Argentine Experience As Expat In Ireland

lamarque

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Long time that i don’t post in this forum, i was arranging all the details to be comfortable in Dublin. Now probably you will see me around the forum more often as there is not that much work right now, so i have plenty of time in the office.
Economy is not that good anymore in here, well to be fair was not that good neither in 2011 when i first came but now it really more noticeable, prices have gone up, the European crisis feel much worse than before in this city, lot of people in the street asking for money or just trying to steal tourist, much more crime or at least sensation of crime lol (but mainly not violent for good luck), already got robbed but was my fault for been drunk walking home at 2 on the morning (something that never made me a problem before neither here or in Buenos Aires). First time in this city that I got robbed but almost all the people in my work agree that crime has gone up a lot since 2 years ago, my apartment got invaded by a group of the so called knackers (not sure is that the way to write it) and they just carry with all the stuff they could, for good luck I move in 3 days after that event (I live 2 blocks from Steffen Green for the people that know this city, so is the expensive area of the city centre)
Weather already hit my humour and we are still on summer, I don’t want to think on the very grey winter lol, Already missing Buenos Aires, of course there are good things here as well like been with my Girlfriend and in comparison to the average expats here I’m good as I have an office job, almost all the expats here are unemployed or work as kitchen porters if they are lucky (even if they have a master’s degree or many university titles). I have meet very smart an capable people that is wasted in very bad jobs, the problem is that the city have to many people coming from Spain where they cannot get any job at all according to them so they keep studying and then emigrate to work somewhere else, Poland, Brazil and Venezuela, In the streets of the city you hear almost as much Portuguese or Spanish as English, there is an incredible quantity of Brazilians living in this city.
Now let put the good things of living in Dublin, :) is not all bad there are many good things as well:
  1. you are 2 hours top from any other European capital by air
  2. For Argentineans is easy to get a working holiday visa that grant you permission to work here for a year and you can renew many times without problem.
  3. If you are a developer or a programmer or if you have any IT degree then there are good opportunity’s here as is plenty of IT company’s
  4. When the sun is up and is not cloudy, Ireland is amazing and really beautiful
  5. You have near the city places like Howth where you can enjoy fresh sea food and a nice walk and there are some nice beach’s on the south of the city that are very nice (of course the water is to cold to get in and normally is to cold to go in there)
  6. The city have people from all over the world making it very appealing to socialize for people that come from abroad without friends and you learn a lot of other cultures.
  7. Cheap Airlines (they are not that cheap anymore, in 2011 I was able to get a flight to some places for 7 euros and there was many promotions, now the minimum price you can get is 29 euros + 7 euros of administration cost and there are very few available at that prices only possible to use if you are totally free and plan with many months in advance, if you book on last moment prices are 400/600 euros to go from here to Germany)
  8. There are many other nice things of been here I just cannot recall now

Now a day I would choose to live in Buenos Aires more easy for me and I can make myself more valuable there than here, friend and family play a big role as well, here you start from 0 but in the other hand I have my Girl here so that turn the balance to keep me here and I’m still on age to adventure myself one more year out J, I will see how it goes.
 
Let's not forget how rich, spicy, and daring the Irish food is....compared to that of Argentina.
 
Let's not forget how rich, spicy, and daring the Irish food is....compared to that of Argentina.

The offering of international food in Dublin is quite good, it is easier to find a restaurant offering international food than "Irish" food. Most restuarants pitching themselves as Irish would be seafood (very good) or sort of historical throwback pitched at Tourists, bowls of stew and lots of lamb and the like. Basically there are many more international restaurants than Irish, most bars will sell a mix of local and international food. In that respect we picked up our eating habits from the British and their empire influenced variety of cooking.
 
