Baby Guinness

I just tried a baby guinness last night (since it was insisted that I do so). It was just a shot, but of course I never drink those the usual way :). I must say, it wasn't too bad, since I do like Bailey's - mmmm.

Dún Laoghaire

On Saturday I volunteered at the Festival of World Cultures in Dún Laoghaire. I love that word because it's pronounced "Dun-LEER-y", nothing like it's spelled! It was fun meeting some more Irish natives. More than anything it was a day spent in the rain, but with my wellies, purchased that morning, it was all good! A recurring theme was the use of "Brilliant." It sounds so much better when the Irish say it!

A few more words gathered over the past weeks:
Canteen [cafe at work]
Sunnies [sunglasses -- apparently this one is borrowed from Australia]
Big wheel [ferris wheel]
On "hols" [on holiday]

The wellies...

Apparently they're "the" shoe to have in Dublin. At both Muse and the Killers' concerts, I could definitely be pointed out as a foreigner given my lack of Wellington boots (almost always seen patterned).

I hadn't even really heard of them before I got here, but even my cab driver just nodded when I mentioned them, "oh yes, the wellies..."

For men only, please.. On the shelf at EuroSpar

For men only, please.. On the shelf at EuroSpar
Originally uploaded by SheelahB

I still can't understand what the deal is with the men's kleenex, but I will find out :)

Favorite Phrases

Before I forget, here are some of my favorite phrases overheard or seen here since arriving 2 weeks ago:

"Dubs" [what Dublin natives call themselves]
"Thanks a million" or "Thanks a mill" or "Thanks very much"
"We can frank that for you" [discussion over buying stamps]
"... If you like" [phrase used by Dubliners frequently at the end of sentences]
"Lovely" [used often by women when describing about anything nice. Also used to describe cloudy and possibly cold weather that doesn't include rain]
"Grand" [similar to lovely but used more often by men]
"Lockers" [above-seat storage compartments on airplanes]
"Till point" [cash register]
"Rubbish" [garbage]
"Smart attire" [area in a clothing store containing more formal attire]

Belfast

I spent all of Saturday on a bus tour to Belfast and Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. It was a very long day (starting with a 5:30am taxi ride, and ending with a 5-hour bus ride for a trip that normally takes 2.5 hrs!) but worth the trip. The weather was not cooperative (rain!) but that's Ireland - ha. We also did a side trip to the town of Derry in N. Ireland, which was heavily involved in the N. Ireland/Britain conflict and was where the infamous Bloody Sunday occurred in 1972. We got a private tour there from a local which was very good.

Zzzz... Can't wait to sleep in past 5am tomorrow!

First!

Ok that's it.. I'm finally starting a blog to share some of my experiences while living temporarily in Dublin, Ireland. On a good week I may even post multiple times, depending on the availability of good craic :). Stay tuned.