Random observations:

The sponges here suck. I haven't seen a decent sponge in Dublin. They're all those synthetic cheapo sponges that you get at the dollar store back home. I can't figure out where you get a decent sponge, like a Crate and Barrel pop-up sponge, even. The smears! The smears!

Not to generalize, but Americans have a reputation for being loud, but I tell you the Irish can sure keep up. Yikes there are some yellers up in this piece.

Customer Service is crap. When you call anywhere, like the bank or an internet company, or if you go into a restaurant or a store, the service people don't treat you anywhere near as well as in the US. I never realized how good it was over there! But here there's just no veneer of friendliness or helpfulness. You really are at the mercy of the mood of the person on the other end. And I've found that they generally are wont to leave out one little bit of information that might have been helpful to you. However I have come across a couple of helpful folks here and there -- the guys at Vodafone sent me to their competitors for broadband and I have to say it was a better deal!

Getting into town is so much easier than where we were in Somerville. It feels like a luxury to be so close to civilization. At the end of the street there are about 4 or 5 buses that go into Dublin Center. And there's also a grocery store (I learned this week that groceries are also called "messages" here! isn't that cute?), a nice bakery, and a liquor store, although the grocery store sells booze too. In Somerville it was always such a hike, so it's nice to have these things so near. Our fridge and freezer are both very small -- like the size of those bigger dorm refrigerators -- so we have to go to the store more often. But it's nice that way, I think. It gives things less time to spoil anyways.

Yesterday may have been the first mostly sunny day since I arrived, and to make up for it, today is cloudy and dark. But I think it's better than slush and snow and freezing cold. :)