Into The Blue

Emigration Diary: Into The Blue

Posted October 17, 2012 by Jenny Foxe in Ramp Specials

I hadn’t worked in a restaurant for 15 years until a few weeks ago. I don’t think I would have even considered doing it again in Ireland. I’m not sure why that is. Career snobbishness I guess. I’d forgotten that it can actually be fun. The place I’m in is a busy little waterfront restaurant and bar. It has ten tables. They have outside tables in the summer but they’ve put them away now that the weather has turned cooler. I’m hostessing and bussing which involves seating guests, taking drink orders, clearing tables and a whole lot of smiling. I’ve worked a few double shifts this weekend which meant I was on my feet for twelve hours straight. It was pretty tiring, but I quite enjoyed it.
The same guests tend to come in to eat again and again and I’m getting to know the regulars. I’ve had customers identify my face as an Irish one before I’ve even opened my mouth to speak and everybody has been exceptionally welcoming after they’ve discovered that I’ve just moved here with my family. Some have even asked for my or George’s resume to see if any of their contacts would be able to help us out with more permanent jobs. I do get a bit of ribbing from the kitchen staff about my accent – ‘Table Wun, you say?’ – but the most common comment made is ‘Your accent is soooo cute’. I can’t help wondering do new immigrants to Ireland get such a welcoming, enthusiastic reception? Somehow I doubt it.
We drove out to Montauk Point last weekend and climbed to the top of the lighthouse there. Built in 1796, it was the first lighthouse in New York State. It’s also at the most easterly point of the state so as close to Ireland as we could get. It was a long, two hour drive that took us through the opulent Hamptons, past pumpkin picking farms and antique markets until the surrounding land on our little GPS map narrowed to just one road through Montauk State Park, surrounded by sea. I’m a big fan of the Atlantic Ocean and found it a truly magnificent place. I noticed, even as we drove there, that it appeared that there was more sky above and around us than I’d ever seen before. It was possibly an illusion because there are no mountains to gauge distance by, but it seemed like the blue sky just went on forever. It gave me a delicious sense of space and freedom.
Somebody in work asked me would I go back to Ireland if things didn’t work out for us here. She was confused as to why Americans love Ireland so much but why Irish people constantly seem to leave it. I told her a little bit about the difference between visiting Ireland and the reality of living there lately and tried to explain why I had wanted to leave so badly. I told her that the only thing I really miss about it is the people. Would I go back? Maybe, possibly, someday but  even if New York doesn’t work out for us, there are 49 other states to try here first… and now I even have recent restaurant work experience.