Back in London

So one of my New Year Resolutions is to do more things with people. Just before Christmas I had so little money, Yayy high rent and the whole working unpaid "for the experience", I digress, I know there are cheaper places I could live, and I do live in one of the coolest cities in the world, so I've to suck it up as they do say.

Because of the whole rent thing I worked both days I wasn't in Uni, its good to do the shifts when you can, and I do a good job so I might aswell. I was ion work the week before and I got a call from an unknown number, I'm the kind of person that answers every phone call, even when I'm fairly sure its a scammy "we've recently heard you were in a car crash..". So I was there in the kitchen and I get a phone call from the producer of Absolute Radio saying I'd won two tickets to an "Biffy Clyro intimate gig". I hung up the phone and jumped up and down for a while, I was very excited. I then had to figure out who to bring and casually ask said person to the gig, casually, when I am the least casual person ever.

So on Wedneday I went to work in proper gig gear, and changed into my uniform and was counting down the seconds till I was going to go. I get a text message at 6 informing me the gig was in an actual church, which I did know, but I don't think they knew that. I thought maybe it was a converted church, with no pews with a bar but oh no it was not that at all. We sat at the side pew and I figured out the person I brought had heard of one of their songs and I was bringing him to a gig where he was the only person not  a superfan. We had a great time though. He was bopping along to the songs and I was singing along. Biffy are amazing in general but acoustic Biffy are just on another level. Absolute Radio recorded the gig so I'll try and link it when it's available.

It could have been a wonderful year, instead we might not make it to the end

A photo posted by Niamh Moloney (@niamhmlny) on Jan 12, 2017 at 12:44am PST

Last week, my bff and I were reunited. She asked would I like to head to The Grand in Clapham to go see Pretty Woman, in a nightclub. It was the most fun Saturday evening. During the movie, there was even like "special effects" so when Julia Roberts was in the bath, there was bubbles, and in the last minute they released all of the confetti. Then we had Nandos and went for a drink.
Both nights I had drinks, was totally fine, I just need to continue checking in on myself, and it was nice to hear that I didn't have a problem from my friend who actually sees me drinking.


I'm really back to be in London, doing things, meeting people, trying to do things with other people, I'm trying to talk to my classmates more and putting myself out there with new people

Living in London: 1

Its been just about two weeks since I've moved. I haven't started working yet which is a bit stressful, I'm waiting for a form from the Garda (police) just to show I have no prior convictions or anything like that. So I'm trying to fill my days, but without spending all of my money, cause travel and food aren't free, but I know I'll appreciate doing things cause soon I will be working, and after speaking with my friends who started working, and they wish they had had time, but its a balancing act, tomorrow for instance I'm going to the V&A with my brother who moved over here the day before me. 

Speaking of family, and knowing people, it's been funny, I've interacted more with people from my hometown here than I did when I lived in my hometown. As well as my brother, my dad and two of my best friends live here. My first night here I stayed at another friends from my hometown house after we had gone out with 6 other irish people. I'm living with a childhood neighbour and his family and this weekend his mother, who was also my neighbour, and one of his friends also from our hometown  are over and the fact I was drinking wine with all of them last night is surreal. Irish people stick together it turns out, Even last week when I was out with a load of irish people, mostly who I didnt know, a lad from Tipp took me aside and told me if I needed anything, they'd all help, we're all in this together, which I thought was just super nice.

Nice thing number 2.

So as I haven't started working, I've put out a few CVs to pubs, as I do have experience in pubs, so last Friday I gave out a few and accidentally walked 21 Km, so I ended up in a pub, having a couple of pints of cider in walks in Brendon Urie from Panic at the disco! walks in, I walk up to him, apologising, saying I'm a fan, and he was so nice, he took a selfie on his phone and later we did a shot of whiskey, his shot glass is now on my window sill, and he tweeted the photo the next day, and my life was made.

Oh, and yesterday I was walking around by Big Ben and saw some photographers and well dressed people standing around so I stood around, an Italian girl came over to me and asked did I know what was going on, I said no, so she asked a photographer and it was the Gucci Cruise 2017, of course, so I saw some actual off duty models and some of the up and coming shoes, which to me was awful exciting 

Another thing is Tinder, its so different here, funnier too, aswell as people stating their Heights, which i still think is weird, people put up their uber ratings! I've had a chap from Leeds telling me in extreme detail what he'd do with me when we met, and also, interestingly there are couples looking for.. things which you wouldn't see that in Cork.

