Matt F. - Dublin, Ireland - Spring 2010
The first voice I heard when I entered Dublin International Airport wasn’t an Irish flight attendant’s or even another passenger’s. It was a very familiar voice that was singing a very familiar song. Apparently Europe is in love with Lady Gaga….and that includes Ireland.
Anyone that has any desire to travel NEEDS to join couchsurfers.com. Before leaving America I contacted about 10 different people in Dublin that use this amazing website. More than one of them had room for me to stay with them for my first night in Ireland on a couch or inflatable mattress. Paddy O’tool and Monika let me sleep in their living room that night. It saved me money that I would have spent on a hostel night and was much more comfortable. They even cooked me a meal and took me out for another. We walked around the city center as Paddy gave me the guided tour. He has been living in Dublin his entire life so he “knows all the stories”. I’m still not sure if he was telling the truth about the Great Leprechaun Revolt of 1812 when the Guinness Factory was seized by the Leprechauns from the East. He says the Guinness never tasted the same after that….I’ll just have to believe him. He has been here his whole life so he probably knows better than me.
The transportation in Dublin is great and not so great at the same time. The busses are never on time but they can get you to just about anywhere in the city faster than you can walk there. Because everybody in the area knows that the busses are unreliable they tend to be more relaxed about arriving on time. A general rule to follow is that whenever an Irishman says he’ll meet you at a certain time….add 10-15 min to that time. They call that “Irish time”.
Two best pieces of advice….join couchsurfing.com and TRAVEL AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE in and out of your country. The best thing about being in Europe is that so many different countries are just a short distance away. I’ll be in Nenagh this weekend, Cork on Tuesday, Milan in two weeks, Morocco, Spain and Portugal the week after and Venice, Paris and Scotland in May. Take every opportunity and meet everyone that you can!
Anyone that has any desire to travel NEEDS to join couchsurfers.com. Before leaving America I contacted about 10 different people in Dublin that use this amazing website. More than one of them had room for me to stay with them for my first night in Ireland on a couch or inflatable mattress. Paddy O’tool and Monika let me sleep in their living room that night. It saved me money that I would have spent on a hostel night and was much more comfortable. They even cooked me a meal and took me out for another. We walked around the city center as Paddy gave me the guided tour. He has been living in Dublin his entire life so he “knows all the stories”. I’m still not sure if he was telling the truth about the Great Leprechaun Revolt of 1812 when the Guinness Factory was seized by the Leprechauns from the East. He says the Guinness never tasted the same after that….I’ll just have to believe him. He has been here his whole life so he probably knows better than me.
The transportation in Dublin is great and not so great at the same time. The busses are never on time but they can get you to just about anywhere in the city faster than you can walk there. Because everybody in the area knows that the busses are unreliable they tend to be more relaxed about arriving on time. A general rule to follow is that whenever an Irishman says he’ll meet you at a certain time….add 10-15 min to that time. They call that “Irish time”.
Two best pieces of advice….join couchsurfing.com and TRAVEL AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE in and out of your country. The best thing about being in Europe is that so many different countries are just a short distance away. I’ll be in Nenagh this weekend, Cork on Tuesday, Milan in two weeks, Morocco, Spain and Portugal the week after and Venice, Paris and Scotland in May. Take every opportunity and meet everyone that you can!
posted by International Office at 4/09/2010 09:32:00 AM
3 Comments:
I figured that 'Irish time' would be less strained than in the U.S. Which program are you using for studying abroad in Dublin? Why did you need to stay at someone else's place? Don't you live in a dorm or an apartment? Are you experiencing any of difficulties?
I'm going to be studying abroad in Dublin next semester using IES. I won't be attending an actual university. Instead, I'm using IES General Studies Program, which hires its own teachers and has its own building.
Hey,
What kind of classes are you taking? Any suggestions for choosing classes? Do you pick them before you leave or once you get there?
-Julia
I really like your tip to travel a lot I just hope I will have the time to. What program are you in? Was it hard to get the classes you wanted?
-Jen G
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