I know I'm around three weeks early with this, but I've decided to outline my resolutions for the New Year.
1. Manage my money better. I received the grant from the Government for the first year of my college career, three payments of 2,000 euros, and somehow I've spend 1,700 of the first payment already. I really have no idea how, but I'm definitely watching what I spend from now on.
2. Keep on top of college work. It's a bit late for this semester (we finish on Friday), but next semester I'm definitely keeping up with the workload. Right now I've got a 2,000 word essay to do as well as four exams to study for, one of those exams I have no notes or materials to study so it's time to call in some favours!
3. Visit Europe. Anywhere in Europe, I just wanna get off this island in the summertime! I had plans to spend four months travelling across Europe, but a combination of financial constraints, a lack of enthusiasm among friends and time constraints, I'm reducing it to one month. It'll probably be a weekend in Prague by the time summer comes around!
4. Try and spend more time with family. Especially the older ones. They're not gonna be around forever.
5. Keep in touch with everyone. It's the worst feeling in the world to meet up with someone you haven't spoken to in months only to realise that you've become strangers.
Well, that's my five resolutions for 2008, I have no doubt that I will not stick to any of them and I will probably add to them by the time 2008 actually comes along. But it's nice to have goals, if only to fail in achieving them. What's your aims for '08? Lemme know!
Tuesday 11 December 2007
Sunday 9 December 2007
Been a while...
A long, long while! 6 months since my last post, give or take a few days... Blogging isn't really something that stuck with me, I was hoping to make it a ritual and it never really worked, because summer (and the lack of an internet connection) crept up verrry quickly!
Well, I'll give you a little update. Six months ago I was in Dublin, sitting the Leaving Certificate for the second year in a row because I had messed up first time and failed to get the course I wanted. Well, same happened again, and I had to take my second choice which was here, in Galway City on the west coast of Ireland. I'm doing an Arts course, which has a lot of subjects to choose from, and I'm doing History, English, Classical Civilisations and Celtic Civilisation. The first two are pretty good, but Classics and Celtic Civ have disappointed me because we're not doing as much history as I thought we would be doing!
So yea, I came to Galway for university, whereas my friends (who I mentioned in my last post way back when, mean a lot to me), ended up in Dublin. Irony eh? I'm still missing them hugely, but the fun of living on my own, the excitement of college life has eased the pain somewhat. I still do miss them most of the time, but sometimes, when you're out for a few drinks and end up spending the night in some random house with people you met an hour before, you forget just what it was you were bummed out about. But then you've got moments like now, at ten past 6 in the morning, when you can't sleep because you're sleeping pattern has become messed up, that you miss the way things used to be.
The responsibility that college brings is a bit of a bummer as well. Having to pay rent, electricity, food... having to get yourself up in the morning (which is the one I find particularly irksome), as well as having to motivate yourself to do the work. Those last two are particularly hard for me, because I'm an easy, laidback, happy-go-lucky kinda guy, and despite having a 2000 word essay due for Tuesday I'm lying here thinking about next week when all my exams are done and I get home for Christmas. I'm not thinking about starting the essay, or thinking about the structure at least, I'm thinking, yes, a cup of tea in front of the fire with the Christmas tree in the corner, watching some Christmas films - like Monsters Inc. or LotR or Star Wars. I realise these aren't exactly classic Christmas films, but they are for me because I've received them as presents at one stage and of course, watched them instantly and incessantly!
So yea, that's the way it is for me now. In the past two years I've moved from my home in Donegal to Dublin, where I thought I'd spend the rest of my educational life, but ended up here, in Galway, which is barely a city in my eyes as I've been to London and after London, Dublin is barely a city. Things never really turn out like you plan to, and I guess that's what's fascinating about life. You never really know what's around the corner, eh?
