Okay....I am finally writing with an update on my life in Dublin...I have been very busy!
First an update from my earlier post. I have modified my ice making technique and am now making smaller "cubes" (or should I say "cube"). We only have low ball glasses here and my initial ice was taking up too much of the glass volume if you get what I mean. I have now perfected the exact size that maintains the chill of the gin and allows for an adequately sized cocktail....because I only have one (except for yesterday when I asked Lisa is she would like a cocktail and I mis-interpreted "how about wine" to be "that would be fine"....and I couldn't let it go to waste.).
Second, I have enrolled in the Dundrum Adult Training and Education program. Here is the brochure for the classes.
I am taking a creative writing class on Tuesday's at 11:10 am. The teacher is Ursula De Brun and she is fantastic. Because of kid drop off, I cold not take the 9:10 am class for beginners...but Ursula said she would love to have me in the advanced writing class.... Along with three published authors, a famous poet and about 10 other people who have been taking the class for 10 years. Next week we are supposed to bring some of our pieces to share with the group. Needless to say I will be culling through some of Lisa's short stories over the weekend to find something suitable to share with the class. I will have to practice reading it so it sounds familiar to me.
In the first class, we selected a picture from a stack she brought in....then, we were supposed to just "be" with the picture and not try to interpret or "think" and just experience the picture. Then we had to share what the experience was like with the rest of the class. When I explained in detail how I had failed the assignment because I am a lawyer and trained to think and interpret....and that I couldn't stop thinking about what I should be seeing in the picture...she was so pleased that I had illustrated some basic concept about creative writing she was trying to convey....so, I made it through the first day. We ended with "prompts"...which were sentences that became the first sentence in something we wrote and then shared with the class. There are several classmates who wrote something amazing in just 15 minutes, and I realized what a treat it is going to be hearing such great writing. It should be fun!
I was also trying to get into a reading class on Thursdays but it was full. In the end, taking only one of the classes will be plenty because it takes my whole day to get to Dundrum and back. It is about a 90 minute commute one way and by the time I get back, it is time to pick up Johnny from school. Lisa laughs because I just described her life in Minneapolis (if you throw in a couple of trips to Target instead of waiting for the bus).
The Dundrum Adult Education Center is in the Dundrum Town Centre which is the largest shopping mall in Ireland. It is actually quite impressive and I would say it rivals the MOA? Or at least it felt that way because it was my first time and it was sprawling. Check it out at
I have also officially signed up for my cooking class at the Dublin Cookery. I will be taking "Quick and Inspiring Meals" on the next four Tuesday nights. It cannot come soon enough as my cooking here has been a disaster.... There has not been a meal attempted without an epic failure of at least one of the courses--overcooked "steak" (let's just say that the beef here is not from Omaha), the forgotten vegetables, the uncooked chicken as I didn't know how to turn the oven on.... I went from not cooking to burning in a week! The family is looking forward to some inspiration.
Work is going great. It has been seamless to work from here. Technology is amazing and I am able to access everything I need from here. The time difference works well because I can work a bit in the morning while everyone sleeps in the US. Them when the work day starts in Minnesota, we are home from school pick ups and at the house where I can keep up in email and work as necessary.
Here are a few other exciting tidbits....
1. I found the library and registered for a library card and checked out some books and movies.
2. I found the bank and we opened a bank account...which we couldn't do until we had received our bill for the wireless hotspot because we needed something showing our Blackrock address. (Strangely, we almost were unable to get the Internet hook up without having a bank account.) Although our cash cards work over here, we decided it was a good idea to open an account where using a Bank of Ireland cash card does not incur large fees.
3. I also found the Blackrock clothing alteration/repair shop and was able to solve a small wardrobe malfunction for only 10 Euro...
4. There is daily mass at the parish of Johnny's school at 9:15 a. Which is perfect timing for after the drop off. There is a group that says the rosary before mass. They pray in unison with a meditative hum that feels so familiar and reminds me of my family.
As you can see, we have moved beyond the temporary visitor/tourist kind of activities and it really feels like we will be here for a bit.
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