Expectations on Ireland...

Tuesday, June 22, 2010
11:00 a.m.

Well, I had many. I have now been in the land of the Irish for about 72 hours and have found that many of my expectations are far from what I thought they would be. Here are a few that surprised me:

1. Weather: For starters, I naturally expected cold, cloudy, rainy weather upon my arrival in Ireland. After all it is what the country is known for. I read somewhere online that Ireland doesn't have a climate, just weather; meaning that each day the winds and the air are changing and you can never know what to expect. The week before my departure, I scurried around on errands making sure I had enough rainproof gear. I bought two rain jackets, hiking shoes with waterproof lining, and even special socks designed for wearing in the rain. As my plane ended its flight over the Atlantic and into the vast greenness of Ireland, I was almost blinded by the immense amount of sunlight beaming through the window. It was then that I thought to myself, maybe I was wrong about the cold, the clouds and the rain. I stepped off the plane not only into the sunlight, but also into a moderately warm air that was accompanied by a nice, cool breeze. Well after three days here, the sun is still shining and the air is still warm. I’m crossing my fingers that the weather will stay like this for awhile. Although if it does, I will soon need to go shopping for more suitable clothes!

2. Food: As a vegetarian, another expectation I had was that I would have trouble finding various options in a country known for shepherds pie, beef stew, and the traditional Irish breakfast of sausage, bacon, baked beans and black pudding (a type of sausage made with dried blood!). I have been pleasantly surprised to find that I might just survive on my vegetarian diet over here. On the second night out, a group of us went to a restaurant where the menu conveniently listed which items were vegetarian. Everything I have eaten up until this point has been delicious. Whether it was my veggie burger, tomato soup or egg salad sandwich, I have enjoyed every meal. Turns out that I might just be alright after all.

3. People: As far as the local Irish people, I had unsettled expectations on whether they would be welcoming or not. I expected many of them to be standoffish and look down on us because we Americans sometimes have a reputation of being loud, uncultured and obnoxious. While we have gotten our share of weird stares, majority of the Irish people are eager to talk to us and very friendly and helpful. When a group of girls and I were in the bathroom at a pub on the first night, two younger Irish girls informed us that the word they use for cool is “savage.” They also told us the most popular places to shop downtown. When I asked a local Cobh woman if we were going the correct way to the Old Church cemetery, she kindly responded with detailed directions. When our bus driver was asked for his name, he jokingly replied, “I’m not quite sure because I have amnesia like George W. Bush.” While it is certain that our group sticks out like a sore thumb while wandering the streets of Ireland, they seem just as eager to converse with us as we do with them.