5 More Thoughts on Living in Dublin

In my last article, I talked about the top 5 reasons I love living in Dublin. Today, I’ll give you 5 things I wish I could change.

1. Bank Holidays. In London, banks close on bank holidays and everything else is open. In Dublin, EVERYTHING closes. I couldn’t even get my laundry done last time (rich white guy problems). Come on guys, it’s not 1985!

2. Talkative Taxi Drivers. I get really travel sick and don’t like talking to people in cars. Irish taxi drivers, however, insist on talking to you. I’m not brave enough to tell them to shut up (partly because all Irish taxi drivers look like Brick Top in Snatch). So I try all sorts of tricks to get my point across: I put my sunglases on, listen to music, feign sleep. None of it works. The just keep talking until I have to take out my earphones and talk to them. Oh and never mention that you work in betting; that guarantees you twenty minutes of hot tips and bad beat stories.

3. The Cost of Everything. Dublin is incredibly expensive. I’m not talking about the beers – I live in Soho so I’m used to sky-high drinks prices. But everyday things like bottle of water and bars of chocolate are a total rip off.

4. The Word “Yoke”. Dublin has its own slang, which can be really confusing. See also: “yer man” and “yer one”.

5. Hats. For some reason, all young men in Ireland wear hats. Every day, all the time. Indoors and out. Even in hot weather. I have no idea why they do it. It doesn’t bother me that much, I guess, but I find it very strange.