Location Dublin – Good Times, Bad Times

Everything I knew about the Catholic “Isle of Saints” before my departure I found in a small booklet. It tells of the “overwhelming piety”, of the Irish as “the only people who never undertook expeditions of conquest”, of a country where poverty is “not only no longer a disgrace, but neither honor nor disgrace”, where it is “a social moment Self-confidence becomes as insignificant as wealth ”. It describes records in whiskey drinking and cigarette smoking, in priests and going to the cinema.

The author promises: “There is this Ireland: but whoever goes there and does not find it has no claims to compensation from the author.” Find more review on Griffith College Dublin on existingcountries.
Yes, I would make a claim. It’s just stupid that the fabulous Heinrich Böll is no longer with us, does not even make the offer and any claims have now become statute-barred. Böll paints a picture of Ireland full of melancholy, romance and free spirit. I would paint a different portrait today. But a lot of time has passed: his lines are over 60 years old.

I can only see the vaunted piety on paper – cast in sanctimonious laws that forbid abortion and declare prostitution illegal – and in the sheer membership of the Catholic Church. I have not yet researched whether the overwhelming 87% are also reflected in lived charity, but could become a project after my studies. Poverty and wealth are by no means perceived as insignificant today. So far I have not met a freak who, with his poverty, would confidently and dignified begging for “change” on the street (statistically speaking, this case would not have been so unlikely under the circumstances: the Irish homeless rate has been around that since the beginning of the economic crisis five times the EU average).
Similarly striking is the wealth of the well-to-do upper class who strolls through “Grafton Street” with designer bags from “Brown Thomas” in “Louboutins” and whose female part tries to loosen the stiletto heels from the cobblestones in a supposedly graceful manner. The whiskey has been replaced by export beer and pepy shots and sociable smacking has long been history. There is only smoke in front of the door. The head in the pub stays clear.

So what happened
I am trying to make a daring absolute statement without having carried out an in-depth political analysis: The Irish have joined the EU. Until then the poor house of Western Europe, the country profited from the merging of Europe and from the service and financial boom. Capitalism kept what it promises: First came the great growth, everyone was happy, bought, invested, cut their piece of the cake (the poor country was consistently given the stupid nickname “Celtic Tiger”) and then came the great spring awakening ( at least the “Celtic Tiger” was dead with it; whether it was voted the bad word of the year? Does this exist here?).

Suddenly nothing was safe anymore – except the weather; that means: the rain. In connection with hurricane-like winds, he doesn’t just leave the prediction of the end of the world to the Majas. In this case, umbrellas are not recommended. Death would not come slowly. Thunderstorms are bad outside anyway; the positive uncomfortability only unfolds inside. So: stay seated. If you love the seasons and don’t want to wait a whole year, you are very welcome: Ireland has spring, summer, autumn and winter to offer on a single day. Hot styling tip for this occasion: the onion look. Practically good and fashionably experimental.

If the onion look doesn’t seem en vogue for you, if your figure is unsuitable for you, or if you simply don’t have an XL jacket to wrap your shifts in, go to a pub. A short walk guaranteed. If you are picky about this, you stress yourself out of necessity: every pub has its own charm, but in each one you also get what is celebrated in the travel guides as the “center of cultural life”: Philosophy rounds about the meaning of life, the Discussion about current world politics, the poetry reading or the thigh knocking during the comedy show (producing jokes seems to be a kind of national sport, given the number of professional humorists).
DJs, on the other hand, are marginalized here. The old-school artists are much more popular: musicians with real instruments – very close to the people who can be touched: they play jazz, indie pop, rockabilly or traditional Irish folklore. So much of the program can only be rounded off with a freshly and correctly drawn Guinness. According to the Irish Purity Law, this process has to take 123 seconds (I have to admit that I just invented this term, but why shouldn’t the Irish have a Guinness law similar to Bavaria?). If the time falls below 123 seconds, please complain.
If you are lonely, curious or simply cosmopolitan and want to have a chat, it is best to sit down at the bar. The waiter likes to explain the world (another professional group of this kind: taxi drivers. If you want a leisurely journey, take a seat in the back if possible). Basically it doesn’t matter which chair you end up on in the pub: you can hardly avoid a palaver with strangers: The Irish love to communicate, to “rant about those up there”, to complain about the creepy weather and the grueling job. The story is told with a pronounced tendency towards the tragic. The possibly good news: no matter how much passion you put into a story, you always get a happy punchline. Everyone knows:
You have to say goodbye by 00:30 at the latest. From then on you will be shown friendly to the door. The curfew begins. The rule is: the early bird catches the worm. You come in after work and leave the pub at Christian hour (that could still fall into the “piety” category; however, if I consider the state of most “goodbye-sayers”, it gets trickier).

