Ok, so first let me say that it would be helpful if I would notice that there are comments from all you guys. I just finished reading them and appreciate all the reat comments and questions.
Today is Thursday and I spent the better part of the afternoon at the airport waiting to try to open a bank account here. One of the most important things Adrian's boss and co-workers that have been here for a while keep saying is "baby steps". It also helps to have a sense of humor and be patient. In the end we could not open the account and I have to contact the Embassy in Dublin for yet another letter - they provided us with a certified letter and copies of our passports (that they have in hand) to open the account. Not good enough, we need a certified letter showing our address here at the hotel and in both our names as the account is meant to be in both our names. We were told by some of Adrian's co-workers that we will then have to jump through some additional hoops to get the account open, but that eventually we will. So now we are trying to figure out how we can purchase a car this weekend.
We drove up to Dublin on Tuesday morning, spent the afternoon in the Embassy getting oriented as it were and completing lots of documentation and being told that they are really sorry but there is not alot of support for those of us down here in Shannon. They get lots more benefits if they are in Dublin, but then the Embassy choses your housing for you - so everything (as with the rest of life) is a trade off. If we wish to buy a car and have the VAT tax paid we will need to find the car, send the info to the Embassy they will complete the documentation and then we wait three weeks to purchase the car. Or, as I found out speaking with Adrian's boss today, we could buy the car pay the VAT tax (which is 40% of the cost of the car) and then submit a reimbursement request. Oh, and we can only do either within the first 6 months we're here if we way 7 months to buy a new car oops we won't get the benefit of the VAT tax. They only pay it on 1 car so if you buy two you only get it on the one. It all sounds a bit daunting but I am already adjusting to everything being 3 times as hard as it should be and who knows maybe by the time I come back I will be a much more patient person.
I also learned that its not that easy to work here either. I would have to find the job I wanted to do, contact the Embassy with my resume and they would help me and the employer with the rest of the paperwork which apparently can be quite difficult to wade through. Most times they are required to prove there is not an Irish person who could do the job, but apparently that is where the embassy comes in very useful, they can smooth all of that. Given the travel I want to do this year I won't be rushing in to finding a job here.
We got to meet the Ambassador to Ireland, Tom Foley, he was a very nice man, very down to earth and seemed to genuinley want to know about us. We also have a small commissary at the Embassy so we can get American items, including Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Apparently quite the big deal over here and the Irish love it but can't get it on the market.
Once our various meetings were done on Tuesday - 5:00pm'ish, we were pretty tired, so we wandered over to our hotel, found dinner and then Adrian and Dan walked over to the Temple Bar - I went to the room to go lay down. I think we were all asleep by about 8:30pm.
We had to be up early on Wednesday to continue our orientation at the Embassy, we were done by about 11:30am so we walked to Grafton Street and Trinity College. Grafton Street is great shopping- lot's of shishi places. They have a TJ Maxx only it's called TK Maxx.
Trinity is beautiful, Dublin is beautiful I could certainly live there if ever given the option. We had lunch at a lovely restaurant with the most amazing stained glass windows, we think the building may have been a theater at one point but could not find out.
The drive back took forever, we got in at 7:00pm last night. Had dinner and unpacked and went to sleep.
Today it has rained off and on all day and is cold and wintry feeling.
Adrian loves his job and the people he is working with. Tomorrow night we will go to dinner for the guy that Adrian is replacing.
Today is Thursday and I spent the better part of the afternoon at the airport waiting to try to open a bank account here. One of the most important things Adrian's boss and co-workers that have been here for a while keep saying is "baby steps". It also helps to have a sense of humor and be patient. In the end we could not open the account and I have to contact the Embassy in Dublin for yet another letter - they provided us with a certified letter and copies of our passports (that they have in hand) to open the account. Not good enough, we need a certified letter showing our address here at the hotel and in both our names as the account is meant to be in both our names. We were told by some of Adrian's co-workers that we will then have to jump through some additional hoops to get the account open, but that eventually we will. So now we are trying to figure out how we can purchase a car this weekend.
We drove up to Dublin on Tuesday morning, spent the afternoon in the Embassy getting oriented as it were and completing lots of documentation and being told that they are really sorry but there is not alot of support for those of us down here in Shannon. They get lots more benefits if they are in Dublin, but then the Embassy choses your housing for you - so everything (as with the rest of life) is a trade off. If we wish to buy a car and have the VAT tax paid we will need to find the car, send the info to the Embassy they will complete the documentation and then we wait three weeks to purchase the car. Or, as I found out speaking with Adrian's boss today, we could buy the car pay the VAT tax (which is 40% of the cost of the car) and then submit a reimbursement request. Oh, and we can only do either within the first 6 months we're here if we way 7 months to buy a new car oops we won't get the benefit of the VAT tax. They only pay it on 1 car so if you buy two you only get it on the one. It all sounds a bit daunting but I am already adjusting to everything being 3 times as hard as it should be and who knows maybe by the time I come back I will be a much more patient person.
I also learned that its not that easy to work here either. I would have to find the job I wanted to do, contact the Embassy with my resume and they would help me and the employer with the rest of the paperwork which apparently can be quite difficult to wade through. Most times they are required to prove there is not an Irish person who could do the job, but apparently that is where the embassy comes in very useful, they can smooth all of that. Given the travel I want to do this year I won't be rushing in to finding a job here.
We got to meet the Ambassador to Ireland, Tom Foley, he was a very nice man, very down to earth and seemed to genuinley want to know about us. We also have a small commissary at the Embassy so we can get American items, including Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Apparently quite the big deal over here and the Irish love it but can't get it on the market.
Once our various meetings were done on Tuesday - 5:00pm'ish, we were pretty tired, so we wandered over to our hotel, found dinner and then Adrian and Dan walked over to the Temple Bar - I went to the room to go lay down. I think we were all asleep by about 8:30pm.
We had to be up early on Wednesday to continue our orientation at the Embassy, we were done by about 11:30am so we walked to Grafton Street and Trinity College. Grafton Street is great shopping- lot's of shishi places. They have a TJ Maxx only it's called TK Maxx.
Trinity is beautiful, Dublin is beautiful I could certainly live there if ever given the option. We had lunch at a lovely restaurant with the most amazing stained glass windows, we think the building may have been a theater at one point but could not find out.
The drive back took forever, we got in at 7:00pm last night. Had dinner and unpacked and went to sleep.
Today it has rained off and on all day and is cold and wintry feeling.
Adrian loves his job and the people he is working with. Tomorrow night we will go to dinner for the guy that Adrian is replacing.
1 comment:
Wow...sounds like there's a big learning curve there! I can't wait to come and see all the places next summer. Love chatting with you every morning...it's ALMOST like you're still here, almost! Love you guys both.
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