I have been in Ireland – Maynooth to be exact – for two weeks, but there have already been many things I have noticed. I want to write about some of the things I have noticed and the differences.
Much of what I have experienced is similar to what I know from home in Colorado but there are many things that are different from what I expected or thought I had known.
Many of the facts I knew about Ireland were from stories I had heard from friends, family, or from the internet. Coming here has changed some of the things I thought I knew.
It rains a lot, definitely more than in Colorado. I have experienced very heavy rain and many sunny days where there have been hardly any clouds. From the stories I had heard, I thought it would be raining and overcast and freezing cold every single day, but it is not. I do wonder if that changes throughout the year though, maybe it is rainier during a specific season and it might be rainier later into my trip. Right now it is not as rainy as I expected. Personally, I love the rain and have greatly enjoyed the rain, clouds and sun that I have experienced so far.
There are also differences in language used. There are many terms that are different from in America. For example, take away is what take out is called. Trash or garbage is referred to as rubbish. One of the biggest differences I have heard so far is “craic,” pronounced “crack”. “Craic” is an Irish word and means fun. These are not particularly shocking but when these phrases and words are added together at the same time and you are having to learn everything else new, it can be a lot to think about. With that said I think that the more I hear these new phrases and words the easier it will become to add them to my vocabulary.
Ireland is a lot more diverse than I expected. From stories and media I thought that Ireland had mostly Irish people, but I was still hoping to meet people from all over the world. When I arrived, one of the very first things I noticed was how many people there are in Maynooth from outside Europe. I understand there are places with less diversity, and this large amount of diversity may be due to Maynooth being a college town, but I am still happy to see so many people from all around the world.
The diversity in this town also ties into the food. There are many different cuisines in Maynooth. I have eaten food from all around the world including Irish foods, but I have also found restaurants serving Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indian, and more.
Another difference is that there are no screens on the windows, so when you open your window, the window is just open. There is nothing there stopping bugs from coming in. I did not expect this, but it is not big of a deal because there are not as many bugs trying to get in.
There is more old architecture here in Ireland than there is in Colorado. With the large amount of old architecture, it seems as though there is a very large amount of ancient castles. In Maynooth there is a castle right next to campus. The picture above is of Maynooth Castle.
There are many other differences, but these ones seemed extra important because they either shocked me or changed my understanding of what I thought I had known. I think that recognizing the differences and learning to accept them is a good way to figure out the new place you are in and to help your mind realize you are somewhere different. Difference is not aways bad and staying the same is not always good. It is stressful finding so many of these differences because it changes my daily life. With that said, I also enjoy learning about new places, and I am grateful for finding the similarities and the differences; it makes things more interesting and it is constantly teaching me new things.
DU Abroad 