A quick (and slightly edited) summary of London times

I'm only back a day and I'm already missing London; the food, the clothes, the nightlife and most importantly the people. Myself and Turner had the time and had some particularly memorable moments chez Fayoona, Cáitín and Sonyo in fair old Brick Lane. I think this picture sums it up nicely. Drinking on the cheap from an old jar of Nutella whilst reading hilarious passages from some "female literature" the girls got at some open day for free.

It all started on a drizzly Friday morning. I woke up bright and early for me 8am flight only to realise at the last minute that despite all the lovely pounds I had in my pocket, I had no euro! I ran up the stairs two at a time and raided the house for some moolah but to no avail. In a moment of desperation I tore open my two coin boxes and using a combination of 50c and 20c managed to scrape together €20. Putting all the coins in a neat little box I approached Mr Taxi man cautiously and explained my story, waving my arms all over the place and gesticulating wildly in the process to demonstrate just how sorry I was. Luckily for me,he was quite a nice guy and said he needed the coins and didn't mind at all. His good nature was again verified when he didn't even count the change in the box. Then again, that would have taken quite some time.

So anyway, once I had arrived in London (the whole trip took 3.5 hours door to door, amazing!) and I had introduced everyone to Turner (who had flown in from Dublin), off we went shopping. I've been known to have my fair share of shopping sprees but Turner really took the biscuit and went wild. I on the other hand spent an entire €7 in the Primark sale for festival going clothes.

That evening we all went to this rather crap Irish bar with loads of old men smoking pipes and asking us if they could eat our cupcakes. It was quite an odd place but the company was good so who cares, right? We all got quite hammered on a few pints and started munching into some beautiful kebabs afterwards. This was probably the wrong idea as the food was pretty sedating and we all started to feel sleepy and sat on the pavement. This was probably not the best of ideas in retrospect considering a car nearly knocked us down trying to park. After a few more pubs, we crawled home to catch up on some much needed zzzs.

The next day is when the real party began. Drinking sesh began at 12pm (ok so maybe a few minutes before that but I'd hate to write AM and sound like an alco) and we all went off to the Fair Day music festival. Top acts included Phoenix, Caribou and Moderat, although Cáitin got a tad upset when the latter kept up building up the dance music for ages and screamed "Would you ever just drop the beat man." This is why she's my friend.

After 11 hours of dancing we got the (wrong) bus into (the far side of) town (where we didn't want to go). Myself and Cáitín continued the party at some random bar where Sting was having a party with his daughter. Unfortunately we didn't quite get to see him as he was in the VIP section *sigh* The partying continued until the early hours of the morning and included many other stories I won't bore you with. I swear none of them are the least bit embarrassing.

Sunday was a good hangover day with some bed band practise and eating thrown in for good measure. I got home to Ireland by 11ish that night and I was out for the count in minutes.

Now to recuperate for next week's holiday. :-)

A Good Day

• Numerous people complimented me on my (mom bought) tie.
• I don't start work til 9 tomorrow morning, SLEEP IN! (Technically this has nothing to do with today but I appreciate sleep too much to leave it out.)
• I have to do an audit at work and the topic looks quite interesting and so relevant!
• I'm going to London this weekend for fun times with Turner and Fayoona. The question remains whether we can live up to our previous baccalanian saturnalia.

And most importantly...

I GOT PAID!

And with this new found wealth, lil J, E and I booked our flights to New York for Thanksgiving chez Lujain! I can't wait! Finally I'll get to taste yam!!?? It just doesn't sound like a real food, how exciting!

On an entirely different note, I also found these clips quite amusing so here they are. Hope your day was as good as mine!

When in doubt..?

Book a flight!

To celebrate my first pay cheque (due Friday July 30th I think.....I hope), I pre-emptively booked a flight to London. Last week's trip was just too much fun so why not go again? Quite devastatingly, I'm going to miss the hilarious stripping puppet finale on the week before in Brick Lane but I can't get the time off. Grr.

I'll just have to make up for it with loads of alcohol I guess.

Back

Stories. Scandal. Gossip galore. I had it all this week with the lovely residents of Brick Lane, London. The girls looked after me well and I had a fantastic time so thank you very much.