So far so good in London, new experiences and plans for the summer. Work will come, it'll all be grand, and the only way to go is up.

Emergency trip to London

So my weekend last weekend was all planned I was gonna head to Dublin for Dublin pride and manu Chou (who ok I didn't really know who he was but it was gonna be fabulous) And then Wednesday evening I get a phone call which resulted in frantically trying to find a way to London for the weekend. The choice was between spending €320 to fly there and back or spending 16 hours and 87 euro return to get the bus/ferry, which I did choose to take To make sure I wouldn't lose my mind on the bus cause I knew my phone wasn't going to live until I got to the ferry nevermind London so I packed a bag to prepare which included 2 books (how to be Parisian and 4 glamour magazines 1 colouring book 1 box of pencils 1 pencil sharpener 1 copybook I use to scrapbook/doodle 1 pink prittstick 2 big ass safety pins 4 hair slides
2 nail varnishes
1 nail buffer 1 cell charger 1 small bottle of coke (to mix with the bourbon) An amount of bourbon 2 packets of crackers 1 container of soft cheese 2 big honeycomb chocolate bars 2 wallets (1 for euro 1 for sterling) 2 pairs of sunglasses 1 iPhone plus 1 pair of earphones 1 waterbottle There absolutely could have been more things but I literally cannot remember it's amazing I was even able to carry everything without killing anyone. The journey over was fine and uneventful thankfully I'm not the best traveller in the world really too much heat while I'm sitting or a smell can give me an awful heading with the occasional dry heave (not a pretty picture I know) I went to Leon for breakfast cause I like to go I places I still haven't been to in London which is hard to believe as I've been there six times in the last 18 months it was slightly disappointing really (Not enough salmon or avocado with the poached egg) best place for a good breakfast that doesn't cost too much for me is forever pain au quoident ommm.

My new housemate is from Argentina and has never been to London so I spent my first three hours taking photos of the London eye and westminster and Trafalgar Square, it felt nice to feel like I was showing someone around London, through snapchat. I also headed to Westminster to see the statues of Churchill and Lincoln that I haven't seen before. I wanted to head into the Chapel but I had to meet my dad so still there are more things in London I haven't done which is always good to know.













After meeting my dad and insuring he was fine and was actually going to go to work for a couple of hours I arranged to meet with my friend in Hampsted. We had coffee and walked around admiring the houses and realising this area is like living in the english country town. We also saw Dynamo, my friend didn't know who he was but I did and thats the most important thing. My two aunts lived in London in the 80s quite close to where my dad lives now. Their local pub is now dads local Indian, which is funnier when you learn my dad considers peppers spicy and wouldnt have a lasange or a pasta dish that included peppers. After the dinner we walked around the area and dad showed me the local Hindu Temple. In all my travels I don't think I've ever seen one and I've certainly never been in one, and I wasn't expecting to be allowed in as I was wearing a dress that showed my knees, but dad went in and asked and they told us the only rule was we had to take off our shoes. We got a lovely tour of the place. Another thing ticked off my list.





I have quite few friends in London,one who has always been in Ireland every single time I was in London, but not this time!! I was so excited. My dad and I headed to Westfield to meet her and it was lovely to catch up, thankfully dad went to the bathroom so I was able to get ALL the gossip! ha. After that giggly meeting dad and I headed to Ealing, dad had a thing to do and halfway through we headed to Bills, one of the few goals I had for this trip was to head to a Bills I didn't care which one or with one I just needed to get to one FINALLY. I had the mac and cheese and kale fries.om. I also saw Danny Cipriani, the rugby player, who def saw me staring.............After getting caught on the bus for over an hour and then the bus stopping and telling everyone to get off, it turned out we were right beside The London Designer Outlet, where I ended up buying three bars of Lindt Chocolate, and a new pair of shoes for mother. I think you have to be in a certain mind set to outlet shop and I was not in that mood for that.










