Wilde Times

Thirty Days Hath September

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:35:00 +0000

October is winding down, which is hard to believe, especially since I barely had time to breathe during September. It was thirty days of fine-tuning, race-against-the-clock thesis writing and editing. Nick was an absolute legend, helping me to hold on to my last remnants of sanity. In order to keep some perspective on the whole process (and to show you all a bit of what September was like), we decided to capture bits of it here and there. So, instead of rambling on, we’ll let the video do the talking...

Belfast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:30:00 +0000

In August, Josh, one of Nick’s old college roommates, came for a visit, which gave us a great excuse to visit Belfast and Giant’s Causeway. We took the train up North, and a tour bus out to the Causeway. The scenery was standard for Ireland: rainy, green, and gorgeous. The pictures really speak a thousand words, so I’ll refrain from writing that many.

Josh, Cindy and Nick standing outside of the Belfast city hall.

A view of the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

Giant's Causeway.

A naturally occurring hexagonal basalt column at Giant's Causeway.

A Tale of Two Cities

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia Wilde) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:17:00 +0000

We haven’t blogged in quite some time, and that is because we have been too busy enjoying the delightful summer weather… we just had to go to Paris and London to find it! With June came our second wedding anniversary and a trip to Paris. Paris is by far the most picturesque European city we have visited to date. The architecture is stunning: the buildings seem to flow together with a stylized purpose instead of in the haphazard manner so common in the rest of Europe. We toured the Champs Élysées, Sacré Cœur, the Palace of Versailles, and of course the Eiffel Tower (which we ascended via stairs; we seemed to get asked that question a lot). One of the best parts was that we were lucky enough to see all of this beneath a glowing Parisian sun. The weather was immaculate, to say the least. It rained the day before we arrived and the day after we left, and in the interim there was nary a cloud in sight. We walked through the city comfortably baring skin for the first time in what seemed like decades. All of this, of course, probably means nothing to our Californian family and friends; it once would mean nothing to us, either. However, when it has rained nearly every day for nine months straight, suddenly the slightest flicker of sun is practically worthy of a religious ceremony. Think Stonehenge and Newgrange aligning perfectly with the morning light is insignificant? Think again. Yes, Paris was amazing. By now, of course, I’m sure you’re wondering how we fared with the French. Much to our surprise and delight, the Parisians were quite pleasant. Most of the French we run into in Dublin are… well… French. Perhaps in their natural habitat the French are agreeable. We happen to think we just got lucky, though. It is also possible that we were hallucinating under the effect of a vitamin D overdose.

My parents came to visit in July, and with Nick’s abundant amount of vacation time, the four of us had the opportunity to jaunt over to London. London is probably my favorite city in Europe (and Britain, to be technical). The mind boggles at everything there is to see, all that the city has to offer, and of course that lovely English charm. It was my third time going, and I still feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface. We went to The Tower and Westminster Abbey (among many other things), and if you can only go to two places in London, those are the two I’d recommend. We also ventured to Charles Dickens’ home, which I figured was a necessary pilgrimage since I’m writing my thesis on him. I like to consider it research, and I’m fairly certain my advisor would agree. I must also mention the most delightful accommodations we stayed in, the Lime Tree Hotel. The management and staff were amazing, with the owners personally serving us (a decent!) breakfast and making us feel very welcome. With the often-dingy hotels found in Europe, the well-kept Lime Tree Hotel was a breath of fresh air. It was absolutely wonderful having my parents visit, and to have the opportunity to show them around Ireland and London. We are reasonably convinced that they returned to California with a new appreciation for sun and spices (i.e. taste) in their food.

The Louvre at around 9 pm. Yes, it is still that light out!

Arc de Triomphe.

A black and white shot of the Eiffel Tower.

Champ de Mars

Us, Eiffel, and sunshine!

Sacré Cœur.

The gardens of Versailles.

Tower Bridge.

Big Ben with the London Eye in the background.

The Redcoats.

Westminster Abbey.

