Moving to Ireland

If so, then you can understand where I’m at right now.

If you’re reading this, you’re considering making the same decision that I had… so I’ll speak frankly:

As some of you know already, Amanda and I have separated. She’s returned to the States and I’m staying here - for the foreseeable future at least.

While we still love and miss each other very much we want different things from each other that are either impossible or unlikely. While this tears us apart inside, she stands firm that this is what she wants. So, while she wont be apart of my future, I can never deny her being a part of my past. Because of this, I will leave this page in tact - but there will be no new content posted here. THIS IS MY LAST POST.

I will ask that you not look at me with the typical "poor lad" look in your eyes and please don’t ask the questions like "will she come back?", "are you OK?" or "are you sure you can’t work it out between yous?". I’ve been asking myself those questions for weeks now and can’t answer them any better for you than I can for meself.

Rest assured though, I will always love Amanda. And while I may find the strength to carry on - maybe even meet someone new, I will never forget the legacy we shared. She was my first true love and that is going to be a hard measure to live up to.

If you’re considering making the move here and there are others involved (wife, husband, children, etc.), please take time to consider the burden it can place on those relationships and potentially the spotlight it can place upon your different dreams and ambitions. It’s not a matter to be acted upon with hast or disregard for impact it can have on one’s emotional balance.

If you decide to move ahead, pay close attention to your family members. Watch for the signs of depression, anger - even resentment. You towards them or them towards you. Commit to discussing the transition every week or every day if necessary. It’s not easy leaving everything you’ve known and loved behind to follow what is potentially someone else’s dream. We think we’re strong enough and willing enough, but sometimes we’re wrong.

I’ve enjoyed sharing my experiences with you, but having now completely exposed the good and bad, I’m now leaving you to your own devices. I’ll be happy to field questions from you, but please don’t expect any further posts. And, no questions about Amanda and I, please.

Oh, and for what it’s worth… Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

• Read More »

If there is one thing that I’ve learned in the weeks leading up to Paddy’s day in Ireland it is this:

American’s make arses of themselves and the Irish have little tolerance for it.

Even radio commercials make a mockery of the Temple Bar scene and the "overfed Yanks".

So, please, if you plan to visit this weekend, mind the pints and mind your manners.

Me? I’ll be far away from Dublin spending the week with my family in Northern Ireland - far separated from the guilt by association.

• Read More »

I’m really growing very tiresome of the lack of online services not available to me since moving to Ireland. Where shall I begin?

First there was NBC.com… then:

• Fox.com
• ABC.com
• CBS.com
• Portions of iTunes.com
• Portions of NFL.com
• And, now SkyDrive.com

I don’t see the upside to blocking content in well-respected, developed nations. If I were speaking of an economically-challenged Eastern European country or perhaps an Asian Pacific region that is well-known for piracy and malicious conduct, I could understand these bans. But, really… Ireland? - a country that is in love with American culture? You’re going to ban access to US television and something as simple as an online file sharing application??? What is the sense in that? Where have the Irish faulted on conducting themselves in a law abiding, reasonable manner deserving of such limited access to online resources?

If there is anyone in a decision-making position reading this tidbit, please - for the love of God and humanity - please, please, please open your IP filtering to allow the Irish people the same pleasures that our American counterparts can so easily partake in. After all, there are more Irish in America than in Ireland - we can’t be all that bad!

• Read More »

We’ve found an American groceries website! Remember me writing about our neighbours that fell in love with Marshmellow Fluff? Well, they just came to the door with a jar of it that they found online. Of course, they ordered one for themselves as well!

Anyhow, he was telling me about the site and I immediately logged on and had tears come to my eyes when we saw corn meal, Twizzlers, Marshmellow Fluff, Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, and so many other American favourites!

There are still some things that we can’t get, but we certainly knocked our list down quite a bit.

The website is called:

http://www.americansoda.co.uk

Now, they’re a UK-based company, so the prices are in Pounds Sterling. But, it’s still a lot cheaper and faster than ordering from a US-based outlet.

One thing to keep in mind is that when you create your account, you’ll be asked to supply a Region. If you’re in the Irish Republic, just select Wicklow and it’ll get to you - so long as you provide the rest of the address details of course.

Anyhow, Amanda and I are now anxiously awaiting our American Soda care package! I’ll be sure to post a photo of the box contents when it arrives!

• Read More »

A question was asked by a reader "what things do we wish we had brought but didn’t".

So, here’s the list. Bear in mind that some of these items may be available in Ireland - but we’ve been here for a couple months now and haven’t found them.

