Posts Tagged With: American

An Egyptian Evening Under the Stars

Posted on May 15, 2011 by emilyeneurope
Egypt, Egyptian Ambassador, Charity Event, American Women's Club of Dublin

Here is the front of the program for the event.

Since I moved to Ireland, I’ve written many blog posts about the American Women’s Club of Dublin. Most of the fabulous events I’ve attended have been with the club and it is through connections in the club that I’ve made my closest friends. In all reality, my experience in Dublin this past year wouldn’t have been as wonderful had I not found this club. As crazy as it is to believe, a year has come and gone, and we had our very last “large” event of the year on Friday: An Egyptian Evening Under the Stars.

Now, I’ve told you of our many philanthropic endeavors, from the cooking demo at Karen’s home, to my poker evening and chili cook-off. The Egyptian Evening Under the Stars was our last philanthropic gala, organized to yet again benefit the ISPCC. The Egyptian Ambassador to Ireland’s wife, Abir, happens to be a member of our club, so they gladly hosted us at their beautiful home. Who else can say that in one year they’ve attended events at the American Embassy and the Egyptian Ambassador’s home? The evening consisted of a silent auction with prizes like a full-length mink coat, a signed book and personal portrait sitting with the world famous photographer Barry McCall (he even attended the event!), opera tickets, hotel B&B stays, etc.; a raffle with even more prizes; singing entertainment; a belly-dancing performance; a buffet of traditional Egyptian food; and an open wine and beverage bar. The dress was cocktail attire and thankfully the weather held out with beautiful, sunny skies.

Egypt, Egyptian Ambassador, Charity Gala, American Women's Club of Dublin

Doesn't he look so handsome? We had such a great time!

It really was a magical evening. Matt and I love any opportunity to dress up! I was finally given the chance to wear a dress that he bought me for Valentine’s Day when we were living apart. I’ve had it for over a year and never a reason to wear it! Matt stuck on his American flag pin, for which he received quite a few compliments – I mean, we are the American Women’s Club. With Matt’s help, I put together the program for the evening, which looked fantastic. The best part, most of our friends were there and we had a great time catching up and letting loose. After the event, a group of us even headed out to the Four Seasons bar for late night drinks.

All in all it was a beautiful night. I’m not sure yet how much we finally raised, but I’m sure it was a great success. I have to pay compliments to the club’s Philanthropic Chair, Karen, because she has tirelessly worked day and night for each event this year, and this evening was her greatest success. Did I mention that she works full-time? I don’t know how she does it. Needless to say, I’m a bit sad that the final event of the year has come to a close. I’ll miss these opportunities for all of the women to get together for a great cause!

Egypt, Egyptian Ambassador, Charity Event, American Women's Club of Dublin

With some great friends at the start of the evening.

Belly Dancer, Egypt, Egyptian Ambassador, Charity Event, American Women's Club of Dublin

Our entertainment for the evening! She brought up some victims later to teach them the dance - I stayed away!

Egypt, Charity Event, Egyptian Ambassador, American Women's Club of Dublin

World famous photographer Barry McCall! He gave such a generous donation of a personal portrait sitting with him. Too bad I didn't win it!

Egypt, Egyptian Ambassador, Charity Event, American Women's Club of Dublin

With the ladies. :-)

Egypt, American Women's Club of Dublin, Charity Gala, Egyptian Ambassador

With Karen, the amazing philanthropic chair and a great friend of mine!

Categories: Nightlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Back Into the Swing of Things

Posted on January 13, 2011 by emilyeneurope

Today I attended the American Women’s Club’s first meeting back since the holidays. I’ve been really looking forward to this, because I haven’t seen all of the ladies in awhile. December was a slower month for Club activities and I came home for most of the time, so today was a great chance to see everyone and catch up. Thanks to the Club, I’ll be fulfilling one of my New Year’s Resolutions very shortly, too. More on that later.

