Tag Archives: Dublin

I Thought Having the Paper Would Help: Meditations on NOT Being Irish

First, my deepest apologies for not writing sooner, and particularly for not writing in the lead up to my naturalization ceremony (originally postponed due to the hurricane, and ten rescheduled and executed in late November). So, yes, I am now … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Naturalization | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Global Village: Why We Are All Immigrants in a Village of 196 Citizens

First of all, let me be clear. This is NOT a post about Donald Trump or the recent American Election. To me, in many ways, that situation is small potatoes, a mere symptom (among many) of a much larger problem. … Continue reading

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Multiculturalism and This Immigrant

Apologies for taking so long to post something, but it’s been a busy couple of months. In August I returned to filmmaking, my first love, and was fortunate enough to put together an amazing team of people to shoot most … Continue reading

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Everything Is Ireland’s Fault: Or Why I’m a Bad Immigrant

Hey, Ireland, I’ll let you in on a little secret. As much crap as you talk about the immigrants within your borders, we talk about you too. Even after nearly five years of living in Dublin, a town I’ve grown … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Friends & Family, Home & A Sense of Place | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dublin Versus Paris: An Immigrant’s Guide to Choosing A City

For those of us who are predisposed to emigration, I think there is a danger that we’ll always live with one eye fixed on distant shores. I’ll admit that “where to next” is always on my mind in some way. … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Getting On With It: Lessons in Making A Life

One of the things that simultaneously aggravates and inspires me is the Irish notion of, “It’ll be grand”, of just getting on with it, and making do. It seems so casual and whimsical, but “getting on with it” has made … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish Countryside, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Thanksgiving in Ireland: The Importance of Sharing Old Traditions and Making New Ones

Each year around Thanksgiving I’m amazed at how many of the Irish I meet are familiar with American Thanksgiving traditions. I know that’s not a typical immigrant experience. Ireland and the U.S. are unnaturally close. But I am heartened to … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Pubs, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Company you Keep: Celebrating Immigrant Differences

In the ex-pat community you often hear people say that to have a true local experience you shouldn’t hang out with other immigrants, particularly your own kind (Americans if you’re American, the French if you’re from Paris, etc.). “Buswah”, I … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Immigration & Emigration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Foreign & Domestic: Expat Loyalty & The European Union

Shortly after moving to Dublin, as I started to learn more about the EU, I began to hear locals speak of the U.S. and its Federal Reserve banking system in lofty terms. It seems that out here on the fringes … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Irish Economy, Irish Life & Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Learning the Language: Social Context Clues For Expats

One of the first things my wife and I noticed when we arrived in Dublin was that being American (or presumably from anywhere else) was kind of a mixed bag of good and bad. On the one hand, as long … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Irish Life & Society | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments