Beer!

Some people comment about how everything is bigger here. Well, it is! In Dublin, our refrigerator was the size that students here use in college. We managed fairly well but wished that we had had more freezer space. Overall, it worked well for us because then we couldn't buy too much stuff.

Well, now we have a massive fridge! I know it is a standard size one but we just can't fill it. I know that they run better if they are full but it is just too big for the two of us because I am trying to only buy what we need so that we don't waste food.

So, this weekend, we drove about an hour to have dinner with my brother. After dinner, we realized that we were in the "the state of beer" and there was a big grocery store near the restaurant so of course we had to look for the beer that we can only get in the state. I think that we may have gone a bit overboard but at least now the refrigerator is full!

Any guesses on how long it will take us to drink it all (and yes, there is more in the door)?

A new local?

This weekend, we decided that we needed to explore our new area a bit. So far, we've been going to places that we know and mostly driving there. So, John had the suggestion since it was a nice evening to walk into the downtown area of our new town and see where we could find to eat. He knew of an "Irish bar" that wasn't that far away and off we went.

After a 15 minute stroll, we were at the pub and sitting outside in their "beer garden" area looking at their menu. I smiled at it since they had two Irish dishes on it: a full Irish and fish and chips. The menu was very beef heavy with only one chicken dish (besides a couple salads). We ordered home made mozzarella sticks as a starter/appetizer (very tasty) and John also got Guiness cheese soup. That was very rich and since it had a lot of sausage in it, I let him eat more of it. I had a chicken sandwich for my main and John had a Paddy Melt. They were tasty and the best part was that they were served with chips, not fries! I was very happy about this since I was missing the Porterhouse chips.

I don't think that they had dessert, but we were too stuffed to get it anyway. However, the chips made me miss sticky toffee pudding (I need to learn to make this myself).

We'll definitely be heading back there.

Long overdue pictures

I know, pictures of my nights out are long, long overdue. So, without further ado, here are some pictures of my knitting night farewell.







And my other farewell.

Where ya been?

OK, it has been well over a week since I last blogged. I've been busy, really. I can't really say what I've been doing because the time is just a haze, but I do know that it went by very quickly. I started the new job last week and I think I'm going to like it. I'm not really getting eased into the job but I think it is better that way. I am going to learn a ton and felt like a student at times last week since, well, I was a student 9 years ago!

On Saturday, I went to the hair salon to exchange some face wash that I got and then spent some time in the afternoon taking pictures for the This Is Knit's World Wide Knitting in Public Day Scavenger Hunt. It was fun but tiring riding around on public transport getting the pictures since John had the car. He was playing golf. We then went to the pub to celebrate a friend's birthday. (Note the size of the beer and sangria that John is holding)

We are also getting the house settled in. We went and got bookcases this weekend and John put them together so now we can start putting books away and getting rid of some of the clutter. Slowly, slowly putting things away and getting settled...

Goodbyes

During May, I had a couple leaving Dos and "goodbyes." It was very hard to say goodbye to everyone, partly because I just don't do goodbye. They are too sad! Anyway, Aileen decided that we should have a bit of a party at a Knit Night on her birthday so we had a bit of a party, knitting style. :) It was a lot of fun and pictures can be found on Yvvone's blog as well.


And I got some pressies. :) Aileen and Laura got me some lovely Newbridge Silver earrings and pendant. I have looked at this set many times and never taken the plunge so I'm quite happy with them. They are surprisingly hard to take pictures of. :( I also got a beautiful skein of handpainted yarn from Elana and Lisa. They also gave me some hand made stitch markers, all purple of course. Aileen also gave me some pretty sock yarn. Yeah, small things that are easy to pack and more yarn! :) Not that I "need" more yarn.

The Friday before I left, I also had a work do. We went to an Indian restaurant for dinner and then the Porterhouse (of course) for drinks. It was great fun. They also gave me a very generous pressie of some Waterford Crystal martini glasses (purple of course) that I have loved since I first saw them three years ago and a Galway Crystal bowl. They are getting shipped so I haven't actually gotten them yet...

