It's a Leap Day!: Who wants this postcard?

Hello friends & foes,

Yes. I know.. it's been a while since my last post. Perhaps I'm not cut out to be an "everyday" blogger. I try to be, but one day starts to blend into the next, and suddenly say to yourself "hold on a wee second, today's not March.. it's a leap day!".

Now some of you may know, leap years seem to have a special meaning in some places in the world... i.e Ireland. Apparently this "marriage proposal" legend is an old Irish legend, but I don't want to classify it entirely as an "Irish" thing. According to Wikipedia (and we all believe in wiki right?), it also refers to Britain when explaining the tradition.

The legend goes, that a woman is allowed to propose to a fella on the leap day of any given leap year. The man must say yes, for if he refuses he must provide the lady with a gift. The gift is said to be 12 gloves for every month she is "ringless" to prevent any sort of "embarrassment".

Anywho, I didn't get a gift. Darn! But maybe my proposal wasn't good enough?! Maybe if I had the 'right' way to do it, then my fella would have say yes.

That brings me to a question...

If you were to propose to your lucky lady or fella, how would you do it? Or perhaps you have a proposal story you'd like to share?

Either way, by answering the question, you'll be entered to win a gift!

A postcard! From Ireland! From Me!

All you have to do is leave a comment below and check back Friday to see if you've won! Meaning, you have until Thursday to answer the question!

woohoo for free stuff!


Keep Smilin' Folks,

Happy Leap Day 2012!

M.

Ireland vs. Canada: Understanding How the Other Half Speaks

It's February! Where does the time go?

I figured it was time that I start reflecting on and sharing some of the wonderful "differences" that I have had to adapt to while living on the Emerald Isle. I feel that I have been able to adapt pretty well to the "Irish" lifestyle, but I must admit, I am still resisting some changes. In my home, if I say 'where are my pants?', I do not and never will mean "where is my underwear". For me, pants will remain pants, and the word trousers will rarely creep into my vocabulary.

So here's a guide to Irish/UK vocabulary and phrases that I've picked up so far, and will help you 'fit' in when visiting!

Canadian word = Irish translation [FYI: The British also use some if not all these terms as well]

FOOD/Drink

Chips = Crisps 
Oh, the times that I've been reminded that "No Monica, you want CRISPS, not chips" when buying snack food.

Fries = Chips
Now, this one is a bit strange. Chips are what people call chunky deep fried cut potatoes... Basically, they are chunkier and thicker than what Norther Americans know as fries.

Garbage = Rubbish 
I still get laughed at when I call garbage -- 'garbage'.

Eggplant = Aubergine


Arugula = Rocket (lettuce) 


Zucchini = Courgette

- People will still understand you if you say the North American term, but across the pond, they say the latter. So just in case you're like me and didn't know there was another name for it.. there you go!

Pop/Soda = Fizzy Drink 
I find it funny when I hear customers ask for frizzy drinks... sounds like they are 6 years old.

Ground Meat = Mince Meat

Cookie = Biscuit 


Muffin/Cupcake/Danish/ = Bun 
Now, this one confuses me still. Some will say muffin, cupcake, danish, etc, but they are commonly referred to as "buns". Rice Crispy squares are popular here, and they'll be referred to as a bun as well, but then a caramel square or rocky road is a tray bake. People use these words interchangeably. But just be aware, if you hear someone talk about "buns" it doesn't mean like a bread bun that you'd use for sandwiches.

Bun = Roll or Bap 


Automobiles

Trunk = Boot 
"The spare tyre [tire], is in the boot!"

Hood = Bonnet 
"Take a look under the bonnet will ya?"

Truck = Lorry

Clothing

Pants = Trousers 

It's hard for me to use the phrase 'fancy pants' without people thinking I'm calling them 'fancy undies'

Sweater = Jumper 


Running Shoes/Sneakers = Trainers 

Around the House/Objects/Beauty

Stroller = Pram 


Bangs (hair) = Fringe 


Cellphone = Mobile 


Garbage/Trash Can  = Bin 


Garbage Bag = Bin Liner 


Plastic Wrap = Cling Film
It took me a while to get used to this one!!

Dish Soap = Washing Up Liquid
This was one of the first differences that I couldn't help but find absolutely absurd!

Misc 

Expensive = Dear 
Used in a sentence - "That restaurant is dear"

To Rent (an apartment)= To Let 
Using the term "to let" seems to be most commonly used when speaking of renting property. So you'll see lots of signs for renting places that say "To Let".

To Rent (a room, car, etc) = To Hire 
When using "to hire", it normally refers to renting a space for something, or a car, bike, etc.

