Mike’s Turn

I know everyone has been enjoying Christina’s blog entries but I wanted to write one of my own for a change.

How to summarize life in Galway… My days during the week started of a tad bit less exciting than Christina’s but that has begun to change. I started by looking at the internet and local paper searching for jobs. I learned about what was available and what I might be able to do. You see I am an eligible spouse which means that I need a work permit of my own but because I am already in the country and my wife has a work permit they try to make it easier for me to get that permit. They don’t have to advertise the job within the EU and I don’t think we have to pay the 500 Euro fee. Keep your fingers crossed about that! So all that being said some companies are not interested in me right off the bat because they don’t have to go through the hassle when they can hire a regular Irish citizen. So now more than ever I need to stand out! So now a few weeks later I have some applications sent in and a few interviews lined up and hopefully those will all go well.

To supplement my time I have begun volunteering. So far at only one place, Enable Ireland, but hopefully more assuming I don’t get one of these jobs. Enable Ireland operates a thrift shop to raise money for children with disabilities. I sort clothes, price them and send them upstairs to be bought. Its tedious work but the staff and other volunteers are fun and it’s great to meet new people. We take a tea break and we chat it up about everything from Rugby to why we moved to Galway. The other site I am interested in volunteering with is Community Catering which is similar to Meals on Wheels and the work I did at Café 458. I have been disappointed though as they have not returned my calls or emails.

We are also looking into joining a hiking or outdoors club as they would be a great chance for us to meet people with similar interests. So far it’s still just an idea as we haven’t found a group yet.

Well I am off to another interview tomorrow. Wish me luck…