It's been 6 months since we moved to Ireland and we are still so happy that we made the decision to come here. We love the city we live in and have made some good friends. Being able to travel has been amazing! Aside from the rain, we have a great life here.
As we were getting ready to leave the US earlier this year, honestly, I couldn't wait to go. But, I have to admit (and Marco said this would happen to me!).....I miss the US more than I thought I would! It's not that I want to move back any time soon (heaven forbid), but it's some of the little things that I really miss. Target, Trader Joe's, Mexican food, good/cheap restaurants in general, and the list goes on and on.
Friday we are headed to Chicago!!!!! We both have family in the area, so we are lucky enough to have a place to stay. Marco will be working with a professor at Northwestern most of the time. I am really excited to visit with family and do some shopping! It may sound silly, but we are each taking an extra empty suitcase just to be able to bring stuff back. Our shopping list includes lots of simple things like Colgate toothpaste, Dove soap, Ziploc bags and other "grooming" products that cost about twice as much over here. And I think we will probably gain about 5 pounds because we have so many plans to eat our favorite foods.
So, it's back to doing laundry and making my packing list because Friday is coming!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Viva USA and the Irish Postal Service!!
In October Marco and I are going back to the US for a few weeks to take care of some things. While we are there, Marco is going to be working with a professor at Northwestern University in Chicago. This professor was visiting the university in Galway over the summer and it worked out perfectly since they do work in the same area! Even though we are married, Marco still requires a visa to enter the US at this point. So, we made an appointment at the US embassy in Dublin and headed off on another "visa adventure". When we arrived at the embassy, we were both very impressed with the efficiency and order. Everyone from the security guards to the visa officer were extremely courteous and professional. Just watching how the staff interacted with people of all nationalities made us both realize that the US is a very open-minded and tolerant culture in general. Although we have been treated very well here in Ireland and by most of the embassies we have visited, we have seen that not everyone is treated the same way.
After we checked in, we joined the dozens of other people waiting to be called to the window for service. We heard lots of names being called, mostly of Irish people planning to visit the US. Then, all of a sudden, we heard "Marco Antonio Zuniga Zamalloa......numero uno, por favor." We certainly weren't expecting to hear Spanish at this point! We approached the window and the visa officer (who happened to be Irish) greeted us in Spanish and proceeded to ask Marco questions in Spanish! I told the guy that Marco speaks English, but he laughed and said he wanted to practice. :) He then asked why Marco had a Peruvian passport instead of one from Arequipa. Any Peruvians will understand this. Marco was born in a city named Arequipa and apparently people there feel like people from Texas.....they are their own country! Anyway, it was super funny that this guy knew anything about that. It turns out his wife had lived in Peru for several years and speaks fluent Spanish, so he had been there a few times himself. The best part about the experience was that they granted a 10 year visa to Marco!!!! Now, that was so nice to hear after all of the drama we have had with European embassies only granting short-term visas after requiring a ton of documentation. Anyway, viva USA!!!!
So, each time you apply for a visa you have to leave your passport with them, along with all of the documentation, and then you wait for them to process it and mail you the passport. Well, we were at the embassy on a Monday morning...yesterday. We must have left there around 10:30am to catch the bus back to Dublin. They still had to do whatever it is they do to process the visa paperwork. This morning (Tuesday) at about 8:30am our doorbell rang. It was the postman with the passport in hand! Unbelievable.... viva Irish mail!!!!!
This simple experience reminded Marco why he loves the USA and it also made me proud to be an American. :o)
After we checked in, we joined the dozens of other people waiting to be called to the window for service. We heard lots of names being called, mostly of Irish people planning to visit the US. Then, all of a sudden, we heard "Marco Antonio Zuniga Zamalloa......numero uno, por favor." We certainly weren't expecting to hear Spanish at this point! We approached the window and the visa officer (who happened to be Irish) greeted us in Spanish and proceeded to ask Marco questions in Spanish! I told the guy that Marco speaks English, but he laughed and said he wanted to practice. :) He then asked why Marco had a Peruvian passport instead of one from Arequipa. Any Peruvians will understand this. Marco was born in a city named Arequipa and apparently people there feel like people from Texas.....they are their own country! Anyway, it was super funny that this guy knew anything about that. It turns out his wife had lived in Peru for several years and speaks fluent Spanish, so he had been there a few times himself. The best part about the experience was that they granted a 10 year visa to Marco!!!! Now, that was so nice to hear after all of the drama we have had with European embassies only granting short-term visas after requiring a ton of documentation. Anyway, viva USA!!!!
So, each time you apply for a visa you have to leave your passport with them, along with all of the documentation, and then you wait for them to process it and mail you the passport. Well, we were at the embassy on a Monday morning...yesterday. We must have left there around 10:30am to catch the bus back to Dublin. They still had to do whatever it is they do to process the visa paperwork. This morning (Tuesday) at about 8:30am our doorbell rang. It was the postman with the passport in hand! Unbelievable.... viva Irish mail!!!!!
