Laaaaaaaaast niiiiiiiiiight

Last night was my new bike's Freakscene debut. It was a UV night (always more fun than normal) and the bike was indeed well received when I showed it around after the club. One particular group of people I don't really know just 'luhved' it. So as I was only havin' the chats and not really going anywhere, I let them have a shpin off the bike, provided they wear my high-vis vest.

This small gesture on my part made them so happy! People forget how much fun bikes are. I passed on the phone number of the guy who sold me the bike.

Other highlights of the night:
* Getting to know some new Erasmus members of the UCC Photography Society
* A female friend of said Erasmus students scoring an Irish lad with 'I'm Gay' written in UV paint on his t-shirt
* The usual Cathal Brennan-shtyle banter
* A classic Freakscene night, full of the best people in all of Cork and a few serious weirdos that you can't shake but you don't really care

I'm pretty stressed with assignments and what not, but going to Freakscene motivates me to put in library time beforehand on a Wednesday evening. Dancing all night is pretty savage exercise too!

Himself!

Probably the only person to read this right now is a man known to many.
Happiness tip: share your pasta with a downright legend, it'll make you smile.

The Mantra

A friend of mine from back home, on a drunken night out once said these words: they've stuck with me ever since, and hopefully they will see you through tough times:

"It's grand. It always works out grand in the end."

Think about it: it doesn't always work out great, but it always works out grand. Wise words.

Lots of yays

Big, wonderful news today. My neighbour, she's had it pretty tough. Difficult childhood moving around to different countries all her life, parents had problems, any pets she got ran away, her parents both die in separate car accidents, then she finds she is going blind from a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt's macular degeneration.

BUT... now there are trials for embryonic stem cell therapy for sufferers! http://www.independent.ie/health/latest-news/ivf-embryos-to-provide-stem-cells-for-blind-2430092.html Delighted that things may be looking up for someone so unlucky.

I got a new bike yesterday - well, an old one.

It's beautiful, really comfortable to cycle cause it's upright, and runs really well. Best of all, I got it from a local entrepreneur called Cillian. He makes a little extra money for his family (he has a cute 3-year-old son) by selling second hand and ex-rental bikes for cheap. This baby only cost €50 and he could probably get away with calling it 'vintage'.

His details are here: http://cork.gumtree.ie/cork/63/66525263.html

I can't recommend bikes enough. I tend to go really fast, so it gets my heart rate up and gets me some exercise, and I'm generally so much healthier. I never need to cycle very far, but I'm very impatient walking, and besides, it's so much fun.

All this wonderful good luck prompted me to join in with the Saint Vincent de Paul giving tree. It's a great idea - pretty Christmas trees with little bits of card pegged on to the branches, on the cards are the names and ages of children, you buy a suitable present, leave it by the tree, and SVdP wrap it and give it to a child who may otherwise not get a visit from Santy. You'll see the trees around campus.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127031397327851

November 3rd, 2010

Many of my friends went to Dublin to protest about the proposed reintroduction of third level fees. I'm pro-fees. I suppose I'm extremely lucky in that this academic year, my rent is two thirds of what it was last year, and I managed to easily get two jobs because night clubs are putting more effort into promotion these days. Either way, I can easily make ends meet myself. I do have a strong work ethic, plenty of energy and I don't drink or smoke.

But still if I can handle it without a grant, maybe more of us could.I left the house today for the first time in 2 days - I was sick with a heavy cold and had no energy. I always feel disconnected from the world after I've been sick, because everyone's gotten on grand without me and I find it hard to jump back in. But I left the house and it was dark, mild, windy and quite warm. I felt delighted to be better, fortunate that the weather has been pretty good all autumn, and a bit of a Christmas rush cause the evenings are drawing in.

I'm looking forward to seeing my someone again tomorrow after almost of week of absence. Since I got seriously stung a few years ago, I've learned how to be fiercely independent. I haven't let myself feel lonely or miserable. But I'm at the point now where it doesn't ache when that person isn't around, but I still look forward to tomorrow quite a bit.