cigarette and a naggin of whiskey, in reverse order. Have that hard-bitten Irish journo image to maintain.
"Yeah... Yeah... When? 7:15? Fine, I'll get something together for you. Right. Bye!" and I dropped, yes dropped, the phone back on to the receiver.
Yoshida-san was beside himself, speechless, his whole body now shaking. I slapped him a couple of times just to clam him down.
No, I didn't, but the thought did cross my mind.
Anyway we agreed that he could come back later on this afternoon and observe history in the making. If he calms down.
And I'll let you know how we get on.
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So there I was, en route from Ballydehob to Skibbereen, aroung the 5pm mark, with my finger on the dial to one Colin Farrell, to get any info on our friend in the east, when that unmistakable mid-atlantic drawl came on the radio, and I knew you were safe. So happy to hear it. and all the family, my God Brian, unbelieveably lucky. So I've been following the updates via your live deliveries, somehow I always seem to tune in to whichever station you're on, some inner antennae obviously directing me to your dulcet tones(?). Anyway, just thought I'd check in for now, have to go back and read up on your previous blogs, will be back to you soon. Mella PS Don't know how to fill in name thingie, URL-what's dat?, so am in as anonymous
ReplyDeleteMella, even as 'anonymous from West Cork' it's great to hear from you. Thanks for you concern too. We're fine but, jaysus, what I couldn't give to be able to sit down with you for a couple of scoops in the Anchor Bar right now.
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