This simple experience reminded Marco why he loves the USA and it also made me proud to be an American. :o)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Volunteering is Fun!!!
So, I think I wrote a while back about the volunteering activities that I have gotten involved with here in Galway. I thought I would just give a little update on how things are going.
Over the summer while the kids were on vacation I went to the school garden twice a week just to do watering and some weeding. It was really fun for me, except on those really rainy Irish days!! Anyway, the kids are back now and they really helped get things back in shape like the grass and weeds that grew like wildfire from all the rain. It's looking beautiful now, which is a good thing. Just last week we found out that the garden had been nominated for a some sort of biodiversity award and a judge came by to look and take pictures. I think there's a good chance we will get something, but we won't know for several weeks. I need to take some pictures to post so you can all see what I'm talking about.
I also still go to the "Friendship Club" every Wednesday afternoon. This is the place for refugee women and children to come for a couple of hours of social time and activities. With the kids back in school, one of the main activities is homework time. Somehow, I got nominated to be the main homework helper so I spend my time assisting the kids with math (or as they call it here "maths"), reading, spelling, etc. It's actually really fun to feel like you are helping kids to learn! It is also very challenging to get them to pay attention and focus, so I have a much greater respect for all of the teachers of the world! After homework time there is usually some sort of craft or activity for the kids. This week they made sock puppets and actually put on a show for us. I finally took some pictures of the kids, so below you can see a little slide show.
Tomorrow morning Marco and I will head off to Dublin. We have an appointment at the US embassy early Monday morning to get his visa for our visit to the US next month. We figured we would go a day early and try and have a good meal in the big city. Based on recent experiences with the French embassy, we are really hoping things are a bit easier this time!
Over the summer while the kids were on vacation I went to the school garden twice a week just to do watering and some weeding. It was really fun for me, except on those really rainy Irish days!! Anyway, the kids are back now and they really helped get things back in shape like the grass and weeds that grew like wildfire from all the rain. It's looking beautiful now, which is a good thing. Just last week we found out that the garden had been nominated for a some sort of biodiversity award and a judge came by to look and take pictures. I think there's a good chance we will get something, but we won't know for several weeks. I need to take some pictures to post so you can all see what I'm talking about.
I also still go to the "Friendship Club" every Wednesday afternoon. This is the place for refugee women and children to come for a couple of hours of social time and activities. With the kids back in school, one of the main activities is homework time. Somehow, I got nominated to be the main homework helper so I spend my time assisting the kids with math (or as they call it here "maths"), reading, spelling, etc. It's actually really fun to feel like you are helping kids to learn! It is also very challenging to get them to pay attention and focus, so I have a much greater respect for all of the teachers of the world! After homework time there is usually some sort of craft or activity for the kids. This week they made sock puppets and actually put on a show for us. I finally took some pictures of the kids, so below you can see a little slide show.
Tomorrow morning Marco and I will head off to Dublin. We have an appointment at the US embassy early Monday morning to get his visa for our visit to the US next month. We figured we would go a day early and try and have a good meal in the big city. Based on recent experiences with the French embassy, we are really hoping things are a bit easier this time!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
We Love Irish Taxi Drivers
Ok, so I just have to give some major appreciation to Irish taxi drivers. Well, I'm not sure if it's the same all over Ireland, but most certainly for Galway taxi drivers. They have to be some of the nicest of anywhere in the world! Seriously, since we moved to Galway, we haven't yet met even one who wasn't extremely friendly and helpful. I guess taxi drivers around the world don't necessarily have the best reputation, so this says a lot. But it's even more than that. Each week I walk about 20 minutes to our grocery store to do the shopping and have to take a taxi home with all of the bags. Every single time, the taxi driver helps me load all of the bags. When we arrive to the apartment, they always get out and carry all of the bags to my front door! And as if that weren't enough.....when they calculate the fare, they actually round down!!! So, say the fare comes out to 8.20 euros, they will say "Just give me 8." Amazing!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Arand Islands and a B-Day Surprise
Ever since we moved to Ireland we have heard people talking about how amazing the Aran Islands are. We kept saying we would wait for someone to visit us and then we would go. So when the family arrived, we knew it was time! On a beautiful Sunday morning we loaded the kids in the car and drove about 45 minutes up the coast to the small town where the ferry is located. The ferry took about 45 minutes as well, and then we arrived to the largest of the islands, Inishmore. People have told us that it's best to rent bikes and explore the island, but with kids we decided to hire a taxi van for the day. This was a wise decision, as we were able to hit most of the major sites without too much difficulty and we got some interesting stories from our driver along the way. Inishmore has a population of about 800 people, so everyone knows everyone. There is 1 doctor, 1 nurse and 1 police officer.
