I'm back....

Sorry I didn't post a "Gone Surfing" sign. I was visiting my dad and friends and catching waves in Southern California. I couldn't have asked for better weather! And the surf started off small, glassy and easy, then built during the two weeks I was surfing until the last three days, I paddled out in waves generated by Hurricane Paul off Baja. By then I was able to handle the overhead, awe-inspiring walls of translucent blue-green water. It was exhilarating!

No doubt about it, Southern California is a paradise--for the prosperous. I was blown away by the abundance and cheap prices of restaurants, produce from all over the world, petrol, electronics, clothing!

The flip side is that the lucky wealthy residents seem invested in keeping the real costs of that cheap affluence well hidden. No signs of war were visible, unless you count the ubiquitous stars and stripes on bumpers, front lawns, car lots and everywhere, and this despite the fact that my dad lives only 30 minutes from Camp Pendleton, home base of many of the Marines in Iraq.

The city council of Escondido, where he lives, just passed an ordinance permitting law enforcement to investigate tips that residents may be “illegal aliens.” The cops can demand immigration documents, forward same onto the Immigration authorities, and fine (perhaps jail) the landlords who rent to the “illegals.”

I was sickened to hear of this! Though not surprised. Escondido is one of the few places in San Diego County with rents low enough for poor Mexican immigrants to find housing. The ones with greencards will now face legalised harassment, while those without will be forced to live in fear or flee. To me, this mean-spirited law epitomises the So Cal attitude: the rich will hire undocumented immigrants as nannies, maids, gardeners, and handymen, but don’t expect them to allow them to live nearby! Tortilla Curtain (by T.C. Boyle) anyone?

I’m happy to be back in Dublin. Life, while good, is not nearly so easy here, but neither are people so determinedly ignorant.