I'm a professional "Oirishman", that's why!;-) I've been told I write like I talk...
Just read about Streets here online a day or two ago, a Brum who raps about the dole, watching telly and smoking spliffs? Sounds good to me... my brother lives in Watford and emailed me just yesterday recommending it. That's three recommendations in a row, I'll go pick it up.
Keith Moon's drumming was massive... it always brings images of Vietnam carpet-bombings to mind for some reason.
Thanks for your interest. Okay, this will take a while to explain. I'm an Irish citizen, graduated in 1988, married to an American -- hence visas for EU countries and a green card for the USA were not a problem.
I worked for three years in Ireland straight out of college. I then joined Molex Corp (whose IT HQ for Europe is in Ireland) to work in Munich, allegedly permanently, but they shut the IT facility there within months of my arrival, and I found myself back in Ireland. But the travel bug had bitten, I'd really enjoyed Munich...
I pestered my manager to move me back to the mainland as soon as a position opened up, and a year or so later I was working for Molex in Paris. Paris was by far my favourite -- spectacular, friendly colleagues, good pay, amazing city.
For personal reasons, I had to move back to Ireland again a year later, and regretted leaving France. I regret it to this day. But itchy feet got to me again, and a year later I joined AlliedSignal for a contract position in Frankfurt (Raunheim), and was hired as a permanent employee after a year. Spent three years there, enjoyed it thoroughly. My boss and colleagues were once again great people. After three years, I decided to start working for myself, set up a limited Irish company, and was hired by Bausch & Lomb to work in Hoofddorp, near Amsterdam. I spent two years there, and moved to the US in 1998 as my wife wanted to go back to school to retrain and wanted to do that here in the US.
Some things helped -- I took five years of German and French in secondary school (highschool), and wasn't too bad at languages. I also targetted large multinational corps with many European branches. I lobbied agressively for those posts when they became available.
A lot of landing those jobs was down to enthusiasm, a basic understanding of the local language and good tech. experience. Ireland was acting like a little India in the early 90s -- we had tons of IT grads, but not enough positions, and there were shortages of skilled IT people on the mainland, so a lot of Irish ended up working abroad, in Benelux & Germany mainly.
I lived in Munich for a year, and Frankfurt for three years. That's a bit more than a few weeks -- I also speak good German. All the things you point out are true, but corporate BS is still corporate BS. I'm European, by the way -- not that that makes much difference, as my national corporate culture (Ireland) is quite like the US and less like Germany.
...same as the old boss. Corporate life in Ireland, Germany, Holland, France and here in the US is the same, mostly. I've work at least one year in each of those countries, for local and American corporations. Varying degrees of formality and autonomy, but basically the same crap in different languages.
I can't second this enough... I messed up the edge of the base of my iBook case upgrading the same 14" model, G3/600, and I was extremely careful. It was nerve-wracking, ultimately worked, but the cosmetic damage to the iBook was irritating. Did the same on a 17" g4 just months later, and that was a piece of cake in comparison. However, just this weekend I dropped my Powerbook on the way into the house after a drunken Friday Happy Hour, and dented the corner even though it was in a padded case. Moral? Keep me away from laptops, especially when drunk.
I'm Irish and I lived in the Paris suburbs (Antony) for two years. I'm quite familiar with Parisian life. I'd welcome a Frenchman at the head of McDonalds, they had nice fresh salads available there in 1992, long before anywhere else that I'm aware of. I'm no McDo-hater, it's just that when in Paris, I tend to avail of the other excellent, excellent sources of cheap, good food that are available.
Estonia was the first European country to set a flat tax on corporate profits and has zero tax on reinvested earnings, yielding an effective corporate tax rate that Kallas put at about 6 percent.
Please tell me... who goes to Paris to eat in a McDonalds?!?!? That is just... awful. Even Quickburger (or is it Quikburger) is marginally better. My hotel did not offer wifi access, although there was a public terminal in the reception area.
There is a company tax, it's just very low. As is corporate tax in Ireland, at 12.5%. It's arguable that Britain or Ireland or Slovakia are equally as liberal as Estonia, if not more so...
