My Dublin Life

The forecast is for snow, and more snow. And while I know that that's a pain in the ass for a lot of people, this Newfoundlander's heart is glad because there's nothing more beautiful than snow -- at least during the falling-from-the-sky part. I hope it won't interfere with my folks' flight plans tomorrow but apart from that, I'm treasuring my own tiny patch of snow on the minuscule balcony that Bepe and I call the great outdoors. He's due back tomorrow, and he's in for a nice surprise because my Mom has left a bunch of gifts to say thanks for letting them use his room.

Like most people, I've started a diet. The good news is, the less money I spend on food and drink, the more I have to spend on Cultural Pursuits. That's my resolution this year: go to the theatre more often. I've picked up a brochure from The Project Arts Centre and am thinking I might look into the whole modern dance scene maybe -- it's not something I know anything about and while I doubt I'll ever do any, I'm prepared to be blown away by someone else doing it.


Also, my uncle Joey is coming over soon so I really will have to detox before his visit because despite being 50-odd he's a party animal and will want to be taken around all the pubs.

I love Uncle Joey, honestly, but right now, after having eaten and drunk too much for the last couple of weeks, what I want more than anything is for something to offer to take him off my hands a little!! I'll see if Bepe feels up to the challenge.

XXX all best wishes for 2010!

Mom and Dad's holiday is nearly over. Apart from some tenseness about the whole your-boyfriend-is-a-father issue, it's been good. It's too bad in a way that they haven't gotten to see the rest of the country but they are thinking, if their finances hold up, they might come back while I am still here.

And that introduces a scary thought. How long am I going to be here? The plan was always to stay for a year and a half but now, with 2010 about to start, I'm feeling pretty settled in and good about being in Dublin, and I have absolutely no plan for the next stage.

[Buries head in sand and resolves to think about it later].

Today I'm planning to take the folks to the Museum of Modern Art which is a place that I love because it's in a cool building, it's free and there are beautiful grounds all around -- although I don't think the weather today is really for strolling. And then we've all been invited out to Saoirse's families places for dinner in a local pub in Killiney. There's definitely a winding-down feel about our days now, and Mom has already packed one of her cases and bought yet another case to fit her thousands of purchases into. And while it's been great...well, I wouldn't say I'm exactly sorry it's nearly over. I must be growing up at last; time to get on with my own life!

Plus, I've gained about 4 kilos!!! Let the great diet commence. I might even look for a cheap gym or at least check out the college facilities.

One of the folks who read my blog suggested a great idea -- taking the Green Line Luas for a trip through the various suburbs and "villages" and having a pub crawl. We're going to do just that, but as it's a day time trip it'll be more a "coffee crawl". It's kind of chilly today so I like the idea of popping in and out of cafes and stuff. That should keep everyone happy. Dad has his guide book to refer him to all the history and things, Mom will shop (but of course) and I will be a Good Host with the minimum of effort.

The greengrocer down the road told me that people didn't like the idea of the Luas while it was being built, but having never seen Dublin without a tram system, it's hard to understand why. I love the way the Luas looks gliding around Stephen's Green -- sort of "the future as imagined by people in the past" and I would say it is definitely a big addition to the urban landscape. Not to mention a cool form of public transport. I almost never use it, living bang in the centre as I do, but I'm actually looking forward to the day. It's so easy to just stay in the centre and forget that there's a whole world of Other Neighbourhoods out there.

Thanks, Rose. I'll let you know how we got along.

Things are going great! Bar one awkward conversation that I am trying not to think about because I just start getting mad.

My Mom and Dad and I met my Boyrfriend for an early coffee this morning. It is a coldish day but he's heading off "down the country" to where his family is from in the West and this will be the only chance so I thought, what the hey, and we arranged.

It was brief and I introduced him as "my friend" but of course Mom, being Mom, knew right away what was going on. He had mentioned his daughter in the course of conversation so on the way back to the apartment, Mom decided to engage me in some plain talking and said, "You do realise that it will be difficult being involved with someone with a child."

"Mom!!!" I said.

She went on to say, his primary committment is to his daughter, he might get back with her mother, etc, etc.

To which I can only comment: What business is it of hers?