Favouritest moments include:

• "PS Sorry for being so shit" - one of the best break up texts I've heard in a while.
• The stripper puppet performance. Hilarious.
• Drinking cocktails from a very quaint teapot and teacup. I felt very refined indeed. Well until halfway between teapot number 2 and 3. Oops.
• Telling "stories with my eyes"
• The bonding experience that was being attacked by a giant moth. I managed to trap him in a glass and set him free outside the window. Dear old Schnod thought he would fly back in and repeatedly slammed the window shut. On my arm.
• And as always, the lovely, random strangers I met along on my journey. It's crazy how many nice people I meet. I even got to catch up with the Aussies from Sziget last year!

A pretty decent trip all round. :-)

Technology fails me.

Over the past 3 days, the buttons on my phone have been steadily refusing to work for NO GOOD REASON. Only an hour ago I lost complete function so that I can only turn it on and off and not access any of the 900 or so phone numbers I have stored on it. I hoard numbers. I have every phone number from the young age of 14 when I got my very first phone for the school French exchange. I hoard texts. I have texts forwarded from my old phones of particularly special moments in my life. And they're all gone. I asked Dad if I could borrow his phone but apparently it's blocked. Mom offered me hers but I politely refused. Now I'm used the crappiest of old Nokia phones with 10 of the randomest of numbers on it.

Being realistic, I shouldn't complain because I'm off Londoning it for the week and I'll have the time with my dear friends. Monday night I'm heading to a fashion show with the bootiful Fayoona, Tuesday night I'm ..eh..meeting an old friend for a drink (I swear I'm not the least bit nervous) and Wednesday night I'm going to see Tchaik 6 being performed by my very musical friend Schnod! We're going to have a bit of a sleepover and stay up all night melting marshmallows over candles and catching up afterwards, it'll be great. Here's a clip of the symphony, not the most outstanding recording as the bassoonist messes up the big solo in the first 30 seconds but you get the gist. I may be playing this symphony in a few weeks actually. Hoorah to being back in an orchestra! Enjoy :-)

Also a special shout out to Paulo "Tobin" who has apparently been reading the blog. He's been a regular stalker for quite a while and I was blissfully unaware. Welcome and congratulations on the recent marriage ;-)

Project London

OK so as everyone knows by now (or at least everyone who's in my phonebook or on Facebook) Ryanair were giving away free flights all day. Well practically free anyway. I managed to book a flight over to London for €10.01 ...........and I'm thrilled with myself! It'll be just after I present my final year project, the culmination of much rushed research I expect to do over the next few weeks and quite possibly, the night before I present it.

Between the friends I've got living over there and the friends that are coming over with me, I just can't wait. It'll be....epic. Now to figure out that project thingy...

Screw Social Borders

I went clubbing with several people last night, none of whom I actually knew...and they were all lovely! (overused word, I know!) Essentially it was a big meet up and I knew friends of friends going so I was invited to come along and I'm even meeting them again later this evening!

I am determined to break down as many social borders as possible from now on...ok I've been doing this for a while now but I'm consciously making a greater effort now. I like the way my college course is in some ways my niche, but I'm determined it won't become my clique...

because I HATE academic, social and cultural stagnancy.

I'm sure that anyone who doesn't know me probably thinks I'm some freak but some day, I'd love to have the confidence to go clubbing on my own. To be so completely self assured (not cocky) that I'll be able to chat to just about anyone (in a non sleazy way) is quite admirable in my opinion. When I was in London with LJ, we bumped into this really nice guy from North Carolina. It was his last night there so he wanted to make use of it so off he went clubbing on his own, we bumped into him and he joined us for the remainder of the night.

What a cool guy.

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,

I'm really sorry, I've been neglecting you this past week. I'd love to write something deep and meaningful but instead I'll leave you with music that will convey that message so much clearer than my muddled head ever could. I need to sleeeeep.........purely so I can go out clubbing tonight and still get up at 8 for work that is. The sad thing is, I don't think Cork's nightlife is ever going to compare to my weekend in London. That was......."Heaven."

