My Dublin Life

Well, here I am (almost) fresh back from my super-short trip to Amsterdam. Because I was on a budget (euphemism for a lack of funds) we stayed in the cheapest place I could find, and I'm pretty sure that those lumps on my legs and arms are fleabites!!!

Fleas aside, Amsterdam was great, and it's fun to go away for a short trip. Europeans are spoilt, with all the cheap flights they have to choose from. Now it's another day back at work, as if nothing had happened, and all I've got to show for my weekend away is a bunch of wooden tulips, a possibly ill-advised small tattoo and dark circles under my eyes.

I had a nice surprise, though: I got onto this blog and found an invitation to the launch of the Fringe Festival next week, which is going to be held in the National Boxing Stadium on the South Circular Road. I've never been in the stadium before, but I have eaten at the little diner on the mosque nearby (delicious). Not many people realise that that diner is open to the public, but the food's really good, and very cheap.

Anyway, the Fringe Festival launch! How exciting is that! The festival is one of the most important events in Ireland's cultural calendar. Last year, I met an elderly Canadian guy who is actually spending his retirement travelling from one Fringe Festival to another, all aroud the world. He told me that the Dublin one is up there with the best, and you gotta believe it.

I'm on a break from work right now. Heh. It's actually a "smoking" break. I don't smoke but because the chef does, he gives people all sorts of breaks so that they can have a cigarette and leaves us non-smokers to pick up the slack. I picked up a pretend smoking habit pretty quickly but so's not to bust my cover I have to sneak away from the other smokers on one pretext or another.

Life is complicated.  But, work is going surprisingly well. Thinking of buying my own bicycle instead of relying on the city bikes. Does that mean I'm putting down roots  You know, your own bike, it's a big commitment!

You know that "where's time gone" feeling? I'm having it right now. The Dublin Fringe Festival is on in a month or so, and it really, seriously only feels as though a few weeks have passed since the last one! What happened? I guess I've just been so busy, that's all. But is that what it's going to be like for the rest of my life? I'll be an old lady by December at this rate.

Anyhow, the fringe festival is fantastic. I had such a good time at it last year. Among the many wonderful thing about the festival is that the shows are a heck of a lot cheaper than mainstream theatre so you can afford to take chances. Odds are good that the show will be great. Not necesssarily very easy to understand, but great nonetheless.

The barbecue Tuesday was a bit of a washout as it rained on the grill and half the stuff ended up undercooked. Today, on the other hand, the sun is out so you never know; maybe we'll try again.

In other exciting  news, I'm off to Amsterdam for one day and one night. It's not long, I know, but Dublin is so close to other European cities, in terms of the number of hours spent travelling and it's so darn cheap to get around this continent I thought, what the hey... let's do it. I'm going on my own because nobody was free to come with me, but seriously, I actually really enjoy being on my own at times. I'm totally psyched. Amsterdam!! Who cares if I'm staying in the cheapest hostel I could find online.

It's grey, it's not that warm and overall I've seen better days in Dublin's Fair City, but I don't care; we're having some friends around and we're having a barbecue! There aren't many days when housemate Bepe and I are both off work, but today is one of them.

Having a barbecue at our place is a complicated business, because our balcony is small. Complicated, because it's difficult making sure that the smoke stays outside, where it's supposed to be, rather than inside, where it's not supposed to be!! I have bought some fancy stuff on the cheap on Moore Street. Also some African peanut sauce from one of the diners in Moore Street Mall, which I may try to pass off as my own, depending on how much people like it.

If you're in town and you like gruesome/sad histories, there's a great exhibition on in Collins Barracks museum (near my place; you might even smell the barbecue from there!) It's about the Irish at war. Personally, I find shows like that pretty upsetting. I prefer my blood-and-guts to be of the fictional variety. But I am aware that there are lots of people who don't agree, and it is a fantastic spot to visit.

So, ladies and gentleman, my disposable barbecue and a fridgeful of cold beer await me. If you're on Bachelor's Walk, and you see a cloud of smoke, don't be alarmed. It's me and Bepe cooking dinner!

I don't know how I missed this one, but (fairly) hot on the heels of the Gay Theatre Festival, there's another "gay" festival, this time of film. I guess one day there'll be no need for there to be separate "gay" events -- although my experience of the ones in Dublin has been that they've been such fun it'd be a real shame to see them wrapped up.

Anyway, this festival is on in the lighthouse, which is just near where I live, and is my favourite cinema in Dublin, being a little slice of Manhattan in a very Irish, slightly scruffy, end of town. I'm hoping that it will be possible for me to go. Always work permitting of course!

