Dublin, first glances

Ah, Ireland.

My love affair with Ireland as a country stems back to my childhood, when my world revolved around a steadfast ambition to become a world-class writer. The rich and mysterious nature of Celtic mythology inspired my insatiable imagination to no end; the dark yet beautiful tales of trickery and magic were a welcome change for a child fast outgrowing the likes of Disney. As I continued to write and learn, Ireland morphed from a rural, mythical place into a powerful emotional source of motivation and insight. Without setting foot within the place, it was within Irish culture that I cultivated my first big ideas; funny now that I come back to it with my newest career dream.

In college, I updated my idyllic perception of Ireland by taking an Irish literature course that gave me a more contemporary look at this country as it stands now. I’m glad I did. This city is as many of its famed poets, writers, and lyricists have spoken of—oh yes, Dublin is a dirty, dreamy place. At the moment, it reminds me of frumpy, London with a quirkier, angrier attitude and a shorter stature. There are lines of short, stone buildings with chimneys with five or seven stout smokestacks that spit into the sky and trash that punctuates the sidewalks and gutters. You pass pubs, ethnic restaurants, and foreclosure signs while going from point A to B here; Irish is written on every sign, and if that wasn’t purist enough, folks have taken the courtesy to be the voice of Ireland on many of their high, iconic stone walls.

Yet for all its outward grittiness, there’s creativity in this town that’s undeniable. Whether it’s from a young population shortchanged on the economic front or maybe something intrinsic buried in Irish blood I don’t know, but there’s something about Dublin that pulses beneath the grime of city—and tells you, you’re in for a fantastic story. Yes, this experience will prove to be much different than Sweden. Aside from being on a stern career mission, this is an entirely different place.

My housing will definitely be different. Annika’s flat afforded me many amazing luxuries, aside from the beautiful home; I really really miss her. This time, I will be staying in a dirt-cheap two-bedroom flat in the middle of Dublin 8, with three Brazilian girls and two Mexican girls, where space is tight but the atmosphere is warm. At first, I was really reluctant; I have less space here than even my college dorms. But the girls come and go (English school), so between the exotic food and not paying for the DART (expensive!), I think living here will be like living in a big Latina family.

But—just in case I didn’t want to stay with the crowd—I did spend much of my time this weekend looking for outlets. Behold my list of discoveries:

 

Closest Grocery Store: 1 block east

Closest Wine/Liquor Store/Dry Cleaner Combo: across the street

Closest Closest Bus Station: 3 blocks east

Closest Dublin Bike Station: 8 blocks east in Christchurch (lame)

Closest Catholic Church: St. James’ Church, 3 blocks east

Closest Café Worth My Time: Cafe Noto, 8 blocks east

Closest Museum: Irish Museum of Modern Art, 3 blocks west, 1 block north

Closest Park: Phoenix Park, 1 km northwest

Closest Bar: The Guinness Brewery (behind the house)

In any case, I'm excited. The next three months are going to prove very busy for me. Tomorrow, I start work at one of the revolutionary science museums in the world, and begin construction on what I hope will not only be a wholesome graduate thesis, but a credo for the rest of my career. In addition to the work I’ll have at the Science Gallery, I’ll have written reports and essays for Gothenburg University, and contributions to Pacific Science Center as they prepare for their first annual Science Festival this summer (yet another side project...oy). Combine that with my goal to see Galway and other Irish communities, I have a feeling I will be much busier in the next three months than nine months in Sweden ever made me.

Well, we'll find out. :)