Topped up my vitamin D today!

It seems like such a while that I have updated this, apart from terrible excuse for a post the other day but I have been quite busy you see. Galway is currently hosting the Volvo Ocean Race , it is all very exciting. Galway was selected as a stopover, so we are having a big festival at the moment. There is a big Race Village that hosts, stalls, food and stages. There are bands on every night from about 6:30 to 11pm, as I live very close to the docks where it is all being held, myself and the rest of Galway city have been heading out every night to enjoy all of the festivities that the festival is offering. It has been lots of fun so far, but I am exhausted and there is still a week to go. 

It is also the end of a bank holiday weekend and the city was FULL and mental busy. It was crazy, they opened the streets to people, so you could get your drink inside and then pour your drink into a plastic tumbler and go drink in the street, some pubs had outdoors bars so that you didn't even have to go inside. So as soon as the last band of the night finished everyone rushed to the main street of the city. It was great craic. Great atmosphere. I think that on Saturday night the whole population of County Galway and surrounding counties embarked on the Race Village for the night concert, it was madness. I stayed in tonight though, a bit tired from lying in the sun all day :p

This weekend also brought the most glorious weather - it was roasting. You were mad to stay inside. It was HOT. We sat in the square in town this afternoon and it was so warm. It was only 25 degrees at the hottest part of the weekend but it felt so much hotter. But it was just wonderful and so good to see everyone out, kids playing in the fountain, sqirting each other with water pistols, people were swimming in the sea, people sunbaking. Just great!!

I had to buy sunscreen today, couldn't get any at the supermarket because it had basically sold out by this arvo. BUT sunscreen is sooo expensive here, it is terrible. There were so many burnt people wandering around today. 

I also had a friend who I met in Dublin come down for the weekend so that was lots of fun, I got to play tour guide :) 

This evening the power went out (we blamed the race), it was a great way to make new friends in our apartment block, i found myself standing on our balcony yelling into the apartment next door giving them updates. Friend making. 

All in all the last week and a bit has been lots of fun, once this is all over I will be having a BIG sleep. 

All my love xx

Today's To Do List

A day in my life, specifically today:

Breakfast

Check emails, facebook, write new blog

Shower and dress

Make up bed with clean sheets

Tidy room and put on washing

Hang washing

Sweep room

Look for bandana for work 

Work 12:30  - 6

Walk home via Penny's - buy pillow

Write a list of breakfast stuff for Sunday

Have dinner

Clubhouse at Docks for band @ 8:30, meeting girls there

Meeting friend at bus station at 9:15

Go home

Maybe back to Docks for Volvo Ocean Race Festivities

Bed

Well I better get a move on that looks like a busy day now that i have written it down. 

Will post better blog in a couple of days telling you whats been going on. All my love xx

Or maybe this festival, it is one heck of a mission!

I would quite like to go to this festival - Electric Picnic - just need to find some people to go with, i'm on a mission!

Mem Fox's 'Where is the green sheep?' would have been a lot shorter had she been in Ireland

Since arriving in this fair country, i have seen red sheep, blue sheep, yellow sheep and green sheep - how can this be you may ask? SHEEP GRAFFITI. People here tag sheep,  no walls for them, just sheep. Hilarious! 

Not too much has happened this week. Just working and stuff. You know stuff. 

One thing i have started doing, is walking in the morning, only for an hour or so but by the end of the day i am exhausted - it is a terrible, in both a tired aspect and reflection on my fitness i think. But its been good to get out in the morning before work.  And thankfully we had a few sunny days this week. 

I went to a 'gathering' last night of non-Irish people working in Ireland, mostly Canadians. It was lots of fun! Met lots of nice people. Before i went, I had to drag myself away the EUROVISION semi-final though which was upsetting- I love Eurovision. Spoiler alert: Ireland did not get through, quite sad. 

I have been listening to Triple J on the internet - It makes me seem less far away from home, its a nice feeling. 

All my love xx

Still writing this as much for my own amusement as anything..

Yay, i have just woken up and the sun is shining! Yesterday was a horrible day it was, cold, wet and windy, which meant that the idea of an umbrella was ruled out. People did still try and there were a few broken unbrellas in the bins around the city. The persistent unbrella users just stuck their brollies in front of themselves and hoped for the best. The wild weather meant that we weren't as busy as we have been at work so that so kind of nice. Work is going well. Got my first pay cheque yesterday - well when i say i got it I would have if I hadn't left it at work, I'm going to put it in my bag first thing today. t will be getting quite less pay than i will be in the coming weeks until my tax certificate saying that i have a job comes, before then i have to pay an emergency tax of 41%, gotta love the Irish government, I get it back when my tax certificate arrives, possibly in the next couple of weeks but who knows :) 

Otherwise everything is good. I could get swine flu - but i've seen the ads on tv so i am know fully educated - If you sneeze use a tissue and wash you hands - if only all of lifes problems were that easy. I'll let you know how that goes. 

Once i get dressed - unfortunately it has to be done I have to work today - i will go get the Galway Advertiser. It is the free paper that comes out on Thurday but is pretty much gone everywhere, by about 11 am. Its not exceptionally news worthy but it advises me on what is happening about town which is useful. The thing that i find quite funny is that when the paper reports that somebody has for example been arrested, their name is followed by their address, so if you really wanted to you could go throw rocks at their house. It is very strange.

Well i better get dressed and go find out where i should be throwing my rocks.

All my love xx 

Everything's alright, yes everything's fine.... actually its quite great

So I think that I have everthing I need for the time being. I great job, it has been great so far, a place to live, a few friends, although I'm still on the look out for more, spring weather (Ireland spring, but spring), and I am happy. 

I haven't just started to realise that it I am actually in Ireland. And it is good. Before know I thought that I could still pop home whenever I wanted (I can't).

I have a lot to be thakful for, and an AMAZING God to thank for it all :)

Before I got here I thought that it would be great to find a Monday to Friday job with good hours, so that I would have money coming in but still have the opportunity be able to explore this fine country. And I have found exactly that, yay! Thank you for your prayers if you were shooting a few my way. 

I am looking to go to Cork, which is down south, in a couple of weeks, one of the girls that i have met at the church i have been attending said that she might like to come so that should be good. I'll let you know how that goes. 

Also thought that I might try and get to London soon if only for the weekend as I can fly return for about 40 euro and its only an hour flight from Shannon Airport which is near me, so i will see how that goes. Lots to do, soooo much to explore. 

That is all for now, i need to go buy some food (currently surviving on jam and bread and left over stir fry) and get ready for work.

All my love xx

Quick side note: the bread at my work is amazing it looks like cake and it is oh so good, i have had it for lunch everyday this week, if i could send you all some i would. Bye xx    

AND... I have been here for a month and five days if you are interested :)