So for my mini road trip last week I drove in Ireland for the first time. I drove from Tralee to Limerick. Weird is not even the word. It totally fucked with my head for the first 20 minutes but then I somewhat got used to it. What was freaky was driving down those really narrow and curvy roads with the locals driving oh so fast and annoyed that you're driving the speed limit.
When we spend the night in Limerick, we ended up having to drive my friend Dave out to catch his bus to go to Dublin but since we were all drinking the night before, he woke up late and he eventually missed his bus. On the way back my friend was too tired to drive back to Limerick so she asked Dave to drive. In theory this seems like a good idea only Dave had never driven an automatic car in his life. Once behind the wheel, he asked, where's the clutch and what to do I do with this bit? Referring to the gears. He insisted he'd be able to drive it and said to me, you work this bit and I'll work the accelerator. Though amusing now, it was a bit unnerving at the time so we booted him from the drivers seat and I drove back to Limerick.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Yesterday.
Completely random but yesterday as I was sitting in The Quays bar on Shop street in Galway. I was sitting at a sidewalk table having a beer when this lady asked to sit at the free seat next to me and my friend. We started chatting and she asked the popular "where are you from?" question. I said New York and she said, "Oh I loooove NYC. I'm from Roscommon but used to live in Brooklyn." I say, "No shit! Me too. Where did you live?" She then said "Bay Ridge" and I had a fit. I used to live in Bay Ridge. I was just talking to my BFF Sharon telling her I missed Bay Ridge. Turns out she only lived a couple blocks from me. Small fucking world ehh? That I'd move to Galway to meet an Irish lady that lives in Galway but used to live in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. We chatted for ages and it was nice to have that common ground so far from home.She used to be a bartender in a bar in the neighborhood and we talked about that for a while and how we loved Bull McCabes on St. Marks place. Lovely chat. I live for randomness like this.
Happy Happy Joy Joy
It's been quite a while since I last wrote a proper entry. I was actually busy doing things last week. Strange, isn't it? First. I joined this website called couchsurfing.com. Check it out, its pretty cool. Basically, its a website that you set up a profile and you either request to stay on someones couch or they request to stay on yours. You don't have to say yes if someone asks you, you have the option to say no and its totally up to you. Hopefully if/when I travel to mainland Europe, I'll be requesting to stay with people. So I got this request from a chick from California. I read her profile and she seemed super cool plus she was a nurse and I totally wanted to pick her brain about that. So I agreed to let her surf my couch. Turns out she was one of the coolest people I've ever met. She was so sweet and fun and best of all she was nice enough to take me on her roadtrips along the west coast of Ireland. We drove down the roads along the west coast of Ireland through the Burren and onto the Dingle Peninsula. Some of the most beautiful sites I've seen in my life. It was so awesome. Mini water falls along the road, they too were awesome.
After my road trip along the west coast, we stopped in Limerick for the evening to meet with my friend Dave I'd met in Dublin. That was pretty cool because if you know me, then you know my favorite book is "Angela's Ashes" and my favorite writer is Frank McCourt. He's from Limerick. We went into the bar that the movie was filmed. I'm not a big fan of the movie and just for the record the book's always better. My camera battery died so I couldn't get a picture but on the door to the bathroom, for the men's room it says Frank and the ladies room says Angela. I thought that was pretty cool. So "stab city" wasn't so bad. Even if it is the murder capital of Ireland and I think Europe. Lol. So says Dave anyway.
After that we went back to Galway and did fuck all. My lovely couch surfer who we'll call Ms. X invited me to go to the Cliffs of Moher with her and I said yes of course. We were going to spend the night in Limerick with Dave and then go to the Cliffs the next day. We had so much in Limerick. Photographic evidence below. We got so drunk. Clearly I'm not as hardcore with the drinking as I used to be.
We certainly did have fun. So much fun we were all so hung over the next day. We made it to the Cliffs though. That was gorgeous! Its the most impressive touristy thing I've done so far.
I also went on a job interview last Thursday. It went well but who knows. I may be going home sooner or later becasue my aunt emailed me a proposition I may take her up on. But of course she wants me to come home ASAP for it. Not sure where I'll be for the entire summer now. Everything's up in the air. Maybe here in Galway, Maybe NYC and maybe Florida. Jesus I really am a fucking hobo. Shut up Sam! Where Oh where will hobo Jody end up next?