On my last day I was able to meet my friend. We headed to oxford street, got traumatised by the primark on said street and headed to Bella Italia for a calzone and a chat with niamh and another friend who had come to london for the day from Reading. I was having a great aul time until I realised that I would also have to HEAD HOME ON A BUS AND A FERRY FOR 15 HOURS. I enjoyed my time in London as normal, and as normal I was fairly tired so the thoughts were not good as I headed unto the bus. After a nap, the bus driver stopped the bus (to where I still do not know, it was england but where in england no idea where) and i had a Krispy Kreme Doughnut and a coffee which helped

London Photo Diary

In my last post it all went fairly deep so to lighten the mood here's some photos of my trip to London.

First thing I did (after having my Breakfast at La Pain Quotidien at Embankment) was head to the Guy Bourdin Exhibition at Somerset House. 9 Pounds well spent. Such amazing photography for ads and editorials. Making myself feel all cultured altogether. 

 It felt like an age since I went to Camden, it's changed since I've been there, not only because of the addition of the Amy Winehouse. I had coffee from a stand that was roasting the coffee beans on a little frying pan at the stand, amazing stuff!

I didn't do much the thursday, had crepes, and hung out with my friend G before he left to go home. Seeing how the Thursday was Chinese New Year my dad and I headed to China town and had duck and it was only lovely. After dinner as my head was not in a good way, I was convinced to go to 50 Shades of Grey which cheered me up cause I laughed at the entire first scene as it was so horrendous but after a day of crying my eyebrows off something as bad as 50 shades of grey was needed 

On Friday we headed to Borough Market, a market I don't think I've even heard of before. Now I love Camden Market but this is beyond lovely for food. I had an Ostrich Burger and it was a unique burger (if a chicken and a pig had a baby and you cooked it, it would taste like ostrich). We hung out at Oxford street, headed to Kiko and started a eyeshadow palette with three shadows (the nine eyeshadow palette was free!!) Then we  had a friend date that included mushroom risotto and watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Saturday morning entailed Stalking back drops of Sherlock. I had been told where Speedys was and the photo on the right, is where Watson met his friend in the park in the first episode (the hotel I worked in during a summer is in the background). I met up with my cousin and my dad and we watched the munster match and ate nandos.

That evening some other friends of Niamh (who I was staying with) came over so we headed to Inamo, off reagants street, I only had a starter but I had a great time playing with the interactive table. We went to Waxy O'Connors (where I found my favourite cork beer) and ended the night in Verve. I don't normally enjoy going out near Leister Square but they were both really enjoyable!

That was my trip, I've been told by two people in three days that I need to move there, but until I do I'll just continue to visit and drink in all I can while I'm there

An Open Letter to G

G, what can I say, it takes a lot to cry my eyebrows off,  but there I was watching 50 shades of grey and not because the opening scene was one of the most awkward things I've ever seen (it definitely did not help the situation though) 

I've known you a long time, I'm not sure how I feel about fate, and all that jazz, but you moving rooms and giving me a heart attack about my brothers card, still makes me laugh to this day. We both seemed to move into that room that night, drinking, smoking and watching terrible cartoons. I never thought I'd have to explain what 'ballsack' meant, but there we go. I'd never had an experience like the one I had with you, not just physical but the feeling you get when you lie by someone saying nothing and knowing that person is just as happy. Even though we both knew it always not right and dark but we still carried on.

Every time I planned on going to London you were at the forefront of my mind. To this day I am still not over the fact that we both  thought the other stood them up, and that we both decided to be stubborn enough not to contact the other to see what happened for a year. There's not many people with whom I'd rather just hang out with in a room in London rather than see anything with than you, though I do treasure our one date we had.

Now, well in three weeks, as I have done time and time again, you are leaving. But unlike me London has lost the charm for you and you are in no rush to come back, and that's obviously fine, four continuous years away from everything, doing shifts and not even coming close to an oven would take its toll on anyone, you have your responsibilities at home and you've had promises made to you and made by you, you can only hang around for so long. Seeing you this week, getting ready to go, I don't know, I  thought you'd be happier, the argument you had that day and the day before would put anyone in a bad mood, but at one stage I almost felt  you wanted me to tell you to just run away with me, but my life is not a David Nicholls novel, this is not One Day or The Notebook, life doesn't work like that.

