| Born in Lodz, grew up in Paris, fell in love with Dublin – this is one way to describe Konrad’s life at this point. Some aspects of living in Ireland could use a bit of improvement, but for Konrad, the money he earns, the open-minded people, and of course, Guinness beer, are just some of the reasons to enjoy life in the “Silicon Valley of Europe.” |
 Konrad Florczak |
July 17 2006
-Where were you born?
Lodz, Poland
-Are you living alone or with your family?
Alone
-In which country and city are you living now?
Dublin, Ireland
-How long have you been living in Ireland?
I lived for 16 years in Paris, six in Poland and two months in Dublin.
-What is your age?
I am 22 years old.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Ireland?
I had no choice as my University forces us to perform an internship abroad at the end of the 4th year. I had a chance to go to Dublin, where wages are really cool compared to Paris.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Not at all. With a job agreement and a Master's degree it was easy to get a PPS number in Dublin. Same for other stuff, like a bank account.
-How do you make your living in Ireland? Do you have any type of income generated?
The company that hired me gave me a good salary for my internship. I got the interview through my English teacher who knew one of the big bosses in the French branch. Besides that, I know a lot of friends who came to Dublin without any job and found one almost immediately. Dublin is amazing as far as job opportunities are concerned.
-Do you speak Irish and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Nowadays it is mandatory to speak English - I mean fluent English, not some sort of Globish - everywhere in Europe. Concerning other non-English speaking countries, of course it is better to speak the local language. But I think there is no need to fully concentrate on that part if you are staying only for a year as a student. Some EU languages like Polish, Czech or Latvian are really, really hard to learn!
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
As I'm a Pole who has been living in Paris since childhood, I am twice more homesick than others. I fight it by cooking Polish food and eating French cheese or drinking French wine (frogs are a myth!) or just calling family from time to time. Also, a good technique is to be on MSN and chat with friends or write on my blog. But to be honest with you, I loooove Ireland, so I'm hardly homesick. I miss my fiancé more -- she is working in Paris (but Ryanair helps us a great deal to see each other regularly).
-Do you have other plans for the future?
After my six-month internship, my fiancé and I are planning to go to Sydney for a whole year. We will be studying there and of course, we will go sightseeing in Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
Sharing! With two or three flatmates, Irish or English is better. Normal rent is about 400 euros a month (US$500).
-What is the cost of living in Ireland?
Let's say 400 euros for a home, 200 euros for food if you prepare your own dishes (Irish food is crap, really!) and 4 euros for a pint of Guinness. Therefore, for 800 euros you can live in Dublin. I really suggest taking a bike instead of public transport. Buses are late and very expensive. The city is bike-friendly.
-What do you think about the Irish people?
The way they treat foreigners depends on the situation. Elders are quite afraid of foreigners, especially Poles. So I say I'm French, and I say it with the 'accent français, n'est-ce pas' :)
For work it's better to say you're a Pole, as the French are considered lazy. But as far as skin color goes, if you're white, you won't have any problems. There are regular reports on some racist attacks on blacks and Indians (by drunken local skinheads). Dubliners are really open-minded people and very easy-going compared to the people in Paris or Poland.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Ireland?
The pros are the wages, the open-minded people, pubs and Guinness (which, it cannot be denied, is a really good brew), and of course, the landscapes outside Dublin (sightsee Cork, Limerick, Wiclow, etc.).
The cons are the public transport, bloody weather and electric showers (like in the UK) and racism against non-white folks.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Ireland?
It's the perfect country if you want to learn good English (not like in the USA), meet a lot of dynamic people and earn a huge amount of money. So work hard and you'll succeed for sure! Take a bike and an umbrella!
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Ireland?
My Blog
Expatriated Friends
