Heat Rush

Hello!

Gah I just can't stop writing blog posts! I have so many things I want to talk about. This post will not necessarily make you feel any more cultured after reading, but you will feel more educated on the subject of perfume.

I was out shopping for new foundation, and at the pharmacy (called Boots) I found a sale rack of perfumes. If you've never been to Boots, visualize the inside of a Walgreens with a half step down on the lighting, much more organized shelving, clean and tidy with most products in their place, and more spacious inside.

The 70% off sign for perfume was so attractive, it was like I was drawn to them against my will. The items on sale were those box sets that come with a lotion and/or body wash and a 1 oz bottle of perfume. They were the exact same sets you can find in the US!

What most excited me was that they had the box I purchased in the US before I came here; Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck. I really like this perfume because it's floral, but not TOO floral, mature, but not TOO mature, and has a warm tone to it. Maybe even the slightest hint of vanilla. SLIGHTEST hint. I feel endearing when I wear this.

My life's perfume choices have consisted of Burberry Beat, Jessica Simpson Fancy, Britney Spears Fantasy, and Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck (in that order. I still use Fancy cause my body keeps the scent well). I've also been this---> | | close to purchasing Victoria by Victoria's Secret because it is just soooo good. But I couldn't bring myself to drop the $60. I COULD bring myself to drop the $10 for a 'body splash' version, but here is a TIP: NEVER purchase body splash. It's just not worth it, in my opinion. Sure, you get an initial burst of the scent, but it costs $1 per minute that it lasts. After those 10 amazing minutes are over, you're left with abandonment issues.

But when I picked up this box set and checked what 70% off looked like I was like DAMN. 8 euros for designer perfume and lotion. So I thought, hell, imma try a new brand I've never used before along with my TSwift goodness. The options were between:

• Some boy band that looked like One Direction (but there was only four boys and I've never heard of them before)
• Katy Perry Killer Queen (which actually smelled really good but didn't make the final cut)
• A Rihanna perfume that I wasn't interested in for some reason (never got to smell it).
• Britney Spears Fantasy Night (or something that wasn't Fantasy, but a spin on it- didn't care much for the smell :( )
• and Beyonce Heat Rush. 

Can you guess which one I chose? That's right, Heat Rush.

It came with a lotion and a body wash. The lotion has slight gold sparkles in it, and I loveee them. I'm very tempted to put it all over my body and face and tell people I'm related to Edward Cullen (maybe next Halloween).

The orange glow from the bottles might have been the true reason I bought them, unconsciously. This soft orange color made me feel like it was warm summer for a moment, and I was whisked off to a dream of beaches and sand... then I started choking on a fuzzy from my scarf and was rudely awoken back to the harsh winter reality.

I would compare Heat Rush to a perfume made by Victoria's Secret Pink called Sweet and Flirty (I think that's the right one...Laura, I gave you this at one point right??). It smells very light, very fresh, fruity, and fun (does fun have a smell??). The difference between this and VS Pink is that there is a mature note to the scent that I really like. I'm not a huge fan of fruity perfumes, but this note makes it feel more elegant.

So Beyonce, giiiiirl you got sum'n goin ON with dis one. I did smell the original Beyonce Heat fragrance at Boots as well (that was also on sale!) but it was too mature for me. The scent was a bit over powering and reminded me of something I would smell on a woman in her 40's. I'm not too keen on perfumes that smell too mature. But maybe when I'm older, I'll graduate from 'Heat Rush' to just 'Heat' (is this a metaphor for menopause?).

So there you have it! Now you know what I smell like! This was my successful day at Boots, walking out with 16 euros worth of TWO different designer perfumes and lotions (I also got foundation too, I'm not that spacey of a shopper...maybe). This is my favorite bargain in Ireland so far. That, and just the store Penny's in general.

More to come! :) xx Ka

PS- a TIP for perfume wearers: your scent will last longer with more moisturized skin! If you have naturally dry skin, it will absorb the perfume and you won't be able to smell it as strongly. This is my issue. That is why box sets with lotion are PERFECT because you can wear the lotion (that has the smell) and spray the perfume (which also has the smell) so you are ensured to smell great!! :)

Bank of Ireland

Hello!

For my second post I thought I would keep it light and talk about BANKING. Woah!

Before I get into where I have an account (although the title of this post is a massive giveaway) I will describe to you the process I went through of getting a bank account. I promise this is an interesting story.

There are 3 major bank options in Dublin that seem to be the most popular: Bank of Ireland, AIB, and Permanent tsb. I've heard some crappy things about Bank of Ireland but there is one close to my apt so I thought I'd walk in and see what they were like.

