Another eventful week in the books! I spent this last week working as well as taking a weekend trip to Amsterdam. Last Wednesday, we went into Dublin and listened to some live music at a pub. On Thursday we actually went to see Inside Out 2 at the theater. Friday morning then, we flew out to Amsterdam. This was my first time in Amsterdam and it was amazing! I have been in Dublin some time now, and have visited London and Geneva before, but I had never seen a city with such a lack of cars until this weekend. The city was designed for walking and most people either walk or bike to get to places. This was super cool to experience, as well as all the canals and bridges connecting the islands. On Friday we took a boat tour, as well as just walked the streets, and we saw the Anne Frank House. On Saturday we did more wondering and explored a massive park called Vondelpark. On Sunday we went to two museums, the Museum of Prostitution, as well as the Rijksmuseum, which was a huge art museum that had works from both Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Overall though, I truly just enjoyed walking the streets of Amsterdam and feeling the city.
Ireland is a different culture than the United States, so often I have to adapt to their way of life in both my everyday life here, and working. In work, one thing that I have struggled to adapt to is the lesser instructions that are provided for tasks. America is a lower context culture than Ireland, so often instructions will be very clear and it would be hard to screw them up, but in Ireland, the instructions are more vague and often it is not clear what is expected of me. I often find myself asking clarifying questions at work and sometimes it feels as though I am pestering my superiors with questions even though it is better to ask when I am confused. I hope that by the end of my internship I am better able to work through more vague instructions, which will be a useful tool in the future. Another aspect of Irish culture that is harder to assimilate to is their sense of humor. Irish people tend to have more biting senses of humor and they often tell jokes that may not come across as funny to someone not a part of their culture. This is especially difficult to navigate as learning a sense of humor takes years of assimilation and it is very likely that I will never be able to truly access this aspect of Irish culture.
A third aspect of Irish culture that I have struggled to adapt to is their sense of punctuality. In Irish culture, it is normal for people to run late or not be on time, but I am a very punctual person so it is hard for me to wrap my head around being late as normal. In the United States, punctuality is often seen as a sign of respect and responsibility, so adjusting to a more relaxed attitude towards time has been a challenge. Additionally, the work-life balance in Ireland is different. There’s a greater emphasis on taking time off and enjoying life outside of work, which is refreshing but requires an adjustment from the more work-centric culture I am used to. Despite these challenges, I am learning to appreciate the differences and find value in the new perspectives and approaches to life and work that I am experiencing here. These cultural differences are teaching me to be more adaptable and open-minded, which will be incredibly beneficial in my future career and personal life.
Not all of Irish culture is hard to assimilate to, however. Their nightlife culture has been phenomenal. Most places will have a live musician which I absolutely love as I adore music. Additionally, the Irish are generally very friendly and will just strike up a conversation which I think is awesome and will be bringing back with me to America.
