This is not the end, this is just the beginning

Time sure has flown by. I can't believe that today is already the last day of my internship. These past three months have gone by so fast. But you know what they say, time just flies by when you're having a blast. And that's exactly what I've done. I've learnt a lot about myself, about the work I do, about Ireland, about other people and even made some new friends on the way.
This internship has been an amazing experience. Sure, sometimes it has been a bit tough. After all, working almost 9 hours per day and then commuting for 2,5 h on a daily basis, it hasn't always been easy. I am not a morning person, far from it, so waking up at 5.30 am took some getting used to. But I can say that it has all been worth it. It had been fantastic to live in Galway and to work in Ennis. Ennis is a nice little town, I do like it a lot. But Galway just has my heart, there's no way around it. And this way I got to know both Galway and Ennis instead of just one town.
The whole reason for this internship in Ireland was to see if I would have what it takes to work in Ireland and if I would be adapted to the different work environment of Ireland. And well, I can say without a doubt that yes, I have what it takes. And I've definitely gotten adapted to the work environment here. Working in English was so much easier than I would have thought. I am well aware that I am good at English. But still, working in a language other than your mother tongue, it would be different. And I had no idea how different it would be. But all my concerns were for nothing. Never have I had any language barrier situations with customers that for example they haven't understood me. There have been a couple of situations where the customers have had such a thick accent that I didn't fully understand them on the first try. But even those situations have always been solved with me politely asking them to repeat what they said. Sometimes I've had problems with the Irish names, cause let's face it, those are not the easiest ones. Some of them are spelled and pronounced so differently, that if you have never heard the name before, there's no way you would know how to spell or pronounce it. But what I like it here is that even though sometimes I feel slightly inadequate if I for example don't fully understand someone with a strong accent or if I take more time in getting a weird Irish name correctly, it doesn't matter. No one is holding that against me here. People understand it and are okay with it. So basically, it is just the perfectionist in me that's holding it against me. And well, when my problems with the language are something as little and kinda insignificant as not knowing how to spell a name you've never heard before or not understanding a thick accent that not even some native English-speakers would fully understand, you could say I'm doing pretty damn well and that I have absolutely nothing to worry about.
As for the work I do. I've really loved it. Customer service in Ireland is so different from Finland. It's so warm and genuinely friendly This is one positive stereotype about Ireland that is very much true. The friendliness of the people is something I have never seen before. People also do so much more chitchat and small talk. Which, even though we don't do small talk or that much chitchat in Finland, is something I love. This has really been Irish hospitality at its finest, and even though I'm not Irish, I've managed to pull it off. The customers here are so much nicer than the ones I've met in Finland. Of course, I met a lot of nice customers in Finland. But here, even the rudest ones I've met, they've been nothing compared to the dicks I've met in Finland. And once again, it really does come down to people. The people are one of the reasons why I know I just can't stay in Finland and why I dislike it and people are one of the reasons why I love Ireland so much.
Even though I'm not Irish and that I'm a foreigner, I've never gotten any negative remarks about it, let alone faced any racism whatsoever. People have always been delighted and positive when they find out that I'm from Finland. And even though there has been some situations where I really am "the foreigner", for example chatting with someone with a really thick accent or having to ask to spell some names several times, I still haven't received any complaints, people haven't been rude or anything like that.
Working here has definitely shown me that doing this line of work, receptionist, waitressing etc. and doing that in Ireland is what I love and is what I want to do in the future. It's my passion. And it is my dream job and it will be my career. I loved this work already in Finland, I knew that this is exactly what I want to do in the future. But in Ireland, the same work just feels even better and I love it even more. It's nice to know that I have sorta found my calling.
These past three months have been amazing. And of course I'm a little sad to leave Ashford Court Hotel and the people I've met there, but at the same time, I'm also extremely excited. As it's hinted in the headline, this isn't the end. Far from it! This is just the beginning. For weeks I have been anxious about the fact that I might have to go back to Finland in September. But good news! I never ever have to live in Finland again, unless I want it myself. All the time spent in sending job applications has paid off. Starting September, I will be the new food & beverage assistant at Galway Bay Hotel. I don't have to go back to Finland! I get to stay in Ireland! I  get to stay in Galway! I have literally gotten everything I have ever wanted. I can finally start my life in Ireland. I can do what I have dreamed of doing for so long. I get to do the work I love in a country and city I love. It is such an overwhelming feeling that it still feels a little unreal. Did it really happen or am I just dreaming? But it did happen and I guess the only con in getting all of your dreams to come true is that you just have to find new dreams. But safe to say, I think I can live with that <3 Now I'm off to apartment hunting, enjoying some much needed time off and then on Saturday, it's time for me to go to work. YAY!
As for this blog, I have no idea whether I will keep on writing or not. So for now, peace out!

