Hi from Dublin, Ireland

[alicecat]

Hi everyone, I am new here. I have been spying this forum for a while now and have finally registered.
I am a total beginner, just got my first ukulele (a cheapy Mahalo purple) and cannot NOT play it every single day. I have played piano for 6 years when I was a kid, so I know music theory and the like. I wanted to learn guitar when I was a teenager but my mum thought it is rebellious and wouldn't buy me a guitar.
But now I realise ukulele is even more rebellious! If being rebellious means being different!
Soon enough, I also discover that ukulele players are very special, they are not pretentious, they are not 'stereotype ukulele player', if you see what I mean. EVERYONE can play ukulele, it is a cool community.
No, my mum doesn't know I play ukulele yet, hey, I am a 30 year old married woman, I am not telling!

 

[Ahnko Honu]

Aloha alice, e komo mai to UU. Just jump right in if you have questions or even answers. Good to have you here. Tell hubby and mum to join too.

 

[dhkane]

Eirie go brach. Welcome to UU. It's easier to hide a ukulele from mum. Tell me, do you eat potatoes everyday?

 

[Papa Dave]

Hello and welcome to UU! You could always surprise your mum with a youtube video!

 

[alicecat]

Eirie go brach. Welcome to UU. It's easier to hide a ukulele from mum. Tell me, do you eat potatoes everyday?

Well yes and no. I am not actually Irish, I am originally from Hong Kong, my husband is French Canadian, and we lived in France for some years, so we are eating a mix of different things most of the time. (Irish breakfast with chinese noodle, anyone?)

Though, Irish people do eat a lot of potato. When I first arrived to Ireland, I was in total shock of the big selection of different kinds of potatoes in supermarkets. There are at least 10 kinds in my local supermarket. One for bake, one for fry, one for making chips... (not chips in the N. American sense but French fries. My Canadian man and I got mixed up a lot at the beginning, e.g. we could be in a convenient store and ask where the packet of chips are, the man would be looking at us going 'we don't sell chips here...' then we are like, 'oh sorry, I meant crisps...')

So yes and no, I don't eat a lot of potatoes every day, but the Irish generally do, I believe.

 

[Ukulelerob]

Welcome to the UU Alice!

 

[Darthouellet]

Hey welcome to the uke underdround! I'm sure you are gonna like it here... And feel safe too. We won't tell your mom. It's a promise.

 

[pithaya9]

Aloha Alice, welcome to the Underground.

 

[Ahnko Honu]

I am not actually Irish, I am originally from Hong Kong

Are you sure? You remind me of a gal from County Cork of the Fahey clan. J/K
How difficult is it to find good quality rice there? When I lived in Idaho, US I had to drive 125 miles for Rice and shoyu.

 

[Captain_Lovehandles]

Welcome Alice, glad to have you aboard!

 

[alicecat]

Are you sure? You remind me of a gal from County Cork of the Fahey clan. J/K
How difficult is it to find good quality rice there? When I lived in Idaho, US I had to drive 125 miles for Rice and shoyu.

Guess what? I might have known who are you talking about!!! Believe it or not!
I was in Hong Kong last year to introduce my husband to the family and friends in HK before we get married, we saw an Irish pub at some point and went up there. My husband has a strong belief that Irish pub overseas are mainly 'fake', so I causally challenged him, 'ask the bartender if he is Irish then if you want...' That's what he did. Turns out he is both! Irish father, Hongkongese mother from County Cork. He said he is from one of the main family down there, it could have been the same crowd!

Thanks for worrying about my rice supply, it is marginally ok. There are two reasonably sized Asian supermarkets in downtown Dublin, I gotta take the bus for half an hour to get there though. Unlike when I was in Paris, there is little chinese corner stores in most neighbourhood. But then again, there was next to zero foreigner in Ireland until 20 years ago! (there were a lot of English immigrants if you count that...) Any kind of foreign food is still a novelty in this country...though they know very well all things American and Canadian, understandable, I guess.

 

[alicecat]

Thanks everyone for your warm welcome, I already feel at home here! Being a beginner, you are kind of afraid to say something ignorant or whatnot, but your kindness makes me feel more comfortable now. Thanks again!

 

[smiler]

Hi Alice,
Glad to see you here on the underground!
If you feel like contacting other ukers in Ireland you might give us visit at any of the UkuHooley Monthly meetups in Dunlaoire. You can check us out here:http://ukeireland.com
You will meet a lot of local ukers and beginners and newcomers are always welcome.
There are also lessons given free each month.
Many of UkuHooley are members here on the UU.

 

[alicecat]

Hi Alice,
Glad to see you here on the underground!
If you feel like contacting other ukers in Ireland you might give us visit at any of the UkuHooley Monthly meetups in Dunlaoire. You can check us out here:http://ukeireland.com
You will meet a lot of local ukers and beginners and newcomers are always welcome.
There are also lessons given free each month.
Many of UkuHooley are members here on the UU.

Hey! I didn't know there are Irish players on UU! I have found you guys by google, but was a bit shy away from showing up in your meetups. You know, I thought I am not good enough and I have only a cheapie uke
I wouldn't have be that hestiated if I am still in Paris, for example, to be honest. Because as a matter of fact, Irish people ARE GOOD at music!!! (I have yet met any Irish person who can't sing!!!) THAT makes me feel even more shy

 

[Ahnko Honu]

Guess what? I might have known who are you talking about!!! Believe it or not!

Thanks for worrying about my rice supply, it is marginally ok. Unlike when I was in Paris, there is little chinese corner stores in most neighbourhood.

My sis lives in Paris (25 years) and she has no problem getting quality Asian food stuffs, she doesn't miss Hawai'i for the food only for the beaches and aloha. Dublin no Chinatown I'm guessing.

 

[alicecat]

My sis lives in Paris (25 years) and she has no problem getting quality Asian food stuffs, she doesn't miss Hawai'i for the food only for the beaches and aloha. Dublin no Chinatown I'm guessing.

Really? Does she live in Paris! Yes, Paris is ok with foreign food, it is a much more internationalized capital. No there is no Chinatown here. There are a few streets where you find whole bunch of Chinese shops, but it is not like a real Chinatown. Though, I never really miss Chinese food when I was in Paris since there are good selection of good French food! But I still have problem getting used to Irish food, either it is not very good, either it is too expensive...now I start to miss Chinese food since I moved here.

 

[shwee]

That's great! Haha, the whole reason I got into ukulele playing was because there's almost no such thing as a pretentious ukulele player. Hey, maybe you should tell your mom. Maybe she'll catch uke fever too!

 

[alicecat]

That's great! Haha, the whole reason I got into ukulele playing was because there's almost no such thing as a pretentious ukulele player.

Can't agree more! Back then when I played the piano, it was quite competitive. And I hated when parent's friend came to the house and asked, 'hey play us something'. Because their kids learn piano too and I always feel there is a comparison of some sort.

But with the uke, advanced player mixing with beginner and helping out, gosh, it is unimaginable to me until now! I guess without the pretention or competition context, people can truly enjoy the fun and the music.

(Still don't think should tell Mum, she belongs to the old school 'nice lady plays piano' camp...sigh)