How xenophobic is Ireland?

LolaLuv

As you can tell from my sig, I'm leaving the US for Dublin in about a month. I've never been and I must say some threads on boards are scaring the crap out of me. I've heard lots of good things about the Irish attitude towards foreigners, but as the time approaches I'm paying more attention to the bad and now I'm petrified that I'll spend the next year of my life with no enjoyable contact with the Irish! I'm not a big supporter of America myself, so I don't get bothered by people pointing out the flaws in American culture (as long as it's legit). I'm more afraid that people are going to hear an accent and immediately start abusing me personally for being American.

Anyway, I'd like to know what I'm in for so I can brace myself. All feedback will be appreciated.

Quazzie

Don't worry, Come on over!!

Grabs pitch fork

Dudess

Don't worry - you're white, western, English speaking and speak with an accent that's very familiar to us due to the saturation of American television shows/films.
You won't even be considered a "foreigner"...

genericgoon

You come from an affluent country so you'll only get a slight slagging. See only people from poor countries are threatening our jobs. :P :pac:

As long as you're not black or eastern european, you'll be grand.

The guy

American's aren't going to receive as much racism (or any really) as black people, muslim and eastern europeans.

thefinalstage

Ireland is a grand place but Americans usually have a problem here mainly because they have weird dating rules and generally have no sense of humor.

That said we slag each other to bits and we just want immigrants to feel like one of te gang!

You will be grand. Don't worry

LolaLuv

But I am worried! Maybe it's just from all the stress from preparing for an international move, but I have lived in Japan, India, and France and have never been so concerned as I am about Ireland. I keep hearing horror stories!

metaoblivia

Don't worry Pillypen! I've traveled and lived outside the US, in the UK and most recently Australia. I found that if you were nice, most people were nice right back. The ones who had never been to the US were very curious and asked a lot of sincere questions. I was never made to feel looked down upon or anything. I hope that helps!

LolaLuv

thelastangryman wrote: »

Ireland is a grand place but Americans usually have a problem here mainly because they have weird dating rules and generally have no sense of humor.

That said we slag each other to bits and we just want immigrants to feel like one of te gang!

You will be grand. Don't worry

Lol, what weird dating rules? I don't mind slagging, I have balls of steel and love to bitch about America so that will be a great time. I'm more worried about being written off because of being an American.

LolaLuv

metaoblivia wrote: »

Don't worry Pillypen! I've traveled and lived outside the US, in the UK and most recently Australia. I found that if you were nice, most people were nice right back. The ones who had never been to the US were very curious and asked a lot of sincere questions. I was never made to feel looked down upon or anything. I hope that helps!

That does help. I probably am over-reacting, but a few posts on the gold medal count thread scared the hell out of me.

Edit: It wasn't the Olympics thread, it was the "Ireland is the nicest country eva" thread.

Overheal

oh weird dating rules. you know. weird. like, instead of "making love to a young woman", you "shag a bird raw". And alcoholism has a somewhat more lateral definition. And yea you are going to get slagged for that accent just a bit.

Oh and let the Guinness settle before you drink it. thats important

brianthebard

PillyPen wrote: »

But I am worried! Maybe it's just from all the stress from preparing for an international move, but I have lived in Japan, India, and France and have never been so concerned as I am about Ireland. I keep hearing horror stories!

Srsly??? Three of the most xenophobic countries you could've lived in imo. You will get digs about wars and bush, even if you don't support him, sorry but thats just how it is. Otherwise its not like anyone will snub you because you are American.

PillyPen wrote: »

Lol, what weird dating rules? I don't mind slagging, I have balls of steel and love to bitch about America so that will be a great time. I'm more worried about being written off because of being an American.

Irish people don't "date" as such, they meet up, casually shag for a while and then boom you're a couple.

FruitLover

We're not xenophobic, it's them bleedin' fordnors.

metaoblivia

PillyPen wrote: »

That does help. I probably am over-reacting, but a few posts on the gold medal count thread scared the hell out of me.

Edit: It wasn't the Olympics thread, it was the "Ireland is the nicest country eva" thread.

What people say and how they present themselves on the internet is very different from how they present themselves in real life. Anonymity does wonders for some people...
That said, you will get slagged on bit, but it's all in good fun. From reading your posts, you take that well, so I don't think you'll have a problem. :cool:

LolaLuv

brianthebard wrote: »

Srsly??? Three of the most xenophobic countries you could've lived in imo. You will get digs about wars and bush, even if you don't support him, sorry but thats just how it is. Otherwise its not like anyone will snub you because you are American.

Exactly, I don't know why I'm so worried when I handled those three just fine. I didn't go on boards before I went to the other three, maybe that's why. :rolleyes:

LolaLuv

FruitLover wrote: »

We're not xenophobic, it's them bleedin' fordnors.

Lol, sounds like an American. Maybe things won't be so bad after all.

thefinalstage

PillyPen wrote: »

Lol, what weird dating rules? I don't mind slagging, I have balls of steel and love to bitch about America so that will be a great time. I'm more worried about being written off because of being an American.

All I know is I can never get a smile out of Any American girls and others in the same group are in stitches.

