Dialogue: Think hard before you go across the sea to Ireland

Dublin is often portrayed as a modern-day El Dorado. But many of the gushing claims disguise a stark reality, writes JASMINE DE BONI.

Before my departure for Dublin, I felt comfortable, having been well indoctrinated, about spending a working year there rather than in that old Kiwi haunt, London.

Talk in the media and in everyday conversation seemed to reach climactic proportions on the unstoppable force that is the Celtic Tiger.

Ireland, I was told, was on the verge of not only matching but superseding its European support network with its vibrant IT industry.

Dublin, we read, was awash with money and jobs and young people from all over the globe were there hoping to catch a slice of this modern-day gold rush.

But claims and reality often bear little resemblance, and my own experience does not yet match the breathless enthusiasm so often exhaled over the Celtic Tiger.

I want to keep an open mind about my Dublin experience but so far I have been struck with the feeling that I've stepped into a time warp - New Zealand 20 years ago, say.

Remember when New Zealanders revelled in coffee lounges with rows of ham sandwiches, crusty custard squares and plain date scones? If you enjoyed those days of stodgy, fatty and badly cooked food, come to Dublin.

If you preferred the days before the new-fangled banking procedures such as Eftpos and internet banking came into everyday use, come to Dublin and experience the cash-full society all over again.

I understand that the strength of the Celtic Tiger's economy lies mainly in its IT industry, and because I am not in this line of work I should not expect an inordinate wage or fantastic conditions. But let me describe my work environment.

Though I am stationed in an office for a large, multinational, multimillion-dollar consultancy firm, one would be forgiven for thinking otherwise. It is located in a long line of offices opposite the Grand Canal, a stench-ridden body of water floating between two banks of refuse and rats.

Aside from the setting, the technology in the office leaves something to be desired. The phones don't work properly, so if a call needs to be transferred you have to go to the top of the stairs to yell out and announce it. The computers are not networked and only two people have e-mail, which they zealously guard. So much for the wonders of Ireland's IT - in this office, anyway.

I'm prepared to concede that it is possible I've been infected with a less-than-rosy attitude from the staff of this firm. After all, most of the people I work with are English and, let's be frank, they do seem to enjoy a good moan.

Yet our inability to get running water, except in the toilets, and the endlessly rinsed-out mugs for coffee, could genuinely prove hazardous to someone's health.

My adventures in the world of banking in Ireland got off to a shaky start, no thanks to my New Zealand bank, which thought Dublin was in Britain and thus opened an account with a bank that has no affiliate in the republic.

When I finally found an office of this branch in Dublin, they told me before I had a chance to speak that they were unable to help in any way.

Annoyed that I still had to open an account in Ireland, I set forth to do so, only to encounter much paperwork, phoning, visiting and identification issues. When I got my account opened after many weeks, I soon found that Eftpos was virtually unheard of.

Every week I have to take out a wad of cash to last the week. Asking about internet banking, I felt as if I had asked about travel to the moon, such a tall order was it. They said they would look into it and I haven't heard back. A development scheduled for 2050, perhaps?

As for the food, it is stunning to find in a country so close to Europe that such strongly traditional tastes have remained unchanged.

The old favourites of bangers and taties in every guise, even in sandwiches, and soggy fish and chips are constantly wheeled out on menus. I would hope that Ireland would keep these traditions in the face of an increasing European influence, yet a little variety wouldn't hurt.

But I've quickly discovered it is the people who often make all the difference when you are living and working so far from home, not the other variables. Most of the Irish people I have met are sincere, helpful and good company.

I live in the pleasant coastal town of Dun Laoghaire, close to the city, with two great Irish girls, and I'm enjoying learning about the Irish culture. They are more than willing to discuss the complex political and religious nature of Ireland, which seems to have a sense of immediacy for every person in the country.

It is the chasm between gushing claims and stark reality that needs to be addressed, considering the number of young New Zealanders coming here to chase the pot o' gold that Ireland is often proclaimed to be.

If you are coming to Dublin, do just as the Girl Guides tell you - be prepared.

* Jasmine De Boni is a University of Auckland graduate on her working OE.

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