1. Corn meal! It doesn’t exist here! When asked, they look at you as if you have three heads.
2. Cast iron skillet. How can I cook my Sausage and Green Onion corn bread if I have no cast iron skillet?
3. Twizzlers. Nope. Not here. Some American candies are, but not Twizzlers and the knock-offs suck.
4. Marshmellow Fluff. Doesn’t exist here either. But, we’ve had some shipped and introduced our neighbours to it. They LOVE it!
5. Breakfast sausage (even just the pre-cooked stuff). What I wouldn’t do for some good ole fashion Jimmy Dean sausage!
6. Fog-free shower mirror. Sold mine thinking, it’ll get broke and I can replace it easy enough in Ireland. Yeah, right!
7. Our DVD collection. I sold them all (150 movies for $125) because they were Region 1 and wouldn’t play on European DVD players that are coded for Region 2. But, I could have still played them on our laptop. Why did I sell them all?)
8. Rotel Tomatoes. Don’t exist here! So much for our standby dip.
9. Velvetta. Yeah, that’s a bust too. Don’t think that Calvetta is the same. It’s NOT!
10. Pastry blender. Blending butter into my biscuit dough with a fork is getting really old!

Other things… my truck, long johns, and a few dozen pairs of Levi jeans to sell on the black market. They go for over €100 here!

• Read More »

This is a photo from the outdoor patio at Fadó Irish Pub in Austin, Texas. This was a regular hang out Amanda and I - where we’d watch our favourite local band, Blaggards, play their unique version of stout Irish music.

The bizarre part of this is that our home in Ireland is 2KM from Leopardstown, and 5KM from Ticknock and Rockbrook.

Perhaps it was writing on the wall all along and we just didn’t know it.

• Read More »

• Read More »

Worse…

Where shall I begin? I always like the bad news first, so let’s start with the letter Amanda received this week from the fine folks at the Enterprise, Trade and Employment office.

I won’t bore you with the details, but the country which is suffering from a lack of healthcare professionals, and has admitted Nursing to the shortlist of occupations not requiring a market needs test and has a horrible reputation for healthcare management has just denied Amanda her work permit for her role as Theatre Manager at a local hospital.

Thankfully, we can re-apply with her completing the form as a spouse of an approved work permit holder, but she has to be a legal resident of the state in order to do so. Which brings me to today’s fiasco.

Bad…

I blocked off some time on my calendar (diary here) to go to the Garda station and complete our registration process and obtain our Immigration Bureau Certificate of Registration card. This is a completely separate matter from my (your) work permit. It’s only valid for one-year at first, and I (you) must return before the year is up to re-new your stamp.

IF YOU ARE MARRIED, remember to bring a copy of your marriage certificate if only one of you is a work-permit holder.

Amanda and I neglected to do this since nobody had mentioned it. So, after driving from our home in South Dublin county to the nearest LUAS park-n-ride, then riding 30 minutes on the LUAS, and walking for a couple miles (lost) downtown we find out that only I can be registered at the moment and we’ll have to return with all the documentation (including the marriage certificate that I told Amanda to bring, mind you) to get her’s. So, thankfully the Garda Immigration office is open until 10PM Mon-Thur, so we decided to repeat the entire journey over so that we could get her finalised today, so she can re-apply for her work permit as soon as possible.

So, as it stands right now… Amanda still has a job but she can’t work. She has a registration card (stamp 3) but it’s not the right one (she needs a stamp 1 or 4). And, she still hasn’t received her nursing license that she applied for while we were still in the States!

Needless to say…  it’s doing both our heads in.

Good…

However, Amanda does get to pretend to work next week. The hospital is going to let her sit in the January orientation so that she can start work immediately upon being approved and not having to wait until the next orientation date afterwards. Bronagh and I will miss her while she’s at pretend work, but I know it’ll do her wonders to be out of the house and feeling normal again. Even if it’s only a week.

• Read More »

Just playing a little to the search engines, but the theme and content remains the same! Hope you don’t mind too much.

Duncan

• Read More »

Curry’s is the closest thing to a Best Buy or Circuit City I’ve seen in Ireland. However, I would strongly encourage you to consider other retailers such Woodies DIY, Argos, and XtraVision.

While Curry’s does have a better selection of common household electronics, appliances and such, their customer service is the absolute worst!

I’ve had two very bad experiences with the store in Carrickmines and have boycotted it (and all other Currys) as a result.

Now, normally I wouldn’t surface such matters publicly, but since many of you are making the same journey that Amanda and I have, I’d hate to see you come over, make big-ticket purchases only to find yourself in the horrible situations we’ve been in with Currys over the past couple of months. Be wise and spend your money elsewhere - you’ll certainly be treated more respectfully.

• Read More »