picture #1= arch of Christ Church
picture #2= view from the sky bar at the original Guinness factory in Dublin. the city is much bigger than I'd originally thought, and the views from the bar were amazing (if a bit blurred by the glass of the window)
picture #3= a big- ass cathedral in Galway
picture #4= meringues in the window of a bakery in downtown Galway
1. they [much as I loathe that term] drive like maniacs. until the 1950s, a test was not required in order to obtain a driver's license. it shows. the "Circle of Death", as it has already come to be called, is an unavoidable terror that must be braved to reach downtown with any means of efficiency.
2. it is cold. and gray. and windy and usually raining. as a result, the weather is not an acceptable excuse for staying indoors. you suck it up and you go about your business.
3. the Irish have developed a grounded sense of humor (probably to compensate for #2). it is down-to-earth, realistic, and all in good fun. however, they can dish it out but they can't take it: "slagging" of the Irish people is not taken well in this patriotic community
4. at least within the academic circles that I have encountered, close attention is paid to gender duality-- it is "his and hers", not just "his"
5. nothing starts on time, nor does anyone get disgruntled over the lack of puntuality. in general, precision is not of the utmost importance
6. opening hours are leisurely, as is the overall lifestyle-- at least a full lunch hour is a given
7. meals really do center around meat, bread, and potatoes. yogurt is also ridiculously popular, resulting in not one but two or even three full walls of choices in the refrigerated section of the grocery stores-- I had to tear myself away. I have also been able to contradict the stereotype that the food is not good-- I have enjoyed every meal I've eaten out thus far.
1 comment:
at first i thought those meringues were bloody meat. i'm still not convinced they are meringues (however you spell it)
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