Irish American... errr?

Question of the day:
I am now an Irish immigrant. And because of the way the Irish immigrated to the US, that sounds weird having spent my entire education learning about history from a US point of view. But I hold an Immigration Card registering myself as an Irish Immigrant with my picture and stats!

So, if I can't be an Irish American because that sounds funny.... does that mean I'm an American Irish(wo)man? Discuss!

Amusement of the day:
On my way to the immigration office this evening after work I decided that if I was going to sit and wait for someone to ask me what the heck I'm doing in Ireland yet again, I'd get food. And I was passing the chipper which everytime I walk by it it has a massively long line and if I'm with a native Dubliner (or someone who's lived here a few years) they always say how it's their favorite chipper in Dublin.

For once, the line wasn't out the door - so what the heck. I wasn't at all impressed with my first experience with fish and chips (chips amazing; fish yuck) but I figured I'd give this lil' Isle another chance. I got up to the counter and said "cod and chips please" and the server turns to the fryer and grabs both and throws 'em on a piece of paper. Great, dinner is served. Except then he looks up at me and says "wowwwlanddinit?" "Excuse me?" "awwwwwwlonnnnalinit?" "uhhhh - please?" What do you say when you know that you're speaking the same language as someone but you don't have the foggiest notion of what they're actually saying. Here were the possibilities: "Hi, do you like axe murderers?" "Are you free tomorrow night?" "Have you seen my dog Rover?" and any other set of dodgy responses. So, being the brilliant love I am, my response was a hesitant please... yeah - that was smart Yvette - real smart!

I see the salt come out - ok, that's good. Then the vinegar comes out - thank goodness I've taken a huge liking to salt and vinegar on my chips or crisps. And finally my fish and chips are wrapped up in more paper than goes on a small army of spoiled children's Christmas presents. Ooooooohhhhhhhhkay... "salt and vinegar on that?" - that's what he said. Phew - I don't have a date with a random Irish chap I can't understand. And I'm not going to be a story on Unsolved Mysteries: Ireland. Safe this time.

Oh, and the chips were brilliant - the fish - again, not so much.

And Finally, a Story to Make My Mother Sit Down (mom, sit down please):
I have now been told by multiple people that they don't ever think I'm leaving Ireland! I just want to run away screaming when I hear that. First of all, I agreed unofficially to stay for 6 months. Many people know that with the immigration issues, I was only officially here for 3 months unless my work permit got approved. Now that it has, I keep getting e-mails asking "so, how long are you there for?" Honestly, folks, I don't know. I'm really really really enjoying travelling in Europe - but that's the glossy coating over what is my real life - where day in and day out I go to work and have to like what I'm doing and who I'm doing it with. And where I come home and want to have people to talk to. Right now, it's a bland bland life especially in comparison with my shiny Seattle life. So I don't know how long I'm staying - no one does. I'm hoping to know in a few weeks. I know that I am legally allowed to stay and work in Ireland until Dec 24 '06; I know that I am supposed to stay through the end of Oct in Ireland if I go by what I agreed to when I took this position; I know that I will stay till the end of Aug since I'm going to France for a week in mid-Aug and that's easy enough and soon enough.

Will I stay till the end of Oct? Stuart says "uhhh - yes, you're one of us - you'll stay". Jeremy says "oh, you're going to become addicted to it - I can see." Most other people reserve their opinions. So for right now, I'm taking one of my American Irishwoman liberties and pleading the 5th!

Appliance of the Day:
Once again, my washer/dryer/thingie is the appliance of the day. In 2 months (yes, it's been that long) I have yet to get it to turn on to wash on the first try (I think I've got the dry thing down). It's holding my current load of laundry hostage again (ok, so it's been hostage since Sun night, I just ignored it all day yesterday) and although the light indicates "wash" and another light indicates "power" and another light says "door locked" and the dial's set to 90-mins regular colors, the dang thing isn't making a sound. Now, I know very well that it sounds like I live on an airport runway when my washer is running - so this is not good. I wish the manual would aid me, but alas, it is no help and for all I know it's written in Gaelic. Ok - off to battle the washer!