Elevator = Lift (noun)


Apartment = Flat 


Ride = Lift (verb) 
Try not to make the mistake I made once when I said "I'm waiting for my 'ride'....people might take it as something 'sexual'. You might want to say "I'm waiting for my lift" instead!


Washroom/Restroom = Toilet 

Drunk = Pissed 


Store = Shop 


TV Show = Programme 


Flashlight = Torch
I'm curious as to what they call as actual torch with a flame...


Phrases/Words you may hear... 


'Call In' 


- Basically, when you hear someone tell you to "call in", "please call again", "when did you call in?", they actually mean "come visit me", "please come again", "when did you come around?".

'Power Shower'

An Electric Shower. Perhaps this is also used back home, but I didn't come across this term back home in Canada, and have never used an electric shower until I arrived here! Now, what I find amusing about "power shower" is the way the Northern Irish pronounce the word. If only I could type it out... 

'Take Away or sit in?" 

- When you 'call in' to a restaurant, you'll be asked whether or not you are taking your food "to go" or you're having your food/drink "for here". You'll hear this everywhere.

Line Up = Queue


"I'm Gettin'"
- This one confused me a lot at first. You're gettin? You're getting what exactly? When I'm first spoke to customers, I'd say "Can I help you?" and they'd respond with a Northern Irish (Belfast) "I'm Gettin' thanks". Simply put, this means "I'm being served". So, now I ask "Are you getting okay?", and people understand me. Strange eh?



PHEW!

Did you make it through the list? Lots there eh?

Hope you enjoyed that! There are many many more where that came from....

Till next time...

Keep Smilin'

M. 

Bishops Restaurant - Traditional Fish & Chips

Bishops Restaurant 

 Traditional Fish & Chips

Location: 

30-34 Bradbury Place, Belfast Co.Down, Northern Ireland

Price: 

Fish Meal: Haddock, Chips, Drink & Beans : £6.40

Cod & Chips: £5.70

Established: 1991 

mmmm Fish and Chips!

It's about time I reviewed a chippy!! I've been to a few now, but haven't taken the time to actually think, "I should review this place". So, I'm starting with tonight's dinner choice...Bishops Restaurant. They've won awards in the past for their fish and chips, and I have never stepped foot in here, so I had to try it! 

Bishops is just your plain ol' traditional fish shop. No frills. There is table service is available, but if you're looking for just some old fashion fish and chips, the counter service is all you need. 

My fella and I opted for two options tonight. He got the fish meal deal, which came with a drink and beans on the side, however, your only choice of fish was either haddock (a cheaper fish) or whiting. He chose the haddock. I went for the cod supper since cod is a nicer fish, and standard when it comes to this traditional Irish/UK grub. 

Now, for those of you who don't know this...when I say chips, I don't mean North American potato chips, I mean, the standard British chip. They are like a fry, but chunkier, and take more time to cook. They aren't like the long and thin fries North Americans are used to. I have come to realise that chips are a standard comfort food here, and come with everything. Even when you order chinese food, chips are involved. Don't ask me why... it just seems to be the standard. 

Anyway, chips are an important part of the fish and chip combo, and Bishops has got it down. Their chips have a nice crisp outer layer, and nice soft interior. This is very important. Sometimes chips can be soggy, and too greasy, but these ones weren't. It's also important to note that good fish and chip shops are known to freshly cut and fry their potatoes, and don't normally use frozen pre-cut chips. You can tell in the texture that Bishops take the time to cut their own potatoes. 

The fish was also perfect. Gone are the days where I'd order fish and chips back in Ontario, and get a bit of fish with my batter. Oh no people. Across the pond they know how it's done... fish is the main ingredient, and there's lots of it. Bishops' batter is a nice thin layer of crispy goodness, and lots of fish inside. Perfect. 

The fact that my dinner actually took some time to make is also a great sign... no pre-fried fish and chips over here! It's all put together when you order! 

Pat's "I'm full" face. 

I should add that Patrick got his dinner with beans, which seems to be a standard side with fish and chips in Northern Ireland. Apparently they go well with chips...but I'm not a bean type gal. 

Anywho, I enjoyed my lovely dinner this evening. 

I'll give this chippy a 

5/5 Smiles for all around goodness!

Atmosphere was what you'd expect in a fish shop, and the quality was pretty awesome as well! 

mmmmmm 

keep smilin' 

M. 

Hillsborough Castle - Fit for a Queen!

