For the purposes of this first reflective blog post during my EdD internship at NUI-Maynooth, I will discuss three topics:
- Experience of Personal or Independent Travel During the International Experience
- Adjustment During the International Experience, and
- Experience of Cultural Difference
While I believe that each of these topics have repeatedly intersected during my first few days back in Ireland, it will make it easier for me to put my experience into words, without sounding like I'm just writing a travel log, if I organize my thoughts using these topics.
Experience of Personal or Independent Travel During the International Experience
As a distance learner, I was traveling from a different location than the others, so I was traveling independently. I am quite used to traveling alone - I prefer it, actually - as I have lived in Canada and Ireland before, and I have attended several conferences around the United States and Canada. As an independent traveler, I can set my own pace, make unplanned decisions, and navigate an airport quite efficiently. The first leg of my trip went quite smoothly, and I arrived in Boston early afternoon, giving me plenty of time to send out some last-minute announcements to my students and clean up some assignments that my students will have while I'm away.
I worked for a few hours before checking my email to find that my flight had been delayed. Again, not surprised. I know to expect the unexpected when traveling: I have lost luggage, sat on a tarmack for hours, been delayed because "ground transport ran into the wing of the plane and it needed to be repaired", I've even slept in an airport for 3 days waiting on standby for a seat while I was fleeing a country during times of unrest. So this delay was nothing to be concerned about. I asked to be put on an earlier flight, reminded them to retag my luggage (which they said they did), and was on a plane 3hrs earlier than planned. The flight was your typical screaming infant experience, and the food was better than expected.
It wasn't until I arrived in Dublin that I had an actual hiccup: the luggage was never retagged. They told me to expect it on the later flight and the airline would shuttle it to my accommodations upon arrival - lunchtime, at the latest (which, I was told later, in Ireland, could be as late as 4pm). The day came and went - no luggage. It is now day 5, and the airlines have no clue where my luggage is. Thankfully, as an experienced traveler, I did plan for delayed (not lost) luggage, and I packed 3 days worth of outfits into my carry-on bags.
Upon reflection, I am a little annoyed with myself, because my initial packing plan was to take only carry on luggage, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Now, the airport has 21 days before the luggage is declared "lost" and I file a reimbursement claim, but I could have avoided this hassle if I'd just been a minimalist. As it is, there is a possibility that my belongings are truly lost and that's a lot of Lularoe to replace!
Adjustment During the International Experience
Although I've lived in Ireland for more than a year before, I hadn't been to the island since January 2009 - a lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same! I thought I had gotten into "Irish" mode in preparation for this trip, but nothing can prepare you for the small cultural differences - even if I've previously adjusted to them. I reminded myself that they don't have the same expectations as we do in the States when it comes to Customer Service, but, still, when I asked for a fried egg and the guy at the counter was like, "you can have scrambled", I felt a little jolt of annoyance. Then I reminded myself of where I was, and said, "no thank you" and got a juice, instead.
When I was here last, I was shocked to see Polish aisles in the grocery stores, so I was expecting to see a lot of Polish this time... but, to be honest, this country is WAY more diverse than it was less than 10 years ago! I found it really fun to sit down with a manicurist from India who came here on a holiday with a friend 10 years ago and just never left. We talked about Irish men (she married & divorced one, and just got her heart broken the day before by another), their commitment issues, and their tendency to avoid confrontation at all costs. Additionally, in the first 3 days of this trip I met several immigrants to Ireland: the young lady in the International Students Office here at NUI-Maynooth is from Eastern Europe; one of the ladies I'm working with in the Graduate Studies Office is from London; and another is from an African country (I only spoke with her for a minute, so I don't know which one). So, it's not just the international experience of "American versus Irish", but rather, considering the different ways each country deals with its identity as a cosmopolitan nation that I found this most fascinating this first few days.
Experience of Cultural Difference
I found that a lot of my experience of cultural difference this time around was muted, compared to the first time I was here, but there is still so much to learn about Ireland and its people! Some folks like to talk about Ireland's history, some like to talk about its current affairs, and still others like to talk about Global Issues (specific to where participants in the conversation are from) - which, in my case always refers back to the current elections in the United States. One example of this, just in the first few days was the lunch we had on Monday, where I sat at a table with Drs. Ryder and Thompson, Jen and her new coworkers (I assume?) and the entire conversation was dominated by their concern about Trump and how having him as President of the United States is terrifying on an international level. I knew that, from reading news articles from Ireland, England, and Canada, but hearing individuals express their concern was a reminder that although we, as Americans tend to be Ameri-centric, it is important to acknowledge the impact our decisions have on the rest of the world.
Eilis, one of the supervisors for our internship in the Graduate Studies Office, sat down and talked with Deirdre and I for about an hour on our first day about cultural differences. Her perspective was both oddly comforting and insightful as she compared the British to the Irish, especially in terms of racism and international relations. During a moment of her own reflection, Eilis wondered if a reason why the Irish didn't have as much of an issue with racial differences as we do in the States is because of the dialogue that is inherently built into Irish culture. Eilis didn't put it that mildly, she said something like, "Say, if my mum were to meet someone with darker skin, she'd be like, 'now, where did you get that color from?' and prod away until there was nothing hidden, and she knew everything there was to know about this new person in her life... because once ye're in Ireland, ye become our business".
Eilis also mentioned that being Irish is not about color, race, or nationality - it's about acceptance. I think this was probably the most insightful thing I've ever heard about Irish intercultural relations. She noted that you could be any religion, but you can't be "no religion", and not because people will have a problem with you, but because the government won't know which school to put you in - they only provide public education based on religious preference, and they will only support schools with a religious framework - regardless of the chosen religion.
Additionally, in this conversation, Eilis reminded us that the only thing that is unnacceptable - that the Irish can't forgive - is when outsiders are critical of their ways. Again, I found this incredibly useful; I have been told all my life that American travelers are hated in other countries, and I am always extra careful when traveling internationally to defer to the culture in which I am visiting, but it is not the way we are trained in the U.S. We are told to be bold, to boast about our abilities, and to prioritize ourselves above others in an effort to "get ahead", so when we travel, these attributes are magnified in cultures that consider these same attributes to be negative. I, thankfully, have never had to learn this lesson the hard way, but I have already caught myself struggling with annoyances (like my room getting switched around 3 times in the 1st week, or the lack of vending machines in our accommodations), which are so dumb when I stop to think about it! If I just remember to practice the art of appreciating our differences, I am always rewarded by friendships and levels of trust beyond what I could expect in a short visit, so I'm glad Eilis reminded me to avoid judging "the Irish way" and just enjoy it :)
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