Things We Could Learn from the Irish

So, the last few weeks we have been learning lots of new things in Galway. There are some interesting things here that I think we (mostly referring to Americans) could learn from.

First, recycling here is huge! Everyone recycles everything. Seriously. We have 3 "bins" for our trash service: one for organic waste, like food or degradable items; one for recyclable things like tin, plastic, etc. that must be clean and dry; and one for other trash. When we signed up for trash service there were very detailed instructions on what to do. On top of all that, the trash service doesn't collect glass. There are "glass banks" all over the town and people bring all of their glass to them. There are several different bins that require you to even sort the glass by color! I know lots of people recycle in the US, but it is truly a way of life here.

Another thing.....the police here are called Garda. I just read an article yesterday stating that no uniformed Garda carry weapons! Can you imagine??? A police officer not carrying a weapon??? Outrageous, right? Well, it said that since the 1922 the first commissioner stated, "The Garda Síochána will succeed not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people". There are, apparently, other non-uniformed detectives around the country that do carry guns, but clearly this is not a gun culture.

Lastly, and possibly most impressive, is that government services/employees here are just fantastic. Both Marco and I have been blown away by the efficiency and the friendliness of government workers. I mean, it's almost as if they like their jobs. :) Everyone from immigration to the tax office have treated us so well that we almost didn't know what to do. Even when things don't go as expected with the process, you leave feeling happy and respected. Just amazing.

I guess that's all for now. Now it's time to go outside and enjoy the bit of sunshine we have before the rain sets in.