Ireland 2008 -- Week One Done

It's been a long week and I admit that I'm thankful it's finished. Work has been long days and have extended into several hours each night. It's not left me a lot of time for anything else.

Last night I went out the company folks for a pint and an Indian dinner which was incredible. My diet has gone to hell this past week, though I tell myself I've been compensating by hitting the gym at least a half-hour every day. I'm off to walk to Swords, a nearby town today for some shopping and a movie. It's about 2 miles away, but I need the exercise after last night's pigout.

The oddest thing about the trip so far has been my apparent lack of perception of time. I left my watch at home and my cell doesn't work here, so I've left it off for the most part. My internal clock may be adjusting, but my awareness of the time of the day is still fouled up, especially with it getting darker later here due to being at a higher lattitude.

Okay, this is a pretty boring post. I'm buying internet time at the hotel today, so I can post the photographs I've taken so far later tonight.

Opinions Wanted -- Tipping?

I'm usually a good tipper when it comes to restaurants unless the service is just horrible. However, when it comes to other services, I have no idea how much is an appropriate tip.

What do you consider to be an appropriate tip for the following?

1. A taxi ride (use $12 as an fare amount if you want)?
   
2. A haircut?
   
3. A hotel maid service?

Are there instances, like the maid service, where you don't feel you should leave a tip, or do you leave one if the room is necessarily messy?

Just curious...

Ireland Photo Set One

Click above for more photos

I finally plunked down the money for internet access here at the hotel tonight after getting about a 1/4th of my photos resized and such. Just some of the highlights. I've been working most evenings, so most of my sightseeing has been happening on weekends. Despite the photo above, I didn't get to see the Guinness factory last weekend as there were several tour buses dropping dozens of tourists off and the line was impossibly long. I may try again tomorrow. I keep thinking of guinnesscub when I want to take the tour. I'll have a pint in your honor :)

I should be out having a pint tonight, but two hours of walking in the rain and cold have taken its toll on me today and I really just want to crash. More will be coming as the travels continue...

Son of Rambow

Waiting for the movie to start...
After working this week and going out to dinner last night (both Guinness and French wine was drunk.. but I wasn't), I really wanted to do something simple today. As the Cincinnati Movie Bears are heading to the movies tonight without me, I decided to take in one myself on my own.

I saw a commercial for a cute flick earlier this week called Son of Rambow. I went to the Pavillion at Swords, about an hour walk from the hotel, to do a bit of shopping and to catch the movie.

Set in the 1980's, the movie centers around a young imaginative boy who is part of a religious sect who disapproves of technology who inadvertently crosses paths with the school ne'er-do-well to make a movie for a contest. After watching a First Blood bootleg, the young man becomes the "Son of Rambow" (misspelling intended), which becomes the plot of the kids' movie, as he goes off to save his father. To add some really bizarre moments to the film, the school has visiting French students, one of whom is almost disturbingly cool (and hilariously 80's dressed).

There is one very cute teacher in the film (he played Tim Messenger in "Hot Fuzz," but he's grown a beard, making him delicious!). I loved the movie, it was inventive and very funny to watch. I look forward to seeing it again when it finally plays in the States in a few months.