Well, I'll give you a little update. Six months ago I was in Dublin, sitting the Leaving Certificate for the second year in a row because I had messed up first time and failed to get the course I wanted. Well, same happened again, and I had to take my second choice which was here, in Galway City on the west coast of Ireland. I'm doing an Arts course, which has a lot of subjects to choose from, and I'm doing History, English, Classical Civilisations and Celtic Civilisation. The first two are pretty good, but Classics and Celtic Civ have disappointed me because we're not doing as much history as I thought we would be doing!
So yea, I came to Galway for university, whereas my friends (who I mentioned in my last post way back when, mean a lot to me), ended up in Dublin. Irony eh? I'm still missing them hugely, but the fun of living on my own, the excitement of college life has eased the pain somewhat. I still do miss them most of the time, but sometimes, when you're out for a few drinks and end up spending the night in some random house with people you met an hour before, you forget just what it was you were bummed out about. But then you've got moments like now, at ten past 6 in the morning, when you can't sleep because you're sleeping pattern has become messed up, that you miss the way things used to be.
The responsibility that college brings is a bit of a bummer as well. Having to pay rent, electricity, food... having to get yourself up in the morning (which is the one I find particularly irksome), as well as having to motivate yourself to do the work. Those last two are particularly hard for me, because I'm an easy, laidback, happy-go-lucky kinda guy, and despite having a 2000 word essay due for Tuesday I'm lying here thinking about next week when all my exams are done and I get home for Christmas. I'm not thinking about starting the essay, or thinking about the structure at least, I'm thinking, yes, a cup of tea in front of the fire with the Christmas tree in the corner, watching some Christmas films - like Monsters Inc. or LotR or Star Wars. I realise these aren't exactly classic Christmas films, but they are for me because I've received them as presents at one stage and of course, watched them instantly and incessantly!
So yea, that's the way it is for me now. In the past two years I've moved from my home in Donegal to Dublin, where I thought I'd spend the rest of my educational life, but ended up here, in Galway, which is barely a city in my eyes as I've been to London and after London, Dublin is barely a city. Things never really turn out like you plan to, and I guess that's what's fascinating about life. You never really know what's around the corner, eh?
Friday 18 May 2007
F.R.I.E.N.D.S - and what they mean to me
When you're eighteen years old, friends are a big thing. They're pretty much your whole world at my age, and to be without your friends is like losing a part of yourself. These are the people that you have chosen to be your family in life - you've spent five days a week with them for five years (in the Irish education system anyway) and they are your everything.
So it's tough to lose them. It's tough to live in a city a hundred miles away. It's tough to get home once every two or three months for a brief weekend where quality time is tough to come by because the weekend is when most of them take a break from eachother. Toughest of all, for me, is to log on to bebo or myspace or whatever and see photos going up of their last days at school together. They look so happy, or sad, but they're all there. Every last one of the people that I love. And I'm not there, for whatever reasons that I'm not gonna go into right now.
I miss them more than they probably know. But, all going well, every last one of them will be here, at college. And then, I'll make up for this year that I've lost. The loneliest year of my life.
So it's tough to lose them. It's tough to live in a city a hundred miles away. It's tough to get home once every two or three months for a brief weekend where quality time is tough to come by because the weekend is when most of them take a break from eachother. Toughest of all, for me, is to log on to bebo or myspace or whatever and see photos going up of their last days at school together. They look so happy, or sad, but they're all there. Every last one of the people that I love. And I'm not there, for whatever reasons that I'm not gonna go into right now.
I miss them more than they probably know. But, all going well, every last one of them will be here, at college. And then, I'll make up for this year that I've lost. The loneliest year of my life.
Heart, Flutter, Break.
It's all the same,
It's all the same,
"Everything's gonna be ok."
It's all the same,
It's all the same,
No, you never change,
You just keep telling me it'll be ok.
I asked what's wrong,
I know there's something wrong,
But you don't wanna talk about it.
You just look away,
Avert your gaze,
Are you scared of what you might see in my face?
It's all the same,
You hope that nothing's changed,
But darling everything is different now.
You can't play it down,
No big deal.
Don't you know how I feel?
I love you so,
Oh don't you know?
I can't stop thinking about you.
