Christmas with Colin & The Script!

I opted to work over the Christmas holidays this year since I was so far away from home and I didn’t want to get homesick. I couldn’t have really asked for a better day. It was looking like it was going to be painfully boring (only 5 patients, 2 of whom we sent home for the day, and 2 nurses plus a student). We had one Muslim patient and one patient whose family wasn’t really interested in doing anything but sleeping so we set up a nice Christmas dinner table for the last family. The Script (Irish band) showed up to deliver gifts, visit patients, and sing a couple of songs. We, luckily, had a super cute patient that we dressed up like christmas pudding that was attracting all the fame (see above picture, unfortunately she was looking away). The Christmas dinner at work was actually pretty good. In the afternoon we got word that Colin Farrell was in the building. We stationed ourselves with Hannah (cute patient) by the front door of the ward as bait. He eventually showed up but looked exhausted. He passed out some gifts and chatted for a short while. I touched him. It was over too quick. I posted some pics (see link above). I also posted some pics from my ward night out. Also notice my hideously ugly scrub top for which I payed 40 euros.

Malahide

Bridget, Tennille, and I took another small day trip today to Malahide Castle. It was home to the Talbot family who were a sort of royal family for nearly 800 years. The weather cooperated a little better, it was mostly sunny and only misted on and off for a little while. The town is really cute and the castle was pretty impressive. We were then going to go to the model railroad museum/children’s museum but it was closed (despite the fact that the sign on the door stated it should’ve been open, that’s Ireland for you).

Bru na Boinne, County Meath

Today Bridget, Tennille, and I decided to do a day trip to The Boyne Valley despite the extremely poor weather. On the way out to Meath, we stopped in Drogheda to see St. Oliver Plunkett’s head which is encased in a shrine in St. Peter’s Church. We then made our way to the Hill of Slane which is where St. Patrick lit the first paschal fire in direct defiance of the pagan kings at nearby Tara. Next stop was Newgrange. Newgrange is the best known Irish passage tomb said to be older than both the pyramids and Stonehenge. The tomb contains a cross shaped passage that is illuminated by the rising sun during the winter solstice. The rocks in and around the tomb contain various carvings including the tri-spiral which is one of the more recognizable Irish symbols. On the way home we stopped at The Hill of Tara which was the seat of the High King of Ireland and an ancient sacred site. The weather was total crap the whole day. It was pouring and super windy. We all came back soaking wet and muddy and with wind burn. We were all glad we went though. They were all pretty impressive sites, especially Newgrange.

Nizlopi

I dragged Tennille with me to go see Nizlopi at Whelans. I partially just wanted to go to a gig at Whelans so I could see the room where P.S. I Love You was filmed. They are a duo out of the UK and are amazing. Check them out on myspace or i-tunes.

Tommy Keeney

Cathal’s brother’s funeral was today. I have officially survived my first Irish wake and funeral. For unknown reasons, Tommy drove his jeep off of the pier in Killybegs on Sunday at high speeds. There were witnesses at the scene but the water is deep, dark, and extremely cold. Divers recovered his body about a half hour later and then they had to use a crane to remove the jeep which was then sent to be scrapped. He was pronounced dead at the scene. There was no indication that this was going to happen and nobody had any idea that anything was wrong. I think that is the hardest part for everyone right now, no one knows why. Irish wakes and funerals are pretty different from anything I’ve been to. Tommy was removed from the hospital where the post mortem was performed and taken home. He stayed there Monday and Tuesday where the wake was happening. I went up on Tuesday and went down to the house in the early evening. Cathal urged me to go say hello to his mom, Kathleen. Unbeknownst to me, Tommy’s body was in the same room. I got a little bit of a shock. They had cleared out the back bedroom and Tommy’s coffin was there against the wall. The rest of the room was lined with chairs where various family members were sitting. It was weird to me to think that he just stays in the house for two days and nights. Like if you woke up to get a glass of water, there he would be. Now, it’s not quite like that. There were a load of people that were there all night. Someone is always with the body. Another thing about Irish people is that they think everything can be made better with tea. I must’ve been asked over a hundred times if I would like a “cuppa”. They also had little silver trays of candy and cigarettes (yes, cigarettes) in various places around the house. Everyone just hangs out there for hours, I was there for five hours myself. They then have a rosary at 10 p.m. I snuck out before that. The body was then removed from the house to the church on Wednesday morning. The service was packed and there was a crowd of people outside as well. In a bit of comic relief, Tommy’s nearly 3 year old son Oisin called the priest a f!@*ing bastard when he tried to take a toy tractor out of his hands to put in the casket. Luckily everyone just kind of ignored it. Oh, did I forget to mention the amount of alcohol that was consumed on each night after the wake and funeral. Irish people must think someone’s chances of getting into heaven are directly proportional to how much alcohol you drink during their wake/funeral. So, it was pretty much totally stereotypical I guess. It’s going to be a hard winter for the Keeney’s. Christmas time is also the anniversary of Cathal’s cousin’s death. He went missing a couple of Christmases ago and was found drowned in a river. Then Oisin’s birthday is in early January and the three sisters all have babies due in January/February. Please keep the Keeney’s in your thoughts.