Mom and Dad in front of the lovely Lime Tree Hotel.

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God Save the Queen!

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia Wilde) — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Since June 1st is a Bank Holiday in Ireland (translation: random day off), Nick and I decided to take a jaunt over to Wales for the three-day weekend. We took the ferry from Dublin, which crosses the Irish Sea and takes port in Holyhead, Anglesey in North Wales. The weather was spectacular, to say the least. For the first time since we've been here, Nick and I traipsed outside sans jackets... a monumental occurrence. Dr. Jones gave us some great tips on places to visit and we ended up touring Caernarfon Castle, soaked in some much-needed sun on the beaches of the Menai Strait, watched the FA Cup final of Chelsea vs. Everton "football" match in a pub, and partook in the general aimless wanderings that tourists so favor.

The Welsh are wonderful people with great hospitality: when checking in to our hotel, the manager told us that our reservation was cancelled due to random technological error and that she had no other rooms available. She said she felt responsible for us and personally drove us to another hotel where she found us a room. The hotel was small and would only accept cash (quite common) but was very cute and included breakfast. Oh, breakfast... that was interesting. When entering the dining room in the morning, we were asked if we wanted a full breakfast. We answered in the positive, and though confused by the lack of choices, who were we to complain? Free breakfast, baby! When the waitress served us our meals, Nick and I immediately and uncontrollably leaned back in our chairs--an unavoidable reaction to the revulsion before us. We had plates of runny baked beans (random British/Irish breakfast favorite) some sort of stewed tomato, "sausage" (grease with some meat mixed in) and Black Pudding. If you don't know what Black Pudding is, I won't go into great detail; let's just say that blood is the main ingredient. That's right. Nick, the gustatory warrior, dives in to try it at the very least. I whisper to him to eat something off my plate so the staff won't think I hate their food (even though we both do). While shifting as imperceptibly as possible in my chair trying to avoid the wafting aroma of cooked blood, I notice the man next to me eating a lovely bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal! Nobody told us they had oatmeal!! Oh well. We ended drinking a lot of orange juice, hoping it would fill us up for at least a little while. Horrid cuisine aside, Wales and its people are both wonderful, and we give both the highest praise.

Our high-speed ferry, the Jonathan Swift.

What are 58-letter-long words and excessive use of the letter "L"? Answer: things the Welsh like.

Caernarfon Castle. Gorgeous!

A view from one of the castle's towers.

Another view from a castle tower. Notice--no clouds!

Apparently car diving is allowed.

Cliffs of Moher

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:13:00 +0000

Over this last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Cindy's sister, Cathy, during her stay in Ireland. We rented a little Opel Astra and took a peaceful drive across the country to go see the Cliffs of Moher. On our way to the cliffs, we saw some newborn lambs, sheep, horses, and baby horses. At one point, Cathy got out and tried to feed a horse an apple during a traffic jam.

The Cliffs of Moher are beatiful specimens of Nature's fine work of art. The sheer drop is unbelievable, and the sounds of the crashing waves give a peaceful sound to the ears to compliment the magnificent sight. Upon finishing up our trip, we decided to go take a look in the gift shop and grab a bite to eat, and once we came out again, the Irish rain had snuck onto the land again. Luckily our day was just coming to a close.

A view of the Cliffs of Moher looking South.

This photo was actually taken on the way to the cliffs

A view from the other side of the cliff.

Another shot looking North.

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Swan!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:42:00 +0000

The other day, Cindy, Cathy and I were walking home from the bus stop and we had to stop and gander at the swans. Mother-Bird Cathy chewed off a piece of chocolate biscuit and fed the regurgitated pieces to the behemoth fowl. All the while, I sat there like a starving paparazzi taking a billion photos, trying to get the million dollar shot. Below is a testament to my "best"; eh.

Glendalough, Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Cindy, Jason and I took a trip down to the green and beautiful County Wicklow where many movies have been shot, such as Braveheart , P.S I Love You, the new Mary Queen of Scots, etc.