**There will be pictures but they are on John's camera and he is still in Ireland!

drinking

While in Kilkenny, we went into a couple pubs to have a couple pints and sometimes get food. While sipping our pints, I observed the people and noticed some things that I found interesting. First, when I asked for my Bulmers with a splash of black current, they gave me a quizzical look (it tastes really good). After the wait staff/bartenders recovered from that, they always asked me if I wanted a glass or a pint. I always responded that I wanted a pint. I generally don't drink a glass of beer/cider since it looks wimpy and then I'd have to order two eventually.

While watching people, we noticed that the vast majority of women were drinking from smaller glasses. Almost none of them drank pints. We also noticed that many of the women were drinking beer, but they were lighter beers, often things like Coors Light, Budweiser, or Corona. Very few women drank what we classify as "real beer." Meanwhile, most of the men drank Bulmers cider or darker beers from pint glasses. Many ordered bottles but then drank from a pint glass. Only one man drank from a glass. We thought it was strange because it wasn't the proper glass for the beer, so that couldn't be the reason that he was drinking from a glass instead of a pint glass.

To contrast, in Dublin, we frequently see women ordering pints. I rarely get asked if I want a glass or a pint when I order here. People just assume pint unless told otherwise. I also notice a wider variety in what women drink. Men seem to stick to cider and varieties of beer. I wonder what that is. What makes cocktails and wine more of women's drinks while in pubs?

I say it's my birthday!

OK, my birthday was last week, but I think I get a week to celebrate. :) It was a lovely birthday as well. We were supposed to be home for it but had to change our plans to accommodate a wedding (and by going home at a different time, I get to see my sister). Anyway, it was a good birthday. John got me lots of presents and was very good to me. He even gave me one early. :) I got not one, but two knitting stitch dictionaries/pattern books (one from John and one from friends), a Vogue knitting "how to" book (from one of John's sisters), a book on stained glass, two Avoca cookbooks from a friend, two necklaces (from John), and kitty earrings from a friend. Oh, I also got a green tea scented candle and a picnic set backpack. The backpack is really cute. It has service for two with a place to store food and keep it cold as well. :)

So for my birthday, John took me to Il Posto for dinner. We hadn't been there before but it was wonderful. Excellent food, good service, and an all around nice place. It is a pretty small place but I quite liked that because it made it cozier.

On Saturday, we went to the Porterhouse with friends. John and I got there early so that we were able to get a table. A good group of people came and we stayed out until about 2.30 AM! I hadn't been out that late in ages. After leaving the Porterhouse, we went to get Indian food at our favorite place. It was tasty as always. On Sunday, I had lunch with a friend who I hadn't seen since May. It was lovely to see her and hear that she is doing well. And she is pregnant so I think I have more knitting to do. :)

Detoxing

I went back to work last Friday. While talking to a few mates, they mentioned that they were "off the drink" for January because they drank so much during the holidays.

Friday evening, we went out to dinner with a couple friends. We went to an Indian place and all during dinner, the other couple kept saying how well beer and Indian go together. They were aching for a drink. However, they are "detoxing" for the month of January because they too drank too much over the holidays.

Today, we went to the Porterhouse for dinner. Much to my surprise, there were plenty of seats/tables available. Granted, it is a Tuesday evening but it was well past 7:00 and in the past it has been busy at this time. During dinner, John told me that a few of his mates are "off the drink" for January also.

My question to you, dear readers (especially Irish ones), why do you need to "detox" from alcohol during Januaray? I thought the Irish could handle their drink. :) Otherwise, you could try drinking 3-4 pints a night instead of 10. It seems silly to give up the sauce.

Girls night out

After lunch one day, I had coffee with a couple of the girls and then went on my way. At 5:00, I got a phone call that quite a few of my mates were at the Porterhouse Central. When I met up with them, I found out that they had been there since 2:00 PM and were quite happy!

I ordered my hot whiskey to help my sore throat and the others kept drinking. And drinking. They tended to drink 2 for my one! About 10:00 PM, the music started and we started dancing. And some mates kept drinking.

