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Article: An Irishwoman's Diary
- Article from:
- The Irish Times
- Article date:
- September 8, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Irish Times. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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EVERY TIME the late 18th- early 19th- century Japanese artist
Hokusai moved, he walked out of his house, set it alight and burned
it to the ground. Having just moved from Paris to Washington, I may
follow Hokusai's example next time.
For a while, I was on a roll. I was appointed to the Washington
job, which I'd coveted for some time, and spent the last week of
July house-hunting in the US capital.
After Paris, the efficiency and friendliness of America are
stunning. Despite Barack Obama's woes over Afghanistan and
healthcare reform, the capital still seems to bask in the glow of
his election. At a building in downtown Penn Quarter, a young black
receptionist told me with obvious relish, "My ...