The Subject of Alcohol. Yes. I am actually writing about that.

Ok. To start, some of you may have just cringed that I would DARE be writing about booze! Cobbers drink water, right? Well, that is part of the point of this particular post.

Alcohol is so taboo to discuss in a public setting in the states. Especially at Concordia. For example, when that one chick on facebook posts a status like, “Omg! Margaritas and Dirty Martinis all night at da club wit my gurls!” we all look at the screen and say, “I’m judging you. So hard.”

And DON’T EVEN THINK about mentioning it on campus to students! Holy goodness. As an OL, it’s just something you don’t really discuss with your clubbies, unless they ask a specific question about it.

And FOR A FACULTY to mention drinking/going out…. Woah. Slow your boat guys.

All of this is fine and dandy and just the way we do it in the States, specifically at Concordia. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with it, it’s just how we do.

…..Ireland is not this way.

First of all, they’re approach to drinking is a lot different than in the US. The legal drinking age for beer and wine is 16, and hard liquor is 18. It’s just a part of their culture. So much to the point that IDing you is rare, because honestly, they don’t care. Everyone drinks, and is very open about it. For example, I saw a family of two teenage boys and their parents at the pub. On a Friday night. Dad was buyin’. ……WHAT?! The idea of going out to a popular bar on a Friday night with my parents and brother with my Dad buying me drinks all night just blows my mind. We don’t do that in the states. We do, however, do that in Ireland.

As I said, everyone does it, and they are incredibly open about it. So much so that it comes up in everyday conversation. All of the time. In what we in the states would deem totally inappropriate venues/situations to bring it up in.

Such as with your taxi driver.

And in the checkout line at the grocery store.

And college orientation.

And college tours.

And the bank while you are opening a checking account.

During orientation, every other sentence has been someone with a knowing smile saying, “You’re going to have a great time in Ireland!” Now, in the US, people may say something like that, with that same knowing smile… but usually, they would just leave it there and let you interpret as you will.

Nope. Not in Ireland. To follow that, they’ll say something to the effect of “Make sure you go out on school nights during the week, because that’s when all of the Irish students are here! So if you need to do work, do it on weekends. But you won’t really need to do serious work until a week before finals. So don’t worry about it. Just go out and have fun! And don’t worry about morning classes, everyone (including your professor) shows up really late anyways.”

On the tour of the campus, I counted how many times our student ambassador mentioned alcohol/going out. Let’s just put it this way... I stopped counting. Within the first five minutes, we were at about 15. And the second place on our tour was the College Bar. Which is similar to the Maize (instead of Maize fries, we have College Bar “crisps” or potato chips. There is crack in them… I’m sure of it). Except with a full bar. That is open all day. And according to our tour guide, is awesome for starting your night off when going out downtown, especially on MONDAY and THURSDAY nights.

……………………………………………………..

Our group went to the Bank of Ireland to open banking accounts over here. Courtney and I got this lovely lady that was helping us. She was dressed incredibly professionally, and it is a nice bank. A very classy business setting.

We got some wonderful recommendations from her about which pubs to go to. (We didn’t ask for this, mind you, she just told us like it was part of her job).

The next day, when we came back to put money in our accounts, she saw us and the first thing she said was, “How’s the head girls?!”

….I’m sorry. Did she just ask us how hungover we are? At the bank?

Recommendations are one thing, but that took us to a new level. She also sat us down and asked us about our night the previous night. When we told her we were exhausted so we ended up just staying at home and watching TV and going to sleep, she just shook her head and was like “I don’t believe you for a second. Don’t be shy. What did you do?”

…..No. Really. We stayed at home. And went to sleep. We were tired.

She was like, “Oh. Really? Well, then be sure and go out tonight because you’re probably nice and well rested!”

And then proceeded to give us a whole new list of recommendations.

And that was just one lady at the bank. There is also a guy and woman who seem to be managers (?) or something who came and talked to the students during orientation. They walk around and kind of supervise. We had essentially the same conversations with them.

It’s just crazy to me how different the attitude towards alcohol and partying is over here. I’m not saying one way is right or wrong, I’m just saying it’s different. A new experience.