Saying  that at our last meeting there you seemed even more quiet, with much more on your mind than normal, feelings you had previously had bubbled up ten fold. you regret what you did with me and to me, forgetting I made the choices of my own accord, I am not and was never a child being easily led, no matter what you or my parents think. I chose you 4 years ago and all those times I visited, I would be a ball of nerves going to see you, but it was always so natural and lovely and why would I  chose to visit you if I didn't think you were good and loving and kind. You helped me in the last four years figure our who I am and I don't know who I'd be if it wasn't for you and for you to question how good you are as a person because of me hurts a lot, I am no ones mistake, to be regretted I am much better than than and I deserve more than that. You deserve more too. I would never warn anyone against you, you helped make me feel that someone could would want me, not just as a casual thing, but someone that wants to know me, like to know what I'm thinking by looking at me.

I might actually never see you again, never mind anything else, that hurts my absolute soul, deep down, but I just  want you to be so happy at home, and have an abundance of children, All things in life happen for a reason and I'm very happy our paths crossed in that hotel in the city of London, I wish you the best of everything, I only wish I had been brave enough to have said this to you, and  even to admit some things I've denied for so long, all I can say is thank you and I love you. That's it, I love you.


Dear everyone or anyone that reads this. For the love of yourself, tell people how you feel about them. Because of my fear  of telling someone how I felt I have basically stunted my loving growth, This is not Gs doing but my own. I have to sit in my room trying to figure out through all my tears what I feel and try and release these feelings and emotions through this medium because I am afraid. This is not how its supposed to be done. Whats the worst that can happen?? Please learn from my mistakes. If you  managed to read this whole thing, know I appreciate it. I needed to get this out of my body so I wouldn't start crying at work or in public, which does happen anyway and it might still happen. The world is for loving, love and know I Love you.

I keep dancing on my own

Ok first of all I do have friends I promise! Secondly I am not writing this for sympathy or anything like that again I promise

Ok so.... I have friends (again I promise) who point blank refuse to go to the cinema alone, to sit in the dark and not speak to anyone while being entertained by a big ass screen that's taking all your attention anyway. This has always perplexed me tbh. Anna kendrick said in a magazine (I think it's Cosmo) that she has no problem with going to the cinema alone, and I am the same absolutely. Let me tell you a secret no one cares if you arrive at the cinema on your own, if they are spending their time concentrating on you and not on the film well there's a pretty big issue with the film It surprises people that I'm doing things alone. I was in a taxi last week heading to Des Bishop in the Everyman and you could hear the surprise and sympathy in the taximans voice when I said I wasn't meeting anyone there (coming home is very funny by the way, there is talks about him doing another gig in March next year with the same material) I think or at least I think I think that by spending time on your own you really get to know yourself, if you don't know yourself properly how will anyone else get to know you

When I was a teenager I was always afraid my wanting to hang out with my friends was somehow inconveniencing them, I always felt I was the one asking to do things and meet up and if I didn't get a text near to the time of the hanging out the other person didn't really want to do the thing so I would not push it.

Even as an "adult" I found myself asking if anyone wanted to do something by putting a question up in Facebook, often times deleting it as no one would reply to the status and that wasn't helping with my thoughts of inconveniencing people

So I started doing things on my own going to places and experiencing things. On occasion my friends do these things with me but I am now fine with doing things alone

I started this when I was about 17
This wasn't even my idea actually, it was my aunts. The summer before I'd had an awful boring time so I had decided i wouldn't let that happen again. I happened to be visiting some family and my aunt
recommended I go to German college for a few weeks to prepare me for the leaving cert (for you Irish people German college is just like Irish college and for non Irish people, Irish/German college is a thing you go to in the summer continuously for three weeks where you only speak that language. You have classes and play sports and do other activities, and no English speaking is allowed). I jumped at the chance to be doing something for three whole weeks and signed up straight away. I was a bit nervous but a girl who i was in primary school with was there and everyone there was friendly out. It was a tough few weeks but I got through it and had friends in no time really.



The next big thing was college.
I didn't even know where Dundalk was when I accepted the place, I just so wanted to get a place I jumped at the chance to go to the other side of the country ( I realise Ireland is small but it's still the other side of the country!) i went to a town I didn't know into an apartment with people I didn't  know and into a college where there was one other chap from my town who has been told to look out for me. Again it was daunting to go there and do things but it was also such an adventure, heading out for
a Bacardi breezer on a Monday with a group of people who didn't know you but were nice enough to include you is such a nice thing to happen to you, with sugary alcohol in me I could talk away to anyone and have a giggle dancing away with my new friends

