This morning I wake up at a decent hour with the motivation to keep my job search momentum going. Today I finished an application for a Director of Finance & Corporate Governance position at the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, located at the University College Dublin, about 20-30 minutes southeast of city centre. It’s probably a long shot, especially since they’re looking for someone with an accountancy certification, but I figure it can’t hurt to try. Given my mix of experience in both finance and corporate/legal work, as well as in academic/research settings, perhaps I’ll have an advantage over some candidates.
I’ve been getting cabin fever after being cooped up in the apartment for the last couple of days. I decide at last to hunt down the closest “bottle bank” for recycling glass, which is 10 minutes away on the other side of the Liffey in the Smithfield neighborhood. The bins are located in a gated parking lot, but the deposit chutes are accessible through the bars of the fence. There are separate bins for clear, green and brown glass. The brown glass bin is almost full to overflowing with beer bottles, but I manage to cram in everything I’ve brought.
On the way back to the apartment, I pass through the Mary St shopping district — lots of people! According to the news reports on the radio, some shoppers were queued up at 6am. All the chairs in the barber shops and hair salons were taken. I should have thought to book a haircut and beard trim earlier online at Sam’s Barber, where I had gone immediately before the lockdown. The two locations near my apartment are already booked up through the end of the week, so I had to settle for a slot next Monday afternoon (I also added my name to a waiting list should something open up sooner). My hair isn’t completely unruly, but it definitely could use a trim.
Mary Street shopping district:
The “bottle bank” recycling centre in Smithfield:
View from the Ha’Penny Bridge looking at the Millennium Bridge, which has been outfitted with a series of rainbow arches for the holidays:
Temple Bar remains relatively quiet; this colorful alleyway with murals dedicated to various Irish artists is deserted:
Until next time…
