So, we had a wonderful night at the science festival. We heard stories about young medics meeting their limits, and a one young medic in particular learning all kinds of things in a spermbank. Physics definitely featured tonight with stories featuring schrodinger's cat, a dreadful physics teacher, physics meditations and astrophysics. We heard, too, of a researcher who vows never to poison her subjects again, and of the metaphysics involved in a beloved and dearly departed Citroen BX 17rd.
Well, what a night. Co-hosted by the one and only Nuala McMenamin, with merchandise support from Cara Doran and Sarah Williamson (many thanks all) and the much-missed Paul Doran (who'll be back at the next Tenx9).
We heard stories of freezing your ass off in the healing waters of a pilgrimage site; the unexpected fruitfulness of a freezing cold hike in the highlands of Scotland; blood running cold in an accident; non-cold, lukewarm bitter milk with grass that turned out to be the dip, not a drink; frozen ground in a Scottish graveyard that was unyielding to the ritual of burying the ashes of your dear dad; bitterly cold Irish childhoods leading to an adventurous spirit scaling icy mountaintops; reflections on how many things happened in the cold of winter through a rich lifetime; and that old biscuit, the immersion.
Well, what a wonderful night we had on Wednesday. Our theme was "Courage". We had stories about people being courageous enough to pursue a date; the courage of living with HIV in Belfast in the 1990s; the courage about #maryberrying the Christmas cake; the courage of facing an illness that definitely, definitely wasn't the "C" word; learning to be a courageous woman from other courageous women; showing courage in school; wishing that you'd shown courage on a bus; showing courage online; not feeling courageous enough to reach out.
Thanks to everybody who told a story - Kelsey, Áine, Janni, Clare, Shelly, Clare, Lisa. A wonderful night. Thanks to the first time tellers, the regular tellers, the nervous tellers, the courageous tellers. And thanks to the listeners - we love running Tenx9 and love hearing stories.
Well, they came, they told, they laughed, they listened. What a great night tonight as part of the Belfast Comedy Festival. Thanks to Pete and all the jokers in that wonderful festival (check out the 50+ events happening over the next 12 days on their website here).
Well, what a night. Extraordinary. First of all, many, many thanks to our storytellers: Paul, Margaret, Paul, Lesley, Seán, Sarah, Susan, Keira. Bloody brilliant. Tonight was a night of humanity. How amazing that so many people wish to tell a true story of their lives. We are always moved by the goodness of hosting your stories. Thanks to all.