Hillsborough Castle 

Located in the village of Hillsborough, Co.Down, Hillsborough Castle is more of a mansion than an actual castle. It was built in the 18th Century for Wills Hill, the First Marquis of Downshire. The "castle" was designed by R F Brettingham, who incorporated an existing home from the 1760s. The building was not completed until 1797, four years after the death of Wills Hill, but it remained in the Hill family up until the 1920s. 

In 1922, Hillsborough Castle was bought from the Hill Family by the British government and was used as a Government House. The history of the castle is a bit complicated once the British government purchased it. There's lots of "British rule over Northern Ireland" history involved. So I won't get into it to much... 

It's important to note that the castle did eventually become the official office and residence for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, as well as junior ministers in the 1970s when the Government House was eventually abolished. The castle also acts as a guest house for various officials, including members of the Royal Family, and US Presidents when visiting Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement was also signed here. 

The castle grounds include a lake, a temple, a yew tree and lime tree walk, an icehouse, and a Quaker burial ground. 

The wrought iron gates at the entrance of the castle were placed there in 1936. The gates were brought from Richhill Castle in Armagh.  

And that's that! 

I'd make a good guard wouldn't I? 

Keep Smilin' 

M. 

Pyjamas in Public: Good idea? or Bad Idea?

Dear Everyone,

Do you wear your pyjamas in public?

Well, you shouldn't. And I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Apparently it has become an epidemic over the years, and a social welfare office in Dublin agrees. No pyjamas allowed when visiting the office. But this isn't the first time such a ban was put into place. A school in the Belfast even tried to ban parents from wearing their cozy attire when dropping of their children. Alas, because of certain laws, they couldn't actually ban it, but a polite letter was sent in the mail. A Tesco (a huge European Supermarket chain) in Cardiff,  did actually ban PJ wearing customers. So I wonder, why do people feel the need to wear their pyjamas to the grocery store, or while dropping off their children, etc. Maybe it's laundry day?

Personally, I'd be a little chilly wearing my comfy attire outside. Do you know how breezy some PJ bottoms can be!? And when it rains in Ireland, it usually comes with strong winds. Wet bottoms are not comfortable ladies, and not very flattering either. I also think PJ wearing people look a little silly. Don't ya think? Why not just keep them inside, where you are cuddle up with your partner, and get under the covers... etc...etc. I know, I'm not one to want to dress to the nines just to pick up a jug of milk around the corner, but some trousers that don't have flowers printed all over them and a top that doesn't expose your lady bits are probably a better idea.

Now you ask, "but Monica, I HATE trousers. They are tight, and don't make me look nice. I just HATE them". Well ladies, there's something called "work out trousers". Now, it could be looked upon as a bad idea as well. But my thought is, "if I look like I'm going to the gym, then everyone will be intimidated by my motivation to stay fit". Now, do you think anyone will realize that you're not actually headed to your local YMCA? Nope. But don't buy those cheap looking ones, buy something nice that flatters you. But don't buy a TRACK SUIT. DO NOT BUY A TRACK SUIT. You will always look horrible. Always. Oh, and men... don't wear your grey sweat pants around town...you're just as bad as your female counterparts. Unless you're jogging in a park, I don't want to see .... it. You know what I mean.

I should add one thing though.
Don't wear your "pretend" gym clothes to a welfare office, or a potential place of employment. The only solution there is to actually wear real clothes. It's not hard folks.

So Ireland, please stop wearing PJs around town, and full blown pink track suits. You don't look nice.

Thanks.

M

Oh Statue, Why art Thou? - Alec the Goose

"Alec the Goose" 

Cromac Road, Belfast, behind St.Georges Market 

Alec the Goose was a popular sight at St. Georges Market. During his short life in the 1920s, he was a regular of the Market, belonging to a local poultry vendor. Apparently he even walked the schoolchildren to school! Could you imagine?! 

Unfortunately, in 1926 Alec was hit by a truck in the area. 

Now there's a lovely statue to remember him by... cute eh? 

European Escapades: Barcelona - The City of a Shoes, Cigarettes and Escalotors

Barcelona. 

You are beautiful. 

You love shoes. 

You smoke a lot. 

You are clean as hell. 

You LOVE football. And I mean... capital L.O.V.E football. 

Recently, I made my way to a city where every Irish citizen seems to have escaped to in years gone by. It's a city where the winter weather is 100x better than any Irish summer, so it's no wonder everyone escapes to this wonderful city. Plus, it's a real city. It's always alive with people and culture. There's always something happening. Always shoes to be bought, always a baguette to be eaten. 

And always someone getting pick pocketed. 

