Dublin

COASTAL WALKS, GIRLFRIENDS AND TEA DATES

My experience

While I was in my 2nd year of Masters in Communications, I heard about the Language Assistant Program offered by the CIEP (Centre International d'Etudes Pédagogiques) by two of my classmates who wanted to join it. This program is open to every French student willing to spend an entire school year abroad, assisting French teachers with their classes (mainly in seconday schools, but some countries also propose colleges)*.

Always down for new adventures and quite unsure of what I wanted to do after I graduate, I decided to apply too. Because of my educational path, my choices were restrained and the only English speaking country I could go to was Ireland. Fair enough. I had been to Ireland before, twice, but never lived there. I had very good memories about the two road trips I did with my family a couple of years ago. After some tedious administrative procedures, an interview and a couple of months wait, I got accepted and was placed in Dublin – where I wished to be.

So last September I flew to Dublin and stayed there until June 2018 – end of my contract with the school. I started my job as a French teacher assistant in an all girls school in Finglas, Dublin 11 in October and ended up being a substitute teacher as I took over one of my colleague's classes because she went on maternity leave. It was the most fulfilling job I had ever had so far. My experience there was revealing for my future since I simply deciced to change career path and become a French teacher. I was also lucky to work in a great school where the staff was very supportive and (most) students were nice and enthusiastic. If you want to read about my first experience as a teacher, click here.

If I'm honest, of all the cities I've lived in so far, Dublin isn't my favourite and probably the one I liked less. Don't get me wrong though, I still think it's a great city, I especially really enjoyed the atmosphere and the fact that it's full of cute cafés. And one important thing as a woman living alone in a new country, I never felt unsafe in Dublin, even at night time when everyone's drunk in the streets I was never bothered. As a woman you're respected in Dublin and don't experience catcalling much.

I loved my routine there. Being a teacher, I finished work quite early so it enabled me to meet up my friends most days of the week for coffee or dinner. We obviously had our habits... We spent a lot of time in Accents Café chatting and playing UNO while sipping our delicious lattes (the vanilla one is by far the best) we also loved KC peaches on Dame Street for its cakes plus the waitress was nice and even though the music was sh*t and disturbing, we always came to get a bit of work done on gray afternoons. We also tried many restaurants... Our favourites being Nando's, Wagamama, Umi Falafel, Bobo's and La gondola. My social life was fulfilled as my six great friends and I did the same job and had pretty much the same schedule. We were able to meet up often and we were always eager on trying new things and discovering new places. Thus we never spent one weekend doing nothing or not seeing each other.

What's also great about Dublin is that there are many adorable coastal towns nearby that are very handy to travel to with the dart (sort of RER, French folks). We used to often go to Howth, Bray or Dun Laoghaire (our favourites and the closest ones) but there's also Greystones, Skerries, and more. They're the best places to go to when you need fresh air, if you need to see the sea (like me who grew up near it) or if you crave fish & chips!

HOWTH

HOWTH PORT

HOWTH COASTAL WALK

BRAY

In Dublin I attended Irish classes, went to see an Irish dance show and I even tasted a sip of Guinness (although I hate beer) at the Guinness Store House. I also made great friends and I found my career path. My experience in Dublin was fantastic but I'd say the city was too small for my adventurous soul (a month after I arrived I knew it like the back of my hand!) and I just didn't feel disoriented as I sometimes did when visiting other countries.

I would really recommend to visit Dublin over a weekend and then go on a roadtrip in the countryside because in my opinion the most beautiful thing about Ireland is its countryside (my favourite part being Kerry).

Some of the highlights / best memories of my experience in Dublin are...

• Learning to speak Irish or at least the basics... The only things I'm still able to say are "I'm 24 years old. I live in Dublin. Close the door please.". But don't ask me to write it though...

• Dancing again after a two-year break with Paul, the nicest ballet teacher.

• Discovering the city in a kayak along the liffey with my friends.

