King Kreissler needs the world

Smoking ban in Ireland

This is what the newspapers write about the smoking ban:

All eyes on Ireland's smoking ban. Ireland became the first country in Europe to impose an outright ban on smoking in workplaces. (BBC News)

DUBLIN, Ireland — Most bar owners and pub-goers declared Ireland's smoking ban a success Tuesday, the day after the country became the first in the world to outlaw tobacco in workplaces. (Fox News)

Scores of pubs with unused outdoor areas have begun to convert them into heated, canopied terraces for smoking customers. And the owner of one of Ireland's best-known pubs, Johnny Fox's in the mountains south of Dublin, has designed his own unique respite — a 1950s double-decker bus parked outside the door for customers to sit in as they smoke. The "happy smoking bus" comes equipped with heaters and ashtrays. (Fox News)

This is what a pub-owner thinks about the smoking ban:

"This is a good first night of the honeymoon. Maybe we are the innovators of the world," said Oliver Hughes, co-owner of Dublin's trendiest microbrewery pub, the Porterhouse, who had warned that European tourists would be deterred by the ban. His newly opened north-side pub was packed Monday night.

And what about the people? How do they think about the ban?

I thought the best thing to find out is to ask them. During the last week I made a survey with some of my colleagues here at HP. All together I’ve got 26 opinions. And this is what they said, one after another:

Andy (ED&N), Non-Smoker:
“Great, very good, it’s cleaner. Also my smoking friends smoke less now, because they have to go out of the pub. I like it more to go to the pub now.”

Kieran (NT 1st line), Smoker:
“Good decision. I cut down from 20 cigarettes to 5 cigarettes a day. I go to the pub as often as before, I still like going to the pub.”

Rob (NW 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“Well, I’m a Non-Smoker, so for me it’s good. No smelling clothes. I go to the pub as many times as before, unfortunately :-) But objectively it’s not a good idea.”

Marian (UNIX 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“I’m in favor of the smoking ban. Before the ban you had to be a passive smoker and get smelly clothes. But actually, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Gareth (UNIX 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“It’s a good decision. I like it more to go to the pub now. If there would be a choice between a smoking- and a non-smoking pub, I would choose the non-smoking pub.”

Rosalyn (Backup), Non-Smoker:
“Great. The best thing ever. I like it more to go to the pub now.”

Sean (NW 2nd line), Non-Smoker since two months:
“I think it’s a very good idea. I don’t go more often to the pub; it’s just that I like it more now. It would encourage me, if I still would be a smoker. It’s a good thing for a smile.”

Wajih, (NW 2nd line), smokes sometimes:
“It’s not a good decision. I prefer two sections in a pub.”

Joerg (Call Handling), smokes sometimes:
“Great idea. It supports the ‘beer garden atmosphere’ in front of the pubs. I like it more to go to the pub now.”

Laura (Application 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“It’s the best decision, it’s healthier and cleaner.”

Lars (UNIX 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“Very good decision. It’s healthier for everyone, esp. for the people who do not smoke.”

Padraig (UNIX 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“It’s a good idea. In the long run it’s not only good for the non-smokers, but for the smokers as well. I would go to the pub, anyway. I think in the end it will work.”

Seamus (NT 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“Great decision. I go to the pub very, very often. The main point is the smell of the clothes, but also the eyes do not sore anymore, it’s healthier.”

Norman (TQL), Smoker:
“It’s a good thing, for people who try to quit smoking. It helps them a lot; otherwise they would start again – in the pub. I go definitely less to the pub now AND I won’t stop smoking.”

Alan (ED&N), Non-Smoker:
“I smoked when I was drinking, just 2 or 3 cigarettes. It’s definitely a good idea. There are a lot of people who want to quit and after a few pints they start again. Furthermore it’s good for the people who work in the pubs, no more secondary smoking. But actually, I don’t care. I go to the pub as often as before.”

Ross (NT 1st line), Smoker:
“Very good – for people who wanna quit. I think about giving up, now of course in a stronger way. I still like going to the pub.”

Myles (Application 1st line), Smoker:
“It’s a bad decision. The government shouldn’t tell me what to do, shouldn’t take part of freedom. Whoever wants to quit smoking, you don’t need to go the pub. By the way there have been a few non-smoking pubs in the past, they didn’t survive. Now the government had only one choice – all non-smoking pubs. They shouldn’t have done this. I don’t go to the pub anymore.”

Orla (Admin), Smoker:
“It’s good. I like it. I wanted to give up anyway. I already gave up a few times and always started again. I cut down now from 10 to 3.”

Monika (Team Lead), Non-Smoker:
“I am surprised that Ireland is the first country which bans the smoking. It’s I good idea, I love it. Who wants to smoke can go out. I appreciate it, no more smelling clothes, no more sore eyes, healthier AND the Buzz tastes still the same.”

Kay (Application 1st line), Smoker:
“I think the idea of banning smoking is bad – it’s a dictatorship idea. People should be able to make their own choices and even the government could have given people the privilege to either non-smoking or smoking pubs.”

