One year in Dublin — part 2
Seeing Dublin with other eyes
In my first text I described how I feel after living one year in the capital of the Republic of Ireland. Now I want to tell how is it and how do I see the life around here.
I must confess that one of the things that annoys me the most around here is the fact that there are so many Brazilians. To the point of, in city centre, you can listen as much Portuguese as you can listen to English. And it doesn’t matter where do you go, college, pub, work, bus, there will always be one there. It doesn’t annoy me for them being Brazilian, I didn’t leave because I hate Brazil or something like that, but it is tricky to really experience the essence of a different country if you can’t get away from yours for not even a minute. I think that for many Brazilian here this is comforting. I feel that a big part of them doesn’t even know what they’re doing or where they are at, so if anything goes wrong they just need to ask help to their fellow countrymen. What is kinda pointless, in my view, if they really came with the intention of experiencing an “exchange”.
However, Dublin has much more than only Brazilians. The capital of Ireland is a very cosmopolitan city and this is very cool. I have already met people from almost 50 different countries in one year. Many times, walking in the main streets of the city I feel as if I was in the future, or how I think the future will be: full of different cultures and languages interacting with each other. One of the best experiences in life is to learn more about other countries through the eyes of who came from there. Maybe that’s the reason I have less interest in Brazilians. Even though, I have learnt more about how my country is here — and of how different the rest of the country is from where I grew up, than living in Brazil.
The more you walk away from city centre, the less Brazilians and foreigners in general you will meet. That’s due the fact that the rent in Dublin is one of the highest in Europe. While in Brazil it is common to share a whole house with few people or even having a place just for yourself, here a single room is luxury*. If you add that plus the bills and transport — which isn’t cheap also, it is a bit impracticable to live away from the centre, being that almost everything that you need is there.
*This description is valid for the reality of most Brazilian exchange students living in Dublin.
To sum up this account, immigrants who are not part of the European Union and who come from countries that have no agreement with Ireland in that way, as is the case with Brazil, can only work, in the maximum, 20 hours weekly. Exception made to some months during the year (that coincidentally are the Summer months, when a lot of Irish travels on holidays and the immigrants are allowed to work full-time to cover the holes left behind, yay!).
Since I got here I still didn’t leave this bubble called Dublin. How I explained in the first part, my intention is a bit different than just doing an exchange, therefore travelling, for now, stays on second plan.
To not say I didn’t leave not even once, I did a track from Bray to Greystone, two small towns to the south of Dublin. I also went to Wicklow, neighbor county, but this time was at work. Of course, in Dublin, I’ve been in almost all of the main points — museums, parks, monuments, many of them are very nice.
My favorite place in the city for now is Dublin 4. Many technology companies such as Google and Facebook are located there. Likewise the modern Aviva Stadium, besides the Dublin Docklands and the Grand Canal which gives an extra charm to the place. I also really like the bridges over the Liffey river that unite south and north of the city and, of course, the Phoenix Park.
Newcomer in Dublin, coming from the countryside of Brazilian’s Paraná state, the city looked huge. Today I perceive how small it is and how, even being an European capital, it lacks options in different aspects. I think that this also is due the fact that the opportunities presented are considerable smaller for immigrants with the above mentioned specifications. At the same time, even the Irish complain and many, especially the young, nourish the desire of also emigrating to more developed centres. Actually, this sensation was recently confirmed by this research, where Dublin is ranked as one the worst cities in the world to emigrate to.
It is confusing then, to understand why so many people from different countries come to Ireland? Not really… Ireland is the only European country member of the EU which allows immigrants to work and study at the same time. Therefore, who can’t get a working visa or doesn’t have enough money to study without working in any other European country, will end up here. Even with all the restrictions done, many times the “tough” reality imposed here towards the immigrants is much better than the one that they have left behind in their home countries.
But then this is it? People come to Ireland because they don’t have any other choice? I believe that for the vast majority the answer is yes. As I said before, many don’t even know where they are. And that’s not only for the Brazilian. Yet, there is a minority that sees a true future here and that even without many perspective, their eyes shine when they tell you on how they fell in love with life here. On how the dark, rainy and cold weather doesn’t discourages them of getting out seeking for adventure. On how the Irish are one of the most cheerful, spirited and hospitable people there is. On how Dublin is beautiful when looking with the right eyes. On how they can’t forget the taste of a Guinness tasted under a rare sunny day.
Yeah… maybe I am starting to look at Ireland with other eyes as well.
