My irish adventure.

....A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS....

Coming back from Australia I found myself a different person.At the opposite, everything surrounding me was still the same.I started feelling like I couldn' t stay in a place for too long, I had to constantly move and keep myself busy.Some people call this " the traveller' s sickness", I think it is a decision, definible as life style.I remained for a bit more than two months in Trieste, at my family' s house.But I needed one more adventure, before the end of the year!It was November, when I had the freaky idea to become an aupair, again.Normally working as aupair makes evrything sound safer, but that wasn' t about me at the time.It took me just one week to find my hostfamily.My plan was to move to another european city, definitely a closer place than Australia, perfect for an experience of just 2 months.A different culture and language are musts to improve your travelling skills.. Of course, you are going to live outside of your "comfort zone".I wanted to work in a place were I could earn some money too, thinking about a next great adventure, maybe in New Zealand.I had some skype calls with different families and I decided to move to Dublin in the end.My new irish hostfamily was composed by a single dad and 4 kids. Something different for me..Anyway my job was supposed to be a bit easier, considering that two of the kids live with their mum.I defined the needed tasks with the hostdad during a call, he told me about some general light houseworks and taking care of the kids of 4 and 8 years old.My working schedule was definitely less than 40 hours a week, with a satisfing pocket money.Everything sounded good to me! So after some last skypes with the dad I decided to book my flight.On a Wednesday afternoon I landed in Dublin. But that same day, my good expectations turned into confused feellings, after some suspicionable situations.Just arrived I had no contacts and no idea about where to go... 

I recived just an email addresse from the dad in the previous calls, and nobody answer to me all day of my arrival.

From the moment I stepped into Dublin, everything turned into a creepy and weird atmosphere.

In the same night I realized that I was in the wrong place and the family I wanted to work for as babysietter wasn' t really looking for a babysitter!

I felt worried and not comfortable in my new house.

Therefore, I passed the next early morning realizing an escaping plan. I couldn' t remain there!

You are probably asking yourself what sort of terrying experience I had...

The summarising list below should clear your mind. I found myself with:

-An hostedad trying to flirt with me, proposing me an after dinner relaxing massage,

-A house with apparently no kids,

-Order from the hostad to clean my room and all the living room just arrived from the airport

-A frozen dead deer located in a refrigerator, in the garden

- no double keys of the house, just a combination of numbers I would have to learn by heart and insert in a little black machine beside a bush, in the front door. Because the numbers do not appear on the buttons, I was supposed to learn their position.

-A baby' s bed just near mine, to take care of the baby during some nights (Thing not accorded, therefore I wasn t supposed to do it!)

That wasn' t exacly the kind of family and house I expected.

Considering that I was alone in a country I didn't know, with a stranger interested in me not as a babysitter,I decided to move on the next morning, withoust a trace.

I didn' t know if the situation could have got worse...turning in something horrible..

I hold my breath while running away from that house, until arriving at the closest bus stop.

A deep sense of freedom, reconfirmed my bad sensations.

I was out! Ready to go to the city center and find an hostel where to sleep in the next days.

My plan was to remain in Ireland,of course I didn' t want to give up at the first challenge!

Life experience taught me that rarely things go as you planned them to. So, at that stage, I could expect everything!

Sure.. I haven' t been so lucky as aupair, but I wanted to remain in Ireland as planned, so I started looking with motivation for another job.

Dropping off cvs everywhere was definitely a good idea, when just after two days I had a call for a trial.

That same day I got the job. I have been hired as waitress in an italian restaurant. Not the job of my dreams, but "better than nothing"( mama said)

If from one hand working with other italians wasn' t helpful for my english, on the other hand I had a job in which I was already comfident.

The manager made me sign a contract, filled in with my passport's details. Everything was correct and looked honest to me,while scrolling my eyes through the contract' s agreements.

But as soon as I started working there, I gradually became consious about irish working policys, and I started relizing how negative the atmosphere was for me.

Of course, my sarcastically "honest" manager didn' t tell me anything about the PPS number( the Personal Public Service Number. requested to be register as a worker in Ireland)..

Without this number, the 50 % of my total income become taxes for the government.

Althought I asked directly to the manager more informations about it while signing the contract, He told me that the pps wasn' t important...

It took me 3 weeks to realize the importance of that number, just after reciving my first pocket money.

Half of my income has been taken to pay taxes to the irish government.

Furthermore I was working less than 20 hours a week, despite my request of a full time job.

Of course I could have asked my taxes back later, but the process of compensation would have taken at least 3-4 weeks more.

And my plan of staying in Dublin for not more than 2 months wouldn' t have worked.

With the money earned from my tax back,and the little hours of work, I could have barely paid for food and accomodation. Without earning any effective income.

The constantly bad weather added to the great costs of life and the tendency of people to create groups of the same nationality, made me feel like an unwelcome guest.

I tried to apply to other jobs, but losing the mojo I had before.

Some pub's owners replied coldly to my job proposals, saying that they would have hired just irish job seekers.

Hanging out with people from other countries was also challenging, while I had the impression that everybody was looking for connationals to be friend with.

There couldn' t be bigger mistake than avoiding conversations with people from other countries, loosing the best possibility to improve your spoken english and learn more about new cultures.

Although my attempts to avoid italians, it seemd almost impossible in that almost racist context.

Later I decided to move to an apartment., while the hostel' s life was becoming way too expensive for me.

I shared my room with other 3 girls and the apartment with other 7 mates.

During my time in Dublin I noticed a strong presence of people from south America, mostly from Brasil.

And I ended speaking more with brasilian people than irish ones, my flatmates indeed were from São Paulo.

In addittion, people and the same place didn' t gave me that "good vibes" I was looking for,as a young traveller.

I had no satisfaction with my job, and I started being a bit bored in that always grey atmosphere, where drinking beer seems to be the only way to have some fun.

And of course, after living in Australia and Italy, I started missing the sun!

Furthermore my salary couldn' t permits me to spend some time in pleasure' s activities like shopping and tours around the city.

I realized I had no good reasons to stay and after one month I decided to book my flight back home.

Ireland didn' t give me an enjoyable experience, but at least I can say that I learnt a lot about working and living in Ireland, as much as avoiding negative people in my future.