Arrival in Dublin

I'm here!  This day has long been on my mind and it's finally here!

My flight from JFK to DUB was lovely.  and brief.  An hour after we took off, the captain announced that we had a great tailwind and would be arriving in Dublin over an hour early!

The food on the flight was great (how can you screw up veggie pasta?).  I sat next to 2 lovely women who were vacationing across Ireland for 3 weeks.  One of them had lived in Dublin for 12 years and had a lot of wisdom and humor to share.  2 things she told me still stand out in my mind, as I experienced them very soon thereafter.  1) "Hi there" or "Hi" is conveyed as "Hiya!"; 2) When shopping, a typical greeting is "Are you okay?" instead of, as commonly heard in the U.S., "May I help you?".  The latter one I recalled from my prior visits to Dublin, but I did not realize how common it was until I had been here a week or so.  I think Americans' first reaction is to think "what, do I not look ok?" or something similar.  I reflected back on my 8-year Pottery Barn career and realized that my usual greeting to store guests was "Are you doing okay over here?" . . . hhmm, maybe life was telling me something all those years.  Either that, or I just hated the thought of pestering guests, so I tried something different. 

Per usual, I was barely able to sleep on the flight.  I was tired as hell, but probably only slept about an hour.  I figured this could easily be solved with a glass of wine and a movie, but that was not in the cards.  Yes, I know...you're not supposed to drink any alcohol on airplanes as it is very dehydrating.  However, desperate times call for desperate measures.  Close, but no cigar.  The movie started, but about 20 minutes into it, the volume for approx. 10 rows of the airplane, including mine, did not work for the remainder of the flight.  I don't even remember what movie it was, so I guess it wouldn't have been that memorable anyway!  The lead flight attendant apologised and after morning breakfast gave our 10 rows complimentary mimosas!  Excellent.

Just as the captain estimated, we arrived in Dublin over an hour early.  We landed shortly after 6am instead of 7:30ish. 

Customs was fine, not too long.  Luckily, I was one of the last ones in line, as the Garda guy took a bit longer with me as I was not simply entering the country for a holiday, but rather I was a student who would be here a while.  He mysteriously entered some information into the computer, checked my passport information on the computer, then advised me on when and where I needed to register with the Garda in Dublin.  I had done my research on this and knew that any visitor technically has 90 days to register, but the Garda typically gives a 30-day stamp on passports.  Probably smart. 

I then collected my luggage and waited in the taxi queue.  With my 2 large suitcases and 2 carryons, I thought I must be instantly pegged as the American who packed way too much luggage!  I felt bad for the cabbie having to load my heavy luggage into his taxi, but when I tried to help him he said "No, no, I'll get it for ya!"  I instantly smiled, relaxed and enjoyed the ride into the city.  It felt so good to know my traveling was over and I would soon be at Trinity.  My cabbie was the most pleasant and good-humored guy.  He was also a well-spoken chap who taught me a lot of quick Irish history, mainly small tidbits about the War of Independence and the differences north and south of the Liffey, history of the Georgian architecture in Dublin, and current political debates including the Lisbon Treaty, which I soon saw posters for all over town.

Mr Cabbie also knew his way in and out of the various gates at Trinity!  Whew!  He was able to drive onto campus, nearly to the door of the Accommodations office where I needed to pick up my room key.  I was wondering how this would all work out, but Mr. Cabbie made it so easy. 
The €40 cab fare (approx US $60) was a bit more than i planned (there was apparently a higher charge for certain hours of the day), but I didn't mind paying it for making my morning a lot easier. 

This is Parliament Square (more commonly referred to as Front Square) at Trinity. 

To the left is the Public Theatre (also known as the Examination Hall);

Center is Front Gate;

To the right is the Chapel, with the Accommodation Office to the left of the Chapel's pillars. 

Here is the Accommodation Office, behind the tree on left side. 

In light of the flight arriving an hour early, I was thus very early for the Accommodations office.  Thankfully it was not raining, as I waited outside for a half hr or so until they opened. 

I soon got my key and had the good fortune to meet a fellow student who offered to help me carry my luggage to my dorm.  I then lugged all 4 pieces of heavy luggage up 3 flights of stairs (ah, just like my apartment in Irvine...) and into my new abode:

My room was just as I envisioned from Trinity's website, even a bit larger than imagined.  Bathroom small as expected, but nice - and all mine, no sharing with strangers!  I was tired, but I also did not want to wake up to the task of unpacking, so I unpacked, folded, hung up, organized, etc.  My reward:  nap time!  Although the bed only had a mattress cover on it, I didn't care.  Sweaters and coats can be great pillows and blankets if necessary! 

I slept for about 2 hours and was awakened by a knock on my door from my neighbor who wanted to introduce himself.  He is an American student studying Classics, and is in his 4th year at Trinity, so he'll be a good resource.  He told me the good stores to go to for groceries, home necessities, etc.  I ingested his advice and then promptly went back to sleep for another hour.

This is likely the longest post I will ever write, yikes!  If you've stuck around this long, thanks!  I will continue more later about my first day, which included my first shopping experience, the LLM wine reception, new friends and first night out in Dublin!