I know I'm back in Ireland because...

dpe · 03-08-2011 11:39AM

Paddy Cow wrote: »

... I notice all the colloquiaisms that I took for granted that didn't stand out when I lived here all my life but which other people took the piss out of me for when I went abroad. A guy I worked with thought it was hilarious that we called bank cards pass cards. The first time I said I was going to the pass machine to take out some money he thought I said the pasta machine

I've got the opposite problem; every time I go home to the UK, I keep saying everything is "Grand" all the bloody time. When I asked my mum to get something out of the "Press" last time I was over, I knew I'd gone native. I'm only a "how-a-ye?" away from a tracksuit and drug habit

ISDW · 03-08-2011 11:40AM

Putting petrol in the car and if you go over by a cent or two not being charged for it, thats when I know I'm back. NEVER happens in Britain, if you put £20.01 in, thats what you pay.

vampire of kilmainham · 03-08-2011 11:40AM

jester77 wrote: »

.. every house I visit while I'm back..,

"will you have a cuppa tea?"
"i'm ok, thanks"
"ah go on, you'll have one"

i just say yes because they'll make ya anyway

Captain Darling · 03-08-2011 11:41AM

Its only a recession. Sure you'll be grand. :cool:

blaze1 · 03-08-2011 11:59AM

FinnLizzy wrote: »

..within one hour of me returning from London, I heard the recession mentioned three times out of context.

First time on the plane, some old fella from Mayo, nice chap, going on about the terrible state of the property market and how the good old days are gone (he's a sub contractor).

Then I heard some mother in a shop say to her child that he can't have those sweets because "...we're in a recession". Makes perfect sense to a fecking 10 year old, where a simple NO can do. Might as well say "you can't have sweets because Brian Cowen said so".

Then on the radio on the way back. "Breakfast with Hector?" I'm never up this early so yeah. It's a light hearted show, and some girl called in to do a quiz. The conversation went like this (not word for word): "Well, you seem happy today?" "I am Hector" "It's great to see people happy with all the doom and gloom".

I just want to get this off my chest, because the recession doesn't affect me to such an extent that it dictates my emotions!

Does anybody else get annoyed when the 'R' word get brought up for no particular reason?*

*Yes, I see the irony of writing about the recession on forum over-loaded with recession based topics.

Welcome to ireland... Please have your passports and wallets ready for inspection..

AeoNGriM · 03-08-2011 12:20PM

FinnLizzy wrote: »

..within one hour of me returning from London, I heard the recession mentioned three times out of context.

First time on the plane, some old fella from Mayo, nice chap, going on about the terrible state of the property market and how the good old days are gone (he's a sub contractor).

Then I heard some mother in a shop say to her child that he can't have those sweets because "...we're in a recession". Makes perfect sense to a fecking 10 year old, where a simple NO can do. Might as well say "you can't have sweets because Brian Cowen said so".

Then on the radio on the way back. "Breakfast with Hector?" I'm never up this early so yeah. It's a light hearted show, and some girl called in to do a quiz. The conversation went like this (not word for word): "Well, you seem happy today?" "I am Hector" "It's great to see people happy with all the doom and gloom".

I just want to get this off my chest, because the recession doesn't affect me to such an extent that it dictates my emotions!

Does anybody else get annoyed when the 'R' word get brought up for no particular reason?*

*Yes, I see the irony of writing about the recession on forum over-loaded with recession based topics.

:cool:

smurgen · 03-08-2011 12:24PM

priorities are all over the place! example : i commute between Geneva, Switzerland and Cork. No direct route from Cork for most of the year so I fly from Dublin. Dublin airport, particularly the new terminal is top of the range, stylish looking yet the transport to and from that airport is terrible! In Geneva the reverse is true!the airport looks like its from the 70's and 80's yet it all works as it's suppost to! there's a fantastic train station right in the airport that leaves exactly on time! also plenty of busses all the time too! in Ireland we definatly have style over substance!

iguana · 03-08-2011 12:41PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

- The friendliness. I'm always struck by how I'm greeted by the guy checking the passports as you walk out and when I walk into a shop and how often I get chatting to someone outside the airport, even if it's only something like, "Jaysus, it's freezing, isn't it?". I remember waiting for my dad to pick me up outside Dublin airport last Winter and I went to get a cup of tea as it was freezing and the woman working in the shop gave me a free Twix bar...and I shed a little tear. You might argue with me but come to Madrid and you'll know what I'm talking about. Ireland IS a relatively friendly country no matter what you say. People want to talk to you even if they don't know you. You don't get that here.

