St Patrick’s Day is here and it is one of the few days in the year where I truly remember that I am Swedish. Although I celebrate with my family and friends this Leprechaun coloured day I still live it like the tourist I think I will always be here in Ireland.
On the 11th September in 2000 I came to the green isle with a great vision to get myself working as a translator in the UN. English was the first language to master. Only the other day when talking to a young man at work he stated “Oh, I would have never guessed you were Swedish. Your English is far too incorrect for that”. That was a refreshing way to look at it…….. mostly I get the more polite version. “You sound more Irish than the Irish themselves”.
The photos underneath were taken the day I left for Ireland, nearly 18 years ago….. Look at the state of the hat….. but when seeing the hairdo….. maybe the hat is better.
So today I ventured to Kilrush with my middle daughter to check out the parade, which lasted the whole of 10 minutes. Lucky enough because the breeze had quite the bite.
We are now cuddling up with a three course meal, candles and wine of course.
So I think I will need to add something to that first goal list I outlined in my very first blog post. I want to be a real tourist and go to the Dublin parade wearing a silly hat, even sillier than the picture, and a pair of those leprechaun shoes that the man on the Swedish train was so adamant that us leprechauns have.
To all my Irish friends and family. Happy St Patrick’s Day!!!
TERM-ON-FECKIN…..
I have to write about another part of this week gone by. Term-on-Feckin. What more would a blog title need?! On Wednesday afternoon after the work was done, most of it anyway I took to the car with my Spotify playlist and aimed for County Louth and the picturesque village of Termonfeckin.
Nearly 7 years ago, right in the middle of setting up my own business, I got a message on LinkedIn with a subsequent phone call from a Mr. Niall Edwards. He contacted me to see if I would be interested in supporting himself and his business partner (better known as the boss) (but don’t tell Niall that), Carmel McCarthy, in the delivery of some training.
We met that summer in Annacotty and have not looked back since.
I strongly believe that you need to make friends for the different parts of you. So in finding My Me, Niall and Carmel have become friends in business. Well in saying that I think we surpassed being just work friends a good few years ago.
When I knew the barrier was broke is when I after a work function suffered the worst hangover of my adult life…. In Termonfeckin. That is a long way from home and my own bed but I was well minded and left that evening, instead of morning, to get back to Clare.
So this week myself and the boss had some work to get done and as always that begins with a great catch up. So over wine, dinner and a tiny piece of chocolate and some more wine we debated and discussed everything from business, relationships, children and some more business. This woman, Carmel, is one of lives mightiest. She has an impeccable sense of humour, a warmth that is contagious and an honesty that is refreshing.
So time well spent.
Simply Malin 