This week has just been crazy. Between prepping for my new job which starts on Monday (by prepping I mean clothes shopping - yo' pro' wardrobe essentials, you understand!) and house-hunting, I'm finally moving into our newly rented house tomorrow with MEGAN AND DEE!!!!!. It has all been quite hectic and once we found somewhere, things moved very fast which has caused one or two tension headaches over the weekend. Honestly though, once we're all moved in and working, I'll feel a bit better. It's exciting renting as a graduate for the first time but after handing over soooooo muuuuuuuuch money and seeing your savings shrink considerably, I'm eager to get into my new job and start earning so that I can afford this new yo' pro' millennial gal lifestyle; it's not all quite mason jar cocktails and chic throw cushions yet!
Aside from being eager to get into this new job, I'm also the first one to move in properly. Because the property had been advertised to let immediately, there didn't seem to be much leeway to postpone the move-in date until next weekend. While it may have suited me, the two others are house-sitting for another week which means that I'll be all by my-lonesome-self in the house this week. It also means that I'm under pressure to set up our utilities (MORE MONEY A£^£*"%$!#!!!) asap which in turn means looking at the best packages and committing us to a year's contract. Commitment. Ew.
So that's it really. I'm quite sad to leave home all the same. I've been out of home for 5 years really and it has been nice this past month being here and having little movie nights with my Mum in our matching onesies or eating pizza with my brothers and sister. I'll just have to come down on weekends. Pictures of new abode to follow soon. I had best say goodbye to my current sleeping quarters now.
Here's to adult life. Starting in 5...4...3...2...
Today is Monday. The weather is changeable at best. Today Sarah and Megan continued the rekindling of their love by buying and eating shit they didn't need. At the moment we're eating, to be frank, a very disappointing batch of brownies. We've had a great few days together, so we've decided to collaborate on a wonderful blog post. Be excited.*
Megan visited Sarah in Limerick to celebrate her freedom and the end of her college life in UL, which Dee vacated a year ago. Shit went down. We drank (and subsequently puked), ate and pretended to be foreign whilst chatting up some older men. By older I don't mean hot, sophisticated thirty-something professionals...I mean actual OAPs. Here's Ger, hope he doesn't report us on blogspot for this. LOL
Megan and Sarah were together for a total of two and a half days in fair Limerick - a time during which we learnt that not all of Limerick is as grimmy and mank as you'd assume - the castle is rather pleasing to the eye and makes a good talking point when one is pretending to be a lost American tourist; however, it's worth noting that one ought to take precautions when impersonating an American (with a fluctuating accent) as at this time of year, there are many other real Americans around and it can lead to some confusing and slightly offensive situations. Limerick is a good place for a pub-going night out and we took full advantage of the plethora of night time venues. Someone called Megan thought it'd be a GREAT idea to have a shot of tequila and the following day that someone called Megan was fine but someone called Sarah couldn't get up until 9pm the following evening and instead of going out, comforted herself with Graham Norton (on TV, not in real life because I don't think Sarah is his type).
Megan went away on home (after a questionable Subway - the sandwich, not the mode of transport) as did Sarah's brother Shane, leaving Sarah in an absolute heap (BEST FRIENDS EVER). Megan has been given more responsibility at her job, which meant she'd an awfully busy and stressful weekend, which is more boring than it sounds. Megan would like to clarify that at present she doesn't have a real job, which was just confirmed by quitea snooty phonecall from her former university, UCC, when they called to make sure that she was alive and not disgracing the UCC name by being, god forbid, a sales assistant. Which she is. Woops. She'll show you, UCC! Sarah meanwhile moved home which is as sad and depressing as it sounds. She spent the first 36 hours in her PJs, unpacking and getting her brother drunk with her mother.
However, enough was enough. Our love could not be extinguished after being rekindled and today after greeting and being bit by Megan's beloved pooch Harvey, we headed into Cork. There we ate steak marinated with vodka and went second-hand book shopping. Cork is looking pretty fab these days and there have been big efforts to regenerate the inner city. There's a "Before I Die" wall, which was inspired by a art project in an American city, which Sarah has written about before. We also saw an older, scruffy man wandering around the Coal Quay with his sheep dog, shouting or other about Mongolians. We bought some clothes - Penney's finest, don't you know - and just had a swell time. The crowning moment was seeing a former flame of either Megan or Sarah looking like a puffy German tourist #doesntcountasslander #lol.
