Students JULIA GOLLUBand Susanne GRAATRUD SCHIAGER– from Germany and Norway respectively – explain what they have learned about Ireland during their first three months in UCD
BEING A foreigner in Ireland can be tough. Unknown words, pronunciations and cultural peculiarities have led to a lot of confusion in our first three months in Dublin.
On arrival, we took a bus from the airport to the city centre. There were no announcements informing about the next stop – quite unsettling when you are used to being told not only which stop is next, but also on which side of the train to get off.
When we gave up trying to figure out where we were and accepted that we would miss our first apartment viewing, a compassionate old man advised us to ask the bus driver to tell us where to get off. As we finally got off at the right stop, we were surprised at the driver’s politeness; in Germany you grow up with signs exhorting you not to speak to the driver while he is are driving.
This wasn’t the last time we were surprised by Irish politeness. When entering one of the typically small Irish supermarkets, the teller greeted us with a friendly smile and a warm “How are you doing?”. Overwhelmed by his mindfulness, and not knowing that no answer was expected, we told him that we had just moved to Dublin and asked him questions back. He gave us a sceptical look.
On our first night out in Dublin we didn’t have a clue where to go, and ended up in one of the most expensive places in Temple Bar. It did not take us long to get to know the presumably only Irish people in the whole pub, Fiachra and Siobhán from Graiguenamanagh. The conversation went well, we understood most of what they said and they did not seem to notice that we refrained from calling them by their first names throughout the whole conversation, only things got complicated when we wanted to exchange numbers and had to admit that we knew neither how to pronounce or spell their names correctly.
Language problems continued when we caught a taxi home and told the driver to take us to Dún Laoghaire. Judging by the confused look on his face, we had pronounced it incorrectly again.
But we’re learning. Now, three months on, we sometimes still feel like aliens in Ireland, but it didn’t take us long to get accustomed to typical Irish evenings with tea, milk, biscuits and Father Ted or Tommy Tiernan on TV. And now we always carry an umbrella with us, no matter how sunny it is.
Pedestrian lights are a recommendation, not a ruleEveryone can tell you're a foreigner when you're the only person waiting at a red light for ten minutes.
Irish people are generally very politeDon't be surprised if people apologise when you accidentally bump into them – even if it's your fault.
Snow is an unusual occurrencePublic transport breaks down, Schools and universities close and people keep slipping. If you're from Norway, 10cm is not heavy snow.
TV commercials can be shockingIt's not unusual, when you are eating while watching TV, for a really bad road accident to appear suddenly on your screen, telling you not to drink and drive.
Irish words and accents can be difficult to get"Craic" is actually not a drug, "gas" is a positive description and "grand" can be used in nearly every sentence. And "tea-shock" is not an overdose but the title of the prime minister.
Doctors are obsessed with pregnancyIt doesn't matter whether you consult a doctor because you have a stiff neck or a really bad cold; they will keep asking you questions about the possibility of being pregnant.
Food you've never heard ofIf a menu gives you the choice between dishes you've never heard of – such as rashers, bangers and mash or boxty – try them. It's worth it.
