Dublin was a stopover for me before I took four days later the flight to Toronto in Canada. When I decided to stay in Spain and didn't take my booked flight in the end
of May I looked for the last flight back to Dublin. Therefore I could stay nearly 3 month in Spain.
During my stay in Dublin I lived at Serena's house. She was also the one who stored my big luggage when I took just a small backpack with me to Spain. She is really a great and hospital
person.
When I came back to Dublin it felt strange and I recognized my change so far. I also forgot to queue when I bought my bus ticket and when I went into a shop I said loud
"Hola!"...
I have to admit that I felt not really ready for Canada or rather I didn't want to go back that early in a regulated and structured country.
But when I strolled a bit through Dublin and went to St Stephens Green I met there a very funny, intelligent and charming Irish guy who lived for two years in Madrid
and called me squirrel. This meeting and the great hospitality of Serena made really my day and I felt better to go Canada.
Not really ready but better :-).
|
| Christ Church in Dublin and a lovely grey sky :-) |
● ● ●
Italian hospitality in Dublin
When I arrived in Dublin it was very sunny! Even it felt cold for me after nearly 3 month in Spain. I caught up
with my Italian friend Serena who stored my big luggage. She also offered me to sleep on their couch until I will take the flight four days later to Toronto.
That was really nice. I lived with her, her Italian friend Roberta who looked so gorgeous like an Italian film diva from the 40ies and with a big and optimistic heart. There lived also a French guy named Gerome who unfortunately spoke English without the cute French accent.
It was really nice to stay with them and that I got such a hearty and sunny welcome.
I went with Serena to a museum close by but I couldn't enjoy it... I told her that I actually fear to go and some tears were running down my face. Serena just said: "What do you fear? If you don't like it, then you come back! Just give it a try!"
In a sense I felt "hometownless". I mean that I didn't know where I fit in. Even not anymore in my country... It was a strange feeling.
Well, Serena was of course right... I was still not 100 percent convinced but I felt better. I could come back... But still the feeling of being "hometownless".
That was really nice. I lived with her, her Italian friend Roberta who looked so gorgeous like an Italian film diva from the 40ies and with a big and optimistic heart. There lived also a French guy named Gerome who unfortunately spoke English without the cute French accent.
It was really nice to stay with them and that I got such a hearty and sunny welcome.
|
|
Shortly after my arrival in Dublin. I'm standing in St. Stephens Green where I caught up with Serena and met on the next day there a very funny, intelligent and charming Irish guy. |
"Give it a try!"
Like I mentioned I was not really convinced to go to Canada because I felt very comfortable in Spain
and developed and opened a lot. I had the feeling in Spain I could be like I really am. I just feared to go back into a regulated and structured society because I thought I could step
backwards and everything what I learnt will be gone...I went with Serena to a museum close by but I couldn't enjoy it... I told her that I actually fear to go and some tears were running down my face. Serena just said: "What do you fear? If you don't like it, then you come back! Just give it a try!"
In a sense I felt "hometownless". I mean that I didn't know where I fit in. Even not anymore in my country... It was a strange feeling.
Well, Serena was of course right... I was still not 100 percent convinced but I felt better. I could come back... But still the feeling of being "hometownless".
● ● ●
Why I am a squirrel
On my second day in Dublin I walked around and was on my way back to Serena's place. She gave me her key
during she was working. I just should make sure that someone would be there to let her in.
I took a short cut through St Stephens Green to get to Serena's place.
But this word should use carefully for an Irish person because the Travelers are the gypsies in Ireland and the have not a nice reputation... So the call at the Dublin airport "Travelers watch your luggage" is almost discrimination for the other people ;-).
I told the nice guy that I consider to be an English teacher as well in Spain because I met a guy at the airport who owns a language school there. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the school online because he said it named something with English T(h)ree and the Irish people pronounce "three" like "tree"...
Anyway, the charming travel guy introduced himself as Maximus. I mean that sounds even better as the English pronounced version of Alain or something like that...
So we went to a pub with the interesting name The Hairy Lemon and had a very funny evening with very interesting chats. I had to check the time because Serena needed someone who let her in her apartment. Therefore after a while I had to say that I need to go. I tried to reach to check when exactly she would come home but she was working. Therefore we left The Hairy Lemon.
Gentleman Maximus brought me to the corner where I could easily walk back to Serena's place and we said that we will catch up on the next day.
That was by the way the shop where I went in with a loud "Hola!" because outside were some Spanish people and my brain switched into the Spanish mode. I washed it with my other clothes and wore it.
When Maximus came we talked a bit and he called me squirrel. "Why you call me a squirrel?" "Because you look like one and I found you in the park. By the way when I came you looked to the trees and I bet you would rather climb them and look for nuts." Aha... I had not really a name for him but his theory was interesting...
Funny is that German people cannot pronounce the word squirrel for some reason. That was the next laughter. I exercised it but it was not possible... There are lots of videos on youtube were German people try to pronounce it but it didn't work out.
When we spoke about Spain it turned out that Maximus's father worked at the L'Hemisferice bridge in Valencia. I could show him some photos on my phone during my bicycle tour through Valencia and a photo of the bridge. Funny coincidence.
I took a short cut through St Stephens Green to get to Serena's place.
I hear voices
I took some photos at St Stephens Green and wrote a message to my mum when suddenly a guy who was sitting on
a bank talked to me: "I can take a picture of you! Then you have one with yourself and not only the landscape." "Oh thanks I am fine I am just writing a message. But I am really happy
that it is such a sunny day because I came straight from Spain." So our conversation started.
