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Internet withdrawal
Non-Beer Discussion by FLASHPRO
Time for me to pop back on the forums for a minute. It's 8:30am on Friday in the office so there aren't many in yet, which gives me a chance to use the site for a little bit. I'm stuck in a windowless room with 10 other guys using side by side desks with no partitions. It was supposed to be temporary because the main office upstairs is packed. Ireland is doing so much construction it's not even funny. you can't look in any direction without seeing the funny looking cranes they use. Every street is crawling with vintage construction equipment as well. This also means that my company is pretty busy here, although we only do engineering for biotech facilities. Anyway, the damn office here blocks all FTP sessions so I can't access any of the files for the website. I guess that doesn't matter anyway because I have no privacy or time to spend on the site since the only place with internet access is my office. I haven't seen a single internet cafe here (not that I'd want to use one anyway) and only the expensive and new hotels have internet access. I asked the locals that I work with and they all use dial-up at home, which sucks because they have to pay for all phone calls. Apparently they do have broadband in the city for 40 euros a month for the first 3 months and then it shoots up and it's only 768k. I'm living in an new apartment that doesn't even have a phone line! 800 square feet and the apartments started at 274,000 euros when they were built last year. Prices are ridiculous in the city and it's all crap. The only cool thing is that i have a "pay as you go" mobile phone that costs me only about 55 cents a minute to call the US, and you don't pay for incoming calls ever! But of course, the phone doesn't work in my office and it's spotty at the apartment. Also, about every 10 phone calls your call will be dropped because the network is too busy. As far as beer goes, it also sucks. Guinness has yet to impress me here, but I did get some extra stout in bottles without the draught system and it was much better. It actually has an aroma! You can also drink it easier without that damn nitrogen gas screwing with your stomach. I've been to maybe 8 pubs here and all of them serve the same few beers on tap with only a small bottle selection. Most of the locals haven't heard of any belgians besides stella. There are some german lagers and that's about it.
19 years ago
LOL I think I told some people last week about the flat tire I got on one of the crazy backroads here. Well, the rental companies don't help you with car problems, even after the HR person for my company and I called them 4 times. Basically, it's my responsibility to have the car repaired. I had the spare tire on the car, which is a full size tire, and figured what are the chances of having another flat? I only used my car for commuting to work since there were other coworkers here with cars that we would use on the weekends. Well, tuesday night I pull out of the office and notice the car is pulling to the left. Within seconds the tire slips off the rim and I had to turn around and go back into the car park (what they call parking lots) because it was a major road where I couldn't pull over. The car did have a roadside assistance program sticker on it and I called that and they said it expired after 12 months from the purchase of the car! |managed to get a ride home with someone and a cab back in the morning. After calling half a dozen places I finally found one that would come out with a tire. At least my company will pay for it! To get away from complaining, I did have fun last Sunday. Saw the All Ireland Hurling semi-finals, which was pretty cool. Over 50,000 crazy irish fans playing a game I know nothing about. it's a HUGE field with 30 players on the field. It's like nothing else.
EAGLEFAN538
69535
Well, try to enjoy something, anyway. We'll keep piling up the list of to do's for your return. Any idea when that will be? Cheers!
Yeah, I'll be back on the 26th, but I'll only be home for a few hours! I land at 4:45pm and then my wife is driving us to Long Beach Island for a week vacation. We'll return on saturday and then I fly out on sunday night again [:(]. They don't have Labor Day holiday so I'll be working haha. The weekends are still fun over here. I've done some site seeing, which was pretty cool. It's just the work week that is usually boring because of the fact that I'm in an apartment that's 25 minutes away from the rest of my coworkers that are staying in a hotel. I'll be back in the hotel when I return from vacation. I assume i'll be there through september, but nothing is definite. This weekend i'm goign to Trim Castle, where part of Braveheart was filmed. When I go home I'll be sure to bring back a bunch of beer books. It wouldn't be as bad if I had some good reading to do. I guess I could have found a book store here.
quote: Originally posted by eaglefan538
Well, try to enjoy something, anyway. We'll keep piling up the list of to do's for your return. Any idea when that will be?
Guinness, not good in Ireland???....Hmmm...That's too wierd.....I was once told by an Irishman, Flash, that Guinness was mainly for the tourists over there, and that the locals believe it or not, all drink Budweiser....BLECH!!!!!!!!.....I was pretty astonished to find this out.....That's a shame about the lack of variety too.....How's the food?...I heard is sucks as well.... Oiz
How in the name of the Saints did you get the impression Flash is having a **** time in Ireland? LOL Sounds to me for a business trip it goes well. Ireland is about more then Guinness and kneecapping protestants. One thing I found out was Guinness was best in London ( go figure-still not so grand on tap)and the best (continental) is not sold in Ireland. The whiskey is very good, and Dublin is a very interesting town, with a ton of fun to be had. Get the hell outta Dublin and go see the country.It is much cheaper the further South you go, and the scenery is marvelous. Ring of Kerry is a must see, and Biddei Earlies is down there as well. By the way, you all know Bud in Ireland is brewed by Guinness? At St. James gate? It is indeed, and sells very well.
I can see you now, painted blue and screaming "FREEDOM!" at the top of your lungs. Hope you have / are having / had a GREAT weekend. Dance around the Rune stones for us before you come back Stateside on your brief holiday.
quote: Originally posted by Flashpro
<snip>This weekend i'm goign to Trim Castle, where part of Braveheart was filmed.<snip>