Do-s and Don't-s of Northern Ireland

1. Don't make a backwards peace-sign. It means the same as giving them the middle finger. (And they still have the middle finger rule here, too. So don't do that, either.)

2. Do say "awk" a lot. I haven't got it figured out quite yet, but they use it every chance they get. Like "awk, no" or "awk, you'll be fine".

3. Don't shout like an American would. Common sense, right?

4. Do dress up. They don't generally dress as casually as we do in the States, so I'm good there. I always stuck out anyway, now I'm closer to fitting in.

5. Don't assume ages. Seriously. Every single person I've met that I figured was my own age has been at least 2 years younger every time. I met a 14-year-old who looked about 20. And a 22-year-old who looked about 27. Age is so relative here.

6. Do look both ways every time you cross the street. Don't assume they'll stop like they would in the States, because they won't. You will die. Or at least break a bone and have to go to the hospital.

7. Don't forget your converter at the house for the day. Your laptop will die, and then you'll be screwed. And bored. As much as you hate Facebook at times, it will be the only form of entertainment some days.

8. Do try and sit in the front seat if you're even the teeniest bit prone to car sickness. I don't know how many times I've been in the back and trying to fight off nausea because of the twisting roads and the hills everywhere. It's like riding a rollercoaster every day into town. And I hate rollercoasters.

9. Don't think about ranch dressing, because you can't buy it here.

10. Do automatically translate "what's the craic" to mean "what's up" or "how are you" when you hear it. People say it a lot. And "craic" means like...the atmosphere of the place, or something like that if you'd here it as an individual word. Like someone could say "sounds like good craic," or "how's the craic over there" would be "how are things at such-and-such a place".

11. Don't expect people to know where Minnesota is. They know California and New York, but that's really all. (Someone asked me if I was from LA yesterday.) You'll find people who have a general idea of Minnesota by asking if it's near "Winsconsin" or Canada, and you'll have to say yes, even if to you it's really a poor description because those places aren't in your backyard.

12. Do plan for layers. It is cold here. So cold. And it's supposed to be warming up soon, but I don't know that I believe them. Someone told me they have two kinds of weather here: it's raining, and it's going to rain. Right now, the sky is bright blue with light clouds just hovering about, but I don't trust them. I know rain will come.

(Disclaimer: don't get me wrong about this place. I absolutely love it. I do. I just know that people out there probably want to know the little differences I've found recently, so I thought I'd post them. In no way do I mean to complain at all. This place is really a blessing.)