I spent Christmas in Pigalle and Montmartre and couldn't find a single bloody hotspot. I'm sick of hearing about Estonia too, no disrespect intended to the Estonians. It's just media hype...
Sorry to hear about the backstabbing reference. I recently had a similar experience -- my marriage broke up two years back, shortly after on the rebound I began dating a girl who had been a very supportive and good friend. The talkers turned it into a much more sordid tale, and just recently I finally figured out who was badmouthing me... one of my main references who OFFERED to be a reference and never asked me about any of this. All the more horrible because what was being said was untrue and unfair to *ALL* parties involved, including the new girl who still works at that same company and deserved none of that crap.
In Ireland you'd make about 65K euro (gross) with your experience, but the cost of living is much higher than in most parts of France (or most other parts of Europe for that matter).
However, taxes are much lower than France too, as are social costs. You would gross about 48K euro after all deductions (taxes, social security, healthcare, pension plan). The Irish public health system is OK; not great, just OK.
Yet again, on the other hand, the French public healthcare system is without a doubt the world's best, and the cost of living is very reasonable. A house of that size would cost anywhere between euro 200K and euro 500K in Ireland... I lived in Paris in 1992 for a year, and the quality of life there is really something. I am actually considering moving back to France having spent the last 6 years in the mid west...
When I started straight out of college in Cork, Ireland in 1988, my salary was a paltry 9,500 Irish Pounds... that was about $16K at then exchange rates. Christ was I broke all the time. I received IEP 454 per month after taxes, deductions, social security contribs.
Good Lord no!!!! I should be so lucky. I used to live in Frankfurt and would rent them at the airport on weekends, go for long burns down the autobahn and across the border into France... what a car.
That upgrade freaked me out too, but was nowhere near as scary as the same operation in an iBook. 7K60 installed here too. It seems a bit noisy compared to the original drive... same experience for you?
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Hey Cally, I 've been snooping around your site and read your CV -- you read Psychology in Coleraine? Are you from Norn Iron or GB? Just curious...
Just read about Streets here online a day or two ago, a Brum who raps about the dole, watching telly and smoking spliffs? Sounds good to me... my brother lives in Watford and emailed me just yesterday recommending it. That's three recommendations in a row, I'll go pick it up.
Keith Moon's drumming was massive... it always brings images of Vietnam carpet-bombings to mind for some reason.
Best... rock... song... ever! Pure fucking genius it is man, those power chords still give me goosebumps!
Not true! I was staying one step ahead of the taxman, not the police. ;-)
I worked for three years in Ireland straight out of college. I then joined Molex Corp (whose IT HQ for Europe is in Ireland) to work in Munich, allegedly permanently, but they shut the IT facility there within months of my arrival, and I found myself back in Ireland. But the travel bug had bitten, I'd really enjoyed Munich...
I pestered my manager to move me back to the mainland as soon as a position opened up, and a year or so later I was working for Molex in Paris. Paris was by far my favourite -- spectacular, friendly colleagues, good pay, amazing city.
For personal reasons, I had to move back to Ireland again a year later, and regretted leaving France. I regret it to this day. But itchy feet got to me again, and a year later I joined AlliedSignal for a contract position in Frankfurt (Raunheim), and was hired as a permanent employee after a year. Spent three years there, enjoyed it thoroughly. My boss and colleagues were once again great people. After three years, I decided to start working for myself, set up a limited Irish company, and was hired by Bausch & Lomb to work in Hoofddorp, near Amsterdam. I spent two years there, and moved to the US in 1998 as my wife wanted to go back to school to retrain and wanted to do that here in the US.
Some things helped -- I took five years of German and French in secondary school (highschool), and wasn't too bad at languages. I also targetted large multinational corps with many European branches. I lobbied agressively for those posts when they became available.
A lot of landing those jobs was down to enthusiasm, a basic understanding of the local language and good tech. experience. Ireland was acting like a little India in the early 90s -- we had tons of IT grads, but not enough positions, and there were shortages of skilled IT people on the mainland, so a lot of Irish ended up working abroad, in Benelux & Germany mainly.
