The Land of Luck

The Land of Luck

We are in shock. Although our flight to Philly doesn’t take off until September 3^rd, our various vacations mean that we only have 10 DAYS left in Dublin! Luckily, we’ve been making the most of this precious time. Instead of taking naps in between shifts, we try to meet up and explore areas of the city we’ve yet to see. Yesterday we took a quick trip to the Irish Memorial Garden at the top of O’Connell to catch up over hot chocolate, and today we got traditional fish & chips from Leo Burdocks and ate dinner on the lawn of Christ Church Cathedral. (Quick note: during one these excursions, a light blue Previa drove by! For all of you that don’t know, this is the beloved van of TFox, and has –dangerously – taken us all over the U.S. It made us so happy to see this little piece of home that we chased it for a few blocks to get a picture.)

The highlight of the week was Katie’s (Bergie’s) visit. She arrived late on Friday, and after a quick catch-up we went to bed to rest up for Saturday’s sightseeing. We took her to the Saturday food market in Temple Bar, and then we all got crepes at LemonJelly café. Unfortunately, Al had to go in to work, but Bergie began her sightseeing with the Dublin City Hop-on-Hop-off Tour. This bus takes visitors all over Dublin to about 30 must-see sights, including Trinity College, the Grand Post Office, The Kilmainham Jail, Saint Stephens Green, etc. Bergie didn’t waste time at those silly tourist places, though, she only got off at the Guinness Factory and stayed there for about four hours! After dinner at Blue Lounge and a drink at Dakota, Bergie and Al met up with Mer, Ben, and Louise (Mer’s friend from the restaurant) at Doyle’s to dance. The DJ rudely dismissed Al’s requests for Britney Spears and Madonna, but he was more than happy to play “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton for Bergie. Apparently this 80s song is still a favorite in London clubs, and we are now on a mission to bring this dance hit back to popularity in both Ireland and the U.S.! We braved the rain the next morning and toured around Trinity College and Grafton Street, a pedestrian hub with great shopping and cafes. Bergie trekked around the entire city (literally!) while Al had a short shift at The Body Shop, and afterwards they met up for dinner at Market Bar. Full from tapas and dessert (apple and rhubarb crumble, mmmm), Al and Bergie met up with Mer, Tom, and Javi (Mer’s manager) in Temple Bar and took it easy at The Auld Dubliner and The Foggy Dew. These are two traditional pubs with some of the best craic and “black stuff” around. Despite a totally dysfunctional blow-up mattress, Bergie got to sleep and was off to London by 4:30 AM! It was way too short of a trip… we miss you, Katie!

Eager for a change of pace from our usual pub routine, we planned a Poker Night with our group of friends. Without proper poker chips, we creatively brainstormed other options. Some top contenders were skittles or M&Ms, with the colors representing different denominations. Upon discovering how much these treats cost in Euros, we desperately contemplated using grains of rice! Ben came to the rescue, suggesting using real money. GENIUS! We counted and divided tons of coins, set out a smörgåsbord of snacks, refreshed our poker skills by reading Wikipedia articles on strategy (which were very helpful, Mark! wink, wink), and were ready to play! Texas Hold ‘Em was the game. Out of pure determination to break gender roles, Mer and Al took the play very seriously- it’s 2008, we obviously weren’t just there to provide snacks! To the boys’ shock, Mer dominated the first half of the game. A few of the boys went all-in and lost it, bringing the players down to Mer, Al, and Tom. Then just Al and Tom. And then, on the “river” of the last hand, Al got 4-of-a-kind and was declared champion! The prize, 25 Euro. Girl power! Even if Al hadn’t have won, the night was a success- delicious food, friendly competition, and amazing company of course.

Last night, Al invited all her co-workers over to our Vicar Street flat and then they went out on the town! Rachel, Larissa, and Saoirse are American/Irish, Australian, and Irish, respectively, but they are all long-time Dubliners and obviously showed Al a different side of the nightlife. They went to Sheheens first, a cozy bar that boasts couches instead of barstools, and walls jam-packed with artwork, mosaics, and mirrors. Then they went to Andrews Lane Theater, a theater-turned-club tucked away in a small side street, and danced to indie house music. It was a great night, and made us realize how lucky we are to work with such social and genuine people. It’s obvious now that we are both enjoying Dublin not despite working, but because of it! Working at La Med and The Body Shop has brought us so many good times with amazing people. We obviously love hanging out with just each other, but it’s the people that we’ve met on this adventure that make it such an incredible experience!

Although at the tail-end of the summer, we are still tickled by all the little nuances that differentiate American and Irish culture. Did you know that if you ask for the “bill” at a restaurant here you’ll get a blank stare? It’s a “check.” Irish people also love to say “pop.” For example, “I’ll just pop down to the loo,” “Pop over here a minute, will ye?”, or “Let me just pop this in me bag.” When asking questions, it’s worded in reverse. Instead of “Did you have fun at the movies?”, it’s “Have fun at the movies, did ye?”. And the word “would” is no longer conditional. “My mom visits Scotland a lot” is instead, “Me mum would visit Scotland much.” Forget the “th” sound, it’s just pronounced “t”. So if you think about it, “third” is now “turd.” We are getting used to it, but don’t judge us if we sound a little funny when we get back to the States.

Now then, we’ve gotta pop on outta here but we would be in touch after our Scotland holiday so check back in with us, could ye?

Miss you all!
Mer & Al