Tag Archives: The Irish

Immigrant Awareness: American Isolation, Social Media, and Brexit

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Glenn Kaufmann

It seems all too obvious that living in another country would, or should, increase our awareness of the world; but I was not prepared for how much it would open my eyes not just about the rest of the world, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Immigration & Emigration, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

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

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Glenn Kaufmann

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

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

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Glenn Kaufmann

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

People Of Faith: The Real Irish Religion

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Glenn Kaufmann

With stores jammed with chocolate bunnies and half of Ireland packed into the off-license the day before the “End Times” (the nationwide Good Friday moratorium on alcohol), religion has been on my mind a bit this week. With visions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Irish Life & Society, Religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Learning the Language: Social Context Clues For Expats

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Glenn Kaufmann

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

The Land Of All Things: For Expats There Is No “Perfect” Place

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Glenn Kaufmann

For those of us who like to travel, and have long wanted to live overseas, we often imagine that there’s some country/place out there, some golden, shining bastion of goodness that will cure everything, and be our “perfect” place. Sadly … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Friends & Family | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Stone Fences: Struggle, Sacrifice, and the Expat Life & Legacy

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

For the past week I’ve spent an hour or so every day digging in the garden, preparing a 4-foot by two-foot patch of ground for planting. Ever day, as I pull dozens and dozens of stones from the ground, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Countryside, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Why Ireland Is Better Than the United States: One Man’s Joy At Not Living Somewhere Slavishly Devoted To ‘The Individual’

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

After nearly three years of living in Ireland, the thrill and curiosity of not living in a superpower has dulled a bit, but still fascinates me. On a daily basis the need not to compete with everyone, and the need … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Health Care, Immigration & Emigration, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Ruminations On Land: Thoughts On the Value Of The World

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

Walking the dog today, in the first real sunshine we’ve had in weeks, I once again found myself thinking about the country I’d moved to.  It wasn’t the people or the government that troubled me; my mind was on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish Countryside, Irish Economy, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Local: Where Are You From

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

In a country as small as Ireland, where local parish control of life (so called “parish pump politics”) was, and is, still so important, the seat of knowledge, the gathering place (the pub), became known as, “The Local”.  But for … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, Irish Countryside, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments