Assimilation into Irish society

irska1700

Hi,

Im interested to hear advices from you about Irish culture, I dont mean about potato, pubs and black tea , I mean about all this little things that make relations between people,

Im friendly, I say hello to people on street, living in Galway, Im in early 20 and Im NOT student yet.

For example in every day relations with people in neighbourhood , when you are going on wedding, when you hear that someone is engaged, what is "non written" rules to treat people around you, what to give as a gift on wedding, how often call people for beer?

What you will add on "No, dont say that to Irish person, or Dont do that in Ireland? "
Its different in any country, and I wanna know what is ok here.

Also Im planning became volounteer, and learn some Irish words, and improve English as well.
What do you recommend as a book, movie, or poem, or whats the most important to know?
Any myths ?

I know I can google it, but I like to hear from people

Thank you.

nlrkjos

Just do what comes naturally to you, Irish are generally pretty accepting of people if they show friendliness. Have a look around at different clubs, not just sports. But going to a local game...hurling/football/rugby...just be there, make small talk, show that you are interested in whats happening locally, maybe ask where people are going after a game...pop in and have a beer/soda..people will see you about and our natural "nosiness" will get conversations started.....it goes from there, volunteering will work too. Just keep politics and religion out of conversations....act the fool, but listen and learn. I've worked and socialised in 20+ countries and this attitude works well. Try not to stick within your own community, this will alienate people from you, we really don't like that. Oh...and ignore the bad language...f*** to us is really just a filler word ! If you give your age group here,I'm sure people will have better advice.....but be yourself,don't try to be somebody you are not!!!

recedite

If you like what people are saying or doing, you can pretty much adopt the same ways. Except when they are complaining about Ireland... you can't do that or it will be taken badly.

Fratton Fred

I have a friend from Slovakia and she thought it was hilarious that we are always asking "How are you?". She would often ask why are you asking, you asked me that this morning.

So, I explained that it is more of a greeting and that in these islands, we often do "Smalltalk" before a conversation. We ask how are you, but we don't really care and don't expect anything other than "Grand, thank you".

So, now when she calls me, the first thing she asks is "Hi, how are you, how is the weather today, I am good thank you and the weather here is a bit miserable".

she's getting there, even if the delivery needs a bit of polishing

johnnyskeleton

Mod note:

Hi OP,

This forum is for political discussion, but I can move this thread to either After Hours which is a lighthearted jokey forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=7

Or Personal Issues which is a more serious help forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=127

Let me know and I'll transfer, or start up a new thread there and I'll close this one.

irska1700

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Mod note:

Hi OP,

This forum is for political discussion, but I can move this thread to either After Hours which is a lighthearted jokey forum:



Or Personal Issues which is a more serious help forum:


Let me know and I'll transfer, or start up a new thread there and I'll close this one.

Hey, yes you can move topic to After Hours forum.
Thank you..

Anyway. I start to go to gym, I find also 1 sport club
I started to use Meetup and Girlcrew mobile app for socializing.
Thank you people.

the_syco

Fratton Fred wrote: »

So, I explained that it is more of a greeting and that in these islands, we often do "Smalltalk" before a conversation. We ask how are you, but we don't really care and don't expect anything other than "Grand, thank you".

I'm here in Toronto for 17 months now, and I'm still surprised when people answer that :pac:

For learning Irish, I'm told the Rosetta Stone is good (a few polish lads I worked with learnt Irish with it).

Will I Am Not

Irish society would be up there with the easiest of all to assimilate to. Sounds like you’re doing a good job of it so far anyway.

We are in general laid back, friendly, pleasant people and warm to people with those same characteristics. Of course you will find those that are the complete opposite too. Don’t be put off by the misery and hostility you will find on message boards like this, nobody can be nice all the time, there has to be a release somewhere

ancapailldorcha

Mod: Moved to After Hours as per OP's request.

yosser hughes

the_syco wrote: »

I'm here in Toronto for 17 months now, and I'm still surprised when people answer that :pac:

For learning Irish, I'm told the Rosetta Stone is good (a few polish lads I worked with learnt Irish with it).

Don't be wasting your time learning Irish if you still need to improve your English. English is the language spoken here.
I'd recommend joining some kind if sports club or drama group. Something like that.

Billy86

the_syco wrote: »

I'm here in Toronto for 17 months now, and I'm still surprised when people answer that :pac:

For learning Irish, I'm told the Rosetta Stone is good (a few polish lads I worked with learnt Irish with it).

The worst in Canada was people literally making the three footstep walk over to you when after saying "come here a minute til I tell you something". :pac:

endacl

‘The craic’.

Once you understand everything that is meant by ‘the craic’, you’re in.

Wildcard7

irska1700 wrote: »

black tea

German, by any chance?

Do
- Visit pubs in small towns, try different beers, eat different food.
- Watch Father Ted. If you don't like it you're not compatible with Irish culture (and there's something seriously wrong with you). Not recognising quotes from Father Ted is a capital sin.
- Engage in smalltalk when someone talks about the weather. "Lovely day today" means that a stranger is open to exchange a few words with you. It also means it stopped raining long enough for some blue/gray sky to come through.

Don't
- Let anyone buy you a beer if you don't know how "rounds" work.
- Refer to Irish people as "British".
- Actually tell anyone about your diarrhea or the recent death of your hamster when you're asked "how are you". Acceptable answers are "how are you" (yes, not joking here), "hi", "not too bad, how are you" or "ah you know what it's like".
- Expect too much from Irish People. They're a lovely bunch, but if you're indeed coming from a german speaking country you are used to levels of punctuality and reliability that are an alien concept to the Irish. If a plumber says he'll be there at 09:00, and he turns up that day at all, he's a keeper.
- Refer to tea as "black tea". Tea is tea. Herbal teas are herbal teas.

cantdecide

Stop saying 'I guess'; it's 'I suppose' in Irishese.

Wildcard7 wrote: »

- Actually tell anyone about your diarrhea or the recent death of your hamster when you're asked "how are you". Acceptable answers are "how are you" (yes, not joking here), "hi", "not too bad, how are you" or "ah you know what it's like".

'Grand. Yourself?' Is fine too.

Mrs OBumble

when you are going on wedding, when you hear that someone is engaged

If you are invited to the dinner part of the wedding, then your gift should "cover the cost of your plate", ie the amount per head which the dinner is likely to be costing. This is usually €50 or more in flasher venues. It doesn't have to be cash, but cash is perfectly acceptable.

Hearing that someone engaged .. girls, gush over the ring, close friends start to plan the hen party. Boys ... I dunno, buy them a beer without any expectation of being paid back.

the_syco

yosser hughes wrote: »

Don't be wasting your time learning Irish if you still need to improve your English. English is the language spoken here.

Whilst english is the main language here, the OP will find that many natives are unable to speak it properly either :pac:

Marcusm

Wildcard7 wrote: »

German, by any chance?

Do
- Visit pubs in small towns, try different beers, eat different food.
- Watch Father Ted. If you don't like it you're not compatible with Irish culture (and there's something seriously wrong with you). Not recognising quotes from Father Ted is a capital sin.
- Engage in smalltalk when someone talks about the weather. "Lovely day today" means that a stranger is open to exchange a few words with you. It also means it stopped raining long enough for some blue/gray sky to come through.

Don't
- Let anyone buy you a beer if you don't know how "rounds" work.
- Refer to Irish people as "British".
- Actually tell anyone about your diarrhea or the recent death of your hamster when you're asked "how are you". Acceptable answers are "how are you" (yes, not joking here), "hi", "not too bad, how are you" or "ah you know what it's like".
- Expect too much from Irish People. They're a lovely bunch, but if you're indeed coming from a german speaking country you are used to levels of punctuality and reliability that are an alien concept to the Irish. If a plumber says he'll be there at 09:00, and he turns up that day at all, he's a keeper.
- Refer to tea as "black tea". Tea is tea. Herbal teas are herbal teas.

Herbal teas are not tea! I suspect the OP used black tea (correctly) to distinguish from white, green etc which are the same teas with different processing methods!

yosser hughes

yosser hughes wrote: »

Don't be wasting your time learning Irish if you still need to improve your English. English is the language spoken here.

The nineteenth century called; it wants its lower socio-economic status indicator mentality back. Speak for yourself. We're not all cultureless knackers with wannabe English notions soaking in ignorance and cultural cringe shame about the Irish having their own distinctive culture.