Our meetings are always held at the Bewley’s Hotel in Ballsbridge, so it was a familiar sight when I stepped into the Thomas Prior Hall. I met a few new members and told them about Club activities and events. It was quite the change from 6 months ago when I went to my first meeting, wide-eyed and curious. I hope that I made them feel at ease and and optimistic about opportunities to make friends in this foreign land. I know that many of the women did that for me my first time around. In return, one of the new gals told me about her visa woes and her advice. The more information, the better, as I’m still trying to secure a visa!

I fulfilled my secretarial duties once again and enjoyed being back with my European/American friends. I announced the February Philanthropy, which I happen to be putting together. This brings me back to my New Year’s Resolution to do more charity work in 2011. I am putting together (of course with the help of the Philanthropic committee) an American Chili Cook-Off and Poker Tournament. Matt’s company is partnering with us to help host the poker tournament, the women in the Club are cooking the chili, and our local pub, The Rockfield, is hosting the event. All combined, we should raise quite a bit for the ISPCC (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), and provide a fun and exciting evening for Club members and friends. Not to mention, our friends at the Rockfield will see some major business that evening!

By the end of the meeting, and after two fantastic speakers, I felt like I was really back “home.” I’m starting to really build some friendships here, which is a major plus on top of traveling and being with Matt. Of course, I’m already missing family and my close friends from home, but like my first post of 2011 predicted, I think this year is going to be interesting and full of new experiences.

Categories: Musings | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fritos y Burritos!

Posted on January 12, 2011 by emilyeneurope

Texas is the land of cattle, cowboys, and best of all, Tex-Mex! The food back home is something I find myself missing regularly over here in Dublin. Unfortunately, I cannot really rave about the food in Ireland. I apologize to my European friends, but I have to give my full experience abroad – that’s why I started this blog in the first place. Sure, I’ve had some of the best seafood chowder over here, and Ireland has seriously perfected the art of making a thousand different versions of potatoes, but I just cannot compare Irish cuisine to American.

Take, for example, a simple stroll down a grocery store aisle. Back in Texas, a trip to the supermarket was an enjoyable experience. I loved the pre-made food section at Central Market, the fresh produce at Whole Foods, and the familiarity of Tom Thumb. I cannot find pre-made Chicken Salad that is comprable to my favorite from Market Street. I’m a chip girl, and the selection here makes me want to cry at times. I’ve contemplated bringing back Fritos or Cheetos in my luggage, but I just know they’ll arrive a squashed mess and I’m saving myself the embarrassment of having to tip the bag to get a bite. And don’t get me started on the “hot dog hunt.”

Cheese – another of my favorite food groups. Wait, it’s not a food group? Well, it should be. There are so many varieties and so many ways to use cheese. One might argue that I have it good here in Europe; that they have every type of cheese imaginable. I only need to reply “queso” to validate my next point. Queso is by far the best food invention of all time…AND IT DOESN’T EXIST HERE! Not only can I not find it in any restaurant, but I cannot find a good cheese, like Velveeta, with which to make queso. Back in November, I made queso as an appetizer for our Thanksgiving meal, and our Irish/British friends couldn’t get enough of the stuff. I love dipping chips in it (again, Fritos, sigh), and using it as a sauce for tacos. It’s my Superbowl meal of choice, an obvious appetizer order at almost all restaurants in Texas, and I’m even hoping to one day use a queso fountain instead of a chocolate fountain at my wedding.

Now, my grumblings may be a result of my recent return to the States, where I overindulged in all of the foods I love. Has anyone else tried the new Taco Bell Beefy Crunch Burrito? It has nacho cheese AND Fritos in it. Tex-Mex was also a go-to meal during my stay; I love flavorful fajitas, beef tacos, margaritas, taco salads, etc. This may be why I am becoming such a foodie. I want to learn new and fun ways to cook the things I love from back home.

