“Hold me fast, Hold me fast

Cause I'm a hopeless wanderer

And hold me fast, Hold me fast

Cause I'm a hopeless wanderer

I will learn, I will learn to love the skies I'm under

The skies I'm under”

This is a story of not so long ago. A telling of an adventure to a country where they have their own language, but no one hardly speaks it anymore. This is a potato eating country that makes a spirit called Poitín out of potatoes. It is also a country that lost half their population in just ten years when their potatoes got a decease known as potato blight. They also lost a part of their country to the British Empire. This country is called the Republic of Ireland.

We look up at the same stars, and see such different things.

It’s weird to think that no matter where you are the sky will always be the same. We all look at the same moon and we look at the same stars, but still we do not see the same things. I love a bit of star gazing and no matter where I am I always look for Charles’ Wain. There is something calm about knowing that no matter where you are you are never far away from the stars.

Ireland, Denmark, it doesn’t really matter, because when you look up at the sky you can be anywhere and everywhere at the same time and maybe that is where our homes should be. Just like Bruno Mars sings in hopes you're on the other side talking to me too. Or am I a fool who sits alone talking to the moon?

I’ve been in Denmark for quite a while now and I am really enjoying it. It’s nice to be close to my family and friends again, but I miss being in Ireland from time to time too. I don’t care my stay didn’t last longer than around six months I would not have gone without it. I think that if people ever get the opportunity to go somewhere they really want to go they should never hesitate, because the things you discover and the things you learn about yourself are worth everything. I’m not saying I went to Ireland to find myself, because I think I know the basic things about myself, even though sometimes it feels like I don’t even know who I am. But I know I am the kind of person who sometimes says things that I shouldn’t say; like that time I used the words ‘big black’ in front of a black person. To my defence I was talking about a big black bin, but the person didn’t know that, because everything I said was in Danish, except ‘big black’ it was in English and I was in London and I did it twice to two different people. More than once I’ve talked about larger people when I’ve been hanging out with large people. It’s really awkward to say: ‘Hey look at that person,’ and then point (in secrecy) at a big person when you’re hanging out with someone the same size as the one you’re pointing at. And don’t judge me now, because I’m sure almost everyone looks when they see someone extra-large, just like we look when we see someone extra skinny. Everyone likes to gossip. If not then I confess my crimes.

I’m the person who gets drunk at bigger family gatherings (the few that we have in my family). And most of the times it feels like I am the only one who gets drunk. Like when I was at my grandmother’s 70^th birthday I was the only one who left with a six-pack when the party ended and then went to another party (and I wasn’t the only young one). I am also almost always the only single person at my table and too be honest it’s not always fun to be surrounded by couples (let’s face it they just don’t want to talk about who’s the hottest guy in Game of Thrones or the 25 most awkward things about being single). Being single also means that people never know where to place me at the tables because everyone else arrives with a partner. And let’s be honest, sometimes being single feels like a burden, when people instead should be thanking me for only having to pay for one ;)

I am a person who never shuts up. All the times I’ve been told to shut up by my friends are countless. And there is nothing worse than when people ask me to shut up. I have countless one-way conversations even with my family and closest friends. They might not notice that I notice when they stop listening to me, but I do and it’s really annoying and it actually makes me angry.

I’m the person who loves to drag conversations out. Start with one topic and then end with a fifth topic. I like to say the opposite of what people are saying just to make them annoyed or angry. I am really sarcastic and most of the times people don’t realise it and they believe that I believe in what I say, but most (some) of the times I actually don’t. And if you ask me I am the funniest person on earth!

Ireland didn’t change me and the person I am, but it changed the way I look at some things. Taking that one massive step all alone has made me a braver version of me. I believe that I have become much more independent and I am now able to push myself the last step up the ladder (unless we are talking about exercising, then I’ll probably need someone to slap me in the arse now and then). But in so many place I have grown. I am not afraid of what is out there (not that I ever was), but I know now that I don’t need anyone to go the extra mile. If there is something I really want I’ll do it and so should everyone else!

However Mullingar Diaries ends here. It might be that I will upload a few times to keep people updated but it won’t be often.

They say in every end, there is also a beginning and I have started my new adventure with an empty pocket but a great view.

The view I've got from my new living room. 

Bye bye for now at least...

"We are half alone, our hearts are leaving home.

Now that we don't belong to anyone at all."

Ygritte once said: “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” and if we all were as honest as Ygritte we would not fool ourselves into believing something that wasn't true. Last time I updated the blog I said that I felt like it was a waste of time just being here waiting to go home. I was deadly wrong when I said those things, because I might have had the nicest few days this week since I came here. J asked me if I would be interested in going to the West coast for a day including a sleepover. She wanted to take me there before I left Ireland and she thought it would be a shame if I left without seeing anything.

Connemara

Everyone has told me that I should go to the West coast and that I should definitely go to Galway, so I had heard much about the west coast but no one really gave me a detailed description of what it was like (well, except from J), so I was very surprised when I saw all the mountains and how remote it actually is.

We left Tuesday morning and went straight for Galway. The day was absolutely beautiful and the sun was shining all day. I had not really expected sunshine, because I have learnt not to expect anything but rain, so it was a nice surprise. We arrived in Galway around midday and the weather was still absolutely beautiful. We parked the car and went down the shopping street. And I have to admit that I really liked Galway. I loved that there were so many young people and so many different musicians all looking for a pit to play there music on the shopping street. The town felt alive and I can definitely see myself going back there one day. I even came to the conclusion that I like Galway better than I like Dublin.

Galway

Galway

After Galway we drove through Uachtar Ard, I saw The Twelve Bens and we had a break in Leenaun, which was a really small village, but it had such a pretty view over Killary Harbour. We stopped a lot of times so I could take pictures and the fact that the sun kept shining was great, because if it had been raining I would have seen nothing but misty mountains. And the only misty mountains I want to see are the Misty Mountains in Middle Earth. We stayed in a holiday home near the beach around Louisburgh, which was great because I actually miss the beach. I didn’t think I would miss the beach since it was probably the place I went the least when I live in Skagen as well as in Frederikshavn. But beaches just have a way of making you feel free, with the exception of “The Beach” from the movie The Beach; it makes you feel trapped instead.