Long time that i don’t post in this forum, i was arranging all the details to be comfortable in Dublin. Now probably you will see me around the forum more often as there is not that much work right now, so i have plenty of time in the office.
Economy is not that good anymore in here, well to be fair was not that good neither in 2011 when i first came but now it really more noticeable, prices have gone up, the European crisis feel much worse than before in this city, lot of people in the street asking for money or just trying to steal tourist, much more crime or at least sensation of crime lol (but mainly not violent for good luck), already got robbed but was my fault for been drunk walking home at 2 on the morning (something that never made me a problem before neither here or in Buenos Aires). First time in this city that I got robbed but almost all the people in my work agree that crime has gone up a lot since 2 years ago, my apartment got invaded by a group of the so called knackers (not sure is that the way to write it) and they just carry with all the stuff they could, for good luck I move in 3 days after that event (I live 2 blocks from Steffen Green for the people that know this city, so is the expensive area of the city centre)
Weather already hit my humour and we are still on summer, I don’t want to think on the very grey winter lol, Already missing Buenos Aires, of course there are good things here as well like been with my Girlfriend and in comparison to the average expats here I’m good as I have an office job, almost all the expats here are unemployed or work as kitchen porters if they are lucky (even if they have a master’s degree or many university titles). I have meet very smart an capable people that is wasted in very bad jobs, the problem is that the city have to many people coming from Spain where they cannot get any job at all according to them so they keep studying and then emigrate to work somewhere else, Poland, Brazil and Venezuela, In the streets of the city you hear almost as much Portuguese or Spanish as English, there is an incredible quantity of Brazilians living in this city.
Now let put the good things of living in Dublin, :) is not all bad there are many good things as well:
  1. you are 2 hours top from any other European capital by air
  2. For Argentineans is easy to get a working holiday visa that grant you permission to work here for a year and you can renew many times without problem.
  3. If you are a developer or a programmer or if you have any IT degree then there are good opportunity’s here as is plenty of IT company’s
  4. When the sun is up and is not cloudy, Ireland is amazing and really beautiful
  5. You have near the city places like Howth where you can enjoy fresh sea food and a nice walk and there are some nice beach’s on the south of the city that are very nice (of course the water is to cold to get in and normally is to cold to go in there)
  6. The city have people from all over the world making it very appealing to socialize for people that come from abroad without friends and you learn a lot of other cultures.
  7. Cheap Airlines (they are not that cheap anymore, in 2011 I was able to get a flight to some places for 7 euros and there was many promotions, now the minimum price you can get is 29 euros + 7 euros of administration cost and there are very few available at that prices only possible to use if you are totally free and plan with many months in advance, if you book on last moment prices are 400/600 euros to go from here to Germany)
  8. There are many other nice things of been here I just cannot recall now

Now a day I would choose to live in Buenos Aires more easy for me and I can make myself more valuable there than here, friend and family play a big role as well, here you start from 0 but in the other hand I have my Girl here so that turn the balance to keep me here and I’m still on age to adventure myself one more year out J, I will see how it goes.

I am biased (although I am not from Dublin!), but for me it is great city hampered by the horrendously boring weather. This summer was good apparently, but that is an exception. There are world class beaches all round Ireland that for 90% of the time are deserted, except for the odd dog walker, due to the rotten weather. Unlike here you can be in the mountains of Kerry in a few hours from Dublin, on the cliffs of the north coast or in the wilderness of the west all within 2 hours or so.

That said, you'll need a raincoat and a tolerance for an all pervasive dampness!

The economy is another question, it is completed exposed to the long term European debt situation and global economy. Debt is huge but the fuhrers keep telling us we have been good boys and girls. No idea where it will end up, does anyone expect that Ireland, Spain, Italy and Greece will pay their debts ? Seems unlikely to me.
 
Good account, interesting to hear it from the other perspective!
I would find it really hard to live in a rainy climate after BA
 
My other expat experience with in Galway, Ireland. I loved it, though I think it rained almost every day. Here in Bahia Blanca its so dry my skin cracks! I've spent a lot of time in Dublin, last time I was there was 2010 and I saw the change from when I lived there (2000, the height of the Celtic Tiger). And what a change from an international standpoint. Back then you didn't have many foreigners, some Spanish and Americans obviously, but not Russians, Polish, everything. Must be a bit of a shock for the older Irish.
 
  1. For Argentineans is easy to get a working holiday visa that grant you permission to work here for a year and you can renew many times without problem.[/quote]
Thanks for the update lamarque! I'm wondering, where else can Argies get working holiday visas in the world? I know NZ, and the US but just for students on summer holidays... Is there an age requirement?
 
You chose a beautiful country Lamarque.
I've thoroughly enjoyed every trip I've made to Ireland over the years.
The first time was in 1982 which included driving up to Belfast, Newry and Derry.
Galway is spectacular, as are the Aran Islands which really took my breath away.
 
  1. For Argentineans is easy to get a working holiday visa that grant you permission to work here for a year and you can renew many times without problem.
Thanks for the update lamarque! I'm wondering, where else can Argies get working holiday visas in the world? I know NZ, and the US but just for students on summer holidays... Is there an age requirement?
[/quote]
http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=80991
 
Sorry, I was wondering which countries Argies can go to, not countries that have agreements with Ireland...
 
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