• Going out for dinner twice a week at the very least (it went up to five times a week once, yes.).

• Celebrating St Patrick's Day in Ireland standing still for approximatively three hours in the freezing cold to see the parade from Dame Street.

• Walking all day everyday (Dublin is small!).

• Meeting the hottest British guy in the middle of Henry Street. Giving him my number. Then realising he's a mormon so freaking out and running away to meet my friends to tell them all about it.

• Giving out to my younger students and trying to hide a smile after it cause they were too cute to be mad at.

• Witnessing Ireland making History in granting women the right to abort.

Irish people

Most Irish people are extremely nice and polite and often smily and in a good mood. From what I've witnessed, they're not as stressed, stuck up and judgemental as us French people can be (yeah I mean let's face it...). But I've also noticed they're not as straightforward as we can be and that's so frustrating! Sometimes it's hard to know what they think and what they have in mind and it was not easy for me to accustom to this at the beginning. But you get used to this and you also sort of learn to behave the same way with them.

The biggest differences between France and Ireland

As usual food remains one of the greatest difference... No one will ever be able to change my mind on this: French food is BY FAR the best. Fruits and vegs are fresh and food in general is more tasty in France. I mean in Ireland (like in the UK and Australia) you can find (enormous) strawberries all year long. Do you realise how NOT normal this is. Our Côte d'Or or Milka chocolates are replaced by super sweet Cadburry and proper fresh baguettes are nowhere to be found. So basically, the food's quality in France is way better and what I missed the most is the choice. In France you have so much choice between many brands for a same product and although supermarkets are rather small in Ireland, they're HUGE in France (I always miss you all Carrefour, Leclerc and Intermarché). Meat and fish are good though. No big difference with France here. I even love their tuna.

Then, it's not just a stereotype Irish people do drink a lot. And yet they don't get drunk easily! Drinking is really rooted in their culture and for me who don't drink much it was not easy to become used to it. Plus, I hate Guinness so I was definitely in the wrong country... Drinking alcohol profusely is also encouraged at most work events and it's not weird to be drunk in front of your boss...!

Another different thing with France is the place that religion takes in Ireland. It's still really present and many Irish people display their religious opinions openly when we tend to hide it or at least be discret about it in France. There's still many religious schools that aren't mixed all over Ireland where students have to wear uniforms and study religion as a subject (like the one I was in). Since just last June, women didn't have the right to abort in Ireland which probably had partly something to do with religion.

Let's talk about fashion and appearance now because at first glance, it's definitely one of the biggest difference with France... There's one sure thing, Irish girls / women are never cold! Even in January, you can see them walking around in town at night wearing teeny tiny mini skirts, crop tops (or even only bras). Not only are they not cold, they are also very confident!And you know what, I sort of envy them on this. They have this quality of not caring about anyone think of them whatever their shape is. I would NEVER EVER wear a crop top and a mini skirt together, I would simply not feel confident enough to do so as French society characterize this as not elegant, even vulgar and if you dared to do it, you'd have to be very fit not to be judged!

Many Irish girls / women also certainly don't know the expression "less is more". From an early age, girls know everything about countouring and you grow used to see 12 year-old girls wearing makeup but also fake lashes, fake nails and so on... My mom would have locked me in if I had worn lipstick or eyeliner at 14...

One very interesting thing to finish with appearance... They love fake... TAN. That was probably the thing that surprised me the most. Like it's really popular there. As you must know, Ireland isn't a very sunny country so Irish girls / women love to put fake tan on to look like they've been under the Spanish sun. But unfortunately it often looks orange and, well... fake...

I assume Ireland is much more influenced by American celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and all the gang as we are in France when it's about style. Hence their style and fashion.

Although France and Ireland aren't geographically far, both have very different cultures and ways to see life. And for me, being able to discover new cultures is the best part of living abroad.

* For more info about the Language Assistant program head to this link: http://www.ciep.fr/assistants-francais-a-letranger.