Dublin was quite frigid yesterday evening with below freezing temperatures and a frosty fog. I met my friend D at nearby Bobo’s burgers as planned, but we opted to eat inside since it wasn’t very busy and there was plenty of distance between tables. It was the first time I’ve eaten inside a restaurant since arriving to Ireland. The portions at Bobos are fairly large and the food is decent. They don’t ask how you like your burger cooked, though; it seemed well done but thankfully not too dry. I’m uncertain if this is common practice everywhere or if at fancier places they ask for your preference.
After dinner, D suggests going for ice cream (!) at a place nearby that I’ve been wanting to try — Murphy’s Ice Cream from Dingle. I had actually seen it featured on a travel foodie show on Netflix when I was visiting Portland shortly before coming to Dublin, and it lived up to its hype. I opted for two scoops, one sea salt vanilla and the other chocolate sorbet (dairy free but delicious!). D had a gin flavour that he let me taste, and it was quite good too. We strolled along with our cones in the cold, wandering down Grafton Street and then back around to Temple Bar. There were some folks still out, but the shopping crowds had calmed down by then. I invited D back up to my apartment for some hot buttered rum so we could thaw out and chat some more before he headed back home.
Holiday projections on the entrance to Trinity College Dublin:
The “Nollaig Shona Duit” / “Happy Christmas” sign on Grafton Street and view of the sparse shoppers braving the cold:
The icy fog enveloping buildings along Dame Street (including the Central Bank redevelopment; my building is around the corner to the left):
This morning I got a call from a recruiter about a contract position at the Higher Education Authority (HEA). It would be a 3-month contract, working remotely until at least February, and would start immediately. The work would involve summarizing/analyzing capital project proposals, fairly low level stuff, but it would be a foot in the door and HEA sounds like a very good fit for my background. Fingers crossed they like my CV/resume and invite me to interview!
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is an intermediary between the Irish government (specifically the Minister for Education and Skills) and Ireland’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). There are 33 HEIs in Ireland, including 8 universities, 14 institutes of technology, and 11 other colleges/academies/etc. The HEA has a statutory responsibility, at a central government level, for the effective governance and regulation of higher education institutions and the higher education system. While not exactly a branch of government, the HEA’s Board of Directors are elected by the government, so I supposed it’s a kind of supporting/governing body? More specifically what the HEA does:
• Allocates core funding as approved by Ireland’s government to HEIs
• Provides policy advice (including conducting institutional research and issuing studies/papers)
• Coordinates Ireland’s system of higher-education institutions (HEIs) by negotiating compacts/agreements, monitoring performance, and providing “performance” funding.
It sounds somewhat similar to the role of the University of California’s Office of the President, which serves the role of an intermediary between the State of California and the 10 UC campuses (plus various other research and public service divisions), divides up the budget, and oversees system-wide policies.
In the afternoon, I head out of the apartment to pick up a package at Mail Boxes Etc. — my sister Sharon had sent some combined birthday and Happy Thanksgiving treats awhile ago but the package had slipped my mind. I haven’t used the Mail Boxes Etc. service much since arriving, since I’ve been at home for deliveries during the lockdown. They also don’t notify me when anything arrives, so I have to know something’s coming and check with them. However, it does seem like a good service for critical things. There’s another package I’m expecting from the U.S. that I had shipped to my apartment address using regular USPS, but it hasn’t showed up yet, so I’m hoping it hasn’t gotten lost. The best shipping service seems to be DHL, which texts me when a parcel/package is out for delivery and offers re-routing options.
On the way back from Mail Boxes Etc, I pick up something for a quick lunch back at the apartment before heading back out for a haircut at 2:30pm. My last haircut was right before the lockdown in mid-October, so I’m looking forward to getting things neatened up. I booked an appointment at Sam’s Barbers that is basically across Dame Street from my building, but they were booked solid last week so today was the soonest I could get in. They’re a sort of old fashioned style barbershop that offers hot towels and and straight razor shaves, although the barbers themselves are tattooed young guys (and the occasional young woman). It would probably be considered more of a hipster place; a haircut and beard trim costs €45, which seems to be about the going rate around town based on my limited research. My barber today is a young native Irish guy in his 20s, slight of build, with sleeve tattoos on his arm. We somehow get on the topic of sports and boxing, about which I know next to nothing. He recommends a Netflix documentary about an Irish female boxer named Katie Taylor, who apparently has a compelling human story. I’ll have to check it out, if for nothing else so that I can have more material for my next barbershop chat.
Freshly trimmed, I check my email but no word back from the recruiter yet. It’s clear out today, somewhat warmer, but still only in the upper 30s F. I stop into the Dunnes grocery shop just down the street to pick up a few things, then head back home. It hasn’t been the busiest of days, but I’m feeling drowsy and end up taking a quasi-nap on the couch. The recruiter sends a brief note to say she’s still waiting to hear back from HEA and that she’ll follow up in the morning. I had tentatively planned to meet up with my walking buddy CJ tomorrow, so I text him to let him know I may need to cancel for a possible job interview. I decide on an easy pre-made lasagna for dinner and settle in for a quiet night.
The Bank of Ireland building with a tall live Christmas tree installed in front:
A window exhibit in one of Trinity College Dublin’s School of Business buildings that caught my eye (a skirt that flares out to ensure proper social distancing?):
Until next time…
