Archive for the ‘Quality of Life’ Category

What I Miss About Ireland

12 March 2007

Taking the advice of Boston Globe columnist Eileen McNamara, I’m spending this day not joining my 15 year old son and his five friends on the slopes of Shawnee Peak in Maine. Rather, as Eileen suggests, I’m sitting by the fire in the lodge.

While my son, his friends, and I hang onto the last vestiges of winter at a cabin in Maine, my wife and my other sons are enjoying a springtime weekend in Dublin, where – as per a previous post – springtime arrives a full two months earlier than in Boston.

Though I’m thrilled to be back in the States after four+ years in Dublin, thinking of my wife Jules and the boys in Dublin reminds me of the many things I miss about Ireland, ranging from the significant to the trivial.

People: It was great to return to the States and our many friends. That said, we left so many friends behind in Dublin. I miss them dearly and I envy the reunions Jules is having this weekend. But I also miss the people in Ireland we did not get to know as friends, the proverbial ‘man in the street.’ Irish people really know how to enjoy life – maybe that’s because, according to The Economist, the Irish enjoy… (more…)

Posted in 5. A Few Blogs I Like, A Better Way?, Boston Globe, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, Diep Noodle Bar, Dublin, Eileen McNamara, Food and Wine Magazine, Guinness, Holiday, Ireland, Irish, Lansdowne, Maine, Monday Holiday, Prague, Quality of Life, Ranelagh, Saint Stephen's Green, Shawnee Peak, Spring, The Economist, Weather | Leave a Comment »

Monday Holidays: Ireland 6, USA 0

21 January 2007

I promised in my first post to write about areas where we Americans might consider doing things ‘the Irish way.’ Given The Economist has now reported that Ireland has the highest quality of life in the world – well ahead of our thirteenth place finish – I should get started!

One area where Ireland beats the USA hands down is on Monday holidays. Other than Memorial and Labor days, all other Monday American holidays (Martin Luther King, Presidents, Patriots, Columbus, Veterans, etc.) are not universally celebrated by government and business. Rather than making for a long weekend with family and friends, American Monday holidays have become juggling acts, where kids are out of school yet many parents are required to work. And for those Americans working in retail there never seems to be a holiday break.

In Ireland, Monday holiday weekends are true long weekends for virtually everyone in the country, including those working in retail. Six times a year Ireland has what is called a ‘Bank Holiday Weekend’ with Monday the holiday. These weekends are better than the ‘long holiday weekend’ in the States because… (more…)

Posted in A Better Way?, American, Bank Holiday Weekend, Business, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, Holiday, Ireland, Monday Holiday, Quality of Life, Retail, The Economist, United Kingdom, United States | 5 Comments »