But it's all the same,
Heart, flutter. Break.
Walk away, it's easy to do.
Walk away, like you always do.
Walk away, it's just like you...
These are lyrics I've made up, obviously hard to critique a song when you can't hear the melody or music, but lyrics are important to me, it's why I love Bob Dylan!
Monday 5 March 2007
Hmm...
I'm feeling music tonight. Not that there's ever a time that I don't feel music, but right now, I'm really feeling music, ya dig? These days I'm totally addicted to listening to Kings of Leon, I haven't stopped listening to their new song on their myspace, and I've rediscovered the genius of the first two albums.
They were announced for the Oxegen line-up, which is kinda like Ireland's answer to Glastonbury or the Reading festival. There's a pretty damn good line-up this year, there's like seven bands I wanna see: Kings of Leon, Bloc Party, Babyshambles, Arcade Fire, Snow Patrol, Muse and The Fratellis. Apart from that I was kinda disappointed with the line-up seeing as The Killers are headlining the second day. Two reasons I'm disappointed there: I don't really like the Killers and even if I did, I don't think they're a headline act. Like I love Snow Patrol but they shouldn't be headlining the Saturday, they're not big enough.
But it's all irrelevant anyhow because concert prices in Ireland are RIDICULOUS! A 2-day camping ticket cost €200 this year, which is wup 40 from last year which was up 40 from the year before! Not only that, I mean 200 isn't too bad for a festival, but Roger Waters is performing Dark Side of the Moon and I'd say the only reason it isn't sold out yet is because the tickets cost €100. That's right. 100 euro. For ONE show. I mean I read somewhere that the same concert in the UK was priced at like £40?! I'm not sure but I mean if thats true, £40 exchanges into say, €30. Which is €70 cheaper!
I don't know whether its the Government being greedy bastards or what, because I doubt that artists decide to take the piss outta the Irish market. But its ridiculous! Although even if Oxegen tickets were cheaper I probably wouldn't have been able to go - the festival sold out in an hour and ten minutes. That's what I call popularity!
They were announced for the Oxegen line-up, which is kinda like Ireland's answer to Glastonbury or the Reading festival. There's a pretty damn good line-up this year, there's like seven bands I wanna see: Kings of Leon, Bloc Party, Babyshambles, Arcade Fire, Snow Patrol, Muse and The Fratellis. Apart from that I was kinda disappointed with the line-up seeing as The Killers are headlining the second day. Two reasons I'm disappointed there: I don't really like the Killers and even if I did, I don't think they're a headline act. Like I love Snow Patrol but they shouldn't be headlining the Saturday, they're not big enough.
But it's all irrelevant anyhow because concert prices in Ireland are RIDICULOUS! A 2-day camping ticket cost €200 this year, which is wup 40 from last year which was up 40 from the year before! Not only that, I mean 200 isn't too bad for a festival, but Roger Waters is performing Dark Side of the Moon and I'd say the only reason it isn't sold out yet is because the tickets cost €100. That's right. 100 euro. For ONE show. I mean I read somewhere that the same concert in the UK was priced at like £40?! I'm not sure but I mean if thats true, £40 exchanges into say, €30. Which is €70 cheaper!
I don't know whether its the Government being greedy bastards or what, because I doubt that artists decide to take the piss outta the Irish market. But its ridiculous! Although even if Oxegen tickets were cheaper I probably wouldn't have been able to go - the festival sold out in an hour and ten minutes. That's what I call popularity!
Monday 26 February 2007
Five Things You May Not Know About Me
1. I write songs. Or attempt to anyway. I think, overall, I've got about 12 or 13 songs at the moment, but I'd only have the guts to perform maybe two or three of them for VERY close friends. It's the melodies you see, I don't like the melodies I make up. The lyrics and the guitar I'm happy with, but I suck at melodies! Oh yea, I also play guitar, or should that be number two?!