Robbie (Shift Lead), Smoker:
“Smoke is bad.”

Dermot (Application 1st line), Smoker:
“It’s a bad idea in terms of free choice; separately areas would be the best. I work in a pub as a musician. The atmosphere is deader now, more silent than it was before. A pub is not such a warm place anymore. The government made this smoking ban for a healthier country. I think what we really need is a fast food ban.”

Tom (NW 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“It’s a good thing, esp. because of the smelly clothes, and it’s healthier. But they should have left some smoking pubs, just for the older people, who smoke since World War II.”

Paddy (Application 1st line), Non-Smoker:
“It doesn’t matter to me.”

Ken (Shift Lead), Smoker:
“Well, it’s good for me and everybody else, esp. to those who try to quit. I wanted to give up, anyway. By the way, I like Dermot’s idea of a fast food ban.”

Sascha, better known as King Kreissler (Call Handling), Non-Smoker:
“A smoke free pub - that’s exactly the thing I always wanted. And now that I have it, I’m not sure, whether I really like it. Smoke and pub, they just belong together. I guess, since there are pubs in Ireland there has always been smoke inside. Hey irish people, it seems like your government banned a part of your culture?! However, as my colleague Monika already said: The GUINNESS is still the same. Cheers!”

little irish bastards ( sorry-:) )

On this shot you can see the next generation of irish people. They look sooo cute, don’t they?
This is an advise to all the teacher in Ireland. Be warned of these two little boys. They might be troublemaker number one in your schools some day.

Are you scared?

Now what do you think of this guy? … Right! That’s how St. Patrick’s Day looks like after too many pints of Guinness.

Statler and Waldorf

When the parade is over in the course of the St. Patrick’s celebration, the people divide into different groups, depending on what age they are and which interests they have. These two elderly people sit in the park when I took the picture. They look pretty similar to Statler and Waldorf from the famous Muppet Show.

green, white and orange

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, flags everywhere, shamrocks (Kleeblaetter) and last but not least the pubs to name a few.

March 17th, St. Patrick's Day

There was a lad (junger Bursche) who escaped from enslavemant and studied theology in the Roman church. After some years in 432 A.D. he returned to Ireland, and began a lifelong quest of converting the Irish to Christianity. This was none other than Ireland's patron, Saint Patrick.
Today there are lots of parades, festivals and events going on around the country to the remembrance of this man.

The hero of the neighbourhood

Hello my friends. You remember the story from the Sunday evening / Monday morning, when my flatmates came home from the pub and rang the bell that everybody could hear it? Here is another incident what can happen in the middle of the night:

It's Monday morning once again, around 2 a.m. A loud noise wakes me up. It sounds as if someone tries to hit a whole in the wall using a hammer. I take a look at Gordons bed like I always do in cases like this - he is sleeping fine. May be I was wrong? I lie down and try to sleep on, but then I can hear it again. This time a bit clearer, like glasses, or a jar breaking. Now I get up, put some clothing and my slippers (Hausschuhe) on. I can’t really say where the noise is coming from. So I decide to go out of the terrace to take a quick look over there. Of course it is dark outside, but still light enough to recognize the things around me. At first I don’t see anything wrong. Then I turn to the side and watch behind the door. As I already presumed my neighbours bathroom window is broken. There you go! And behind the broken window there is a man inside the bathroom. I ask him: “How you doing? You’re alright?” But I can’t understand anything he says ( fucking irish accent:-) ). After that the man moves out of the bathroom and now we stand face to face with each other. He is not as big as me, but instead armed with a crutch, which he probably used to destroy the window. Not saying a word the thief passes me and leaves the terrace making his escape. I follow him down the stairs. He is getting faster. I ask him: “Where are you going?” This time I can understand him very well, saying: “Don’t try to follow me! Don’t attack me!” I’m not a stupid white man and so I better obey his advice and keep at a safe distance. The man now reaches the front door which brings him out of the street. After a few seconds I come to the front door as well, but I stop. If I open the door now I might get his crutch right into my face. That’s not what I need on a Monday morning. After another few seconds I feel safe and open the door. The thief gets lost in the darkness, I don’t see him anymore. I say: "Damn it! Fucking damn it!" Afterwards I go to bed again; Gordon is still sleeping fine, just like a baby. Also it seems that all the other inhabitants haven’t heard anything of my adventure.

Two weeks later I met one of the guys who are living in the affected flat. We had a little chat on the hall. He just wanted to say: “Thank you. That was very nice of you. Without your showing up the thief probably would have stolen something.” I said: “No prob, man! It was a pleasure.” Then I asked him: “Did the Garda (Irish police) get the thief?” He replied: “No, not yet.” Eventually I said to him: “But you know there is one thing which is very strange – how could the thief know that nobody is at home in this night?” and my neighbour then answered: “Well, we were at home, BUT we were pretty drunk. So we didn’t hear anything at all!”