My only ambition for Saturday is to do a deep spring cleaning of the apartment. I have been sweeping and vacuuming the floors throughout the apartment regularly but only mopping the kitchen and bathroom floors. However, I just realised that the cleaner I found in a cabinet when I first moved is also safe for the laminate flooring in the living room, bedrooms and hallways. Now all the floors are...
Hot cross buns, broken window latch, walk around St Stephens Green
It’s a long weekend for most folks here. Ireland observes Easter Monday as an official public holiday that most people have off work while Good Friday is observed only as a bank holiday. I start Good Friday off with a toasted hot cross bun, slathered in some butter, of course. My weekly SuperValu grocery delivery arrives on the early side without incident. At the top of my agenda for the day...
April Fool’s, Ireland’s housing report released
For whatever reason, I end up sleeping in late today. Perhaps the greyer and cooler weather are to blame? A friend texts me first thing in the morning with a meme about one of the Poolbeg Chimneys toppling over in the middle of the night, but I didn’t fall for the April Fool’s prank. There aren’t many new job postings on my to-do list, especially since most require...
Reflections after first six months
Today marks six months since I arrived to Dublin on October 1st. Other than this milestone, it’s an uneventful day. The sunshine of the last few days has abated behind grey clouds. However, it’s still relatively warm, and there are more signs of spring’s arrival with leaves finally beginning to unfurl on the trees. I get out in the late afternoon to drop some glass...
More warm weather, origin of the word “boycott,” and minor easing of restrictions
It’s another warm spring day, with a slight haze in the air that wasn’t present yesterday. I get out for a walk in the afternoon after my usual morning routine of going through job postings and studies. There’s a package waiting for me at Mail Boxes Etc., so I do a familiar route heading eastward on Pearse Street to the Docklands, then across the Samuel Beckett Bridge, and...
Poolbeg Lighthouse
It’s a beautiful day out, as forecasted — mostly sunny skies, highs in mid 60s F / high 10s C, warm enough for me to wear shorts although quite blustery. My walking buddy CJ and I meet up in the afternoon for our planned outing to the Poolbeg Lighthouse. There are no good public transportation options to get there, so I reserve a nearby GoCar pay-as-you go car. I haven’t driven since early...
Warmer weather ahead, more Korean fried chicken
It’s been a relaxing Sunday. A warm front is moving in, with showers on and off throughout the day. Tomorrow the skies are supposed to clear up, with highs in the low 60s F / mid to upper 10s C — the warmest it’s been since my arrival last October. My friend CJ and I are tentatively planning a small outing to take advantage of the nicer weather. Today my friend J comes...
Hunt for hair clippers
It’s been more than 3 months now since my last haircut, and it’s really starting to bother me now. Hairdressers and barbers have been closed since before Christmas, and it’s not sounding like they open anytime soon… the government is expected to announce soon which restrictions (if any) will be eased in April. Deciding to take matters into my own hands, I set out in search for some hair...
Study day, moody weather, COVID vaccination scandal
I’m awake and up earlier today. As per usual on Fridays, my weekly SuperValu grocery delivery is scheduled to arrive 10:30-12:30. I get the customary courtesy call around 8:30 about unavailable items. To my surprise and delight, there’s only one minor substitution this week. The delivery arrives around 11:00, and it’s a new person… a middle aged Irish man...
Power outage, walk along Liffey, lap desk for CMA studies
It’s been a rather uneventful day. There are a couple of other job postings that I’ve flagged on my to-do list. Around mid-day, the power goes out so I tether my laptop to my phone’s network connection to finish and submit an application for a remote finance officer role at a climate action organisation based in the UK. My neighbor Irene is outside on the hallway/deck of the...