After my road trip along the west coast, we stopped in Limerick for the evening to meet with my friend Dave I'd met in Dublin. That was pretty cool because if you know me, then you know my favorite book is "Angela's Ashes" and my favorite writer is Frank McCourt. He's from Limerick. We went into the bar that the movie was filmed. I'm not a big fan of the movie and just for the record the book's always better. My camera battery died so I couldn't get a picture but on the door to the bathroom, for the men's room it says Frank and the ladies room says Angela. I thought that was pretty cool. So "stab city" wasn't so bad. Even if it is the murder capital of Ireland and I think Europe. Lol. So says Dave anyway.
After that we went back to Galway and did fuck all. My lovely couch surfer who we'll call Ms. X invited me to go to the Cliffs of Moher with her and I said yes of course. We were going to spend the night in Limerick with Dave and then go to the Cliffs the next day. We had so much in Limerick. Photographic evidence below. We got so drunk. Clearly I'm not as hardcore with the drinking as I used to be.
We certainly did have fun. So much fun we were all so hung over the next day. We made it to the Cliffs though. That was gorgeous! Its the most impressive touristy thing I've done so far.
I also went on a job interview last Thursday. It went well but who knows. I may be going home sooner or later becasue my aunt emailed me a proposition I may take her up on. But of course she wants me to come home ASAP for it. Not sure where I'll be for the entire summer now. Everything's up in the air. Maybe here in Galway, Maybe NYC and maybe Florida. Jesus I really am a fucking hobo. Shut up Sam! Where Oh where will hobo Jody end up next?
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Road Trips and Limerick
I've been busy so I haven't blogged in a bit. I'll go into detail later but I went on a road trip with my new BFF Ms. X. She's so kick ass and we had a great time. I'm in Limerick right now, we spent the night here and went drinking with my other new friend Dave. Got drunk. Very drunk. The Powers got the best of me. Any who. I had a job interview on Thursday and got so lost trying to find it. It didn't matter though. Hopefully I'll get it. Bah. Here's a pic from my travels. More to come!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Panic in the streets of Galway!
Sorry Morrissey but London's not the only place there's panic on the streets. I seriously need to find a job ASAP. The state of my bank account is quite worrying. I will be home sooner than I plan to if I don't. One of my house mates is trying to help me, she's so sweet. She suggested I give English lessons or tutor English students. Seems there are quite a few here for the summer. I should know because one of my other housemates is here from Spain to do just that. I made some flyers and I'm going to putt them up around town. Send me positive vibes people!
In other news, my friend who I worked with in Dublin came to visit me on
Friday. It was lovely. She's steadfastly becoming one of my favorite people. We drank wine and ate pizza by the Spanish Arches. It was getting a bit cold so we didn't stay out for long. We chatted all night and it was just really nice having a friend come visit. I mean I've made friends here but I don't see them very often even though I live pretty close to them. Partly my fault though. I tend to be a bit of a shut in at times.
In more other news, I gave my name and info to the Galway SPCA to sign up as a volunteer. I happened to go in there the other day and heard the lady talking to someone else about a new volunteer and how nice she was. I then decided to ask if they still needed volunteers because no one ever called me. She said that they do but there's a waiting list for volunteering because there's so many people that volunteer. Because so many people don't have a job and that, they take to volunteering she said. Something to do. Seriously........seriously???!!! I can't even get a non-paying job?!
Oh well, positive vibes and energy man. Positive vibrations!
In other news, my friend who I worked with in Dublin came to visit me on
Friday. It was lovely. She's steadfastly becoming one of my favorite people. We drank wine and ate pizza by the Spanish Arches. It was getting a bit cold so we didn't stay out for long. We chatted all night and it was just really nice having a friend come visit. I mean I've made friends here but I don't see them very often even though I live pretty close to them. Partly my fault though. I tend to be a bit of a shut in at times.
In more other news, I gave my name and info to the Galway SPCA to sign up as a volunteer. I happened to go in there the other day and heard the lady talking to someone else about a new volunteer and how nice she was. I then decided to ask if they still needed volunteers because no one ever called me. She said that they do but there's a waiting list for volunteering because there's so many people that volunteer. Because so many people don't have a job and that, they take to volunteering she said. Something to do. Seriously........seriously???!!! I can't even get a non-paying job?!