On our way back on Wednesday we stopped for lunch in Westport, drove through Castlebar and went to the Famine Museum in Strokestown, which was a place I really wanted to go to. I was slightly disappointed though, because it was just a lot of reading. We went for a walk in the gardens at the museum and even though the flowers haven’t yet come out I can imagine how pretty it must look during the summer. So if not for the museum you can at least go for the gardens (but only when the flowers are blooming.)

But all in all I am so glad that I got to go on this trip, because it really opened my eyes to how beautiful Ireland is, and now I definitely want to come back. I want to rent a van and just drive all over Ireland.

In Uachtar Ard

I only have two nights left here before I am off to Prague, Germany and then back to Denmark where I have managed to get a flat from the 1^st of May in Nørresundby. Even though I have liked my stay in Mullingar, I think it was always just a stop on my way to find greater things and discover new places. However everything will be put on hold for a few years. I never really felt like I connected with the town properly, and it really doesn’t mean that I didn’t like being here. Making friends has been hard even though I have met a lot of nice people. But it just seems like a town where people are too busy to actually hang out with each other. Everyone is always working or busy doing something else. I think that might be the reason why I loved Galway from the very first minute. We were there around midday on a Tuesday but the town just felt so alive and happy and I kind of got the feeling that you wouldn’t have any trouble meeting people in Galway and I also think that it wouldn’t just be people you would only talk to at the pub, like it is here in Mullingar (at least that’s how it is for me). But I think the worst thing is that ever since the article was in the examiner a lot of people have told me that they agree with me and that it is really hard meeting people in Mullingar, because the Mullingarians (I just made that up) are comfortable with what they already have. But some of the people who have actually told me that have been the worst, and I don’t know if they have just tried to justify their own lack of interest by making it seem like all people in Mullingar share the same views on foreigners. But as I have already said then I have met a lot of nice people here, so luckily not everyone is like that, but sadly most people still seem too busy to actually have a life.

Also a lot of people tell me that my English is very good, but by coming here I have actually learnt that my English is not very good at all. I find it hard to express myself in a way where I put my personality out there at the same time. In Danish I know a lot of words and slang and I know exactly how I am going to say things, but in English I know the English I have been taught at school and I wouldn’t be able to express myself in the same way as I would in Danish. So in that way I actually feel like my personality has been hidden a bit because you only have a limited amount of words. I am afraid that I sometimes come off as quite boring. E.g. it is hard to try and describe something funny in another language as well as to actually be serious sometimes or just sound like you are interested in what people are telling you.

I have been coming to John Daly’s ever since my first week here and it has become the pub I go to when I go out. I like it in there and I don’t really feel that alone when I go there. One thing I have learnt is that a lot of people come to the same pub. Every time I got to John Daly’s I meet the same people in there and I think it’s great, because then I start talking to them again and again and everyone is also always so polite.

But I have actually been thinking about this quite a lot and I think that I want to try to go to a pub on my own in Denmark just to see if it is anything alike and if people are as polite as they are in Ireland. Personally I would think that you would feel quite alone if you went to a bar on your own in Denmark.

The last two times I have been out I have bought food to take with me home (in hope of fixing the upcoming hangover). And holy fucking shit the food from Lingi’s on Dominick Street is (excuse me for my use of words) fucking disgusting. Not only is it disgusting but the people working in there have a stick up their arses. The first time I got Fish & Chips and I have never seen a square fish before. The fish tasted so awful that I had one bite of it (luckily I was not sober when I tasted it). I have never tasted a fish that tasted so much of fish. Maybe it’s because I am used to eating fresh fish or at least just a fish that looks like a fish. The second time I got a chicken sandwich and I was so disappointed when I came home to find out that it was indeed a chicken sandwich. It contained bread and chicken. No dressing, no salad, which I kind of feel like are a part of a sandwich. But the worst thing is that so many people seem to go there when the clubs closes and I have no idea why.

I hope everyone is great and enjoying spring. 

“Just a small town girl

Livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train

Goin' anywhere”

The day of my departure is coming closer now. It has always been the decision that I was going back to Denmark on the first of April, but it was never the decision that I was actually moving back on that day too. Now that the decision has been made I actually just want to go home and I want to go home as soon as possible. Right now it just feels like I am just sitting in a waiting room waiting for a train that never seems to come. Much like when you are going on a vacation and the day of the departure never seems to get any closer and no matter how close you get to it, it just feels like time is moving slower and slower every day. No matter how much I like it in Ireland I just want to go back to Denmark right now. I can’t help but feel like it’s a waste of time just sitting here waiting and I feel like it would be a waste of time to go out and meet people that I would probably never meet again anyway. I’d rather just be on the plane back home so I can continue with my life and start looking for flats… and see my family again!

However as of lately I’ve been thinking about things that I am probably going to miss in Ireland. One thing is the range of food in the stores. There’s a larger range on almost everything and I like that as much as I hate it. It makes it much harder to choose but it’s also nice to have something to choose from. I find it difficult to figure out what sugar I should buy, because there are so many to choose from or which kind of flour is normal flour, because I have never seen so many different kinds of flour before. In Denmark I never had to stop up to figured out what kind of flour or sugar I should buy. Here I sometimes stand there looking at it for minutes wondering what kind I should get. It might be that the names just confuse me and that we actually have the same range in Denmark, but I just find it hard to figure out the differences because I only know the Danish names. Also I’ve learnt that there is something called self-raising flour and I definitely have to see if we have that in Denmark because it’s pretty amazing. Denmark is much simpler when it comes to groceries. I will however be glad to come back to a better range of fruit.

