Running noses

As far as I remember, about a month ago I mentioned a rather unique habit of Irish people, namely that they tend to ignore the existence of doorhandles... Then I thought this (=the banging of the doors) is the only noise I cannot stand here in Dublin. Since then - due to my lovely friends - I found another "noise" that is equally embarrassing to me and unfortunately rather widespread in the Fair City.

This is - drumbeat ON - sniffling.

Regardless when or where I am, what kind of people are surrounding me - somebody is always sniffling... Let us be in a pub, in a library, on a bus, in the street - it is 99% that I hear somebody snuffing. Of course I do not think that there is a cause and effect relation between being Irish and sniffling, as I know that as a matter of fact not only Irish people sniffle - when we lived in Denmark for example, we experienced just the same, it is just so interesting to me to see that using a kleenex is not as popular here (and in Western-Europe), as it is in my underdeveloped and sometimes mocked homecountry...

Anyway, as - OK, let's forget about yesterday, when the whole city was hiding in a dense, white, sinister fog - spring has arrived to Dublin, I am optimistic and I do hope that from now on I will not hear as many sniffles in the streets as I did in the dreaded wintertime...