In the middle of the Wicklow Mountaines, lies ruins of a 6th century monastery in called Glendalough. The Round Tower is the most dominate structure of the ruins and was used as a bell tower and refuge during an attack. There is also St. Kevin's Church which was build entirely out of stone and today's archeologists and engineers cannot explain how the triangular roof is able to support itself.

Overall, we had a wonderful time looking at the rich history and country beauty of some of Ireland's top tourist spots.

A view of the tower

Just a neat shot of some nearby trees

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Galway, Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:11:00 +0000

During the Easter Holiday 4 day weekend, Cindy and I decided to take a train ride across the country to Galway. From Dublin, the train ride took about 3 hours to get all the way across the country. The train ride was very green and open due to the beautiful day which went well with reading peacefully by the window bathed in sunlight. Once we got to Galway, we walked through JFK Memorial Park (aka Erye Square) where JFK gave his speech in 1963. The shops down the main pedestrian area were also very cool and crowded. Later in the day, Cindy and I took an open air bus tour which drove us through the city and gave us some of the history in Galway.

A view of the River Corrib.

A shot from inside Yankee Candle!

Only the Irish.

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St. Patrick's Day Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Here are a few pictures from St. Patrick's Day when Jason came to visit. It was so crowded that we could not see any of the floats due to the wall of people lining the streets. So instead of taking pictures of the parade, we decided to take them of the bystanders.

A kid holding onto a pole while trying to see over the wall of people.

A crowd of people on O'Connell Bridge

A shot from inside a pedestrian sidewalk cover near a construction site.

Long Time No Update

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia Wilde) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Now that Nick has settled into his job and I have finished my last round of essays, therefore (temporarily) gaining my life back before beginning thesis research, we thought we would update all of you on our Dublin adventures (and misadventures).

February
For those of you unaware, Nick was a refugee in both The Netherlands and Germany for a total of three months while waiting for his work permit to be issued. This is a process that generally takes three to four weeks, but we were lucky enough (cough) to have to deal with an HR representative who was almost completely incompetent. To make a long story short, his repetitive errors culminated in Nick's extended extradition. At the beginning of February, the HR department finally got it right the third time around, thus issuing the visa and allowing him to return to Ireland and begin working at the CRANN. The third time around is, indeed, the charm; we realized that HR's success in the matter warranted our joy, but not our praise. A triple failure, after all, deserves little merit.

February was also the month that we realized our landlords were scoundrels. Ours is the basic tenant tale of terror that is best surmized in detailing the fact that the landlords sent out eviction notices to everyone in the building, including those like us who had paid. We were told to "disregard the eviction section", (you know, just the entire subject of the letter,) and were told that the point of the note was "merely to inform those still living on the premises not to let in the tenants being evicted". How does an eviction notice equal a message that instructs one not to answer the door? We remain mystefied. Needless to say, we'd had enough of these people and decided to move elsewhere. We ended up finding something larger, nicer, and cheaper... an elusive trifecta that almost never occurs. In the end, we ended up someplace better, which we can be thankful for, and all the pent-up rage that we had acquired during our dealings with HR was unleashed unto the evil, former landlords. I think it was rage well-spent and much-deserved, which brings a large smile to both our faces. Just joking. Almost.

The remainder of February was spent settling into our new apartment and Nick settling into his new job. I must point out that moving to a new place while relying soley on public transportation is one of life's rare situations that elicits effusive profanities coupled with incomprehensible amounts of laughter and public gawking... a circumstance that my Scotish classmate terms a "bombscare". I think I must work on removing this word from my vocabulary before returning to the U.S. Anyway, I digress. Nick's job is going extremely well! His co-workers are all extremelyy nice and he is learning quite a lot of new information. The lackadaisical work-ethic (e.g. excessive breaks, people leaving increadibly early, etc.) is, ironically, one of the harder things to which he must adjust. His American sense of professional responsibility is an attribute that has led to him being described has "that new, really motivated American". Motivated? I suppose, if you consider working while at work an act of motivation. I guess it's hard to shake the Yank. All in all, February presented several interesting situations, some good and others not so good, but all making for great stories and experiences.