Our first stop was for lunch, and we found a little thatched roof cottage restaurant where everything on the menu was made from scratch. We had some delicious soup and sandwiches, as well as some mouth watering dessert! Next up, we hiked about 10 minutes up a path to Dun Aengus, a historic 17th century stone fort that overlooks some of the most spectacular cliffs I have seen. Luckily, we had a great weather day, so we could see from one side of the island to the other. Our taxi driver picked us up at the bottom of the hill and we drove to a few other beautiful sites around the island. When we made it back to town where the ferry docked, we still had some time to wait and were a bit hungry. We stopped in to a local place for fish and chips that was so fresh and delicious! We then caught the ferry back and found our way home to Galway....thanks to GPS. :) Marco and I can't wait to go back and explore the island on bikes!!!
So, Carol, Christian and the kids left for a couple of days exploring Ireland and we really missed them! When they returned, Carol and I had planned a sort of surprise birthday celebration for Marco. His birthday is actually September 3rd, but we wanted to celebrate while we were together. We prepared some delicious Peruvian food (well, Carol cooked and I chopped!) that we knew Marco would love. Chicha morada, which is a drink made from boiling purple corn, pineapple rind and cinnamon. Papa a la huancaina, which is a potato dish with a cheesy/spicy sauce. Lomo saltado, which is a delicious beef dish with onions and tomatoes. And finally, crema volteada, Marco's favorite dessert, which is sort of like a flan. We decorated with balloons and the kids made a precious, homemade card for Uncle Marco. Marco had no idea we were planning something, so that was fun.
The family stayed until Saturday, when they took the train to Dublin in order to fly back to Zurich. Having the kids around was so much fun and the house was so quiet and lonely after they left. And it is always so nice to be with family....we appreciate those experiences very much. We can't wait until the next time.
Our first stop was for lunch, and we found a little thatched roof cottage restaurant where everything on the menu was made from scratch. We had some delicious soup and sandwiches, as well as some mouth watering dessert! Next up, we hiked about 10 minutes up a path to Dun Aengus, a historic 17th century stone fort that overlooks some of the most spectacular cliffs I have seen. Luckily, we had a great weather day, so we could see from one side of the island to the other. Our taxi driver picked us up at the bottom of the hill and we drove to a few other beautiful sites around the island. When we made it back to town where the ferry docked, we still had some time to wait and were a bit hungry. We stopped in to a local place for fish and chips that was so fresh and delicious! We then caught the ferry back and found our way home to Galway....thanks to GPS. :) Marco and I can't wait to go back and explore the island on bikes!!!
So, Carol, Christian and the kids left for a couple of days exploring Ireland and we really missed them! When they returned, Carol and I had planned a sort of surprise birthday celebration for Marco. His birthday is actually September 3rd, but we wanted to celebrate while we were together. We prepared some delicious Peruvian food (well, Carol cooked and I chopped!) that we knew Marco would love. Chicha morada, which is a drink made from boiling purple corn, pineapple rind and cinnamon. Papa a la huancaina, which is a potato dish with a cheesy/spicy sauce. Lomo saltado, which is a delicious beef dish with onions and tomatoes. And finally, crema volteada, Marco's favorite dessert, which is sort of like a flan. We decorated with balloons and the kids made a precious, homemade card for Uncle Marco. Marco had no idea we were planning something, so that was fun.
The family stayed until Saturday, when they took the train to Dublin in order to fly back to Zurich. Having the kids around was so much fun and the house was so quiet and lonely after they left. And it is always so nice to be with family....we appreciate those experiences very much. We can't wait until the next time.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
We Have Visitors!!!
Last Wednesday Marco and I hopped on the bus to Dublin to meet his sister, Carol, and her family (Christian, Sedrik & Naira) at the Dublin airport. They came to visit us from Zurich less than 2 weeks after we visited them! They had never been to Ireland, so it was fun to be showing people our new "home". We had been telling them all along how much it rains in Ireland, so they came fully prepared with rubber boots, umbrellas, etc. Lo and behold, the first 2 days they were here we had spectacular weather and they began to think we were liars. :) Thursday we just sort of had a lazy day, but did walk to the city center of Galway and had some time at the play area with the kids.