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2015

On Thursday it was time for me to head back to my first home in Ireland, Sligo. Fleadh Cheoil, the biggest festival of traditional Irish music in the world, was held in Sligo last year and this year it would be held in Sligo again. Last summer I missed this major altogether, but this year I was lucky enough to be a part of it all. And I'm incredibly happy that I did. Fleadh Cheoil is Irish and means "festival of music". And that it truly was! Never before have I seen such passion, joy and talent of music and dance. It was just brilliant! Especially when so many of the talented musicians, singers and dancers were so young. Such talent at such a young age.. Incredible, that's all I can say. But back to Thursday, the 13th of August when I arrived to Sligo.

On Thursday afternoon I left work a little earlier so I could catch the bus from Ennis to Galway and then follow up connection from Galway to Sligo. This would be my first visit to Sligo since October 2014. In other words, I had been gone for almost a year. Needless to say I was very excited about going back. When I finally arrived to Sligo, I almost couldn't believe my eyes; the town was packed! I've never seen Sligo that full of people and life. Sligo is a lively town considering its size, but this was something I've never witnessed before. I circled around town a bit with my luggage, cause I wanted to look around and see would it still feels just as familiar and like home as it had felt when I lived there and when I visited the town in October. It did. Standing by the bridge, looking at the river Garavogue that courses through Sligo, I felt a tremendous amount of nostalgia, but also like I've arrived home. I do love Galway, and I think I love Galway even more than I do Sligo, even though I never thought I could love another town or city in Ireland as much, but Sligo is Sligo. It will always be the town where I found where I truly belong. Where my heart truly lies. Where I truly felt like home for the first time in my life. In other words, Sligo will always have a very special place in my heart. Not to mention that it is filled with such happy and good memories.
Due to Fleadh Cheoil being a huge event, of course all the hotels and other accommodations in Sligo and within 30 km radius or so have been booked months and months in advance. So this led me to trying out the house rental site, Airbnb for the first time ever. And it turned out to be a very good experience. Not only did I find accommodation with a very central location, just about 2 km from the town centre, but it was very reasonable priced as well. In addition to that, my hosts couldn't have been friendlier or better hosts, from the moment they picked me and my luggage up from the town centre to the moment they took me to the bus station. This truly was Irish hospitality at its finest. They really couldn't have done anything more to help me and make my stay as amazing and pleasant as it was. So anyone who is travelling,  especially if you are travelling in Ireland, I very warmly recommend you to try Airbnb out. You won't regret it. I know I didn't!
Because the house I was staying wasn't right in the town centre, my hosts offered to come and pick me up from the town centre. This was very friendly of them. Though it turned out it was their son who came and picked me up. Needless to say it was a bit surprising to hear a complete stranger calling for my name in the dark of night. But oh well, it all turned out well. Their son was very nice and eventually I got to meet my hosts as well, a lovely Irish couple. When I got to the house, I was tired after working and sitting on the bus for so long. So all I wanted was to get a hot shower and get some sleep. My room was very nice, it was spacious and the bed was very comfortable. And when I arrived to the house, I was greeted by two dogs. I can honestly say that having these two lovely dogs in the house made the stay even better. You gotta love dogs! Especially dogs as friendly and adorable as these two cuties were. After seeing my room I also got to take a look around the house. It was a lovely home, very modern and comfortable. It did feel like home. And that's what truly separates this type of accommodation from hotels and hostels.

