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Today I spent the afternoon wandering in and out of stores all down St George's St (and Aungier and Camden...it changes names about four times between the river and IES). I found nothing to buy, but I did have fun browsing in a stationary store. (The proprietor asked where I was from and when I admitted the States, he said, 'yes, I pegged that.' Sigh. And when he asked where in the States and I said Seattle, he said 'Oh, I like Frasier.' Sigh again.)
On the other hand, I got asked directions to a store today--not by a Dubliner (she said she had been here before but couldn't remember where Penney's was), but by the sound of her accent she was Irish. So I feel accomplished.
Today I found out that there is a Boulangerie near IES that sells three french pastries for 3 euro. As I was by myself and could not eat three pastries, I only bought one...but I antcipate availing myself of that deal.
I hung over the canal bridge, ate my pastry and watched swans. I love Europe.
I found my way around by feel--not looking at street signs, not pulling out a map, not with underlying confusion. I just knew where I was. It really does feel good.
Also I got a present for Mum. It is pretty much what I would have expected to buy. I will have to get tea for Dad to complete the Expected Presents Round (and then find something else different for a contrast).
And the Lesson for today is Ask, You Never Can Tell What People Will Let You Do. (I had bought a claddagh ring a couple weeks ago at a stall on Grafton Street. Either my finger shrank, or the ring grew, or I just misjudged when I got it, but in any case it was big enough that it was worryingly loose. So I went back to the stall to find another, smaller one like it, which I did. And then I thought, Silly, why buy another one? So, even though I am unassuming and do not like to bother people for things like customer service, I asked the cart-minder if I could exchange them instead of buying the new one, and of course he was lovely and friendly and I-needn't-even-have-asked. So I feel proud of myself for asking, even though that's a silly thing to feel proud of, but I rarely do things like that.)
Tomorrow we have our first voice class. I'm excited; I've never had one, and Cathal Quinn's supposed to be a really good teacher, and it's got to be better than the one at SU which everyone told me not to take.
I think if I could change about three or four things, I could be happy living here for a long time. (Of course the first of those involves giving myself the power of teleportation...so that doesn't look likely anytime soon. Oh well.)
On the other hand, I got asked directions to a store today--not by a Dubliner (she said she had been here before but couldn't remember where Penney's was), but by the sound of her accent she was Irish. So I feel accomplished.
Today I found out that there is a Boulangerie near IES that sells three french pastries for 3 euro. As I was by myself and could not eat three pastries, I only bought one...but I antcipate availing myself of that deal.
I hung over the canal bridge, ate my pastry and watched swans. I love Europe.
I found my way around by feel--not looking at street signs, not pulling out a map, not with underlying confusion. I just knew where I was. It really does feel good.
Also I got a present for Mum. It is pretty much what I would have expected to buy. I will have to get tea for Dad to complete the Expected Presents Round (and then find something else different for a contrast).
And the Lesson for today is Ask, You Never Can Tell What People Will Let You Do. (I had bought a claddagh ring a couple weeks ago at a stall on Grafton Street. Either my finger shrank, or the ring grew, or I just misjudged when I got it, but in any case it was big enough that it was worryingly loose. So I went back to the stall to find another, smaller one like it, which I did. And then I thought, Silly, why buy another one? So, even though I am unassuming and do not like to bother people for things like customer service, I asked the cart-minder if I could exchange them instead of buying the new one, and of course he was lovely and friendly and I-needn't-even-have-asked. So I feel proud of myself for asking, even though that's a silly thing to feel proud of, but I rarely do things like that.)
Tomorrow we have our first voice class. I'm excited; I've never had one, and Cathal Quinn's supposed to be a really good teacher, and it's got to be better than the one at SU which everyone told me not to take.
I think if I could change about three or four things, I could be happy living here for a long time. (Of course the first of those involves giving myself the power of teleportation...so that doesn't look likely anytime soon. Oh well.)