March
March started off with a visit to Newgrange for my birthday. (See previous post). My classes came to an end and I began working on a couple of final papers that would define my existence for the next month, of course taking a break for St. Patrick's. Nick's old college room-mate, Jason, came out to celebrate the craic (Irish word for fun, maddness, merriment, etc.) of the national holiday. The City Centre had a massive parade with loads of people coming to witness the festivities. Of course, this mass of people completely barred our view of the parade, so we decided to take pictures of the random Irish climbing every phone booth, light pole, and statue in hopes of catching a glimpse of a float. We think it was more fun to watch how creative (and daring) some of these folk would get with their acrobatic attempts. Guinness, undoubedly, gives courage. After the parade, we journeyed to The Gingerman Pub, getting caught in a massive human bottle-neck (I cannot emphasize "bottle-neck" enough) in which the Gardai (police) were useless. Typical. True to Irish form, the citizens began yelling and rebelling until, finally, we made our way through the seemingly endless sea of people. The best part about St. Patrick's? The sun was shining.

April
April is still young, so further reports will be in subsequent posts. I have finished the life-draining essays (joy!). The completion of 30+ pages of work combined with the brief freedom before beginning thesis research required a celebratory night on the town. Nick and I, along with my classmates, started the night off with a pre-party at a classmate's house, followed by a wine-filled taxi ride into the city in which all seven of us passengers were instructed to "keep the bottle low" so nobody would spot us through the window. Firstly, nobody would care, but secondly and even more importantly, clearly taxi-driver Bernard seemed to have an inherent understanding that simply asking us to put away the nectar of the gods would naturally be out of the question.Bernard is good people.

In other news, my sister is coming to visit at the end of April! This will undoubtedly lead to further adventures of bombscaring and banter to be documented in the near-future.

A copy of the eviction letter.

Newgrange!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:11:00 +0000

For my birthday, Nick organized a tour for us to go out to Newgrange, the 5,000+ year-old monument that served as a tomb during the Neolithic. The coveted blue sky was shining in all its brilliance that day, adding to the splendor.

There is a long, low, and extremely narrow hallway that leads to the center of the dome. It is completely dark inside except for a few precious moments of sunlight on several days throughout the year, most famously the Winter Solstice, in which case the sun casts fleeting rays of illumination into the chamber before once again casting it into utter darkness. It is believed that the sun was associated with ushering the souls of the dead into the afterlife, hence the alignment of the tomb's entrance with the morning light.

This is the entrance stone that stands before the opening of the tomb. While stairs now surround either side of the stone, thus making it easier for tourists to enter the monument, in its heyday people would have to leap over the boulder, which stand about 4.5 ft high.

A random pathway near the monument, surrounded by trellises.

Ladenburg Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:59:00 +0000

I awoke one morning and lo and behold, snow was covering the ground in Ladenburg, Germany. So I thought it'd be a great time to take my camera and tripod and take a few shots.

New Year's in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:12:00 +0000

Spending New Years in Germany was a trip. First of all, they have fireworks everywhere, but the odd thing being is that the large fireworks are not done by city professionals like they are in the States. Instead, every German lights their own full size fireworks wherever they want. This creates a very interesting atmosphere where one can spin 360 degrees and see fireworks everywhere one looks, creating a panaramic view of colorful lights. Oh, another interesting thing about German fireworks is that they purposely light fireworks towards you. This is freaking insane. The 6 of us were standing underneath the water tower enjoying some champagne and the German couple directly adjacent to us lights and throws a firecracker towards us. I think they eventually felt bad about it because they gave us a few large bottle rockets for our own enjoyment.

