So far in Dublin, we have seen many things that were to be expected. The weather is sporadic, mostly raining pretty hard. The people we have talked to so far have very colorful personalities, always seeming to make us laugh. And most obvious, Ireland has a bustling night life. Dublin is also going through a lot of development, building and renovating many areas in the city. That being said, there are some differences and similarities to other places I have stayed, but I will be comparing Dublin to Pittsburgh specifically in this article.

As far as differences, there are a couple of obvious ones. The weather is pretty drastic (even more than Pittsburgh) and the cars drive on the opposite side of the road to what I am used to. There are also some smaller things that I’ve noticed that I find interesting. First, there are seagulls in Dublin. I find this funny because I typically associate seagulls with the sea, and not in a city, but here they are hanging out with the pigeons due to the geographical location of Dublin. Also, the skyline is a lot lower than it is in Pittsburgh. This is purposefully done by the city, making sure to maintain their attractive views. There are no skyscrapers in Dublin, and hardly any tall buildings at all. The last main difference I’ve noticed is that people from Dublin are very outgoing and are willing to talk to you, wether you’re a local or a tourist. This isn’t often the case in Pittsburgh.

There are other differences between the two areas, however, there are also some notable similarities between Dublin and Pittsburgh. First, there are some (or a lot of) aggressive drivers. When walking in both Dublin as well as Pittsburgh, err on the side of caution. The second main similarity I’ve noticed is that there are people who get very involved in the local sports of both cities. When I first got to Pittsburgh, I noticed a bunch of apparel, flags, and even tattoos supporting athletics in the city. Although I haven’t seen anyone in Dublin with a tattoo of a team yet, you can tell they are all very committed to their local team, especially with the sport of hurling. The people in both cities take a lot of pride in their sports. The last similarity is that you can often find things to do in both areas. Since Pittsburgh and Dublin are both cities, they offer a lot to do and see, making sure you never have a dull time.

As far as comparing the place I am staying in Dublin (StayCity) to the place I stayed in the US (Hyatt), there is one main difference that stands out to me. This difference is that the rooms and their possessions in Dublin are, all around, much smaller than in the US. Everything from the bed, to the space between the beds, to the TV in Dublin is smaller than its comparable in the US. It could just be a coincidence, but I think that it could also show the differences in materialism between Americans and the Irish. Materialism isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, but as Americans we have come to expect nicer things/living arrangements, and this doesn’t seem to be as important to the people of Ireland.