The next morning I woke up well rested to a beautiful day. Over breakfast I also got to meet some of the other guests staying in the house. It was nice just to chat with the host couple and the other guests. We talked about the Fleadh, what we would do, where we were from, was this the first time for us visiting Sligo and all that. I had planned to go on a tour that would climb to the Knocknarea Mountain, a place that's not too far away from Sligo. But that was until I realized that the car park where the tour would leave from was quite far away from the house, on foot anyways. And it would be quite hard to reach by a bus as well. But then something happened, something that pretty much can happen only in Ireland; a lovely Irish couple who I had met over breakfast, they would be climbing the mountain that day too. So I ended up joining them. This really showed that in Ireland, there are no strangers, just friends you haven't met. And when people sometimes ask, why is it that you love Ireland so much, it's these kinds of little things and stories I tell them. I ended up having a great time with the Irish couple. We talked about all sorts of different things and they weren't bothered at all that I went with them. It was cool meeting new people like that and when I told the couple about my experiences of Ireland and about my plans to live and work here, they wished me good luck with it all and even said, that Ireland will be very lucky to have someone like me living in the country. So yeah, all in all, a very good start for my time in Sligo and for my first experience of Airbnb. And let's not forget about the main thing; the climb to the mountain itself! The climb wasn't as demanding as I would have thought. I wasn't completely out of breath when I got up there and I wasn't even sore the next morning. But the landscapes up there.. Amazing! You could see all the way to Strandhill and Rosses's Point from there. You could see the ocean. You could see the Benbulben Mountain. It was breathtaking. It truly shows the upmost beauty of the West coast of Ireland. In addition to that, I was happy that I finally got to climb to the Knocknarea Mountain, since it had been on my Ireland and Sligo bucket list for a long time. But I never got to do it while I was living in Sligo. But now it's done. So yay me!

On the way up to the Knocknarea Mountain

On the way up

Made it up!

On top of the Knocknarea Mountain

On top of the Knocknarea Mountain

On top of the Knocknarea Mountain

Wow.. Just wow.

The ocean, the hills and the green. All of my
favorite landscapes in Ireland in one photo!

The ocean, the hills and the green. All of my
favorite landscapes in Ireland in one photo!

The ocean, the hills and the green. All of my
favorite landscapes in Ireland in one photo!

The couple with whom I climbed up kindly offered to
take a photo of me at the top.

After the climb down, the Irish couple even offered me a ride to the town centre. There I got my first taste of the Fleadh Cheoil. There was music and dancing everywhere! It was amazing. And it was particularly great to see so many young people having that passion and sharing the joy of music and dance. The bands and performances I saw, some of the performers were so young, barely 8 or 9 years old, yet they were so passionate about what they were doing and so damn talented.

The weather during my time in the Fleadh couldn't have
been better. Sunny and warm and no rain! Just perfect.

The next day I went to one of my favorite places in Sligo. Strandhill. Even though I have been to Strandhill several times before, it's still such a beautiful place. And of course for me, the main thing there is the ocean and the beach. Walking along the beach with the sound of waves and the smell of seawater, it just never gets old for me.