I <3 London

London = AMAAAAZING

I arrived at LJ's around 11.30 on Fri morning from whence we ran to the shops for approx 7 hours of glorious shopping! I got 3 new cardies, 2 shirts, 2 skinny ties, a jumper, a blazer, a vintage vest, a scarf and a t-shirt with a picture of a lollipop and the words "This lollipop isn't going to lick itself" emblazoned across it. In fact I bought so many clothes that my friend J had to bring them home with her as Ryanair wouldn't let me carry them on board the plane!! (Thanks J!) All of this glorious shopping was courtesy of fashionista LJ who advised me on EVERY purchase! I think the highlight of the day for me was when I was trying on some blazers in Topman and none of them would fit me:

Me: This one won't fit either. It's because I'm FAT isn't it??
LJ: Don't you FUCKING dare use the "F" word!!!

Classic.

Other highlights included meeting Jude Law twice (such a lovely guy!) and Jerry Springer (only once alas) as we stalked them from the back of the London theaters, seeing "Chicago", eating the yummiest sushi ever in Yosushi, clubbing for 7 hours on Sat night/Sun morning, randomly meeting a lovely guy from the States who came clubbing with us, pole dancing, wandering the streets of London in the cold light of Sunday morning after the aforementioned 7 hours of dancing and huddling together trying to find our way home, meeting the taxi driver who entertained us all the way home when we grew tired of being lost, money-conscious students, eating cupcakes galore and of course.............. spotting the talent.

I must say a big thanks to LJ and Gek who showed me around like there was no tomorrow and went to bars and clubs that weren't really their..."style", ye're just great!

Best weekend EVER!!!!

London, I WILL be back!

LONDON BABY!!!

London tomorrow. Eh nuff said!?! This will be my first proper visit to the city (ie not just flying through Heathrow!) and I'm just so excited! Myself and LJ and a few others are going to "Chicago" on Saturday night, my friend J knows some of the cast, and LJ is taking me shopping (she knows her stuff I tell you!) Furthermore by pure chance my visa arrived in the post today (I only ordered it last week like!) and for anyone who knows me this is a pretty big deal as I never have a visa/ATM card......I'm atrocious!






The last time I had a visa I left my wallet on a bus in Chicago and I was stranded in the city with no money! Luckily my friend N ran into to get me (and bought me a bar of chocolate along the way to cheer me up!!!) telling me I could borrow money from her until something was sent over from home. The story doesn't end there though as this lovely lady who works in Marshalls found my wallet, went to hand it to the bus driver (he said "Keep it") and she literally rang every business card in my wallet (I was looking for a job at the time and had about a million of them) so that she could get in contact with me. In the end, she contacted "Borders" gave them her details and they emailed me saying my wallet had been found. This is why I love Chicago. I mean she even took a shift off work to meet me at MY convenience!! People as good living and generous as this really make my day , no my month in so many ways. Here's me hoping that London lives up to these very high standards guys!!!

Let them/me eat cake

It's no secret that I have a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to cake. Furthermore, it's public knowledge that I have an amazing mom who facilitates this delicious addiction (check out her lemon meringue pie or cheesecake if you're ever calling over.....yummm!*) This, combined with the fact that I booked my flights to London today, means that I simply CANNOT wait to head over to Candy Cakes on Carnaby St. My friend was over there last summer and I've been dying to have a taste ever since I saw her photos. They have very intriguing and unsusual combinations of flavours in the most vibrant, gaudy colours. I'll have to fill you in as soon as get back in 2 weeks or so.

Also, I'd just like to wish all the Leaving Certificate students the best of luck in their rescheduled exam on Saturday. In case you haven't heard, the English Paper II was accidently handed out to a group of students yesterday and news of what was coming up spread like wildfire all over Ireland. It was reported in the news that a minority of students didn't even realise the paper was cancelled and turned up to the exam halls this morning! Although I really enjoyed school and didn't mind exams that much, I distinctly remember the crazy fear of failure and not getting into the course I wanted in college during the LC. The Department of Education is providing weekend school transport to students and a hotline to call but I really think this is going to throw a lot of students regardless of the measures put in place. Either way, if you need a pick me up try some good old fashioned cake to cheer you up, it always does the trick for me. Best of luck in the meantime guys!

*Salivates all over laptop