Luck of the Irish

Well, I've been in Dublin now for almost two weeks now and have made it feel like a homeawayfromhome for sure. I decided to sublet a place here for the month of September to get a feel for what it would be like to actually live here, a feeling that has now definitely settled in. What I like most about the city is the pub scene, which is lucky since it isn't the kind of place that fires on all cylinders. With the rain falling mostly every day it becomes easy to become a bar fly. My normal routine is to wake up, work a few hours, then tour the city's sights ducking into random pubs about 2 - 3 times in the afternoon, then returning home for dinner and - you guessed it - some drinks with friends.

I would not recommend the city if you don't like drinking. I certainly, certainly would if you do.

The city is incredibly multicultural, giving even Toronto a run for its money. The locals can be spotted quite easily: they have red hair and they pass you on the RIGHT when walking down the street, making me do a little "I'm a dumb righthanddrive tourist" dance every single day. And, at bars, they're the ones chatting your ear off.

Probably what I have enjoyed most about being here is speaking english for a little while, although it is remarkably hard to find a native English speaker. I live with an Italian and a Frenchman and spend many nights with a Brazilian that I met in Stockholm. I suppose it only adds to the authenticity of my visit: rarely do you mingle (outside of the pubs) with the Irish in Dublin.

Overall the visit has been 'grand', having a 'crack' and taking it slow. Delphine gets here tomorrow for a four day visit, then a good friend from Canada (Amanda) comes with a friend for a week of fun. During both visits I'll be renting a car and exploring the island. Good times.

I apologize if this post has been a little incoherent, I've had a few....

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