Ireland Love

When I was wandering about Dublin and meeting so many new and interesting people, I realized I was trying so hard not to be the one thing I was; a tourist. When I visit a new country or place I don't want to be "that girl" who's taking pictures and asking for directions. The most important thing is to blend in. I don't really know why we often do this, or why it seems so important for us to make sure we aren't fulfilling that image of the annoying tourist complete with the overly large camera, fanny pack, and of course a tacky button up shirt. Obviously most tourists do not look like this, but every time I decide to snap a picture I can't help but wonder what the native Irish people are thinking. Maybe this tourist phobia is partially a result of where I work during the summer which is a place completely filled with with these tourists who drive all of us employees crazy most days. They all move a little bit slower than everyone else, I think they often forget that people actually live and work on this island. However, as much as we loath their ridiculous questions, their tendency to stop and stand in the middle of the road, and their awkward photo-ops, we wouldn't have a job without them.

When I brought up this question of avoiding "touristy" behaviors during the presentations I got a few answers. I remember one in particular dealing with the fact that we may be embarrassed by our country. I thought about this for a few days and I realized that this may be the root of this issue. I personally am slightly embarrassed by my country's actions in the past few years, however, I can't say for sure that this is the sole reason I hate being an "American tourist". I don't hate my country, I just think there's a lot of things that could have been done differently, which may be why I'm so attracted to foreign countries and their cultures. To me, they often are much more appealing than my own. I did notice though that Irish people do seem to like Americans. I didn't really meet anyone who had a negative opinion towards us when they found out where we were from. Though, at the same time I think its possible that America's lack of cultural cohesiveness might appeal to a country who seems to have maintained a one culture mentality.

While in Ireland, I noticed a extreme importance with the last name, certain last names have a differing levels of importance. The people who seemed most adamant about telling us their "second names" had some of the more common names I associated with Ireland, such as O'Mally and O'Sullivan. When I told some of the nice young gentleman we met that my family's Irish name was King they pretty much laughed in my face. Apparently it wasn't "Irish" enough. Whatever that means. I found that in the past, Irish last names had something to do with the way land was distributed and where people lived. I think some last names were associated in with a higher ranking than others, which has seemed to continue through today, though it is not as apparent. I found this interesting when thinking about American culture because when we ask each other who we are or where we are from we often have multiple countries and cultures we list. But, in Ireland, when you ask where someone is from they might give you their last name and tell you a part of Ireland where their family name originated. It was interesting to see how different American really is from other cultures. It would be weird to only have one place of origin rather than four or five. Overall, I found the experience in Ireland amazing, especially learning about the Irish culture. I would love to go back. Cheers! :)