Another interesting thing we noted regarding the Germans is their lack of excitement for anything. They didn't count down to New Years, they didn't scream "Happy New Year", they didn't have kazoos, or poppers, or anything. All they did was light fireworks. The only way you could tell that it was midnight was by the increase in frequency of fireworks. That was it. No hoot and howler; no screaming "Frohes neues Jahr"; nothing. "Nope, we'll just light more fireworks. In the meantime, us Americans were in the corner yelling our heads off; counting down from 10 at the top of our lungs; giving each other hugs and toasting to 2009. It was very clear that the Germans were just...stoic.

Anyway, Cindy and I had a wonderful time and experience during the German New Year. It's simply wonderful to have such great friends with whom you can share these moments with.

From left to right: Diana (Fellow American soldier and neighbor of the Reeves), Stephanie, DJ, Jonathan (Stephanie's brother), Cindy, and Nick.

The adjacent Germans lighting off a large bottle rocket.

DJ showing Cindy how to properly light a German bottle rocket.

Ladenburg, Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:08:00 +0000

During a afternoon during the Holidays while Cindy was visiting, we decided to take a little photography walk around Ladenburg. The town is conveniently located next to the Neckar River which generates a great place to take some photos. Enjoy!

Look at the cute couple just walking down the pathway

A landscape shot in a field adjacent to the Nickar River.

A composite image of one of the squares in downtown Ladenburg.

Christmas in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:05:00 +0000

The next best thing from spending the Holidays with the family is to spend it with friends! We were very fortunate to receive and invitation from such wonderful friends to spend Christmas and New Years in Germany. It's so great to have a real christmas tree, the smell of christmas baking, and decorations to adore the home. Among the creation of many sugar cookies and sweets were the assembly of the almighty doughnut snowmen. I've never made snow men from sugar doughnuts, and I'd have to say, it was quite fun. The snowmen ranged from faceless doddies to wheelchaired vixens to the infamous Abominable Snowman. Other festivities included a large Christmas dinner and trips to the German Christmas Markets.

A wheelchaired vixen made of delicious powerded doughnut holes and candies.

Everybody pitching in on the cookie decoration extravaganza.

Everybody sitting down for Christmas dinner.

Heidelberg, Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:58:00 +0000

So it's been a little while since we last published a post on our blog and the reason being that there was not much to take pictures of in the Netherlands. Seeing that we had friends from the States that are currently stationed at a US Army post in Germany, we delightfully spent the holidays in Ladenburg, Germany. Ladenburg is a quaint little village where Karl Benz, the father of Mercedes-Benz, first started making automobiles and built the first car garage. Our friends, DJ and Stephanie Reeves, live in a 3 bedroom apartment located inside a court surrounded by ancient Roman walls. Down the center of the court is a main street full of trinket shops and restaurants.

Ladenburg is located fairly close to the city of Heidelberg which was one of the only cities not bombed during WWII. During Christmas the city hosts Christmas market which is similar to a swap meet but with wooden booths and better items. There they sell all sorts of Christmas goodies and treats and you can also get Glühwein which is a spiced red wine served hot. They also sell lots of trinkets and all sorts of bratwurst.

One of the main attractions in Heidelberg is its castle. Heidelberg Castle sits on top of one of the surrounding mountains and has survived there since 1650 and is now a large tourist attraction.

Cindy and I sitting in one of the lower windows from Heidelberg Castle.

A view of one of the statues in a town square with Heidelberg Castle in the background.

A view down the main steet in downtown Heidelberg.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:37:00 +0000

On Saturday Cindy and I took the train into Amsterdam and took a canal tour. Random weird fact, the train station and restaurants did not accept credit cards... I guess when The Netherlands joined the EU, they forgot to join the 21st Century. No offense, Holland.

A shot of some of the pricey real estate along one of the many canals.

Chocolate shoes. Two of Cindy's favorite things combined.

Amsterdam Centraal Station in the background with a canal in the foreground.

Sint Nicolaaskerk (Saint Nicholas Catholic Church) in the middle of the city.

