The first thing we did today was take a tour around the Financial District of Dublin. It was really interesting to see how modern it is compared to old Ireland— the place we have been staying and exploring these past few days. Rather than the stone and brick buildings of old Ireland, the buildings of new Ireland are made of glass and steel. Old Ireland is full of short buildings that inhabit shops, small businesses, and of course, Pubs. On the contrary, new Ireland is full of tall buildings inhabiting corporate offices for major companies. It reminded me a lot of Dubai in the sense of new and old. I traveled to Dubai a few years ago and was fascinated to see how far it had come architecturally, technologically, and culturally. It is the same case for Ireland.
The second thing we did today was visit a company called Thinkhouse. Thinkhouse is a marketing agency that caters to the youth of today. They view young people as having the most insight and the newest ideas. This drives new Ireland by encouraging new ideas and different ways of thinking. Young people have a different point of view from older people, yet they are often not confident enough to share their thoughts or they are not taken seriously. Creating an environment where they can speak up will allow for new innovations and a shift in the way things are done. However, a shift like this could lead to challenges for older individuals so it needs to be crafted carefully. Some say older people have more wisdom and experience, while others say younger people have newer ideas and creativity. Such a shift should involve combining both groups of people rather than replacing one with the other.
Something I was blown away by today was the fact that our schooling system is so different from that of Ireland. In Ireland, rather than applying to a college you apply to a major area of study. To get accepted into the major you need to have a certain amount of academic points. The higher the amount of points, the more eligibility for a respectable major. For example, to be accepted into a medical program you need to have the highest amount of points possible. In the U.S., you apply to a school and can do whatever major you want within it. Also, your acceptance is based on extracurricular activities and experiences rather than just grades.
Overall, today was full of a lot of really surprising facts and experiences that have given me a completely new perspective on Irish culture and history.