Balls of steel? If you are male you will slot in nicely and you will have a niche market with the ladies if you are a woman I'm sure you can make a slot somewhere....:P

LolaLuv

metaoblivia wrote: »

What people say and how they present themselves on the internet is very different from how they present themselves in real life. Anonymity does wonders for some people...
That said, you will get slagged on bit, but it's all in good fun. From reading your posts, you take that well, so I don't think you'll have a problem. :cool:

I think you're right it is just boards. And if the slagging they do on boards is the same sort of slagging they do in person I can handle that. But not making a single Irish friend the whole time sounds awful!

thelastangryman wrote: »

All I know is I can never get a smile out of Any American girls and others in the same group are in stitches.

Balls of steel? If you are male you will slot in nicely and you will have a niche market with the ladies if you are a woman I'm sure you can make a slot somewhere....:P

I wonder why that is about American girls. I'm always loling at boards, maybe the Irish sense of humor gets predictable or something? Our sense of humor is really odd, but I guess every country's is when you look at it.

I'm a woman. Women with steel balls ftw!

thefinalstage

PillyPen wrote: »

I think you're right it is just boards. And if the slagging they do on boards is the same sort of slagging they do in person I can handle that. But not making a single Irish friend the whole time sounds awful!



I wonder why that is about American girls. I'm always loling at boards, maybe the Irish sense of humor gets predictable or something? Our sense of humor is really odd, but I guess every country's is when you look at it.

I'm a woman. Women with steel balls ftw!

So your a hermaphrodite? A cyborg hermaphrodite...

jells bells

Hi PillyPen,

I'm from Chicago...living in Dublin for over four years now and love it. As above, you won't be written off for being American. If some individual has a problem with it, do you really care what they think of you anyway?

By and large people don't think twice if they hear that you're American and often times then tell you about how much they like to visit/when they sold icees on the Jersey shore on a J1.

Dating is different...the sense of humour is different...but it's all good fun figuring these things out. Kinda. Sorta.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or want to chat

thefinalstage

jells bells wrote: »

Hi PillyPen,

I'm from Chicago...living in Dublin for over four years now and love it. As above, you won't be written off for being American. If some individual has a problem with it, do you really care what they think of you anyway?

By and large people don't think twice if they hear that you're American and often times then tell you about how much they like to visit/when they sold icees on the Jersey shore on a J1.

Dating is different...the sense of humour is different...but it's all good fun figuring these things out. Kinda. Sorta.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or want to chat

Smooth, like toothpaste. You can pm me too pilly! I'll gladly play with your balls! Oh, wait....

Rowley Birkin QC

No more xenephobic than a country that practised segregation based on race up to about 50 years ago I'd imagine.

Yeah, I went there.

jells bells

thelastangryman wrote: »

Smooth, like toothpaste. You can pm me too pilly! I'll gladly play with your balls! Oh, wait....

That's how they do it back home...watch and learn angryman.

But I'm a woman too btw, and not so inclined...

thefinalstage

bigkev49 wrote: »

No more xeenephobic than a country that practised segragation based on race up to about 50 years ago I'd imagine.

Yeah, I went there.

We became a state 80 odd years ago. From start to end thats pretty short!

jells bells wrote: »

That's how they do it back home...watch and learn angryman.

But I'm a woman too btw, and not so inclined...

Thats how I do it here . Why muddle your intentions? You must have tried it to know you don't like it .

jells bells

thelastangryman wrote: »

Thats how I do it here . Why muddle your intentions? You must have tried it to know you don't like it .

Hazy memories of mardi gras circa age 19. That's all I'm saying...

Overheal

bigkev49 wrote: »

No more xeenephobic than a country that practised segragation based on race up to about 50 years ago I'd imagine.

Yeah, I went there.

When did we stop?

brianthebard

thelastangryman wrote: »

We became a state 80 odd years ago. From start to end thats pretty short!

Think kev meant the US.

thefinalstage

jells bells wrote: »

Hazy memories of mardi gras circa age 19. That's all I'm saying...

You can't give a taster like that, this is not a supermarket and you are not selling ice cream. Dish the dirt .

LolaLuv

jells bells wrote: »

Hi PillyPen,

I'm from Chicago...living in Dublin for over four years now and love it. As above, you won't be written off for being American. If some individual has a problem with it, do you really care what they think of you anyway?

By and large people don't think twice if they hear that you're American and often times then tell you about how much they like to visit/when they sold icees on the Jersey shore on a J1.

Dating is different...the sense of humour is different...but it's all good fun figuring these things out. Kinda. Sorta.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or want to chat

Oh, that's such a relief. I will PM you, I'd like to hear more about the differences in humor and dating and such. Thanks!

thelastangryman wrote: »

Smooth, like toothpaste. You can pm me too pilly! I'll gladly play with your balls! Oh, wait....

I'll PM you too, but it will just be an awkward silence.

bigkev49 wrote: »

No more xeenephobic than a country that practised segragation based on race up to about 50 years ago I'd imagine.

Yeah, I went there.

Ooh, social rebel we have here! How brazen of you. :P Yeah, America sucks, but that's not what I'm asking.

Rowley Birkin QC

Well George Wallace in '63 springs to mind. I know it's an extreme example.

Anyway thats the end of my sh!t stirring for this evening.