time, time, time

Sorry that this blog is not ending up as detailed as the last one, I've been spending the very few spare moments I have to myself writing notes for my future best selling novel in my red notebook. But even that I have had to force in rarely. Most notes I take on my mobile, on the go, shall we say, because something is ALWAYS happening. Last night I went to sleep at half five. I've seen more sunrises here than sunsets, probably, or at least maybe I take the sunsets for granted. Rain, of course, has come to say hi, and hopefully one of these days my jumper, purse, and bottoms of my pants will dry out. It's so funny to watch the relationships between different groups of friends and different groups of colleagues here. You have the boys from the hotel - Jacob, Willy, Robert, Michael and Peter. At Hylands it's Gary and Steve (And Ula). Monks is Lockey, Joe, Curnan, formerly Chris (till the day I arrived and since then has never gone back no matter what any of us say), Florent. You have the lads at the house (Ciunas, Curnan & Chris), you have the englishmen (Stu, Barry), the wanderers (me, Clancy), the mates from Kinvara (Shane, Nang, Paul, McCooke, Jesse, Louis, etc.) The original girls at monks (Tara, Bloned), Ana from Logues, and the two new Australians in town at Hylands and Monks (Jacinta and Amye). those up from the college (Laura, Joe, Robert, Gwen). People living/working in town (Ailsa, Jason, Mikey, Mitch, Pat, Jonnie). The American students (don't know most of their names). And then you see how they act when theyre around certain others, alone, with their mates, or with those they secretly don't like or those who they used to dislike but now think are sound. I feel like I'm watching waves ripple over the water, the line sways and breaks and reforms. Even though it's tourist season and there are SO many more people in town, (and maybe it is because I am constantly surrounded by those actually living, not going to school, I feel that with the exception of the new students, we're all part of this big family. Sometimes we don't get along, but if someone from the outside were to come in and start really causing trouble, you'd have so many to back you up. It's those that stay or those that come back that have some weird kind of bond. Friends of friends become your friends and everyone is so amazingly different. Sometimes we're assholes, each and every one of us, but for the most part we're all sound, and it makes me so happy to know that there are people like this in life. I don't know if this place changes you or if it takes a certain kind of person to be here all the time. Whatever it is, this place would be a shell of itself without the people in it, and the people are better for having been here, at least so far.


end of rant.

photo journal part 2

Our table outside of the hotel... we filled it, so we moved to another one in another patch of sun. then there's Dumbdumb, one of Shane's dogs. Stu, Justin, Mark and Tim at the end of the pier where we went swimming. next is the sunrise Joe and I watched from the wall outside of Monks. next is a view back from the pier towards the cottages. after that is Nange's new house. and lastly, Ciunas, on the ground, during extreme wind skateboarding challenge in the driveway.

i'm sooo happy to be back in ireland

hanging out behind the house with ciunas, conan, chris and ziva.









Galway bay ^


More galway ^


Waiting room in the train/bus station ^




Roger rabbit. Ziva and Shane's dog Misty found it and brought it to us and then we went and put it back and covered up its hole and were walking back up to the house and then Misty (the german shepherd, not the lab, that's dumbdumb) got it again but that time she accidently punctured its neck and it was so sad and gasping for air so Shane had to put it down :( We were both very upset.


I LOVE YOU IRELAND
there is nothing i love more than your fresh air and sitting on a couch out back of the house in the sun, going swimming down at bell harbor, went out to shannon and doolin, met tons of new friends, and met up with lots of old ones.

thing

hd to put this up temporarily so i can get it onto mum's computer.

HELLO IRELAND

I just need to pick out of 2 days once mummy gets here, but I will see you in a week! give or take a few days!
just got off the phone with conan.
have a place to stay at least till the end of the month and i'll figure out after that, well, after that.
I'M SO EXCITED.
i miss everyone and i miss ballyvaughan

this time is going to be a bit more of adventure i think, but i'm up for it!

stuff

So I just finished working out. I've got a bunch of work to do today. I keep wanting to go to borders to obtain the gnostic gospels, but never get around to it. Instead, I've been working on Richard Dawkin's 'The God Delusion,' which I borrowed from Jess. Also trying to get my hands on a copy of the book of revelations, if anyone happens to have a copy. I suppose I could borrow a bible, but if you have a copy of just that book, it's be easier to tote around. All this arises thanks to my Renaissance-1855 class, because you really can't talk about Ren art without religion coming into it, since for a good portion of the time (pre-iconoclasm of the Reformation) it focuses on just such. I learned some interesting facts about Michelangelo's lewdness and symbolism. Turns out to be a really fantastic class that I actually look forward to (besides that my hand hurts every day from taking so many notes and our midterm is in 4 days and i have to write a 6 page paper by the 10th....) but at least it's interesting~! and now that I have re-read Ayun Halliday's 'No Touch Monkey!' and finished Bill Bryson's "Neither Here Nor There," it gives me some new reading material.

