Work hard, play hard

I know it's been quite a while since my last blog post, but I am back to writing. Again. And since the previous post was mainly about work, this will be strictly about free time and spending time with an old friend.
Last week I had my first visitor to Ireland. A friend of mine all the way from Austria came to visit me in Ireland. I met her when she was studying in Joensuu as an Erasmus student and we hadn't seen each other since she left Finland in December 2013. So yes, it was a happy reunion after almost two long years! My friend had heard all the great things I have said about Ireland and she wanted to see and experience it all herself. And her coming to Ireland and me showing her around in this wonderful country was the best way to do it. This was also the first time for me to show one of my friends around in Ireland.

I met up with my friend in Dublin and stayed there for one night. Even though I'm not that big a fan of Dublin and I am a firm believer that compared to the rest of the country, Dublin is nothing. But still, regardless of my occasional negative views of the city, I still believe that it is a city worth seeing. I just don't think it is the best place in the country, quite far from it, actually.
Since we only had very little time to spend in Dublin, I figured I'd show my friend a couple of the local attractions and then just walk her around the city centre, so that she would get a feel of the place. On the first night I took my friend to see the Trinity College and its gorgeous campus. It felt very nostalgic to be there again, since I hadn't seen the place since the first time I was in Dublin in March 2014. Anyhoo, the Trinity College is a cool place. The campus is huge and beautiful. My school looks so institutional-like in comparison.
The next day it was time to check out St. Patrick's Cathedral. This was a place even I had missed, even though this was my 4th visit to Dublin. The cathedral was a cool building. We didn't go inside, just took a couple of photos of it and that was about it. After the cathedral it was time to head for the Kilmainham Gaol. Now this place is one of my personal favorite attractions in Dublin. The place is interesting, so much history of Ireland in one place, the guides are always good and really know their stuff when it comes to the place and history of Ireland and on top of that, the admission is only €2 for a student. Even though this was my second time visiting Kilmainham, the place was just as interesting as it was the last time. And even my friend liked the place, even though she wasn't that familiar with the history of Ireland.
All in all, my friend liked Dublin. Even though even she admitted that the rest of the country must be even better. I for one didn't like Dublin that much this time. Dublin during high season, packed with people, especially tourists, it just isn't my cup of tea. People are not even nearly as friendly as they are in the rest of the country and well, especially tourists, they can be rude and really inconsiderate of other people. But at least the cafés and restaurants in Dublin are quite cool. So yeah, I would say that Dublin is definitely better during spring or winter, when there aren't quite that many tourists in the city. Which I know sounds a bit weird, coming from a tourism student. But that's just how it is.

The Trinity College

Campus of Trinity College

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Kilmainham Gaol

After our brief visit to Dublin, it was time to head for Galway. The first night in Galway was mainly spent on walking around the city centre, the shop street, Latin Quarter etc. The next day it was time for a proper tour around the city. I showed my friend The Claddagh and Salthill. The weather wasn't ideal for the tour, but at least it wasn't raining. Claddagh and Salthill are my favorite places in Galway and I got the impression my friend really liked those places too. Especially Salthill and the ocean.

Sofia, the unofficial nature photographer..

The Claddagh

Salthill Beach 

Salthill

Since one does not simply leave Ireland without seeing the Cliffs of Moher, the next day we did a tour to the Cliffs of Moher and to the Burren. But on this day, weather definitely wasn't on our side. It was raining the entire day, which itself isn't that pleasant. Especially on a tour like this. Our clothes were  get damper and damper as the day went on. But we thought that by the time we would reach the Cliffs, maybe the weather would change for the better. But boy, how wrong were we.. It was literally storming when we got to the Cliffs. It was really windy and the rain was like whip lashes. In other words, the weather couldn't have been crappier. Still, we went up to the Cliffs, but we survived about 20 minutes. Then we couldn't take it anymore, we had to go back inside. We could barely see a thing. It seemed that me and Ireland were having a bit of a trouble in paradise. It sucked that the weather was like that on our visit to the Cliffs, since this was the place that my friend was looking forward to see the most. So I felt really bad for her. Talk about bad luck. But regardless of the shitty weather, I did manage to get a couple of decent shots of our Cliffs of Moher & Burren tour. And well, the photos of the Cliffs look fairly interesting, especially when I compared them to the ones I took on my first visit there.

