Getting settled in a new country is a lot like the first day of freshman year, except you don’t have your parents constantly pointing something out and not wanting to leave. As of right now, I’ve spent almost a month in Galway, Ireland, through Fairfield’s study abroad program, and I can already say that it’s been unlike any other month.
Whether it’s registering at a new college, learning how to get around, or figuring out how to use your cell phone, it’s a lot for a 21-year-old to handle. All of these things are thrown at you the minute you step on Irish soil, and you are expected to hit the ground running. I give a lot of credit to the Study Abroad office for preparing us for most of the road bumps we were going to hit. The bumps were well worth it because the nightlife makes up for everything.
However, there were some instances that struck me as times I could have never seen coming. Most of the problems turned into hilarious experiences, and so I felt the urge to write about them as proof that no matter how hard you prepare yourself to go abroad, there is always something you’re not ready for.
Do relearn how to cross the street. When confused, always follow the stray dog. There were numerous times I would start to walk into the street and one of my roommates would yank me back just as a car whizzed by. I truly did have to learn how to cross the street all over again, since in Ireland and the United Kingdom, cars travel on opposite sides of the road. I felt that I hit an all-time low on my first day of classes. While waiting to cross a busy intersection, I was completely confused about when to go. I noticed a stray dog on the other side of the street that seemed to be much more confident about crossing than I did. So when he looked one way I looked that same way, when he looked the other way I did the same. I ended up having this smart little canine get me across the street while praying that no one noticed this.
Don’t wear clothing that gives you away as an American. Not that it’s a bad thing to be American, but part of studying abroad is experiencing a new culture and that includes trying to blend in. You’d be surprised once you step outside the United States how easy it is to tell if you’re American. Almost every night we have been out at the pubs someone will come up and ask us if we are American. After admitting that we are, I usually ask them what gave it away. It’s pretty funny how obvious it really is. For example, there’s something about three guys walking through town all wearing North Face jackets and North Face backpacks that screams “Americans.” Also, almost nobody who lives in Ireland wears a baseball hat. The last dead giveaway is the pastel colored button down shirts. This fashion trend, which dominates Fairfield wardrobes, is never seen on the locals of this island. Luckily I’m not a fan of the collar-pop because I could only imagine the harassment I would have received at the pubs.
Don’t tip in the pubs. This might come as a huge surprise because of how prominent tipping is in America. However, when someone tips a bartender in Ireland, it is seen as making the bartender inferior to you. It can be taken as an insult, and I’ve been told the best way to show your gratitude is to offer to buy him a drink every once in a while.
Do order rounds at the pub instead of individual drinks. It’s seen as a waste of time for each person in the group to order one drink. Order rounds. It’s so much more fun to say, “Hey, can we get another round of Carlsberg’s over here please?”
Don’t spend too much on the local beers. This one is almost impossible to follow. A huge part of the culture and social scene is the great assortment of European beers served at the pubs. With names like Carlsberg, Swithwicks, Beamish and, of course, Guinness, you begin to realize that Natural Light is not the only beer out there. This is when the wallet starts to take a hit and you’ll be longing for those good old days of paying a measly $15.99 for a 30-pack of Natty Light. After the first few nights out I was averaging spending anywhere from 30-50 euro a night, depending on food and a cab ride home. In an attempt to make sure I was going to be able to financially support myself come the end of January, I decided that there’s nothing wrong with a good old Fosters, which only cost three euro.
Do bring your own grocery bags when going food shopping. None of the grocery stores supply bags to carry your purchases home, so if you don’t bring bags, you have to either buy bags from the store or carry the purchases home without them. Naturally, one of the first times we went to the supermarket, we found ourselves in quite a predicament. Being stubborn guys, we didn’t want to give the store the satisfaction of buying their bags. I can only imagine what we must have looked like to people driving by: three men walking in the rain with their pockets and arms filled with 62 euro worth of essentials like bread, meat, peanut butter, toilet paper and, of course, a case of beer.
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