Finally after hours of merriment, we came back to Megan's house to be nibbled on by Harvey, Emperor of the Household, who then proceed to try and eat Megan's wool. Megan just made a really cheesy pun about pulling the wool over her eyes which makes no sense as Harvey doesn't have thumbs and thus the pulling motion is beyond his kinesthetic movements. Harvey isn't best amused either. After writing this, we may go hunting for Kimye, who are honeymooning nearby #actualnowegivenofucks
That is all now. Stay tuned when we may sporadically update the blog with more fun times! We're going out with Dee this week when she's on a break from tour. Whadda rock star.
M & S
*We hope you weren't THAT excited. That would be pathetic...
Hello, hello, hello! I, like Megan, am also alive and fine and well, albeit praying for my exams to be over. I'm rather busy, but my proudest achievement of the semester may be my ever improving skills of procrastination. For example, today I woke around 12.30pm (#noregrets) and had a bit of a study sesh (for all of an hour). Then I had dinner, my lovely lady pal Tuffy called round, we had tea, decorated her (fake :( ) Christmas tree, went for on a chocolate run to Dunnes, had pizza and said chocolate and watched "Elf". Great way to spend your study week!
The evening previous, I came back from a quick two days at home (Christmas shopping with my brother and sister!) and went ice-skating with some of my classmates, which was great bonding time. Tomorrow night then, my sister is coming up from Cork and we're going to see the ever wonderful, sublime Little Green Cars in the sold-out Dolan's. It's. going. to. be. UNREAL. If you haven't heard of them, then you seriously need to listen to their debut album, Absolute Zero. Here's one of my favourite performances from them, though they are all serious winners.
I've had two exams, oral exams and essays already done. I have one more this Monday, the dreaded German exam. I however am finding it increasingly difficult to keep focused. I find German to be my weakest subject and considering that I feel like I'm finished, I feel really non-pulsed by the whole affair. I hate being stressed and after spending an Erasmus year stressed beyond belief and getting sick as a result, I am doing as much as I can to not get myself into that state again. At the end of the day, I'm doing this degree to get a piece of paper. It's certainly not the bee all and end all.
I will need to pull the ole socks up with next semester but right now, I'm too excited for Christmas with the family. I'm also going to see the absolute gem that is Hozier in Cork next weekend with Jessica and Ruadhrí! AHHHHHHH! He's just performed for Other Voices in Dingle over the weekend and his gigs have sold out countrywide so we're VERY excited.
Not only that, but I am also heading over to Liverpool to see my dear friends, Emma and Monica, two days after St. Stephen's Day! We're minus our lovely field mouse, Rachel, who is currently conquering the jungles in Thailand. The girls visited me in Cork last February and we'd a great time, so it's now time to return the favor.
I've never really been to England as a tourist before so I'm really looking forward to visiting. I'll be there for New Year's too, which I'm SUPER psyched about because it's usually a bit of a shite evening around my parts. I'm going to see lots of Beatles-related things, and go to somewhere called Chester Zoo which is supposed to be one of the best around. There's also been mention of a £1 tequila bar. Uh - oh. I hope to get as many lovely shots as Megan did when she visited Dee in joymanee.
Also, have to say a huge thanks for the lovely post by Megan wishing me the best on my birthday. The picture she used was one of me acting the maggot nearly two years ago when Shannon and Megan came to visit me in Vienna. On the spur of the moment, I decided to join them on a two day jaunt in Prague which was beautiful and creepy in equal measures.
For example, our hostel had this slightly questionable bathroom situation.
Gorgeous, right?
With lots of cute Soviet Union era cars
Some lovely graffiti on the John Lennon wall.
Here's Megan sitting forlornly on the banks of the Danube, back in Vienna.
And us hanging around on the ole Enzis, ya know
I turned 23 a few weeks ago (ewwww) and had a big party to celebrate. It was a Late Late Toy Show/Movember birthday party and we raised some money for charity, while wearing Christmas jumpers and moustaches and bashing the shit out of pinatas and having a barbecue and pass the parcel. Lots of fun but unfortunately Megan was stuck working and couldn't come :(
Dee turned 23 three days later and she is by all accounts having a fine time in Germany. Ciara, you need to fill us in soon too! I hope to see ALL of you over Christmas for Crane Lane pints and a chance to meet similar sorts to the 5 types Dee and Megan encountered in Havana's over the past few months.
That is all of the news. Here are some pictures of recent times.
Hello? Anyone there? Look! A resurgence in blogging! Megan reminded me that this still existed and here I am waving a big hello, because once again, due to the chaos of general day-to-day life, I've fallen out of step with Megan, Ciara and Dee... as well as many other nearest and dearest.