Introducing...Alannah Frances Cannon

Little Alannah finally made her way into the world today. She weighed 8 lbs 4 oz. The middle name is in honor of Dermot’s Dad Francis. I’m very proud of Alisha, she was a trooper through the long, long labor. She also survived the Irish healthcare system, so...props to her. Everybody is happy and healthy and as you can see, she is absolutely perfect.

Kilkenny

Tennille, Bridget and I went to Kilkenny last weekend just to get out of the city. It’s about a two hour bus trip south westish from here. Tennille and I went down on Saturday while Bridget nursed a migraine and caught up on her sleep. Friday night we stayed at Foulksrath Castle, a 16th century castle turned hostel. It’s also said to be haunted. It is about a 20 euro taxi journey from the city center but it was well worth it. I didn’t get any ghost vibes or anything and there aren’t any odd shadows in our photos. We went out to a couple of places that were recommended to us by people from work. Kilkenny is a popular place for hen and stag parties so the nightlife on the weekends is super good. The highlight of the night was Langtons, a hotel/nightclub. They had a live band for the first part of the night and a d.j. after that. It was a blast. Sunday we met up with Bridget and had some brunch at the Marble City Tea Room...delicious. Then we checked in to our new hostel for the night, Mac Gabhainns Backpackers Hostel. This one was right in the city center. Very nice. They gave us the four bedded en suite to ourselves so it didn’t even really feel like a hostel. We then did the obligatory Kilkenny Castle tour. It was really good. They also have a small art gallery in the basement which had a super awesome show going on, it was the art of Atsushi Kaga (www.atsushikaga.com). It’s the kind of art that’s right up my alley. There are loads of cute little boutiques in the city so we did some shopping for the rest of the afternoon. We had some really good meals too. I didn’t want to leave on Monday. It’s the kind of place that I could see myself living in. Good shopping, good eats, good nightlife, small town feel. See my photos in the Kilkenny link above.
On a sad note, Bridget bought her plane ticket home. She goes for good on November 11th. It’s a long and complicated story but the gist is she hates work enough to go back home. We’ll be very sad to see her go. Tennille will be taking over her room at least.
Happy Birthday Chandra (I bought her New Kids On The Block tickets for me and her in January)!

Although We've Come...To The End Of The Road

So excited, just got home from seeing Boys II Men at Tripod in Dublin. It was great, took me right back to middle school. One of the members was missing but it didn’t even matter. I’d say about 75% of the crowd was American. I highly recommend them if they come to your city.
As far as work goes...I finally grew a pair and told my manager I think the ward is a really terrible learning environment. She pulled me aside into her office to tell me I didn’t seem happy, I wonder why it took her 5 months to figure it out. Anyways, she said she doesn’t feel the same way I do...shocker. I told her I think everyone is very catty and quick to point out everyone else’s faults. She said she didn’t agree with me but that she would try to be more in tune with what was going on. I simply told her that was the vibe I got and that is how I feel, that I doubt and second guess everything I do because I’m terrified I’ll get told I do something wrong. It’s enough to wreck your head. What I wanted to tell her is that she is the biggest culprit but I thought that would’ve been taking it to far. She’s extremely condescending and patronizing. She makes you feel like an idiot on most occasions. She’s always right and always knows what’s best for everyone. I doubt it will resolve anything but at least I told her how I feel and now she’ll know why I’m so quiet at work. It made me feel a little better when my preceptor told me I’m not the only one that feels that way but I still don’t think it’s any excuse. Please god let me work straight nights when my preceptorship is over.
On a good note, I bought a plane ticket to come home over Thanksgiving. I’ll be there November 14th-30th. I can’t wait to have some time off and be back in the States to see everyone.

Fancy New Blog

I discovered some awesomness on my Mac the other day which led me to make a new blog. It's way fancier and has the capability to hold way more pictures.
Here is the new site: http://web.mac.com/sarahstroik/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
I'll eventually close this account.
Enjoy!

Niki's Visit

This past week, Niki was here to visit me. It was great because not only did I get to see my BFF, but I also didn't have to work. Here, now, I will attempt to remember everything we did. I picked Niki and our rental car up on Friday and after getting a little lost, we came back to my apartment to re-pack for our Donegal weekend and to pick up Bridget. On the way out of town, we also picked up Chandra. It was going to be a real girls weekend. We got into Glencolumbkille in the evening and had a bite to eat and a nap before hitting the (small) town. We did the obligatory pub crawl (there are only 3) and met some of the locals.