Poulnabrone Dolmen

The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher

In comparison, here is a photo I took of The Cliffs of Moher
on my first trip there in spring 2014. Quite a difference, huh.

Once we got back home from the tour, I don't think a hot shower, dry clothes and a hot cup of tea had ever felt better. But our day wasn't done just yet. Since Galway Film Fleadh was still going on, we wanted to see at least one movie as a part of this film festival. Originally we were supposed to go see an Irish movie called Pursuit. But look at that, the tickets were sold out, so we had to choose another movie. But it all turned out alright. We chose a movie called Bloodsucking Bastards and that movie turned out to be a great one. It was fucking hilarious and quite original. All in all, we weren't disappointed at all anymore that we had to go see this one instead of the Irish movie. And well, the producer of this movie was originally from the South of Ireland, so yeah, I guess that counts for something. If you get a chance, do go see this movie. It is a really good one. I for one haven't laughed that much at a movie since I watched the Wolf of Wall Street.

The next day it was time for another tour. This time Connemara and Kylemore Abbey tour. And after yesterday, Ireland definitely owed us one. And apparently, Ireland always pays its debts, since the weather for this tour was great. Especially at the Kylemore Abbey, the weather couldn't have been better. We got some amazing shots of the Abbey by the lake. And it was a nice change not having to be in damp or wet clothes the entire day. We also got to see some of the landscapes of the Connemara National Park. In this sense, I was a little disappointed. I would have liked to see more of Connemara, since it was a place even I hadn't seen before, even though I've done travelling around Ireland. But oh well, I guess you can't pack everything on a day tour like this. I am still glad I got to see at least a small part of Connemara and my friend liked this tour as well, which was the main thing. After all, it was her first visit to Ireland and I wanted her to see as much as possible during her stay.
Once we got back to Galway, we even got to see some of street performers, which are an everyday thing in Galway. The name of the performer was Super Scott. And the main reason we even stopped to see his act was his Scottish accent. But his act turned out to be really cool. He was juggling things like knives, which was cool. And he was funny as well. All in all, it was a great end to the day.

Somewhere in the Connemara

Somewhere in the Connemara

The Kylemore Abbey

The Kylemore Abbey

With my friend at Kylemore Abbey

Victorian gardens at Kylemore Abbey

Somewhere near Kylemore

Somewhere in the Connemara

Somewhere in the Connemara

The street performer Super Scott

It was great seeing my friend after almost two years. It was cool to show someone who has never been to Ireland before around this wonderful country. My friend enjoyed her stay and said that she would surely come back. I can't really blame her. Ireland usually has that effect on people. I know it had that on me.
Sadly this was the last full day we got to spend together. Next day I had to get back to work. We did get to spend some time together in the evening, after I got back home from work. The next day my friend headed for Dublin and back home to Austria. But I'm happy she enjoyed here time here and that she would want to come back here in the future. 

One week of internship behind me and I already love it. I was born for this!

My first week of internship is now behind me. And I can honestly say I've liked every minute of it. Everybody at work is so friendly, warm and welcoming, it really makes me feel like I'm actually a part of the team, not just some foreign intern. Even though it has been only a week, it seems that I was born to do this line of work in Ireland. I know I've only worked here for one week, but already I can say I'm a far better customer servant than I ever was in Finland. Hell, I already overheard the comment "She was nice, wasn't she? Exactly what a receptionist should be like." from a lovely Irish couple. Hearing a comment like that this soon and from the Irish customers, it really warms my heart.

Of course during my first day, I felt a bit lost. It was a new place and I was working in English for the first time in my life. But in the end, working in English feels quite natural to me. I haven't had a single situation where for a example a customer didn't understand what I was trying to say. Of course, since this is Ireland after all, I've had some situations involving heavy accents. Even though I have lived in Ireland before and got somewhat used to the variety of accents this country has, I still find myself not completely understanding some of the heaviest accents. In situations like these, I always feel very self conscious and kinda inadequate, since I feel a bit stupid that even though the other person is speaking English, I don't fully understand. But, the fact that this does happen to other native English speakers too and even to the Irish, makes me feel better. And well, the situations even with the heaviest accents are usually the kind that I simply have to ask the other person to repeat himself once, and that's it. So yeah, I definitely shouldn't feel too bad about it. But I am a perfectionist when it comes to languages (especially English) so what can you do. I know that after a while, understanding even the heaviest accents will become easier. And I know that my problems with the accents are kinda silly, perhaps even a bit petty and definitely nothing I should worry about. After all, it is mostly in my head, being a perfectionist and all, since not once have I received any negative feedback about my English skills. Only positive.