I'm in Limerick. It's Week 9 of the first semester. I've not failed anything yet! I'm living with some great friends. There are some great friends still hanging around Limerick, although there are more who have left and are off doing their own things. I've come back from a relatively successful year out and am already looking at where to go next. I'm thinking either Canada, America, Spain, Japan or South Korea. You know... away, away. It's actually a point of stress. There are two great programmes in Japan and S. Korea respectively but they both begin next August. Considering that I need to work away for the summer (either America or the UK), I would be expected to leave just after returning from summer employment. This doesn't suit because I am determined to attend my graduation, particularly considering that this course has just bled me dry of confidence over the past four/five-ish years, so attending it will be a happy "F- you course", attended by my super family of course. Secondly, my family and I missed out on Glastonbury tickets this year (very upsetting), but have decided that the Murphy's will take on the joys of Bestival next year instead! Watch out Isle of Wight! All of us are going, but because it's on during the first weekend of September, I'm not about to leave for Asia. More on that later.
Here's some pictures of things that have happened recently. I'm going to get back to blogging more. My attempts at journal-keeping haven't been as successful as I'd anticipated.
On Monday, I found this in amongst the morning's post. This lovely little certificate states that I am now a qualified teacher of English as a Foreign Language to Adults. This is basically my passport to my teaching career and travel after a tough two month course. Considering that I've had serious reservations about my college degree and my ability to finish it, I'm feeling more than happy that I hold a qualification in something, particularly something I am very passionate about. This week has been good to me. :)
I got a lot of emergency tax back which means I can stick away a nice sum of money this week into my credit union. Since starting my new job as a tour guide, I've found that my money is just disappearing faster than I can count it. I also paid off my deposit towards my house for my final academic year - so that's the first step towards finishing my degree. More on that later.
I've finally gotten into the swing of giving German tours, which is something I've felt quite literally ill over the past few weeks. Practice makes perfect and I'm my own worst enemy at the best of times, but I need to gain more confidence in my language skills. Easier said than done!
Also congratulations of the highest order to all my friends in UL, who have or are about to finish their exams. YOU DID IT! Well done, and may the world be your oyster. I'll be in your shoes this time next year - don't you envy me!
Sin é for the meantime,
S
Sad/Stress-releasing song for this week comes from Mr. Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan, you know him well, don't ya Ciara? :)
I feel really very lucky to have been able to visit and live in (albeit briefly) a small handful of exciting places in my years to date. I've travelled to at least as many cities as my age, seen more sights than I can remember offhand and experienced uncontrollable laughing bouts with buddies, quiet strolls in some of the worlds most bustling cities and watched the world go by half a dozen time zones.
When I find myself with some spare change at the bottom of my bag after bills/ rent/ food/ bus fare have been paid for I don't usually spend it on clothes or necessities I've been in need of for weeks, it's not a deep, meaningful, philosophical motivation but I tend to spend it on books.
When I visit a place I like to pick up a book, and by dating and noting it's point of purchase it becomes my souvenir of choice.
When I see a mountain of books in a second hand shop, I basically have to buy one or my mind won't let me sleep for a few days.
So today when I passed by the red cross store after spending all morning in the bank I popped in and added to the growing pile of yet to be read books on my windowsill.
I've heard such mixed reviews of On The Road that I've never forked out full price for it, but for less than 2 pounds I was quite happy to pick it up. And then when I opened it to write my usual date etc I spotted this little charmer, and in French! I was only weak for it...
I love a good story. I wonder what the story behind this is? And why whoever owned it was okay with parting with it when it was given to them originally with love.. and whether they gave it away forgetting where they had gotten it! or if it was time to let this old love go..
One of the most wonderful things about living in France for the year is the markets!
Because they mostly take place from about eight in the morning till midday or maybe one, I have not been to as many as I would like. Saturdays (and every other day, but especially Saturdays) are days for lying in. With only a few weeks left here though, I plan on being an early riser for the next few Saturdays, at least.
Yesterday was the start of my Early Morning Saturday Activity endeavour. It went extremely well. I got up at half past six to go to Avignon with my Canadian friends. woooo
On the way though, we had to stop over in Arles. Not complaining! I love Arles. We had about two hours to kill before our train to Avignon so we went to the market. In fact, if you happen to be in Arles on a Saturday morning you can't avoid going to the market, since the whole town transforms itself into MARKET HEAVEN.
One side of the main street was gastronomically inclined while the other was dedicated to clothes, art, flower and pretty much anything else you can thing of (mop heads, foam, those clips you can get for holding your bra straps together at the back...).
Here are a few (A LOT) of pictures that I took yesterday and at the market in Aix during the year.
There you go, the beautiful markets in Aix en Provence and Arles. Imagine what a yummy dinner you could make with all those fresh, delicious ingredients! Maybe I should have a dinner party at mine on Satuday? Give me a call when ye are on yer way and I'll give ye directions!
