One Month Later

Dublin's most famous bar

I'll admit I have been horrible at blogging during my time here. Honestly, working at a desk all day makes me less than thrilled to go back home and start writing more... however, I feel like I would regret not recording my experience, especially since I’m using only my iPhone to take photos that wouldn’t be as good quality as the ones I would’ve taken with my brand new camera before I broke it in Colorado last month (I swear God doesn’t want me to own a camera... I’m pretty sure that’s #5 to go to camera heaven).

That being said, I am now wrapping my head around the first month I have spent on the Emerald Isle, so here is what I have come to experience so far:

I've gotten established at a 40 hour/week job. I have been privileged to work with Comhlamh, an NGO dedicated to good volunteering practices abroad and executing proper trade policies from the EU to the Global South (to us Americans, that means developing nations). To find more about what I do, feel free to visit volunteeringoptions.org.

I've gotten a hang of the Irish terms: lift= elevator, boot=trunk, jumper=sweater, queue= line (and queuing is the verb for lining up/standing in line). Terms like grand, lovely, cheers, getting on well, and more for common expressions are very catchy and I’ve found myself unintentionally using them in conversation more as I spend time here.

I've realized I have an accent... and it’s pretty strong. And the more I talk with Irish people where I’m the odd one out, the weirder I think it sounds. “Haaaai my nayme’s kaytie, yeaaaah I’m frahm a-mayera-cuh.” I'll just stop talking now. 

I've become aware of American stereotypes, and that people will profile. Some bus driver counted the change out loud for €2.15 and told me which coins to use as I was putting it in the change collector, as if I couldn't possibly know how to add... I had to bite my tongue to not tell him that I knew my head from my ass and my cents from my Euros. This is one of a few stupid instances where I have been stereotyped outright, but it's definitely becoming less of a shock and more petty than anything now. In case you don't know, we are assumed to be stupid, fat and loud, which I’ll admit, really offended me the first week. However, most people are extremely friendly and if you show some sort of competence and don’t live up to the stereotype, it’s very easy to get along. It seems that every place has a stereotype for where you are from, but it’s hard to pinpoint it when people are speaking another language around you—that’s probably why I didn’t pay much attention to the way we were stereotyped in Turkey or France when I lived there. In general though, Irish people like Americans and they pay a great amount of attention to our politics and sports. I was not prepared for questions on either whenever I went to the pubs, so in an attempt to not look ignorant, I have been keeping myself updated on current events in both fields so I can accurately answer any questions they throw my way.

I've realized that organized bus trips are NOT for me. After one horrible paddy wagon trip to Galway (where we only spent an hour), and reminiscing on the terrible bus trip to Atlanta with my Alpha Phi sisters last November (we all remember those horrible 16 hours that was really only supposed to be 10... anyway, I digress), I have got to say that I am completely OVER IT. Between the rain, bumpy roads, and the fact that we only spent an hour in Galway when we thought we were going to spend the day there, it was not exactly my ideal trip. However, the scenes from the countryside were absolutely breathtaking (from what we could see), and Galway city is something that I will definitely return to because it deserves much more than an hour of anyone’s time.

If you are unfamiliar with Galway, it is what the locals deem as “real Ireland” that hasn’t been as industrialized or globalized as Dublin. It has a true traditional Irishness about it that I can’t even describe. I took a few good pictures, and hopefully this weekend I can go back to take many more!

 

Now, most importantly...

I have found myself falling in love with Dublin and Ireland more and more every day. If I had to give it a word, it would be charming. Everything about this place is just that. The pubs, the lively accent, the trad music resonating throughout the streets on a Saturday night, the small towns in the country, the way that people say lovely, even if it's over the smallest things— it really is just charming. The weather is grey, it does rain all the time, work can definitely get tiring (especially when you are cooped up in an office for 7-8 hours a day with rain constantly drizzling down the one window)... but thankfully, it is in no way depressing and the energy of the city isn't dampened by the weather-- and that’s exactly what I love about it. There is nothing like walking out the front door of the office and into a whirlwind of people bustling down cobblestone streets. The sights, smells and sounds are so alive and stimulating that I can't help but be engaged in my surroundings every second of the 25 minute walk to and from work. 

Unlike everywhere else I have been, I feel like I am just now getting established to the way of life here. A month is good for adjustment, and I’m glad that I’m not just leaving as soon as I felt adjusted like I did the other two times I went abroad. It reminds me of my favorite quote: “Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.” – Andrew Zimmern 

I have two more months here, and I am so excited for my upcoming adventures and getting to know Dublin at a local level. I plan on blogging more and once my camera is fixed, there will be many more photos to come!

Trinity College

My view from the office

In St. Stephen's Green just being...us...

Irish Countryside