Now, coming from North America, I'm used to travelling very far distances and spending copious amounts of money in order to visit any European destination. The fact that I was able to travel to Barcelona by plane for just $60 CDN and to be there in 2 hours time completely boggled my mind. I was able to leave a city with rain and cold winds, and enter a place where palm trees flourished and sun glasses are considered a third limb. 

For those who need a bit of a background, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain. It's second to the capital, Madrid. It is the capital of Catalonia (a Spanish community all to its own). The Catalonians even have their own form of  Spanish, Catalan, and a wee lisp as well. You can tell you're in Barcelona when you start hearing their infamous lisp. If you want to know more about the history of Barcelona and the reason for their lisp I'd recommend googling it, it's pretty interesting! 

In order to experience Barcelona to it's fullest I'd recommend walking through it, but I'd highly recommend renting a bike. We rented our bikes from a great place called "My Beautiful Parking". If you plan on visiting the city, please go here and rent a bike. You won't be disappointed. It's a fantastic way to explore the city, and find different areas that you'll want to stop into. However, make sure to remember where you found these cute spots since they can be hard to find later on. Trust me. The streets of Barcelona can be tricky to navigate in. I'm pretty sure the same can be said for any European city. 

What did I eat in Barcelona? 

Well, I didn't eat any tapas. I know... that's THE food to eat in Spain. However, we were too nervous to really understand how tapas worked. Our Spanish was very minimal, and we couldn't bare the embarrassment of not understanding how to order tapas. We did have some delicious paella though, with lovely seafood.

But the real thing to eat in Barcelona seemed to be baguettes with salami and cheese, or just a plain old baguette. The amount of people walking around with fresh baguettes during the day was surprising. I thought it was more of a French thing. The Spanish love their bakeries. So much so they are even open to 9pm! Crazy right? So, my diet in Barcelona consisted of baguettes, fresh juice from the market (and I mean FRESH, no water added kind of fresh) and cafe con leche. Cafe con leche translates to "Coffee with Milk", but it's not just that. It's a particular ratio of espresso with hot milk. I've tried making my own at home... but there's something about the way the Spanish do it that just tastes so much better. It's better than a latte and cappuccino in my opinion. 

oh, and you should probably try their thick and dark hot chocolate with churros. Amazing. I also tried some traditional mato cheese with sugar. Also amazing. 

hmm what else. 

Did I mention the Spanish LOVE shoes. There are shoe shops on every corner. They also love Zara and Mango (which are Spanish brands), and H&M. I'm pretty sure those three brands have taken over the city. They are everywhere. The Spanish also seem to love to smoke. If you walk around the city early enough, you see the city cleaners sweeping up cigarette butts left, right and centre. That's another thing. Barcelona has an amazing street cleaning service. People are constantly spraying down walk ways, and keeping the city tidy. You'll even notice shop keepers sweeping their floors like it's part of their religion. 

Now, I can't talk about Barcelona without mentioning football. 

The Barcelona Football Club is religion in Barcelona. The city loves them. Everywhere you go you'll see something related to the team. Lucky for me, I was in Barcelona when they played their ultimate rival, Real Madrid. The game was also a home game, which made it even more intense. Seeing as my fella is a huge Barcelona fan, we just had to go to a bar and watch the match. We found a wee bar that was absolutely packed with fans and was lined with bottles of Estrella on every table. We had no idea what beer to order, so we just followed the masses. Turns out Estrella is a Barcelona beer, so we made a good choice. The cheering and excitement with each goal was incredible. I want to say that it's the same type of excitement back home with hockey.... but there's something different when it comes to Barcelona. 

I should also mention how much they seem to love escalators. I was amazed at how many outdoor escalators there were, and how randomly placed they were as well. Even when we got lost and were in the non-tourist parts of Barcelona, there were escalators. I had never seem anything like that before. Strange.

I could keep going on and on about Barcelona, but then I'd be here all morning writing about it. 

Point is, you need to make sure to visit this wonderful place. I'll be visiting again, I'm sure of it.

What European city will I visit next? 

You'll have to wait and see! 

Barcelona gets 100 thumps up from me. 

Keep Smilin', 

M. 

ps. 

And about pickpockets. I was worried about them before I went over. But to be honest, if you just keep your belongings close, and don't "look" like a tourist, you'll be fine. Just keep an eye out, and don't do anything silly like leave your bag on the ground. We noticed that if you catch them before they catch you, then they'll back off. If you see someone eye you up and down, and their buddies are pretty close as well, then just look them in the eye and they'll see you've notice them. Just keep an eye out, and you'll be fine!