About 12:00, I noticed that that staff were looking at us a bit differently, as were some of the other patrons. I stopped drinking and switched to water. After a while, one of the guys that was with us asked what we wanted for the next round. I said that I was cut off and that one of my friends was as well because she was quite drunk (pissed). However, he said that I couldn't cut someone else off. He then turned to a third friend and asked what she wanted. She said that she was cut off and so was the girl I said was cut off. He still didn't seem to like that but I think he allowed it. I guess it isn't socially appropriate to cut people off here. I was just trying to look out for my friend.

BYOB?

Last night I had a birthday party at our apartment. We made a bit of food and asked people to bring something to share. We had lots of food and drink and lots of leftovers. And most importantly, I think people had a good time.

We have now had a few parties at our place and I have noticed a few things. First, people tend to arrive at least 30 minutes after the time that I say. Now, I am used to this and expect it because that is the way all my friends are back home. You don't want to the first people at a party. So yesterday, I said 7:30 expecting people at 8:00 at the earliest. People started arriving at 7:40!! We weren't exactly ready because I thought that we had at least 20 more minutes. :)

Second, people tend not to eat very much. I am not sure if they eat before they come or just don't want to be rude and eat too much or if they don't like my food. People do eat more when we have the food close to where they sit, which makes sense because then they don't have to move to eat. Third, people tend not to eat food with a little bit of spice to it. I made pineapple salsa yesterday and very little of it got eaten while other food got eaten more.

Fourth, people tend to bring enough beer for themselves only. Wine, you have to share. However, when people bring beer, they may bring only a couple bottles/cans and then that is all they drink. They may drink other stuff if what they brought gets finished but overall, they just drink what they brought. Why is that? It is a party and as hosts, we have a variety of beverages. We always have beer. We generally don't buy that much beer because we are used to people bringing a 6 pack or so of what they like to drink. That way we have a good variety. We aren't quite used to the bring 2 cans thing.

Beer!

Belgium is a country of beer. Good beer. While there, we tried a variety of lambic and trappist beers. They had cherry, raspberry, and apricot beers. I tried the cherry and raspberry. They were more like a wine or cider than what I think of as beer. They were tasty, though. At one place near the Grand Place, we had their beer sampler. It is five different varieties and is served with Brie for you to cleanse your palate between tastes of the different types of beer. The place had pretty good food and waffles, also. It was fun to sit outside, drink the various beers and listen to others describe them. It was also fun to see other tourists’ reactions to our five small glasses of beer. The women tended to like the cherry (kriek) beers. One day, we sat across from two guys who were trying to analyze the different types. They decided that the kriek tasted like “some girly drink” and was therefore unsuitable for them.

Oh, obviously John took the ones of me. He also took the one of the beer sampler.











The Bier Temple was an interesting store. As you may guess by its name, it is a store full of beer. It has lots of different kinds and different glasses to drink the different kinds of beer.

Random thoughts

This Friday was my friend J's 30th birthday. She was dreading it but ended up dealing pretty well, or at least it appears so. Her boyfriend came out for a long weekend, which definitely helped. On Friday another coworker hosted a little get together for her. We then went to the pub next door to their place. It was more of a traditional Irish pub. It was dark, chairs didn't match, and it had sofa type seats in one area. I liked it.

On Saturday, we went to the local. It is different than more traditional pubs but I still like it a lot. Their beer selection is excellent and it has a character of its own. They also have about 5 different ciders. I decided that I should try them all. I have one left to try. While there, we saw the guy who sells the only decent Mexican food that we have found so far in Dublin. He sells food and salsas at the Temple Bar Market on Saturdays. He was there with his family so we had the waitress take him a drink. It was fun because she was obviously flustered by us. First, we fight over who should pay for drinks, then we buy a seemingly random guy one. It was fun and he recognized John as a customer. He thanked us on his way out.

On Saturday, J and her boyfriend went up to Howth to wander around. They went in and out of pubs since it would suddenly downpour for a few minutes and if you were outside, you got soaked. Anyway, they said that they were in this pub and it was playing American music over the speakers. They stopped playing the music a couple minutes before a tour bus pulled in. They then had some musicians (I think) play traditional Irish music. The group had a drink, left, and the regular music went back on!