Saturday we did a little sight seeing. We went to my favorite beach (Silver Strand) for some photo ops and to wet our toes in the Atlantic. It was lunch at the Tea House in the Folk Village in Glen to warm up after that. Then it was off to Ardara via Glengesh Pass to see the waterfall. We stopped at the chemist to visit Alisha at work as well. After that, it was off to the pubs again and a long night is was. The pub we were at stayed open into the early morning and then a load of us went off to the beach for a makeshift bonfire and sing along and to watch the sunrise. Super fun and super cold.

Sunday we joined Captain Paddy Byrne on his boat The Nuala Star and he took us for a spin along the coast. It was very windy and the water was super choppy so it made for an exciting 2 hour ride. We stopped at The Rusty in Teelin for a drink and then had dinner at An Cistin in town before having another exciting night on the town.

On the way home Monday, we stopped in Donegal town for a little sight seeing and shopping before really hitting the road. Stopped in Mullingar again for a breather and then had a quiet night at home.

Tuesday morning we had to return the car so we stopped for groceries on the way back. I introduced Niki to some of the delicious Irish foods such as Crunchy Nut cereal and Irish Pride bread, two staples of my diet. Tuesday night we went to Whelan's. It's the pub where P.S. I Love You was filmed. We saw a little live music by a Canadian guy. After that I took Niki to one of my favorite pubs in Dublin, The Hairy Lemon. It was dead but it turned out good because we didn't have to wait for drinks and we got to chat with the barman. He let us leave our mark on the pub, we pinned a dollar bill with our names and the date on it onto the woodwork above the bar. If you're ever there, check it out.

Wednesday we did the Wild Wicklow bus tour. The driver was insane and totally inappropriate which made for an excellent time. We drove along the coast and port and then through the Hollywood Hills of Dublin where we got to scope out the homesteads of Bono, Van Morrison, and Enya before getting to Wicklow. We stopped at Avoca for a bathroom break and to look around. They sell all sorts of cool stuff. They're sort of like Bibelot or Patina but they also do handwoven wool stuff. Wicklow was amazing, I would love to live there. We went to Glendalough, picked blueberries, had a pub lunch, and went for a little hike. Our bus driver even brought along a bottle of Jameson for us to enjoy. He put two Belgium dudes in charge of the bottle and they ended up drinking pretty much all of it...never trust a Belgian. P.S. I Love You was also filmed at Glendalough. The weather was gorgeous and sunny so we were exhausted by the end of the day. When we got back we had a cuppa at Bewley's (my favorite people watching spot) and then went home to catch up on some much needed rest.

Thursday we hit up Guinness where we did the tour and had a pint direct from the source. You'll never have a tastier Guinness. We had a unique and tasty dinner at Gruel after that. We went out to my other favorite pub, Flannery's, that night. It was insanely hot and packed but we had a blast watching a group of very entertaining dancers. Only in Ireland do they have Riverdance and they're national anthem as part of their playlist. I wish I could've videotaped the chaos that ensued when Riverdance was playing.

Friday, Niki and I hit up Phoenix Park. We walked around a little (the place is huge, bigger than Central Park), laid on the grass and people watched, and had a nice lunch. Friday, I took Niki and Rachel out in Temple Bar just to say they had been there. It's really touristy and full of stag and hen (bachelor and bachelorette) parties. After that it was on to a Dublin institution called Copper Faced Jack's. It's about the only "club" in Dublin and so has quite the reputation. It's something you only have to experience once. It's better on Monday nights when the clientele are mainly nurses, cops, and firefighters.

Saturday we did our shopping and sight seeing in the city center on Grafton St. and O'Connell St mainly. Niki wanted to see some live music so I bought us tickets to Sharon Shannon on a whim. She and her band do all traditional Irish music (she plays the accordion). I know it sounds lame but it was actually great and a very good way to end Niki's vacation. Sharon Shannon made "Galway Girl" famous with another Irish artist Mundy on the P.S. I Love You soundtrack. I know right, we had a total P.S. I Love You week...it was totally coincidental. Anyways, Mundy was also at the show and was sort of the surprise guest. It was great because Niki, Rachel, and I had heard a song playing at the Hairy Lemon one night that we were obsessed with. Nobody could tell us the right artist and Niki and I couldn't find the song anywhere online. Well, turns out it's Mundy, which we figured out when he sang it at the show (the song is "July" if anyone is interested). We met Sam and Chandra at The Hairy Lemon afterwards for a few drinks and to say our goodbyes. Niki made it safely home on Monday. I miss her terribly and wanted to hold her hostage. I'm currently working on finding her a job here so she can come back :). I wonder if Enya needs a nanny, we know where she lives. 

I'm officially an Irish nurse!

