When I arrived in Dublin I was first captivated by how different it seemed from anything I had seen in cities back in my home country, the United States. I remember being fascinated by the architecture, especially in places like Trinity College, Temple Bar and Grafton Street, with buildings such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church standing out as icons in the City Centre. But on my first night, while wandering the streets of Temple Bar, I quickly noticed the neon lights of McDonalds and Hard Rock Cafe. I also spotted American themed diners like Thunderbird Cafe and New York Pizza. In the days that followed I would continue to notice this in other Dublin hotspots like O'Connell Street and Grafton Street. The American influences throughout the popular regions of Dublin were more pervasive than that of other nations, and were made of those brands and symbols that are ubiquitous in the U.S. Indeed, these represent a generic American-ness.

However, growing up in an American city, the cultural influences of other countries are prevalent and specific, and can be found in neighborhoods, bars, restaurants and events. This is especially true for the influence of Ireland, whose roots run deep into the history of my hometown, Chicago. In fact, every year thousands of people take to the streets in major U.S. cities such as Chicago, Boston and New York to celebrate their Irish heritage. It’s also common for Irish-Americans to journey back to Ireland to trace their lineage through various Irish counties. I found in turn, during my stay in Dublin, that many Irish have similar feelings when it comes to traveling to the U.S. Many speak of family living in the States. Many students expressed a desire to go abroad in the U.S. for study or J1 work.  

By the end of my time in Dublin I would often forget that I was abroad. A large part of it was that I had settled into living here, but also, reminders of home were everywhere. Everyday, I would see people wearing dominant American sports brands and fashions such as Nike Air Jordan, as well as the jerseys of American sports teams. I was even able to watch the Super Bowl at one of Dublin's most popular nightclubs, Dtwo. Although I wasn’t surprised to see fast food chains such as Subway or Burger King, seeing American themed restaurants, such as Captain America on Grafton Street,was unexpected, as were the American flags hanging outside Irish pubs and restaurants.  Also seeing multiple American corporations up and down Grafton and O'Connell was startling. I’m guessing their presence is due, in part, to Ireland's connection to the U.S. being tighter than it is with other countries. Millions of people in the US claim Irish heritage and the “Irish Pride” on both sides of the ocean is unquestionable. But even more relevant is that the blander aspects of American culture have spread everywhere.

I expected to be fully submerged in “Irishness” when I came to Dublin, but it does make sense that I see reminders of my home throughout the city. As time goes on we become more and more connected, but with this, we lose what makes us unique. It’s not terrible that Ireland celebrates American culture, but it saddens me that our most unoriginal aspects are foregrounded, and I am concerned that Dublin will lose what makes itself unique in the process.  

Dimitri is information communication student specializing in Journalism from Metz, France. He is currently doing an Erasmus program in Dublin, Ireland.

He has a wide array of interest ranging from music to fashion to football. This is in part due to his background, drawing inspiration from his father who is also a musician and painter. His mother who is a psychologist can be credited for opening his mind.  

He aspires to become a reporter, he aims to be really “complete” hoping to master photography, video, writing and reporting. He has big expectations for his future and hopes his career in journalism will take him around the globe.

He chose to come to Dublin because it is one of his favourite cities because of the spirit of the city and country.

When I first met Dimitri, it did not take long for us to start discussing music. Even though at the time I did not know him well I could tell music was a big part of his life.

Dimitri first started to get into music at 14 when is aunt gave him a guitar as a gift. Since then he has been a consistent student of instrument. He draws inspiration from Jimi Hendrix and has the lyrics from purple haze tattooed on his ribs. His favourite song to play is “Hey Joe” along with improvising his own music. When he arrived in Dublin the first thing he did was buy a guitar.

He really appreciates the guitar for allowing him to bring people together and share moments with friends. He believes in the universal power of music.

Dimitri has always loved school because he “loves learning about everything.” This has all lead up to him studying journalism due to his curiosity. He states that he has met a lot of people he really cares about because of school which he believes is just as valuable as his education. He believes it is one of the most important pillars in life because in addition to gaining knowledge he thinks school builds up your personality and who you are going to be both professionally and throughout life. He thinks school builds your opinion and critical spirit. It opens your mind and sensitivity. Dimitri trusts on benefits of school but he’s also aware of all the inconveniences it can bring. He has (maybe too many) lazy moments too.

Dimitri first thought that he would be a professional football player when he was 17. After the football club he worked one year to get money and then studied architecture in Belgium. Since then he did a lot of different studies such as psychology and sports, but he found his path into journalism.

He likes writing and the power of the words. He could write or report on many subjects because he is very curious and hungry for information. He is most interested in investigative journalism and uncovering the deepest secrets of the world (like Spotlight or Watergate). But he understands that it is very long way to reach this level. He also believes in the power of photography, especially today's society where the emphasis is largely on visual work.

This mug was a Christmas gift from my parents. A little home away from home. 

I found this lone stroller on the beach that almost seemed abandoned. Although Im sure it wasn't I found the scene to be kind of mysterious and wild. 

Although I suspect the story of this monument is a somber one and I can only speculate how long it has been here for, but there was something I found to be timeless about it’s location.

Although the color and lighting of Howth is subtle overall, the bright colors of otherwise inconspicuous objects caught my eye. 

I was born in a small port town but grew up in a big city, although Ireland is a world away I find aspects of places like Howth that remind me of home.