My Dublin Life

One of the many good things about winter is the fact the clothes are heavier, which in turn means that the odd extra kilo or three is less noticeable. In other words, you can eat more, and it doesn't matter so much. There's always the spring for getting in shape.

So: good news for those of us relaxing into our winter clothes is the fact that there's a massive chocolate festival in Temple Bar in the preChristmas season. I'm trying to persuade my boss to pay for me to go to some of the non-free events as part of my cooking education, but so far he hasn't been won over. But I'm gonna keep trying!

In other news, I'm wearing my boyfriend's clothes :-) One of the great perks of being in a couple, or at least being the female part of the couple, is that your wardrobe effectively doubles. I'm tall, so all his sweaters and shirts fit me quite well and in this chilly weather there's nothing like man-clothes to warm you up!

I've picked up some extra work at the Taste of Christmas do at the Dublin convention centre next week! This is great because A) it will give me the chance to earn a little extra money for Christmas and B) otherwise I probably wouldn't go and this way I'll get to enjoy it without having to pay the entrance fee.

So, it looks like a lot of fun. There are going to be lots of famous chefs showing people how to cook and, I fondly suppose, loads and loads of things to taste. I hope so, because this gal likes to eat!! I can't believe I used to see food as just something to get me through the day. Since I started working at the restaurant -- and living with an Italian chef! -- I've really learned a lot about how to enjoy it.

This Christmas, we (funny to be part of a "we" after all this time) have been thinking of having a few friends around for dinner and are planning an elaborate feast. I was thinking, maybe stuffing with chestnuts would be nice ... or maybe something exotic and not-traditional-christmassy. There are so many really cool foreign grocery stores in my neighbourhood. Maybe something piquant and African? Or Asian? Well, I guess there are still five weeks to work on the menu.

I've been told by the best of authorities -- my friendly local greengrocer -- that one of the things to do in Ireland in the winter season is to see a pantomime. Now, I've never seen one but I've consulted a few friends and everyone has concurred that it's definitely something to do at least once, and that the pantomimes in Dublin are the best in the business.

So, I was thinking I might go to this one in the Gaiety Theatre. I believe pantomimes involve a lot of in-jokes about Irish politics and culture and goodness knows there must be a lot to make fun of :-) I wonder how old pantomimes are, as an art form? There's something very folklorish about the whole thing.

Anyways, I was planning to take my beloved (blush) out after work tomorrow for a glass of wine and am thinking of this place. I need to sweeten him up, because I've got some alarming news for him: my Mom and Dad found cheap tickets and are planning a visit in the New Year. And I think they want to stay -- and as I haven't gotten around to telling them about the new living arrangements, it's going to be, ahem, interesting!!!

Life is strange these days. Suddenly, I not only have a boyfriend - and he's a heck of a lot nicer than the last one - but we are already living together, because we're flatmates. The etiquette of this situation is pretty hard to get my head around. Like, can I still complain about the remote control planes all over the place? Is my room still "my" room or is there an "our" room?

Well, I guess we'll try to have fun sorting it all out :-)

Ireland is experiencing gales right now and although I know it's a pain in the ass for a lot of people now that I'm back home (not working tonight) I'm enjoying the sound of the wind and watching the waves on the river Liffey beneath my window.

Anyway, winter in Dublin is good. The Christmas lights are going up and whatever the groaners say, I think it's lovely to see them in November. Without leaves on the trees, they make things pretty! There are going to be lots of Christmas markets like this one in the Docklands and something that this Newfoundlander appreciates greatly, skating! So, early or not, I say hooray for Christmas! And I'm really looking forward to it this year. :-)

So... life is sweet. I have just had the strangest, and most wonderful weekend. And now everything just seems absolutely different than before.

It all started on Friday when I was getting ready to go to the cinema. (There's a Frank Capra season on at the Irish Film Institute -- fabulous!)

Anyway, I went into the bathroom to put on some make-up and once again found that there were LONG BLOND HAIRS in the sink. I was outraged because I thought, well, fine if he's got a new girlfriend but I'm his flatmate and the least he could do is tell me about it. So I stormed the short distance to the living room and yelled at Bepe who was sitting there with, ah, Robert, who is a kitchen porter at the restaurant where we both work and who is between flats at the moment and who has, ahem, long blond hair. So Robert has been kipping in various people's pads and needed a shower so he came to ours.

Confronted with the sight of a furious woman, Robert slinked away whereupon Bepe tells me that the reason why he hasn't had a girlfriend all this time is that he likes ME. I didn't know what to say so I went and met my friend Saoirse for the cinema anyway. But I couldn't even see the film. I just sat in the dark and tried to figure out what this meant. In the end, I thought, well, why not? Maybe it's worth a shot.

After the film, Saoirse and I went for a drink in the Mezz, but I just wanted to go home. Finally, I told her what had happened, and she was like, "So what are you still doing here? Go!!!" so off I went.

And the rest was history.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Dublin isn't on the list of the world's great fashion cities, but there's a real Dublin style and it's very cool and funky. I was never a girlie girl, but I've got more into clothes since coming here, and I LOVE all the flea markets and second hand stores.

Last week, there was a report in the newspaper about one of Dublin's fashion stores, A/Wear, which is celebrating 25 years with a big party on Grafton Street on November 10th. I've emailed in hope of getting a ticket, so fingers crossed.

Anyways, as it's the season for doing things indoors, I'm going to check out something else on Grafton Street; a season of short Irish films at the Bewleys Cafe Theatre. The time works pretty well for me as they are on just before I have go to to work most Thursdays. It's called "Discover Irish Film". 

In other news, I've got a date! Tonight! It's a guy I don't know. As in, I've seen him but we haven't really met. He ate at the restaurant last week and left me a note on his business card asking me to call because he'd like to meet up for a drink. Bepe, my flatmate, is all like "That's sordid, don't go." But I think, why not? We're just meeting for a drink in town, so if it goes well, great, and if not, well, I haven't lost anything. Right?

... the weather, that is, not me. It's been raining all day, it's windy, and it's cold. But what the heck, it's November after all, so it should be like this. Anyway, what do I care? I'm working long hours this week so I'll be inside most of the time anyway.

I'll tell you this, though: I bought a big bottle of Jameson whiskey yesterday, as well as some cloves, so as to be able to make hot whiskey at home. Although I like most -- OK, all -- Irish whiskies, I feel a sort of loyalty to the Jameson brand because I live so close to the distillery in Smithfield. I think, with this weather, a girl has a constitutional right to a stiff hot whiskey after work, don't you?

Exciting news at the apartment, too. My flatmate Bepe is moving to work at another restaurant, for more money. It's good for him and I think it's good for our living arrangements too because sometimes it's hard sharing living space with someone you work with. He is going to be working at a very fancy place and, seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if he wound being famous. I've also been thinking of maybe doing some professional cooking classes. You get a lot of experience in a restaurant and I never thought I'd be able to cook the things I already can, but I'd like to move it up a notch. Cue my Mom saying, "Is this why you went to university for five years?" But the fact is, there's a lot more work in catering than there is in Gothic literature, international crisis or no international crisis, and I kind of like the idea of being able to read my beloved books for fun, not work. Towards the end of my MA I had started to hate my favourite Dublin authors, Bram Stoker and Le Fanu, and now I can love 'em again.

One good thing about this awful weather  -- it makes  you go see all the exhibitions and shows you've missed because you were out doing something else. I'm going to check out a show about Metsu, a Dutch painter, at the National Gallery. Pretty cultured, huh?