My Dublin Life

The sun is shining down on Dublin, and it suits it. As you'll know, the weather's notoriously volatile here. Personally, I like it, because the light changes so much throughout the day that the city can look very different, depending on whether it's sunny or cloudy, or whether the sun is shining in a clear sky or a foggy one. A lot of the buildings downtown are brick and when it's sunny the brick seems to soak in the light somehow. Maybe there's a scientific explanation for it... not sure.

Anyway, I'm excitedly planning for my friend's visit. She's not coming for a month, but I'm workign my a** off now so's to be able to take time off when she's over. She's bringing her daughter, too. That was an unexpected piece of news, because I was expecting the kid to be left with her grandma, but what the hey. I've found out that The Ark is running a number of shows as part of the October Theatre Festival so I think maybe I'll book tickets for some of them. I've been there before, as part of my babysitting job (now, alas, just an occasional thing), and my experience has been that the shows those guys put on might be simple enough for kids, but they're also good enough for adults to enjoy, too.

Anyway, that's the good bit of the kid coming. The only thing I'm disappointed about is that I was hoping to spend a day or two doing some hiking in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains before it gets too cold, and maybe that's not such an easy thing to do with a child. We'll see... 

I haven't been a student at Trinity for several months now, but because it's slap-bang in the centre of town, you can't help walking by/through the college pretty often. Right now there are several good reasons to go, and that's not even counting spotting the fresh, shiny new first-years and going "ahhh.... aren't they cute?"

At the back of Trinity there's the Science Gallery which is cool because it has smallish exhibitions that you can pop into, and they're always interesting. The one they have on right now is the one I've liked best so far for sure, though. It's all about sound and music, "Biorythm Live". The sonic bed was my favourite.

My housemate, who's definitely the sportsy one in the place, also told me about an outdoors photo exhibition that's being held in Trinity after dark, as in, they are illuminating the whole front square with massive shots. It does sound amazing, and I think I'll try and take it in after work in the brief period between frantically chopping vegetables and collapsing into bed. Restaurant work sure is tiring. On the plus side, I'm now an expert at Mediterranean grilled vegetables and even though I make 'em at work most days, I've gotten used to the eating them at home, too. I've lost 3 kilos. Totally pleased about that although now that that evenings are getting darker and chillier, the many hot whiskeys I'm planning to consume during the autumn and winter evenings will probably take care of that. 

I'm really looking forward to my friend's visit which is getting close. I've known Vicki since forever and while I wouldn't say I've been pining for her or anything, being able to just sit and talk to someone who understands the way I see the world as she does, well, it's going to be great. Also, she hasn't travelled all that much, and I'm really quite excited about showing her around my adopted city!! I am not a girlie girl, but she is, and she's probably the only friend I'd even consider doing anything like going to a day spa with (she actually asked if they have these exotic things in Dublin).

According to my friend the greengrocer up the road, the weather's going to be "only fantastic" for the next two weeks, because the children are going back to school and the weather in Dublin likes to taunt schoolchildren by being wonderful in May and June  ("exam weather") and then again in September ("back to school weather").

I can still remember what it was like being a kid and waiting for the end of the holidays with massive ambivalence, torn between wanting to see all my friends and dreading the new teacher and the lessons. All the shops near where I live, on Henry Street, etc. are full of window displays of "back to school" bits and pieces, and they make for a pretty sobering display begging the question of why, just why, do school uninforms have to be in drab colours, and why school shoes have to be ugly. Seriously; the fall is coming and the days are going to start getting darker. Wouldn't it be nice to see the streetscapes lived up by the sight of kids in bright uniforms? I think that's a great idea! Imagine: hordes of little boys in Hawaiin school shirts, and girls in polka-dots. Wouldn't that just be nicer than dark blue and grey and khaki?

Well, that's my opinion on the matter.

Although it's always hard to say "goodbye" to the summer I'm actually loving the fact that it's finally getting dark a bit earlier in the evening. It never feels quite right to be in a pub when it's broad daylight outdoors, and pubs just feel and look a lot cosier when they're all bright and lit up inside, and you can see the dark night through the window. I have my favourite pubs, of course, but I think it's time to, ahem, research a few more. My friend Vicki is coming in a few weeks and I'd like to have a few nice places to take her. She's a cleancut sort of a gal so I think I'll freak her out a little by organising an outing to Gravediggers', which has an alarming name but is actually a real cool old-style pub in Glasnevin.

Anyway, it's a beautiful day, I'm not working until late, and I'm going to do the healthy thing and hop on a DART and go to the beach for some fresh air and exercise! I'm soooo outta here!