I am also looking forward to go back to street names, house numbers and postal numbers. No matter how exciting it has been living at a place no one could find it gets tiring having to explain the directions to delivering companies and taxis. I suppose I only have to do that one more time though and that is when they come for my stuff and my bike. Even though I have only been here for around five months it’s amazing how you somehow manage to get a lot of things and I have more than my suitcases can carry.

I was quite surprised today when I went to a tool shop just a few houses down the road and asked them if they had a cardboard box and tape. The woman in there found both things and I left without having to pay for it and that kind of friendliness I will definitely miss here. In that way I wish the Danish people where a bit more like the Irish people, because something like that just makes your day. I don’t think I have ever walked into a shop in Denmark and left with something without paying for it. Another great story I have from here was a few weeks ago when my mum and dad had sent me something and I was out shopping when a man from FedEx called me and told me he had a package for me. I did not know I was getting anything, but I kind of figured out it could only be from my parents. I told him I would be back in twenty minutes and he asked me what road I would be coming from. So on my way back I met him on the R393 and he stopped up and asked if I was Aprilia. Then he asked me if he should drive me home. So he put my bike in the truck and drove me home and I got my package – so I was (kind of) delivered by FedEx! I would never expect those kinds of things to happen in Denmark.

I have never been out on St. Patrick’s Day before so this year was my first year to actually go out and have a drink on that day. I met up with some people at Danny Byrnes and I actually had a really fun night. Not much happened that day though, but I expect things would have happened in the weekend when people wouldn’t have to get up and go to work next day. I have been told that they supposedly celebrate it better in other countries and I suppose things would be livelier in Dublin and probably Galway too.

A lot of people have told me that I should go to Galway, and I will definitely keep that in mind for the next time I come to Ireland – that will most likely only be on vacation.

In Danny Byrnes on Paddy's Day.

So apart from St. Patrick’s Day and a night out last Friday nothing has really happened. Now I have a weekend ahead of me of packing and sorting out which things I am sending back home with a truck and what I am bringing with me to Prague and Schwerin and after that it is back to living with my parents, once again, until I find my own place where I am going to stay for a few years at least!

“Often I lie wide awake,

Think of things I can make

But I don't seem to have the parts to build them”

It’s been a while since my last update and it’s not because I haven’t had anything to write about I’ve just not really had the time I guess. And this entry probably won’t be as cheerful as the others I have posted. I have unfortunately walked straight into a wall at a time where I didn’t really want to hit a wall and unfortunately for me I wasn’t able to break it. Ever since I came here I have been on a rollercoaster with the Danish government. It seems like in some ways that they don’t really know what to do or then they are just really slow at doing what they are supposed to do, but the thing is that they have lowered my grants from the 1^st of March, the reason is the fact that I moved to another country, and I can no longer afford to live in Ireland anymore. Well I might be able to pull it off, but it’s not really any fun if I can’t afford to be having fun and see things. So after giving it some thoughts I figured the best thing would be to move back to Denmark. I might have the same kind of money in Denmark, seeing as it is more expensive to live there, but I will at least have my family and friends around and I will be able to go to my parents in the weekends to eat dinner when I run low on money (what are parents for if not to help you out when you need it, though my parents have helped me out a lot more than I deserve, and that’s why they are the best and deserve a huge present, which I unfortunately can’t afford, so I will have to keep seeming ungrateful for everything they’ve done).

I never planned to leave Ireland after just six months. I had imagined that I would have been able to stay here for at least a year. But the thing is that things don’t always go the way you expect them to go and it can be the beauty in life as well as the ugly. There are pro’s and con’s about leaving Ireland. I hate the fact that I never got to travel somewhere and see anything, I hate that I only got to be here during the winter months. I would have loved to see everything in the summer and there are so many places in Ireland that I would have wanted to go, but I am glad that I get to be here on Saint Patrick’s Day at least.

On the other hand I am so happy that I get to be in Denmark when my nephew is born and see him almost as much as I want to. You see he will be the first baby in my family since I was born, so it’s a pretty huge thing and I’m glad I won’t be the strange aunt that visit two or three times a year. You see I plan on bonding with him and become his favourite aunt. I want to take him places when he grow up and babysit him (even though I recall my mother saying: “Do you think they will let you babysit?”). I don’t blame her for saying that. I’ve never really held a baby before and I am without doubt the weirdest person in my family (which I don’t mind being, everyone knows that being weird is funnier). It will also be nice to be able to participate in different things again, because I have actually missed out on a few things while being in Ireland.

I’m leaving Ireland on the 1^st of April and I will go straight to Prague where I’ll be meeting up with my brother and sister-in-law and then after two nights in Prague we’ll be driving to Schwerin in Germany where the rest of the Larsen’s will meet us to celebrate the 50^th year of marriage of my grandparents and after a few days in Germany we’ll drive back to Denmark and I will stay there for good (well at least for a few years).

I will be looking forward to go on vacations in Ireland and in time I might even move back here, you never really know, though it won’t be until I have an education and a job. But I will definitely come back to see some of the things I never got the chance to see while living here.

Now to something else. This Sunday I went to see the Spring Concert at the cathedral. I had dinner with J, her friend, her daughter and her daughter’s husband. We had chicken and it was the first time in eight weeks that I ate meat. I wasn’t a vegetarian I just figured I would actually save money if I didn’t buy meat and in the end it was fun to see how long I could go without it. But once you get used to it it’s actually not that hard. But I had a really lovely time and J’s family is really nice and easy to talk to. The concert was good; and even though it’s not what I really listen to when I am at home I think it’s interesting and fun to try something new. Though I must say that the cathedral has the worst benches EVER! (I am somewhat surprised that people go to masses again and again because even if I was religious I’m not sure I would survive weekend after weekend on those benches. Believe it or not, I care about my arse!)

I also never said anything about how I got a piece in the Westmeath Examiner. It all happened when I came back after Christmas in Denmark. A woman contacted me on Facebook and told me she had read my blog and thought it was interesting to see Ireland/Mullingar through a foreigner’s point of view. So she came by The Cottage one day to have a chat with me.  She even told me I could come by the office for a day and see how it was around there and that I could come to court with her too. I haven’t done any of those things though. I was planning on doing it, but now I don’t really think it’ll have the time. Anyway that was how the article happened. I’ve had some great responses on the article and it was quite fun to be the centre-point in an article.

