Time continues to fly by here in Belfast as I reach the end of another week and the beginning of the next. During these past four weeks in Northern Ireland, it’s been amazing to see and experience the many differences in cultures and lifestyles that Belfast has in comparison to the United States.

One thing that was a pleasant surprise was the amount of gentle ribbing and banter that I’ve been a part of and also witnessed from the people here in Belfast. There was a funny encounter during the first week I was here when I went out for some ice cream with my flatmates (refer to my previous blog for a photo). The older gentleman who owned the shop had a lot of fun taking a crack at one of my flatmates from New York. The details of the conversation are a little fuzzy now, but I know it included playfully questioning her sharpness when she tried to accept her ice cream through the glass window in front of the ice cream display. He especially took pleasure in telling her that customers less than half her age wouldn’t have fell for that trick!

Almost every shop and restaurant I’ve visited so far have included moments of fun jokes and conversation that I feel like don’t happen that often in America. These additional interactions really just make the day a little brighter.

Another surprise was how seriously they take their Belfast Bap here. There’s the stereotype that everything is bigger in America… which it is… but there are some food items that could rival that belief. The Belfast Bap was one of them. A bap is basically sausage and sometimes bacon and egg stacked into soda bread. It seems simple enough, but if you go to one particular spot at St. George’s Market in the city center, you’re in for a surprise. As I watched the cook put together my Belfast Bap, I could only stare at him in shock. Every time you thought he was done stacking the bacon, he cut more up and added it to the pile. To this day, I’m not sure how I got any of it into my mouth, but it was delicious!! 🙂

There is definitely a focus on good food here, and I really appreciate that. You have to find the good spots, of course, but once you do, the food is absolutely amazing. I’m still on the hunt for more potato dishes as well as some hearty Irish Stew, but when I find it, you’ll see a photo of it!