So, if you have an unbeatable queso recipe that doesn’t require Velveeta, comment. If you have some delicious Tex-Mex recipe that doesn’t require a pre-made, store bought sauce that I probably won’t be able to find, comment. If you know some magical way to make Fritos at home, comment. In return, I’ll blog about it!

Me and Matt's family at Capital Grill in Texas over the holidays. We love this restaurant - they have the best food, especially their steaks!

Categories: Musings | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Emily En America

Posted on December 26, 2010 by emilyeneurope

Christmas Eve in Dallas and we are sure happy to be home!

Well, the big day has passed and I am tired. I feel like I’ve been going non-stop since I got home; add jet-lag to the equation and whew! It’s been a good busy, though, because it means that I’ve already had the chance to see a lot of people, get in a good amount of visiting with my family, and make the most of my time at home.

After our long trip over, Wednesday was a chance to re-group and rest up. The only problem was that I hadn’t finished my Christmas shopping, and waiting any longer would mean getting stuck at the mall with all of the other last minute shoppers (you know who you are). I decided to fight the fatigue and push through the day. Besides, I have heard that forcing yourself out and about after a long journey is a great way to kick the jet-lag. So, I partnered up with my Dad and we went out to get last minute things for my Mom, sister, and Matt. It was a nice time just the two of us, catching up and cracking jokes. It was definitely better than wasting time on the couch.

The next day, Thursday, I used my time to finally relax. That night, I took the opportunity to see high school friends, since they were all home for Christmas. Matt came up and we went to dinner with Kaitlyn and Chris, who you may remember from the wedding in August; I was pumped to see the couple for the first time since the wedding. We went to Square Burger in Downtown McKinney, a trendy burger restaurant with over 60 beers on tap. Definitely a great addition to the McKinney Square. From there we met up with my high school friends Ashley, Callie, and pretty much the rest of the 2004 McKinney graduating class.

Who doesn't want to play with an adorable puppy during the holidays?!

On Friday, Christmas Eve, we were supposed to go to Christmas Mass, but the rain, excessive amount of people, and lack of parking caused our decision to go Christmas morning. I left for Dallas early to spend the evening with Matt’s family at his future sister-in-law’s home. Anna’s family prepared a Mexican feast last year on Christmas Eve, which I attended, and did the same this year. The food is AMAZING, with guacamole, stuffed jalapenos, tamales, etc. I’ve really enjoyed the occasion both years, this year especially since it’s been so long since I’ve had great Mexican food! Back at his parent’s home, we watched the bowl game and played with his brother’s adorable new puppy.

Yesterday, our decision to push back Christmas Mass was rewarded, because it was comfortable and not over-crowded. Our Christmas breakfast consisted of Belgian waffels, followed by gift exchange and a nap. Matt came up to spend the evening with my family, where we played games of backgammon, Mario Kart on Wii, and watched football on t.v. My Mom made a turkey since we don’t get it often in Ireland, with cheesy potatoes, stuffing, cream spinach, rutabaga, and corn. We didn’t even touch the pie after dinner, due to the onset of a food coma! Matt had a cigar with my Dad and we all just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Here we are now, the day after Christmas, and I’ve finally slowed down. Brunch was eaten, naps were had, Wii was played, and the house has been picked up. I only get a small chance to breathe, though, because tonight we will have Christmas dinner part 2 thanks to all of the leftovers, followed by an evening out with college girlfriends to celebrate a birthday. Ahead of me, we have the arrival of Matt’s grandparents, Matt’s birthday, New Year’s Eve, you catch my drift. But I’m loving every second of it, because it wouldn’t make any sense to come home and hide out, now would it? ;-)

Categories: Musings, Travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hi, My Name Is…

Posted on December 19, 2010 by emilyeneurope

In my time with Suas I’ve made hundreds of phone calls, received hundreds of phone calls, and sent even more emails. This is all fine and easy until you throw in traditional Irish names. In the official written standard, Irish language is the Gaeilge language, creating names that are beautiful and pleasing to the ear, but impossible to read without their phonetic spelling or a handy Irish friend sitting nearby. Lately, I’ve been making even more phone calls than usual, so my cohorts at work have been suffering the constant interruption for a name pronunciation. Luckily for me, they don’t find it annoying…I don’t think.

