Day 3 - Enough with the Beer, on to Whiskey

Our last full day in Dublin began with a long bus ride out to Phoenix Park and the Dublin Zoo. But first, we stopped in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, another grand stone monument bursting with history. Alex immediately grabbed Allison’s phone and started snapping pictures of everything he saw–the stained glass window, the tiled floor–amazing she has any storage space left. The walls were covered in memorials to old dead dudes and dudettes, including Jonathan Swift, who was a dean of the Cathedral.

Boarding the bus again, there were quite a few sights along the way from the second deck, including Kilmainham Gaol (a now-closed jail). Sadly, this attraction was entirely booked for the weekend and we completely dropped the ball–a huge disappointment since there was so much rich prison history to learn about (like Lockdown Raw, 1900s style). So if you ever plan to visit, don’t make the same mistake and get your tickets early!

Entering the vast and verdant Phoenix Park, we were informed it was twice the size as Central Park and the largest green space in any European city. Along the way, the weather was partly cloudy and teetered towards wanting to rain at moments, but that didn’t deter us from heading into the zoo. We had few expectations other than to pass the time with a happy child, but we were pleasantly surprised by this fantastic place. The size of the zoo is tremendous and the scenery flows from one type of environment to the next. The diversity of the animals was grand as well–it had all the staples you might expect: tigers, rhinos, hippos, gorillas, chimpanzees, sea lions, flamingos, giraffes–and quite a few animals I had never seen before in the flesh (like tapirs, African hunting dogs, and even a stupidly photogenic red panda). With that much land, all the animals were in exceptionally large and comfortable-looking enclosures.

There were the inevitable play structures and slides around the park which Alex enjoyed (and its essential for us to get to sit down every once in a while)–he finally started interacting with other kids which he hadn’t much chance to do prior. It seemed like the vast majority of visitors were locals, so it was nice to feel a little less touristy.

Hiking back to the bus stop, there were all types of busses, bike tours, yoga sessions, and even cricket matches surrounding us. The sun really wanted to come out and say hello, and when it did, it was getting on the hot side. But cruelly it would pop back behind some cranky clouds and force our jackets back on (but it didn’t rain!)

Taking the bus journey back towards the city center, we passed by the Jameson Whiskey experience, but that was not where we had signed up for our tasting. Instead, we had booked at a brand new distillery in Dublin, called Teeling. To be forthright, the Teeling brand has been around for a long time, but this distillery in particular was built in 2015. Prior to that, there hadn’t been a distillery in Dublin for 125 years. And one can understand why, considering the Dublin Whiskey Fire of 1875, where distilleries went up in an inferno, sending a flaming river of liquor through the streets. Once it was finally put out, people started gathering all the whiskey right off the ground to drink. 13 people died as a result–not from the fire, but from alcohol poisoning. Seriously, that happened.

So, brand new distillery in Dublin, great name, great logo. This is marketing genius to me–the Guinness Storehouse is the most visited attraction in Dublin. Clearly, visitors are very thirsty. But surely not everyone wants a pint of the black stuff. So why not open a real distillery and have a tour, followed by a tasting, followed by a gift shop offering finely designed glasses, shirts, bags, and of course, lots of expensive whiskey.

It was actually a really educational experience, and they break down the process into its simplest bits. After a quick video intro (more slow-motion, epic brew making shots), we entered a large warehouse with huge vats of sweet-smelling liquids. The three giant copper pot stills were beautiful to see. I think even Alex was a little impressed, even though he kept complaining about the smell and the heat.

The final room (before tasting) was a demonstration of the aging process, where we saw quite explicitly how whiskey starts clear, then takes on its amber color from the wood barrels. According to our tour guide, Irish whiskey makers import barrels from all over the world to impart different flavors (for instance, bourbon barrels from Kentucky and wine barrels from France). Mixing the aged whiskey from these barrels gives each style its unique flavor and feel.

The tasting itself was fascinating–three different whiskeys (small batch, single grain, and single malt). I really enjoyed the first–Allison loved the next two. And Alex? He especially liked playing Lego City on my phone while we tasted.

A couple of bottles and many less Euros later, we were on our way back to the hotel, a long walk through the city which we are finally getting more familiar walking around.

Dinner was a simple stroll down the street to “The Duke”, a traditional pub, that was really kicking on this Saturday evening. We went for the atmosphere–lots of locals chatting loudly and enjoying their pints. Also lots of fish. Also lots of chips. For us, it was Guinness Beef Pie and Smoked Salmon. How was the food? Again, we went there for the atmosphere.

Tomorrow we leave Dublin and visit Kilkenny Castle before hitting our next hotel, Mount Juliet.

From the episode Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls

Grojband (Episodes 1 and 2)

Medium awareness is a blanket phrase used to describe a situation in which the characters in a story are cognizant of this fact and begin to manipulate or discuss the world around them accordingly. Breaking the fourth wall and lampshade hanging are both examples of medium awareness and are typically used in order to increase the comedic value of a scene. They act as reminders that the story's universe and all who inhabit it are fictional and need not conform to real life expectations. When used sparingly, these tropes can act as supplements to the universe; if they are excessive, however, they become a point of contention that can either attract or repel the audience.