And now to something that has been on my mind since my parents visited me in December. They stayed at Annebrook in Mullingar for two nights and at Davenport in Dublin for one night. Both hotels didn’t have any hot water in the mornings which I find quite weird. It’s rather normal to want to take a shower when you wake up, and I have to admit that it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of hotels that didn’t have hot water in the mornings. If that is just normal here in Ireland I think they should get it fixed, because there is nothing to say about it other than very poor service. I don’t know if we were just unlucky, but it’s just weird if something was wrong at two different hotels in two different cities.

I will now enjoy the last few weeks I have left here and hopefully I’ll be able to see a few things before I leave. However I promise to keep updating my blog as long as I am in Ireland. But when I get back to Denmark it’ll probably be the end of Mullingar Diaries, as it will be hard to write about my time here when I’m no longer here.

Take care x

“So I'm gonna sit right here

On the edge of this pier

And watch the sunset disappear

And drink a beer”

I have always been a beer enthusiast. I love tasting new kinds of beer from all around the world and some of the things I enjoy the most are to just go into a bar and tell them that I want to try something new or just sit outside with a cold one and enjoy it. This means that I am of course familiar with Irish beers. Before I moved to Ireland I had already had my fair share of Smithwick’s, Murphy’s, Kilkenny and Guinness – Guinness being my favourite though. But however there is one thing I find kind of odd in Ireland and it is something I didn’t even think about before my parents came to visit me in December. One evening we went to Druid’s Chair for a pint and my mum wanted a Kilkenny, but they didn’t have it. At that time I realised that I hadn’t even seen it at any of the other pubs I had been to either which I thought was weird since I was pretty sure it couldn’t be anything but Irish.

A while later I have now decided to look up the missing Kilkenny and what I found out when I googled Kilkenny is that everything has to be a bit more complicated in Ireland (Just like with Magners). First of all Kilkenny is owned by Diageo (the makers of Guinness), but the name ‘Kilkenny’ was originally used during the 1980s and 1990s to market a stronger version of Smithwick’s for the European and Canadian market, because apparently they had trouble with the pronunciation of Smithwick’s. So maybe that is why I have never seen Smithwick’s in Denmark. What I think is weird is that Ireland is the primary market for Kilkenny, and yet the women at Druid’s Chair looked like we were talking nonsense when we asked for it. Even though I tried to look it up I still don’t have a clue why I haven’t seen it at any pubs yet. But one thing’s for sure, I am going to figure out the mystery of the missing Kilkenny. I’ll walk from pub to pub if that is what it takes. The only conclusion I can think of right now is that they don’t serve it at some of the pubs because it’s similar to Smithwick’s. But to be honest I think that would be a horrible excuse, because it’s not the same beer and it’s a shame that I can’t seem to be able to get a Kilkenny at the pubs because I really like it.

That was just a tiny update and I hope to be back with a part two with some actual answers. 

One last thing. I met a really proud father at John Daly’s one day when I was watching football and I promised him to put a video of his son’s band on my blog. I actually think that they are really good. So give them a listen.

“A cold wind was blowing out of the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.”

Growing up with the Larsen’s was great. From the age of three I had to go to kindergarten to play with the other children all day. The only things I remember about kindergarten are that I once put itching powder down someone’s back (maybe not my greatest moment) and I was jealous of the girl who had trouble walking, because every time we had to go outside and play (let’s face it; I’ve never been an outdoor person) she got to stay inside and practise her walking. So I spent the hours outside with a big rock trying to crush the smaller rocks until they were nothing but dust (we didn’t need cell phones, tablets, Gameboys etc.). I started at school at the age of six and I don’t remember liking it not just even once. And it was like that for as long as I can remember. I still don’t like going to school but studying online makes it a bit easier.
When I was a child my parents took me to loads of places and I was that annoying kid who puked no matter where we went. So it’s unbelievable how we have managed to drive to Italy and France. I remember always looking at the wind turbines when we were driving and it’s something that I still do. I remember looking at them to see if they were Vestas wind turbines or something else. They always in some way fascinated me.

So growing up with the Larsen’s was great, because I had a pretty nice upbringing and nothing to complain about – and still complaining seems to be one of the only skills I have mastered to perfection. Sometimes I feel bad for my parents because they had to deal with me. And I think it is awful how you have to grow up to realise your life has always been pretty good. Imagine what it would have been like if we have always thought that? There wouldn’t have been any endless fighting on vacations with my brother or complaints about things that really didn’t matter.

My parents even bought a house in Sweden when I was around fourteen and it was probably one of the greatest places on earth. I loved coming there just to relax and hardly do anything. Sadly they sold the house in 2013. But whenever I was in Sweden I would look at their wind turbines. They look different from the once we have in Denmark – not in the shape though, but the colour. Some of the wind turbines in Sweden are green at the bottom. My point is that no matter where I go I always look at the wind turbines. And whenever I’m standing next to one I’m always fascinated by the size of it. They are huge and still they look small from a distance.

Ever since I came to Ireland I haven’t seen one wind turbine, all I see are signs with a drawing of one and a text saying no.

Those signs seem to be everywhere and growing up in a country like Denmark where wind turbines can be seen no matter where you go I find it pretty odd that it seems like the Irish people don’t want them or maybe there is a different explanation to the signs. So once again I have contacted my very very good friend Mr Google to do some research for me (I think that I might owe him a piece of cake for all the research he has done for me).

After a bit of researching it seems that the signs aren’t signs that says: “NO WIND TURBINES AT ALL” but more like: “No wind turbines near our homes”, which is understandable since they aren’t completely soundless.

I found this scheme which shows the noise levels of different things.

Although it seems like, from what I read in the papers and on the internet, that people really are against wind turbines especially here in the Midlands. It seems like some people think it’s wrong to build on some grounds due to the fact that they have a historical background. And now I’m going say something that might not be so nice! Screw the historical grounds (unless there is a historical building or something on the ground). Ireland is full of trash everywhere, EVERYWHERE! Recycling and sorting my garbage was taken to another level when I came to Ireland, but it seems like not a lot of people sort their garbage like I do, instead they just dump it in the side of the roads. So my point is ‘to hell with the historical grounds if they’re just loaded with trash anyway’. They might as well put up wind turbines; at least they do something useful.  

I’ve learnt that there are 199 wind farms on the whole island and that in 2013 18% of Ireland’s electricity came from wind energy, which means that Ireland should have reached its mandatory target by EU for 16% of Ireland’s energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. However Westmeath, Offaly, Meath and Longford are the only counties on the island of Ireland that don't have any wind farms. (That might be the reason I haven’t seen any wind turbines yet)

Also I think that some people think it’s too dangerous to have wind turbines near their homes since accidents can happen – and accidents do happen! (But hey, not that often)

Also in 2014 a wind turbine burned down somewhere in Denmark. But despite the fact the accidents happen I think they are amazing! As for Denmark 20% of the energy came from wind power in 2012 and it was improved to 33% in 2013 and for just December 2013 56% of the energy was delivered by wind power and there was also produced more power than there was used in December 2013.

I don’t see the big deal for anti-wind farm groups. Who wouldn’t want a greener country?

"I have heard it said that the first ingredient of success is to dream a great dream.”

Christmas is over and 2014 has begun. Time is really flying by right now and sometimes you really just got to hang on if you don’t want to be left behind. 2013 has been an important year in my life. It’s been the year where I’ve finally been able to move on and start looking forward. I finally graduated from school and began at University College where my studies are finally directed at my aims and goals. I was gone for seven weeks this summer where my visits included England, The Netherlands and Sweden and finally it was the year where my dream about moving to another country was realised. I can only recommend people to look things up if they have a dream and then try to do something about it. My dream about moving to another country had been going on for more than a decade and the most important thing is to do every possible thing within reasonable limits to realise your dream! It might take years and sometimes the dream simply just vanish, but if it keeps being a dream it’s probably because it is something you have to do! (Unless you dream of murdering someone, then you should probably just stay inside and watch soap operas. That will probably drive you mad for real though) Anyway just because my dream about moving to another country got real doesn’t mean that my dream about moving to another country isn’t still on-going. I am happy being in Ireland but I don’t think I am really a ‘one country´-woman. I’m probably a bit wild and the thought of actually settling down scares me and on the other hand it bothers me that everyone else seems to have settled down and moved on with their lives. I somehow feel like I am always a step behind, but that doesn’t really matter as long as I am the one conquering things!

Seen through my eyes 2014 will have something to live up to, but as for now it’s already looking good. I’m going on a short trip to Prague and Schwerin (Germany) in April and in the summer I’m going to be an aunt – and that is what I am most excited about! Also I have to do a three month internship where I am already planning on applying for a position in England. So for now I have some pretty great things coming up this year.

I arrived in Mullingar yesterday and the trip from Denmark was quite long this time due to the fact that I had to wait for flight/bus connections at both Copenhagen Airport and Dublin Airport. But today I woke up to a sunny Ireland.

I’ve had a great time in Denmark and it was really good to see my family and friends again.  I had just got used to being in Denmark so in some way it was a bit annoying that I had to leave, but now that I have got back to Ireland I’m just contented being here.

I’ll finish this update now to make up for the long and boring one last time. I hope you like the makeover I gave the blog and I’ll be back with something interesting (hopefully). And maybe that will be an explanation on why they have signs saying “no” with a picture of a wind turbine on it in Ireland. 

Back in Denmark

A lovely land is ours 

With beeches green about her 

Encircled by the sea 

Her hills and vales are manifold 

Her name, of old, is Denmark 

That’s how the Danish national anthem goes. Denmark is a flat country. It’s not overly green or overly brown and everything looks dull in the winter and the trees aren’t covered in multi-coloured leaves in the autumn. They don’t have different shades of brown, red and yellow like they have in Sweden. It’s windy most of the time and the beaches aren’t anything special even though we have so many of them. But of course Denmark has its moments from time to time. I think it’s amazing to drive in the summer on the narrow country roads and I love when everything is covered in snow in the winter. I’m in Denmark at the moment and it’s windy, grey and rainy. Not really what you imagine the weather to be like in the winter. There’s no snow and no minus degrees. The weather is mild and so Danish-like. But to be honest I don’t mind being back in Denmark right now because the weather in Ireland doesn’t seem to be any better anyway. In fact it seems like it is worse over there right now.

On the 19^th of December my parents came to Ireland to visit me. I had promised to meet them at the airport where we had rented a car. I had to take the bus to the airport from Austin Friar’s Street in Mullingar and normally I would ride my bike into town but that day I decided to walk. The weather was so bizarre that day. It had been raining, snowing and the sun had been shining.  When I began my walk into town it was really sunny and beautiful, but after five minutes big snowflakes came down from the sky. It wasn’t cold enough so they melted when they came into contact with something. Mostly it was just wet. My grandpa has told me about how they used to hitchhike when he was in Ireland a lot of years ago and how it was just normal to give rides to people walking on the roads. I was thinking about that as I was walking into town when a car pulled in and asked me if I wanted a lift into town. So that was how I got my very first lift from strangers.

I met my parents in the airport and unfortunately one of their suitcases was still in Amsterdam and the suitcase that made it to Dublin was filled with my clothes. So we were off to a very good start! We picked the pre-booked car up at Europcar and made our way to Mullingar. I think the clock was around five when we came to Mullingar. They were staying at Annebrook’s Hotel and it was actually a really nice and cosy hotel with a great breakfast buffet. The first night I stayed at my own place and my parents came to pick me up at 8 a.m. and we went back to Annebrook to have breakfast and it was the first time since I came to Ireland that I had an Irish breakfast. I don’ know why I like Irish breakfasts so much because I don’t really eat the sausages or the black and white pudding. But the bacon is AMAZING! AMAZING!

