So today was a very sad day for Irish across the nation and loyal sports fans everywhere. Not the loyal Raider-ish fans that will eat a baby's head to show their team commitment, but for the respect of the game loyal kind of fans.
Who knows- maybe the news has spread far and wide back to The States, maybe people care-maybe they don't, but one thing is for sure: Ireland has boycotted anything with the word 'french' in it. Not saying that I completely agree, but this even consists of people throwing out french-rolls, french-fries, french-toast and to make matters worse- hairy Irish men are threatening to boycott Gillette razors--and razors in general!!
Last night was the world qualifying match Irleand vs France game. And with all due respect many people outside of Ireland had their bets and money placed, as not many thought the team in green would come out so strong - but only to be devastated without proper defeat.
The goal which gave France the 2-1 victory was nothing but a double, controlled handball by Thierry Henry only to be assisted in scoring the winning goal. With Ireland shouting at the refs at how blatantly obvious that foul was, it was only later that the Irish in the stands were able to grasp the full situation from the continuous instant replay showing on TVs across the nation.
Now from someone who played and loved the sport for years, yes accidents do happen (even including the off sides that was involved but has taken a backseat to the more obvious foul) but his is NOT the face of someone who created a HUGE error that close within the goal box.
And come to mention it, only later did he come out in saying in an interview that basically yeah he used his hand/arm but he's not the ref, don't blame him. And to think Gillette picked him amongst Tiger Woods and Roger Federer for their $10-20 million campaign, “Gillette Champions.”
Even after Henry admitted to using his tactics, the best part is, to quote the Gillette campaign president, “They were chosen not only for their outstanding sporting performances, but also for their performance off the field, in their charitable actions, support of social causes or their reputations as icons of true sporting values.”
I'm sorry, but pretty sure I got yellow or red carded- not awarded a multi-million dollar campaign.
Gillette, grow some and re-evalute your standards.
Ireland you played amazingly well and I am proud to have called you my home for a year.
READ FROM THE BLEACHER REPORT HERE
LINK TO YOUTUBE VIDEO: NOTE, many have been taken down due to copywrite, but this one.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
One week and counting...
It's officially my last working week here in Ireland! It's hard to believe that the time has flown by as fast as it did. I have begun to pack my things at home, trying to fit 11 months worth of stuff into two suitcases. Where did I accumulate everything?!
There are many things that unfortunately will not be returning home with me, but we are going to have a 'yard sale' in the office for it all. I will be selling my things for under €5 in hopes to find good homes for them and some petty cash in my pocket!
I will spend the last weekend here in Dungarvan and then go up to Dublin on the Sunday, for my flight to Switzerland on Monday morning. Stephanie and I will be spending 5 days with a family friend of mine and then head back to Dublin on Nov 28th. We will have two days to say goodbye to our Irish homeland and then catch a flight on Monday, Nov. 30th, to London. We will be on the same flight to London, and then I'll fly back to LAX and Steph to Canada at the same time from London. But we don't really talk about that part yet!
There are many things that unfortunately will not be returning home with me, but we are going to have a 'yard sale' in the office for it all. I will be selling my things for under €5 in hopes to find good homes for them and some petty cash in my pocket!
I will spend the last weekend here in Dungarvan and then go up to Dublin on the Sunday, for my flight to Switzerland on Monday morning. Stephanie and I will be spending 5 days with a family friend of mine and then head back to Dublin on Nov 28th. We will have two days to say goodbye to our Irish homeland and then catch a flight on Monday, Nov. 30th, to London. We will be on the same flight to London, and then I'll fly back to LAX and Steph to Canada at the same time from London. But we don't really talk about that part yet!
Roadtrip North: Belfast, Northern Ireland
For one of our last weekend's here in Ireland, we took a girls road trip up to Belfast for a quick visit. Jetting off Friday after work from the South of Ireland, we arrived about 5 hours later in the very North. If only California was like this!
We had a little dispute with our accommodation on the first night as they gave our beds away and ended up putting us from a 4-bed room into a 35-bed room!! Luckily there was only 1 other person in the room but it was such a cold room I felt like I was going to freeze! But the next day they were able to move us into a private 4-bed so it ended up working out fine.
We spent most Saturday outdoors and luckily the rain held off for us when we were outside exploring. We drove about an hour outside of Belfast and went to the Giants Causeway, which is an area that was formed from a volcanic eruption and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. The ground is made up of hexagonal-column like structures that can range all the way up to 36 feet in height! The columns are like little stepping stones which lead both into the ocean and then also up along the large, thick cliffs.
Stretching out into the ocean and then along the cliff wall, the Giants Causeway is luminous with jet-black volcanic stone which enters the dark blue Irish sea/Atlantic ocean and highlights the vibrant green of the Irish cliff side.
Then about 10 miles from the cliffs is Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, a heart-thumping thrill when the Irish winds are rapid! This suspension bridge connects the mainland to a tiny little island called Carrick. Even though the bridge is only about 65 feet long and just under 100-feet high, the suspension caused by the enormously strong Irish wind isn't something to underestimate. Normally the bridge is taken down in late October or early November (put up in March-time) because of the high winds and safety factor, but surely enough we just about made it across in mid November.
