Month: September 2016

House (Flat) Hunters: Dublin

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, Working HolidayLeave a comment

Hello all! So this post has been brewing for awhile, but I thought I’d give myself some time to de-stress after all my house hunting woes were finally settled. So here goes…

Dublin is currently experiencing a housing crisis. With the influx of university students returning for their new semester combined with the increasing number of businesses setting up their headquarters in Dublin (which is due to low business taxes and Brexit making London a less appealing startup location), it makes the perfect recipe for the shark tank that is the real estate market (no seriously, if they smell blood, you’re a goner).

Not only is living in Dublin, especially anywhere near the City Centre, expensive, it’s also extremely competitive to actually obtain a lease. I looked obsessively for apartments for about a month and a half before I finally got one. I was constantly (this is not an exaggeration) prowling the various renting sites looking for places in my price range and in the area I wanted.

So let’s start with the basics: where to search for housing. There are multiple sites that specialize in housing in Dublin, like Rent.ie and Daft.ie. Plus the classic craigslist option (but beware, there are catfishes GALORE here, so I wouldn’t even chance it). I personally found that the best website to look at was Daft, which had the widest selection of properties and usually the most up to date listings of all the sites. Here you can search for apartments/flats and houses to rent, as well as house shares and short term lets, which might be more convenient depending on how long you plan to stay in Dublin/your price range. Make sure that you have a maximum price range in mind going in, and if you find a place that seems to fit the bill ask whether the bills are included in the price because it can vary.

When you go into daft you’re initially prompted for an area you want to look at, as well as a category (rent, buy, share). Put in your desired region and type of property, then search. That will bring you to a page of properties, BUT next click on the “Advanced Search” button. This will allow you to narrow the results by number of rooms, price, etc.

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After you do this, you’ll be presented with a full list of all the viable properties in the area you selected. I found that the best thing to do was to every morning do a search and filter it by “Date Entered.” That way, any time a new property is listed, you can easily see it. Another thing I found handy was to use the Map View, which shows you an interactive google-style map of Dublin, and marks where flats/apartments within your search perimeters are. If you see little numbers on the map, that signifies a cluster of properties in one area, if you zoom in you’ll see them all specifically. This feature is great because it allows you to see exactly where properties are in the scheme of the city, as opposed to looking at the properties in the list view and having to google their location to check where they are (because just because it’s “Dublin 8” doesn’t mean you’re going to be looking over the canal).

Once you find a place that you like email or call the realtor/renting agent immediately. Rooms and flats get snapped up extremely quickly, so you want to make an appointment to view as soon as possible if you find a place you like. I found that if you called, it was easier to get a time for a viewing, as they receive tons of emails every day and are more proactive about the people who take the time to call.

Once you have a viewing set up, be prepared for a crowd. There were multiple times where I would show up for a viewing I had scheduled and there would already be tons other groups of people there to see the same place.

So, if you’re serious about finding an apartment bring a landlord reference and proof of employment/sufficient funds documents with you to the viewing. Most apartments or houses to rent will ask you to provide these documents anyway, so if you have them on hand, you can make an offer immediately and have a better chance at getting the place if it’s something you want.

If your offer is accepted, the first thing you’ll need to do (after you break out into song and dance), is pay your deposit and first month’s rent, as well read over/discuss the lease agreement. Make sure you’re not locked into something you can’t handle. Also, be prepared for most leases to be 12 months, anything less is a little bit rarer to find (and would be more common if you’re doing some sort of house share/sublet).

All in all, it’s a pretty stressful experience, but if you keep at it you’ll eventually have luck (hopefully, if not you can set up a very homey box in St. Stephen’s Green and call it a day). My housemate and I moved into our flat about a month ago and the comfort of having your own place in Dublin makes it much easier to feel at home.

So here’s a photo of my flatmate Hanna and I almost crying with joy as we received our keys and good luck with your search!!

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Bundoran: My Blue Crush Dream Realized

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, TravelLeave a comment

Long have I fantasized about realizing my Blue Crush/Rocket Power dreams and learning how to surf. Living on Long Island Sound in the USA meant, yes, we had the beach, but unless a particularly hefty individual cannon-balled, you were unlikely to see a wave that would crest above your knee. Thus, when the opportunity arose for me to go on a surfing trip here in Ireland, I jumped at the chance.

