We have reached the halfway point in Dublin! I knew that time would likely move fast here but I didn’t expect week four to come this soon. This week at my internship was somewhat atypical from the usual office experience. Nearly everyone was traveling either for work or going on holiday, so it was a quiet week. With my supervisor busy at a trade show in New York, I was working under a different colleague of hers. It was strange having the office so quiet, but also nice to get to know and learn from another one of my coworkers.
When reflecting on what has been most difficult to adapt to in Ireland, I believe what has been the most challenging is Ireland’s cultural difference of generally having a more high-context communication style than the U.S. High-context communication is much more implicit rather than explicit. You must be able to understand the context and read between the lines. Low-context communication on the other hand is clear and precise. High-context communication can sometimes contribute to uncertainty for me in the workplace because I often lack the necessary context as a foreigner. This cultural difference can appear in instructions or tasks I’m given, and I often have to ask several follow up questions to clarify.
Another area where my lack of context can make assimilation difficult is understanding my coworkers’ jokes or references. Sometimes I will ask them to explain the context but most of the time I just go along with it. Most of the time I don’t think my coworkers realize that I don’t know the context of something because from an Irish perspective, they see it as common knowledge. I’ve also experienced the reverse of this where I assumed something was a universal experience, but in reality, it was specific to America. I’ve enjoyed learning about these cultural differences and many of them are things that I hadn’t considered before.
Another, more general, change since coming to Dublin that has taken some time to adapt to is the schedule of having a full time job. It’s a very different experience working full time and being in the office all day compared to the part time jobs I have had in the past. In my former jobs, such as working at a restaurant, I often worked in very fast paced environments where I spent the entire shift moving and on my feet. At the office, I easily become restless after sitting at my desk for multiple hours. To help with this and release some of the restless energy, I like to go for walks during my lunch break.
Working a 9-to-5 job requires learning how to find a work-life balance and manage your time outside of work. I try to make the most of my free time on weekends, especially because I’m usually very tired after work days. This past weekend, me and 11 other students from the program traveled to Amsterdam! Amsterdam was unique from any city I’ve visited. For starters, it was definitely the most bike friendly city I have seen. Hardly anyone drives cars in Amsterdam, which is a large difference from American cities. The city was also very walkable too, so opting not to brave the bike lanes didn’t pose any problems with getting around. Amsterdam is often a city that comes up in urban studies or built environment courses I have taken and was in awe of how well the city was designed.
We spent a lot of time admiring the canals and architecture of Amsterdam. Every corner you turn is lined with beautiful buildings and bridges over the canals. On Friday night we made sure to catch the Netherlands vs. France Euro Cup game. Buildings across the city were decorated with the classic Dutch orange in preparation. Even though the game ended in a scoreless tie, the energy of being around such passionate fans made the experience extremely worthwhile.
Saturday included taking a day trip to a nearby town to learn how traditional Dutch wooden clogs are made, taste some delicious cheese, and see the iconic windmills that are across Holland. Our last day was spent exploring museums such as the Rijksmuseum, which featured some of Van Gogh and Monet’s works. We made it back to Dublin on Sunday night, and though we were exhausted, it was completely worth it. My memories from Amsterdam are ones that I will cherish forever, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to go.
On to the next adventure!