Since I arrived here, I've been thinking about how I might write this experience in something in addition to the blog.  All along I've thought of it as a memoir.  But now, after getting a tiny bit of encouragement from a book editor, I am thinking a little differently, something more along the lines of a 'how to retire to Ireland' book. 

Before we came, I was searching for such a book and came acorss three, all of which are old and none that were really helpful since so many things have changed since the recession and the further establishment of the EU:

• Living & Working in Ireland, 3rd Edition (2009) by Joe Laredo http://www.amazon.com/Living-Working-Ireland-Survival-Handbook/dp/1905303718
• Living Abroad in Ireland, by Steenie Harvey (no date but must be the 1990s)  http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/living/livingabroadin/living_abroad_in_ireland.shtml
• Moving to Ireland, Brendan Connolly & Peter Steadman, 1998 http://books.google.ie/books/about/Moving_to_Ireland.html?id=VcYAAAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

 AND NOW, I have a lead sentence: 

There aren’t a lot of street signs in Dublin so you kinda have to know where you are to get where you want to be.

I was further motivated this past weekend to go with this lead.  We've starting looking for a new place to live.  The current apartment is about to be put up for sale and I just don't want to go through all the disruption, especially when there's nothing in it for us to have to (a) keep the place clean all the time and (b) let complete strangers tromp through periodically.  It was hard enough doing it when we were selling our condo.  I just couldn't face it again, particularly since I really like to move anyway. Alan not so much, but he got convinced with the impending sale and is now looking forward to getting something closer to the city center.  Sandymount is nice but it's a suburb really and we both want more vibrancy.  If we could find Dublin's version of Chinatown, like our place in Washington, that would be perfect.  So far, Irishtown (which there really is one) is the closest we've come and that's a possibility since we are looking at a house there tomorrow.  I'm also hoping for some outdoor space, but find that a second bathroom is more important so I think there will have to be compromises.

Anyway, back to my lead sentence.  This weekend we looked at 5 or 6 places, riding through the city on our bikes.  The absence of street signs really made it hard.  Sometimes there would be a name on the map, sometimes not, so that was a challenge too.  The analogy works for so many things since we arrived:  the banking, the health system, the use of words and turn of phrase, the social mores, the metric system and so much more.  Can the book be far behind?  I've identified a need and have the sentence to begin.  That and follow through are all that's needed.  

So the book editor that's been a little encouraging, says my writing has to be 'lively' if it's to be published by her house.  That's my next quest, learning to write "lively." If you are a regular reader of this blog you might think that's a tall order.  

Next post will be about our upcoming trip to Paris...