I am a social caterpillar

For the past week or so of nights in Dublin I've found that I don't have much to do. Short of any plays to see, I've found that I really just want some human interaction, people to talk to. Not necessarily friends; I'll probably make friends when I start school in October. This is like the not-over-the-breakup-testing-the-waters part of my social life. Needless to say, I am not too good at casual conversation with a group of strangers when I can only occasionally understand what they're saying.

Here follows a brief set of guidelines I've taken upon myself, as well as the one success story involving Denmark:

There are a few "NOs" that are important to note. Obviously, one should not sit down with a couple on a date. Either you would be uninvited, or you would be too invited, in which case it would be weird. However, there is always the hard-to-spot double date. In this case, the same criteria apply. Next, I avoid sitting with a group of all guys, as they always ask where the girls are, when, obviously, they're on (double) dates. Finally, as tempting as it is, I try my best (sober) not to sit with a group of all girls.

So, what does that leave? A group of guys and girls, out for a friendly pint, makes some good conversation. To date, I have only found one of these groups and they were Danish students who quickly fled the country.

These students were in O'Shea's Pub, a small pub out of the common pub district which has Irish music seven nights a week. There was one Irish man singing and playing guitar and making bawdy jokes: "The next song is called Finnigan's Wake. During the chorus, you clap until the word 'wake.' Men, if you continue clapping you'd better buy me drinks for the night. Ladies, you will give me your bra. Unless you don't wear one, in which case you'll have to prove it."

So, the pub was almost all 50-and-up, people who knew the songs, except for this one small group of five people, two girls and three guys, clearly not on any date-related activity. I asked if I could sit down and, after I did, was asked two questions--one of which is not really a question. First: "Where are you from in America?" Second: "You voted for Bush!" If it's early in the evening I say no the second question. If it's later in the evening I threaten to bomb them.

I ran into these Danes again at the same pub a few days later, just as they were leaving. I talked to one of the girls (Veibeken, I think) for a bit, and I think she started hitting on me. They said some things in Danish and then moved and told me to sit by her. I then found out they were high school seniors on a school trip. So, that was weird.

Moral of the story: if you're lonesome and looking for funny conversation, try Irish music and Danes. I might visit Copenhagen soon. They are just so friendly.