Sitting in the park
We talked quite long and I was still standing and he was still sitting on the bank. It turned out that he
was very charming, funny and intelligent. After a while I sat beside the guy on the bank and he told me that he lived for 2 years in Madrid as English teacher. He did also
Erasmus in Berlin in Germany and as well in France. Quite a traveler. But this word should use carefully for an Irish person because the Travelers are the gypsies in Ireland and the have not a nice reputation... So the call at the Dublin airport "Travelers watch your luggage" is almost discrimination for the other people ;-).
I told the nice guy that I consider to be an English teacher as well in Spain because I met a guy at the airport who owns a language school there. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the school online because he said it named something with English T(h)ree and the Irish people pronounce "three" like "tree"...
Anyway, the charming travel guy introduced himself as Maximus. I mean that sounds even better as the English pronounced version of Alain or something like that...
Stand up...
After a while Maximus said that we could go for a beer. I said yes and that was the moment when we both
stand up of the bank. We looked each other and Maximus said: "Wow... You are quite tall!" "Well actually you are quite tall. I am very surprised..." He was at least one and an half head
taller than I am. So we went to a pub with the interesting name The Hairy Lemon and had a very funny evening with very interesting chats. I had to check the time because Serena needed someone who let her in her apartment. Therefore after a while I had to say that I need to go. I tried to reach to check when exactly she would come home but she was working. Therefore we left The Hairy Lemon.
Gentleman Maximus brought me to the corner where I could easily walk back to Serena's place and we said that we will catch up on the next day.
"I just wanted to say 'Hello!'"
On the next day I went to the cafe where Roberta was working. I wore my "new" vintage dress which I found in
a vintage job in Dublin. I felt immediately in love with it and bought it.That was by the way the shop where I went in with a loud "Hola!" because outside were some Spanish people and my brain switched into the Spanish mode. I washed it with my other clothes and wore it.
|
|
I'm sitting with my "new" vintage dress in the cafe where Roberta was working. Nice food, nice coffee and of course nice staff :-). |
Why I am a squirrel now
Late evening I caught up with Maximus in front of St Stephens Green. For once I was in time... ;-) even the
Irish people are worse with time then the Spanish ones. Maximus told me that is probably the fast changing weather in Ireland. Because it changed so fast that you never can make any
plans. Therefore why caring about time?When Maximus came we talked a bit and he called me squirrel. "Why you call me a squirrel?" "Because you look like one and I found you in the park. By the way when I came you looked to the trees and I bet you would rather climb them and look for nuts." Aha... I had not really a name for him but his theory was interesting...
Funny is that German people cannot pronounce the word squirrel for some reason. That was the next laughter. I exercised it but it was not possible... There are lots of videos on youtube were German people try to pronounce it but it didn't work out.
Tons of laughter and wrong songs
Maximus and I went into a pub again but I forgot the name of it. We had again tons of laughter and very
interesting chats from paying for flirt lessons (Maximus: "a friend of mine did it..." "aha yes a friend of yours...") to recognizing songs (I was always wrong "Those are the
backstreet boys!" "Hmm, now that is Britney Spears...") and strange hostel experience. When we spoke about Spain it turned out that Maximus's father worked at the L'Hemisferice bridge in Valencia. I could show him some photos on my phone during my bicycle tour through Valencia and a photo of the bridge. Funny coincidence.
● ● ●
Bye bye Ireland and nice to meet you
I had a very nice evening and I am glad that I met Maximus or rather that he found me in the park... I
had tons of laughter and it was not that difficult anymore to go to Canada. My flight went on the next morning.
I am also happy that I could live at Serena's place. Finally it was time to go and I left Ireland with a very good feeling even I was still nervous and afraid to go to the other site of the world in a complete different culture with lots of regulation and structures?
Read next time about my first weeks in Toronto in Canada where I got a culture shock.
And again I met a very nice Irish person: Edel who is very funny, warm and just great. In addition I met a cool and funny Roberto from Peru who connected me with his friends who were very helpful to me.
In addition my friend Serena connected me with a friend of her and I caught up with him to learn some things about living in Canada. Also through my agency SWAP which was a great invest 6 month ago.
I also learnt again that you attract that what you give out. This time in a negative sense. Well, when I just want to see the negative things then they will come to you... I'm glad that I met Edel and that I became aware what went wrong. Nice girl!
I am also happy that I could live at Serena's place. Finally it was time to go and I left Ireland with a very good feeling even I was still nervous and afraid to go to the other site of the world in a complete different culture with lots of regulation and structures?
|
| Bye Molly! |
What comes next?
Well, Canada is definitely not Europe. Especially if you just want to buy a "pay as you go" SIM card...
Great that every coffee shop has free WIFI...Read next time about my first weeks in Toronto in Canada where I got a culture shock.
And again I met a very nice Irish person: Edel who is very funny, warm and just great. In addition I met a cool and funny Roberto from Peru who connected me with his friends who were very helpful to me.
In addition my friend Serena connected me with a friend of her and I caught up with him to learn some things about living in Canada. Also through my agency SWAP which was a great invest 6 month ago.
I also learnt again that you attract that what you give out. This time in a negative sense. Well, when I just want to see the negative things then they will come to you... I'm glad that I met Edel and that I became aware what went wrong. Nice girl!
Write a comment
f (Thursday, 06 November 2014 21:50)
Alain Dubois 4 August 2014 10:29
hello , greetings from Spain . You will have a fabulous time in Granada . Just put it in the air and you will get what you want , have fun
f (Thursday, 06 November 2014 21:51)
Jeanine 5 August 2014 19:59
Huhu Alain! Greetings from Vancouver. Thank you so much for your kind comment. Well, you are right. I almost forgot about it :-). I am doing it now and it works :-)! All the best