Dead zoo

It's a beautiful spring day here in Dublin's fair city, and it might seem a little macabre under the circumstances to talk about anything dead but I was reading the paper and I found out that Dublin's very famous "dead zoo", which has been closed for three years, is about to open!

What's that? Well, it's a Museum of Natural History, and loads and loads of people have told me that I have to go and see it, but I haven't been able to because it's been closed for renovations for a few years. Apparently, it's very beloved by all Dubliners and as Dubliners like to give everything a nickname, it goes by the name "The Dead Zoo." It's going to open back up on April 29th.

As usual, my local greengrocer has been a fount of information. He tells me that he used to take his kids there, that he credits this as the reason why his daughter the milliner chose her profession (the exotic birds' plumage, you see) and that the museum is justifiably famous for not having been updated for something like 150 years. He says, "Sure they never did it up because in them days there was no money in the country and for once it was the right thing to do, because when you walk through the doors you're stepping back in time."

As it all sounds more than suitable for a lover of all things to do with the ninenteenth century, I'll be checking it out, for sure.

If I've been writing less about bars and going out than usual, there's a good reason for that; the end of the academic year is fast approaching, and with it the deadline I've given myself for telling the folks back home that I've decided to chance my luck in Dublin for another little while. Against all odds, I might even have a little good news on the job front - but I don't want to say too much in case nothing comes of it. Anyway, wish me luck, OK?