Food for Thought: Junk Food.

I feel another regular topic coming on... Once again when I started thinking about food as a topic I realized that there is no way that I can completely capture this in a single post so 'Food for Thought' looks like it will be my second semi-regular feature of this blog. (I hate the name, but can't think of anything better right now, if you have any suggestions feel free to send them on.)

I have now been here long enough, that in many ways the differences in food between Ireland and the States now seem kind of minimal.  It kind of surprises me to say that, because when I first arrived it was a pretty big adjustment. 

In general I am not a picky eater, so I was not particularly worried about food.  I can pretty much eat just about anything and be content.  I am not much of a junk food/sweet eater, or at least I never thought of myself that way. Maybe once every couple of weeks I would pick up a candy bar of some sort, or occasionally some sort of snack-cake. The salty snacks would be something I would have eaten more often, but mostly pretzels and nuts of almost any sort, but certainly not religiously on any of them.

Imagine my surprise when I moved over here and started craving some of the strangest things.  If you had asked me before I left "What will you miss?" I can honestly say that Slim Jims probably would not have made the top 1000.  Back home, I may have actually eaten one of these twice a year when I had a craving, but the minute they became impossible to find, I found myself craving them all the time.

Here is a challenge for you Americans out there who know someone over-seas.  Try to explain a Slim Jim to them... Well it's a stick of um... 'meat', about the size of a pencil, it is kind of like peperoni but softer, it comes in different flavors like 'Tabasco'.  Oooo and they also come 18" long.  Here's the best part... you get them in gas stations!

A short list of some of the other random junk food I never ever thought I would miss:

• Peanut Butter (they have it here, but not close to what I was used to)
• Dill Pickles (they have something similar, just not quite the same)
• Cinnamon Pop-Tarts (they only seem to come in strawberry here)
• Pretzels of all shapes and sizes. (slowly but surely they are getting easier to find over here thanks in part to the Polish immigrants)
• Cheetos (actually all non potato-chip snacks)
• Salted Peanuts in the shell (same goes for Sunflower seeds)
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (thankfully these are now quite prevalent here)
• Three Musketeer bars (nothing at all similar I have found here)
• Many more random cravings which pop up from time to time, usually when I see an American commercial while streaming sporting events online.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I just spent 6 weeks in the states.   The first time in the shop/store (depending on which side of the ocean you are reading this from) I wanted to buy as many as possible of all of the above items, but after about the first week, this had worn off.  Once back in Ireland though, it is a completely different story. The few things on that list that I can now find here I find it almost impossible to not buy.  The ones on the list that I can't find, I keep kicking myself that I didn't eat more of while at home.

For instance, the other day I was in the gas/petrol station on the way home from work, and this particular one carries Reese's Cups.  I just spent all that time back home, and didn't buy a single one, although every shop has them.  Here though I bought 3 packs, just because they were there.  My primary motivation for this?  I am terrified that if no one buys them they will stop selling them.  For quite a few years the only place I had ever seen a Reese's cup was in Shannon Airport, the traditional airport of the American Tourist. This never made much sense to me since you were either getting on a plane to go to America, or getting off one coming from there.  In what way was the brand being expanded by this?  I have no idea, but I find myself actually worried that if I don't buy enough Reese's Cups, they will retreat back to this small remote enclave.

The same goes for pretzels, if I see them here, I buy as many as I can comfortably carry just in case they are the last ones I can find for the next six months, as well as prove to the retailer that these are popular.  Quite a few grocery stores do carry them, but the only place they show up consistently are in the Polish section of the store.  Paluszki are not bad, and will do in a pinch, but not quite like what I am used to.  Occasionally I will find other pretzels, but I learned early on that just because they have them today, does not mean they will have them tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong, there are lots and lots of examples of junk food products that exist in both places, the two that pop to mind are Doritos and Pringles, both of which I like.  That being said, I cannot remember for the life of me when the last time was that I had either. This has convinced me that these cravings, and the soap-box descriptions of some products I regularly deliver are not actually because I like these things, but rather because I cannot get them. 

Proving this point further, I have spent a significant amount of time trying hard to explain to Irish people how amazing Claussen Pickles are.  I took my wife home and as is my custom immediately went to my parents refrigerator and pulled out a Claussen pickle.  As proud as I could be I gave one to my wife thinking finally I can introduce her to a proper dill pickle. Her reaction was to wish she could get the flavorless Irish version. (This could be a bad example because the more I think about it she is probably just crazy, Claussen pickles are truly one of the tastiest foods ever!)

