Arriving in Ireland

Greetings all! It's our fourth day in Ireland and it has been amazing so far! We lucked out on the weather with only one raining day! The first day we arrived, we realized a bunch of cultural differences. One of the most major ones was driving on the wrong side of the road! It was completely different from what we were used too. I have to admit I thought we were going to crash a few times. After wandering around the city, I noticed how simple they lived. They did not have the latest technology like we have but it's newest to them. Their grocery stores carried a different selection than ours. For example, they have A limited selection of candy bars but with older logos on them. They did not sell cereal with sugar on them- which is very popular in the USA. Ireland seems like a healthier place to live and with skinner people. Next, I learned that in Ireland, nothing is free. I was talking to a convenience store worker and he told me they charge for water cups, and even plastic bags. That really astonished me. I could not believe it when I was charged 22 cents to carry my groceries in. There is such a cultural difference compared to the US. The lingo here in different. Locals use the slang "crack" to describe having fun or the phrase "bucketing" as pouring rain. I did not expect such a big difference in the living here. Lastly, they do not tip in Ireland. Not even at bars or restaurants. The other night we found this tiny Italian restaurant on the streets of limerick and had an amazing dinner. We had a bill of 80 euros and it felt so wrong not tipping that we ended up leaving money. In the states, it is rude not to tip someone. With the tax and minimum wage being so much higher, I understand we don't need to. However, tipping is part of our culture and is something we learned to do. This trip has really opened my eyes and realize how similar yet so different our cultures can be. I am having an amazing time and I cannot wait to continue the journey. Stay tuned folks!