Well, I've already told many of you that since Easter, I've been working full time at Bunratty Castle. The castle puts on banquets, which are similar to madrigal dinners, so I perform at the banquets. I know how it sounds - it's nearly cliche to say that I moved to Ireland, live in a village and work singing in a castle down the road. But, that's the truth.
See, I hadn't written about it before now because I wanted some time to formulate opinions about it, get used to it and try to approach broadcasting my perspective with the necessary delicacy one should have when writing about their job online. (See many others who have used their blogs as a forum to air their honesty about their job and have since found themselves unemployed.)
Overall, I love my job. I was working in an office in Limerick before, which had me commuting 40 minutes each way in rush hour traffic. Now, I make the same money without the commute and with much less stress than an office job. Really, it's the kind of job that makes me feel like I'm on summer break and I'm going to have to go back to work sometime soon. But I am at work! And they actually pay me to do this! Who can pass it up?
The one hesitancy I ever had about auditioning for the job is my accent. Probably the majority of the audience from evening to the next is Americans, so I felt like a bit of a fraud, inviting my fellow countrymen in for an evening in an Irish castle only to be greeted by a fellow American. The funny thing is, not that many Americans either notice or say anything about my accent. Every once in a while someone picks up on it, but it's not nearly as often as you'd think. I chalk that up to having just the slightest twinge of an Irish accent now in me that comes out more when I'm more or less 'acting' for the role of my job (I mean, how American is anyone going to sound when they're dressed up in a big velvet dress and calling people 'My Lord' and 'My Lady'?). I always feel like my story is a good one; I'm not here for school or for some year off to travel Europe, rather I met an Irishman and he 'imported' me! It is rather amusing, though, when American guests ask me what part of Ireland I'm from originally, and I answer 'Indianapolis.'
The banquets are silly and amusing. We do them twice a night and they're on every night of the week during the peak tourism season (April-October). It takes surprisingly little motivation to repeat the same program each night, mostly because the crowd is always different. Unlike other more traditional performing experiences, the crowd's involvement is important to the flow of the evening, and since the audience is different each time, it keeps it interesting.
I'm sure I'll have more to say over the coming months about this position. I get to see people from all over the world coming in and out of the castle, and sometimes the cultural observations are surprising. But I'll leave it at that so I don't open up a diplomacy can of worms.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Monday, June 19, 2006
Driver's Ed
No, I'm not 15 all over again. I'm in Ireland. This means that the American driver's license that I've had since I was 16 means nothing. Ireland recognizes only EU countries' licenses and those of other left-hand driving countries (i.e. UK, Australia, New Zealand). So, for starters, I had to obtain a provisional license. This is essentially a much more flexible form of the learner's permit that we have in America. Unlike the permit, which basically allows unlicensed drivers the chance to get behind of the wheel for the purposes of learning only, many drive around on provisional licenses for quite a while, with little thought to it. However, as you can imagine, the cost of insurance for a provisional license is quite a bit more than that of a full license, so I was anxious to get the show on the road - no pun intended.
To get one's provisional driving license, you first have to take and pass a relatively simple written exam. Of course, you must wait for an available test time first, which can be up to a few weeks. After you have your provisional license, you may then apply to take your driving test for your full license. In the meantime, provisional drivers can take to the roads, and although they are supposed to be accompanied by a fully licensed driver aren't take to task over this. The other requirement, and much more painful in my eyes, is that they are to display what are known as 'L' plates. A red 'L', indicating a learner driver, must be displayed in both the front and back windshields. This was a humiliation I could not bear. This was reason enough in my mind to get this test out of the way.
A few things to know about the Irish driving test. First of all, it's hard. Only about 50% pass. Most people in Ireland aren't rushing out to take their test and get behind the wheel. In fact, most Irish wait to learn how to drive until they actually have a car of their own. This can be much later than the gaggles of 16 year olds taking to the roads in the states. For one, the process is more involved, and it just isn't a part of regular rites of passage to take Driver's Ed as soon as you turn 15, preparing you for the test that you can take as soon as you turn 16 + one month (as it is in Indiana). As it is, you can't get a provisional license until your 17 anyway. Most people learn how to drive from a family member, and then when they get closer to taking their test, take private driving lessons from an instructor who will teach the finer points of driving in preparation for the test.