All this being said though, it is not all doom and gloom in Ireland on the junk food front.  I was recently introduced to my new favorite website americanfood.ie.  The prices may be outrageous, but the owner of the company encloses a nice little thank you note in each order.   It has gone a long way to keeping my many random cravings at bay.  Now if only the could get Claussen's!

There will be some follow up posts to this about other food related comparisons, as well as a reverse column about all the things I miss from Ireland when I am back in the States, so stay tuned.
 

Driving Lessons: Prolog

The last couple of days I have been getting a ride home from work with a good friend of mine who is also an Ex-Pat, and a big topic of conversation is how amazingly different the driving experience is here in Ireland.  My experience driving in the States is mostly suburban, with some occasional city driving across the Midwest. His is mostly east coast, and specifically New York City.  As different as those two are to most Americans, Ireland is another story entirely.  Driving here is as different from both as as they are from each other.

These discussions started me thinking that an interesting topic for this blog would be about how different the driving experience is here in Ireland versus the driving experience in the States. Once I started thinking about it though, I realized that in order to do it properly would probably take a month or more to write, and I would still probably leave half of it out.

Since I am just starting this blog experience, a post which takes a month to compose is more than likely going to stop this project in it's tracks, so instead I hatched this idea of making 'Driving Lessons' a semi-regular feature of the blog where I can write about bits and pieces based on whatever I encounter on the road whether it is walking, driving or riding the bus.  (Had I come up with this idea sooner, my Bus Eireann post would probably have come under this heading.)

I have started on the first entry, which is ironically about life without any driving at all.  The move to Ireland marked the first time in my adult life that I did not have a motor-vehicle and I think that transition in and of itself was one of the strangest things about moving here.

So watch this space for more 'Driving Lessons'.  If anyone has any suggestions for either posts related to this topic or other topics where you think it would be interesting to compare and contrast life in Ireland and life in the Midwest let me know.

Addendum: Bus Eireann

After re-reading my post from yesterday, I realized that it might leave people with the impression that I am not a fan of Bus Eireann, or the public transportation system here in Ireland.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Most people over here will go on and on about how the trains and buses are terrible compared to the rest of Europe. This may well be true, but they are so superior to anything at all which can be found back in Ohio you will never find me griping about them in a general sense.

Yesterday's story was specifically about that one experience.

To compare and contrast with the bus system in Cincinnati, while I was home last month, I spent virtually all of my time in one of two locations, my parents house and Jewish Hospital.

These two are on or very close to one of the largest East/West roads on the north side of the city, both with easily accessed bus stops.  When I first arrived home, I did some research about the bus routes to get me from one to the other so as to avoid the expense of a rental car.

What I found was that the bus routes made what is a twenty minute drive into a two and a half hour journey by travelling all the way into downtown Cincinnati and only then being able to come back out to my destination.  Needless to say I begged, borrowed, and rented cars while I was there.

Bus Eireann Adventures

So since I have been back in Ireland, my car has been living at my Mother-In-Law's house a couple hours up the road in Waterford.  I have been dragging my feet a bit in retrieving it as my daily walk to the bus station and subsequent bus ride to work has been kind of cathartic.  Specifically I think I like it because it is so opposite to the American experience where, well lets face it everything is driven by driving.

This is essentially the same commute my wife has made daily for the last couple of years.  A twenty minute walk across the city to the bus station to take a fifteen minute bus ride.  All in all it is quite pleasant if the weather is not nasty, and for the most part since I have been home it has been cooperating.

The two of us (my wife and I) mostly work different shifts by at least an hour or two, so while I would normally drive to work, she takes the bus.  She never once has really complained about this added time to her commute, and as an American I have always been mystified by this.  The WALK to get the ride is actually longer than the ride itself. The one and only level of complexity she has ever come close to complaining about is something I always dismissed as her own little brand of paranoia.

She tends to not want to stand out or cause any fuss, so is always prepared by having either exact change, or a close approximation to the actual fare.  This included going out late the night before working an early shift, to get change if there were none on hand.

So the other morning, on my walk to the bus I had to stop for cash having none on me, and got out the lowest denomination it would dispense €20.  This minimum is pretty much the same for 95% of the ATM's in Ireland.  I briefly considered making a small purchase as my wife's obsession with exact change passed through my head, but since the fare is €6.90 (a rip off worthy of it's own rant post), I thought there is no way that the 11:00 a.m. bus would not have at least collected enough change to accommodate a twenty.

As you may have already guessed... I was wrong.