Most of the day we spent walking around looking at the shops in Mullingar and I invited my parents for hot chocolate and blancmange with jelly at my place. Mainly they came to Mullingar to see where I live and to see Mullingar. I have been waiting for them to come over since I left Denmark in October because I have longed for the feeling of having someone to share everything with. I can tell them all about it but it’s not the same as if they have actually been here. And now they have been here and I think they actually liked Mullingar.

When I told people that my parents were coming over to Mullingar just to see where I live they all laughed at me and said, “They are coming here?” Like what the hell are they going to do here? But I suppose it’s the same as when people come to Skagen and I’m thinking, “What the hell”. There are actually a lot more to do in Mullingar than in Skagen.

The photos are taken in Mullingar and this time the they're actually my own. I was really disappointed when I got back to Skagen, and saw that there's hardly any Christmas decorations. 

We also drove to Lough Owel which is around 7 km from where I live. But it was really windy that day.

In the evening we had booked a table at Dominick’s Restaurant and the food was really good in there. 

Definitely a place I am going to another time. 

On the 21^st we drove to Dublin in the morning. We dropped the car of at the airport and took a taxi to the hotel. We stayed at O’Callaghan Davenport which was a really nice hotel and it was in the city centre. It wasn’t far away from streets like Dawson Street and Grafton Street.

My mum and I with the hotel in the background.

 It was my first time in Dublin and in the beginning I was quite stunned by the lack of cars in the city. But on the shopping street there were so many people and it reminded me of why I didn’t want to live in Dublin. I don’t have the patience to be around so many people. All you really want to do is to push them. The weather wasn’t great. It was raining most of the time and the rain made it even worse to go into shops, because a lot of people had also sought into shops to hide from the rain. But apart from all the people I liked Dublin. It was nice and really pretty with all the Christmas decorations.

All the streets had really beautiful decorations.

My parents had to leave the hotel at 0830 on the 22^nd. Their flight was around 1100 and mine wasn’t until 1900. So I had a few hours to kill. Luckily I could keep the hotel room until 1400. I spent my time doing the last bits of Christmas shopping and after that I went to a pub to watch football and have a few pints before I went to the airport.

Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to call in at O'Donoghue's. It's the pub The Dubliners used to play at and I've read that it's worth a visit. But as you can see on the photo it was packed the day we wanted to go in there. Dublin is a crazy place around Christmas!

I came to Denmark at midnight on the 22^nd and by midday the 23^rd I was back in Skagen. I went to see my grandparents on my mother’s side first. It was only a short visit but it was so nice to see them again.

On the 24^th of December my grandparents on my mother’s side came to my parent’s house around 6. In Denmark we eat Christmas food and open presents on the 24^th of December. Each year we switch between all my grandparents. One year we celebrate it with my grandparent’s on my mother’s side and the next my grandparents on my father’s side and also every second year my brother and his wife join us. On the 25^th and 26^th we normally go to all the grandparents and eat some more Christmas food.

This is what we have for dinner on Christmas Eve.

Ris a la mande (rice pudding). This is want we eat for dessert. Normally one almond is hidden in the pudding and the one who finds it gets something.

The Christmas tree

On the 25^th I also met up with Zille, an old friend from school, and we went downtown for a few beers. I ended up staying out for quite a while though, because I wasn’t back in bed before 0430 which was a bit late when I had to be somewhere at 1200 the next day. But luckily I was alright in the morning and had a lovely day.

On the 28^th I went to my friend Anne’s house with Zille and my best friend Sabina. We had a blast and it was nice to hang out with them again.

Yesterday, the 29^th, I went to Frederikshavn with Sabina where we went to my local bar, Munken, for a Tuborg, just to celebrate the good old times. 

Sláinte! Skål!

After that we visited a friend I went to school with and we hung out at his place most of the afternoon and evening before we took the train back to Skagen.

Today, the 30^th, I’ve been hanging out with Sabina. We had lunch at Green’s Pub and Café in Skagen (the best place in Skagen) and then we went to her place to play Catan. I won 3 out of 3. She’s coming over to my parents tonight and we’ll probably just play some more Catan.

Sabina and I

I have almost two weeks left in Denmark before I fly back to Ireland on Januar 12. Tomorrow it's New Year's Eve and I'm having dinner with my parents and my brother and sister-in-law. Then I'm meeting up with Sabina after dinner.

On-the-go

Nollaig Shona! Glædelig Jul! Merry Christmas!

I think now is finally the time for the merry Christmas wishes! This will just be a quick update since I am quite bored and have free WI-FI where I am.

Right now I am sitting at gate 106 in Dublin airport and waiting for my flight back to Denmark. There’s still an hour to go and it seems like a really long time. I don’t think it matters if it’s five minutes or five hours when you are in an airport; time just seem to go I slow-mo. I will be leaving at 1900 Dublin time and I’ll be in Denmark 2330 Aalborg time. I’ve already bought and eaten two sandwiches and I have another one lying next to me. You gotta feed the hungry people (which in this case is me). Or feed the world as the Band Aid song goes.

I’ve been spending the day hanging out in the hotel room at O’Callaghan Davenport Hotel in Dublin until 1300. Then I went to Grafton Street and some of the others to do the rest of my Christmas shopping. I had arranged for a car to pick me up at 1630 so to kill time I went to a pub in Dub for a pint of the black stuff. I had two pints and I called in just in at the right time because minutes after I had sat down it started pissing down. My hair would not have survived that weather neither would my clothes have. The time is now 1810 and hopefully I can board the plane in 30 minutes and to kill time I’ve bought a bottle of Bulmers (Magners for the ones of you who doesn't have the same knowledge as me).

One thing I like about coming from Denmark is whenever you have to take a flight to Denmark you walk right pass the big crowds of people. There are never many people at the gates to Denmark and the gates are always in the very end.