The february of first year I was busy making plans for the summer. I had gotten a ticket for oxygen (the festival, it was still cool in 2009) and then out of the blue my dad calls me and tells me he thinks it would be a good idea to go on a J1 and stay with my aunt in Santa Barbara (A J1 is a visa Irish students can get to go the US from the end of May until early September). This announcement kinda startled me, as this idea seemed to come from no where and I knew people usually went on J1s in fairly big groups with 12 people staying in a one bedroom apartment and never stayed with their aunts. But off I went and organised this visa and in no time (via London San Francisco and LAX) I was in Santa Barbara. This was a new challenge as I had to get a job and didn't have an immediate way to make friends like the way I had in German college and actual college. My aunt basically arranged a play date for me with her friends niece who was there from Canada for the summer, which was totally handy really. After about 2 weeks I had a job in an Irish bar, after telling the manager I was going to stalk him until he gave me a job, true story...
He also hired another Irish girl who actually was there with friends and there was a good few people staying in hers, she invited me over a few times and I hung out with my arranged friend, and got friendly with the other staff at the bar, we went for a thank god the World Cup is over party in a proper American bowling alley where they routinely held big lebowski parties.

There was  a few time when I wanted to see other parts of California, kinda like an itch and I knew the people I knew would be working so I would go on my own. On one occasion I went to San Francisco which entails getting on a bus at midnight and waking up at 8 am in the city so that was cool. I really saw the benefits of traveling alone there, for example to walk from my hostel to the Golden Gate Bridge, walking the Golden Gate Bridge and returning to the hostel took an honest to god 6 hours I am not even kidding! I think if I had attempted this with someone else someone would have been killed. Obviously we could have taken a bus but instead I walked and walked and had a caricature drawn saw a lady gaga made from skittles, got an in and out burger, left said caricature at the counter, retrieved said picture and then once I arrived at the hostel while stretching my legs and making coffee got talking to two Australians and ended up having dinner with them and drinking captain Morgans till all hours, I just don't feel that would have happened if I had brought someone else along.

The following summer my dad (who clearly has great suggestions) suggested I come to London for that summer, he had a friend who would be able to get me a job in a hotel with accommodation and two meals a day (actually possibly it was three but I never was awake for breakfast). The brilliant thing with this job was there was people who I now lived with who were all not from England and were also looking for friends there was French Spanish Brazilian, Hungarian Australian and they were nearly all amazing. Within two days of arriving I was invited to go see Stonehenge with a group of them and off we went, the only problem being one of the Australians misheard my name and what he heard became the nickname I was stuck with for the summer (let's say it rhymes with lympho....)

I spent a good amount of time on my own also though. One night after reading Michael Caines book all night I knew I wouldn't be getting any sleep so went for a walk at five am. If you ever wanted to see Trafalgar Square empty the time to go is five am.  We spend the summer staying up all hours learning bits and pieces of other languages and while watching drawn together (an 18+ cartoon) I had to explain the term ballsack to one of my foreign friends. Other than the riots I had just an amazing time and I thoroughly recommend all people to spend a summer in a big city which does not sleep!

Since that summer there hasn't been a massive change of scenery which has led me to go off and do my own thing it's been more little things

Last year I went to Paris on my own. I spent a good three hours locating Coco Chanels original shop/ apartment and after proving I knew a bit about Chanel to the security man (she had this apartment but slept in the Ritz every night FYI) he allowed me in to see the mirrored staircase where an American lady and I had a fan girl moment, people had warned me about French people, but other than a bit of catcalling in French outside train stations (at least I think it was catcalls, my French is non existent) I had no problems whatsoever

I went to my first comedy show (mark Dolan) and first concert (Biffy Clyro) alone.
I've been out drinking in London and cork on my own.

Last week when I wrote about my trip to cobh and to gone girl (yes alone) I failed to mention a small issue that occurred that evening. I was in the first pub having a desperado (yum), it was about 9pm and I realised the only people I had spoken to were people who were working and therefore had to speak to me (I.e the lady I bought my tickets from, who I ordered my latte, cinema tickets and beer from) and I was hit with a dark cloud, I got upset over the fact that I had enjoyed the trip with no one there was no one who I could talk about gone girl with or who could admire Cobh with, I convinced myself in those three minutes that no one wanted to spend time with me anyway and i did get a bit upset with this thought. I did get over it and eventually went to a pub where I had a grand chat with some people about music and I had a dance with a chap and ended up kissing someone at the end of the night who told me they were glad they met me, that still doesn't take from the fact that as much as I enjoy doing things I can get lonely. I can talk to anyone (not tooting my own horn or anything but I can) but sometimes I've no desire to talk to people and sometimes people just don't want to talk to me and that's ok. Feeling lonely is ok, I wouldn't like to feel it frequently if I'm honest. After the mini crisis I made it a mini mission to
reconnect to a few people so I don't have to be alone if I don't want to. I'm proud my friends are off having adventures in Dublin and London and it seems to be difficult to meet new people to chat with when you reach your 20s, this is something i know I have to work on, but I know I can keep myself company when needs be.

