Settling In

Hello all!

We have had a crazy but wonderful couple of weeks getting settled in our apartment in Castlebar. We are well and getting adjusted. I won’t bog you down with all the details of getting phones, a car, car insurance, utilities, trash service, internet, visas, licenses….but I will say that the Irish move at a different pace than this Yankee girl is used to. And that’s OK. Andy's hair is gone and what there is left of it is gray, but I’m good with a slower pace. It’s not uncommon to be stopped in the middle of the road while 2 cars passing one another stop to have a nice chat while you wait. We have found the people of Castlebar to be friendly, warm and helpful. It’s quite nice.

Many have been asking me what the differences are that we are experiencing (especially food related).  

Here are a few:

-You have to have a license to own a TV. I thought maybe this was a good idea because TV can be as dangerous as driving a car or owning a concealed weapon but the locals insist it’s just another way for the government to tax you. If you find joy in something, the government will make you pay for it.

-Our apartment is heated with kerosene oil which is very expensive so we rely mostly on burning peat briquettes in the fireplace in the evening.

-It’s not even close to sandal wearing weather yet.

- I have to convert speeds to kilometers, pounds to kilograms and cups to liter portions, etc.

-Electric showers.  Just push a button and you get the perfect temp and pressure. But don’t forget to turn off the power to the shower, if you do and you try to use the other bathroom you will blow a fuse.

-Quinn is very confused by the different terminology: Cookies are biscuits, soccer is football, french fries are chips and chips are crisps, bacon is rashers. 

-Money: the smallest bill they print is 5, so they have 1 and 2 euro coins which add up fast when you forget those aren’t quarters in your pocket.

-Cars drive on the opposite side of road and drivers on opposite side of car. I will be slow to try this, it still freaks me out. Andy is a pro.

-Petrol (gas) for our car is very expensive (about $9 a gallon)so we got a diesel car to save a few Euro.

-All dials go to 11 instead of 10- one of Andy’s favorite things.

- Dinner is a meal size not a time. We were invited to dinner and expected to arrive in the evening but actually they wanted us over right after church. Dinner is the main meal of the day whether it is in the evening or at lunchtime. So if you invite someone for dinner, it doesn’t necessarily need to be in the evening. If you invite someone for “tea” (whether it is in the evening or at lunchtime) a small meal (like lunch) is expected.

-Toilet Paper Labels: US has teddy bears, quilts and babies, Ireland has kittens, puppies and bunnies (we use Kitten Soft, of course)

Food & Such:

-Refrigerators are much smaller, so you shop more often.

-We live about a mile from downtown Castlebar, so we walk to town most days to shop.

-A friend from church has chickens and ducks and is generous with the eggs. Duck eggs are delightful!

-Instant coffee is actually fantastic here…and this coming from an ex barista. We grabbed some in a pinch on our first few days here and have been loving it.

-Mexican food is nearly non-existent with the exception of the occasional tortilla and hot sauce. Even the international food grocers concentrate mostly on Indian and African foods.

-Beans on toast for breakfast…not so bad!

-The Guinness delivery semi arrives in town on Thursdays to gear up for the weekend…with more beer kegs than I have ever seen in my life. It is a double trailer semi flatbed delivery truck. Are there even enough people in town to drink that much beer? Yep.

-The potato is still king and there are surely no shortages! Many Irish know when each type of potato is in season and anticipate when their favorites hit the shelves.

-Rainbows are very common, corned beef the way we are used to is not.

Good News 4 You…and Me!

One of the ministry areas I will be serving is minding the Good News 4 You Christian bookstore that is owned by the Westport church. I am more than excited to be back working in a bookstore environment! Tourist season is quickly approaching and I will have a great opportunity to meet and chat with lot of people.

Another thing I love to do is read the weekly “paper”. With the internet, many now get their news from all sorts of digital media, but there is something about getting your local news locally.

Real Mayo newspaper headlines:

“Ballina Man Stole Wine on Good Friday”

He stole 2 bottles and was found later that evening staggering along the road. The article also says that it was raining at the time and there was poor lighting. I still don’t know what that has to do with the matter but it sets the atmosphere of the story up well I suppose.

“Man head butted security guard after seeing ex in Supermacs”

awww...he was just upset they wouldn't let him in to see his ex. 

“Man Has Two Front Teeth Knocked Out in Brawl”

Turns out the guy who knocked out his teeth via a solid head butt was his good friend.  Probably still is.

What’s with all the head butting?

Welcome to Ireland!