An Pointin Stil

I went out last night with Sara (Paris Sara) and Travis to An Pointin Stil, this great Irish Pub just down York road maybe 2 blocks away from Padonia station. So THATTTS how you spell potcheen.

I'm really impressed by their website actually - http://www.thestill.net/ . The food is AMAZING and they have Smithwick's, (american) Guinness, Murphy's & Killian's on tap. Supposedly they have Potcheen too. And Middleton's, not that I can afford it.

Seriously though, I never saw Bangers & Mash except in England.... but they do have fish & chips, irish stew, shepherd's pie, etc. & Galway mussels. and really good sea food. And both an indoor and outdoor bar, both of which you can eat at instead of tables.

They have music every night, some bands, some cover singers, blues, or open mic night, and when we were there, some random guy at the bar picked up a guitar and we all ended up singing along "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard". Killian's was only a (US) dollar a pint, as they were celebrating their new sign.

We reminisced about Paris and love of travel and promised to go on another adventure in the near future. She's moving up to Providence, so I'll have to go visit there. Made me miss Paris a lot. And Kyle!!! Oh, good times.

I'm going to have to get creme brulee one of these days. ;)

Thousands plan to party on Tube

ITN - 32 minutes ago
Thousands have signed up for a final drinks party on the London Underground the night before an alcohol ban takes effect.

From Sunday, drinking from, and carrying, open containers of alcohol will be banned, with the aim of making travelling on London's public transport network a safer and more pleasant experience for passengers.

The ban, announced earlier this month by new London Mayor Boris Johnson, applies to the Tube, London buses, Docklands Light Railway and tram services and stations across the capital.

Over 4,000 people have signed up to groups on facebook in support of the alcohol party.

On "Circle Line Party - Last Day of Drinking on the Tube" they say "this has to be done... to celebrate our freedom to drink". On the Facebook site of the group, "One Final Tube Booze Party", it says "lets all party together and have fun!".

Union leaders have attacked the plans saying it was "irresponsible" to organise a party when alcohol played a part in many incidents on the Tube.

The party is due to be held on a Circle Line train on Saturday evening, with websites telling revellers to bring their own cocktails.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said that the ban on alcohol on Tube trains was "half-baked" and could put staff in greater danger of assault.

"We are concerned that London Underground does not intend to put on any extra staff on Saturday night as it will be our members who will be in the front line and at risk from aggressive drunken behaviour," he said.

A spokesman for Transport for London said: "We understand the organisers of this event are asking all those attending to act responsibly and to consider their fellow passengers.

"We would echo that advice and will be monitoring the event to make sure there is no disruption to other passengers or Tube services," they said.

TfL also said The British Transport Police will have an enhanced presence on the Tube due to a number of events happening in London on Saturday.

yawwwn

life has settled into somewhat of a routine....
waking up... going to school... coming home... working out... drinking a 2nd bottle of water.... followed by sitting out on the balcony for a few hours... followed by a shower... followed by reading a history textbook.. followed by sleep. maybe having a sandwich in there at some point. mm...yeah.

...only 9 actual class days left! I have to go to the Walters' museum at some point.. someone should go with me because I hate going there alone and also can never figure out where it is.

We watched a great film today about the Medici family. Free popcorn and all. This class is pretty decent, yea?

Since I attacked with Spic and Span I have not seen any actual ants coming from the bathroom, so that has left me with high hopes for that warfront.

Okay, yeah, nothing else is new. It's pretty boring 'round here in fact. Oh well!

Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder

Happy memorial day....

My summer class has started. It's pretty enjoyable and I like the teacher a lot (Kim Anderson).
I don't like the ants in my bathroom that I am engaged in an epic battle to destroy.

Sean and I got sushi at Edo last week, that was fun, although their seared ahi is not as good as at Houston's so next time I will have to try something different. I'm also hoping to do something that involves the aquarium, museums or rollercoasters in the near future.

I spent the weekend up near york at Dan & Tyler's, where I proceeded to get horribly sunburned on my left upper arm and shoulders/back. Dan found Carlsberg for me, so that was exciting. Washed the puppies. Poor Chunkamunks did not like getting a bath. Lacy wasn't so happy either, but she did better than fatty.

Apparently I do not do so well at air hockey when I'm drunk, due to slow reflexes and lack of air to my brain when I can't stop laughing. Also I get confused by sliding doors and try to open them like they're on normal hinges.

Mum called from Maine so I talked to her and dad for a bit while I drove home this morning. Also talked to Grandma. Jaye invited me to go to Canada with her in late july, so I said maybe, if I wasn't back in Europe then. Or, I dunno. I'm not going to plan anything until my classes are done and then I'll just have to see. Julien said a bunch of his friends took the TEFL course and really liked it so....

Anyway, time for me to go put some more lotion on sunburn and make myself a snack, possibly nap, do some textbook reading and listen to Nada Surf. Also a big thank you to yahoo.ie for that article about the cheese.