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WTF?: The Problem with Stamp 3 in Ireland
UPDATE 25 April 2019: So about two weeks after I wrote this post, the Irish government decided to simply do away with the Dependent/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit and let all dependents/partners/spouses of critical skills employment holders work in Ireland with no restrictions and—wait for it—NO WORK PERMIT. I went to GNIB this morning and I’m ECSTATIC to say that I now have a Stamp 1G in my passport, declaring that I “may work full-time without Employment Permit.” Honestly, I thought this day would never come! (1G is now the stamp that all dependents/partners/spouses of Critical Skills Employer Permit holders will receive. Read more about it here.) I think this was better…
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WTF?: Dublin’s Litter Problem
My husband and I have now been in Dublin for just over 10 months. We can safely say that it is the dirtiest city we’ve lived in, thanks to its massive litter problem. We lived in New York City, Seattle, and Boston over the past nine years. Yes, NYC is gross in that garbage is left out on the street for collection, but at least the trash is placed in sealed bags (usually). (Now, their rat-infested subway tracks is a different story, but it’s not like people walk on the tracks.) Boston, I’ve seen some disgusting things on occasion (for example, a bloody tissue on a seat on an Orange…
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WTF?: The Immersion
The first time showering in our apartment was quite memorable. Poor Steve learned the hard way that you cannot take hot water for granted here in Ireland. Meet the immersion water heater controller: When we moved in, I noticed this contraption on the wall but for whatever reason, I disregarded it. I remember thinking to myself, “This looks ancient and it’s set to ‘off’ anyway. Maybe it’s something that’s just been here for years and isn’t important.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. This important device controls the hot water supply for our entire apartment. When it’s off, you won’t have hot water. The previous tenants naturally turned it off…
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WTF?: Contact Lens Solution Prices
Look at those prices. Why didn’t I swing by Costco when we were home for the holidays?! At least amazon.co.uk sells contacts lens solution for a more reasonable price . . .
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WTF?: The Backwards-Ass AIB Card Reader
Here in Ireland and throughout most of Europe, contactless credit cards are the norm. Chip technology is so 2007. My Leap card, which is what we use here for all public transit payments, is contactless. I can even put the card against my smartphone and use the Leap card app to top up my account in less than 10 seconds. It’s pretty amazeballs. So imagine my surprise when I tried to send our landlord our first rent payment a couple of days before it was due. I had all her bank account details and was ready to initiate the transfer online. And then I got this message: WTF is an…
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WTF?: Lucky Charms
WTF? is a blog series where we look at the processes and events that have made us say “WTF?” during our time in Dublin. Look what we found at our local Fresh store! It appears we struck gold since Cillian Murphy said Lucky Charms didn’t exist in Ireland: But sorry, we’re not paying €9,95!
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WTF?: Opening a Bank Account
WTF? is a blog series where we look at the processes and events that have made us say “WTF?” during our time in Dublin. On our third full day here, we opened a checking account (or “current account,” as they say here). I don’t know how difficult it is for a foreigner to open a bank account in the States, but here in Ireland, it sure can be a doozy. Essentially, proof of address in Ireland is required to open a bank account. But it’s not as simple as it sounds. Work permits aren’t valid proof, nor is a signed apartment lease (we tried unsuccessfully with both of these).…
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The GNIB Appointment
WTF?: The Immersion
WTF?: The Problem with Stamp 3 in Ireland