Well, it's official, I got my registration in the mail yesterday. I'm officially on the register for An Bord Altrainas (the Irish Nursing Board). Now I can stop being so passive and start ruffling feathers at work and they can't do anything about it. 

I had a rather eventful weekend. Thursday night I went to Estelle and Jay Z with Chandra at the RDS. It was a good show, not very packed. Friday, Jen convinced us to go to The Hoodoo Gurus (an '80's Aussie band) at The Button Factory. Also a good time. One of the pictures is her with the lead singer. Saturday, we decided to go to see Morrissey. It was at the old Royal Hospital which is now the modern art museum. It was outside on the grounds. The weather (mostly) cooperated. He put on a good show. 

Now that I'm all done with my work orientation/adaptation I have to start working weekends (boo). I worked my first couple of nights this week and it made me a much happier person. I know my educator doesn't want me working nights for the next few months (or as few as possible) but hopefully once that's done I can work straight nights or mostly nights. I'm working this weekend so there probably won't be much to report. 

My old weekend work crew from Regions sent me a fabulous care package for which I am so grateful. I have already utilized the Burn Center curly straw as you can see. I'm sure various other items from the package will show up around Dublin and in pictures soon. 

Rody Bolands

I went out on Saturday night with some girls from work to celebrate a couple of birthdays. I thought I would post a couple of pictures to introduce you all to some of my new friends. We went to a pub in Rathmines that was so much fun called Rody Bolands. The first picture is Jen and I. She's my friend from Australia that works in Nephro-Urology. The second picture contains Bridget (my roommate from New Zealand, she works in Oncology) on the far left, Jen, Rachel is in the pink (she is from Northern Ireland and works in the transitional care unit), and Mary is to the left of her (from Essex and works in the high dependency unit). Rachel and Mary are roommates and live in the same apartment complex as Bridget and I. The last picture is Rachel again. 

On another happy note...Niki is coming to visit me! She'll be here July 18th-27th. I can't wait to see her and explore Ireland with her. 

My internet frustration.

I have the day off today so I'm on a mission for internet that consistently work. We currently have our phone, internet, and broadband through one company. They haven't all worked together since we got it. I called the company to complain and tell them that I wouldn't be paying my bill until everything worked. The customer service guy who was helping me replied "You're just trying to get all kinds of money out of me aren't you...you Americans." I couldn't believe it. If not paying for services I don't receive makes me American, I'm proud to be an American. Argh. 

Another upsetting piece of news...the Ireland Prince show was cancelled. Nobody has really said why except that it was out of the hands of Prince and the production company. It better not be just Prince being Prince. 

Work is still slightly frustrating. When I first started work, my educator told me I would be expecting to "seek out my own learning opportunities" so I did. Then, the following week she told me I should only be focusing on the way the unit is run and the daily activities, not to even focus on the burn cares (this is a burn unit right?), basically telling me to stop seeking out my own learning opportunities. So, that week I just did what I was told. Then, the next week, my educator told me I seemed "disinterested". Kind of odd considering my Kiwi roommate had heard the exact same thing the day before from her nurse educator. I only found out this week that another one of our friends from Africa had also been told the same thing. Those nurse educators must go to weekly meetings where they're given the word of the week. The other week, it must have been "disinterested". I just told her that she was giving me conflicting tasks and that she needs to be more clear. It takes Irish people a bazillion words to say what we can say in one short sentence and I think they take that as disinterest. I kind of told her that in a very nice way. She has kind of left me alone since. At least all us foreigners kind of stick together. 

A couple of weekends ago I went up to Glencolumbkille for "The Gaeltacht". It's a big gaelic football weekend that happens at a different gaelic speaking location every year. Lots of towns apply and this year Glen was picked. They fixed up the town really nice. A lot of buildings had new paint jobs and landscaping, etc. The town was packed full of people from all over Ireland. It was great craic as they would say. It was football all day and then music at night. I'm glad I had the opportunity to go. Gaelic football is a pretty entertaining sport. It's like football, rugby, volleyball, and soccer all mixed. I got to practice a little Irish as well. 

In The Name of the Fada

I've been watching this really hilarious show over the last couple of weeks and I thought I'd share. It's called "In The Name of the Fada" which is a play on words. A fada is an accent over a letter. It's a "reality show" in which Des Bishop, an Irish-American comedian, attempts to learn Irish well enough to perform a stand up act in Irish. Even if you don't know any Irish, he's pretty entertaining. During his training, he translates House of Pain's "Jump Around" into Irish. The first link below is a link to the shows, the second link is one to his website. There is a free download of "Jump Around" on it and some of his other stand up acts. 

http://www.rte.ie/tv/inthenameofthefada/

www.desbishop.com

Bruuuuuuuce!

