It’s clear and colder today after a week of off-and-on rain. However, I find myself stuck in the apartment again waiting for a package to be delivered. Instead of a walk, my friend CJ comes over to discuss CV/resume strategies since we’re both in job seeking mode. He has built an impressive template and database system for matching his skills to job postings, etc. It’s a short visit, as CJ has plans to meet up with a friend later, but it’s still good to see each other and helpful in exchanging ideas.
Thankfully the package arrives mid-afternoon, so I’m freed up to escape the apartment. I decide to brave the crowds and go to Tesco in search of a few specialty grocery items. The streets are even more packed on the weekends. Tesco is located in the lower level of the Jervis Centre shopping mall, which is quite busy, and there’s a short queue metering the number of customers allowed into the store. Still no sign of eggnog, but I picked up a few things that SuperValu doesn’t carry. One of the items on my list is coconut cream (not coconut milk), which Tesco didn’t have, but I found some small cans of it at the Marks & Spencers food hall as I was leaving the mall.
The entrance to the Jervis Centre is adorned with many animatronic holiday decoration — the Irish go all out for Christmas!
My passport card arrived today! I had just applied for it on Wednesday, so it’s good to know that some Irish government agencies function efficiently. (I’m still waiting to hear something back on my re-submitted PPS number application.) I feel better having an ID other than my California driver’s license that I can keep in my wallet, and the passport card is valid for travel to/from EU and EEA countries without having to present my full passport.
What’s the EEA you ask? The European Economic Area (EEA) consists of all the countries in the EU plus three countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway — but excluding Switzerland. I’ve long known that Switzerland isn’t part of the EU, but I only recently learned that Norway wasn’t either. According to a Wikipedia article on Norway–European Union relations, membership in the EEA grants Norway access to the single EU market. The article also explains that “From the 23,000 EU laws currently in force, the EEA has incorporated around 5,000 (in force), meaning that Norway is subject to roughly 21% of EU laws.” So EEA membership is sort of like “EU light”?! Meanwhile it sounds more and more likely there will be a no-deal Brexit… and after its departure from the EU, the UK will also no longer be part of the EEA.
Tonight my friend D has invited me over to dinner at his place, located in the Mount Brown area to the east of Dublin City Centre past The Liberties. He’s actually very close to St. James Hospital and the AirBNB apartment where I stayed during my 2019 visit. The Luas / light rail goes right past there, but I’d have to cross back over to the other side of the Liffey to catch that, so I’ll probably just take a bus from Dame Street that will be easier and faster. It will be a nice having someone else cook for a change.
Until next time…