2. I am extremely de-motivated. For example, I have the Leaving Cert in June, the exams you need in order to get into university here in Ireland. I think, there's probably another way in actually. But anyway, I haven't studied one bit. In fact, I have a huuuge amount of homework for school tomorrow and I don't know where to start - basically because I've forgotten what it was we were supposed to do.
3. I am a strong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, since before Roman Abramovich came along! Yea, since I was about 8 I think, although there's incriminating evidence on video of me saying I supported United. But that was before I knew Chelsea existed. Plus kids change who they support all the time! That's my excuse anyway.
4. I am extremely proud to be Irish. We're such a popular little country, and we kicked England's ass at rugby :D
5. I'm free and single, although I really wish I wasn't. I get really lonely in this city (Dublin), of which I'm not a native. I don't really know anyone here, and coming from the country to a jam-packed city is quite a change. I was home for my mid-term and it was like going on holiday, the roads were not filled with traffic, I could not hear planes at night and I was not looking over my shoulder walking down the road. Wish I was home!
---
So there ya have it, five things you probably didn't know about me. At least I wouldn't expect you to, I mean I only made this thing today! Anywho, the aim of this game, is that you put one of these one your own blog! Lemme know if you do!
2. I am extremely de-motivated. For example, I have the Leaving Cert in June, the exams you need in order to get into university here in Ireland. I think, there's probably another way in actually. But anyway, I haven't studied one bit. In fact, I have a huuuge amount of homework for school tomorrow and I don't know where to start - basically because I've forgotten what it was we were supposed to do.
3. I am a strong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, since before Roman Abramovich came along! Yea, since I was about 8 I think, although there's incriminating evidence on video of me saying I supported United. But that was before I knew Chelsea existed. Plus kids change who they support all the time! That's my excuse anyway.
4. I am extremely proud to be Irish. We're such a popular little country, and we kicked England's ass at rugby :D
5. I'm free and single, although I really wish I wasn't. I get really lonely in this city (Dublin), of which I'm not a native. I don't really know anyone here, and coming from the country to a jam-packed city is quite a change. I was home for my mid-term and it was like going on holiday, the roads were not filled with traffic, I could not hear planes at night and I was not looking over my shoulder walking down the road. Wish I was home!
---
So there ya have it, five things you probably didn't know about me. At least I wouldn't expect you to, I mean I only made this thing today! Anywho, the aim of this game, is that you put one of these one your own blog! Lemme know if you do!
Eh... yea!
I'm thinking my page looks kinda bare so I'm filling it up with posts, posts, posts! I have an unbelievable amount of homework to try and get done for tomorrow, but I only have myself to blame because I had all week to do it. If anyone's reading this, I could use some help in writing an English essay in which I "outline a get-rich idea" or something along those lines. I really should check what I'm actually supposed to be doing before I ask for help huh?
I'm gonna leave you with some lyrics from my favourite band at the moment, The Libertines. 'Tis a pity they split, because Dirty Pretty Things and Babyshambles pale in comparison! Anyway, here ya go:
I'm gonna leave you with some lyrics from my favourite band at the moment, The Libertines. 'Tis a pity they split, because Dirty Pretty Things and Babyshambles pale in comparison! Anyway, here ya go:
Time For Heroes
Did you see the stylish kids in the riot?
Shovelled up like muck, set the night on fire
Wombles bleed
Truncheons and shields,
You know I cherish you my love.
But these rumours spread a nasty disease around town
You're caught round the houses with your trousers down
A head rush, and in the bush
You know you I cherish you my love,
Oh how I cherish you my love...
Tell me what can you want now you've got it all?
Your scene is obscene time will strip it away,
A year and a day,
And Bill Bones, Bill Bones knows what I mean
He knows it's eating, it's chewing me up
It's not right for young lungs to be coughing up blood
And it's all, it's all in my hands,
And it's all up the walls.
Ah the stale chips are up and the hope stakes are down
It's all these ignorant faces that bring this town down.
And I sighed, sunken with pride,
And I passed myself down on my knees.
Yes I passed myself down on my knees...
Tell me what can you want now you've got it all?