Friday morning, we took at taxi to the Galway airport, where we picked up a rental car for the rest of their time in Ireland. Unfortunately, Uncle Marco had to work, but I was free and so I was happy to join them on an adventure to the Cliffs of Moher. Christian was driving, and this was his first time driving on the other side of the road! We decided to take the scenic, ocean route to take full advantage of the beautiful day. The roads are really narrow here and have a lot of potholes. Can you see where this is going? About 45 minutes into our fabulous day, we had a close encounter with a pretty good sized pothole and blew out both of the tires on the left side of the car! Christian handled it like a pro and pulled the car off the road at a safe location. We got out to inspect the damage only to discover that not only were the tires flat, but the actual wheels were bent......ugggh! Here we were, in the middle of the scenic route, not close to any gas station or garage. Luckily, there was plenty of sunshine, so at least we didn't have to deal with rain. Carol set up camp so she could feed the kids some lunch. I called the rental company, who gave me the emergency assistance number and they patched me through to the closest garage. Christian hiked up the road to try and see the hole and search for our missing hub caps. He found one hubcap and brought it back to our spot. I was having thoughts of spending the night in the car or the closest little town while we waited for the car to be repaired. To our amazement, in about 30 minutes we saw a large tow truck round the corner and stop in front of us. Out jumps the driver, who comes over to inspect the damage. He quickly noticed the hubcap lying on the ground that said "Ford". He took one look at our car and asked us what make it was. We all said "Opel", looked at the hubcap and then started cracking up! Christian had picked up some other poor souls hubcap, which means that we were not the first people to hit that pothole! We never did find our hubcaps. Anyway, the driver effortlessly loaded our car onto the truck and we all hopped in the cab for the 40 minute ride to Kilfenora. His family ran a repair shop in the tiny little town. We headed off to have some lunch while we waited, but he instructed me to call in about 45 minutes. I thought we would just be getting an estimate of the repair at that point, but was shocked to find out the that the wheels were repaired and we were ready to hit the road. Our luck continued as the sunshine stayed with us and we were able to make it to see the Cliffs of Moher. We spent about an hour there and then headed back home for the evening. We were all thankful that the trip home was less eventful than the trip we had earlier in the day!
Friday morning, we took at taxi to the Galway airport, where we picked up a rental car for the rest of their time in Ireland. Unfortunately, Uncle Marco had to work, but I was free and so I was happy to join them on an adventure to the Cliffs of Moher. Christian was driving, and this was his first time driving on the other side of the road! We decided to take the scenic, ocean route to take full advantage of the beautiful day. The roads are really narrow here and have a lot of potholes. Can you see where this is going? About 45 minutes into our fabulous day, we had a close encounter with a pretty good sized pothole and blew out both of the tires on the left side of the car! Christian handled it like a pro and pulled the car off the road at a safe location. We got out to inspect the damage only to discover that not only were the tires flat, but the actual wheels were bent......ugggh! Here we were, in the middle of the scenic route, not close to any gas station or garage. Luckily, there was plenty of sunshine, so at least we didn't have to deal with rain. Carol set up camp so she could feed the kids some lunch. I called the rental company, who gave me the emergency assistance number and they patched me through to the closest garage. Christian hiked up the road to try and see the hole and search for our missing hub caps. He found one hubcap and brought it back to our spot. I was having thoughts of spending the night in the car or the closest little town while we waited for the car to be repaired. To our amazement, in about 30 minutes we saw a large tow truck round the corner and stop in front of us. Out jumps the driver, who comes over to inspect the damage. He quickly noticed the hubcap lying on the ground that said "Ford". He took one look at our car and asked us what make it was. We all said "Opel", looked at the hubcap and then started cracking up! Christian had picked up some other poor souls hubcap, which means that we were not the first people to hit that pothole! We never did find our hubcaps. Anyway, the driver effortlessly loaded our car onto the truck and we all hopped in the cab for the 40 minute ride to Kilfenora. His family ran a repair shop in the tiny little town. We headed off to have some lunch while we waited, but he instructed me to call in about 45 minutes. I thought we would just be getting an estimate of the repair at that point, but was shocked to find out the that the wheels were repaired and we were ready to hit the road. Our luck continued as the sunshine stayed with us and we were able to make it to see the Cliffs of Moher. We spent about an hour there and then headed back home for the evening. We were all thankful that the trip home was less eventful than the trip we had earlier in the day!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
I Am Legal
I forgot to mention that shortly before our recent trip I received a wonderful gift in the mail....my Ireland Work Visa!!! I know, I know, it came about 2 months after I started working. But what's a couple of months in the grand scheme of things? :) I'm just happy to say that I am now legally working in Ireland. The part-time schedule has been amazing as I'm able to work and travel since the arrangement is really flexible. Marco's been very busy at work, but is still enjoying his job and the people he works with.
Anyway, it doesn't look like it's going to rain for the next few minutes, so I think I'll take advantage of the break and try to go for a run. The last time I tried it started raining half way through and I got totally soaked. Pretty amusing!!
Anyway, it doesn't look like it's going to rain for the next few minutes, so I think I'll take advantage of the break and try to go for a run. The last time I tried it started raining half way through and I got totally soaked. Pretty amusing!!
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