Learning the ropes

Some of the interesting things about life in Ireland that we are adjusting to:

- Driving on the left side of the road

- Remembering to get into the correct side of the car (driver is on the right here)

- Understanding how the two lanes in a round-a-bout work (right-hand lane if you are taking the 3rd or 4th exit, and I think it's left-hand lane for the 1st or 2nd exits)

- Remembering to look to your right first (not your left like back home) before crossing the street

- Figuring out the recycling and trash here - it's crazy! There is a black bin for food trash only(rubbish or litter); then a green one for all recyclables except glass and tin (we think) - and the glass and tin must be taken about a quarter-mile down the road to the recycling center. We're still trying to figure it out.

- Learning how to use the shopping "trolleys" at the grocery stores and malls: They have a 1 Euro coin slot and you have to put a Euro into them in order to release your cart; the only way to get your money back is to return the cart to its station - how is that for ensuring your carts don't get stolen or returned to the store?

- Trying to refrain from using "-ing" on the end of our words, end of sentences: here, if a retail store clerk asks if you need any help, you would say, "I'm having a look" versus "just looking" - or ask "Where is the car park?" - never "parking"

- Remembering that articles "a," an" and "the" are not used as commonly: during new reports, they will say that, "The victim was taken to hospital" - it's never "a hospital" - just "hospital."

- Learning that most businesses open later than in the U.S. - gym opens at 7 a.m. M-F and not until 9 a.m. on weekends. Shops don't open until 10 a.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday (due to mass)

- Learning that it takes 10 business days to have any utilities installed: It's a very busy place here with lots of people moving to Galway - the economy is strong. And if they can't help you on the first visit, then you have to schedule another appointment and wait another 10 days, usually - unless you have an inside connection.

- Converting pounds to grams, Celsius to Fahrenheit, etc. - not easy for the mathematically challenged like Lisa!

- Remembering to flip the safety switch on everything electric to use it - every wall outlet has a safety button.

- Always bringing a "hoodie" with you where ever you go: if it's not windy or raining when you leave, it will be very soon - and the umbrellas are pretty much useless.

- Learning how to use electric showers and a "hot box" (hot water heater closet)

- Accepting the fact that while Galwegians are dog people just like us, they do not know what pooper-scoopers are: the dog droppings are everywhere!

- Realizing that the Irish's idea of a clothes dryer is not like ours - we still don't have a working dryer after nearly two weeks in our apartment: it just blows cool air.

- Realizing that every other woman under 35 is pregnant here (except Lisa) - still not a motivator! :) Seriously though, this is a very young city and there are tons of pregnant women - I would love to see the statistics; probably 2 out of every 4 women under 35 are pregnant.

Grocery shopping in Galway

I've officially entered wine-country snob shock: I'm now on a shoe-string budget and without discount access to fine international wines. Wilson Daniels employee discount...where are you when I need you? Half-price Marc Kreydenweiss Kritt Gewurztraminer...how I long for you. But I digress.

These are my thoughts as I peruse through the wine aisle at our grocery store. Granted, there are a decent amount of international wines here - primarily South Africa, Australia, Italy and France - but the Irish love their wine CHEAP. I can relate to that with our current financials. But it's so hard to figure out what wines are good under 10 EURO when I've never heard of 75 percent of the brands in the store. Maybe when we get internet service at home I can do more research on these potential values. So far, I have been biffed by a bottle of Jacob's Creek Riesling; a mainstay, reliable producer from Australia. But this bottle of wine was swill. Could be the worst Riesling I've ever had in my life...did the food pairing ruin it? It couldn't have made this wine any worse, could it?

Okay, back to shopping in Galway. We have a few "more affordable" (not factoring in how weak the U.S. dollar is) grocery stores here - Dunnes and Tesco. They just opened a new Dunnes on Damon's birthday (September 25) few close to our apartment - very exciting. http://www.dunnesstores.ie/

After I learned how to put the EURO coin into the trolley (cart) so that I could get it out of the bay and use it, I got to experience the grand opening of the new Dunnes at Knocknacarra, replete with characters on stilts, a live band, free wine and food samples and more. The stores are actually really nice; you just have to get used to all of the differences and try to find substitutes for things we have back in the U.S. - like canned minced garlic or Crisco, for example. I also learned last week that plastic bags at the store ARE NOT FREE, folks. How is that for a wake-up call, Americans? Why not charge us for the plastic bags to reduce our wastefulness? It cost me 20 cents per bag on my bill if I don't bring my own. Needless to say, getting ready to go to the store is a big deal because I have to pack up all of my cloth bags to make sure I have enough bags to carry home my groceries.

I decided to make Damon a BIG birthday dinner - and his only request was a homemade cake this year - so this was a very important trip. I made him Salmon with Roasted Beets and Argula Cream, a recipe I found in one of my Food & Wine cookbooks. Trying to find all of the recipes to make my first birthday cake (and from scratch) in my short history in the kitchen. I did some improvising, and it all worked out. Damon LOVED the dish and the cake.

Here is the dinner recipe:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/salmon-with-arugula-cream-and-soy-braised-beets

I couldn't find the cake recipe online, but it's called the "Shhh...don't tell" cake from the Bride & Groom cookbook by twin sisters:
http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/2003/bride/

We will enjoy the cake (and left-over roasted beets) for days to come.