When I first moved back to Ireland after 5 years in London I had to completely readjust to this. I'd walk out the door and just instantly put on "game face" (neutral expression, eyes fixed ahead, curt nod to anyone who accidentally makes eye-contact, walk at determined speed with assured gait, etc). It's not something I ever realised I was even doing until I noticed that when I'd nod at a neighbour they didn't nod back they'd stop whatever they were doing and launch into a conversation and I was already 3 doors past them as I hadn't slowed down.:o

But the main way I knew I was back in Ireland was seeing the Angelus on the telly at 6pm. That was a real WTF:eek: moment, it was like going back in time or something. The "modern" thing RTÉ are doing with them with the road sweeper or the office worker pausing for a moment of reflection is even more naff than the stained glass Mary and baby Jesus picture for the '80s.:pac:

TPD · 03-08-2011 12:46PM

I knew I was back when I got rained on more in the 2 minute walk from terminal to bus stop than I had in the 6 weeks previous.

syklops · 03-08-2011 12:47PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

I've been living out of the country for a fair few years and things I always notice are:

-How pale and translucent us Irish as a nation are. No one else compares...

- The friendliness. I'm always struck by how I'm greeted by the guy checking the passports as you walk out and when I walk into a shop and how often I get chatting to someone outside the airport, even if it's only something like, "Jaysus, it's freezing, isn't it?". I remember waiting for my dad to pick me up outside Dublin airport last Winter and I went to get a cup of tea as it was freezing and the woman working in the shop gave me a free Twix bar...and I shed a little tear. You might argue with me but come to Madrid and you'll know what I'm talking about. Ireland IS a relatively friendly country no matter what you say. People want to talk to you even if they don't know you. You don't get that here.

- Yeah, agree with the OP, immediate chat about the recession either from my dad or on the radio.

- Being able to understand everything being said by strangers and on the radio.

- How they destroyed a lot of the Irish countryside with housing estates that all look virtually the same. Bastards.

- The greyness of Irish skies. Read an article about Ireland's situation a while ago and the journalist that he was talking to a taxi driver in Dublin who had an African guy in his car. His first observation was, "It's like Ireland is being sat on by a giant elephant."

- How laid-back a country it is. People are in no major rush.

- How badly we dress. I include myself in that by the way.

- The smell of fresh, clean air and how green and lush the country is.

Going home at the end of the month! Can't wait...

Post of the day methinks. The friendliness is something I really miss too. For a nation that loves to moan so much, we are incredibly friendly. Had my first random conversation on public transport with a Czech last week(First time in 2 years, and using public transport everyday). Five minutes into the conversation it turns out he lived in Ireland for a few years. Obviously something rubbed off on him.

I love flying into Dublin, and suddenly seeing the green fields. Its a really deep lush green. Its a good job the property bubble burst when it did, the corrupt planners would have allowed the entire country to be paved over if it hadn't.

I remember being home the last time, and we were in the car going in to town(not Dublin, another town), and I turned on the radio only to hear the R word, and I said, "Do you not get sick of hearing recession everytime you turn on the radio?", and my mother goes "Absolutely sick of it", so I'm not the only one. I grew up in the 80's and we didnt have 2 pence to rub together, but I dont remember people mentioning the R word every five minutes.

W.Shakes-Beer · 03-08-2011 12:50PM

You know your back in Ireland when you feel like you're driving on the surface of the moon.

summerskin · 03-08-2011 12:56PM

smurgen wrote: »

priorities are all over the place! example : i commute between Geneva, Switzerland and Cork. No direct route from Cork for most of the year so I fly from Dublin. Dublin airport, particularly the new terminal is top of the range, stylish looking yet the transport to and from that airport is terrible! In Geneva the reverse is true!the airport looks like its from the 70's and 80's yet it all works as it's suppost to! there's a fantastic train station right in the airport that leaves exactly on time! also plenty of busses all the time too! in Ireland we definatly have style over substance!

And too many exclamation marks, by the look of it.

Eve_Dublin · 03-08-2011 01:03PM

ruahead wrote: »

"This is a drop off area only, vehicle stow in operation". This announcement at departures, being collected in Dublin airport in the most boring voice ever reminds me of the boring priest in father ted.:)

Haahha!! ****e I forgot this!! This makes me laugh...I'm from an area close to Dublin airport, so my Dad usually does a drive by to pick me up. Before it was no probs to wait upstairs but now you have this announcement booming in your ears (and you're right, boring voice alert...they must make it boring to deter you) and Gardai wandering around. First time this happened I went downstairs to ask DAA information what the craic was and they told me that there wasn't a pick up place now but I was to ignore the announcement upstairs and wait there!! Where else would you get that contradictory advice? This could only happen in Ireland, couldn't it?