As for the work I do. During breakfast I do waitressing and after that, I work in the reception or do some little things around the hotel, like cleaning, occasionally work in the bar of the hotel etc. The atmosphere of the place is very warm and welcoming, and the service here is incredible. So personal and warm. Even though I have only worked here for a short time, I have actually spent about 10 minutes on several occasions on checking in the guest to the hotel. This certainly is something that wouldn't happen in Finland. I am surprised how natural this kind of service environment feels to me. After all, Finns are not to keen on small talk or chitchat. Yet, it all feels so natural and right to. I really was born in the wrong country it seems.
One of the reasons I applied for an internship in Ireland was to see would I have what it takes to work in Ireland. And well, already I can say that I so do. The working environment and the customer service environment suits me better, than the Finnish one. It's friendlier, warmer and more genuine. And the working environment is more relaxed and everything isn't as tightly regulated as in Finland, which suits me well. I love this line of work even more than I did in Finland. I truly get the feeling that this is what I'm meant to do in the future, right here in Ireland. Working here feels right.  And living here, oh boy, it feels so damn right and good.

My first week has gone surprisingly well, a lot better than I would have thought, actually. But for example on Thursday, I slept in. The alarm clock on my phone didn't ring, so instead of waking up at 5.25, I woke up at 7 am. Needless to say that was incredibly embarrassing. Especially when it happened during my first week. This is how I make a good first impression.. But after calling my boss in the morning, it was all good. He told me not to worry and just take the day off. I could make up that one missed day over the weekend. Originally I was supposed to have both Saturday and Sunday off. This really is a downer of commuting to work long, like I do. If I do happen to sleep in, like on Thursday, it is gonna mean I'll lose the entire day. But other than, I can say that it is so worth it. This way I'll get to see two cities in Ireland, not just one. And well, living in Galway, it's so damn awesome.
So by a coincidence, I ended up having a surprise day off on Thursday. And I actually had a lovely day, walking around Galway, doing some shopping, just taking in the beauty of the city and having a nice lunch. And of course, I took some photos:

A thing I have learnt about tourism-related jobs in Ireland. Apparently, most of these jobs require no degree here. Or at least most of the people who do these jobs, don't have that. And well, let's just say that I'm really struggling to gather up all the willpower I have that instead of going back to Finland in September, I don't just apply for a job here and stay in Ireland. But I know myself well enough. I know that the longer I stay in Ireland, the harder it gets. Already, the thought of going back to Finland kinda disgusts me. Don't get me wrong, of course I miss my friends and family. But everything else.. I don't  belong in Finland, I never did. I belong in Ireland. Why should I go back to a country that just isn't home and that doesn't feel right to me? Being torn between two countries like this isn't easy. On the other hand, I know I should do the right thing. Return to Finland, finish my studies and then apply for a job in Ireland. But the heart wants what it wants. Because I know that nothing would make me happier than being able to stay here. And kinda forcing myself to go back to Finland, it kills me a little inside. So we'll see what happens. I know that most likely, I am at least gonna try my luck with the job search here in Galway. Even if I don't get lucky, it will all still be good practice for the future.

I can't write too much about Ennis, the town where I'm working in, yet. I've seen some of the town, but I haven't had the time to properly take a look around town, to see some sights or even visit any of the restaurants, cafés, shops or bars in town. But I will do that as soon as I can, and then I will tell more about it. But from the first look, Ennis seems like a lovely little town. And working at a hotel in Ennis has been great. So all in all, no complaints whatsoever.

To sum it all up, at this very moment, I'm feeling very happy. Living in Galway is amazing and I really like my internship place and the work I do there. So far, this internship has been an amazing experience, and I know it's only gonna get better. I can't really say anything else, except Ireland is love, Ireland is home. And that feeling is only getting stronger each day.
This was a bit of a long post and I probably was rambling a bit, so bear with me. But I think I covered the most important things about my first week and my first impressions of the internship. I will tell more about my internship experiences in later posts. Since my days at work are quite long due to long commuting, I most likely won't be posting as often as I would like. But I am gonna try to do at least one post within the next week or two. So till then, bye!

First of Galway

I finally arrived in Galway on Wednesday. The start probably wasn't the most promising one, since when I took a taxi to my apartment from the bus station, even the taxi driver seemed a bit confused and unsure about the exact location of the apartment. But I did manage to get to the right place. The taxi driver was kind enough to phone my landlady and ask her about the location. And he even told me to be careful during my time in Galway, which I thought was kinda sweet. This kind of friendliness is something I deeply love about Ireland and it is one of the main reasons why I'm so fond of this country. This kind of hospitality and friendliness really makes you feel welcomed.
When I got to my apartment at last, I was pleasantly surprised. My room was very neat and tidy and quite spacious for a single room. Also the bathroom was very clean and the shower was very modern, for Irish standards, at least. The only con of the apartment is the kitchen, it's not that well equipped. During the second day I already had to buy a big saucepan, since the kitchen didn't have those, only small ones. But when something like that is the biggest of my "problems" here, it's safe to say I won't have any difficulties living here. Cooking utensils are something I can buy from a store, and they're not even that expensive in Ireland. Buying them is perhaps more of a slight inconvenience than an actual problem. So regardless of the kitchen, I do like this apartment.

Even though I had spent almost 4 hours on a bus from Dublin to Galway, I couldn't just stay in for the night. So I went to take a look around town instead. I headed for Salthill, one of the most beautiful parts of Galway that has a very picturesque beach promenade that goes along the coast line. I love the ocean, so having it only about 2 kilometers away from my apartment is like a dream come true to me. Even though it was very windy, the place was lovely. And I honestly cannot believe that I missed this gorgeous place during my last visit to Galway.

Salthill <3

Salthill Promenade

Salthill Beach, low tide

Salthill Promenade

On my 2nd day in Galway I decided to go to the Galway shopping centre. I was still missing some clothes for work for my internship and the shopping centre also has a big Tesco, which is great for groceries. There is a small Teso express less than a kilometer from my apartment, but it's super expensive, so I much rather walk the 1,5 km to the bigger and cheaper one. I'm a sucker for Tesco purely due to the fact that we don't have that in Finland. But in addition to Tesco, there is also a big Lidl and Aldi in the shopping centre. To have that many big grocery stores that close to my apartment is great. And there seems to be a cinema in the Galway Retail park the opposite side of the Galway Shopping Centre. So to have a cinema, big grocery stores and well, technically two shopping centres less than 2 km from my apartment even though I don't live in the city centre, that's just awesome.
Here's a couple of random shots from some of the buildings near my apartment:

The next day I decided to go see another place I have missed during my last visit to Galway, the Claddagh. It's another part of Galway, a little over 2 km from my apartment. It had some nice colourful buildings and also a nice walking path along the coast. And I hadn't even realized it till I got there, that the path leads right to Salthill. So basically I circled straight from Claddagh to Salthill, in other words, I got to see two places instead of just one. And Salthill was now even more beautiful, since the night I had visited it there was a low tide. Now it looked even more gorgeous and I got to see the other side of the promenade that I had missed during my previous visit. And I also got to see the Salthill Beach properly. It had looked quite different during low tide. Now with the sun shining, the clear blue water and the sun gleaming from the waves, it looked, if possible, even more beautiful.

Claddagh part of town

Swans!

It's not everyday you get to see swans this close.
Nor is it everyday that you get to see kids, feeding them.

Claddagh

Walking along the coastline

Salthill Beach <3

Salthill Beach

Salthill Beach

Salthill Beach

Salthill Beach and the Salthill Promenade

For the past couple of days I've been circling around Galway, I've been surprised how easy it is for me to move here. I thought it would be harder, I would get lost more or I would be really confused about where to go. But the routes for example to Salthill and Galway Shopping Centre from my apartment are very straight forward. I only had to go to those places once, and after that I already knew how to get there without using a map. The only more "problematic" area is the city centre. One of the main reasons I haven't gotten lost is the fact that I have used google maps on my phone. But even that app gets a little confused in the city centre for some reason. Maybe there are too many tiny streets and alleys there, who knows. But after a couple of trips I should be able to move there without any bigger problems too.
What little I have seen of Galway during the past 3 days, I can already say that this lovely city has completely stolen my heart. If the song Galway Girl goes "lost my heart to a Galway girl.." I think I could say "lost my heart to Galway.."

