A Bit of Craic

“When did you come to Ireland?”

“Two days ago.”

“Really?  And have you had good crack?”

“Uh….what?”

I later found out that the kind of crack this nice stranger was referring to was craic, which means fun.  The Irish, especially those under the age of thirty, use this word more than an American teenager uses “like.”  I have also learned that when someone says something is “class,” it means that something is very nice.  For example:

“Did you go on holiday to Dingle?”

“Yes, I did.  It was really class.”

If you want to know if there are any good looking men in a town, you ask if there is any talent.  I found this out when I was waiting at a bus stop one day.  I struck up a conversation with a woman from Cork and she was very curious about Listowel. 

“Is there any talent in Listowel?” she asked.

“Talent for what?” I responded.

“You know, good looking blokes.  Talent.”

“Oh!”

And here are some more translations for you:

Chips = French fries

Crisps = Potato chips

Spuds or Mash = Potatoes

Rashers = Bacon

Bangers = Sausage

White pudding = Solidified pig blood in a sausage casing

(Feel free to cringe, just as I did.)

In grocery stores, the eggs can be found unrefrigerated in the bread aisle (I bought some anyway and haven’t died...yet).  Peanut butter is extremely hard to find, and the label reads, “American Style.”  Also, coffee is found mostly in the form of instant.  I became very excited the other day when I found some real coffee grounds for a French press.

I have found that I have a difficult time with Irish doors.  There are knobs on just about all of them, but none of the knobs turn.  You basically have to push the door in exactly the right position to get it to open.  I have felt (and looked) like a fool many times while trying to open doors here.  But you could say that I have a love/hate relationship with Irish doors.  They may be impossible to open, but they are so beautiful!  Never have I seen so many different colors and unique door knockers.

Since coming to Listowel, I have not been able to find a converter for my curling iron and hair straightener.  Without the aid of these tools, my hair has been wild and curly.  At first I felt self-conscious about my style, but then I realized something: everyone’s hair is wild and curly here.  So I will enjoy this time of not having to worry about what my hair looks like.

Sure, I have had to make some lifestyle adjustments since moving to Ireland, but these adjustments have been minor.  It is easy to allow cultural differences to make one homesick, but I choose to embrace these differences, finding the humor and beauty in it.  After all, I didn’t come this far to find another America.

 Door photography is my new obsession.

I love this note.  The shop owner returned right when I took this picture.  She looked at me very strangely.