Lies and the Lying Liars who tell them in Dublin...

I never thought I would be nostalgic for the curmudgeonly, reserved, so-called unfriendly Boston ethos...and I'm not...haha, jus' kidding...I really, really, am. I have to say that for all the shit-talking that goes on about our stand-offish ways, with a Bostonian, you always know where you stand. I'm finding that Irish culture, at least in the world of Business is more akin to California than Massachusetts. People are just far too nice, in a sometimes duplicitous sort of way.

I've had a bunch of interviews now and they have all gone well and people have been all smiles and promises but I have yet to see any job offers. This one woman interviewed me and at the end of the interview said, "Great, so we need to have you in for a second interview to meet the big boss, I'll call you on Mon. or Tues. to arrange it...blah-de-blah," and then I never heard from her again. A few weeks later, I got a pdf attachment from her which was a form letter with all the usual, "we didn't pick you, we'll keep your CV on file..." Another guy, I interviewed with last week told me he wanted me to come in and do a trial day someday this week, that they just had to fix some problems they were having with their spare workstation...and again, it's now Wednesday and nothing. This time I decided to email him and see what the deal was and he said that they were still having problems with the workstation but that he would get in touch when they sorted it and get me in there....hhhhmmmm, maybe, just, maybe, he wasn't completely bullshitting me but I'm not convinced that I would have heard from him if I didn't make the extra effort. A family friend of Tom's who is a native Dub told me that many Americans are frustrated by the way that business is done here...People are all sweetness and light but where's the beef?

I really, really, really, don't need people to blow sunshine up my ass. I really, really, really, would rather have it straight. I know that's probably a bit rich coming from me who leans in the direction of telling people what they want to hear but good god, a whole country of me's is not a good thing. I'm finding that being away from home in some way, makes me more aware of who I am and all the external things, work, city, culture, friends, family etc... that have in some part defined me. It's kind of interesting really...that is when it's not really annoying. Well, I guess this is what I signed up for when I decided to move country. Everyday is a rollercoaster ride of all kinds of emotions...I love discovering new things and finding my way through all the things that are just a little bit (or a lot) different but I have my moments where I really am a stranger in a strange land and I just don't get it.

Christopher (one of Tom's good friends from Belfast) said something to me a few weeks ago that I've been carrying with me since. He just moved to London and rides the tube to work, and for those of you who don't know him, he is Mr. Casanova with the ladies. I seriously can't keep up. Anyway, he's got this thing where he sits next to a cute girl on the tube and starts chatting her up and if she's receptive, he asks her where she's getting off and if she'd like to have a drink. I am amazed by his ability to just put himself out there and said so and he responded that, "You have to be willing to take rejection to get what you want." Now, knowing Christopher, he was in no way trying to be deep...he was just thinking with...well, you get it...but it is a good point. One that I have been trying to keep in mind while being strung along by various potential employers.

So now I've written a novel of complaints and haven't told you all about the lovely grocery I found, spiceworld, with all sorts of gorgeous middle-eastern and medditerreanean foods and I haven't told you about my relaxing weekend in Belfast and my day trip to Killough and Ardglass, two fishing villages in Northern Ireland that are lovely...Oh well. Sometimes you just have to bitch a little. I hope you all don't mind. Well, I'll see you all soon and be sure to tell you exactly what I think of you...haha. I hope you're all not smiling and being aloof and reserved like good Bostonians should...Miss it madly.

Be well. See you all soon.