After about a ten minute wait for the bus to arrive, I joined the queue somewhere in the middle and proceeded to get on the bus.  This is normally a pretty quick process since the vast majority of riders are commuters and have a pass which they just wave at the driver.

When it is my turn, I extended the twenty euro note expecting to receive a ticket in return for my "Staff Return" request, and instead received what I can only describe as a truly incredulous look from the bus driver.  This surprised me, if for no other reason the following indisputable facts:

1. There are no signs anywhere on the bus or in the bus station which indicate that a there is highest or lowest denomination which is accepted.
2. The change required would have been €13, which even without the presence of a €10 note would have been a maximum of six €2 coins.  (a more than ample supply was visible in the coin dispenser directly between us.)
3. The lowest denomination which any ATM within a mile of the bus station will dispense is a €20 note.
4. The person two spots ahead of me in the queue had purchased a ticket using a €10 note.

The incredulous look after about five seconds of silence shifted over to one of condescension as he stated "You need to go inside for change." A bit flustered by the directness of this statement I am pretty sure I failed to point out the person just ahead who had paid with the tenner, or the large quantity of coins between us and just asked rhetorically, "You cant break a twenty?" 

At this point in time the bus driver went from annoying to being a full blown ***hole when he asked the following:

"How long did you wait at the stop when you could have been getting change?"  

This said in a tone of voice which one usually reserves for scolding a four year old when they have clearly not thought through the consequences of their actions.  It is at this point I remember my jaw starting to drop as I prepared for a spirited debate over the above four facts, when I suddenly realized that if I had any hope of actually getting on this bus and making it to work on time, I was better off cutting my losses and looking for change.

I scurried off the bus and into the station, fully expecting to find a queue which would surely cost me my spot on the waiting bus.  To my surprise, the only person at the window was just finishing up, and I was able to walk right up to the ticket lady.  After sliding the €20 note under the glass and asking for change, I remember her asking mildly perplexed "What kind of change do you need?", where I then responded.  "Anything that will get me onto the Airport Bus." 

Hearing this she seemed to understand and quickly hand me two fives and a ten.  I hurried back to the bus, fully expecting to see empty pavement but to my surprise the bus was still there, and the last person in the queue was just past the driver.  A bit out of breath, I silently handed him the two fivers, from which he made change from his ample supply, and printed out the ticket.

Somewhat sulkily I trudged off to find a seat where my annoyance proceeded to shift from the bus driver to my own silence.  Well at least I was going to get to work on time.

There are two kinds of bus riders, those that thank the driver when they get off the bus, and those that don't.  I have always been firmly in the camp of the former, but not this time.  Out of habit as I was exiting the bus, I found myself about to say 'Thank You' but caught myself just in time.  For the first time that day I was happy to remain silent.

*************

A couple of notes for those of you who are not from or have not been to Ireland, or just don't ride the Airport Bus.

• Bus Eireann is the national bus company which has all but a monopoly on bus travel in this country, there are other carriers but their routes are very specific so generally not very useful for commuting.

• You can only get the staff discount for the trip to the Airport/Airport Business Park on the bus, otherwise I would more than likely have gone to the kiosk, or used a ticket machine.

• Bus Eireann has perhaps the worst website of any mass transit site in history, finding your way from any point to any other point without already knowing the numbers of the buses is almost impossible.  On top of that there does not seem to be a map of bus routes in existence for any route in Ireland.  Which I believe is to keep hidden my next bullet point.

• The Staff rate for the Airport bus is € .90 down from the normal €8.50, seemingly either 'because they can' or because the Airport is a couple hundred meters outside of the city limits.  You can hop on quite a few 'city' routes which are longer rides that only cost about €1.40 each way.

• This particular bus often runs before and after the hours that the ticket desk is open and available to dispense change.

Reboot

Over the last six weeks I have been out of Ireland on an extend personal leave.  During that time one of my responsibilities was to post regular updates about events on a blog, designed to keep friends and family appraised of current events.

Since I have become used to frequently updating that site it seems like an ideal opportunity to 'reboot' this blog to see if I can continue the process of regular posting.  Success or failure are anyone's guess, but why not give it one more go eh?

So please bear with me I have no idea what I plan on talking about, it could be life in Ireland, it could be TV, Movies, Sports, or it could be whatever random thoughts pop into my head.  I will more than likely try to steer clear of anything too controversial, but well... we shall see.

If you happen upon this feel free to look in from time to time to judge for yourself if I have anything useful or interesting to say.