Friday night, Chandra was nice enough to invite me to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band...for free! Of course I said yes, I can't pass up live music. I was rather impressed, he put on a good show. It was about 2 1/2 hours non-stop. I was mostly there for Max Weinberg but they were all good. The weather cooperated which was good because it was an outside show. They mostly did their new stuff which I hadn't heard a lot of but I liked it. It was at the RDS were Chandra works. I had never been there, it's a nice place. It's in the ritzier part of town right near the US Embassy (which is good to know). The rest of the weekend we just relaxed. I finally watched Borat last night which was rather painful. I watched it through my hands covering my eyes, yikes! I think it's a movie you don't have to see more than once, if at all. This afternoon we had lunch at a co-worker's apartment who lives 5 floors down from us. It was nice to spend some time with co-workers outside of work and catch up. JoAnn is very nice. She trained in England and has been living there for awhile but has just recently moved back. Anyways, she helps us try to understand this country and the way things work. Back to work tomorrow, no Memorial Day holiday here. Next weekend is a bank holiday weekend again and I'm off to Donegal for the Gaeltacht. It's just a weekend full of Gaelic Football and music. It apparently brings quite a few tourists into Glencolumbkille so it should be a bit of "craic". I'm looking forward to a long weekend away. I'm going to try really hard to utilize my camera. 

Home Phone Number

We now have a land line in our apartment. If, for whatever reason, you want to call me it's way cheaper to call a land line. The number is 011 353 014422636.

More pics...

Here are some more pictures of my apartment and the football game. 

Sorry it's been awhile!

I realize it's been awhile since I've written but we finally got the internet today! It's pretty much been the best day ever, we got hooked up to the internet and then I proceeded to buy tickets to see Prince at Croke Park in June with Jenny on my newly hooked up internet. 

I continue to settle in well. Work is very different. The people are extremely nice but things are going to take some getting used to. I didn't realize how great I had it at home. Here are some things that I'll have to adjust to:

1) No AC in the hospital. As nice as it is to be able to open the windows and get some fresh air, I can't imagine it's good as far as infection control goes. I really hope it's a mild summer otherwise I will refuse to work day shifts. 

2) No computers, well, I take that back, there is one computer used only for looking up labs and ordering formula. We're talking stacks and stacks of paper. 

3) The hospital sort of shuts down after business hours. If you want labs run at night, you have to call an on call lab person to come in and run them...and it better be important. Forget about any PT/OT/Social work/etc on the weekends or after business hours. There isn't even a pharmacist in the hospital at night. If the phlebotomy team is gone, an MD has to place IVs and draw labs...suckers!

4) Nursing Assistants have a completely different role. All they do is pass meals and stock the unit. Allyson, I love and appreciate you! There is no such thing as Respiratory Therapists here, I also love and appreciate you guys. 

5) Report takes forever! No, seriously, like 45 minutes. The night charge gives report and then the day manager lays out how the day is going to go. I hope they don't notice me in the corner rolling my eyes and doodling on my paper. We have to know about every patient for whatever reason. Everyone does 12 hour shifts, but despite that, we have another report at 3 p.m. even though it's the same staff. Drives me nuts.

6) Forget about Pyxis. You have to find keys to the drug cart and then a second person to check drugs with...very efficient.

7) We actually get breaks! I almost feel like we get too many breaks. You get a breakfast break in the morning after passing meds, then you get a lunch break, then you get a tea break later in the day. They make you go, it's crazy. In total I must get 2 hours worth of breaks. 

8) Working with kids has its perks. I haven't checked a single blood sugar. Baby nappies (diapers) are way easier to change than adult ones. Kids are easier to lift and turn. 

9) There are not bathrooms in the rooms. There is one shared lavatory with a few toilets. If a kid uses a urinal or bedpan, you have to walk it down the hall to the "sluice" (still haven't quite figured out what this means) and put it into this crazy dishwasher type thing. 

10) "Isolation" is a joke. No yellow gowns here, just an apron that doesn't even cover your arms made out of plastic. No hats or masks. I've only seen people use gloves a couple of times. My co-workers probably think I'm some kind of OCD freak that's obsessed with hygiene. They're probably going to have to increase their glove budget now that I'm here. I'm sorry but I'm not changing some strange kid's nappie with my bare hands. Shake your head at me if you will. 

There is so much more I could add but we'll let that rest for awhile. Regions folks, just know you have it way better than you'll ever know. 

I went to Sam's (Chandra's husband) American Football game yesterday. It was pretty entertaining. We represented in our Packers gear. Chandra's mom was recruited to be in the chain gang. Chandra and I got sun burns. Ireland isn't really a place where you think about the threat of sun very often but...lesson learned. 

The apartment is awesome. I have a view of Drimnagh Castle from my bedroom and a view of the golf course from our balcony. There is a little creek below us too. 

I had a great birthday weekend with everyone. The international nurse facilitator at the hospital gave me a list of pubs/clubs to go as homework so we tackled that. I was hoping to run into Collin Farrell along the way but he must have been busy that weekend. 