Tomorrow I'm going to Ennis for the first time and I'll also get to see my internship place for the first time. I will start my internship on Monday, so I will write more about Ennis and about my internship experiences after my first week.

Dublin revisited

Second blog post within two days. Excuse me for the spam, but since I have regained my enthusiasm for this blog, why not write when I feel like it. Especially when now there are some things to write about. So about Dublin:
Technically, this was my 3rd visit to Dublin. I was here in March 2014 with my friend and when I came to Sligo for a short vacation in October 2014, I stayed in Dublin for one night. But this visit was the first time being alone in Dublin for me. Though at first I was a bit nervous about being here alone (my sense of direction, it's bad. Veeeryy bad), but it all turned out well. I did not, I repeat, did not, get lost a single time while walking around the city centre today, which for me, is huge! Though I did get a little lost last night, when I was trying to find my hostel..  But then again, it wasn't entirely my fault, since I had printed a map from the Dublin bus station to the hostel, but it turned out that the bus would leave me to a bus stop near the bus station, not right in front of the bus station. This led to confusion and some wandering around.  But thanks to some help from a stranger (this is what I love about Ireland. People actually ask you, if you need help, and this can happen even in a big city like Dublin) I found my way to the hostel. And so far so good, I haven't gotten lost since that first time.

I spent most of this day just walking around the city centre. The weather has been beautiful, sunny and a bit windy, but still warmer than in Finland when I left. I was supposed to visit two of the sights I had yet failed to see in Dublin; St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Dublin Castle. But I got a bit lazy, and ended up visiting just the castle. It was an okay place. I just wanted to get a quick look of the place, so I didn't go on a guided tour, but got a ticket for a self-guided tour instead. I probably would have gotten more out of the place with a guided tour, but oh well, I got to see most of the castle anyways.
I've noticed that in Dublin, the major sights are not that spectacular. They are cool, but not the most amazing places I've ever seen. This was the case with the castle as well. But that's just my opinion, since I happen to prefer the nature landscapes of Ireland (The Cliffs of Moher, the beaches and coastlines of the country... Yeah, I know. The Western coast of Ireland has completely stolen my heart) over the likes of what for example Dublin has to offer. There is one very good thing about the tourist attractions in Dublin though; the tickets are cheap. I think the only place I've paid more than 10€ for entrance was the Guinness Storehouse. All other places have been way under 10€.

Outside the Dublin Castle

Inside the Dublin Castle. The ceiling was beautifully decorated.

After visiting the castle I went shopping. My enthusiasm for shopping comes and goes. I'm not too keen on fashion nor trends. I couldn't care less about what's in and what's out. But even I can say that Dublin is a very good city for shopping. And of course, Ireland has Penneys. Which as retail stores go, is one of the best things ever. Exactly how I like my clothes to be; cheap, yet cool. Quite often I find it hard to find anything cool at clothing stores, cause my taste in clothes usually isn't the most traditional kind. Yet I don't think I've ever left Penneys without buying at least one item. Since we don't have Penneys or Primark in Finland, it was great to go there again after a long time. I didn't find as much clothes as I would have thought (my wallet will thank me), but I did find clothes for my internship and something that satisfies the little geek in me A LOT.

The little geek in me is very happy right now.

I have to admit, it does feel kinda exciting to be in Dublin, regardless of my mixed feelings towards the city. For a girl from a small town, Dublin feels big. There's no way around it. And yes, I'm well aware that as capital or big cities go, Dublin is far from big. But to, it is big. There are a lot of people and there are people wondering about at all times, it seems. At first, that feels a bit exciting and of course different. But in the end, it feels a bit weird and makes me feel a bit restless. I like the liveliness of Dublin, but I also like some peace and quiet. I'd say that Dublin is a nice city to visit every now and then, to get a feel of the "big city life", but I would never want to live there. For a longer period of time, at least. Coming here is a bit of an adventure and my feelings towards Dublin have actually changed more positive, but at this very moment, I am still very happy about the fact that I will be living in Galway. Smaller, yet lively, cities are just more my cup of tea.
Since the weather is still nice and sunny, even though it's getting late, I'm gonna do one last stroll around the city centre and get something to eat. And tomorrow, my adventure can really begin. Galway get ready, cause here I come!