I believe the Irish language is taught in all the Irish schools, and it is a good thing too, because it is a beautiful language. The language began to decline under British rule, but luckily never died out completely. I enjoy overhearing the occasional conversation in Gaeilge; it seems like a special bond the Irish share. On the LUAS, each stop is announced in both English and Gaeilge and you will find both English and Irish languages posted on all of the street signs. There are some words and phrases I’ve become accustomed to saying, like “sláinte,” a drinking toast literally meaning “health” or in our standard, “cheers.”

I’m going to give you the breakdown of some of the Irish names I’ve come across the past week while making phone calls. You’ll find that when you look at the name, you’ll think of a pronunciation that inevitably sounds nothing like how it’s actually spoken. I’m providing you with my own phonetic spelling, so here goes:

  • Aoife – a girl’s name – pronounced EE-fa. This is the name I’ve become the most familiar with and I don’t hesitate any longer when I see it.
  • Aisling – a girl’s name – pronounced Ash-ling. Yep, you didn’t see that one coming.
  • Cian – a boy’s name – pronounced KEE-in. For some reason I first though “Sean” when I saw it, but I was way off.
  • Siobhán – a girl’s name – pronounced Shuh-VAHN. The “bh” spelling in Irish names makes the “v” sound. Keep that in mind as we keep going.
  • Sinéad – a girl’s name – pronounced Shi-naid. This is a highly popular name thanks in part to the singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor.
  • Éadaoin – a girl’s name – pronounced eh-DEEN. So beautiful.
  • Clíodhna - a girl’s name – pronounced CLEE-na. Such complicated spelling for such a simple name.
  • Ailbhe – a girl’s name – pronounced Al-va. See, I told you to remember that “bh” sound.
  • Óisín – a boy’s name – pronounced oh-shEEN. Similarly, the girl’s name Roisin is pronounced ro-SHEEN.
  • Caoimhe – a girl’s name – pronounced KEE-va. Again, similarly, Ciara is pronounced Kee-ra.

I could go on and on with other names I’ve seen and heard, but I think you get the drift. I’ve definitely mis-pronounced a couple of these to my recipient on the other end of the phone line (Ciara, to be exact), but they’ve kindly let it pass. I think my American accent tips them off. :-) Hopefully, you’ve learned something, and someday when you take a trip to Ireland, you’ll be prepared to remember the names of all the friends you make!

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Snow Won’t Stop This Sooner

Posted on November 27, 2010 by emilyeneurope

The snow on our balcony railing and mountains beyond.

Ah, what a charming start to a glorious game day. I awoke this morning to our first snowfall of the year! That’s right, it’s snowing here in Dublin. I can fully appreciate the beauty of the white fields and mountains from the comfort of my toasty apartment. Of all weekends to be surprised by this beautiful, wintery sight, it magically occurs on Bedlam weekend – my second favorite football rivalry of the year!

For the past seven years, Bedlam has been a highly anticipated shut-out for the Sooners. I’ve eagerly awaited the glorious weekend in which the Cowboys would again retreat to their humble abodes with their tails between their legs. After my Freshman year of college, when we narrowly squeaked by with a three point win, I’ve been secure in my confidence that Oklahoma would crush the Cowboys. Until this year.

Now, don’t get me wrong. My confidence does not waver in the abilities of my Sooners when they play solid football. They are certainly more than capable to beat any opponent when they are on their game – and Kevin Wilson isn’t making stupid play-calls. However, with Oklahoma State playing so well this year and the fact that we haven’t been so successful on the road, I worry that we’ll see a weekend like that of A&M.

