Things you won't hear in the U.S....

Having conversations with many different people over here from taxi drivers to co-workers, I've run into the following phrases/things that you won't hear or see in the U.S. (some have taken me a little off guard):

• Having some cracks. (I think it's actually spelled craigh, but with the Irish accent it's hard to tell)= translation- having a couple of laughs. You have no idea what was running through my head when I heard this one....
• Drinking Budweiser or Miller Light on ice - really... it's cold over here and these folks put beer on ice.
• The ladies get really dressed up to go to the pubs (and there really is at a minimum one pub per block). Short dresses, no tights, heels.... Again... crazy it's too cold for that
• The art of pouring a Guinness. The bar tender poured the beer, and like any good American my co-worker grabbed it instantly. However we learned that you must let Guinness settle, then tip it backwards and top it off. (my co-worker almost had his hand slapped by the bar tender for this behavior)
• The use of "Ye" in conversation- yes it's used in everyday conversation. "I'll be sure to get back to 'ye' in the morn"

I'm half way through my time here, so I'm sure I'll have more to add to the list by the end of the trip.

Ireland living....

I just wanted to give everyone and update on how things are going from Ireland, since I made it through week 1 of work here. It has been a great experience, but with any international travel there are a few things that stick out. First of all the weather is so different, and it's taking some getting used to. In the mornings in typically been very chilly with a little bit of drizzle, and then all of a sudden the sun comes out. Then wait about an hour and it's pouring again. Needless to say I've been the American in the office who wears two layers of clothes at all time because these folks are used to this chilly weather. Secondly the people at Dell Ireland are very regimented in their daily activities. The teams tend to arrive by 9, and go for exactly a 15min tea break at 10 AM. Everyone heads down to lunch right at 12:15, and 30 min later they are packing up their things to head back to their desks. They are so precise on the 30 min at lunch, you can truly set your clock by it. At 5 PM everyone is heading out the door, and the other night we didn't get out until 5:30 and the parking lot was empty. Third, driving on the left hand side of the road, no matter what the right hand turns paired with the round-a-bouts still scare me. Fourth, there are more pubs than eating establishments, really. You can eat in some of the pubs, but there are a limited number of restaurants here. Finally, the people are so helpful and nice here. No matter who you strike up a conversation with your taxi driver, the people at lunch, the people at the pub everyone has an opinion, and everyone will spend the 20-30 minutes to give it to you.

This weekend my co-worker and I have hired a driver to take us to Killarney, which should give us a peak into rural Ireland. Everyone in town has described it as "brilliant" or "lovely", so pending the weather holding out we'll be in for a treat! More to come...