Strandhill Beach

Strandhill Beach

Strandhill Beach

Strandhill Beach

Strandhill Beach

After Strandhill, I headed back to Sligo town centre to enjoy some more music and dance. And ah, the bands and dancers I saw were just amazing! I kept circling the same area and time after time I would find some amazing band or a dancer. It was just fantastic. And the best part of it all was that even if you're not that familiar with the traditional tunes, like I am not, or if you're not the biggest trad music enthusiastic in the world, it didn't matter. No matter what, you were still able to enjoy the music. And that's exactly what I did. It was brilliant. And of course there was the general, friendly atmosphere of Ireland. And what I loved about this festival, was that even though I was circling the festival on my own and, since it was a festival after all, there was quite a bit of drinking involved, no one would bother me, no one would say filthy remarks, try to hit on me or just bluntly suggest something. Nothing like that. Not even in the evening. And this was something I loved. Not once did I have to be worried about the fact that I was there, walking the streets alone. Sad to say, this is not the case most times in Finland. Especially when there's a lot of alcohol involved. So all in all, I can say that I absolutely enjoyed and loved Fleadh Cheoil 2015. It was amazing to see a big event like this in my beloved Sligo and it was amazing to witness this celebration of music and dance. I didn't think it was possible, but this made me love Ireland even more. So yeah, I would definitely say that the Fleadh was one of THE highlights of the summer.

This lad was an amazing dancer!

This band was amazing, one of my absolute favorites.

This band was another of my favorites. So young, so talented!

My time internship is slowly coming to an end. I can't believe that I only have a couple of weeks left. As the end comes closer, the more anxious I'm getting. Going back to Finland literally is the last thing I want, at times it feels a bit like it's not even an actual option for me. Which is why I'm desperately sending in job applications and hoping I'll get lucky. Luckily it's not all completely hopeless. I do have an actual job interview tomorrow, which I'm really looking forward to. And I'm hoping I get lucky. I just can't go back to Finland anymore. There's no going back for me. I belong in Ireland, that's just how it is. So keep fingers crossed for me tomorrow and hope for the best!

Dingle and others

I was supposed to write this post a while back, but I was busy cause of work and last weekend I did a brief trip to Finland to a christening of my best friend's baby. So because of all this, I'm only now writing this.

Anyhow, over a week ago a friend of mine from Sligo times came to visit me with her boyfriend from Finland. Altogether we spent two days together in Galway and after that we traveled to Dingle, Co. Kerry, in Southern Ireland together.

The first two days I just showed my friends around in Galway. I showed them some of the best places in Galway, like Salthill and The Claddagh. It was cool being in Ireland with my friend again, after all, it was the thing that made us friends in the first place. So yeah, there was definitely some nostalgia involved as well. My friend had also booked an express tour to the Cliffs of Moher for her and her boyfriend, since you can't leave Ireland without seeing the Cliffs. Originally, I wasn't supposed to join them on that tour since I had just been at the Cliffs myself. But since the weather had been dreadful the last time, I figured I might as well join my friends on that tour. And I'm glad I did. The weather was quite ideal during our visit. It wasn't raining and it wasn't even that windy. And the visibility was great!

The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher

Group photo!

While my friends were here, I even got to see some of Galway's nightlife. The last time I was in Galway with my friend, I had been on antibiotics, so we really couldn't go out then. So out we went. On the first night, we went to a pub by the Eyre Square. It was a nice place, with friendly staff and good cocktails. And the prices weren't that bad either. The next day, after the Cliffs of Moher tour, we went out to an actual night club. The place went to was called Carbon Night Club. Maybe we went there on a bad night or something, since I had heard good things about this place, yet, it was a bit of a disappointment. The place itself was quite cool and the prices weren't too bad. But the music.. This always seems to be a problem with night clubs in Ireland, it seems. The music was horrible remixes or some hipster shit we had never heard before. It only got good way after midnight. So yeah, definitely not as good a night club as I had thought, but oh well, I guess it could have been worse.

The next morning, it was time to head for Dingle. We were faced with over 5 hours of sitting on a bus. Dingle is a lovely place, so it is such a pity that the connections there are so bad.

Anyways, the bus ride turned out to be not so bad and it went by quite fast. But when we got to Dingle, we were faced with a problem. We couldn't find our B&B. And after quite a bit of wandering around and asking around, it finally dawned on us; the location on google maps does not match to the actual location of the B&B. It was weird. And very frustrating. But finally we got to our accommodation. The accommodation was quite nice, though the room we had was quite chilly. After getting some rest we decided it was time to get a first glimpse of Dingle and get something to eat. What surprised me, was that Dingle is actually even more touristy than Dublin is. Dingle is such a small place, so when a small place like that gets that many tourists, well, apparently that's what happens. It was kinda hard to find anything genuine there, and we were wondering how do the locals tolerate it all. And thing that shocked us the most were the prices, especially on food. They were some of the most expensive ones I've seen in all of Ireland, even more expensive than in Dublin. So in that sense, the loveliness of Dingle and the great things I had heard about the place hadn't really dawned on me yet. In all honesty, the place felt like a bit of a disappointment. Especially after all the travelling we've done just to get there.

