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We Come Bearing Gifts: Immigrant Contributions to Society
When I wrote about an incident of racial profiling that my wife and I suffered in Dublin, much of the feedback from Irish locals was along the lines of “Well of course we dislike ‘them’ (immigrants). They’re taking all the … Continue reading
Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Economy, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics
Tagged business startup, dining, emigration, entrepreneur, ethinic restaurants, ethnic food, ethnicity, expat (expatriate), foreign-owned business, home, immigration, imports, Ireland, Irish economy, life lessons, nationality, politics, real estate, travel, voting
4 Comments
Size Matters: The Peaks and Pitfalls Of Downsizing or Supersizing Your Country
It’s safe to say that when we moved from the United States to Ireland, we downshifted to a much smaller country and a much smaller economy. But, while Ireland may have fewer resources than the U.S., this immigrant uncovered a … Continue reading
Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life
Tagged America, culture & society, Dublin, emigration, expat (expatriate), HSE, immigration, Ireland, Irish economy, United States
3 Comments
Ireland Is Not One Thing: Why Immigrants Should Travel More
When we moved to Ireland in 2011, my wife and I promised ourselves that we would travel more faithfully in Ireland than we had in the United States. Though we’ve traveled quite a bit in the U.S., we’d fallen into … Continue reading
Ireland’s Next Big Thing: Where Will Ireland’s Next Financial Boom Come From?
Contrary to the wishes of many who have commented on this blog, I don’t want to “feck off back to America”. I really like it here. Ireland has a lot going for it. But, as someone who spends a lot … Continue reading
Why Do The Irish Like Being Told How To Live? Immigrants Expectations and Real Life Are Often Quite Different
My lesson for prospective immigrants reading this post is: you cannot always believe what you see, hear, or read when you are on the outside looking in. The reality in country is likely to be quite different. Beyond the logistical … Continue reading
A Pot of Gold or Not? Immigrant Property Ownership and Problems With Irish Landlords
We’ve always been cautious about real estate. But, as newly minted immigrants, we, or at least I, heard the siren song of Irish landownership. We’ve fought the urge, but for many immigrants, the idea of buying land, and buying into … Continue reading
Why The Irish Drink: Is Ireland A Country of Alcoholics Or An Alcoholic Country
The world knows Ireland as a country of pubs, and happy, hard working, hard drinking folk. Right, wrong, or indifferent, that’s the world’s impression, and it’s not entirely undeserved. In fact it’s often a proudly displayed badge of honor for … Continue reading
Posted in Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Pubs
Tagged Drinking in Ireland, Dublin pubs, Ireland, Living in Dublin, The Irish
97 Comments
Bank On It: International Banking For Immigrants
When the idea of moving overseas became serious, I, of course, had fantasies of multiple bank accounts spread around the world. Perhaps we could even find a use for a Swiss bank account. But the reality of arranging functional banking … Continue reading
Going Home: Reflections On Visiting Your Home Country
In early February I found myself headed back to the United States for the first time since we’d left for Ireland in July of 2011. While I was excited to go, I was filled with questions, and knew that neither … Continue reading
Ireland Works Well Enough – The Irish Tendency To Settle For Less Than the Best
In one of my early posts I listed “Institutionalized Disorganization & Shameless Lack of Accountability –The Irish Goat Rodeo“ as number one among the Five Tings I Hate About Dublin Ireland. Now, after 18 months, I can still say that … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
31 Comments