Zandvoort, The Netherlands

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 21:52:00 +0000

As I am currently awaiting the arrival of my work permit, which requires that I stay outside of Ireland, I am temporarily staying with family in The Netherlands. They live in a city called Apeldoorn, and have an extra apartment on the coast in a city called Zandvoort, which they are letting me use. Cindy came to visit me this weekend, and we went exploring around the little town here, which is about a half an hour West of Amsterdam by train.

A random boat and anchor on the beach in Zandvoort.

There is a barrage of dream catchers here. The family seems to have a particular fancy for them, displaying many of them in various rooms throughout their home.

Yum, an entire store of nothing but wine and cheese.

The M.Phil Graduate Reception

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:53:00 +0000

The really great thing about the Irish people is their hospitality. The English Graduate program decided to throw a reception for the entire major and the best thing about it was that it was totally free! We had a blast chatting it up with all of Cindy's fellow classmates. This is a picture of the roof at The Bank, which is now a restaurant housed in the former Belfast Bank. The vaults still exist downstairs where the restrooms are now located, and the teller stations have been converted into the bar. Here is a picture of the ceiling of The Bank in all of its 19th century opulence. Due to slight yet ever-increasing inebriation of the masses, we opted against posting any portraits.

Job Celebration Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:03:00 +0000

This week was a big week for us. I had an interview on campus for a Technical Officer position for the CRANN which stands for Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices. The position entails supporting the researchers and the equipment at the CRANN. the CRANN is one of two major research facilities that specialize in nanotechnology. The interview with a panel of four went well and Wednesday I got a call offering me the position. We are so stoked! This is a great opportunity for me to get into the field of Research and Development (R&D) and see if I like it. Now all I have to do is fill out the required paperwork and wait for the work permit to be processed and sent.

The news of the job offer cannot go without a proper celebration so Cindy and I decided to treat ourselves out to dinner. Along the way we took some night photos of downtown Dublin. We decided to eat at a placed called The Shack Restaurant and had some traditional Irish food which was scrumptious! The Shack is located in Temple Bar and boy is it full of tourists! We heard some authentic Irish music by a band called Mutefish and a sample of their music can be downloaded here (scroll to the bottom of the post for a streaming version). Let us know if you want to hear some more of it!

A view of Ha'penny Bridge. It got it's name because it used to cost a half a penny to cross it.

A view of Temple Bar

A view across the O'Connell Bridge.

Mutefish - Sláinte

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Dublin Walking Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:43:00 +0000

Cindy and I had the pleasure today of partaking on a walking tour of Dublin for international students setup by the Postgraduate Department at Trinity. We walked all over the city and saw many of its highlights which included the Natural History Museum, the Parliament Building, Christ Church, Dublin Castle and more. The cool thing about taking this tour with other international students is that they are in your same shoes. Allison was from Washington D.C., Alexandro was from Chili, and Manno was from Spain. We also learned a bunch of interesting facts about the city. Dublin comes from two words meaning black pool, and that name was given because Dublin Castle used to be surrounded by the River Liffey and Poddle River (which is now underground) and a dark pool lay near the castle. After the 2 hour tour, the entire group went to a pub and shared a pint at Cassidy's Bar!

This a view of the Department of the Taoiseach which the Attorney General and the Department of Finance reside.

Oscar Wilde just lounging around in Merrian Square Park with his wife in the foreground. Apparently, he grew up in a house just across the street from this statue.

A statue of Molly Malone which stands at the top of Grafton Street which is the 4th most expensive street in the world in terms of realestate. Grafton Street has all types of shops ranging from McDonalds to Brown Thomas. The following blockquote about Molly Malone is taken from Wikipedia:

Molly is commemorated in a statue designed by Jeanne Rynhart[6], erected to celebrate the city's first millennium in 1987; Placed at the top of Grafton Street in Dublin, this statue is known colloquially (in rhyming slang) as "The Tart With The Cart," "The Dish With The Fish," and "The Trollop With The Scallops." The statue portrays Molly as a busty young woman in seventeenth-century dress. Her low-cut dress and large breasts were justified on the grounds that as "women breastfed publicly in Molly's time, breasts were popped out all over the place."