Why do I beat myself up in new cities?

Look Right
Originally uploaded by yvettemn.

"Look Right" - thank you crosswalk for the warning. I have the utter inability to understand the lines on the road and what designates the direction traffic is supposed to go. It's not all multi-directional streets - the one way streets are the worst. So I love these crosswalks - they are my lifesavers.

This being said, I felt comfortable walking 10ish miles today to orient myself in Dublin. That is, until I got back to my apartment to find my gate card wasn't working and I was loaded down with the heavy part of my groceries that I didn't get yesterday. Woe is me.

Tulips & Christ Church
Originally uploaded by yvettemn.

I managed to see: Dublin Castle, the Beatty Library, all of Grafton Street, Christ Church and the office. Plus I found the Tesco which is a marvelous and wonderful thing.

But now I'm not moving. Except to go out and get dinner - because although I have food, I found out the hard way that my stove and oven both don't work. Hi landlord, you get to hear from me yet again.

I can't get over how people do a complete doubletake when I start talking. It's either wide eyes, or suddenly stopping mid whatever they were doing before and staring for a second and then looking down embarassed. You'd think with all the random accents around here that an American accent would be just another one for the recordbook. I mean, I've heard 'em all by now - predominantly (the non UK and non Ireland ones) French, Spanish and Italian accents. But Americans? Ha! Except the one woman in the grocery store who asked me for directions back to where she was staying. Now that was hysterical.