Adventures in London

Yes ok I have an addiction, well several really, but my biggest addiction is London, every few months I go into extreme withdrawal and need and I mean NEED to get some London air in my lungs and see some fabulously urbany dressed people. I 100% live in the wrong place.

Day One: Thank god for nice taxi men. Of course I was too excited to sleep the night before (I am such a child) so I snoozed by 4:10am alarm a few times. Thankfully my taximan
woke me up and I was in the airport and more importantly the bar of the airport in plenty time. There is something kinda funny at being able to order an Irish coffee at 5;30am, not a massive fan of that drink but I couldn't decide between a coffee or an alcoholic drink so I got both.
There was no sleep in the plane at all at all, so when I got into The city (via the Stansted express) I went straight to Brunswich Shopping centre (off Russell Square) for what else but A Giraffe Breakfast Burrito, I was wide awake then!! I met up with an old work friend, whom I was mad to bring to the National Art Museum, but he was more in the mood for the cinema. I have to admit I was somewhat reluctant until I got into the Imax cinema in Leister Square which has a screen size of 26X20 METRES, just imagine Scarlett Johansons face on that (We saw Lucy, it is unlike anything Ive seen before, holy  moley!!) After coming out of the cinema (at like 2pm, I was utterly disoriented by the light) the tiredness did hit me, so there was very very little done until 5 when I headed to Clapam to Bodean's BBQ for a good aul Pulled Pork Sandwich and White Russian with my Dad. 





















Day Two; The main main reason for my trip was because it was my BFFs birthday and my present (other than my Presence of course) was to bring her to Les Miserables, I've wanted to see it since I was about 14, I've never even seen the whole movie cause I wanted to see it live the first time round. Prior to going there we ventured into Westfield in Stratford. My housemate recently went to London too, and she booked in a bag coming home, for the shopping. Thank god I didn't think of that cause I would have bought a Lot more, their Primark was amazing, We didn't see one third of the place really, we ate at , Strada such a lovely Italian.
So off we head to Les Mis, we were fairly high up (upper Circle E24 to be exact). it had a Resticed view and by Resticted we could see about 97% of the stage and you could always hear what was going on,so we didn't mind. I was pretty sure I was going to cry, I knew it was depressing (its called Les Miserabes for a reason) but I was doing well, untiil the last 5 minutes, when I could hear someone else BAWLING crying and I lost it a small bit, but at least I wasn't loud. When I lived in London, when I was waiting for my friends to finish work (I always finished 2 hours before them) I'd often head to Leister/Piccadilly and watch people, this trip I did again, I'm so unused to seeing so many people just walking along, chatting, eating so late and its so fun to watch. My friend and I had a chat with a Policeman about drinking in public in London ( as you do) and got chatting to a Turkish man who had moved to england two days prior.

Day Three; My friend has lived in London for five months, and had yet to venture into the Portabello Market, that all changed Saturday! Just going there to see everything is amazing, Old furs, sports equipment, WW2 stuff (Gas masks freak me out ever since I saw that episode of Doctor who) and food SO MUCH FOOD. We grabbed some Falafel wraps which were so so good, In Ireland there's this sport called Hurling, one of the most fast land games there is, and every year is a final, which happened to be when I was in London. So I met my dad and we watched the Hurling together for the first time in years actually. The team I didn't want to win, won, but it was a good afternoon all the same.

The last time I went out in London, we got talking to some of those Reps in Leister square, who got us to buy some tickets to some clubs or whatever, one we couldnt even find and we ended up staying in one place which was ok, wouldnt say it was worth the money we paid for the tickets, so this time we decided to go to one place and just stay there. We decided on the Zoo Bar, which btw is full of Spaniards, which is a good/bad thing, depends on your opinion on Spaniards. We had a bit of a jig and a beverage or two and felt much less had than last time.

