We are officially more than halfway through the program, and it makes me a bit sad knowing that my time in Ireland is nearing its end. I suppose I am a glass half-empty kind of girl. Then again, this means less than four weeks until I see my cat again! Boom. Right back to optimism.
The past week was pretty wonderful. I completed a couple of things items on my must-do list*. On Tuesday, it was Bloomsday, the Ulysses-themed holiday that mainly consists of Dubliners dressing up in their Victorian-era chic. After work, I took a guided tour at the Little Museum of Dublin. The museum consists of donated artifacts by Dubliners — anything they think is imperative to the history of the city. I expected a collection of kitschy trinkets that would be found in the kitchen of someone’s tacky grandma (no offense to your grandmas). Instead, I got to make a call from Dublin’s oldest working rotary payphone, and see handwritten annotations made by Nelson Mandela on his ORIGINAL physical copy his 1990s speech to Irish anti-apartheid activists. It was wonderfully organized and informative. The guided tour was entertaining and theatrical. The docent finished the tour with a river dance.
After participating in a theatre kid’s dream job for an hour, I walked over to St. Stephen’s Green and ate my first spice bag. It could have been spicier. I listened to the new Olivia Rodrigo album while watching an old couple feed the seagulls. Famously, seagulls cannot be satisfied, so this lovely couple created squawking mayhem. My park oasis ruined, I went back to campus to watch the Senegal vs France World Cup match.
On Wednesday, after-work plans with a friend fell through, so I searched my list for things to do, and I went to The Cobblestone on a whim. The Cobblestone is THE local pub for trad music. Community guitarists, flutists, fiddlers, and vocalists perform there every night. I had a great time listening to the melodies and chatting with regulars.
Thursday afternoon, I toured the Guinness Storehouse. Every friend and stranger whom I’ve solicited Dublin recommendations from has mentioned this activity, usually citing the free** beer at the end of the tour as incentive. But, to be honest, I have not found Guinness enjoyable. I had my first one on my first night in Dublin. While it is the best beer I’ve ever had, I really, really dislike beer, so that’s a rather low bar to cross. So, I deprioritized this tour, until even my best friend (who studied abroad in Dublin two years ago) told me I needed to go.
The Storehouse had a lot to live up to, considering so many people talked it up to me. And, boy did it. I’m glad I went by myself, as I spent 45 minutes on the first floor alone. There was just so much to see! I participated in the Guinness Academy, learning how to pour a perfect pint (pictured below). The instructor seemed impressed that I knew it takes 119.5 seconds to pour a Guinness from start to finish. (Shoutout Bar Rescue.) I went up to the Gravity Bar to see a gorgeous 360 degree view of Dublin. I stood, mesmerized by The Wicklow Mountains while struggling to finish my first drink. As I went to order my “free” stout (I refuse to waste money), I overheard a visitor ordering their Guinness with black currant syrup. I followed suit after learning that the syrup made the drink tolerable drinkable sweeter. And whew, was it DELICIOUS. Best part? I split the G! That was my last Guinness for this trip, unless I start carrying black currant syrup with me.
Friday, myself and a few other Black students in EUSA celebrated Juneteenth together, and then went to Soho Bar to enjoy some 90s/2000s throwbacks. As a Black American and a musician, I felt a sense of pride in how our resilience has impacted the world. I met people from Ireland, Brazil, and Spain, all singing RnB songs by heart. It was also really nice to be around other Black people, as Ireland is not a very diverse place.
Growing up in Pittsburgh and attending predominantly-white institutions, I am not a stranger to being one of the few, or only, Black people in a space. Still, I’ve noticed just how few Black people I see while out in Dublin. This has been one of the more challenging cultural differences, along with the drinking culture, and the lack of seasoning in Irish food. Maybe the latter seems trivial, but it certainly is not. Before I started the IIP program, I completed a Maymester in Dakar, Senegal. And let me tell you, the food? Incredible. So good, fresh, and flavorful. Here? Not so much. I did have a great meal at Daata, an Indian and Pakistani restaurant, while in Bray. I missed eating spicy food.
How did I forget to mention my time in Bray?! On Sunday, I FINALLY got to visit the city with my last name. It’s a seafront town that’s only a 50-minute bus ride from UCD. I watched Gaelic football at a local pub, got to see an incredible view of the town from atop a ferris wheel, and walked along the shore while listening to an orchestral ensemble play Defying Gravity. I showed some restraint and only bought one postcard with my name on it……I will be going back to buy a brat-green bray mug. Say that five times fast.
*Items on my must-do list written in bold.
**The cost of the beer is included in the ticket price.