When I came here I came with Norwegian Airlines but this time I’m going back with SAS. I ordered my flight ticket back home before I even left.

Today it is actually exactly two months since I left and I am so excited to go back home and see everyone and tell everyone about Ireland and how I think it is living here .

When my mum and dad and me left Mullingar I had this sad feeling inside of me like I was never going to go back. I took that as a good sign, because it must mean that I really like living in Mullingar and I really do. I’m finally starting to get friends and life is less boring even though I haven’t really been bored since I’ve come here. Sometimes I tend to get bored if I am around people. Hanging out with myself have never really been a problem of mine!

Anyway I think I’ll eat my third sandwich now so I don’t have to take it with me on the plane. This was a quick update on-the-go. I’ll update about my time with my parents and my time in Dublin when I’m back in Denmark. 

I wish you all a merry Christmas!

Come dine with me

“Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.”

Okay. Since my last blog update I have decorated my future house on an online webpage, finished two bottles of wine, been keeping myself updated with what’s on wanelo.com, thought about what I want for Christmas, bought three new bottles of wine (they were half price) and been to a catholic church. Yes, I have been to church for the very second time in ten years. The first time in ten years was last year at my brother’s wedding – there was no way I wanted out of that one. And the second time was this Sunday, andthis Sunday was my first time at a catholic church.

I did not take this picture. I stole it! But it's the cathedral if you doubt it.

J asked me if I wanted to go to the Christmas concert at the cathedral of Christ the king. She sings in the choir. I told her that I wanted to go, because even though I am not religious it would be good to go out and see something and I have wanted to see the cathedral from the inside since I came here. So I ended up being invited to dinner with her, her daughter, S, and her male friend, B. Since I am quite picky when it comes to food my first thought when she asked me if I wanted to have dinner with them was to say no. In that way I wouldn’t have to eat something that I didn’t like. I always fear that I have to eat something that I don’t like. But it wouldn’t be very polite of me to thank no, so I told her it sounded lovely and that I would be looking forward to it and I did look forward to it even though my mind was thinking non-stop about what she would be cooking. Would it be something with cheese – the thing I fear the most? But my worries were completely unnecessary when I came to dinner and found out we were having mashed potatoes (YES!!), meatballs (YES) in tomato sauce (YES). Everything was lovely and it was the first time I had potatoes since I came here. And for dessert we had chocolate cake with whipped cream, strawberries and jelly. MY KIND OF DESSERT!!! Normally my people think jelly is disgusting, but it really is the best thing ever. So all in all I had a brilliant dinner!

We arrived at the church before time because J and S had to get there earlier. So B took me to Greville Arms just to show me what was inside. We had a drink in there before we headed back to the church just in time for the concert. The concert was alright. It’s not something that I would attend every other evening, but it was fun to experience it and it wasn’t really a church-ish concert. It was just Christmas carols and hardly any talking. And it felt great to actually be surrounded by a lot of people.

When we went for the drink before the concert B kept saying that I will find a really rich husband, and I’m glad because that is the only husband that I ever want. I don’t dream of getting married but if I am going to have a wedding of my own someday it sure as hell will be expensive and worth it. Alone the crown I want to wear costs around e3,000. And I think I’d probably want to have my wedding in Austria or Switzerland at Christmas in a medieval castle. I thought it was quite funny how he kept saying it, and I have come to the conclusion that he can see into the future and that he knows that I will meet a v. very rich man one day. Maybe he is even Santa!

Ho ho ho ...

The crown I want.

I want this ring. It's €4400.

And this dress

But hey, I might actually be able to afford the dress. It's only €165

I want these wine glasses. They're €160 for four.

I want the wine glasses no matter what. They are amazing and on my wishlist!

Anyway Mullingar has got into the Christmas spirit with Christmas decorations and everything. There is something special about Christmas when all the Christmas lights are on. I just love it! Even the cathedral has figures of Jesus and Maria etc. (I’m not really sure who they are; I’m just guessing it’s them). 

The cathedral at night. I don't know if you can see the figures in the top. I DID NOT steal this picture.

This is the Greville Arms hotel, where I went with B. 

I haven’t really had the time to take any pictures of my own, so I stole some from Google, just to show you what it looks like and I believe that I haven’t really uploaded any pictures of Mullingar yet and that is because I still find it too awkward to take pictures when people are around. Maybe when my parents come over I can get them to take some pictures of the town with me in it! Then it’ll be actual proof that I really am living here and not just pretending, though the town isn’t anything special so there’s no need to pretend to live here if you don’t. That would just be stupid. Most towns are just towns and don't have anything special about them, so I don't mean it in a bad way. I like living here.

Today it is my seventh week in Mullingar and time goes by so fast. In nine days my parents are coming over and in 12 days I’m heading back to Denmark for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Also it’s about time that I start buying Christmas presents so I went out today to do some of the Christmas shopping. So far I bought presents for the dogs, Bianca and Effie, and one for my very best friend. I also bought candles – which is one thing that I have been supposed to buy for a very long time, but I just find them so expensive. For 6 dinner candles it was €5,50 and I think that is expensive. I don’t know the price in Denmark so maybe it’s the same. I also got the perfect idea and use my empty wine bottles to stick them in. In that way I saved money on candlesticks.  And I also think it looks nice.

I think it's nice and cosy and a bit homey.

It is 11 degrees celsius outside today. Kind of a hot Christmas I think. 

Nollaig Shona – it means happy Christmas in Gaelic. B taught me that. 

Six weeks in Mullingar

“A craven can be as brave as any man, when there is nothing to fear. And we all do our duty, when there is no cost to it. How easy it seems then, to walk the path of honour. Yet soon or late in every man's life comes a day when it is not easy, a day when he must choose.” 

As you can see it has been a while since by last update and you probably thing a lot of things have happened since I haven’t had the time to update my blog. Well a few things have happened, but I am afraid the main reason has been because I’ve been too lazy or uninspired. Believe it or not, but I write best if I am inspired by something and it doesn’t matter if it’s my blog I have to update or an assignment I have to write.