Bundoran is a town on the very upper tip of the west coast which borders the Atlantic Ocean and is known as a surf haven. We went through TurfnSurf, which is a company based in the town that provides hostel stays and surf lessons. A very nice woman met us in City Centre and boarded us onto a pre-booked coach bus. The bus took us from Dublin, all the way to Bundoran, which was about three and a half hours. Little did I know the quickest route is through Northern Ireland, so when I started seeing Union Jack flags scattered about the countryside, I was a bit confused. While this detail may mean little to you it does mean that if you have an Irish sim card, TURN OFF YOUR DATA while you’re passing through (learn from my mistakes, for the sake of your mobile bill).

The trip was quite easy, with the bus driver making stops for bathroom breaks and snacks (which ended up being more of a curse than a blessing as for the rest of the trip there were various scents wafting thorough the bus ranging from cheese and onion crisps to coffee). We arrived at the hostel, which was in a choice location, with the shore right across the street and the town just a short walk away, and were taken inside by an employee of the company.

In the week leading up the the trip, we’d been emailed by the organizer giving us more details about the schedule. They also said we’d be greeted on arrival with a glass of complementary wine (yas yas yas yas). However, there was no wine in sight by the time we had all moved into our rooms, and when I was voted to be the emissary of those waiting for free alcohol, the Hostel employee told me that the bus was late so they cancelled the free wine (???????). In my opinion that would be a reason for more wine not less, so after that initial disappointment we retired to our room so we could rest up for the next day.

The rooms were quite nice, we got a double and it had two beds, a TV and our own bathroom with towels. Granted, the TV only showed Irish soap operas, but that was as entertaining as anything else I’ve seen on Irish networks to be honest.

The next morning we woke up and headed downstairs for breakfast (which was included, cue my wallet breathing a sigh of relief) and consisted of cereal, toast and some tea/coffee. Afterwards we headed back to our rooms to change into bathing suits and head down to grab wet suits.

The surf instructors chatted with us and sized us up for our wet suits, laughing as we timidly took the body-conforming garments.

Cue the worst part of surfing: putting on a cold wet suit. Honestly though, the biggest downside of this trip was tugging that freezing slab of fabric over my limbs. If there were ever a time that I’ve felt like a sausage, it was that moment as I was zipped into the casing that would keep me warm for the next three hours.

It was then we were loaded into the car and zoomed over to the shoreline where we unloaded the boards and plopped them down on the sand. The instructors were really funny and nice, constantly making jokes and giving helpful tips. They showed us the technique for popping up on the board on land and had us practice a few times. After a little safety brief (always protect your face when you fall, save the money maker!!) we strapped on the ankle cord and made our way into the surf.

The water wasn’t too cold and the wet suits, despite my misgivings at the beginning, kept us really warm. Soon enough I was standing and falling on a loop, I was even the first person to stand and surf a wave (cue victory dance). While I’d expected it to be really difficult, it was actually pretty easy to pick up, especially with the instructors around to give you little tips and tricks. The best part was no one was an expert, so any time anyone stood up on the board or surfed for awhile, the whole group cheered and got a little thrill out of it. The weather was mildly sunny too, which elevated the mood.

Surfing turned out to be one of those things that is fun even when you’re bad at it, which can’t be said for a lot of water activities.

After about three hours, we lugged our boards back onto the beach and set off back to the hostel. Hanna and I grabbed lunch at a little cafe down the street (which was good because after three hours of surfing I was SO HUNGRY) and then spent the rest of the day walking along the beach and exploring the town. There’s a nice little walking path that goes along the cliffs that you can access from the downtown area which is good for your free time after surfing.

We then headed back to the hostel, where they were hosting a little barbecue. Though we’d been told they were going to have the barbecue, they didn’t tell us that in order to attend it cost ten euro, which we happily paid, but the one thing that could be said about our booking was there were the little surprises (see *wine) and inconveniences that could’ve been avoided if we’d just been a little bit more informed, but that’d be my only complaint about the trip itself. The BBQ was pretty cool, with all you could eat burgers, hot dogs and salads. It was BYOB, but one of the surf instructor’s bands played, which was pretty entertaining. People started dancing towards the end (once they’d had a few drinks in them) and then the whole crew went down the street to a pub called Chasin’ Bull to continue the party.

