Po Slovensky

I came to Ireland more than a year ago, although I’d been contemplating this for longer.  I’d finished university and started working as an office administrator. My classmate, however, had left for Ireland straight away and every time I had complained about something (mostly about my job), she told me to come over and that they were keeping a bed for me.  And I finally did.

I remember my surprise. I expected a big change, new country, I wanted to improve the language and meet many people. But the very first evening, there was a party in the house, with lots of other Slovaks and one Czech joining. Everyone drank and smoked much. The next day we went to visit Galway (before I lived in a nearby small town), the Slovak music in the car was playing loud. We went to the Slovak pub in Salthill. ‘So this is Ireland?’ I asked myself disappointedly. Because I’d studied English at school, I didn’t miss Slovak language so much. I could’ve had that at home! And the days passed and passed in the same way. There was much drinking going around every weekend (and sometimes during the week), whole packs of cheap beer or not that cheap Vodka were bought, or a bottle of special occasion Slovak spirits was taken out from somewhere.  The same people kept coming to us, sometimes Polish as well. I found the first job at hand - fast food - and was glad I was earning money. Naturally, I wasn’t happy. The work was often nasty, my workmates got on my nerves, the boss was an asshole, and I had a feeling of an overall unfulfilment. Whenever it was possible, I travelled by bus or hitchhiked with a friend. We went out to the locals too, and this earned us some unflattering remarks from the Slovak-Polish community, who just weren’t used to it.  (Now, to put it right, I’m very grateful to my well-meaning Slovak friend who called me here.  She kick-started it all. If I’m complaining too much, I don’t want her to take it personally.)

After five months spent in this small town, my friend and I moved to Galway. We found an apartment right in the centre, with two Irish girls. It was a big and positive change. And even though we complained at the beginning that we didn’t know anybody there, it got better with time. Now, we too live separately but keep in touch. If we miss a kindred spirit, we meet - and with other Slovaks as well. But the lifestyle of frequent drinking at home because ‘what else to do in this kind of weather’, watching Slovak channels on TV, etc. wasn’t just for us.

I find Ireland different, much nicer these days. There are so many happenings, events and festivals in Galway. And lots of foreigners or other interesting people. I still haven’t found a job exactly to my taste but at least I’ve come across a few very good Irish employers, which is a 180 degree change from the first one I had. Maybe people think that all foreigners with low jobs here wouldn’t get a job at home, or that they just use lenient Irish economy to grab lots of euro.  My case, and I’m sure the case of many others, is that I don’t want to be at home right now. I want to travel while I’m young. I want to experience something different. I want to learn English. And I sincerely like Ireland. I know it can offer me much more. And then I’ll go home.