On Sunday, I had to get a prescription filled. I used to pay about $40.00 a month for this medicine at home. It was available in generic for about $25.00 but my doctor didn't want me to take it because it is slightly different. Anyway, I got four months worth here for 7.50! That raised the question that I ask myself a lot (and is a huge political debate in the States): why are drugs so expensive back home? Ok, this is an older medication and my doctor told me that it had actually been taken off the market because it was too cheap (why didn't they just raise the price then?). All of my medications are cheaper here but comparatively, this one is far less than the others. I wonder why.

BYOB

Last night, J phoned me to see if I wanted to go to the Italian place for dinner. I of course was interested. When she got to my place, she decided that the local sounded better. I also agreed with this. So, about 7:00, we headed over to the local. We had our dinner and drank a bit. Since I didn't have to work today (I took the day off because I could), I didn't care how late we stayed out.

So, we had our dinner and were drinking when this group of people came and sat at a table near us. One had some blueish/greenish hard liquor drink, another had Corona, and the third had Heinekin. Two more people joined the group. The ones who were already sitting told the two newcomers that the beer at the Local was horrible and the only good things were in bottles. They said this like bottles were a bad thing. Anyway, they had a house weiss beer and gave one of the newbies a drink as evidence that they had bad beer on tap. The newbies liked this beer and both went to the bar to order and came back with glasses (no bottles). Later in their conversation, one of them said our Local was a manky pub! I guess there really is no accounting for bad taste.

Anyway, later in the evening, I walked by a large group of people sitting in a different area on my way to the toilet. They had bottles inside paper bags! They brought their own bottles into the pub! Earlier, I had seen them eating food there and had also noticed the bottles but they left them there when they left. They BYOBed (bring your own beer/bottle) to a pub!!!!

Budweiser at Guiness!

Yesterday John, J and I went to see the Irish Teacher's Association's production of Suisical the Musical. It was good. I had seen this musical last year with my previous job. One of the local high schools had put it on and dress rehearsal was free for the local schools so we went with the students. I found it very interesting that the high school's stage and sound system were far better than the Rupert Guiness Theatre.

It was also interesting to me that I compared the production that I saw yesterday to the one I saw last year. Almost everything except the story/lyrics were different. I expect that for plays, less for musicals. Overall, it seemed that that high school production had a bigger budget. I did like yesterday's performance. I also really enjoyed watching a little boy sitting in front of me. He was really cute. He had a hard time sitting and sat on the floor and by the wall at times. Other times, he put his hands over his ears because it was too loud. I wanted to do the same but didn't. He also danced and clapped a lot when he liked something. Ahh, the freedom of children. They are so much fun to watch.

After the performance, J wanted to look for a shirt in the Guiness store. Since it was close by, we went shopping and then snuck up to the bar to have a Guiness. You aren't supposed to go to the bar without paying the admission fee to the whole "museum." However, on your way out, there is one set of stairs. To the left, they go up to the rest of the building, to the right they go out to the street. Since we wanted a drink and had seen the exhibits (not that great by the way), we went left. We took the stairs up a couple flights and the elevator the rest of the way to the bar.

We got to the bar and ordered our drinks. Since the bar was pretty empty, I actually looked at what was on tap. Cider, a lighter form of Guiness, and.... Budweiser were on tap!!! Now, that just isn't right. The bartender said we would be surprised how many people ordered Bud there. But it just isn't right that one of the worst American "beers" would be on tap at the Guiness storehouse bar. Maybe I could understand it if they had a good American beer on tap, but Budweiser?

After going to the storehouse, we decided we were hungry and went to the Porterhouse Central for dinner and more drinking. We were going to go to the local Porterhouse but a friend was walking up from a southern suburb so we went to a different one. This Porterhouse was fine. It wasn't the same as the one we normally go to. The menu was different, they had different cider on tap, and about 10:00 PM it turned into a club feel, complete with loud music and revolving coloured lights! We had to leave because the lights were giving us headaches.