When I went inside, with a packet of my necessary documents (passport, proof of address, work visa, employment letter, etc), there wasn't any desks I could see with bankers. It was very unclear where to go. After walking from one side to the other and back again, I saw an older woman who looked like security standing in the middle of the lobby. Maybe she could help...maybe.

I said, "Hi! I was wondering who I would be able to talk to about opening a bank account."

"You can talk to me," said the old security lady after sizing me up.

I thought this was weird...she was clearly security and standing alone in the middle of the lobby, but I rolled with it, "Ok...um, I'd like to open a bank account."

"You're going to need a proof of address, statement from your employer, and identification."

"Yes I have all that with me." I was trying to sound polite and cheerful, even though she was acting very suspicious of me.

"Ok then. Where do you work?"

"Starbucks."

"Yes, but where is the Starbucks?"

"It's in Ballsbridge. At The Oval."

"Hmmm...Maybe you should go to the Bank of Ireland over there."

"But I live two blocks from here...."

She paused. There was clearly no excuse for her to turn me away, "Alright...have a seat, I'll see if someone is available."

"OK THANK YOU," I sang sweetly with a squint and a smile as wide as her skeptical eye.

When I was finally able to speak with a banker, I was told that I should have made an appointment. I got lucky that she had some spare time. And after checking all my documents, it turned out that my proof of address wasn't sufficient enough. I feared this would happen... the bills for my apt are not paid under my name, so I had a note written by my roommate stating I lived there along with one of my roommate's electricity bills. But the banker told me that I could bring in my PPS letter as proof of address (ugh, why hadn't I thought of that!). I was given the business card of the person to call and make an appointment with for the next time I wanted to come in.

Ok cool. I found my letter at home and called the number I was given the next day. And the next day. And the next day. And the bloody banker never picked up. I left two messages. Never got a call back.

I was getting desperate now because it was monday and I needed a bank account by that friday or I wasn't going to get paid for the FIRST time while being in Ireland until THE END OF FEBRUARY. Starbucks only pays me once a month here. And they do not issue physical checks-it's direct deposit or nothing. So I said SCREW YOU BOI and went to Permanent tsb.

This time I made sure to schedule an appointment before hand. Tip for travelers: if you need a bank account in Ireland, you MUST call to schedule an appointment first. They will not accept walk-ins. It has happened before where they indeed accepted walk-ins (my roommate got her account that way) but if you're name is Erika Bradbury and you happen to be ME then they will not let you walk in and open an account.

So I'm at Permanent tsb and the banker meeting me was so lovely and much nicer than anyone I encountered at BOI. We shook hands, she sat me down, I handed her my documents including my PPS letter, she frowned and told me that unfortunately the PPS letter isn't accepted as proof of address by their bank, told me I needed to contact revenue and have them send me a document in the mail, shook my hand again, and then I walked out into the cold air that felt much more bitter than it did 10 minutes prior.

Now I was really feeling the desperation. I walked into AIB on my way back and put on my puppy dog face, but as I have noted two paragraphs above, they will not let you walk in and open a bank account without an appointment.

It was Tuesday now and I was scared. I relayed my fears to my supervisor at Starbucks, and we griped over how difficult it is to get a bank account around here. Cause, DAMN, it's annoyingly difficult. But then she saw one of our regulars on the security monitor, exclaimed "it's that black guy!" and ran out of the back room to chase after him. I was thoroughly confused. She came back and told me to have a chat with him.

Turns out that Mr. Grande Caramel Cappuccino actually works for AIB! I told him my situation and what had happened and he said that the AIB Lab in the Drumcondra shopping center would see me without an appointment. We had to re-write my employment letter to include my address and that should be sufficient enough proof. It was decided I would do this errand the following day after work because I did not have all my documents with me at the time. GREAT! Now all I had to do was walk 20+ minutes from my work to the Luas station, spend 6 euro on a round trip ride, and wander the streets until I found the Drumcondra Shopping Center!

It was 3pm Wednesday when I left Starbucks and embarked on my journey.

It was raining. I did not have a hood or umbrella. But if I did, it was far too windy for either of these to be useful.

The trek was rough. I mean rough. You can not imagine how miserable I was. It was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit with spitting rain and lashing winds. I was soaked. My mind wandered over every single possible excuse I could have to turn back and just go home and crawl under my warm duvet. But I managed to make it to the Luas. I managed to find the Drumcondra Shopping Center. And I managed to find the AIB Lab among the maze of shops.

And after 10 minutes, I was turned away account-less because Starbucks doesn't bank with AIB themselves so having my address in the employment statement was not sufficient enough proof of address, nor was my PPS letter, and I needed to contact revenue to send me something. GAH DAMN.

