I'm back in Dublin, trying madly to lose the Californian mannerisms. Starting sentences with 'So …' is the most pernicious. It’s excellent to be back; there’s a great sense of camaraderie here, and people are easier to approach. It’s also good to have easy access to daylight — even though there’s less of it, I get to look out of a window.
I had been intending to go straight from the airport to where I'm living temporarily, but I forgot its address so went to work instead. I'm so grateful to B and his wife for putting me up for the time being, but of course I'm now looking for somewhere in Dublin to live — preferably close to the Google office. So if anyone out there has a room to spare in Dublin for a non-smoker with simple needs, get in touch.
I seem to have found the key to avoiding jet-lag. Stay up the night before you fly, so you sleep on the plane. When you wake up, your body clock will be so disoriented that it’s easy to persuade it to re-sync to wherever you are.
It’s great to see colleagues again, but of course I'm now missing friends and colleagues from California. On the whole, however, Dublin is an upgrade. I'm even enjoying the rain. It gets so tedious in California, to know that the whole week will be 22-25°C, with no rain.
Of course, the great benefit of Dublin is that it’s only an hour’s flight from Durham and the family. I'm seeing them on Friday!!