My Dublin Life

That's how James Joyce described the Irish Sea. Someone posted a comment on here recommending that I try a swim at the "forty foot" in Sandymount as as the weather is so amazing that's what I am going to do today, so I will see for myself. Or, to be more precise, I'm dragging Bepe along so HE can see for himself. He'll be going to a craft beer event in Phoenix park this pm, for professional reasons being a chef 'n' all so I guess it'll be good for him to work up an appetite. Not that he ever gets drunk.

Apparently, the forty-foot (no doubt I will find out later why it's called that) used to be the only spot where male nudists could go for a legal naked dip, but now women go too, and everyone keeps their kit on (whew). I'm guessing Joyce must've gone there himself back in the day, to know about the interesting effects of the sea on the male anatomy. That's really pretty cool--getting changed and going for a swim in a place that has been made part of one of the world's most famous books. I've never managed to finish Ulysses, but perhaps after today I will be inspired.

After the dip, I'm meeting up with Saoirse, who is having lunch with her FAMOUS ROCK STAR COUSIN who lives not all that far from there. I would totally love another invite but don't want to look like a doofus and actually come straight out and say it, so let's hope they loved Mom's bottled moose (my picturesque gift, the time I was invited over) and are dying for seconds...

Ouch. I have a small, sore spot just inside my wrist.

Why's that, you ask?

Well, I have a new tattoo! It's going to be a permanent reminder of my time in Dublin. It's not a shamrock or anothing hokey like that but, as promised, a very small, very discreet vampire bat in homage to one of my all-time favourite Dublin writers, Bram Stoker.

It was hard to choose a tattoo parlour as there are quite a few places but I got some personal recommendations and was tattooed by a nice but rather quiet guy from Poland. I am so happy! He told me that more than half his customers are tourists and other visitors to Dublin and showed me his portfolio which was amazing -- although I would balk at getting my whole back done.

My scholarship money has arrived for the beginning of term, and while you might think that a tattoo is not the best way to spend scholarship money, A) It wasn't that expensive and B) The theme is definitely related to my main literary interest, which is Gothic novels of the nineteenth century.

I also need some clothes. The weather is amazingly nice but there's an autumnal nip in the air and I can feel that it's gonna start getting chilly in the evenings soon.

Where would I LIKE to shop? Well, there's this AMAZING joint, Retro, in George's Street Arcade. It's so cool, and the clothes are so fabulous. But...well, I can't afford them. Maybe if I'm good, for Christmas, or maybe I'll get a part-time job or maybe...

Anyway, where will I ACTUALLY shop? I've found out that most Irish students get their rags in Penneys, which is not related to JC Penneys, because it is cheap'n'cheerful. So the plan is to buy everything there for as little as possible and then try to vamp things up with a few artfully arranged bits and pieces.

I guess I should be talking about my college courses, but I'll save those for another time

Last night, I cashed in one of my freebies from Dublin Tourism (thanks, guys) and went to see a show called Cirque de Legume in Filmbase. It's a stuffy cellar venue but that didn't matter. You know, I don't think I've ever attended a Fringe Festival before, and I had imagined experimental theare to be a bit obtuse, but these guys were hilarious. An onion strip-tease? I kept thinking out it today when I was getting my sandwiches ready (economy drive; serious cash flow issues) and I swear to goodness, vegetables don't look the same today as they used to. Where did they come up with the ideas? Barking lettuce... Oh, don't get me started!!! It was like being Alice in Wonderland; an alternate universe where the rules are different.

Which reminds me, I mentioned to Mom about getting a tattoo and she was all like "Over my dead body!"

To which I said, "But Mom, I am a grown woman."

In response to which: "But your father and I are still subsidising you so unless you want to try surviving on just the scholarship..."

Which left me a bit indecisive. I don't like her being controlling, but she DOES send me cash every month so... Thing is though, I know she'd come around if I actually got the damn thing, and what I have in mind is VERY small and very tasteful and absolutely appropriate (as I mentioned, a teeny-weeny vampire bad just inside my wrist, in homage to Bram Stoker, son of Dublin).

Know what? I think I'll just go ahead and do it anyway. What the hey. You only live once. Unless you're a vampire, of course.

The big match is on today and although I am not usually one to roar and holler I am now officially interested. I'm dressed up and ready to go and so is Bepe. We're both off to worship at the Holy Grail that is the 2009 Hurling Final!

Telling you though, you can feel the excitement. There's folks all over the place from the countryside, wandering about eating junk food and sporting their colours and just looking so thrilled.

I'll go back to being a Goth tomorrow. Today I'm definitely a jock. And I'm going to be taking plenty of photos to show the folks back home!

I am taking my responsibilities seriously.

So among the freebies I got from Dublin Tourism are tickets to the Hurley final.

I have to say, my initial reaction was not one of huge excitement as I am not really a sports person. However, I have since found out that this is a pretty big deal and that people would KILL (in the words of my friendly local greengrocer, who I'm getting to know quite well) to get their hands on some tickets.

Of course, I did what anyone would do and tried to find out how much the tickets are worth on the black market. The answer? A heck of a lot. But that would be unethical and wrong, right? So I'm gonna take Bepe instead.

So the final is on tomorrow! Kilkenny versus Tipperary. As I promised Dublin Tourism that I would write about this I have been doing some background reading and I am getting gradually more enthusiastic. I had thought (wrongly, as we shall see) that hurling was a half-hearted sort of hockey, but without ice and with slightly prettier players. Well, I already know that I was wrong. In fact, the coolest thing that I have learned so far is that it is actually the game played by the great mythical hero Cuchulainn which in turn means that the game was invented in the IRON AGE if not before.

Now you've got to admit that that is impressive!

I have also found out that girls play too, but that for some unknown reason, it's called "camogie" when they do it.

So now that I know that I am in possession of some hugely enviable tickets and that it's actually a bona-fide Iron Age Sport of the Barbarians, I am getting quite psyched. For no particular reason, I have decided to support Tipperary (coz of the song) while Bepe is going to be a Kilkenny fan (because he likes the beer)

What am I doing this afternoon? I am going to buy a t-shirt in my colours, of course!

... or whatever it is.

My folks just Skyped me to let me know that they are planning to come here for the festive season, coz I had mentioned that I'd been looking for cheap tickets home.

I don't know what I think of that. I've been here for what, four, five months now and while I'm having a fantastic time I'd been looking forward to seeing my peeps and just hanging out with them for a while. But Bepe did say that he would be in Italy at Christmas so at least we'd have the whole apartment to ourselves...

Well, I don't know. But I guess there's plenty of time to worry about it, huh? It's only September. Meanwhile, I am going OUT. Just gotta grab a bite and then it's free-tickets-to-the-show!