My first weekend full of pubs, storms, sun and fun

It is Sunday evening and I am slowly preparing for my second week of work. I had a pretty successful first weekend here in Dungarvan. Friday night consisted of some Irish wine at home with the roommates before we headed to a pub in town rightfully named The Local. This is where I had about a 10 minute conversation with the bartender about what beer I should have to "work my way up to Guinness." Now keep in mind my 15-year-old looking bartender had a thick accent I could barely hear, I'm sure he had no idea what I was trying to say, plus include some fiddles, flutes and another Irish music-making instrument and you have a very difficult conversation. Where in the end I walked away with a pint of.....Heineken. Yes, yes I know. How original, right?

After listening to some live music and feeling like you have a big neon sign around you clearly identifying you as a "newbie," although I have made it my mission to become a "local" there too, we moved onto another pub basically known as The Beergarden. We sat in the outside, covered section and listened to DJ music and even did a little dancing to the one and only Bob Sinclair...who would have thought my Aussie music would come back to me? After an interesting encounter with the guy we dubbed "boob man"(FYI, he wasn't named that because he was carrying a set himself) we moved along to The Anchor where we had just about enough time for one more pint before closing. And when I say closing I mean just a bit after midnight kind of closing.

The lesson learned: We clearly need to start the night off earlier.