Another thing about the driving test/licensing in Ireland: red tape. I applied to take my test last September and got an appointment for today - June 19th. That's over 9 months that I waited for this coveted appointment. You can't just call up a test center a week before you think you're prepared to take the test and get an appointment. You're much more at the mercy of the bureaucracy.
Back to it being difficult. If I remember correctly from my own first driving test in America, they are testing you on the traffic laws and how well you abide by them. In Ireland, they are much more particular about your driving technique as well and the finer points of the road rules are emphasized much more. There's quite a laundry list of potential failure points the tester is armed with, which makes seeing any sight of his pen at work nerve-wracking. I know you're all thinking that 'They drive on the other side of the road over there, of course it's difficult and different.' That's not the tricky part. Trust me, if the steering wheel in your car all of sudden showed up on the other side of your car, it would only make sense to drive on the other side of the road. It's that the roads over here are narrow, winding, hilly, poor quality, etc. that give plenty of challenge on an everyday basis that you don't particularly need someone next to you ticking off boxes if you leave your foot on the clutch too long when downshifting just before a roundabout. I mean, which is more important, how long it takes me to shift into second gear, or assessing whether the 20 foot truck coming through the roundabout is going to mow over my little car when I get there?
Due to some family car problems, I ended up taking my test in Tristan's car - a 1993 Toyota hatchback with a permanent layer of sawdust (carpenter mobile) both inside and out and no power steering. It was not the most ideal of situations, but it was a necessity. So, I booked a few lessons with an instructor to get the jist of the testing route and all of its intricacies. After my first lesson, I was in tears. I was so frustrated and had flashbacks to the driver's ed car when I was 15 and the instructor slammed on the brakes because he was certain I didn't see the red light up ahead (I did, by the way...). Everything about it was humiliating, even though I knew it was helpful at the same time. Big red 'L's in the windshields as a reminder of my status didn't help much.
With such little time to prepare, and the odds not stacked up well in my favor (I think those just learning to drive are at a bit of an advantage over those of us with 15 years of bad habits stacked up), I was not optimistic. But heck, I already had the coveted appointment, so it would be good practice, if nothing else.
While sitting in the waiting room, I saw one driver returning from his test that failed and another that passed. Hmm...not the best odds. I immediately felt nervous - unreasonably so for my liking. The tester called me in, sat me down and asked me a few rules of the road. I was so tongue-tied I gave him dissertation-length answers which I think amused him more than anything else. I thought this would be the easy part, but by this point I was actually looking forward to getting in the car. And sure enough, once I did, I was fine. In fact, he didn't even keep me out there for the full 30-40 minutes. I think I was back and finished with the whole ordeal in less than 25 minutes. He smiled at me when we got back into the office, and just told me to relax, that I had passed and that clearly I had been driving for quite a while. There was something in that statement that gave me the biggest sigh of relief - like a validation of my previous experience that had, until now, been discounted by my move here by all governing bodies and more importantly, the insurance companies.
The funny thing was, afterward, I actually wanted to show people my scoresheet - just like a little kid that aced a test. I had fewer 'ticks' on my scoresheet than Tristan (only 2 overall), and you better believe I used that as bragging collateral!! And I tore down those 'L' plates with great satisfaction.
To get one's provisional driving license, you first have to take and pass a relatively simple written exam. Of course, you must wait for an available test time first, which can be up to a few weeks. After you have your provisional license, you may then apply to take your driving test for your full license. In the meantime, provisional drivers can take to the roads, and although they are supposed to be accompanied by a fully licensed driver aren't take to task over this. The other requirement, and much more painful in my eyes, is that they are to display what are known as 'L' plates. A red 'L', indicating a learner driver, must be displayed in both the front and back windshields. This was a humiliation I could not bear. This was reason enough in my mind to get this test out of the way.
