Tá sé ceart go leor tuirse a bheith ort! / It is OK to be tired

Tá an saol tosaithe arís ar go leor bealaí. Tá mé ar ais ag traenáil, tá siopaí agus bialanna oscailte, anseo i nGaillimh tá Bóthar na Trá lán turasoirí agus ní rachaidh mé ar ais go Sráid na Siopaí ar an Satharn arís ar feadh tamaill! Bhí mé ann coicís ó shin agus bhí mol mór daoine thart, níos mó daoine ná go bhfaca mé in aon áit amháin le tamall fada. I bhfad iomarca domsa!

Life has started back up again in a lot of ways. I am back at training, shops and restaurants are now open, here in Galway Salthill is packed with tourists and I went into town two Saturdays ago and I won’t be doing it again in a rush! There were so many people around and I was not ready for it!

Bhí cúpla seachtain mhór agam le déanaí; mar a dúirt mé tá mé ar ais ag traenáil. Imrím badminton agus ceann de na rudaí a thaitin liom faoi ná go n-imríonn tú badminton taobh istigh, anois sin an rud is measa faoi...tá an club oscailte le cúpla seachtain i gcomhair leadóige ach tá mise ar ais le cíocis agus bhí mé iontach neirbhíseach ag dul ann an chéad uair. Ní raibh a fhios agam conas a bheadh daoine eile, céard a bheadh athraithe sa chlub, an mbeadh cead agam na leithris a úsáid....agus lean na ceisteanna ar aghaidh! Ar deireadh bhí sé go hiontach! Bhí sé go hálainn a bheith ar ais ag imirt agus bhí sé an-deas daoine a fheiceáil arís agus craic a bheith agam leo.

I’ve had a big few weeks recently; as I mentioned I am back training with the badminton team and one of the things I really liked about badminton before I now really dislike. I used to love that it was played indoors and now I wish we could play outside... When I first was going back, two weeks ago I was really nervous. I didn’t know how other people would be, I didn’t know what changes would have been made in the club or what would be expected of me, was I allowed to use the toilets, there were so many questions! But once I went back it was great! I am so glad to be back running around again and seeing people!

Chomh maith leis sin, thosaigh mé ag múineadh an tseachtain sin. Bhí mé ag múineadh Gaeilge le hOideas Gael ar líne agus thóg sé thart ar trí lá orm dul i dtaithí air. Mhothaigh sé aisteach gan iomlán an duine a fheiceáil agus bhí sé níos deacra dom fios a bheith agam ar thuig siad mé nó an raibh aon tuiscint eadrainn ach i ndiaidh na Céadaoin mhothaigh mé níos compordaí leis. Ní raibh ann ach uair an chloig in aghaidh an lae ach fós féin bhí mé spíonta i ndiaidh!

As well as that I started teaching online that week. I was teaching Irish with Oideas Gael and it took me about three days to be fully comfortable with it. It felt really weird not being in the same space as the people I was teaching and it was therefore difficult to know if my students understood me! But by Wednesday I felt much more comfortable with it. It was only an hour long class a day but I was wreaked afterwards!

Ansin an tsceachtain seo bhí an an Tástáil Náisiúnta Gluaisteán (TNG) agam ar an gcarr. Cuireann an TNG strus orm gach bliain ach i mbliana caithfidh dul i ngleic leis an mbealach nua atá na hoifigí anois – bhí orm masc a chaitheamh, d’fhan mé ag an gcarr go dtí go raibh siad réidh dom, ní raibh na suíocháin sa seomra feithimh ar fáil agus mar sin ní raibh a fhios agam cén áit ar cheart dom fanacht – rudaí beaga b’fhéidir ach rudaí a chur strus eile orm.

And then this week I had to put the car through the NCT. I find the NCT really stressful every year but this year not only did I have to deal with the stress of the test I also had to think about whether I should wear a mask or not, where I should wait for the car when it was being tested, had I missed hearing them call out my reg. they were all fairly simple things but stressful when you don’t know the answers.

Bhí an tástáil agam ag a haon an chloig agus mar sin, rinne mé píosa oibre roimhe agus ansin chuaigh mé ann. Faoin am gur bhain mé an teach amach i ndiaidh bhí mé spíonta! Bhí mé iomlán scriosta! Agus chaith mé an chuid eile den lá ag breathnú ar Netflix ach sular ndearna mé sin, bhí orm labhairt liom féin le go mothóinn ceart go leor agus mé ag déanamh sin! Le linn an lae ar an Máirt a bhí sé, bhí m’intinn ag insint dom gur ceart dom a bheith ag obair.

My test was at one o’clock so I did a bit of work in the morning before heading out to it. By the time I got home again afterwards I was wrecked! I spent the rest of the day watching Netflix, but before I could od that I had to give myself a stern talking to before I deemed it OK to do nothing. It was the middle of the day on a Tuesday and my mind was telling me I should be working.  

‘Táimid ag teacht amach as dianghlasáil. Níl tú cleachtadh le bheith thart ar dhaoine agus níl tú cleachtadh leis na rialacha nua seo. Agus dár ndóigh tá faitíos ort go dtabharfaidh tú rud éicint do dhaoine eile nó go gheobhaidh tú rud éigin as daoine eile. Anuas ar sin, níl tú cleachtadh leis an aclaíocht sin ar fad ach an oiread! Cinnte go bhfuil tú scriosta! Tóg go bog é! Déanfaidh tú an obair sin amárach, níl brú ama leis.’

‘We are just coming out of complete lockdown. You’re not used to being around people and you’re not used to these new rules. It’s all new to you and therefore stressful! And on top of all of that you’re not used to all this running around and exercise to take it easy! Of course you’re wreaked! You’ll do whatever work you have to do tomorrow, there’s no rush!’

I ndiaidh sin a chloisteáil...uaim féin... mhothaigh mé níos fearr. Bhí an ceart agam, is am strusmhar agus mar sin tuirsiúil é seo, dúinn ar fad! Mar sin, tóg go réidh é. Ní gá duit gach rud a dhéanamh in aon lá nó fiú seachtain amháin agus bí deas leat féin. Táimid uilig ag foghlaim conas atá an saol nua seo agus cén ról atá againn ann.

After hearing that...from myself...I felt a lot better. I was right of course, we are going through a really stressful, weird time and as a result the smallest of things are going to take a lot out of us so go easy on yourself, you don’t have to do everything in one day, or even in one week!

Agus dála an scéil, theip orm sa TNG agus anois caithfidh mé labhairt leis an meicneoir agus ansin dul ar ais go dtí an ionad tástála, ach ar a laghd tá a fhios agam céard le déanamh an uair seo! Masc a chaitheamh agus fan taobh amuigh go dtí go nglaofar ort!

Oh and I failed the NCT so I now have to deal with a mechanic and then go back for another test but at least this time I know what to expect with it all!