The hunchback of Tipperary, space, and updates.

So I’m here three weeks now, I live in a small country cottage with no house number.  I hunch down at least 8 inches to get thru the kitchen door, the spare room, the shower, and to do the dishes.  It’s beautiful, and I can’t complain about it.  I have Ireland’s most famous postman and embarrassing father as my post man.  I’m with a ridiculously stubborn redhead princess, who loves to argue though she won’t admit it.  I want to strangle the Irish government, I can identify every father Ted reference, I enjoy red lemonade,  and I eat more sausages than ever… the country has just about absorbed me!  

I’m getting used to how long it takes for anything to get done though.  I am learning to never expect things to get done in any sort of timely fashion.  On the bright side, everyone is helpful and nice so far. The problems I face are pretty compared to what I’m used to.  I no longer live in a paranoid state, in a police state.  The guards are more like security guards, which is not so comforting in one sense, on the other hand, it’s nice to be able to drive around and not feel like I’m driving through Nazi Germany or north Korea.  Every time I’ve driven here, I’ve noticed how good other drivers are, how I never see a Gardaí car.  And am much less aggressive and stressed.  

The other side of the coin is much darker in a way.  I am much more paranoid about breakins at home, not about the actual break in, but nothing being done about it, the frequency of them, and the possible ramifications on me when I defend my own home.  What if someone attacks or harassed me and mine while we are out?  If I defend myself, I will probably get in trouble, if I don’t, grievous harm comes to us.  Or the Gardaí won’t even show most likely.  I’ve never seen so many broken windows, heard so many horrible stories…I’m really having a very….VERY HARD time finding what the point of the Gardaí is at all.  Not to mention the extreme political correctness that contributes to nothing being done.

Another bright note is that word of mouth is even better than any country I know for business… I hadn’t even gotten started yet and have a number of jobs lined up.  There is also a number of HUGE holes to be filled business-wise.  So much work to be done. It surprises me to know the unemployment rate is so high.  All you need is a little ambition and your senses.  Maybe it’s because of the reliance on the systems and standards? Everyone goes to the same job sites, the jobs are all listed under the same old schemes, nobody seems to blaze their own trail, or stray off the beaten path.  

This is a great country, full of even better people.  Just like any other country, it has it’s downfalls, but nothing that can’t be overcome.  I am looking forward to taking part in it, eventually being able to vote, to add my voice to causes to improve it.  I already feel at home, now I just need to find my place.  I’ll always be an outsider, but compared to any other country I’ve been to, this one is the most accepting of me. 

Let’s see if they send me my licence now that I went thru the gamut.  Then I’ll see how horrible the insurance is!