In short, thanks to the time change, I’ll be up until the wee hours of the morning in my Sooners jersey, cheering hard for my alma mater. I’m looking forward to seeing an Oklahoma win for yet another year. And, being a strong Notre Dame supporter thanks to family ties, you may even hear me give a few hearty yells for the Fighting Irish; followed, of course, by angry retorts from my USC counterpart, because what’s good college football without a little rivalry? ;-)

I think the sheep are hiding, because I don't see them out there in the snow.

Categories: Game Day | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gluttony – My Patriotic Duty

Posted on November 24, 2010 by emilyeneurope

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In college, Cinco de Mayo came in a notoriously close second, thanks to the sombreros, Mexican beer, bright colors, and all-around good fun. Yet, even all of that combined cannot compare to Thanksgiving. I absolutely love the food, especially my mom’s menu growing up: turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cream spinach, corn, white salad, cranberry, etc. Then there’s the football, and being from Dallas, you can always count on the Cowboys game. With football comes beer, something I grew to appreciate on Thanksgiving more and more after attending college. Add colorful leaves outside, sweatshirts, and the especially tired feeling you get after the food has been devoured, and you have the most wonderful holiday EVER.

I will say, my mother spoiled us all, because she would do all of the cooking (she’s amazing), and Melissa and I would watch football with our Dad and our beer. Then, magically, all at the same time, the hot food would be set out and ready to serve. Unfortunately, this means that I will be cooking my very first Thanksgiving dinner, on my own, here in Dublin, where turkey is not popular and I’ve never practiced. Plus, Matt invited coworkers over, so I’m now on center stage. Yikes!

European refrigerators are rather small, so ours is currently packed - check out the turkey!

In preparation for the best holiday, I decided to do a few things the night before while Matt cleaned the apartment. It was my mother’s advice to do this, as it would eliminate much of the work the next day when I had bigger things to worry about – like an 18 pound turkey! So, tonight, I made the cream spinach, browned the meat for the queso dip appetizer, cleaned all of my dishes, and made my chicken stock. You might be wondering why I didn’t just buy that pre-made, but chicken stock is just another thing that I’ve learned does not come easily here. Our main grocery stores close by do not carry pre-made chicken stock – I’ve only seen vegetable and beef – so we make ours from scratch. Easy, but not something I wanted to worry about the day of.

At this very moment, everything is secure in the refrigerator. In the morning, I’ll make the white salad and stick it in the fridge to cool all day. At around 2, I’ll get my mom and Aunt Jen on video chat to walk me through the turkey preparations. :-) And then from there, it’ll just be about timing. Wish me luck! I’m hoping to emulate the amazing Thanksgivings of my past and give Matt his first proper Thanksgiving since his relocation here over a year ago. Trust me, you’ll hear all about it the next day!

“I give thanks to the Indians and Pilgrams for creating this most wonderful and gluttonous holiday!” ~ Me

Mmmmmm...cream spinach casserole ready to go!

Categories: Musings | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Penny for Your Prize

Posted on November 13, 2010 by emilyeneurope

This past Thursday, I took a break from my normal volunteer duties at Suas to attend the American Women’s Club November meeting. This particular meeting would be a little different, as we were holding our annual Penny Raffle, and I was very much looking forward to it. So, instead of hopping on the LUAS to make my way down to City Centre, I dropped Matt off at work and went to the Bewley’s hotel, our normal meeting venue.

Some of the tables set up with their prizes.

The Penny Raffle is an annual activity instituted to raise money for the Club itself. Since all of our events are either for entertainment purposes or to raise money for our charity, we need to have some sort of event to fund all of the Club’s costs. My knowledge is that the Penny Raffle has been their source of income for many years now and it works like a well-oiled machine. The event is simple: all of the women donate a prize worth around 25 euros. Then, at our November meeting, the prizes are placed on tables in a large room with buckets in front of each. Upon arrival, the members purchase an envelope with raffle tickets: 5 euros buys 10 tickets; 10 euros buys 20 tickets; and 20 euros buys 50 tickets. You then make your way around the room, dropping tickets in the buckets of items that appeal to you. After the bidding process, each item is brought to the front, a ticket is drawn, and the subsequent holder is awarded the item. Basically, it doesn’t feel like you are just giving money to the Club, as there is a chance to walk away with a prize.

I bought 50 tickets, so a bit of strategy was involved as I made my bids. There were items, like a Coach wallet and a wall painting, that I desired a bit more, so I dropped more tickets in those buckets. There were also items that appealed to me, but didn’t have many bids, so I’d throw a few tickets in those too, hoping the lack of interest would increase my odds. During the entire process, I sipped coffee, munched on snacks, and chatted with some girlfriends as we walked around browsing.

Entertaining the masses! Although, I'm not sure what's going on with my face...

When it was time to hold the raffle, I didn’t just sit back and cross my fingers for a win. My friend, Carrie, and I were asked to emcee the event since we are easily the youngest members of the Club and our president was hoping we’d add a bit of humor and spirit to the raffle call. We made our way up to the microphone and proceeded to engage in energetic banter while presenting each prize and announcing the winner. We had quite the entertaining time doing this. Come on: for those of you who know me, you know that I can’t be given a microphone and placed on a stage without going wild!

In the end, I didn’t win the wallet or the painting, but I made sure to make a joke on the loudspeakers about the items being “stolen” from me by the winners. I did leave with an adorable recipe organizer, though. I’m going to need it, too, because I’ve become quite the cook. I’ve got to feed Matt now!

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A Little Spice of Life

Posted on November 10, 2010 by emilyeneurope

El Bahia - my first Moroccan experience!

When you combine a group of women, a good book, Moroccan food, nice wine, and a colourful ambience, it is likely that a great night is in store. Last night, this was the plan exactly. The monthly “supper out” Book Club with the women in the American Women’s Club was scheduled to happen at El Bahia in City Centre and we had a great book on the agenda: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.

I left straight from work to head over to the restaurant around 6:30, ready to do some book dissection. I’ve never had Moroccan food before, so I was stepping into a pallet adventure. There were 10 ladies in attendance, so they put us in our own little room with colorful cushions and drapery. The music was a little too loud for our discussion, but once it was turned down, it made for beautiful background noise. Luckily, we had a new member join who is married to a Moroccan man, and was attuned to the best flavours and dishes on the menu. Not that we ended up needing her advice, though, because everything was so delicious. I had a chicken cous cous with raisins, nuts, and other spices that left both sweet and spicy tastes on my tongue. The other dishes enjoyed by the women looked equally as good and I have no doubt that I will be dragging Matt back in the near future for dinner.

As for our book discussion, for anyone who has read The Help, you know that it is a fabulous book. We talked about the entertaining characters, the well-done dialect, the obvious conflicts, and the inspiring way the women in the story handled the prejudice and problems that constantly came their way. Of course, the discussion led us into a digression of other novels with similar plot structures and conflicts, leaving me with a short list of other stories I need to read soon.

Following dinner with the ladies, I made my way around the corner to meet Matt and some of his work buddies for music trivia at The Porterhouse Central. The Porterhouse Central is a pub that specializes in brewing its own beer and I believe it is an extension of The Porterhouse in Temple Bar that I mentioned in a previous post. This location is ideal because it’s not as far from the LUAS and it is very generous with open seating. Also, it hosts music trivia night every Tuesday, which I think we will become frequenters of since Matt’s friends love to go. I had a great time listening to the 5-10 second music clip and then trying to figure out with the group what it was that we were hearing! Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but I didn’t mind, as it was an entertaining way to spend a Tuesday.

Something I am learning the longer I live here in Dublin is that every night of the week can be host to an evening out. Nothing deters the average Irishman (or woman) from having dinner followed by late night drinks on a weekday. Quiz nights are popular, and often occur in the middle of the week. I think this is a lifestyle I can definitely get used to! ;-)

Categories: Book Club, Nightlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cultures and Customs

Posted on November 7, 2010 by emilyeneurope

There are two things missing here in Ireland that are quite popular back in the States: Mexican food and Thanksgiving. Now, the first is something that Matt and I have had to learn to live without. I’m not the biggest fan of Mexican food, so it hasn’t been a huge adjustment for me. However, I do miss chips and salsa from time to time and don’t even get me started on chili con queso. For Matt’s born and bred Texas taste buds, it has been a huge adjustment. As for Thanksgiving, it may not be a fixture in this country for obvious reasons, but it’s definitely something I can recreate when the holiday rolls around. However, its absence begs the question: what marks the start of the Christmas season in Ireland? The answer to this question was blatantly answered today in conjunction with our first Mexican restaurant experience.

Recently, an American friend of mine and Matt’s recommended a Mexican restaurant to us, but until today we hadn’t checked it out. I woke up this morning after a rather late evening out, craving chips and salsa like I’ve never craved them before. I could not get the idea of the salty and crunchy goodness out of my head, so I basically demanded we try this restaurant recommendation. We made our way over to the Town Centre in the gloomy rain, on foot I might add, with a determined focus to satisfy our craving.

Cortina’s was everything we could have hoped for, minus the cost. Since it is the only decent Mexican restaurant around, their prices were not cheap. It was easy to ignore, though, when a basket of tortilla chips and salsa were placed right next to my Corona and Matt’s margarita. The ambience of the restaurant was fun, with bright colored cushions on the seats and a huge U-shaped bar. Our tacos were on the upscale side, with fancy sauces and cheese, which ironically was a bit of a bummer, as I was hoping for greasy, traditional cuisine. How can I complain, though, when it was all so tasty and about as close as I’m going to get to Tex-Mex? We declared the meal a success and decided it would definitely be worth our while to return in the near future. Did I mention their advertisement for a Chipotle-style burrito? Yeah, awesome.

Moving locomotives in the mall.

Cortina’s is situated in a courtyard just outside of the mall, so we decided to do a little shopping/browsing before making our way home. On our way up to the mall entrance, the answer to my original Christmas question slowly took form. We first passed a temporary ice-skating rink, housed in a small building, with large windows to watch the skaters. I didn’t think too much of it, though, because it’s already cold here and it seemed an appropriate setup for the season. It wasn’t until a Christmas tree mascot (yes, a person inside of a Christmas tree costume dancing around) stepped in front of Matt and started to do a little jig. Flanked on either side were his polar bear friends, taking pictures with little kids. Matt and I stopped walking, looked at each other, and burst into laughter. I’m kicking myself now for not having my picture taken with one of them.

The inside of the mall was its very own spectacle. A humongous Christmas tree stood at the entrance, with smaller trees placed at the front of all the stores. In the largest, most open part of the mall, a display from floor to ceiling of dancing polar bears and reindeer stole my attention for the entire escalator ride. To top it all off, a mini choo-choo train transported children from one end of the mall to the other. Everywhere I looked, Christmas stared back. Without  Thanksgiving to mark the start of the holiday season, our Irish friends obviously choose November 1st as their kick-off day. I was in a bit of shock and awe, because it all seems so over the top! Plus, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so for me, it feels unnatural to start thinking about Christmas before our blessed day of food and football.

It was altogether a fulfilling and strange day. I think it’s a bit soon to be sitting on Santa’s knee asking for a pony, but since Thanksgiving is an American holiday, I can understand the haste to put a little cheer into a season riddled with cold, gloom, and rain. In the meantime, I now know I’ve got good Mexican food nearby to remind me, and more importantly, Matt, of home.

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