A few things to know about the Irish driving test. First of all, it's hard. Only about 50% pass. Most people in Ireland aren't rushing out to take their test and get behind the wheel. In fact, most Irish wait to learn how to drive until they actually have a car of their own. This can be much later than the gaggles of 16 year olds taking to the roads in the states. For one, the process is more involved, and it just isn't a part of regular rites of passage to take Driver's Ed as soon as you turn 15, preparing you for the test that you can take as soon as you turn 16 + one month (as it is in Indiana). As it is, you can't get a provisional license until your 17 anyway. Most people learn how to drive from a family member, and then when they get closer to taking their test, take private driving lessons from an instructor who will teach the finer points of driving in preparation for the test.
Another thing about the driving test/licensing in Ireland: red tape. I applied to take my test last September and got an appointment for today - June 19th. That's over 9 months that I waited for this coveted appointment. You can't just call up a test center a week before you think you're prepared to take the test and get an appointment. You're much more at the mercy of the bureaucracy.
Back to it being difficult. If I remember correctly from my own first driving test in America, they are testing you on the traffic laws and how well you abide by them. In Ireland, they are much more particular about your driving technique as well and the finer points of the road rules are emphasized much more. There's quite a laundry list of potential failure points the tester is armed with, which makes seeing any sight of his pen at work nerve-wracking. I know you're all thinking that 'They drive on the other side of the road over there, of course it's difficult and different.' That's not the tricky part. Trust me, if the steering wheel in your car all of sudden showed up on the other side of your car, it would only make sense to drive on the other side of the road. It's that the roads over here are narrow, winding, hilly, poor quality, etc. that give plenty of challenge on an everyday basis that you don't particularly need someone next to you ticking off boxes if you leave your foot on the clutch too long when downshifting just before a roundabout. I mean, which is more important, how long it takes me to shift into second gear, or assessing whether the 20 foot truck coming through the roundabout is going to mow over my little car when I get there?
Due to some family car problems, I ended up taking my test in Tristan's car - a 1993 Toyota hatchback with a permanent layer of sawdust (carpenter mobile) both inside and out and no power steering. It was not the most ideal of situations, but it was a necessity. So, I booked a few lessons with an instructor to get the jist of the testing route and all of its intricacies. After my first lesson, I was in tears. I was so frustrated and had flashbacks to the driver's ed car when I was 15 and the instructor slammed on the brakes because he was certain I didn't see the red light up ahead (I did, by the way...). Everything about it was humiliating, even though I knew it was helpful at the same time. Big red 'L's in the windshields as a reminder of my status didn't help much.
With such little time to prepare, and the odds not stacked up well in my favor (I think those just learning to drive are at a bit of an advantage over those of us with 15 years of bad habits stacked up), I was not optimistic. But heck, I already had the coveted appointment, so it would be good practice, if nothing else.
While sitting in the waiting room, I saw one driver returning from his test that failed and another that passed. Hmm...not the best odds. I immediately felt nervous - unreasonably so for my liking. The tester called me in, sat me down and asked me a few rules of the road. I was so tongue-tied I gave him dissertation-length answers which I think amused him more than anything else. I thought this would be the easy part, but by this point I was actually looking forward to getting in the car. And sure enough, once I did, I was fine. In fact, he didn't even keep me out there for the full 30-40 minutes. I think I was back and finished with the whole ordeal in less than 25 minutes. He smiled at me when we got back into the office, and just told me to relax, that I had passed and that clearly I had been driving for quite a while. There was something in that statement that gave me the biggest sigh of relief - like a validation of my previous experience that had, until now, been discounted by my move here by all governing bodies and more importantly, the insurance companies.
The funny thing was, afterward, I actually wanted to show people my scoresheet - just like a little kid that aced a test. I had fewer 'ticks' on my scoresheet than Tristan (only 2 overall), and you better believe I used that as bragging collateral!! And I tore down those 'L' plates with great satisfaction.
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