That's all I can think of for now. Now that I have the internet (!) I'll be updating more frequently. Thanks for all the nice birthday messages. 

My New Address!

Here is my new address. We move in May 1st and there is plenty of room for visitors. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a huge living room. Paid the bond and signed the lease today.
185 Lansdowne Gate, Lansdowne Valley
Drimnagh, Dublin 12
Ireland

Birthday ideas

I'm going to go ahead and steal Heather's idea (she is a genius) and make a request for my birthday (May 2nd). If everyone could send me (via e-mail) a song, or songs, or playlist that you think I would like or that you think will remind me of you or of home I would really appreciate it. You don't have to send me an actual file or anything, just title and artist, and I'll download it from i-tunes. Then, when I get homesick or when I'm missing you, I can just listen to your song(s). Thanks in advance!

Good News!

We got the apartment!!!! We move in May 1st; what a wonderful birthday present for me. Here’s the website:

http://http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?search=1&s[cc_id]=ct1&s[a_id]=pc13&s[mnp]=&s[mxp]=&s[bd_no]=3&s[search_type]=rental&s[furn]=&s[refreshmap]=1&limit=10&search_type=rental&id=553273

Hopefully I’ll sort of figure out what my schedule is going to be in the next couple of weeks so that you all can start planning your vacations.

I added a list of my favorite things I've experienced here at the bottom of the page. I'll add to it as I go along. Make sure and check it out every now and again.

Apartment?

I know I haven’t written in awhile. I was sort of waiting until I got the internet...however there is a change in plans. There is a possibility that I will be moving out May 1st. Bridget and I found a beautiful apartment about a ten minute walk away. It’s about two stops away on the bus also. It’s a brand new complex, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fully furnished. I cannot do it justice here. We found a girl who is interested in living with us at least for awhile. Her family is Nigerian but she’s from London and she’s lovely. We’ll have our own little UN...but I digress. I want to hold off on signing any mobile internet contract because the apartment is set up with broadband. We turned in our paperwork yesterday so hopefully we’ll hear something soon. There was another group of people who were interested that applied last week but they are a group of six and the leasing agent said that the management company would be more likely to take a group of three over a group of six. Bridget and I would like to take advantage of rent free living as much as we can but, if living in this affordable palace means we have to leave a little early...we’re willing. I would be able to walk/bike to work and it’s a short bus ride to the city center. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. If it doesn’t work out, it will be fine, we’ll find something else but I’m keeping positive.

Work is still pretty uneventful, still just classroom stuff. We don’t get onto the units until next Thursday. Everybody I meet tells me how lovely St. Anne’s is (the burn unit) so I’m really looking forward to it. Today one of our speakers was one of the chaplains and she’s from Chicago. She says there are three other Americans in the hospital, one social worker and two girls on the PICU. I’m not alone! I’ll be interested to meet them and get their take on things.

Bridget and I have been very good about leaving the hospital pretty much daily...mostly for our sanity. I think I’m really going to like it here, there is lots to see and do. I’m in the process of making a list of things I want to do...I can’t wait to be able to cross things off. This Sunday we’re going to go to Malahide Castle to check that out. I’m going to keep a list of my most favorite things here.

Sarah Had A Little Lamb

Last weekend I went up to Glencolumbkille (Donegal) because we had Friday off. It was a nice relaxing weekend. I met a few people from Washington State who will be there until June for an independent study. Eunan (Alisha’s brother-in-law) was playing at Biddy’s (pub) on Saturday night so we had a good time. It’s lambing season so there are little baby lambs all over the place...they are so cute! A couple of Cathal’s sheep died during childbirth so they have been having to bottle feed the lambs every few hours. Coming from the city, I think it’s fun to play farmer and was more than happy to help with the feedings...even at 2 in the morning. They have some singles, twins, and triplets so I was kept busy. I wanted to sneak my favorite one out of the barn with me but Big Tom (Cathal’s dad) told me to take as many as I wanted, I think they are sick of taking care of them...he says they are worse than children. I figured the hospital wouldn’t be too happy with a little lamb running around so I’ll be content with visiting them. It was funny to see all of us standing around in the barn each with a lamb in our arms bottle feeding them. 

A Lesson In Irish

One morning of one of my cultural classes was dedicated to Irish/Dublin slang. I thought I would impart my new found knowledge on the rest of you. Some of them are rather inappropriate but we actually learned ALL of these in class. As you’ll see, the Irish are rather casual...even in the workplace. 

banjaxed - broken down

chiseller - a young child

couldn’t be arsed - couldn’t be bothered

fair play to you/good on you - well done

header - mentally unstable person

I will in me bollix - I won’t 

jax - toilet

make a bags of something - mess it up

me belly tinks me trote’s been cut - I’m rather hungry

rag order - bad condition

ride - have sex with (remember to ask people for a LIFT to the pub...not a ride!)

scarlet - blushing

shite - rubbish

shorts/wee one - spirits/hard liquor

slagging/taking the piss - teasing

trow a wobbler - have a temper tantrum

work away - go ahead, after you

yer man - that guy

yer one - that girl

yer wha’? - excuse me?!?

yoke - inserted to describe a noun when the actual word has slipped the speaker’s mind

Feck!/Feck off! - An acceptable way to drop the F-bomb

Jaysus! - This one is self explanatory

He’s a chancer - risk taker

Eejit - Idiot...only it’s way more fun to say it the Irish way

jar (Do you fancy going for a jar?) - drink

culchies/boggers - country folk

jackeens - Dubliners

gobshite (I’ve never met a bigger gobshite in my life) - bullshitter

slagging - making fun

I made a holy show of meself last night. - made an ass

It’s jammers - full/packed

That’s gas - fun/funny

Was the film any use? - any good

cuppa - cup of tea

pissed/bollixed - drunk

grand - lovely/great/etc

Yank - American

craic (crack) - fun

craic agus ceol (crack ahgus keeole) - fun and music

slainte (slawncha) - cheers/your health

cead mile failte (kade meela fallcha) - one hundred thousand welcomes

pog ma thoin (pogue ma hone) - kiss my arse

go raibh maith agat (gur rev moh agut) - thanks

In conclusion, don’t make make fun of me when I adopt these terms into my vocabulary. It’s much too hard to use the American versions and then have to explain myself to people. 

First day of "work"

Today was my first official day of work. We had our lovely culture class this morning and, if nothing else, it was entertaining. I'm only required to go to one more class tomorrow and then I can be done...which really clears up my week. There are about 18 of us foreigners starting together. I met two very nice girls today, Bridget and Jenny, a Kiwi and an Aussie respectively. We are the only three non-Indian people in the group. I've never felt like such a minority. Jenny has a friend that she is living with but Bridget is staying in the Nurse's Home also so we've been toughing out the constant smell of curry together (everyone knows how much I love that smell...total sarcasm). It appears as though the only place for free wi-fi may be a nearby McDonald's or a few pubs in the area. We are going to scope it out this week. I may have to pick up a serious drinking habit for the sake of re-connecting with the world...or eat McDonald's a lot (c'mon, what's the lesser of two evils). I set up my bank account today and should get my card, etc. in the mail in a week or so. Then I think I can sign up for Irish Broadband. I can't wait to use my own computer so I can post some pictures. The hospital gave us a 300 euro cash advance which is nice since changing dollars to euros is such a rip off! Now that I don't have to go to that class Wed, Thurs, or Fri I'll have lots more free time and will hopefully be able to figure some more things out and do some more exploring. I've pretty much been coming to O'Connell/Grafton Streets to shop, e-mail, etc. and it's not far from the hospital, but I would like to see what Crumlin has to offer. I have my eye out for potential flats to live in also. Overall things have been going well. I think it's most helpful that I've met some people. Still sort of feels like vacation. I'm not real sure when I actually start working on the unit...I think that's when it will feel real.

Exploring

I returned the car today...all in one piece. Now I am officially at the mercy of public transportation. I did pretty good this weekend going from Chandra's to downtown to my recruiter's office to the hospital and back again. I dropped my stuff off at the hospital this morning. My living arrangement is very dorm-like...but it's also free. So far I don't have a roommate so things will be fine. It has a shared kitchen and laundry and plenty of showers. I will definitely be able to survive. Plus living there means I don't have a commute...but I also don't have an excuse to be late.
I met with my recruiter and she was very nice. It sounds like there are three other girls starting from the same agency, two from India and one from Australia, and some other people from other agencies also.
I also met with the HR lady from the hospital to get some paperwork and my key. She was also very nice. They are being very accommodating and helpful. Right now I think it's good to feel like someone is holding my hand. They are taking us by taxi to get our PPS numbers (like a SS#) and to set up our bank accounts. We also have a tour of Dublin built in to our orientation. Sounds like this first week will be pretty low key. We have culture/language class from 0930-1230 everyday. The HR lady said I could probably hit the first one and then skip the rest of the week (ahhh, the Irish) seeing as English is my first and really only language. It's more designed for nurses from the Philippines and India. Then there are various other things scheduled in the afternoon. It is what I expected though...not well structured.
I have been exploring Dublin and, thank goodness, the weather has been cooperative. I had to go purchase some white scrub tops for my orientation. Only Arnott's sells them (a very posh store) and a top runs 40-50 euros. Luckily I found a couple for half off. I refuse to pay that much for something that will likely end up with body fluids on it. Once I figure out what I will need to wear after orientation I WILL be having stuff sent here. The style they wear here is pretty ugly anyway. It was nice to walk around and not feel pressured to see everything in one weekend since I LIVE HERE! I had a cup of tea at Bewley's this afternoon and felt like I was in P.S. I Love You. Then I strolled past the spot near St. Stephen's Green where the opening scene of Once took place. My life pretty much felt like one big movie today.
My internet situation is still in limbo. Right now I'm using Sam and Chandra's computer. Eircom pretty much has a lock on the market and even at Starbuck's you have to pay to use their wireless even if you buy a ridiculously priced coffee (when you could have been enjoying a delicious Caribou drink). I talked to the IT person at the hospital and she said computers can be hooked up with their system but then the computer becomes their property...screw that! They have a library with computers but I don't know what their hours are. I'll be on the hunt for a cafe or something with some free Internet once I'm officially moved in. Hopefully someone will be able to clue me in.
I'm staying with Sam and Chandra tonight and then I'm officially moving in to the hospital tomorrow.

