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.

Medics ready for annual cheese rolling race

AFP - Monday, May 26 10:08 am
LONDON (AFP) - Scores of foolhardy competitors were on Bank Holiday Monday gearing up to pitch themselves down a steep hill in pursuit of an eight-pound cheese as part of Gloucestershire's annual cheese rolling event.

Entrants will take part in one of five events, all of which involve scrambling, slipping and sliding down a very steep 200-metre slope in the hope of being the first to grab hold of the coveted Double Gloucester cheese.

Medics were on standby for the inevitable spate of injuries resulting from the chase down Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, which in places has a 1:1 gradient.

Following heavy rain over the weekend, conditions were likely to be wet and muddy.

The highest number of people injured during the event, which dates back at least 200 years, was in 1997 when medics treated 33 people for injuries ranging from sprained ankles to broken bones.

Each race will include up to 20 competitors, with one race set aside for women only.

Winners are presented with a double Gloucester cheese.

Double Gloucester is an unpasteurised, semi-hard cheese which has been made in Gloucestershire since the 16th century.

all you need to NGO

apparently a lot of local NGOs and some larger ones want photographers.
sound.
more options.

slowly getting back into being social again... slowly. sean & i are going to grab some sushi tonight for dinner, should be fun.

i spent the entire morning cleaning the whole apartment listening to arctic monkeys. it's rainy and grey out. but at least now the rugs are vacuumed and all neat.

j. maarten troost is my current favourite author of the week. I finished "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" and am now onto "Getting Stone With Savages" which is funny because the first book has less to do with cannibals than the second one, and the second one isn't all that much about getting stoned with savages so much as it's about living on Vanuatu and Fiji.

i've got a whole of 2 paragraphs written that i haven't erased.
school starts in 2 days.
3 weeks from now will be no more school and i'll have to figure my summer out.
hopefully ireland but we'll see how everything pans out..

uhm.. in the meantime... anyone want to go on some rollercoasters???

list

Cross Cultural Solutions

New Zealand

Kiwi Internships

Global Vision International

i-to-i

Conservation at a big cat reserve in Costa Rica

Planetedu listing

Animal Sanctuary in FL

The Penguin Book of Ghosts

By Peter Griffiths Reuters - Friday, May 9 11:24 am
LONDON (Reuters) - From screaming skulls and headless horsemen to murdered brides and phantom farmers, English folklore is full of spine-tingling ghost stories.

(Advertisement)

Terrified witnesses speak of seeing ghostly armies marching through the fog, spirits searching for hidden treasure and bells ringing from ruined churches.

Authors Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson have sifted through centuries of myths, legends and local tales to compile a county-by-county guide to England's ghosts.

"Readers may be surprised to see that a tale they had thought belonged to one place is found elsewhere," the authors say in the foreword to the "Penguin Book of Ghosts."

"Folktales and legends are in constant slow movement, like an iceberg," they note.

The village of Prestbury in Gloucestershire has a good claim to the title of England's most haunted place, the book says.

Its entry includes:

* A headless Civil War soldier galloping down a lane on horseback. Legend has it that he was a Royalist executed after being caught by Roundheads camped in the village.

* Ghosts of shepherds roaming with flocks of sheep.

* A "Phantom Strangler" at Cleeve Corner, where a robber strangled a young bride for her jewellery.

* The ghost of the late owner of Walnut Cottage appears, saying: "Here's Old Moses. You see, I likes to look in sometimes."

Many of the tales have a strong moral tone, like the killer called "Skulking Dudley" who haunted the village of Clopton in Northamptonshire. It is said his soul could not rest because of a murder he committed in 1349.

A corrupt magistrate who executed a humble farmer and his wife to steal their land in Cumbria was haunted by two screaming skulls, according to an account from the 1880s.

Animals also feature regularly.

One ancient tale says King Arthur turned into a raven when he died. Shrieking birds are said to represent the cries of dead babies, while dogs are seen as an omen of death.

Some of the stories arrived in books from abroad before being spread by word of mouth, while others have their roots in local legend or Norse myth, the book says.

While many are chilling, a few owe more to humour than horror.

One tells how the villagers in Stanney, Cheshire, were regarded as simpletons because they were too scared to walk down a country lane where a duck lived.

Finally, some of the local men decided to ambush the bird and cut off its head. But that only made things worse.

Villagers then complained they were frightened to use the lane ... because of the ghost of the headless duck.

* The Penguin Book of Ghosts is published by Allen Lane

letter in the mail from photographer's forum

So, although not the "winner winner" of the Nikon photo contest, a finalist nonetheless, my photography will be featured in The Best of College Photography Annaul 2008 on page 262. If you would like a copy, they're $65. If you DO want one, let me know so I can add it to the order form I have to send back in.

I got an A in my independent study photo class with Tom. Jack approved my Mixed Media and Time Arts credits, so all I have left is to work out that last academic elective and i'm home free. Also Tom suggested I think up a project for Thesis that I could start in europe but could add on to once I'm back. So.... I'll have to think very hard about this.

Hopefully I can go see Iron Man with parents this coming week, I REALLY want to see it. I saw a preview for it in the Tuschinski in Amsterdam when we went to go see No Country for Old Men.

Pounding headache, hopefully it goes away soon.

Uhm, not really much else to report. Oh, I did get to use my orange umbrella today since it was raining and crappy out!

London Pigeon Wars is Finished

now on to Last of the Donkey Pilgrims.


my first thunderstorm in about a year.
strange.
strange.

things accomplished today:

-signed new 6 month lease with Dorothy (and listened to her drone on and on about American Idol)
-returned unfitting item of bathing suit clothing to Target
-mailed dvd & letter to Ireland
-began organizing photos into series for Tom
-read another chapter in The London Pigeon Wars
-discovered I no longer love Taco Bell
-restrained myself from strangling small child across the hall who is -excruciatingly- learning to play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" over and over on what sounds to be a tin whistle


all and all a productive day, and it's only 5pm, still time for more magic

$10 international phone cards

only last for 17 minutes.
which basically means, 10 dollars for every quick phonecall.
LAME!!!


anyway
today:
visit dorothy with 6 month lease request
return unfitting item of bathing suit clothing to Target
mail dvd & letter to Ireland
organize photos into series for Tom
read The London Pigeon Wars

Call Me's

I just learned how to send a Call Me text! Finally!
I love o2!

cheer up mommy

you know i'm going to finish school.
that goes without saying silly.
and the trip was definitely a good thing, my problem is i'm constantly worried about the future and how i'm gonna make money post-college etc, rather than just thinking about college itself. i'm just bummed that now i have no brilliant ideas for senior thesis. i'm sure once i come up with one i'll be excited again.

and there's always clint eastwood.
i'm sure once that starts i'll be a lot more enthusiastic.

i just hate dealing with advising people coz it's such a joke and puts me in a bitter mood.

but enough of that.
everyone be cheery
you're going on vacation
then i'm going on vacation
and we'll get to trade photos afterwards.

life is good and filled with adventure. take it when it comes.
tell dad you should still go back to ireland this summer but make sure you get to Kerry!!!