I have loved Dublin since my very first day here. People are friendly and fun. I have made a lot of great Irish friends. I have visited a few pubs, I have had a few hangovers. But the most exciting moment was my first music performance in the Cobblestone. I felt like a true Irish person!
Well, there is also some things which I don't like... The fatty food everywhere and, for example, the Guinness which taste like coffee. ( I don't like coffee).
Life here is expensive but beautiful :)
Now I can do any & everything on foot.
The wet and windy weather is difficult to bear and I miss the sun but now I'm more used to it.
In conclusion, my first impression about Dublin was really good. (And if you want to see me play come to the Cobblestone on the 10th of March)
Julie
I arrived in Dublin on January 28th, I took a taxi to go to my accommodation but when the driver asked me where I wanted to go I didn't understand a word he said because he spoke English with an Irish accent then I thought "What am I doing here?". But when I got in my apartment I was really surprised, it's very big, clean and well-located. Everything is close to our apartment, and I so I thought,"Dublin isn't so bad after all". During the early days in Dublin, I was able to chat with Irish people, even if my English is very bad, Irishmen continue to talk to me, and try to do understand me with gestures.
After my first week in Dublin, with parties at night, new friends and an amazing apartment, I think Dublin is a really beautiful city.
Remi
When I arrived here I wasn't too worried as I knew Irish people are very nice and friendly. However, when I met my landlord for the first time I wondered if everyone in Ireland spoke as fast as him. Fortunately I realized very quickly that this is not the case.
During my first weekend, I got to know Dublin for the second time but better. I thought the city would be bigger, like Paris, but in reality it's more of a city on a human scale. It is nicer to go for a stroll in Dublin than it is in Paris.
I think I'll ever get used to the weather. I hate the wind. I'm sick in the morning but never in the afternoon, it's a little strange.
I'm still happy to be in Dublin and I hope I will continue to feel this way for the next three months.
Marion
When I arrived in Dublin I took a taxi with my parents to go in the hotel, the taxi driver was very unpleasant, he didn’t speak at all. But when I got to know the city I realized that people are very friendly, for example when you are lost in the street with your map Irish people come up to you and say: “Hi! Can I help you?”.
I find the city is really dirty, there is litter everywhere, whereas in France we have lots of bins. But Dublin is very pleasant, there is often music on the streets mainly on O’Connell Street or on Grafton Street.
The traffic has really struck me, vehicles drive very quickly, and pedestrians don’t have priority. Traffic lights change very quickly for pedestrians but not for cars or taxis.
Pubs are very attractive places. I’ve been there with my friends to watch a rugby match (France v Wales), the atmosphere was warm and friendly.
I am looking forward the rest of my time here in Dublin.
Pauline
My first experience in Dublin was pretty positive because I was not alone. I was with Fiona, a friend had taken the plane with me.
I am going to talk about my first day in Dublin because it was really memorable.
We arrived at the airport where friends were supposed to be waiting for us, but they were not there. It was 9:45 am, and everybody was asleep.
An Irishman of Indian origin offered to help us take the bus. He was very friendly and he directed us up to the house of our friends to Rathmines. He even helped my friend to carry her suitcases, he was very generous.
Later on that evening we went out to explore Temple Bar, we were delighted to find Irish people are really friendly and nice.
Emylou
Before coming to Ireland, I already had some ideas about Irish people and about the life and cultures of the country.
In France teachers gave me so much informations about traditions and the way of life in Ireland that I thought it wouldn't interest me very much.
But I was wrong, because, when I started to interest myself in the country I saw that the Irish population isn't all that different from France.
For example, young people listen to the same music as French people, they also like going to the cinema and sports like football.
But in first week in Ireland I was really impressed by the fact that Irish People are really proud to be IRISH, wherever I went, and whatever the markets or shops I went to, I could see this; especially about their Gaelic Sport.
Finally I can definitely say that I think Ireland is a interesting country to discover, and the people are extremely nice and know how to have fun!
FX
When I landed in Dublin I saw lots of rain, very bad weather. I said to myself, it's really cold in Dublin and I don't like this weather because in Toulouse it's hot, it's in the south of France and it's really hot. Then went out to a pub for the night. I met lot of international people, Irish, Spanish, Russian, Brasilian etc... And I saw the behavior of irish people and it's very nice. The people are really nice. I think people in this country are good. Yes, it is cold on the outside but on this inside the people are very warm and nice!
Johann
Firstly, I knew what to expect in this country because the second year students of ICD Toulouse said that the weather in Ireland is bad, it rains every day. This was confirmed for me when I arrived in Dublin airport, it was really windy and it was freezing cold.
As regards the people, some French people said me that the Irish people were very welcoming and it’s true for a lot of Irish people. It’s nice to know that they can help us if we have any problems. Otherwise, what has impressed me the most is the number of taxi and bus that there are here in Dublin. It’s amazing. I haven’t never seen so many.
To conclude, Dublin is a dynamic city, teeming with people and I’m very happy to be here in Ireland. I think that I will be able to have a nice time in this country.
Nicolas