Day Four

My real last day in London. In the morning I headed to Hyde Park, went to speakers corner and learned how and why the Economy is going to go bust in the next five years. There had been talk of cycling but I was so tired from everything that idea went onto the list of things I'm going to do next time I'm there, yes there is an actual list already. I met my dad once more for some chinese in Chinatown, where I heard a Chinese version of 'Let it Go' which put me in a great mood altogether. I headed back to Hyde Park and met up with my friends again and we just strolled along Picadilly Road, past the Ritz and fancy cake shops and it was so nice. I've found there's always new things to do in London, you could have an interesting day even if its just walking along a particular road, imagining spending stupid money on afternoon tea.

I already can't wait to go back, some friends who live there happened to be in Ireland so I have to go again to see them, and Abbey Road, and Wicked.........

London and I: Part 1

Yesterday I came back from my 4th trip to London since 2011 The length of these trips has varied from 3 days to 10 weeks, I worked in a bar in a hotel 3 years ago, during the riots actually, it was an interesting time in London but I digress. The night before last I was walking along where I used to live and I really thought about the time I was in the city as a 20 year old and what I learned from my time there and why I adore that place so much that I decided half way through my trip I was going to visit again in September.

The best part of the job has to be that the company provided board and meals for the staff, but especially the rooms, they were basic but who gives a damn when you're in London?? This way I was able to meet a group of people from all over the place, there was French, Hungarian, Australian, English, another Irish girl, Brazilian, Spanish really everywhere, and they were mostly so lovely, I had met one Hungarian on a Wednesday and the next day he invited me on a roadtrip to Stonehenge with 3 Australians, a Spaniard and a French man, it was on this trip where my nickname emerged for that summer, as one of the ozzies misheard Niamh.......as a word that rhymes with Bympho........... oh dear...

On my days off I could find myself anywhere, I once couldn't sleep so went for a walk to buckingham palace at five in the morning  and it was like being in an apocalyptic movie or something the sun was coming up but there was no one around it was so quiet and unnatural Ihad a friend from home who was in London at the same time and we had a date night every Sunday and we ended up at different markets and exhibitions and eating lists of weird and wonderful foods, if you go to Camden or any of  the foodmarkets  and don't have a crocodile burger or some other oddball food you are missing out in my opinion!

What I enjoyed the most I think was the fact that everyone was equal to everyone else. Some of us had degrees in something or other, some were on the way to getting them, some were finished with years, it meant nothing, the thing that was important was that we were all travelers getting out of home and seeing what was out there in the world, sharing themselves and their stories and everything they had basically to help their fellow travelers, I've seen this when staying in hostels over the years too.

One of the highlights of that trip was I met someone, it took 20 years to find someone who I didn't annoy and scare away, I was always the weird one in school and in college I didn't really want anyone like that anyway, not that there was a line of suitors knocking on my door anyway, but with him the timing seemed so good, I had made a card for my brother where I had happy birthday written in about 10 languages, and I asked him to write it in his, and the rest was history(vomit) from 2am till 4 pm almost everyday we were together watching drawn together or Big Bang theory just chilling out with the rest of our workmates or just together, me forever helping him with his English,

We made promises to see each other as I headed to the station to fly home to repeat an exam, but because of a mixture of lack of passports, and a muddle of misunderstandings on both our parts (we mixed up a meeting point when I was in London last and we both believed the other had strood the other up) but finally met up this past weekend in his place, just reminiscing about that summer acting like two old people (I now have a much better understanding on why reminiscing is so important)
It was so surreal seeing him again after all the time had passed and all the things I thought I'd say to him if I did ever see him again . The relationship of course was complicated and  at twice one of the two of us ended it but  Something else I discovered that loneliness and lonely people do things to a person that you would not expect and that if perhaps the person was not so lonely what would have
happened.

I think I can safely say London changed me, I like to think for the better I discovered  people can like me for me craziness and hyperness. I discovered not everyone is going to like you and you can't do anything about it but you are going to be around them and you just have to find a way to deal with it, I discovered good people can do things that are  not so good but they still are good people even so. I found out i could hang out on my own and be completely  content and I discover how real and saddening the feeling of loneliness can be and unexpected things come from it.