Wednesday 29 June 2016

Edinburgh Escapades. Our Weekend adventure


Up until this year I have never been on a girly holiday and so far this year I've been on two.
This time we decided to head to Edinburgh for the weekend. My friend organised everything and I basically just showed up, which felt weird, but it was great.

On the first night we were booked into the Mercat underground tour which warns not to drink too much before hand which we slightly ignored and had a couple of drinks in an irish bar, had some haggis, had happy birthday sang at me, when it was no where neat my birthday, and there was so many Stags. There was also a tuc shop which sold proper Taytos, chef sauce and Barrys Tea.




So we then headed to the Historic Underground and the alcohol did not help my friends ghost angst, and a great time was had. We then headed to a whisky bar where of course I had some scotch, cause that's just what you do. We were then advised to go up from the market square to some other pubs and we ended up in an Australian pub. Which was full of french men in rugby jerseys which made me unbelievably happy. My friend walked right up to them pointed at our table and convinced them to join us. None of us spoke much french and none of them spoke much English put through drinking, pointing and arm wrestling we all became great friends. I've also been rebaptised NENE as Niamh is unpronounceable. we headed too a late Irish late bar which was covered in GAA and Munster Jerseys, which again made me very happy. We wandered home at 3.30, on a night we were supposed to have a quiet night ha

The second day we did the Sandemans Walking tour with Australian Dave, who showed us loads.The best part in my opinion was all the Harry Potter stuff. He showed us the Cafe where she wrote her first couple of books, he showed us gravestones of names which she used as inspiration and told us which streets and buildings inspired streets and buildings in the book, such as Diagon Alley and Hogwarts.My friend and I went to the cafe, as Harry Potter fans have written all over the bathroom, and I mean ALL OVER the Bathroom.  We headed to the Witchery for lunch, which is a place we were possibly not posh enough for, I had the salmon and angus patty which was needed after the previous night. My friends were very good and we all headed to the pub to watch the Ireland v South Africa match, which we didn't win, but it was fun to sit down after the walk, and for my friends to see me in rugby mode.


That evening we went along to the Edinburgh pub crawl, which covered seven pubs, had great deals and a load of free shots, and good shots, tequila, jager. We met great people from all over and chatted to loads, giving advice about Ireland
even to those not heading there. I did try and shift a gay guy but we'll try and forget that. The other girls headed home, so I headed to Espionage after I was in a place called The Cowshed, which was an odd place, but Espionage was unreal, different floors, with different music, it was a great place to finish my night.

Sunday was a more chilled we went to the Camera Obscura, which was super fun hung over, mind bending altogether, we met with one of the girls from the Pub Crawl in the Cote Restaurant, and we had steak and chips which was just what we all needed. We hung out in the Edinburgh market and then headed to the airport.




There was so much we didn't do, we barely spent any time in the  new city,  one of my friends is convinced she's going to move there. Of course this is the PG13 story of our weekend, what happens in Edinburgh stays in Edinburgh

Sunday 19 June 2016

Living in London 2

I actually cannot believe this is my forth week in London.
There has been great aspects and some not so great aspects.

The not so great aspect includes the fact that I haven't been able to start the job I got,
I'm waiting on a letter from the police still. Thankfully I can start the job as soon as I get the letter and only today I've gotten a job in a pub, in Kentish Town. I did also have a trial in Canary Wharf in the fanciest place I've ever been in, not even worked, been in. It was enjoyable to see the view of the banks, but I know I was slightly over my head, just for small things, like the way the bottle should be facing and where the wine goes if you're eating rather than drinking. etc. It was a cool experience though and I didnt break anything which is a big deal for me.

Now onto the good things, Firstly Tinder. Has anyone heard of Nik Hampshire. While we didnt match up I saw him on it and it did make me far too excited. I have matched up with; a toy designer, a guy who worked on the Harry Potter film, British Soldiers, It's an all round adventure.

My best friend has been here for a couple of years and since I've been here, its been so fun, I've spent most of my weekends with her and sometimes during the week, We haven't lived this close in about 7 years. As much as being long distance besties was great being this close is just the bomb dot com. She'soff to Peru for two weeks on Friday so I can just meet her for coffee wednesday, the wonders of not having to get on a plane  to see your bestie.

So I was scrolling through Facebook as per usual, and I saw someone had visited London and seen a Yayoi Kusama Exhibition, and I decided I'd head to see her stuff too. There were three installation rooms and you have thirty seconds or so in each. the walls are mirrors so the pieces are fairly breathtaking. Also for some reason I've never been in Liberties before,its like being in a clothes shop in a Harry Potter movie. Oh yeah and Im just casually walking up Bond Street and there's an Andt Warhol exhibition on, as you do.

Finally food! My dad and I were in Camden to watch Ireland play football and then play rugby, we lost both lets not mention it. We were walking along a side street near the underground and came across Hook, a fish and chip shop, that started in Dublin, so of course we headed there. I had my first ever fish taco and it was amazing

Thursday 9 June 2016

Lit Nit Wit: The Girl on the Train

The one thing I couldn't bring when I  move over was books which is obviously so devastating.
My friend is basically a librarian, but like a super strict librarian, and I stayed with her my first night in London I saw she had The Girl on the Train and I practically had to beg to convince her to let me borrow it
I finished half of it in one day and was enthralled. And yes I realise its also being made into a movie which is an obvious theme in my reading life.

Rachel is a divorced alcoholic who though she has lost her job travels into London everyday,to keep the secret of her job loss from her falsely nice housemate.

She passes the same houses on the train and imagines their lives, giving them names and jobs and is highly offended when real life disturbs this fantasy.
When it emerges that one of the individuals she watches has gone missing she feels a personal connection to her and the investigation, and could even be an important to the investigation but it emerges her memory may be playing tricks on her and there is also the backdrop of her relationship with her ex husband his new wife and their daughter.

I did guess there would be a twist, did I guess it straight away no, but eventually I worked a bit out so the ultimate twist wasnt the biggest surprise. I'm into these darkish books and if you are too, I'd recommend this. I do love the fact I read a book based in London when I had just moved here, even though the film is in fact based in the US

Friday 3 June 2016

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.