Show Me The Money

I got paid for the first time today. Hooray. It is a bit difficult getting that all important first pay in the bank - because before that can happen one has to organise a PPS number (like a TFN, SSN or whatever-your-country-calls-it number) and then get an account from the bank. Before that one needs a permanent address, but to get a permanent address it helps to get paid so that you can afford the rent.

A Roof

Lucky for me Rory, the wonderful Irish chap who "hosted" me on his couch when I first arrived, wrote a letter claiming that I was his new tennant, thus giving me a permanent address. When I first arrived in Spain I stayed on the couch of somebody that I met through the Couchsurfing website. I didn't need to use the site after that in Spain because Kiko and his friends did a wonderful job of accomodating me.

But arriving in Dublin without any local contacts I got back onto couchsurfing to line up some accomodation and open doors in the new city. I got in touch with Rory, AKA DublinGuy, who offered me a couch to sleep on for a couple of days. We got on great-guns, and I ended up staying for over a fortnight.

He is an ex-priest, now studying law and working as a lawyer. He has stacks of people, over four hundred a year, who stay in his place. When one arrives they get a map, as much local knowledge as they can absorb, and a feed. He is a fountain of information, knowing everything about from how to get a PPS number to finding a good live music venue (just don't ask him for any good vegetarian restaurants). We got on very well, and I just ended up staying until I found a place to stay. He was very busy with work and exams, so I started to take over some of his role as welcoming party to Dublin.

Now I am sleeping on another couch - that if Inez, a Swedish girl that I work with. She and her boyfriend have a great little apartment in Christchurch, just down the road from the Guinness brewery. When I first met her I thought that she was Irish - her Irish accent is perfect, and she understands the Irish vernacular far better than I do.

So, still without proper accomodation - but now I have funds with which to pay a deposit and get a room. Getting a room in Dublin is a nightmare, with far more punters looking for a place than there are places. A friend of mine has just found a place, and offered me a room, so we will see what happens. But it might be that I end up crashing from couch to couch until I finish my time in Dublin. That would certainly see me save lots more money.