For those who are still safe, the question arises: Where does it go next? Right: in one of the many night clubs. The density in Dublin is not a bad thing, less good is the time span for the pleasure: the gates close at 2:30 am. What stands out: House, hip hop and techno temples are seldom to be found in contrast to the German metropolitan standard. But there is all the more pop, indie rock, metal clubs and bars. Bands who steadfastly refuse to apply to casting shows like X-Factor, but still want to leave the musty garage or the rancid rehearsal cellar, are allowed on stage everywhere. In the larger bars you will find a different funky punky band on every floor, presenting their self-written songs to a wider public for the first time. The treat for the visitor: only rarely do you have to pay entry. The downside: the drink prices don’t bring these savings back until the end of the night. It is therefore often possible to observe how someone pulls the “Bulmers” (Irish cider) or “Budweiser” (American export beer) out of his pocket and quickly refills the glass in a supposedly unobserved moment. Anyone who considers this action worth copying should note the following: The secret supply must be obtained by 10 p.m. for the same evening at the latest. After that, buying alcohol in supermarkets, petrol stations and non-license shops is simply history for the day – in favor of the local gastronomy. how someone pulls the “Bulmers” (Irish cider) or “Budweiser” (American export beer) out of his pocket and quickly refills the glass. Anyone who considers this action worth copying should note the following: The secret supply must be obtained by 10 p.m. for the same evening at the latest. After that, buying alcohol in supermarkets, petrol stations and non-license shops is simply history for the day – in favor of the local gastronomy. how someone pulls the “Bulmers” (Irish cider) or “Budweiser” (American export beer) out of his pocket and quickly refills the glass. Anyone who considers this action worth copying should note the following: The secret supply must be obtained by 10 p.m. for the same evening at the latest. After that, buying alcohol in supermarkets, petrol stations and non-license shops is simply history for the day – in favor of the local gastronomy.

With or without alcohol, there is one phenomenon that nobody can avoid without suffering from corneal ulcers: the “nudism” and the “breakneck daring” of the great majority of women; diagnose consistently from the tender to the advanced age. Regardless of wind, weather and season. Regardless of the objective aesthetic sensibility. Perhaps I should be socially involved with an awareness-raising campaign, proclaiming that “wanting to freeze casually” doesn’t work and therefore doesn’t look casual; Being unable to walk in meter-high shoes may mean sexy, but it is actually unsexy. Put in pictures: high heels are only considered as such from a 14 cm heel, tights and leggings are basically superfluous accessories and the miniskirt is literally “mini”, in the sense of minimal buttock cladding or maximum “nothing”. So what’s left? A goose skin, a make-up layer, the powder content of which you could get intoxicated nasally into the millennium after next, and a sad material from grandma’s leftover box, which could not convince any crazy hipster as a vintage rarity. Such accidents are justified by “less is more”. The only question is, of what?
At least the young women are not lacking in self-confidence. The pointer is more likely to point to “I’m hot and getting naked” than to “I know about the cellulite on my bum, so I’ll make my skirt a row longer.” Perhaps I should distribute some refreshing trail mix alongside my campaign (I don’t want to let anything burn).

There are three alternatives for the hangover breakfast the next day: supermarket, SPAR market or snack bar. The small SPAR stores are here on every corner. On average, they are twice as expensive as the big four: Tesco, Dunnes, ALDI and LIDL. In general, you have to dig deeper into your pockets for groceries than in the discounter wonderland Germany. Twice to three times as deep (whether your wallet allows for that?). Positive learning effect: the appreciation for food and drink increases automatically. Negative side effect: You have to save elsewhere. Which is pretty much the main effect.
Anyone who is an enthusiastic “love affair”, “jungle blossom” or “Feng Shui” tea lover will have to live tea-free in Ireland, switch to black tea or make the radical change to coffee. Black tea pure or with a dash of milk means drinking tea here.
You then have more leeway when paying. Either you decide on the conventional way with the cashier or you pull your stuff over the scanner yourself. At first I was not unskeptical as to whether this modern, technological invention would not overlook my chosen super special bargains (“Take three, pay two” or “Three for three euros”) and whether the remaining money would tumble into the container. But yeah it works. Even on Sunday. By the way, it’s a great invention: shops and supermarkets that are open on the day off. It actually lets the person rest inside. I neither queue up on Saturday, nor am I desperately looking for a gas station on the day. Planning the offer less and being able to be more spontaneous is nice.
The bus trip requires more planning: I don’t have the exact change for my 1.90 € city trip, I get a strip of paper as a “quasi-change voucher.” I don’t even want to find out where this dodgy strip can be redeemed. Because I firmly believe that the bus ride to this ominous place will cost me more than it would get me to have the change.
My solution to the riddle: I ride a bike. Practical, but dangerous. This is partly due to my driving style and partly to the left-hand traffic. If I’m not sure I’m on the right side of the street, I switch to the sidewalk. In other words: this is my main route of travel. The consoling news: the other road users who ride bicycles also seem to be aware of possible dangers: Hardly anyone is on the road without a squeaky yellow warning vest, helmet and sparkling reflectors flooded with light strips.
Please also refer to the “Look left / Look right” references at every intersection. Those who can read have a particular advantage here.

