Seven Random Things I've Observed in Dublin

1. The traffic report this week warned about a pothole "near the Big Tree" on some road. Later, when the pothole was fixed, I realized they'd been saying "near the Big Tree Pub". It was funny to think that you could say to someone "oh, you know, it's near the big tree on X road" and everyone would know what you meant.

2. The radio had a story yesterday about how the Irish are turning to the Internet to buy prescription drugs because of the high costs of prescription drugs. Funny, the governor of Illinois was trying to import prescription drugs from Britain and Ireland because of the lower costs. Is it a case of the grass always being greener (or the Viagra always being blue-er) on the other side? I think the Irish are perhaps overstating the case. I got three months of birth control pills for 12 euro ($15). In the States, I could only get them a month at a time and it's $20/month. And that's just my co-pay. I have no idea what the actual total cost is.

3. There's a goose who lives with the swans in the canal and thinks he is a swan. I saw him drive off a swan who was trying to get to the goose's female swan friend. It was funny that the swan ran away, splashed into the water and then swam off. The swan is about 3 times as big as the goose. And the goose is, you know, a goose.

4. I saw a man (I'm presuming here) sun-bathing nude on a small cliff above the sea. I was on the Dart at the time and it was surprising to see a very white butt looking up at me. It was a posh part of town too - between Dalkey and Killiney.

5. A sign in the laundromat, on the dryers: Remove clothes immediately to reduce risk of combustion or wrinkles settling in.

6. When I was the doctor's office, I was the first one in the waiting room. About 20 chairs lined the wall. I was alone for about 20 minutes before another patient came in. Wouldn't you know, she sat right next to me. Practically in my lap. It was like something out of a TV comedy sketch. I don't know if she thought she was queuing or if she just had no sense of personal space.

7. I saw a Nigerian teenager on Grafton Street who was wearing a head scarf and a long-sleeved, tightly-fitted white t-shirt with the Playboy Bunny logo on it.