Oh well, positive vibes and energy man. Positive vibrations!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Weekend Randomness
Here's a couple photos I completely forgot I took when Martha and I went out bar hopping.
Here's two guys from Cork. We stole their pizza and I stole their hat.
Me (in aforementioned stolen hat) and Martha sitting in front of Apache Pizza. This photo tells me I'm not as sober as I thought I was. Clearly.
What the hell am I doing with my tongue? Again, clearly not sober.
Boys are easy, all it took was some coaxing with free pizza. Ha! No really. These guys tried to steal our pizza that we stole fair and square. In exchange for a bite of our pizza, we got hugs. Gotta love Galway.
He just had nice boobs. And he let me touch 'em.
Here's two guys from Cork. We stole their pizza and I stole their hat.
Me (in aforementioned stolen hat) and Martha sitting in front of Apache Pizza. This photo tells me I'm not as sober as I thought I was. Clearly.
What the hell am I doing with my tongue? Again, clearly not sober.
Boys are easy, all it took was some coaxing with free pizza. Ha! No really. These guys tried to steal our pizza that we stole fair and square. In exchange for a bite of our pizza, we got hugs. Gotta love Galway.
He just had nice boobs. And he let me touch 'em.
Week 1 Complete
So my first week in Galway. Complete. I have to admit that I'm hella nervous about finding a job here. Perhaps I should have stayed in Dublin a couple weeks more. Bah. No regrets I say. Life's too short for those. My first week was nice but I must admit I could have tried harder with handing out CVs. Its discouraging when people won't even take them because they have piles of 'em already. Must. Keep. Trying.
There's this thing called the Volvo Ocean Race going on and its in Galway for a couple weeks. Free concerts and what not. So naturally I haven't gone to any of the festivities. I've been down to the docks once or twice. Ehhh. What's wrong with me? I'm in fucking Galway! I'm just not keen on going out much and spending money till I find a job. Bah humbug!
Don't get me wrong, I have been going out and stuff. Monday night I had a date. Another one ...... *rolls eyes*. He drove me to Salthill cuz I said I'd never been there before. I was surprised at how close it was to the city. Long walk. Short drive kinda deal. We walked on the beach. It was great weather. Nice summer nights breeze. The moonlight dancing on the waters surface. It. Was. So. Gorgeous. Would probably have skinny dipped if the water was warmer. =) I pulled up my jeans and we walked as far as we could into the water without it getting my jeans at my knees wet. And the stars! Let's not forget them. I could see so many stars. Not a big deal to many but when you live in New York City, it is. This is why I moved to Galway. It was nothing short of magical. Nothing. I think the beach in Salthill is going to be my new obsession. I only wish I took my camera but I left it in my bag in the car. =(
In other news, on my walk into town yesterday I got the idea for a photo project. A POV piece. The first one will be called "My Walk Into Town". I got the idea from wanting to remember what it was like living in Galway. I think I'm going to shoot it later today or tomorrow. Check back for it soon.
Cheers!
There's this thing called the Volvo Ocean Race going on and its in Galway for a couple weeks. Free concerts and what not. So naturally I haven't gone to any of the festivities. I've been down to the docks once or twice. Ehhh. What's wrong with me? I'm in fucking Galway! I'm just not keen on going out much and spending money till I find a job. Bah humbug!
Don't get me wrong, I have been going out and stuff. Monday night I had a date. Another one ...... *rolls eyes*. He drove me to Salthill cuz I said I'd never been there before. I was surprised at how close it was to the city. Long walk. Short drive kinda deal. We walked on the beach. It was great weather. Nice summer nights breeze. The moonlight dancing on the waters surface. It. Was. So. Gorgeous. Would probably have skinny dipped if the water was warmer. =) I pulled up my jeans and we walked as far as we could into the water without it getting my jeans at my knees wet. And the stars! Let's not forget them. I could see so many stars. Not a big deal to many but when you live in New York City, it is. This is why I moved to Galway. It was nothing short of magical. Nothing. I think the beach in Salthill is going to be my new obsession. I only wish I took my camera but I left it in my bag in the car. =(
In other news, on my walk into town yesterday I got the idea for a photo project. A POV piece. The first one will be called "My Walk Into Town". I got the idea from wanting to remember what it was like living in Galway. I think I'm going to shoot it later today or tomorrow. Check back for it soon.
Cheers!
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