So on Wednesday evening I attended a table quiz. I am a member of a drama group, and this quiz was a fundraiser to raise some loot to finance the production, being held next month.

I have a small part in this new play – I play a bad-tempered Dublin-dwelling Ukrainian road sweep whose best friend is a homeless guy. And sure, why wouldn’t I?

What I have noticed of lately is how popular pub quizzes are in the homeland – they are held for pretty much every event possible. The theory is fundraising. While they are effective at this, I reckon it’s more that people simply enjoy them a lot.

Perhaps these are a Dutch institution also but I never noticed them because I wouldn’t  have been interested in attending. While my spoken and written Dutch could be generously described as ‘adequate’, I did notice however that my attendance at Dutch plays or films was limited, owing to the inevitable fact, that after about an hour it became tiresome doing mental translation.

With English of course this is unnecessary – comprehension is automatic. With a foreign language it is not so easy.

Therefore quizzes in Dutch would not ever have been on my radar.

Amazingly enough my team came third – resulting in a swag bag of reasonably priced goodies – namely ‘Brooklyn’ by Colm Toibin and a trad. music CD which I suspect may never be removed from its packaging. I no longer possess a CD player – the times they are a-changing. I have read ‘Brooklyn’ before but as my book collection, which had been lovingly built up over fifteen years was annihilated, before I moved back to Ireland, this book was lost in the move. Colm Toibin would be among  my favourite writers so I am happy that this novel has been placed once again on my still sparsely populated bookshelves.

Currently, I am sitting at work watching the clock. It is twelve minutes until the weekend, and I need to haul myself into town pretty sharpish. I await the arrival – from Limerick – of my brother. He is staying at my place, and we shall be going to see a pensioner this evening.

Not that he is actually claiming a pension mind you. Seeing as he is none other than Mr Bruce Springsteen.

I saw him live three years ago playing Thomond Stadium in Limerick. I wouldn’t have described myself as a fan – yes I liked some of his songs, but he was hardly Dolly Parton now was he. It turned out to be a magical concert where all the stars aligned – sunshine, summer, hometown, electric atmosphere and more songs I loved than I would have guessed.

So my expectations for this evening are elevated.

Don’t let me down Brucie-baby.