flat flat flat yay!

WE HAVE OFFICIALLY FOUND A FLAT!

dorothee, charlotte, luke and I are going to move into a lovely building in dublin's old distillery district. it is on the third floor and has lift access (yay!) we're looking at 500 euro per month, so my job at hard rock will easily cover this! I am going to have to really scrimp this first month though. the flat is close to work and school, and (unlike the flat we saw yesterday) has free laundry service and garbage removal. there are three separate bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large living area with a gas fireplace, and an adorable little kitchenette. there is so much storage space, something our last place didn't have, and huge windows and patio doors throughout. it's not very large, but perfect for us. all of the furnishings and appliances are brand new, as I understand the previous tenant had resided there for nearly a decade before buying a home in the country. oh and also, dishes and cookwear are all included! so no need to purchase any pots and pans or cutlery. the only big purchase I'll need to make is a quilt for my bed, and I will be all set :)

the man who showed us the flat is named andy, and he is a riot. he and the other guys in the letting office were super nice but all smartened right up when the owner arrived to give us keys. andy was nice enough to give dorothee and I a lift into the city centre following the viewing as dorothee had to be to work. when he started his car though, a cd started playing that terrible song from 'my best friend's wedding' that goes 'what the world needs now, is love, sweet love . . .' and dorothee and I looked at each other and cracked up. he quickly switched to gangsta rap which was even funnier, but he laughed with us so it was all ok. he drove like a maniac though so I don't think I'll ever accept a ride from him again. dublin drivers are crazier than toronto taxis, if you can believe it! oh, and dublin has a ton of female taxi drivers which is really nice for feeling more secure in your taxi. some of those dude taxi drivers of the world are creeps!