I am pretty upset, but in the interest of family harmony I am just not going to go there and if she wants we can discuss it by email when they are back home. This is still their holiday so we've got to be having fun. Today, the sales start in Dublin so it's Mom's day. Neither Dad nor I are much into shopping so we will trail around behind her as she hits all the big department stores and we'll carry her bags. We need the exercise; yesterday was fabulous but it did mostly involve eating, eating and more eating. I don't know how much Dad spent on all that fancy food but it was definitely appreciated.

I need some plans though, urgently. So if any Dubliners read this, I'd love some suggestions for cool things to do over the next couple of days. I think I have New Year's Eve more or less sorted out: there's a parade on in the afternoon. We'll eat at home and then go to a pub for a traditional sort of experience. Mom 'n Dad are leaving on the 2nd and shortly after that it will be back to work for me!

So...what to do today?

It's Christmas eve and it feels so strange not to be at home today! Still, if I had to be away for Christmas, it doesn't get better than this. I'm in Dublin, my parents are here, and the new year is shaping up to be fantastic... I'm so happy. And something tells me that this may be the first, but won't be my last, Christmas in Dublin.

So.. Happy Christmas everybody! X Towniegirl

That's not me. It's my parents. They've never been away from home for Christmas and they are so cute -- really excited. I feel as though our roles have been reversed.

I had been worried about what we'd do for dinner on Christmas day because I'm not much of a chef, goodness knows, and the kitchenette here at the apartment is pretty spartan.

Turns out Dad already booked something on the Internet. And it's a sign of how excited about this trip he must be, because it's a wildly extravagent Christmas Dinner at a fancy hotel called the Merrion. I don't even want to know how much it's going to cost. He said the money they are saving by staying at my place instead of a hotel should more or less cover it (!). Mom doesn't know yet as it's also his present to her.

The only thing I'm worried about is that none of my clothes are really up to scratch for such a fancy place. There's the black lace number I picked up at Oxfam on George's Street. It is really pretty but it smells of mothballs. It's from the 1950s and while it's gorgeous I haven't gotten around to having it drycleaned and it SMELLS its age. That's the best I've got and I think I'll have to run with it and the shiny shoes I picked up in Penneys.

BTW, Glendalough -- I've been there in the summer and now I've been there in the winter too and my personal opinion is that winter is the time to go. Sure, it's cold up in the Wicklow Mountains but what could be more beautiful and Gothic than snowflakes whirling around a medieval monastic settlement and the lakes? Loving it.

Tonight Mom and Dad are actually staying IN as finally, after basically running around since they got here, they are tired. I'm tired too...but not so tired I can't go on a date! We are exchanging our gifts tonight as we won't see each other until the 27th. Want to know what I got Him?

We are having a fantastic time but this apartment is SO small that I'm about to leave, ostensibly to get some groceries, but secretly to go to Simon's Place which I love because it's the sort of cafe where you can go on your own. I just need half an hour by myself to drink a coffee and think in the quiet. I also love it because the walls are always completely covered with posters and flyers about things to do -- sometimes in small venues that you mightn't see advertised that easily. Fr'instance, who knew that there was a course on fabric painting? And it just costs 50 Euros. So I guess my lie to myself is that I am actually going to research some fun things to do with my parents.

The weather is cold and bright and really very beautiful today, so I was thinking when we get back we'll do something outdoorsy like to go one of the lovely parks for a walk, followed by lunch someplace nice. Soup in front of a fire sounds fine and my Boyfriend told me that a lot of Irish people go to hotels to have lunch in the hotel restaurant, which maybe we'll try as that wouldn't be something that would necessarily occur to me. Tomorrow, I'm really hoping for some more of this fine cold weather as we've rented a car and the plan is to go to Glendalough in Wickow, so long as the roads aren't too icy.

So: and also tomorrow, an interesting encounter as we are meeting my Boyfriend for lunch although I will introduce him as "my friend" because, after all, it's a new relationship still and it's too soon to get serious about things. I'm kind of hoping that meeting my folks will make it easier for him to introduce me to his family -- not 'cause I want to be pushy but because, well, I don't know. They sound interesting and fun, and to me it just seems like the normal thing to do.

Right. I hear Mom and Dad loudly making coffee in the kitchen so I'm going out for my quick, precious, solo coffee. Simon's Place was in the movie "Once" and I do get a bit of a kick out of that as well.