True Facts

Hi all! I'm up away to Belfast this weekend, but here are some facts I've realized about Ireland:

1) It will rain at least a little bit every day. If they have a full day of sunshine, it is regarded as wonderfully freakish and all of a sudden you see way more pale Irish skin than you're used to.

2) Because of the previous there really are rainbows all over the place. In the past week I've probably seen a rainbow every other day, including one gorgeous full-on child's drawing arc. (No luck on finding any leprechauns yet, still don't know where this country is keeping them....)

3) When I tell people I'm from Texas they never bring up George Bush, like most Americans would do, but they always ask me if I ride a horse everywhere and do men really wear those spiky things off the back of their boots and really tight jeans? (My answers being no, not really, and actually yes!)

4) Not surprisingly, I've learned that the majority of the Irish slang I'm familiar with is staunchly Northern Irish (Norn Iron!). There have been plenty of times where I've thrown out a slang term that I thought would pass right on and I'd fit in nicely just to have my housemates ask me What the heck I was saying? and Is that an American phrase? Thanks a lot Belfast ;)

5) People are friendlier to strangers. Not in a Texas "How you doin' honey have a nice day now!" sort of way, but in a "Well we're standing next to each other and we've exchanged a question so we might as well get to know each other!" way. Case in point: I'm in the line for the women's bathroom last night in the Student Bar, girl asks me if it was the line and I say yes, we exchange the stock conversation of "Why is the queue for the women's always so long!??!" As an American this conversation is done for me. Not so to freshman girl studying social science from Dublin "oh just right up the road in the top of Stillorgan". This happens all over the place: on the bus, buying shoes at the shopping center, etc etc.

6) I still get asked for directions. And I totally love that. Thanks for teaching me (giving me the genes for??) how to walk assertively Mom.