OP, Have a read of this just published book by a Russian immigrant to Ireland about her experiences as an Irish speaker:

Ireland as Gaeilge: a User-Friendly Guide to the Irish language

Donald Trump

Soft day, thank God

Wildcard7

Marcusm wrote: »

Herbal teas are not tea! I suspect the OP used black tea (correctly) to distinguish from white, green etc which are the same teas with different processing methods!

And yet you refer to them as herbal tea as well. You didn't call them "herbal brews" or anything.

I'm splitting hairs now. In the german language (where I grew up), "tea" means "any sort of leaf dumped in hot water", and "black tea" (Schwarztee) means tea. In countries where tea is a bit of a religious thing, it's important to be precise. Tea is tea. Anything else is not refered to as "tea". You can call it "herbal tea" for lack of a better term, but "tea" on its own refers to the one and only, it's not a term for the family of "herbs that can be soaked in tea".

Don't fück around with tea.

irska

Hi, dear people, thank you for all your opinions.

I improved my social life. I would like to give ideas to other people who are moving to Ireland.

1. I start to go to events that I find on meetup.com, girlcrew.com (mobile app) social events.
2. I payed membership in gym where I have free group classes as well.
3. I went to library to chek board and local events.
4. I went to Art Center to chek board and classes, and I cheked events online, and start to do my plan for each month. Soo every begin of month, I wrotte all events on calendar, then If I have day off Im going.
5. I find couchsurfing weekly event in town.
6. I find in charity shop second hand books and Im learning grammar.
7. I find volounteer center and summer festivals are searching for volounteers.

I lived before in village and Ive been bored after job and mostly I stayed at home and Ive been depressed.

I moved before half year to Galway, so finally Im close to all events, and I love how Galway is small town comparing to Dublin, in Galway is soo many things, classes, events to do, and also lot of people from everywhere.

Deep inside I have feeling that MAYBE I could also good fit in Dublin by my interests described above, only Im worry about rent, Its impossible to find room for 500euro in Dublin, Im single, young, I dont have car, I could live 1 year just for "having fun" in Dublin, and Im not sure is that good idea or better stick with Galway, and do from time to time 1 day trip and stay overnight there?
Somehow I have feeling that my life is passing away and that in Dublin I have bigger chance to get better job, met more people and do more activities in spare time? I liked to make new experiences and enjoy life fulfill.

From another side, Im worry about street crime in Dublin, maybe Im paranoid, but Im not sure how safety would be to live in Dublin and walk around as a solo female girl, especially If I work late hours or early.
Anyway, about tea, Im from Croatia, and we dont drink tea with milk, in coffe shop mostly you can find herbal tea.
I think milk and butter is really nice in Ireland, but Im not big fan of tea with milk.
I love apple cider also .

irska

endacl wrote: »

‘The craic’.

Once you understand everything that is meant by ‘the craic’, you’re in.

Can you explain this

For me craic mean "making jokes with co-workers" and going to drink in pub?
Is there anything else that I miss about "the craic"

:pac:

I will have a look Father Ted, thank you for advice.

Capt'n Midnight

irska wrote: »

I will have a look Father Ted, thank you for advice.

Not everyone is like characters in Fr Ted.


But yes there are people like that out there.

Fr_Dougal

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Not everyone is like characters in Fr Ted.


But yes there are people like that out there.

ORLY?

Capt'n Midnight

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

ORLY?

O'Reilly

biko

As you know, Ireland is more than Galway and Dublin. Visit Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Belfast - all bigger cities than Galway and nice in their own right.
Cork and Belfast would have good job opportunities and are cheaper to live in than Dublin (and Galway), depends on where you live etc

irska1700

biko wrote: »

As you know, Ireland is more than Galway and Dublin. Visit Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Belfast - all bigger cities than Galway and nice in their own right.
Cork and Belfast would have good job opportunities and are cheaper to live in than Dublin (and Galway), depends on where you live etc

I lived in Cork before, I love Galway more.
I never been in Waterford, but I find more things to do in Galway then in Waterford, Limerick, they seem quiet places comparing to vibrant Galway.

I agree that better jobs opportunity are in Cork, I will think about it anyway.

Whats your about Dublin?