Taking a break from studies, COVID test, job situation, and pints with a friend

I’ve been taking a break for a couple of days from my CMA studies, but I’ll have to pick it up again soon… there’s less than a month to go before exam #2. So far I’ve been able to keep up with the accelerated pace. The good weather has continued, although this morning we had some rain and it’s been slightly cooler. Later in the day, the sunny / partly cloudy skies returned, making for a beautiful reflection in the calm waters of the River Liffey:

Some updates…

COVID-19 test

I was feeling more or less normal when I woke up on Monday. Regardless, I decided to avail myself of the free COVID-19 testing offered by Ireland’s Health Service Executive. The test centres accept walk-ins without an appointment, but I registered online for the latest afternoon testing slot available at 4:40pm. There are 6 testing centres in Co. Dublin, but only 3 that are in the core city, and surprisingly none are particularly close to Spranger’s Yard. The one I picked is in in the very posh Ballsbridge district (Dublin 4) to the southwest of city centre, about a 20-30 minute bus ride away. As fate would have it, it was the only testing centre that didn’t have an Eircode indicating its specific location. I’m glad I headed out early at 4:00pm, because Google Maps ended up taking me on a wild goose chase down some closed-off streets, so I ended up having to backtrack to get to the centre (thankfully right at 4:40pm). The testing facility is set up up in a somewhat dated exhibition hall that is (was?) part of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) founded in the 1700s. The RDS complex located in Dublin 4 is home to various events spaces including an outdoor sporting arena and multiple exhibition spaces for a variety of events, including concerts, horse shows, wrestling, rugby, football (i.e., soccer), and even exams for the University College Dublin exams and Trinity College Dublin. The U.S. equivalent would be county fair buildings and fairgrounds. At any rate, once I arrived to right place, the testing process was efficient and quick. A few dozen white testing tents/booths had been erected inside the otherwise empty exhibition hall. It was not busy, and only one family with two small children were in line ahead of me. After checking in, I was directed to the next available testing station staffed by two women clad all out in protective gear. They performed a “brain tickle” PCR test with a swab reaching deep into my sinuses and also the back of my throat. They said the result would be texted to me within 24-48 hours, although the turnaround time was faster — the next day, less than 20 hours after my test, I received a text saying that the COVID-19 virus was NOT detected. I was glad to get tested for the peace of mind, especially with recent news reports about the 1st vaccine dose having reduced protection against the Delta variant.

Job situation

I hadn’t heard anything back from the recruiter at University College Dublin since responding to the initial email on Friday requesting references and other paperwork, so I sent a follow-up email on Monday. I explained that I had another job offer (Jigsaw) and asked about the timeline for next steps. On Tuesday, I heard back from the recruiter who said she was still waiting to hear back from one of my references and that the salary offer was still pending approval. I should expect to have more details by the end of the week.

In the meantime, another requirement I have to satisfy is completing a medical assessment via an online “Pre Employment Questionnaire” that is handled by a third party company. I’ve never had to complete anything like this in the U.S., and it seems bonkers to me, but apparently it’s a perfectly legitimate and legal practise here in Ireland. The survey started off with some general questions asking about whether or not I am a smoker, the number of alcohol units I consume on a weekly basis, and if I exercise regularly. Then the questions became very specific, covering topics such as: past operations, current treatments, medications, fainting / dizziness, headaches, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, mental illness or “nervous trouble” (i.e., anxiety, depression etc.), eye disorders, ear troubles / deafness, chest complaints, asthma, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, GI issues, heart disease, diabetes, skin conditions (psoriasis, eczema, etc.), back pain, upper or lower limb injuries, repetitive strain injuries / tendonitis, arthritis / joint problems / gout, how many days I had been absent from work over the last year, and a final catch-all question asking if I had any other medical conditions not previously covered. The third party company will not share any specifics with UCD, but based on my responses they will make a determination as to whether or not I am “fit for work” and issue a certification to UCD. Even though they have no way of independently checking my health records, I was honest and thorough in my responses.

This afternoon the Jigsaw HR recruiter called for a check-in as we had agreed last Friday when I had put everything with them on hold. Since I still didn’t have the UCD contract locked in, I was very anxious about the call and had written down in advance what I wanted to say, which was the truth… the UCD opportunity had come up unexpectedly, but I was still waiting for the details of the offer and should know more by end of the week. She was very understanding of my situation and appreciated my transparency. We agreed to talk again on Friday.

Meeting a friend over pints

A friend I haven’t seen since before the post-holiday lockdown is back in Dublin for the week, and we met up over some pints to catch up. We agreed to meet at Capel Street where there is the highest concentration of gay establishments. The sidewalks were already packed, but we lucked out and got a table at Pennylane (the same table in fact where friends and I sat on Saturday).

A side view of PantiBar’s outdoor setup, with more folks standing in front of the Pennylane Cafe on the right:

Across the street is the Jack Nealons pub— not strictly LGBT but very friendly:

The entrance to the Pennylane Cafe (I tried to be discrete and not take photos of the outdoor seating with all the people):

Earlier in the week someone had spray-painted a gay slur on a wall nearby, which the city was quick to paint over. There was also an incident the other week in which a rainbow flag that had been raised by the city of Waterford for pride month had been taken down by vandals and burned in the middle of the night. While the majority of people in Ireland are supportive of the LGBTQI+ community, these isolated incidents are a a reminder that not everyone is so accepting.

Until next time….

Taking a break from studies, COVID test, job situation, and pints with a friend

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