First off all Thursday (November 21) I received a package from my parents. I didn’t know they were sending me one but it had all sorts of things in it. Sweets, cakes, Christmas stuff, my hairdryer and my hand bag. It was such a great surprise. Having had two packages delivered to my address I have realised that it’s kind of hard to get packages delivered out in Walshestown. Both times the delivering company have called me and I have had to give them directions. And I can only give them directions if they come through Irishtown from the right road and drive by the Texaco gas station. The real problem here is that the house doesn’t have a number and the road doesn’t have a name. If the road has a name it’s L1801 or something like that and you can’t even find that on google maps. In fact if you find my road on Google Maps it says it’s called Grange South, which I have learnt is not really accurate. Another problem is that they don’t have postcodes in Ireland yet, though they are coming. All this means that you pretty much have to know who lives where. So I’ve learnt that it is important that you give them your phone number if you have to have something delivered by someone that is not the local postman, because at least they do not hesitate to call you if they can’t find you.

The goods my parents sent me.

Christmas around the mirror

Thursday evening (November 20) around 2030 I decided that I wanted to go to John Daly’s. So I jumped on my bike, rode it into town in the darkness and coldness. When I came to John Daly’s no one was in. I was a bit surprised about that because Thursday is ‘little Friday’ as we say in Denmark. I’ve been told that most people go to college in Dublin or Athlone, because they don’t have one in Mullingar so they are away from Monday to Friday. Which might explain the missing people on a Thursday night. I had M, the bartender, take my bike out in the back so it wouldn’t go missing again. I just sat in there with a pint of the black stuff and talked a bit to M, and we had a game of Jenga. I lost twice out of three times. Around 2300 people started coming to the pub. Just 30 minutes before closing time. I guess all of a sudden there were around 20 people in there. The reason for that I learnt is because a nightclub across the road called The Lane Club opens at 2330. Anyway I met some guys at John Daly’s and I decided to keep my bike locked in at John Daly’s and pick it up in the afternoon the next day. I went to the nightclub with the guys. Even though I wasn’t supposed to go out to party I just had to grab the opportunity. If I want to meet people I just have to jump at my opportunities even though it’s Thursday. Anyway I had a great time and a pint of Heineken was only €3.00. THAT IS BLOODY RIDICULOUS!!

Friday (November 21) J asked me if I wanted a ride into town just as I was about to head out. It’s like she can read my mind and knew that my bike was in Mullingar. She gave me a ride and dropped me off on the main street. I had a few minutes before John Daly’s would open so I went to Dunnes Store, a shopping centre. I found a pair of winter boots. I have been looking for a pair of shoes for a while, and now I finally found some to a reasonable price on sale! I went to John Daly’s, had a coke, talked to M a bit and went Lifestyle Sports afterwards to buy a shirt to run in. I’ve been planning on starting to run again, but I guess we’ll see. I still haven’t been out.

In the Weekend (November 22 +23) I saw a lot of Christmas films. I think my Christmas mood started somewhere in the beginning of November.

Saturday (November 30) I decided to go out and have a few drinks. John Daly’s had live music and I still hadn’t been out on a Saturday or been at John Daly’s while there’s been live music. Even though I was only supposed to go into town to buy a bottle of red wine and then head back to the cottage to have a glass of wine and enjoy my Saturday night I was convinced that I had to go out as I called in to John Daly’s before picking up my bottle of wine. I ended up talking to a small person (to be honest he was a tiny cripple, but that is not really a nice word, so I’m going for small person). He ended up telling me that he had a foot fetish which I found quite ironic since he had some “troubles” with his legs. And when he began telling me that he was going to open up my shoes it became a bit freaky. But luckily he left not long after that and to be honest I don’t hope I ever meet him again.

Then I met Billy at John Daly’s after the small person had left. He’s a really nice old man, who I have spoken to before. I don’t mind talking to old people, I kind of enjoy their company and I think it’s nice to hear what they have to say. Especially over here where Ireland’s history is quite young and I believe a lot has change in the last 100 years which means that a man like Billy most likely has experienced something interesting. I mean the Great Famine ain’t more than 160 years ago and Ireland got their independence from Britain somewhere around 1900.

Billy and me. I'm trying on his hat.

When Billy had left I met some other people. They were a mixed group and I sat with them for the most of the time at John Daly’s. When they closed I took a taxi with another group of people to a house where we could drink. When I came to the house I immediately knew that I should just have got home. It wasn’t because they were stupid or anything. The ones I spoke to were nice, but I was actually just really tired. So I had one call me a taxi and then I was back home at around 0400 I think.

December has finally arrived and I have started eating my chocolate in my advent calendars. I decided to do it a bit differently though. Since my parents are coming on December 19^th I decided to start eating my chocolate behind door 18 and then count down. I don’t know if I should have started with the 19^th though. I can’t wait for my parents to get here and I can’t wait to go to Dublin but most of all I can’t wait to go back to Denmark for Christmas. I miss everyone at home, but the one that I miss the most seems to be Bianca, the dog. I don’t know why – I have my theory though and it is because I cannot speak to her like I can to everyone else. I just want to pet her.

As for right now I am working on my last assignment before Christmas. It is due on Friday and I am finishing my part tonight. So at least I won’t have to worry that much about it. I have also got a head cold which is so annoying. J drove my into Tesco today so I could buy some Lemsip and nasal drops. My nose is SO BLOCKED! It was also the first time in fourteen days that I did grocery shopping, which I am quite proud of. I believe in the next few weeks I’ll be doing my Christmas shopping and on Sunday I’m going to the Cathedral with J. She sings in a choir and they have a Christmas concert, so she asked me if I wanted to come. I think it’ll be nice and I have also been quite curious about what is inside the cathedral.

Since this was quite long I guess I’ve made up from the lack of updates. Also if anyone find/walk into Kit Harington please send him to me. I know a good hiding spot. No one will ever know where he is.