The river looks nice, especially on a sunny day like today.

All sun and no rain the entire day.

I've been away for too long

The day is finally here: I get to go back! To Ireland! This is something I have been waiting for ever since the last time I was in Ireland. 7 long months ago, to be exact. I cannot believe that I'm actually here again and words cannot even begin to describe how good it feels to be back

In a nutshell; Right now I'm in Dublin, in a crappy hostel where pretty much the only pro is that it has good wi-fi. Yet I cannot stop smiling  and feeling like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Before starting my internship, I wanted to take a short vacation. That's why I decided to stay two nights in Dublin instead of heading for Galway tomorrow. I figured I'm gonna play the tourist here, check out a couple of sights I've so far failed to see, do some shopping and just relax. I've always had some mixed feelings towards Dublin, so who knows, maybe this short trip here will change some of that as well.

I will tell more about Dublin in another post, so I'll stop now and go get some rest. It has been a long day. But it is all so worth it. It feels so good to be home <3

Strolling along the river in Dublin. Not a bad way to spend the evening.

Ireland, I'm coming back for you soon!

It has been a long, long 7 months that I have been away from Ireland. But that is all gonna change. I still have an internship to be completed as a part of my tourism studies in Finland and doing that internship in Ireland felt like an obvious choice to me. And, after months and months of waiting, uncertainty and dozens and dozens of sent applications, my hard work finally paid off: I got an internship place in Ireland! And this means that I'll get to spend an entire summer in Ireland. Which, let's face it, is like a dream come true to me. So yeah, sometimes, dreams do come true.

Since I started writing this blog during my Erasmus exchange in Sligo, I figured that this other, a little different Irish experience, would be the perfect opportunity to continue writing it.

I will write more about my experiences regarding Ireland, my internship etc. once I'll actually arrive there. For now, I'm gonna keep it short and only tell the basic things about the upcoming internship.

This time, I won't be going back to Sligo. Don't get me wrong, I did try to get an internship there,but no luck. And after sending in applications to numerous hotels and some restaurants in several cities all over Ireland, without getting hardly any replies back (not, even the simple, no, we can't offer you an internship), I started to get a little desperate. But my desperation was premature. I finally got good news from a small hotel in Western Ireland. 

So, the place for my internship for the summer will be Ashford Court Boutique Hotel, located in Ennis, Co. Clare. I have never been to Ennis before, but based on the photos I've seen online, it looks like a lovely little town. Though, Ennis won't be the town where I'll be living in. Due to practical reasons, mostly to do with finding an apartment, I'll be living in Galway and commuting to Ennis by a train or a bus, depending on my shifts.

My internship will officially start on June the 1st, but I will travel to Ireland a little bit in advance. I will fly to Dublin on May 25th and stay there a couple of days. And starting on May 27th, I'll be able to call Galway home.My internship will go on till the end of August. 

So all in all, I have most likely the best summer of my life ahead of me. But I will tell more about my short trip to Dublin, my first impressions on Galway as my new hometown, my internship and all my other experiences in the upcoming posts. So bye! For now.

PS: A post without any photos would be a bit dull, so here are some photos from a short trip I did to Sligo in October:

Benbulben mountain, Rosses Point 

Bundoran Beach, Bundoran

Sligo!

So much for the "bad" Irish weather. Nice and summer-like, even though it's October!

The last of Ireland & Sligo

Well, the time has come.. Tomorrow I'll head back to Finland. And because there simply aren't enough words to describe how much I've loved Ireland and how much I'm gonna miss this lovely country, this post will mostly be photos. The last photos of Sligo and the West coast of Ireland.
In short, this has been without a doubt THE best experience of my life. Thank you Ireland and thank you everybody I've met during these past 6 months. I will miss everything and everyone. But, not to worry, I will come back, as soon as I can!

Bundoran

Bundoran

Bundoran Beach

Bundoran Beach

Bundoran Beach

THANK YOU!/ GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT!