From the time I wake in the morning to my dreams when I sleep, I am reminded that I am on the other side of the world. I throw off my duvet at 7am, no top sheet. That was how the bed was made when we moved in, and though I've done laundry since then, I never made it to the mall to pick up a proper set of 400 count beauties. So I sit up and right away brrrrr! I needs my slippers! and my wool sweater. and my scarf. and some coffee.
Then, I traipse downstairs to make so coffee. Yes traipse. That's how I roll. No, I don't roll downstairs, I traipse. ANYWAY - - we finally got a coffee maker so I don't have to go outside to rinse the coffee grounds out of the press with a garden hose. But, there is no CoffeeMate here. Well there is powder - fhwrdh found it at Spar (that's like 7/11 but Euro) but powder is not the pure liquid hazelnut-flavor hydrogenated fat I require.
Then, its time to take a shower. To take a shower, first, I have to pull a string coming out of the ceiling to turn on the electricity to the water heater. This electric water heater is, alarmingly, right in the shower! But the water is hot, and the pressure is good, and the shampoo is Pantene so who am I to point out how water tends to conduct electricity (even the Irish 220v - no ESPECIALLY the Irish 220v)?
Then, its breakfast time! MMMM Museli! I used to eat nothing for breakfast, but now I enjoy a blend or sunflower seeds, oats, wheat husks and dried fruit topped with 1% organic milk. "Facty!" you might be exclaiming, "what commune have you joined and can I get some of your hippy herb?"
"Well, first of all", I answer "I don't have any hippy herb because I am NOT A HIPPY. I am NEW WAVE. Second of all, You should try some Museli because its plumb good". I am sick of answering to you reader's imaginary questions so I am ending this paragraph right......now.
After breakfast its time to take my children to school. Oops! one of my children isn't in school yet. Don't worry though we found Jelly a school and he will be starting as soon as they can hire an aide for him. So I take little Helly to school in her cutie cute uniform. School uniforms rock. You always know where you stand laundry wise and there are no fights due to belly buttons showing or questionable neck and hemlines.
The schools here also rock. School starts at 8:30 with a daily assembly where they sing, pray and hear announcements from the principal. Then the kids go to their classrooms for learning - no crazy spiral curriculums or partial sums. They actually have to memorize their tables. There is a morning snack break and an afternoon lunch break. Class size is about 30 for all grades but there are two teachers per classroom so every child gets individual attention every day. My daughter is thriving.
So that is my typical morning in Dublin. More to come but I don't want to overwhelm you with my culture shock. Also I want to tell you about my project: National Novel Writing Month. I have no idea what I'm going to write - I'm just going to sit down and write 50,000 words and hope they all make sense together. Probably it will turn out to be kindling, but at least I can say I wrote a broom. I mean at least I can say I wrote a bag. Damn I cant say it yet.
