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Things that Surprised the Americans

Just a few things we've noticed since arriving in Ireland...
  1. Palm trees. They grow here.
  2. Death notices air on the radio daily. (I foresee writing a whole post about Irish death culture sometime in the future.) 
  3. The price of groceries generally--it's low compared to what we're used to!
  4. Non-alcoholic beer, wine, and cider are much easier to find than stereotypes suggest.
  5. Grocery items that have been difficult or impossible to find: applesauce, minced garlic, tomato paste (although tomato puree and sauce, etc. are available).
  6. Handshakes. They are generally not treated as a competition. I can't figure out how firmly to grasp or what angle of approach to use in any given situation.
  7. Every electrical outlet has its own switch.
  8. Laundry: If your home has a dryer, it's the same machine as the washer. 
  9. Household appliances are generally much smaller than we're used to.
  10. Duvets are everything. Flat sheets are rare.
  11. There are no screens on the windows.
  12. Coffee might be even more popular than tea--but it's all espresso. (To be fair, my view of what's popular in terms of caffeine might be skewed by my presence in academia.)
  13. Composting is required. Each dwelling is required to have bins for waste, recycling, and compost. Waste management charges by weight, and the rates are higher for waste than for recycling and compost.
Looking forward to learning more as we settle in to our new home in city centre. For now, it's time to go hang the washing on the line in our back patio and listen to the trad music coming from the All-Ireland Hurling Final watch party. Luimneach Abú!

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