I lived in Munich for a year, and Frankfurt for three years. That's a bit more than a few weeks -- I also speak good German. All the things you point out are true, but corporate BS is still corporate BS. I'm European, by the way -- not that that makes much difference, as my national corporate culture (Ireland) is quite like the US and less like Germany.
...same as the old boss. Corporate life in Ireland, Germany, Holland, France and here in the US is the same, mostly. I've work at least one year in each of those countries, for local and American corporations. Varying degrees of formality and autonomy, but basically the same crap in different languages.
Fianna Fail... proud of "de Party" these days, are you? Your lack of control is somewhat similar to Bertie's lack of control with the public purse.
Pipe down, you paranoid maniac.
I can't second this enough... I messed up the edge of the base of my iBook case upgrading the same 14" model, G3/600, and I was extremely careful. It was nerve-wracking, ultimately worked, but the cosmetic damage to the iBook was irritating. Did the same on a 17" g4 just months later, and that was a piece of cake in comparison. However, just this weekend I dropped my Powerbook on the way into the house after a drunken Friday Happy Hour, and dented the corner even though it was in a padded case. Moral? Keep me away from laptops, especially when drunk.
I'm Irish and I lived in the Paris suburbs (Antony) for two years. I'm quite familiar with Parisian life. I'd welcome a Frenchman at the head of McDonalds, they had nice fresh salads available there in 1992, long before anywhere else that I'm aware of. I'm no McDo-hater, it's just that when in Paris, I tend to avail of the other excellent, excellent sources of cheap, good food that are available.
Please tell me... who goes to Paris to eat in a McDonalds?!?!? That is just... awful. Even Quickburger (or is it Quikburger) is marginally better. My hotel did not offer wifi access, although there was a public terminal in the reception area.
Nonsense, US chocolate tastes like chemicals. Disgusting crap. Now, your chocolate milk on the other hand is delicious!
There is a company tax, it's just very low. As is corporate tax in Ireland, at 12.5%. It's arguable that Britain or Ireland or Slovakia are equally as liberal as Estonia, if not more so...
I spent Christmas in Pigalle and Montmartre and couldn't find a single bloody hotspot. I'm sick of hearing about Estonia too, no disrespect intended to the Estonians. It's just media hype...
Statoil is Norwegian, not Estonian. It's the Norwegian State Oil Company, and Norway is the only European country that is a major, major oil exporter.
...cares? I mean, really? My favorite color is blue and I like books, so bloody what.
Sorry to hear about the backstabbing reference. I recently had a similar experience -- my marriage broke up two years back, shortly after on the rebound I began dating a girl who had been a very supportive and good friend. The talkers turned it into a much more sordid tale, and just recently I finally figured out who was badmouthing me... one of my main references who OFFERED to be a reference and never asked me about any of this. All the more horrible because what was being said was untrue and unfair to *ALL* parties involved, including the new girl who still works at that same company and deserved none of that crap.
Don't do it!!! I upgraded the HDD in my 14" iBook and it was a terrifying process, involving a near-total disassembly of the machine... worked though.
I hear this Inter Ned shopping fellow is very helpful, he'll deliver all manner of shite direct to your door. And my name isn't even Ned!
However, taxes are much lower than France too, as are social costs. You would gross about 48K euro after all deductions (taxes, social security, healthcare, pension plan). The Irish public health system is OK; not great, just OK.
Yet again, on the other hand, the French public healthcare system is without a doubt the world's best, and the cost of living is very reasonable. A house of that size would cost anywhere between euro 200K and euro 500K in Ireland... I lived in Paris in 1992 for a year, and the quality of life there is really something. I am actually considering moving back to France having spent the last 6 years in the mid west...
When I started straight out of college in Cork, Ireland in 1988, my salary was a paltry 9,500 Irish Pounds... that was about $16K at then exchange rates. Christ was I broke all the time. I received IEP 454 per month after taxes, deductions, social security contribs.
Enemy! You poor, poor little baby, is diddums upset? Take your ball and go home. There are plenty of mature adults here willing to engage.
That upgrade freaked me out too, but was nowhere near as scary as the same operation in an iBook. 7K60 installed here too. It seems a bit noisy compared to the original drive... same experience for you?