My first couple of days in the new job with University College Dublin (UCD) have gone well. It’s a Financial Administrator position in UCD’s Research Finance Office, one of the departments under the Bursar / VP of Finance. My primary responsibility is to oversee grant reporting for research funding from the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme. Currently, UCD has about 200...
Today is one of the four yearly bank holidays in Ireland (the others being in May, June, October). I’ve been relaxing and taking it easy — catching up on some TV, talking with a friend in the U.S. over a long phone call, doing some small chores around the apartment. Yesterday I met up with a new friend, P., for drinks out at PantiBar where the streets were crowded with people enjoying the...
On Thursday, my friends O. and A. went for an early morning walk while I started to pack for my departure. Later we shared a lunch of various tasty tapas and ice cold beers at a beachside restaurant. It heated up in the afternoon, so I opted for a siesta back at the apartment. A good breeze and oscillating fans kept it comfortable. I’m glad I have managed to avoid any serious sunburn. In...