5 Things We Love About Ireland That Just Are Not The Same Abroad
While travelling around the world is a fantastic eye-opening experience, there is nothing like coming back home to good old Èire. We may love to complain about the state of the country, the weather etc. but it is home and always will be. Here's a list of 5 Irish things that are different abroad...
1. Chocolate
Nothing beats Cadbury's, it's as simple as that. Having lived in Switzerland which is the home of luxury chocolate along with Belgium, I can safely say that the smoothness and richness of a humble Dairy Milk is second to none. This is something which I think everyone realises when they are living abroad. The visits from Irish friends or family are made infinitely better when they stock their cases with a selection of Cadbury's finest. I'll never forget the joy I felt when my mam brought over twenty cream eggs when she visited me in Barcelona. What a woman.
2. Public transport
Let's face it, the public transport system in Ireland is pretty shocking when it comes to what is the norm with our friends on the continent. If you live outside any of the four major cities in Ireland and you are unfortunate enough to not have a car/ licence then prepare to fork out a small fortune on a taxi or be prepared to be stranded, or embark on a long walk to your destination. Europe has the whole public transport side of things covered down to the smallest towns and villages which is great for us looking to explore. The Europeans are so efficient with their public transport I often had to listen to my fellow passengers on the tram in Geneva complain about a tram being literally 2 minutes late! If only they knew what it was to see their bus which is "due in 3 minutes" disappear off the bus stop screen only to flash up again a minute later saying "due in 22 minutes”. In the pouring rain, at 6 o' clock, on a Friday evening.
3. The Weather
We may be referred to as the 'Emerald Isle' but this title comes at a pretty hefty cost, the price tag being rain and lots of it. It was slightly laughable on the odd occasion when grey clouds start to swarm over Spain and the people on the street began to whip out their umbrellas in panic just because there are grey clouds. Whether it did not rain for five minutes or fifteen minutes those umbrellas were staying up. God forbid they felt a few drops on themselves. Along with the umbrellas out came the waterproof hiking boots at the mere hint of a dark cloud. I was the badass who left their umbrella at home and wore regular shoes who lived to tell the tale.
4. Humour
I think any Irish person who has ever interacted with someone from another country on a friendly level has come to realise that our sense of humour is unique. Our sarcasm and banter are often misinterpreted by our English neighbours so you can imagine that it does not bode too well with the citizens of mainland Europe. Our witty sarcasm is not appreciated on the continent so try your best to refrain from making smart remarks in order to get a laugh from someone because you won't, what you might get though is a confused or a dirty look thrown your way. I would recommend saving up your sarcasm for when you come back home for a visit and you can unleash your pent up comedic genius on your family and friends.
5. Slang/ Everyday Chat
Within about a week of teaching English I quickly realised that I needed to make some modifications to my speech. Two words in particular caused a bit hassle and were the hardest to get out of my system, these two words were 'grand' and 'ye' probably the two foundational words of the beautiful Irish-English language. A word of advice for all future Irish TEFL teachers: start teaching yourself to say 'good' or 'fine' instead of 'grand' and 'you' instead of 'ye' now to save you the awkward confused looks of your students. When you touch back down on home soil don't worry this poetic vernacular of ours will come flooding back to you.