The next morning it was so lovely to notice how the weather had pretty much gave up on us. It was storming outside. The wind was super strong an it was raining as well. There were even storm warnings all over the country. This meant that for example a tour to Blasket Island on a bout that were supposed to do today would be impossible due to the bad weather. But luckily, we found an alternative. A local taxi company also did tours around Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula. So we did that tour instead. And it was definitely worth it. Because the landscapes.. Wow. Just fucking wow! You literally didn't care anymore that the weather was crap, the landscapes were so amazing. And our guide was excellent as well. He was telling all sorts of stories about the surrounding area, its history and all that. And on top of that, he was perfectly bilingual in both English and Irish. So yeah, when he spoke some Irish to some government worker who was taking care of one of the attractions we saw on the tour, that was pretty damn awesome! Because to this date, I haven't met a single Irish person, who had been perfectly bilingual like that. Good at Irish, yes. But bilingual, no. But then again, Dingle is a part of the Gaealtacht, areas in Ireland where Irish is spoken on a daily basis, so I shouldn't have been to surprised about it. But since words cannot describe the beauty of the landscapes we saw, I'll just let the photos do all the talking.

Luckily,by the time we got back to Dingle from our tour, the weather had improved a little. This meant that we would be able to take part in a dolphin tour to go see the mascot of Dingle, the dolphin named Fungi. I never expected to be able to see dolphins in Ireland of all places, so doing this tour felt even cooler in that sense. The tour itself, even though it was supposed to be sightseeing in the Dingle Bay as well, not just the dolphin, was okay. We did get to see the dolphin and it was pretty damn cool! But other than that, there was no guide or anything who would have told us anything about the surrounding area, which kinda sucked. Sure, I was satisfied with just seeing the dolphin, since I had never seen one in nature before, but still, I felt like something was missing from the tour. They could have done a better job at it. But then again, I didn't hear any complaints, people were very happy just seeing the dolphin. And the landscapes in the Dingle Bay were beautiful as well. So I guess you don't really need anything else.

Somewhere in the Dingle Bay

Somewhere in the Dingle Bay

Somewhere in the Dingle Bay

Yes, I did manage to snap a photo of the dolphin! A bad photo, but still!

Fungi

Fungi

On our last day in Dingle, we decided just to go shopping and stay in Dingle. It was quite nice, even if I didn't buy anything. And we went out to eat at a couple of cafes and restaurants. The food in Dingle was expensive and the quality most of the time didn't meet the price, but we did manage to find a cool pub, where we had dinner. It was a lovely and cosy place, a proper Irish pub. And the food and service there was nice too. And compared to the rest of Dingle, the prices weren't as high either.
The next day it was time for my friends to head for Dublin, where they'd stay for two days before returning to Finland, and time for me to head back home to Galway. Almost 6 hours on a bus. So after that, it felt so good to be home.

At the moment I don't have much time for anything else, besides work. I was supposed to write a work related post some time ago, but I simply didn't have the time. So all I can say is that I'm working and I love the work I do. At the moment, I am also sending in job applications and I have even been called to two job interviews in Galway. So who knows, maybe I'll actually get lucky and I'll be able to stay in Ireland after all!
And next weekend I'll be visiting my first home in Ireland, Sligo. I'm going for the Fleadh Cheoil, the biggest festival of traditional Irish music in the world. And it's held in Sligo. So it'll be great not only go back to Sligo after being away for so long but also see the town buzzing with life and tourists. But I will most definitely write more about it next week.