Squares

Cereal boxes are square. Not rectangular. I find it a bit (unexpectedly) difficult to get used to this every morning when I sit down and stare at the box. But they are decorated with all kinds of interesting articles and information, which keeps me entertained.
Toilet paper sections are not square. They are are rectangular. This too I find difficult to get used to every time I have to tear off a section at an unexpected place. Ahh, the little things in life we don't realize we are accustomed to...
But hey, this causes the Seinfeld episode where Elaine is asking the person in the bathroom stall next to her, "Can you please spare a square? Haven't you a square to spare? Please, I only need a square!" to loose it's punch...

Metric System

I've kept in mind the switch to Celsius from Fahrenheit.
I anticipated the use of kilometers instead of miles (though many people do speak in terms of miles), so the driver going 100 km/h didn't scare me as much as if I'd thought it was 100 mi/h.
However, I forgot about the switch to kilograms from pounds. So I've been thinking the grocery prices were outrageous. Bananas--1.50. Broccoli--3.00. Tomatoes--3.80. These are in Euro, so in my head I'd convert to dollars, just for entertainment, and be shocked at the thought of paying over $5 per lb of tomatoes. But ahhh, this is the price per kilogram! There are approximately 2.2 lb per kg, so this makes the prices a bit more reasonable. Whew.
Also, one cannot buy a gallon of milk. One buys a litre, at most a 2-litre container. Not a quart of something, but a pint.
I still need some work with cooking from these recipes on the back of containers...no longer will it instruct me to use 1 cup of something, but rather 100 grams or so. I'm going to have to post a conversion chart somewhere handy...otherwise, my bread will never turn out right. Actually, I've managed so far by using ratios (2 parts this to 1 part that), but I expect this will only take me so far...

Broadband-in-a-box

My Broadband-in-a-box arrived today! Wow, this is the fastest anything has been done around here! I ordered it on Friday and the "courier" brought it this afternoon. This is the coolest thing, simply plug in the small signal box into an outlet, plug in the ethernet cable to your laptop, and you're good to go. I can simply tote the box into whatever room I want to sit in and be online, and I never had to purchase a phone line or cable television. Do we have this in the States??

Launderettes

There don't seem to be public places to do one's laundry. There are dry cleaning services, of course. Then there are reportedly a few laundry services (though I haven't found any, this is just what is described to me when I ask around) where you bring your laundry and pay for someone else to run the washing machine and then they hang the clothes to dry (no drying machines at these places), then you pick up the clothes in a day or two.
I simply want a place where I can go, throw in the clothes, hangout until it's washed, toss it in the dryer, and be all done within 2 hours. I'm willing to do the work and put my coins in the machine, I don't need someone else to do this...but alas, these are yet to be found, except in the dorms on campus or in the hostels downtown. Hmm, what shall I do...?

Banking, part III

My Code Card arrived in the mail. Okay, I need to modify what I wrote in the previous post (Banking, part II). This card is not generic. Rather, a portion of the instructions brings a strange clarity: "For security reasons, your Code Card has a limited life- each code can be used just once. But don't worry, you will automatically receive a new code card in the post as you approach the end of each card."

So here's the deal. Whenever I want to make a phone or internet transaction, I will be asked to look at my Code Card and give the long number that is next to the short number that they prompt me with. The card contains 100 possible prompting numbers, and each one can only be used once.

My immediate reaction is to figure out how the short numbers correspond to the long numbers. What I mean is, whenever the operator prompts me for the longer number, how does he/she know I'm giving the correct code? Since each customer of this bank in all of Ireland has 100 code numbers, and these only have only one life, surely they are not keeping some database of all these numbers? Rather, I imagine that there is some system of associating long number to short number so that the operator can tell whether it is a legitimate pair, without actually needing to know the entire number. For example, if she prompts me for a general number "abc", perhaps the number "x" I give should be such that "a+b" is the first digit, "|b-c|" is the second digit, the third digit denotes the sign of "b-c" (1 for positive, 0 for negative), etc. Okay, maybe it's not quite like that, but you get my point? I wonder what the system for generating these codes is...it's certainly not random. Perhaps this will be my entertainment on my bus commute to work each day, to discover the pattern...

No, not really, I've got better things to do and people to watch.

Refuse Collection, i.e. garbage pick-up

A person must pay a yearly fee for service, then a fee for each pick-up, then a fee according to the weight of the garbage. Whoa! Do they really take the time to weigh each bin at each driveway, and then keep a running tab to bill each person? This seems like a lot of book-keeping to me, just for some good'ole refuse collection. Well, perhaps that's why the unemployment rate is so low here? (approx 3.5%)
Anyhow, our pick-up is once a fortnight and we’re paying for the weight...my landlady confessed that when she cooks with a lot of vegetables, which have stems/cores/rinds that are heavy, then she’ll carry the waste to the "tip" (dump) to avoid paying the cost. Briliant. Meanwhile, there is a black bin for general waste and a green bin for recyclables such as paper/plastics/cans, and a bag for glass. I like that.

Grocery Store

If you want your groceries sacked in a plastic bag, you must pay an extra 22 cents, because there is a "ban" on plastic bags here! So we take our own reuseable bags.
If you want to use a "trolley" (basket) to put your groceries in while you are shopping, then you first insert a 1 euro coin to get the trolley released from its holder. Then when you're done, you re-attach the trolley and your coin is returned. This is actually quite an effective means of preventing trolleys from being scattered about in the car park (parking lot)!

Cheers!

"Cheers." This is a word I will soon become accustomed to saying in place of "thanks" or "have a nice day." In the past, I've only used "cheers" when raising a glass with others, but here it is said at the grocery store when saying good-bye/thanks to the cashier, or when getting of the phone with a customer service representative, or to the bus driver, or the waitress at your table, it pops up everywhere. I think when this starts rolling off my tongue, we'll know I've become a true European.
Other words and their synonyms:
"trolly"=grocery cart/basket
"post"= mail (noun, verb, or adjective). For example, "will you post this for me?" "where is the post box?" "has the post arrived yet?"
"tip"=dump (where all the refuse/garbage/trash is taken)
"lodgment"=deposit. This sounds to me like something related to housing/accomodation, like a cabin I'd stay at in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Here one lodges money in the bank and can use a lodgment slip to deposit money in a bank other than their own.

Banking, part II

I went to the bank to ask for a brochure about account fees and such. The lady gave me a card with my 8-digit registration number that I’ve been waiting for in the mail. She said this is really the important thing to carry, more so than the debit card (though it’s not clear to me why…) She told me to call to register my card and to ask for a “code card” which will come in 4 days. The code card lists 100 code numbers which label larger numbers. This is for security: at various interactions in the future, the banker may ask me what is 055, for example. So then I give the longer number next to it. Somehow this is to give added protection…why another person can’t use their code card, since it’s generic and not unique to my account, I’m not sure. I asked about the various numbers on my debit card, and she said the number I give when a service requests it is the small 7-digit number at the bottom. I asked what the 19-digit larger number is for, and she said it is just for the machines to track the bank and account. Okay, well, it still seems to me that the card number the human eye needs to read should be a bit larger and more central.

I then called to register my debit card. The recording asked for my 8-digit registration number. Then for my PIN number. Then it asked for the 4^th digit of my 5-digit Personal Access Code (PAC), then for the 2^nd digit of my PAC, then for the 3^rd digit. Does this not seem a bit odd?? Once this was done, the recording said that since this was my first time to use the phone banking, I would need to speak to a customer service representative. So the guy got on the line and asked for my 8-digit registration number. Then for my PIN. Then for my name, address, and the last 4 digits of my phone number. Then he asked for the 2^nd digit of my PAC, then for the 5^th digit, then for the 4^th digit. (What is up with this?) He said everything is checking clear, so now he can tell me more information.

He said I should never be asked for the full 5 digits of my PAC at one time, only for 3 digits, in a non-sequential order. (I’m wondering if this really helps with security…?) Then he said he’d mail me a code card, so I should wait for its arrival in around 4 days. In the meantime he said I should change my PAC number to a different 5-digit number that I can remember and tell no one. He would call the phone service and stay on the line with me and walk me through the procedure. So the recording comes on the line asking for the service code, to which the guy says I should turn over my registration card, where the service codes are and choose 07, as this is the option for changing my PAC number. Before I could do this, I had to enter the 3^rd digit, 1^st digit, and 4^th digit of my current PAC. I’ll spare the rest of the details, but hopefully you get the idea that this is a rather roundabout system, consisting of much waiting for the next bit of info to arrive in the mail and an attempted rigorousness at protecting the security of the account and privacy of the holder.

I also learned that if I “lodge” at least 1500 euro per month into my account, then I will receive interest on up to 1500 euro in my account. At present, the interest is at 11%, though it may fluctuate in the future. If I use my debit card to pay a bill once a quarter and also use it for a transaction once a quarter (and I'm not sure what the difference is...), then my account maintenance fees will be waived. All of this is sounding a bit complicated…
So I made my first “lodgment”—simply give them my debit card and the money, and it’s done (no need for a deposit slip). On the one hand, there are so many security measure and complicated protocols, then on the other hand, it seems quite simple.

Tour of the Southwest

We went on a 4-day backpacking trip around the southwest portion of Ireland. We went with Paddywagon Tours, which caters to independent backpackers. They transport a group of 5-30 people to the interesting sights that may be a bit off the main route, provide insightful commentary, allow much freedom for us to go hike and explore for a couple of hours before returning to the vehicle, etc. They also book us in hostels (or B&B if one prefers), so everything is taken care of, yet without some of the costs and restrictions that other tour companies have. They provide a great service, I'm very glad we went with them, it was also better than renting a car would have been, I'm sure. But they do cater to a younger crowd, which brings an emphasis on staying out until 3am at the pubs and using serious and continuous profanity...so you take the good with the bad.

I'll list the places we visited, then hopefully come back later and fill in the descriptions...
Clonmacnoise--6th century monastery with beautiful carved Celtic high crosses
Galway
Cliffs of Moher
Dingle Peninsula
Killarney National Park
Blarney Castle (we kissed the Blarney Stone)
Rock of Cashel
Guinness Brewery

Potatoes

Ireland. The land of potatoes.
Chinese Restaurants ask if you want your dish with rice or chips (fries). Huh? The Chinese do not eat their food with chips...but here we see an adaption to suit the culture's preference. Rather fascinating, I think.
In a pub I ordered traditional Irish stew, which the menu said comes with two vegetables on the side. When my plate arrived I discovered the vegetables were mashed potatoes and new potatoes.

In other cafes, an entree comes with your choice of salad. This usually means either cole slaw or potato salad. I'm craving salad with...lettuce. For those of you businessmen out there, I think there is a definite need for a soup & salad place here.

Meanwhile, the Irish know how to make some tasty quiche and scones!

Debit Card

Recall: I applied for a bank account two weeks ago, then one week ago was told that my account is ready and that my debit card and further information will be sent in the mail this week, by Wednesday (today). Indeed, I have received 4 letters. One contained my debit card. Another my cheques. Another the PIN number. Another the PAC (personal access code). These private passwords are not typed, they are hidden behind a sticker that you must peel off, then place the paper against a white paper and see through this screen to discover a secret code that becomes visible. Jeepers, such lengths they go to for protection...yet they didn't require me to put any money in the account to open it, no minimum balance for it to exist.
Anyhow, I excitedly went online to order my broadband, so that process would be in motion. Where it asks for the card number, I typed the predominant number on the card--the 19 digit, large size number sprawled across the front. An error came up saying it was invalid. I tried again. Same error. (By the way, I think it is a bit unusual to have a 19 digit number...this is prime, not divisible by anything, hence not conducive to writing it in 3 blocks of the same length...why not have 18 digits? 3 blocks of 6...)
So I examined the card more closely and found a smaller size number--both in length and font--at the bottom of the card. 7 digits. Indeed, it was labeled "card number." So I typed it. Again an error that this is an invalid card number. Hmmm. There is also another 8-digit number on the card, but I had already learned that this is the bank routing number, so I didn't try it.
Then it dawned on me that I hadn't activated the card yet, so perhaps that was the problem. So I called the activation number listed with my letters for the PIN and PAC. The recording prompted me to input my 8-digit registration number. What the heck is that? I frantically looked through the letters for another number, counted the numbers on my debit card, nothing corresponded to this registration number needed. So after failed attempts, I was connected to a live voice, who was a bit stern as if I was trying to use a card that isn't my own.
She asked my 8-digit registration number, to which I responded "yes, what is that??" She said it should arrive in the mail in the next few days. So I am back to waiting on The Irish System...
Meanwhile, I took advantage of this live person to ask about the "card number" I should type in for online purchases. She said it is the small 7-digit number at the bottom of my card. I asked what the larger, 19-digit number is, and she didn't know. Rather interesting, yes?

The Running Scene

I'm excited about the opportunities for running here in Dublin! Phoenix Park is the largest urban enclosed park in Europe, containing 1,760 acres--more than twice the size of New York City's Central Park. There are running groups that meet there on Saturday mornings (at 10am...again, things get started much later than my usual running group at 7am in Austin). IrishFit appears to be a great running club, coached by an Irishman who completed the Utraman World Championships in Hawaii (a triathlon that consists of 6.2mile swim, 261.4mile Bike, 52.4mile run). There is the IrishFit Social Network, which is a forum for people of similar interests to network, exchange ideas, plan running groups, etc.
The adidas Dublin Marathon is on the last Monday of October each year, going through the historic Georgian streets of Dublin. It has earned the reputation of being "The Friendly Marathon" due to the Irish hospitality (Dublin was rated the most friendly capital city in Europe in 2007). There is a half marathon race, the Mooathlon, at the end of September, and a woman's mini-marathon in June, in addition to other smaller races throughout the year.
I have enjoyed mapping out routes to run on my own, using Google's gmaps pedometer. It's a great way to explore the beautiful parks, neighborhoods, historical places, coastal areas, etc. on cool mornings before the crowds come out.

Weather Patterns

The temperatures have been in the 60's...well, actually I need to get used to using Celsius, not Fahrenheit...so it's been around 17 degrees. Point is, it's been very pleasant. What about the rain, you ask? Yes, it rains every day, but not in the way I feared. The mornings may offer sunshine, then a passing shower for 10 minutes, then the sun and blue skies, then suddenly dark ominous clouds and a 15 minute shower, then no rain, then...the cycle repeats. It's really quite astounding how fast and frequently it switches back and forth. In Texas, I'd feel like the whole day could be shot if there was rain in the forecast, but not so here!
Meanwhile, often the rain is such that a jacket/hood is sufficient, no need to pull out the umbrella (which one learns should always be with you), but at other times the wind picks up with a good force so there is blowing rain with substantial quantity. The good thing is that it doesn't last very long, max 20 minutes in my experience so far...
I had wondered if there would be much humidity because of the rain, but there doesn't seem to be. I'm no weather(wo)man, but I guess the cool temps and wind keep it out? Whatever the reason, I'm happy. Yes, I have no complaints about the weather yet, and I'm pleased to find I am greeted with some sun at some point each day. Another bit of info is that right now, the sun is rising around 6am and setting around 9pm.
Meanwhile, the sky is incredible. With such rapidly changing weather patterns, the clouds do quite a dance up there; it's in very localized places, so there are distinct differences in the visible spectrum, all in one single scope. The colors and textures create a beautiful canopy--I've enjoyed looking out my window as the sun sets, and over a span of 60 minutes getting a real variety of artistic wonder.

Working hours

It seems offices and services to not open until 9:30 or 10am here. What's a gal to do for the 3 good hours before then? (I guess go for a run...) Then they close early, no later than 5pm. For example, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the banks are open 10:30am-4pm. Receptionists and administrative personnel at the university do not arrive until 9:30. Coffee shops close at 5pm. (Very strange for someone from the US, where coffee shops are the places a person can depend on to stay open late for people to work or meet and socialize.) It appears that people here do not let work dominate their lives...and certainly don't let it encroach on their enjoyment time at the pubs!

Glendalough and Wicklow County

We took a day trip with Day Tours Unplugged to Glendalough and through the Wicklow Mountains. I highly recommend this tour company! The guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, professional, seemed genuinely interested in sharing the wonders of Ireland with us.

I'll write more about the sites here when I get more time...

Brilliant

The Irish use various words and phrases I'm not so accustomed to using, but I am enjoying the chuckles it arouses within me, and I'm unknowingly incorporating them into my speech.
"Brilliant" is one. I think whenever we usually say "great," as a filler or something, they are using "brilliant."
"Grande" is another, used interchangeably with brilliant.
"Ghastly."
"Simply horrid."
"Dreadful."
"Fortnight." Now this is the one that appears everywhere--newsletters come fortnightly, groups meet fortnightly, paychecks come fortnightly, rent is due fortnightly. What length of time is this referring to? It is the unit of time for 14 nights. Evidently it is only used in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries. I guess "bi-weekly" is the closest we come to such in the US?
"Carriageway"=main road, like our "highway."
"Ring me"=call me on the phone.
"Half-nine" (or whatever number applicable) = 9:30. Someone tells me to meet at half-seven, and I'm not sure whether it means half an hour until 7 or half after 7...I have learned that it always means half after, 7:30. Now that certainly doesn't mean the person will arrive at half after, for the Irish are quite laid back...

(I realize this blog will contain generalizations and stereotypes that are not applicable to all Irish...but in mathematical terms, perhaps we can say the set does not have measure zero...)

There are many more words, I'll try to keep a list...

Broadband

There are three ways of getting internet access here: through the phone-line, via cable tv, or "broadband-in-a-box." I'm opting for the latter. See www.irishbroadband.ie. However, to order this, one must provide either an Irish credit card or an Irish debit card, neither of which I have. Once this is provided to them, they say it takes approximately 2 weeks for them to clear it with the bank, and then one week for the broadband-in-a-box to be delivered. So I am left waiting on the Irish system to progress through the loop once again...

Banking

I went to the bank last week and turned in my application along with the letter verifying my employment and address of residence...they said it was not necessary to deposit any money, which I find a bit odd, but oh well. They said my application had to go to the money laundering office and it would be several days before it got processed, so I should come back then to get my account number.
So yesterday I returned, but they said the letter was not suitable, as it stated my employment as starting on Sept. 1, so they cannot open an account until then. But they said if I got the letter revised such that that sentence was simply deleted, then it would be fine. So I did this...but then bank here is only open from 10:30am-4:00pm, so I had to wait until today to provide the modified letter. Then after waiting a few hours, I was told that everything was approved, so I should expect my personal access code, debit card and cheques (basically everything I need in order to make use of this account...I can't wire money from the US until I have the personal access code) to arrive by post the middle of next week.

Meanwhile, they do not offer credit cards until you have an account with them for 3 months. So I'm stuck with using my US credit card that has a 3% foreign transaction fee, and my US ATM card that charges a fee every time I withdraw money...

Office Computer

I was given a nice new computer in my office, but when I tried to use it, a login password was required. I asked about this, and a colleague said I must first send in an application and wait 24 hours to receive my userid and password. Then I must register the physical computer itself and wait another 24 hours before I am up and running.
However, the application asks for my personnel number, which I do not have because I am stuck in the loop of the Irish System, waiting on my PPS number and bank account information so that I can officially be employed by the university and get a personnel number...
So, I'm left waiting...and waiting...difficult for one who is more of an initiator/proactive person!

I found a place!

I will be living in a quaint village, which is just a few miles from my office and the city centre, and a couple of miles west of Dun Laoghire, the lovely coastal town. The owner of my place is a dear old Christian woman--and Anglican--and when she found out I was, she held it for me while I had time to think and check out the area, then gave me a really great price. It's a nice setup, right on the direct bus line, near all the local amenities I would want and across the street from a lively (and very historical) Anglican parish. I am very pleased and excited about living there--thanks be to God!

Search for a Flat to Let

Searching for a place to live is quite an unnerving endeavor. People storm the newspaper stands as soon as they are delivered, leaving the papers all gone within 5 minutes. An apartment will list when it can be viewed, people line up at the door (15-20 people), and it's first-come-first-serve, so you must be ready to make a decision and pay $1500+ cash immediately, provide evidence of employment, references of employers and previous landlord, and sign a year's lease. The people are crazy intense. There is an serious shortage of accommodation available, one is lucky to find a vacancy that partially meets one's preferences of location, amenities, cleanliness/functionality, price, etc., but then the competition greatly decreases the odds of getting it. It's a very stressful situation, and a scary commitment, trying to get a feel for the surrounding area, bus routes, local amenities, etc., with so little time...

Hash

My first exposure to the word "hash" was in a the context of foods--either describing a pile of potatoes that are browned in a frying pan, or a mashed, pasty mixture of corned beef, which I run away from. My next exposure to the word was in mathematics, as one makes a hash mark on a line on an axis or to denote a unit when counting. Then I learned of hash being a plant one smokes, appearing right along with the words marijuana and hemp. Then I found the word in the cryptographic setting, as one uses a hash function to convert a long string into a (shorter) fixed-length string. Then the word appeared when I was checking into running groups in Dublin and found the Hash Harriers, who go for runs and end a pub for a drink. But my most recent encounter with the word was when I was trying to set up my voicemail on the mobile phone I finally acquired.

The instructions were to enter your pin number, followed by the hash key. What's a hash key? I stared at my phone for awhile, and was prompted again, so I pressed the * button. This didn't work. So I pressed the -- button, as that looks like a hash mark to me. No good. So I continued pressing buttons, trying all my options, but this just made things worse. I got on the phone company's website to find help, but their instructions simply say to press the hash key, with no explanation of what it is. After a bit of research, I discovered...the "hash" key is the # key, otherwise known to an American as the "pound" key!

Infinite Irish Loop

My first full day here, and I encounter what appear to be many
Infinite Irish Loops in "the system" of getting established in
Ireland...

In order to let a flat (i.e. rent an apartment), you must
provide an official letter verifying employment and a bank
statement.
In order to get an official letter of employment, you must
provide the university with a PPS number (Irish equivalent
of a social security number) so that they can put you on payroll.
In order to get a PPS number, you must provide the government
with an official letter of employment and evidence of an address
of residence (an office address will not suffice). 
In order for the university to put you on payroll, you need to
provide them with a bank account number.
In order to get a bank account, you must provide evidence of an
address of residence, so we're back to the original task of
letting a flat.

Actually, it's even more complicated...there are requirements
regarding tax forms and registering with immigration...then even
getting a phone requires providing some element of information
from the above loop.

So, to terminate this loop, I will be using my boss's home
address.