This week I’ve noticed a big change in the weather. I’m not sure how the seasons work in the US, or in Philly in particular but the now warmer temperature has been a huge welcome. I’ve also come to the conclusion that Philly is more beautiful looking when the sun shines. I had a friend visiting from DC last weekend and he was in awe of how different it was to the pace of DC. Of course he was here during the Super Bowl so the city was a bit more livelier and excitable than usual however I felt it was still an honest reflection of the place. While the result of the Super Bowl was ultimately very disappointing, I was glad that the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl in the first place. It allowed me to experience something like that of a World Cup Final back at home, the whole city uniting as a collective to spur on the local football team. I am a big Manchester United fan and speaking to some local fans recently (they are hard to find over here) – I will go to the Black Sheep pub over the weekend, which is luckily also an Irish pub to watch the game. We also have two friends visiting us this weekend from Canada. They’ve had spells of cold as low as -30 degrees recently and they look to take shelter in Philly for a few days. It’s so enjoyable having friends visit us as it lets me improve my knowledge and geography of the city every time.
Being here for the past 6 weeks now I’m finally starting to notice the major things I miss from home. First off, snacks are a big thing. I miss a classic cup of Irish tea with real Irish milk. The milk here is quite different than back home, it’s kind of half and half and doesn’t work the same with tea. Another big thing is the red meat. In Ireland red meat is a staple of almost every Irish meal and dinner. I also miss the classic Irish fry. This is probably the hardest thing to get your hands on in Philly as the foods for such a breakfast are not very common over here. While these are small things that I miss, it makes you appreciate the cultures you have at home in your home country while tasting another experience while here in Philly!
