Hi all,
In the old blog, I mentioned that my company is transferring me and the family to Dublin, Ireland for a year (renewable up to two years). However, I haven’t been able to provide many updates since because I’ve been busy dealing with visa applications, and immigration in the US for my wife, whose a Japanese national.
Anyways, the date is getting more narrowed down to mid-to-late May. No guarantees, but we’re hoping to be in Dublin before Summer begins. Already, we’re getting help from the moving consulting in picking places to rent. The company will help rent somewhat, but Dublin is extremely expensive to live in these days, so we can only expect so much help. I am especially concerned with finding a nice neighborhood where Mom and Baby can visit parks, shop for Asian food (so my wife doesn’t get homesick), etc.
From what people have been telling, Dublin has rapidly changed in 10 years so that it’s a very modern city now. I visited there on a brief business trip in Dec. 2007, and really liked the mix of old-world Ireland with the modern, so I think my wife will enjoy it much.
The only sticking point is that there are no Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temples in Ireland, at all. Buddhist temples in Dublin are pretty scant in general, and mostly cater to the self-help, meditation crowd. Family-oriented Buddhist temples as one finds in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism seem to be pretty much missing, so I will visit my fellow Buddhist blogger Kyoushin in the UK sometime, and will simply have to learn to practice Buddhism on my own for a year. A monk I correspond with thought that a year of solitary practice would actually be a good change of pace, and I agree.
Slán go foil!
Namuamidabu
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile / Koreaphile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
Aww, so soon? It’ll be bittersweet for you all, I’m sure. It’s exciting to think about living somewhere completely different but a little intimidating too.
I agree with your monk friend in that I think a solitary practice would be of great benefit to you.
Hi Gerald,
Just an important word of advice from someone who has some experience of these things…….
If you plan to visit the UK from Ireland, make sure you have the corrct visas first. This applies mostly to your wife of course.
I know people who have gone to live and work in Ireland and then been very surprised when the UK authorities datained them trying to enter Britain without a visa!
Enjoy Dublin and, hopefully, London too!
Marcus