I've arrived!

I've officially made it to Ireland safe and sound...although sans luggage. I had a feeling it would happen though. Things went well otherwise. I had good flights that were on time. I feel like it was a sign that good things were to come when I sat next to a Rabi on my flight from Mpls. to New York. I decided to spend the night at Chandra's instead of going up to Donegal right away so that I could pick up my luggage myself. Last time it was lost and they tried to deliver it, it ended up in Cashel and then Tipperary before I finally received it...and we all know "it's a long way to Tipperary." I was exhausted anyway and it probably wouldn't have been a wise idea to drive 4 hours after that long trip. I made it up to Glencolumbkille yesterday, had a nice relaxing night. There is a big group of Germans here at the language college so there was lots of fiddle music about last night. I also met a group of "Milwaukees" that are here for the Derry/Donegal program. It's kind of funny...they feel the same way about Glen as the rest of us and spend every weekend down here and have plans to move here someday also. I told them to start working on it now because it takes a good few years. Something about this place I guess. I'm just going to relax this weekend because I think next week will be pretty crazy trying to get myself settled. Hopefully I'll get some pictures posted from Glen soon. Until next time...

St. Patrick's Day

Thanks to all my friends (and a few band members!) who made my last St. Patrick's Day in the States (for a couple of years anyway) an extremely memorable one. I'm actually glad I was here rather than in Ireland. The night went something like this...Gaelic Storm at the new Guthrie (amazing despite the slightly lame crowd) followed by Kieran's. Thanks to Niki, I had my fifteen minutes of fame (and I think it actually was fifteen minutes...it felt that way anyway) when she told the band that it was my last week in America. Not only did they change Van Morrison's "Gloria" (they were a Van Morrison cover band after all) to "Sarah", later in the evening they MADE me get up on stage to sing "Brown Eyed Girl" with them. I warned them that I was no American Idol but no one seemed to care. Hopefully everyone had had enough green beer by then to forget that whole part of the night. I don't think I'll be signed to any record label anytime soon. Anyway, it was a super fun night and a great start to my farewell tour. Thanks again peeps.

Going away parties!

Because 1 is not enough, here is info on my going away parties:
3/17 @ Kieran's in dowtown Minneapolis (celebrating my last St. Patty's Day in the U.S.)
3/21 @ 6 p.m. at the Stroik household in Columbia Heights: food and drinks
3/24 @ 7 p.m at O'Donovan's in downtown Minneapolis (put on by my work friends)

Skype

I signed up for Skype which, for those of you who don't know, can be used to chat and make phone calls for free. It has video capabilities and everything so it will be like we're together when we talk! My Skype username is "sarahstroik". Join up! If you already have an account, let me know what your username is so I can add you. 

There is no going back now!

It's official...my plane ticket is bought...ONE WAY! Northwest Flight 734 to New York and Delta Flight 112 to Dublin. I leave March 26th at 12:57 pm and arrive March 27th at 6:05 am.

My New Contact Information

I tried to get address change cards out to everyone but in case I didn't get one to you here is my new contact information as of April 4th, 2008:

Sarah Stroik

c/o Nurse's Home

Our Lady's Children's Hospital 

Crumlin, Dublin 12

Ireland

e-mail: sarahstroik@gmail.com

phone #: 011 353 87 318 1896

The hospital is kindly putting me up for 8 weeks while I look for something more permanent. When my address changes again, I'll post something here. 

Does anyone want any of my stuff?

Is anyone interested in anything in my apartment. I'm looking to get rid of everything so I don't have to store it. I'll sell it at a reasonable price...and deliver it to you.

My First Blog!

I started this blog at the request of co-workers and friends to keep everyone posted as to my goings on in Ireland. I hope to post things regularly, or at least when anything exciting happens. It looks like I can post some pictures on here too (everyone knows how good I am at taking lots of pictures right?).