Anyway... my 5 questions come courtesy of Chris over at Geek Philosophy.
Here we go...
1. The few times I've travelled, I've been surprised by the selection in convenience stores - I always think there's something from Canada that would sell well there (hello, Smarties!) or something from there that I'd love to have here in Canada (mmm, Chipotle and Chorizo corn chips). Is there anything you'd find in a typical Canadian 7-Eleven that's not sold in Ireland that you think would go over well? Alternatively, is there some sort of Irish snacky-cake or choco-yum that you think would totally rock the Canadian market?
I've never heard of Chipotle and Chorizo corn chips! They sound awesome!
It's funny that you asked this question, because our main convenience stores in Dublin (called Spar) have little Tim Horton's sections in them, including coffee (from machines, unfortunately) and doughnuts. Weird, eh? But excellent for battling the odd bout of homesickness. And for DIY improvised Canada Day festivities.
From Canadian 7-Elevens I definitely miss proper Slurpees. I love a good Slurpee and Seawall walk (Ambleside or Stanley Park) in the summer. Those slightly sour Fuzzy Peach gummy candies are good too. And a more varied chip selection - I like the Jalapeno ones, or Dill Pickle. And Kraft Dinner... if they sell that at 7-Eleven.
From Irish Spars... well, B suggested quite a few things, but high up on the list would be breakfast rolls, the Irish hangover cure-all. Basically take half a baguette, fill it with bacon, eggs, sausage, black and white pudding, hashbrowns, etc and you're good to go. So unhealthy but it really does clear up a hangover better than anything else! I also like Minstrels (kind of a bigger, nicer tasting, not-coloured Smarties), Lucozade... and we can get proper Red Bull over here. I know that'd go down well in Canada, even though I don't like it myself.
2. Do you find jet-lag worse flying from Canada to Europe, or from Europe to Canada?
Believe me, I've done my fair share of flying in the last... 11 years, and I can state unequivocally that the jet-lag from Canada to Europe is infinitely worse than the jet-lag from Europe to Canada. This of course all depends on the type of person you are. When I fly home (to Vancouver), I actually enjoy waking up early (around 6am on average) and going to bed early. That way I can gradually stay up later (midnight or so) and wake up later (8am) - and I can still get a lot done.
Conversely... when I get back to Dublin I am a mess. My internal clock does not let me get to sleep until approximately 5am, and when I wake up (around 12pm), instead of feeling refreshed I am exhausted the entire day, until around 8pm when I perk up again. I waste the day feeling sleepy and lethargic, and only by having a job to go to (or by having B drag me out of bed before he goes to work) can I get my internal clock turned around. Nightmare!
3. Which country in Europe that you haven't been to would you most like to visit, and why?
You know, it's strange... I've lived in Europe for years now and yet despite the abundance of cheap flights I feel like I haven't been anywhere!
I suppose first on the list, in a typically touristy fashion, is Italy. Yes, I know it's "right there" but I just haven't got around to it yet! I'd like to go for the history, the art and architecture, the language, the scenery, the food... you name it. I'll get there one of these days.
Another more obscure destination is Lithuania which, I have it on good authority, is beautiful - mountains, trees, much like home only more... former Soviet. The "good authority" is the possibly-slightly-biased Lithuanian embassy, by the way, who invited me to the celebration of their national day last year and held a photographic exhibit to entice people to come and visit. It worked.
I'd also like to go to Iceland. Because... you know... it's there.
4. What's your idea of a perfect weekend in Dublin? Nothing like "spending it on the couch with my boyfriend" - let's say, if you had two friends flying in and wanted them to really get a feel for the place and see the best bits. Where would you eat? What sites would you see?
Just a weekend? I'll assume for a laugh that it's a nice weekend, perfectly wonderful sunny weather and all. Hey, a girl can dream, right?
I'd start by going to Kilmainham Gaol (jail). The tours give you an excellent, if fairly bleak, overview of the history of the country. Plus it's right across the street from our apartment. I also like walking through the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, now home to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), just down the road. From there I'd get the hop-on-hop-off tour bus, which also provides a good commentary, history and kind of hits the highlights of the city. I'd get off near the Ha'Penny Bridge and head in to Temple Bar to stroll through the Farmer's Market which happens every Saturday in Meeting House Square (and is home to the Best Hotdogs in the World... Ever) for lunch. Then I'd probably go to Trinity College, my most recent alma mater before settling in for afternoon/evening drinks at one of Dublin's "proper" pubs. And by "proper" I mean an authentic pub that ACTUAL people go to, not one of the Temple Bar tourist pubs with their horrible Irish sing-a-longs. Ugh. I mean somewhere cozy, with character and excellent Guinness. Yes, I know of several such places. :)
The next day I'd recommend hitting up the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery or... for the more adventurous maybe a day trip out to Newgrange or down to Glendalough. This is definitely weather-dependent! I love Newgrange and its mystical history (older than the pyraminds) and Glendalough is beautiful on a nice sunny day. It's always nice to get out of town and back to nature.
As for eats, well there is Johnnie Fox's... the highest pub in Ireland. They do excellent more-or-less traditional Irish dinners, with the added bonus of a dinner show as well (think low-budget but still entertaining Riverdance). Plus the views across the city are amazing. Otherwise I'd suggest Cafe Irie for breakfasts/brunches, Juice if you're in the mood for vegan/vegetarian, Leo Burdocks for the best fish and chips around (except I'm sadly allergic), and one of any number of excellent Indian restaurants in town. Oh, and El Bahia for to-die-for Moroccan food. Just get there early before the bellydancing starts. Yikes.
5. For the last question, something different - what's your favourite character in a movie, and why? Doesn't have to be someone from your favourite movie, but a particular character that you really like.
I'd have to say the character that stuck with me the most after watching a film is Derek Vinyard, Edward Norton's character in American History X. Having done a bit of acting in university, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult that character would be to portray, particularly in the initial murder scene. The crazed, hateful look in his eye is absolutely terrifying, and is made scarier again when you think that there are people out there who actually think and feel that way about other human beings. Ultimately I liked the transformation he undergoes throughout the film - from a man so consumed by hatred to one who realises the error of his ways, but never in a preachy or patronising way, which lends the character credibility and most importantly believeability. In the hands of a lesser actor the character could become hokey and completely cliched, but in the film he is identifiable and realistic.
If that's too "Introduction to Film Studies 101" I also like Wall-E. Because... you know... he's cute.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment