Week 2: Week Two of Bucknell in Dublin

I have had several new and exciting experiences in Dublin during my time here so far. One memorable highlight was exploring the warehouse at Gill Publishing, where books are produced and distributed. It was very fascinating to explore this process. Upon entry, I was required to wear a bright orange vest to be aware of any potential dangers, which everyone was required to do. I walked around and was amazed by the room’s immense size. People also occasionally go into the warehouse to bring in packages from it. All employees have access to go to the warehouse. The warehouse is not only for Gill Publishing, but it is also for other publishers. We also had a meeting at the warehouse, during which we reviewed all the updates. We all sat down, and several people took the stage to speak and share various announcements.

There were updates on wellness books soon to be released, as well as other news, and they announced new members who had joined since January, including me. Another notable aspect is the casual office environment. People are very friendly and often joke around, engaging in conversation throughout the day. We also had an excursion, where I enjoyed walking around the city and exploring its surroundings, as well as the other events that occurred during the day.

I also walked around a bit before with people and explored central Dublin. We also went on a trip to the National Museum of Ireland and saw bog bodies, which was a little scary but also very interesting to see.

Additionally, another office tradition with which I was unfamiliar is Fresh Desk Day. Today was the day when almost all employees came into the office and cleaned their desks as well as organized books on the bookshelves. There were cleaning products everywhere for people to clean their desks and dispose of unnecessary papers and items. The education system in Ireland is organized into primary and post-primary levels. We had to put books on shelves in their sections for the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate levels in each subject. The subjects included French, Math, the Irish language, English, German, and more. To celebrate the efforts of the day, they also had an ice cream truck come visit after the cleanup. I have also been enjoying and learning a lot from the various tasks and projects assigned to me during my internship. I think I am acquiring a wide range of valuable skills.