It has almost been a month since I arrived in Dublin, and the time has flown by, but this does not mean everything has gone smoothly. For this week’s blog question, I was asked about the difficulty of assimilating into Irish culture and the workplace. Now although I am a second generation Irish immigrant there have still been plenty of difficulutes in integrating with the style of communication and social norms, to the relaxation and the fluid structure of the workplace to what they eat and drink difficulties are coming from the United States and trying to assimilate in Ireland because of these variables.
This brings me to the first difficulty I have faced in assimilating in Ireland: the style of communication, both casual and in the workplace. In the United States, especially when meeting someone new, conversations tend to be very light and do not delve into either person unless they are willing to share. Now, the casual conversation is still light, and I consider it this way, but it is nowhere near as shallow as it is in the United States. In the workplace, communication in Ireland can be very indirect and is not necessarily scripted to inform you of the tasks you are supposed to perform. In contrast, at places where I have worked in the United States, tasks are typically communicated directly to you. The subsequent assimilation that I have struggled with, especially in the workplace, has been the balance between structure and fluidity in the way things are done. As previously stated, in the United States, they often dictate what to do and how to do it, but this has not been my experience in Ireland, and it has been somewhat challenging. Although I do enjoy the freedom and not having someone over your shoulder, the lack of structure and guidance can have me sometimes second guessing what I am doing it wheter or not I am completing my tasks to the quality that i am supposed to, while I do try and perform my tasks to the best of my ability it can still be difficult not necessarily due to the structure, but rather the uncertainty that can occur because of the structure.
Although Ireland can be somewhat challenging to assimilate due to these factors, I believe I have done quite well in facing them. Rather than focusing on the challenges, I would now like to highlight the things that have gone well this past week. Luckily, due to my work schedule, I am remote on both Mondays and Fridays, so I have some flexibility in my work schedule these days. My week until Thursday was much the same: 9-5 every day and working three days a week. Now, on Friday, I got onto the Belfast-bound train from Dublin Connolly to see my family in Tyrone. I got off at Portadown station and then made my way to a Gaelic Football club game. The more I get to watch Gaelic Football, the greater my appreciation for the sport becomes, along with a deeper understanding of it. The team that I was cheering for won, but this was only the reserve match as the starters did not play each other on Friday. Then on Saturday, I got to go with my cousin and play Footgolf, which I will say was a blast, and I will play again. While I was familiar with the game of Footgolf, I thought it seemed pretty straightforward, but I was incorrect; things like accuracy and putting proved to be much more difficult than I initially expected. After playing Footgolf, I had the opportunity to visit my family.
Finally, on Sunday, I went with my Aunt and Uncle up the east coast of Ulster and visited Belfast, Cushendall, Ballycastle, and many places in between. We started by driving through Belfast and taking in the many murals on the sides of buildings, where I preferred the Irish revolutionary murals to the British ones. Although the Troubles are over in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, there is still a distaste between the groups, and this will always be apparent and will never really go away. In Cushendall, we stopped and first got something to eat at McBride’s bar, which was once one of the smallest bars in Ireland. Cushendall is along the Irish Sea, so we then went to look out at it. We ended up seeing Dolphins just breach above the surface of the water and see their fins. After that, we decided to head to Ballycastle, which is also located along the Irish Sea, and sit in the park overlooking the water for a while to enjoy the views. Overall, all the places I went on Sunday were beautiful and unique in their own ways, but I am happy to be back in the Hustle and bustle of Dublin.
