The summer is officially over, marked by the Fall equinox this past Wednesday, 22 September. Nonetheless, the weather in Dublin has continued to be warm and dry. Unfortunately I have not been able to appreciate it as much now that I am working during the week.
My friend CJ and I met up mid-week to watch Star Wars Visions, a series of short films made by some Japanese animation studios inspired by the Star Wars universe. In the spirit of the evening, we went to a sushi place to pick up some take-away for dinner and then went back to my apartment to eat and watch the series. It was a good excuse to get together and reminded me of the old days when I would gather with friends to watch TV shows on the days they were actually broadcast (even though we still streamed the series at the time of our choosing).
I was very glad for another work week to be over. For every item I am able to cross off my to-do list, it seems like two more are added. I’m continuing to do my best to chip away at it. It’s coming up on a month since my boss went out on medical leave, and it’s still unclear when he will be returning. On Friday, the director above my boss reached out to me for a check-in and to offer what support she can during this challenging time. It was at least good to receive some acknowledgement and validation.
I didn’t have any set plans for the weekend. On Friday, my new-ish friend J. came over to hang out; he’s an American expat in his 20s who’s lived in Dublin for the past two years. We ordered some good Thai food for delivery, listened to music, and watched a few things on TV. Lately, I’ve been bingeing “Father Ted,” an Irish sitcom from the late 1990s that follows the misadventures of three Irish Roman Catholic priests who live in a parish on the fictional Craggy Island, located off the west coast of Ireland. The show was met with critical acclaim and is one of the most popular sitcoms in Irish TV history. Its slapstick humour is more absurd and crass than U.S. sitcoms of the same time period, similar to British comedy but distinctly Irish. I find it hilarious. It’s still considered to be very much in the bloodstream of Irish culture. My friend J hadn’t watched it before, so I played a few of my favourite episodes for him. It made for a good evening.
Yesterday (Saturday), it was warm enough to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt, with the temperature reaching the lower 70s F / lower 20s C. After my usual morning SuperValu grocery delivery, I got out for a walk in the afternoon to run a few errands. Dublin is still bustling with people ever since COVID-19 restrictions were eased. This is the last weekend of the extended pedestrianization of Capel and Parliament Streets, which are on the other sides of the Essex Bridge from each other. I didn’t have any plans to go out, but my friend N. texted out of the blue in the early evening saying he was in the neighbourhood. We ended up going to Panti Bar and getting a table inside for a few rounds of pints. When we emerged later on, the streets were as packed as I’ve seen them on other Saturday nights.
In COVID news, about 75% of the total population in Ireland has been vaccinated now. Those who are more vulnerable to the disease will begin to receive a third “booster” vaccine dose starting next week. There are still more than 1,000 new cases being reported daily in Ireland, but the hospitals have not been overwhelmed. The main focus has been on how to manage outbreaks among school-age children.
I’ve been having a lazy Sunday, trying not to think about another work week starting tomorrow. It will be a year since my arrival to Dublin later this week. I have been reflecting a lot on the past 12 months and thinking about what’s ahead in my “Ireland experiment.” My mood has been rather melancholic… while I have no regrets about leaving San Francisco and moving to Dublin, I can’t say that I really feel I belong here yet. The weather is expected to turn colder soon, which I’m sure will have a big psychological impact as well. Time will tell.
Until next time….