What does the course bring?
It’s international. Young people from over 100 nations study here or have been sent on this mission. How do I keep track of things? I use the common clichés. 90% guarantee of accuracy in terms of human-country assignment. If the case cannot be solved straight away, it is always helpful to take a look at the group companion. The practice of rioting exposes all educational appeals and theoretical constructs: instead of mingling, the majority feels closest to their national comrades. That may be due to the common language, but I believe much more in cultural similarity. The slogan “We are all Europeans” sounds great, especially in the election campaign, but in everyday life we ​​are quite national. Here we have to cope with the “ticking and doing differently” of our European friends.
Three groups stand out in particular: the Chinese, the French and the Americans (yes, I am aware of my lack of care: I change my “We are all Europeans” thesis to “We are all one world”; but it sounds stupid. Only better to a limited extent: “We are all one family”)
Back to the Chinese: I’ve never accidentally seen them take a “stranger” for a walk. Although their number is overwhelming, the first thing they stand out for is their inconspicuousness. They sit inconspicuously in the lectures, write down every word like a robot, do not ask questions, do not comment, do not make any facial expressions and make no noise. They want to do sports in everyday clothes and when they are out and about, they are only in a swarm. To be unaccompanied may mean something like “I don’t only speak Chinese” (since this is a daring assumption, however, I will have consulted an expert until the next report).
The French are in a class of their own. The great majority of them demand my special tolerance: they behave like the elitist bohemian who, in the old aristocratic manner, is too fine and fragrant for the rabble rest. To be noble is also the nicest thing. The French “savoir vivre” is praised and longed for without ceasing. That means: the good French cuisine. Precisely because this is so indispensable, Roquefort, Saint Agur, patties, tarts and macarons are not infrequently packed by Maman in the parcel and sent on the way. Everyone is in the country to “impruven” their English (which is badly necessary for 99 percent), for which they associate with like-minded French people (who ruin rather than polish the vocabulary they have won to date) and watch DVDs in French. But I don’t want to hide
The last group is the Americans. With them, no cruel Michael Moore prejudice has let me down: the girls are not exactly free from excitement and passion, have critical judgment (everything except the weather is pretty, gorgeous and amazing), they think they can drive around the corner It’s great, Fox News is objective and most BMIs are not due to “strong bones”, but to Ronald McDonald. The guys are surprisingly more relaxed and balanced. What might that be?
What did these observations do to me? Have I become more understanding and patient? Yes, towards me and Germany. Have I become a human stamper? Yes, with a European openness to the world (everything covered twice and nobody forgotten) for the surprise candidates who are unconventionally “different nationalities”.

The requirements in the degree program in the form of essays and assignments are also new. In journalism studies, their sophistication consists of two characteristics: they are to be delivered at regular intervals and more efficiently during the semester. Here the lecturers take the psychologist’s advisor mantra “work-life balance” seriously and do not put on 20-page manifestos. I have to bundle my thoughts on two to five pages and limit myself to the essential contents (i.e. as condensed as I do for this report).
Although I am encouraged to refer to my lecturers as “Barry”, “John” and “Ryan”, we – as you might guess – do not go to the pub together, nor do I sometimes stand in front and take the helm. The surname-nominal variant would be more honest: no, we are not friends and we are not on the same lever.

If you want to experience an even more cuddle course, a path to the so-called “Student’s Union” is the right one. Here one is helped. Everyone is guaranteed to have fun here. The guys who work here are always happy and cheerful. And that for free. During the day there is table football, soccer and table tennis (for the girls there is yoga, dancing, gymnastics) and at night there is regular partying. The boys organize day and weekend trips and there is a suitable event for every season of the year (“Winter Wonderland for Christmas”, “Blind Date” for Valentine’s Day, Fresher’s Party at the beginning of the semester…); only that here the seasons change on a weekly basis. There is great interest and the events are well attended. Joint alcohol-fired extreme celebrations are also a very nice form of creating common ground.