I walked back to the train in the spit and wind with my eyes on my feet. What was I going to do now? It was Wednesday. Tomorrow was Thursday. I needed an account by Friday.

The next day at work I explained my situation to a coworker. He said he went to the Bank of Ireland just down the street from Starbucks and got an account in 15 minutes without an appointment. So I thought, HELL I'm going back to Bank of Ireland. But this one was in Ballsbridge, away from the busy city center, so hopefully SOMEONE there would be available to talk with me appointment-free.

And that's exactly what happened. They were able to take me without an appointment. It was Friday morning when I officially got a bank account, and friday afternoon when I texted my account number to my supervisor, and friday night when I celebrated the fact that I was getting paid for the first time in one week. I quoted Iggy Azalea when I texted my supervisor, "I got a bank account! Praise Jesus, Hallelujah!"

So now every time I use my debit card it will charge me 1c below 15 euros and 10c for anything above that. And it will cost 25c per atm transaction. And there is a 12 euro quarterly fee (or something like that, I can't recall at the moment). But you know what, all banks here charge like that unless you have a certain amount of money in your account.

This experience has taught me that here in Ireland, they are not as desperate for your money as the banks in the US are. It will be somewhat of a hassle to open a bank account and you MUST make an appointment before you go. Do not waltz into the Bank of Ireland on Baggot Street, or the security lady will tell you that you can open an account with her. She is a suspicious lady.

Thanks for reading! I hope this story was entertaining. If you want to hear more (how could there possibly be more?) about getting a bank account in Ireland, or you need help with it for some reason, do not hesitate to contact me!

Here is a picture of the view from outside my Starbucks! xx Ka

New Beginnings

Hello!

I have a few friends that initially asked me to blog about my experience. Now that I have become a little more settled, I decided I would share how my trip to Ireland has gone, is going, and my plans for the future!

First off, I'd like to say THANKS YOU FOR READING :) It means a lot that you find my  life interesting enough to read this blog. I hope to keep you well entertained with my stories and what not. Yawoo!

So where to begin...

I have been keeping a journal since I've gotten here (thank you Reid!). It is almost full. I wrote diligently from November 23rd, the day I hopped on the plane, until near December 17th (the day I moved into my apartment!). I took a hiatus from writing for a while, and then dribbled a few entries here and there afterwards. Recently I have picked it back up again. I have a really amasing story about this actually, but I will save that for later...Seriously though, it's insane.

One day soon I will write a post about the VERY beginning of my trip, what entailed, interesting people whom I came into contact with, and all that sort. But for now I will keep this entry rather short, so as to not scare off the 2 people who will probably lay eyes on this ;) (thank you for being one of the 2!)

SO this entry will answer the burning question I know is lighting the back of your mind: WHY did Erika go to Ireland? Why Ireland? Why now? Why? Just why?

Here is the answer: there are many reasons.
1. Depending on our level of friendship, you might be aware that I did not feel comfortable living where I did before I left. After flying the coop and leaving my parent's nest, it felt extremely wrong to be there again. To be honest, it gave me anxiety. I'm starting to become more aware that I do indeed have anxiety. About many things. But anywho...

2. I also left because it is exciting to think about living in another country. You know... foreign men, beautiful scenery, attractive architecture, foreign men, experiencing a new culture, meeting people from around the world, ease of access to the rest of Europe, foreign men...and all that. But seriously, American guys you have LET ME DOWN.

3. I left because I was becoming someone that I didn't recognize. And to be honest, I still don't feel like myself. Some of you may know that I struggled with depression a few years back, and some of you may also know that I really don't like taking medicine. Here's a confession: I'm still depressed. And if I'm being honest, I think I'm bipolar. If you haven't ever suffered from depression, it can be hard to understand the depth of its relevancy in someone's life. There is no easy fix. I cannot just alter my mind with a *snap* and be ok. It's going to take a lot of work. But I want to heal myself, the natural way. So hopefully I am able to conquer this battle with my time in Ireland.

4. Why Ireland?? The answer I tell people is because "Ireland is so beautiful and I really love the country and want to learn more about the culture and experience life here." Which is very true. But the most honest answer is because it's the only country where I could get a work visa. I looked into the UK, but if you're American you cannot get a work visa there (unless you have a special skill and are sponsored by a company). Nobody wants to cooperate with the US. We're kind of assholes. But Ireland and the US have a business relationship so I was able to apply for a Working Holiday Authorization within 12 months of my graduation from college. If this interests you, go to https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/

WELL! There you have it! This wasn't necessarily as short as I wanted it to be, but I'm a talker and a writer so I will apologize now for my future lengthy blog entries. Because they will most likely be lengthy, SORRIES XD

Here's a picture of the canal 2 minutes walk from my apartment! xx Ka