The next morning we woke up (a little bit more sore than previously) and made our way downstairs again for breakfast. The day was so windy that we had to be shuttled to a different beach where the waves were supposedly smaller. And let me tell you, if those were the small waves, I’d hate to see the big ones. We trekked towards the rioting waves which came up all the way to the rocks and left no part of the beach untouched. I must admit, every lifeguard instinct in me was telling me not to go in the water. There was a pretty strong current going and I was (embarrassingly) clinging to the shore with my surfboard lagging behind me.

One of the instructors noticed and came over, reassuring me that, no, I was not going to die a horrible watery death like the mental images I was conjuring. With a bit more encouragement from him, I finally sloshed through the water and gave it a go, riding a admittedly small wave all the way in. With that all my fears subsided, the waves were pretty big, but the water was shallow and it was easy to jump over them if you weren’t ready.

The second day turned out to be even more fun because there was far less waiting around for the waves to come, and thus far less time to think about basking sharks (which you should definitely google because they are hideous and live in the Irish waves).

After another three hours we were driven back to the hostel where we had a few hours to pack up our stuff and grab a bite to eat. We went to a pub down the street called Maddens Bridge Bar, where we were served cold beer and the best pub fare I’ve had since being in Ireland (their chicken was delicious). When we had been thoroughly stuffed, we returned to the hostel and boarded the three hour bus back to Dublin.

So there it is, my surf weekend! I would definitely recommend TurfnSurf if you’re thinking of a weekend trip to Bundoran. Here’s some of the pictures they took to prove I actually did go in the water…

 

 

 

 

 

Irish Bank Accounts – The Final Step (!)

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, Travel, Visas, Working Holiday4 Comments

Do you see that in the distance? That’s the finish line! You’re so close to being done with all these boring processes. Run Forrest, Run!

So once your form 12A comes back, you’ll be home free and ready to make that bank appointment. In order to open an account you’ll need identification (passport is best) and proof of address. Your proof of address must be one of the following options: a utility (gas or electricity) bill in your name, your 12A or a health/motor/house insurance document. The easiest and most attainable for working holiday participants is the 12A.

Firstly, you’ll have to choose your bank, for me Permanent TSB was the best option as they have an account called an Explore Account which seemed easy to set up/most appropriate for my situation. They give you 10 cents back each time you use the card (up to 5 euro, but that’s two cans of Bulmers from Spar) which was a nice little plus. However, there are multiple other banks in Ireland that you could look into opening an account with (Bank of Ireland, AIB, Ulster Bank).

Since I work weekdays and by the time I get home the bank is closed (damn you business hours!!), I called in and made an appointment to set up an account on a Saturday. Permanent TSB has extended hours until 8pm on Thursday and limited Saturday hours at their Grafton Street branch, so make sure you call in to book one of those times if you’re unavailable during the day. If you’re free during the day, however, you can book an appointment online during regular business hours and plan it at your leisure.

When I got there I was taken to the upstairs offices where a very nice woman named Bernie took me through the steps of registering my account. She made copies of my passport and 12A and asked basic questions like where I was living, my job title/salary, how many credit cards/bank accounts I had, etc. Once all that was done and the necessary documents were signed, I made a password for my online account.

Unfortunately, your account isn’t formally open at the end of your appointment, so I wasn’t able to deposit the checks I’d had saved up that day. *Side note, in Ireland it takes five business days for checks to clear which is eternally frustrating, but it is what it is.* By the next business day (the Monday after my Saturday appointment) my account was registered and I deposited what I had into the kiosks they have in their branches.

They said that it would take about three business days for me to receive the pin for my card and then it would be up to three business days after that for me to receive my actual debit card. Which to me makes no sense because why not send them together? Or send the card first? But I have long since stopped questioning the random, long and rambling processes. My pin ended up coming on the Thursday of that next week and I was dreading having to wait all the way until Tuesday for my card, but to my surprise it came the next day (which in retrospect was bad because then  I was so excited to have access to my funds I went a little bit overboard on pub charges that night…)!

Once you have your bank account set up, you’ll be ripe and ready to take on the world as a fully functional, official Working Holiday participant. You can also set up direct deposit if your job has access to that, which will eliminate the five days of waiting for checks to clear (hallelujah).

And that, my friends, is all she wrote on the multi-tiered process of getting set up. Congrats if you’ve gotten to that point, if not, hang in there! Any questions, don’t hesitate to drop me a comment (or if you just want to vent about how frustrated you are, I will be 100% willing to join you in commiseration).