Blarney Rock!

 Mon evening class.....this is the Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland which I told you about. Right at the top of the castle is the famous Blarney Rock. According to legend, kissing it will endow you with the gift of the gab i.e. eloquence. You have to bend yourself backward to kiss it, suspended high above the ground at the top of the castle -- definitely not for the faint-hearted! That's me attempting to kiss it, but banging my forehead against it instead!

Qn: 'Tourism is all about exploitation.' Discuss.
Depending on how you see it, this can be regarded as using its 'colourful and interesting' culture to attract and share with tourists. The cynics among us will say that this is just a gimmick to exploit the tourists and dupe them into parting with more cash by charging admission fees and selling associated merchandise. This is all the more so if the whole thing is a story cooked up by the locals to market to the tourists. Nothing wrong with milking one's culture for what it's worth, but cooking up fake and exaggerated versions??! Go figure!