There is no illusion as to the fictional nature of a cartoon, largely thanks to the necessary disconnect in physical appearance between three-dimensional reality and two-dimensional representation. As such, a more serious cartoon must struggle against the freedom of the animated universe in order to maintain realism in plot and physical appearance. The aforementioned tropes are carefully avoided and the characters are accepted as living in their own world with no knowledge of their otherworldly viewers.

True children's fare, on the other hand, takes full advantage of animation's boundless possibilities. Their adult creators are well aware of the standard clichés from cartoons of their youth and wish to go beyond what they've already seen, forcing them to think outside the box while still appealing to their target audience. The results of their efforts are a fusion of cliché plots and well-meaning characters with larger than life personalities that flourish in their fantasy universe of endless possibilities. This particular blend is then hungrily consumed by young audiences unaware of the fact that the core premise has been done time and again while more experienced viewers hesitate to take the plunge, the nagging feeling of deja vu holding them back.

This is why Grojband is simultaneously problematic and yet undeniably enjoyable.

The decision to pair these episodes together as the first in a series is initially curious, as the second installment has the feel of a holiday special. However, it is likely that their coupling is in order to provide the two ends of a broad spectrum of topics the show will be covering. In "Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls", the Groijband universe is revealed to take place in a sleepy town where the largest parade in history is the mayor strolling down the street with a sousaphone player in tow. The audience is instantly aware of how difficult it will be for Grojband to ever get off the ground and into the public eye, struggling to first be recognized in an odd town before having the chance to be seen elsewhere. "Dance of the Dead", on the other hand, features a barrage of horror and fantasy elements that act as a sort of blinking billboard advertisement as to what can be expected in the show (i.e., anything).

The show's character designs are an odd blend of curvy and boxy, falling in line with the tradition of having anatomically impossible Flash animated characters. As such, the look of the series takes a bit of time to get used to, particularly since there is hardly a discernible difference between youthful characters and their older counterparts. This is best illustrated with Kin and Kon, a set of twins whose height averages out to the same level as the as-of-yet only canonically elder character, Trina. The first episode includes an initially cute and fun joke about Kon expecting to meet the band's older selves that quickly runs it's way into the ground before inexplicably coming to fruition in the form of an unnecessary deus ex machina. The twins' elder selves are exactly the same height as their younger counterparts, meaning height should probably not be used as a good indicator of age. However, the female characters may provide helpful clues with their current physical stage of development (though how helpful that is for the in-universe homely Laney has yet to be seen).

The show is very much intended to be enjoyed and consumed by a younger audience, as it is full of hyperactive and exaggerated characters. All in all, there is nothing innovative or special about the characters themselves. Trina appears to be a somewhat literal monster, actively and irrationally making things difficult for her brother until he enacts just revenge by driving her mad enough to vent in her diary. The transformation appears to be involuntary and otherworldly, propelling Trina in the air and inflaming her pen. Mina, her companion, is emotionally and nearly physically abused by Trina for the sake of comedy (an age old trope that doesn't always make it's mark). Nick Mallory is the narcissistic and vapid object of Trina's innocent and shallow affections. Kin and Kon fall into traditional roles of "smart" and "dumb" twins while still getting along quite well with their core geeky personalities. As the sole female of Grojband, Laney acts as the typical "only sane man" and is treated as such, with none of the other band members (or randomers) recognizing or appreciating her as a female. Finally, Corey has a blind and foolish optimism accepted and embraced by his fellow band members, as these qualities make him an effective leader for their group. 

Corey drives the plot along with ease, turning down simple solutions in favor of a more amusing and creative method. Difficulties and conflicts arise far easier than their resolution, yet Corey thinks fast on his feet. The show's main source of humor comes in the form of breaking the fourth wall and lampshade hanging, making the world appear to be more of a stage designed by the members of Grojband than an actual peek into their real world lives. It is through this lens that the series is truly seen at it's best, particularly when the story's "moral" is intentionally mocked and described in the least effective and relatable way possible. 

Recognizing that the characters are aware of their status as players in a story of their own design requires a conscious decision on the part of the adult viewer. Forgiving the flat and relatively one dimensional characters takes effort, though it's honestly made easier by the fact that they are fairly cute and honestly quite amusing when they are thrust into certain situations. Both segments of the first episode have some timing issues with joke delivery (particularly in the case of overextending or slowing the action) and there is nothing remarkable to say about any character.

This series can again by considered as "popcorn", simple and easy to digest without mental investment. There are things to be enjoyed by all ages, but the show is intentionally designed for a younger audience seeking animated comedy. While I personally enjoy some aspects of these two episodes, their quality is spotty and are insufficient for me to consider them entirely good. That being said, they aren't bad in the least; in fact, the issues that arise may be in part attributed to the difficulties with the start of a new series. Later episodes may begin to branch out character's personalities and provide better plots and jokes (I have seen more and do admit to enjoying parts quite a bit), but until then I would have to say this show is worth trying so long as there are no great expectations at the start.

told ya i’d repost this!

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From the episode Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls

From the episode Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls

From the episode Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls

From the episode Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls

From the episode Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls

From the episode Cloudy With a Chance of Malt Balls