The Irish

This is going to be a simple post. Here are a few things that I have notice about the Irish since I have been here.

- Service in restaurants or bars is slow. If you are in a rush, don't go to a sit down place!

-Service in restaurants or bars is poor. The waiters do not check on you. You have to go to them to get the check or anything else that you might need.

- In restaurants, you sit yourself at a table.

-In bars, it is usually filled with older guys. In the bars around my apartment, when my group goes, we are the only girls.

- You have to pay for plastic bags when going shopping

-It costs more money to eat at a cafe then if you order your stuff to go. This is because if you "sit in", they give you a nice plate and cup, which they charge extra for.

- No concept of a take away box if you don't finish your food.

-The drinking age is 18

-The relationship between boss and worker is blurred

- Every school is Catholic- no private versus public school.

- Every school wears a uniform

- One can go to college for home making

- They drive on the left side of the road

- In the city of Dublin, there are not many right hand turns

- Don't have to tip cab drivers

- The bus system is very unreliable

- Stores open later. On the week days they open around 10 am and on the weekends around noon

- Stores close early- between 5:30 pm- 6 pm

- The weather is very unpredictable- it can change up to five times a day

- Always have to be prepared for rain. Rain stuff always has to be brought if you go out.

- Girls will be dressed up for work, but will be wearing walking shoes. They must bring an extra pair of shoes just for work

-Not a very stylish city- people choose comfort over style. Many people wear sweat pants.

- Most people walk; not many people bike

- On some cross walks, it will tell you what direction to look before crossing a street

- Bus stops are not marked; there is no way to know what stop you are at or where you need to go

- No malls; just shopping centers with few stores

- The Irish do not say "I will call you". Instead, they say "I will ring you"

- Co-workers do not really talk with one another throughout the day

- In America, you put your keys into a hole with the teeth down. In Ireland, the keys go in with the teeth up

- They have green, yellow and red lights for pedestrians to tell them when to cross the street

- In Ireland, credit cards are usually inserted into a machine. When using an American credit card, you must tell them that it is a "swipe" card