If you long for “being all alone with yourself”, it is not advisable to move into a student residence – like me. In general, from a certain age it is probably less advisable to live in such a dwelling. Meaningful criteria for this point in time are the love of privacy and a certain tendency towards freedom. Anyone who is extremely in need of security and loves rules and regulations is in the “Halls of Residence” of Griffith College Dublin in the residential Mecca.

The holy shrine consists of two 2 rooms, kitchen, bathroom: a kitchen-living room and two rooms for 2 people each. You can get shared living and sleeping for just under € 500 a month. The dwelling is called “Self-Catering Apartment”. Anyone who now believes that everyone means preparing their daily bread independently in a fully furnished apartment does not have the understanding horizon of the ladies and gentlemen of the Griffith Halls. This reads: self-catering with conditional requirements. A fork, knife, spoon, cup, plate are not in the apartment from the start. I consciously use the singular. For a copy of each utensil I paid a total of 10 €. Probably those responsible only wanted to stimulate the imagination of the “newcomers”: once ordered a pizza, a cardboard plate would have been there.
The next surprise: duvet covers and bedclothes are not waiting for you (isn’t that the case in every bad youth hostel?). But here, too, there is a remedy for cash: for € 20 you can fall asleep at night without chills and hygiene concerns.
Do I think that these utensils should of course be “all inclusive” in the “self-catering apartment”? Not at all. With 20kg of flight luggage, priority should be given to the needs of daily life. Had I known, two knickers would have stayed at home in favor of 3 sheets of toilet paper. The third missing surprise.

24 hour security service
George Orwell’s 1984 visions are perfectly implemented here. Big Brother is watching you. Whether entering or leaving the apartment or college, you can rely on one thing: you are never alone. Is the apartment free of other pairs of eyes? The bathroom? I would have paid a lot of money for a guarantee. A look at the sky, at the elevator ceiling, at the ceilings in the hallways will never let you forget to be in good company.
This creates wonderful profiles of every sheep: who, when, how comes and goes. Alone or as a couple. Staggering or sober.

But beware! After 10.30 p.m. you should show escorts who are not part of the house to the door and you should not stay in someone else’s apartment. Under 16s are not allowed at all: So if you have a sibling at a young age, you have to wait at the gates. If you want to offer a hospitable accommodation to a friend from mainland Europe, you should think twice: a € 100 penalty fee is gone faster than you can earn. The good news: installment payments are permitted. You don’t want to be completely unpleasant. What speaks against harsh sanctions? Ireland is in crisis, is deeply in debt. Is it unlikely that the “Halls of Residence” also speculated wildly with real estate in the boom years and are now up to their necks in the chalk? A promising way to get out of the red is not being taken without ambition. It’s also tempting: a huge pool of sheep grazes here, and one can doubt whether everyone has studied the 25-page rule book.

So the decision for security should be carefully considered. Because a decision is made. Booked 40 weeks (an academic year) and enjoy it in full bloom. There are no notice periods. It is then too unsure to incorporate this into the contract (whether this is legal? I will study Irish tenancy law if necessary).
Anyone who objects, there is always a solution, is right: Nobody is being held prisoner here (at least not anymore: the first 40 years after the establishment of the facility in 1813, the walls served as a prison; architecturally, the soccer field can be found, the no longer remembered this past). Everyone is free to go: if the good man in “Secret Millionaire” had chosen me, I would not have given up the € 20 rental bed linen.

Heinrich Böll was extremely fascinated by the Ireland of improvisation. He wrote that sometimes nothing happened in the pubs, that sometimes he just sat and was amazed at how quickly the time went by because nothing was happening. “Time itself can become an experience here, freed from the dragging tempo of our zeitgeist.” He described the Irish “temporal relationship” as “improvisation” in contrast to civilized German planning. The present would have more weight here than the future. Therefore, more humanity can be found.
Well, meanwhile the “everything to go mentality” has also found its way into Ireland, punctuality is valued and every “today” has a bit of “tomorrow”.

What I’m more fascinated by is the little that is left in my wallet at the end of the month. For a handful of quality of life in Dublin, you rummage in your left trouser pocket, knowing that you have hidden your nest egg there.

Finally, I start an advertising campaign: I want to hear that we not only get more for less money in Germany, but also our doctors and pharmacies. If you don’t believe me, take the test: please fly to the island and see a doctor. Then dare to take a detour to the pharmacy: There are no long hours of technical discussion about the pros and cons of paracetamol. There are no pharmacists in white coats with this connoisseur look over the rimless pharmacist glasses and there is also no free pharmacy survey to take away.