I'm down from two to three jobs now. The restaurant is giving me more hours, so I've had to quit the few hours I was doing in Dublin Tourism. I don't really mind. I enjoyed meeting and greeting but it's good to have a vote of confidence from the restaurant. I may even have to quit the babysitting job if they want me to come in on Saturdays in the daytime.

I never thought I'd be so pleased with myself for chopping vegetables. I actually really enjoy lining 'em up and getting out the big knives. Seriously; it's fun. And it's good, at the end of a shift, to be actually physically tired. So different to when you're studying and you just get mentally exhausted. I'm not saying I want to do this for the rest of my life but... well, I'm thinking of doing a part-time cooking course in Liberties College. I haven't looked into the details, but someone told me they do a cooking course there and I'm thinking, why the heck not?

Another funny thing: since I started working in the restaurant, I've actually lost weight! You'd think with all that food around, that'd be the last thing that would happen but seriously... we run around like headless chickens in there, and I'm probably getting more exercise than I have for months!!

I may be having some visitors soon, so hoping for a little time off and open for suggestions for things to do, in Ireland or out of it!

I was in Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street today, and checked out an exhibition they've got on right now. It's so cool, for a start, that the cafe has a theatre. I've been to some lunch time shows there, and it's a fantastic venue.

Right now, though, there's an art exhibition of miniatures called Small World. But it's only on until the end of the month, so hurry over!!! They're not just ordinary little scupltures, either, but very witty.

I'm going to get another fix of culture later on, too. There's a new show in the Chester Beatty. It's called Murqqa, of old Indian illustrations, and it looks just great. Then it'll back to the office or, in my case, back to a sweaty, steamy basement kitchen and work! I'm working really hard to save some money, and one of the perks of work, it turns out, is that we staff get to eat when it's all over in the evening. So long as you can hold out until midnight or so, there's a meal on the house for the employees. Sadly, we usually undo the savings involved by buying wine to go along with it but I'm planning to NOT do that this week and really try to put aside some money. Something's going wrong; I'm working really hard and still reach the end of the week without any dough left. Hence all the exhibitions I'm going to: they're free, unlike the cinema and definitely unlike the pub!!

I've just finished the busiest week of my life and I feel great!! After working extra-double-hours most of last week, I basically had the weekend off, and was able to spend almost all of it at the Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures. On Saturday, I had the kids I watch with me, but that didn't hurt, as all I had to do was not lose them. I don't know how many people were there, but it felt like a good half-million or so! What to say? It was absolutely wonderful. Who cares about Oxygen and big-name rock stars when you can go and hear music and see things from literally all over the world?

Amazing. I guess the only complaint I can make is that it overlaps with the Carlsberg Comedy Festival, making it difficult to attend both.

Back at home, my flatmate and I are both a bit short of money, so we've set each other a challenge, which involves cooking something with an ingredient neither of us has ever seen before every night. This is easier than you might think, as we live in the middle of a very international grocery-shopping neighbourhood. I should say, it's easier to find unknown ingredients than you think. What's difficult is figuring out what to do with 'em. Today, it's my turn, and I have already bought the mystery ingredient: it's a long thing that looks a bit like a zucchini but with a pointy end. I bought it in a store promising "everything you need for cooking anything from Asia.". I asked the guy behind the counter what to do with the mysterious vegetable, but he just looked blank and said that when his wife isn't there, all he knows how to make is chips and fried eggs. So thanks, Asian guy. I'm thinking I'll just chop it and push it around a frying pan until it goes soft. I may be working in a restaurant now, but I'll still far from a gourmet chef.

Speaking of food, I note with interest that two new ice cream shops have opened up in Dublin's city centre. I say two, but they are both the same company, Murphy's. As there are so many Italian gelaterie around, I like the idea of an Irish ice cream parlour. (Not that there's anything wrong with Italian gelato, of course). If dinner doesn't work out tonight, and I'd say that that's reasonably likely, I'll treat us both to an ice cream to make it up.

Also, good news: I'm picking up some waitressing work at the Dublin Horse Show in August. And this means I'll have enough money for a little holiday, maybe in September. Right now, I'm not sure whether to stay in Ireland or hop on a Ryanair flight to someplace else. I love the way Ireland is so close to the rest of Europe. Amsterdam, maybe? Or perhaps I'll check out Donegal. I've never been there, and I hear it's really beautiful. I've never been to a horseshow. I wonder if it involves gambling? Hm, and I wonder if I could maybe multiply my tips that way?!?