When I visited Cork last fall, I came across this shop in neon blue lights, filled with all kinds of cheap goods – some might say: rubbish – for cheap prices. Those shops are popular across Europe and since they sell literally everything for the same price, they were named after it:

1-Euro-Shops.

Now what would you think those Shops are called in Ireland…? – Exactly: Simply double the price and name.

Luckily, the owner chose not to raise his prices exponentially, as his shop sign might suggest.

So now that I’ve settled in a little – although I still discover new things every day –, things in Dublin become more routine-ish, but more funky as well. The constant marveling of the first weeks has been replaced by a “proud to be a Dubliner” feeling, which I really enjoy.

The only thing I have to take is being urged to start the social part of my weekend on Thursdays. Of course, I still have to work on a Friday, thus, Thursday’s (still easy) pub night makes me suffer already beforehand. On a Friday, everybody is going out – so I do, too. Being wrecked on a Saturday then, you just hope Sunday night to be over as soon as possible, without having slept too much the whole weekend. It’s called “swimming against the tide”, as I was taught recently.

The first paycheck has found its way to my – *drum roll* – new bank account, the Internet connection has been installed the forthcoming weekend, oh, and did I mention our new 42″ High Definition TV? (I tend to call it “Goliath”.) – As you can see, I’m really content because apparently everything’s working out really well right now.

Last week, Cristina came over from Hamburg to celebrate her birthday here in Dublin, and we spent a gorgeous day at two lovely towns on the seaside in Dublin’s north: The more down-to-earth, kind of rough and coarse Howth with it’s fish trawlers and a quite stiff breeze on the one side, on the other side the more elegant and tacit but stunningly beautiful bay of Malahide – both easily reachable by Dublin’s public transportation train DART. We had a great time – as did this seal in Howth’s harbour obviously as well:

Look, they already built me a castle! (No, really they didn’t. It’s just a funny-named estate in South Dublin.)

It’s exactly a month of being a Dubliner now – time to come to an interim conclusion. (Okay, it’s a bit early for that, but there are more of those to come.)

1. Left-sided driving still hasn’t made it to into my awareness. I nearly get run over every second day or so. Gotta work on that.

2. Dublin’s high prices still scare me. 10 Euros to go to the cinema – yes, for one movie –, 7 Euros for a sandwich in the next supermarket, and I’ve already mentioned the toilet paper prices… But I’m getting used to it, every day a little more.

3. I haven’t set up my internet connection at home yet – shame on me. But since I’m working in the Internet throughout the day, my motivation might be a little lowered. Plus, I have flatmates that tend to be more of the cellphone-using kinds of persons (960 texts a month! And that’s only one of them!)…

4. Getting a bank account in Ireland is almost as difficult as Wilhelm Voigt once had to experience with getting a passport in Berlin: No gas or electricity bills, no bank account. No bank account, no gas or electricity. A funny game. It’s helpful though, when one of your roommate works with one of those banks and pulls some strings.

5. Oh, what am I going to do with my first paycheck? Finally get an iPhone? Forget it. Out of stock in Ireland, for months to come, I guess.

So, what’s my conclusion? In fact: I can’t really come to one. It’s a nice place to live, the weather actually sucks most of the time, and I spend a lot of time at work. So far, so good. The next months will be filled with more experiences, I’m sure. (By the way, if you’re bored because I’m posting too rarely, check Patrick’s stories from Manchester.)

Oh boy, what an immense effort to get two bicycles transported from one German city to another! Deutsche Bahn courier services offer a subsidized rate with Hermes Logistics – 25 Euros per bike, not including the packaging (”only 5,90 Euros, for a limited time only!”). Aer Lingus charges another 30 Euros for the transport via plane. Ugh. But I really need a bike in those forthcoming first days of living in Dublin, so I can take a look at all the rooms and apartments available on the market.

And another question that bothers me: How on earth will I span the distance between the airport and my temporary accomodation with a packed bike and a heavy case in both hands and a bag around my neck? I guess a cab might be the easiest solution, though I have to admit that I’m usually too avaricious for that.

But at least, I’ve already made contact to some people in Ireland who are looking for new roommates in the surrounding areas of my new place of work. The first appointments are made, and I’m very anxious to see if the offered (”double”) rooms really qualify for a monthly rate between 500 and 1000 Euros…