Your scene is obscene time will strip it away
A year and a day,
And Bill Bones, Bill Bones knows what I mean
He knows there's fewer more distressing sights
Than that of an Englishman in a baseball cap
And we'll die in the class we were born,
That's a class of our own my love.
A class of our own my love...
Ahhh did you see the stylish kids in the riot?
Shovelled up like muck, set the night on fire
Wombles bleed
Truncheons and shields.
You know I cherish you my love.
And I cherish you my love...
Can't Stand Me Now
"I heard that song at the Death Disco,
Starts so fast and ends so slow,
All the time it reminded me of you..."
- The Libertines.
For some reason, I simply cannot stop thinking about this girl. Well ok, there's two girls. One of them lives right here in Dublin, but she has a boyfriend. There's always a catch eh? Well the thing is, she knows how much I like her, and I know that she likes me... and on TOP of that, she told me that her and her so-called boyfriend have an "agreement" where they can be with other people. What kinda relationship is that?! But anyway, my point about her: as great as she is and as much as I want to be with her... I don't think I can simply settle for just once in a while you know? And I hate the idea of her with anyone else as well. So, to be perfectly honest, I have NO clue what I'm gonna do!
And then there's this other girl. She's perfect, like she's actually perfect. She loves all the same music (in fact she got me into the Libertines, which is why that lyric up there has such a significance), she's a great looking girl and she just gets me you know? But - and here's the catch, as always - she lives in London. How crap is that? I messed things up with her as well because I couldn't handle only seeing her once in a while, so I did the manly thing and told her I didn't love her. And I feel terrible for it, not only because it's a horrible thing to say, but because I DO love her.
So yea... how shitty is that? I wish I wasn't so... I duno, messed up I guess. I just wish things could be different.
Teenage Love
I've always wondered what adults think of teenage love. Clearly, I myself am a teenager and believe very much in teenage love, but I wonder if adults sometimes forget what their own teenage years were like? I realise things were a lot different for most parents in their teenage years, but surely the basic things were the same?
In my own personal experience teenage love happens quickly, you don't even realise it's happening until it's gone and your heart has been ripped out of your chest. Before I fell in love I was extremely cynical, for some reason I believed that you cannot fall in love as a teenager, that you haven't experienced enough to know what love really is. But then again, does anyone truly know how to define love? You only know it when you feel it, and when you feel it, nobody can judge whether you are in love or not.
For me, falling in love changed my complete outlook on life. I know that it may sound stupid and perhaps even ridiculous for an outsider reading this, but it did. I was extremely cynical before this, and when I fell in love everything changed. I should really point out that love wasn't returned, not how I wanted it to be returned anyway. And despite feeling extreme pain, my outlook is very optimistic. Perhaps too much so!
Anyway, I guess my point in this blog was to... I dunno, revive teenage memories for some adults who have forgotten what it was like. And to all those cynics out there, teenage love is very much a real thing - be warned, it could creep up on you, or your kids, at any moment. And it'll be the best thing you've ever experienced!
In my own personal experience teenage love happens quickly, you don't even realise it's happening until it's gone and your heart has been ripped out of your chest. Before I fell in love I was extremely cynical, for some reason I believed that you cannot fall in love as a teenager, that you haven't experienced enough to know what love really is. But then again, does anyone truly know how to define love? You only know it when you feel it, and when you feel it, nobody can judge whether you are in love or not.
For me, falling in love changed my complete outlook on life. I know that it may sound stupid and perhaps even ridiculous for an outsider reading this, but it did. I was extremely cynical before this, and when I fell in love everything changed. I should really point out that love wasn't returned, not how I wanted it to be returned anyway. And despite feeling extreme pain, my outlook is very optimistic. Perhaps too much so!
Anyway, I guess my point in this blog was to... I dunno, revive teenage memories for some adults who have forgotten what it was like. And to all those cynics out there, teenage love is very much a real thing - be warned, it could creep up on you, or your kids, at any moment. And it'll be the best thing you've ever experienced!
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