I already mentioned that Irish doctors have strange advice sometimes. Well, this has been proven once more. I went to my GP on Friday with neck and shoulder pain, and I was told that all I needed was a massage, a holiday and a bottle of wine. Is alcohol the answer to everything in this country? By the way, I took the doctor's advice and had even more than one bottle. I also had a massive hangover on Sunday and my neck pain moved right to my head.
Sometimes it's the lack of alcohol that is a concern in Ireland. Take Good Friday for example. It's falling next Friday, and according to the law, the sale of alcohol is prohibited on that day. Pubs are closed and supermarkets, off-licence, and even restaurants are not allowed to sell any alcohol. But there's always an Irish solution to an Irish problem. Basically, people buy their drinks on the Thursday. And Good Friday is the day when all the biggest house parties are organised. I went to one of those massive parties once. There were so many drinks, the kitchen fridge wasn't big enough and the host had to fill up the bathtub with all the cans and bottles...That was a bloody good party...
For a country where alcohol is really part of the culture, I find its regulation quite tough. The sale of alcohol is forbidden before 10:30am week days and before 12:30pm on Sunday (basically you can only buy your drinks after mass on Sundays...). How many times did I forget the Sunday rule and found myself at the checkout with a bottle of wine I had to leave behind... Cruel.
You can't buy alcohol either if you are under 18, which makes total sense. What's a bit stranger, is that if you look under 25, the cashier is allowed to ask you for ID, just to make sure you're over 18... I don't mind that. I would be happy to look less than 25 !
It actually happened last year. I was buying beers for the husband and the cashier asked me for ID. I felt really good about it. I told her with a big smile that I was flattered, but I was actually 32, and I gave her my ID. She looked at it and replied it wasn't a valid ID because it was French. She wanted an Irish ID or a passport. My smile disappeared.
"I don't have an Irish ID, because I'm French"
"I can't accept a French ID"
"I have my driver's license. It's French as well, but it's the European model. Irish people have the same. Look it's the same birth date"
"No, I can only accept Irish ID or passport"
"What's the difference? What if I don't have a passport? Am I not allowed to buy alcohol because I'm not Irish ???"
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept that ID"
I was so p*ssed off I left the beers in the shop and my husband went back on his own. A few days later I told the story to another employee of the supermarket and he made me understand it wasn't the first time it happened with that girl...
So maybe she was doing that on purpose and I don't look like under 25 after all...I had my hopes high for a moment!