We arrived to the bridge at 3PM and the sign posted said that it actually closes at 2PM. So we were really sad but decided to walk down anyways because we heard it was a pretty walk down to the area. Well on the way we ran into a group of people who had purchased tickets and on the ticket it said that the bridge remains open an additional 45 minutes after the posted sign. So although we couldn't buy an official ticket, we just scalped three off the guys and then ran down to the bottom of the bridge. Now it's actually a very long walk to the bridge but we made it with enough time and tickets! :)
John, the main watch postman at the bridge, said that they were JUST about to close it but given the number of people out to see it the day we went, they decided to leave it open although according to the safety standards should have closed down. Eeeek! He recommended Stephanie and Sarah to leave their purses with him, as walking across the bridge is VERY windy and many people have lost things. Of course they didn't listen, but I left my camera with him so he could take pictures during the crossing itself- since it's so windy you can't manage to on the actual bridge yourself. So as we walk across the bridge and after 5 steps onto the bridge Stephanie's purse falls to her hand and almost off the bridge completely as she screams, "John was right!! omg he was right!" (A zoomed in picture below shows her purse at the bottom of her hand)
Always listen to the watchman.
It was amazing how windy it can get on there, as the pants of my jeans were pushing me against the far part of the bridge, and I even had to take my glasses off on the way back because they almost fell off. Now, as a person who would skydive and bungy-jump again in an instant- I was amazed at how terrifying that short distance across really was and couldn't help cracking up the whole time!
Once we made it back to Belfast we went for some food and then out for cheap drinks! It's amazing how much cheaper everything is once you leave the Republic of Ireland and get into Sterling/Pounds rather than Euros.
We had a little dispute with our accommodation on the first night as they gave our beds away and ended up putting us from a 4-bed room into a 35-bed room!! Luckily there was only 1 other person in the room but it was such a cold room I felt like I was going to freeze! But the next day they were able to move us into a private 4-bed so it ended up working out fine.We spent most Saturday outdoors and luckily the rain held off for us when we were outside exploring. We drove about an hour outside of Belfast and went to the Giants Causeway, which is an area that was formed from a volcanic eruption and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. The ground is made up of hexagonal-column like structures that can range all the way up to 36 feet in height! The columns are like little stepping stones which lead both into the ocean and then also up along the large, thick cliffs.
Stretching out into the ocean and then along the cliff wall, the Giants Causeway is luminous with jet-black volcanic stone which enters the dark blue Irish sea/Atlantic ocean and highlights the vibrant green of the Irish cliff side.
Then about 10 miles from the cliffs is Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, a heart-thumping thrill when the Irish winds are rapid! This suspension bridge connects the mainland to a tiny little island called Carrick. Even though the bridge is only about 65 feet long and just under 100-feet high, the suspension caused by the enormously strong Irish wind isn't something to underestimate. Normally the bridge is taken down in late October or early November (put up in March-time) because of the high winds and safety factor, but surely enough we just about made it across in mid November.
We arrived to the bridge at 3PM and the sign posted said that it actually closes at 2PM. So we were really sad but decided to walk down anyways because we heard it was a pretty walk down to the area. Well on the way we ran into a group of people who had purchased tickets and on the ticket it said that the bridge remains open an additional 45 minutes after the posted sign. So although we couldn't buy an official ticket, we just scalped three off the guys and then ran down to the bottom of the bridge. Now it's actually a very long walk to the bridge but we made it with enough time and tickets! :)
John, the main watch postman at the bridge, said that they were JUST about to close it but given the number of people out to see it the day we went, they decided to leave it open although according to the safety standards should have closed down. Eeeek! He recommended Stephanie and Sarah to leave their purses with him, as walking across the bridge is VERY windy and many people have lost things. Of course they didn't listen, but I left my camera with him so he could take pictures during the crossing itself- since it's so windy you can't manage to on the actual bridge yourself. So as we walk across the bridge and after 5 steps onto the bridge Stephanie's purse falls to her hand and almost off the bridge completely as she screams, "John was right!! omg he was right!" (A zoomed in picture below shows her purse at the bottom of her hand)
Always listen to the watchman.
It was amazing how windy it can get on there, as the pants of my jeans were pushing me against the far part of the bridge, and I even had to take my glasses off on the way back because they almost fell off. Now, as a person who would skydive and bungy-jump again in an instant- I was amazed at how terrifying that short distance across really was and couldn't help cracking up the whole time!
Once we made it back to Belfast we went for some food and then out for cheap drinks! It's amazing how much cheaper everything is once you leave the Republic of Ireland and get into Sterling/Pounds rather than Euros.Monday, November 16, 2009
Dear Europe, I love you.
So clearly I have lagged in the last few day, which turned to weeks, which turned to months, which now has become way to long. So there have been travels, since the map below which covers Scotland, Germany, Spain (four different locations), Morocco, London, and Northern Ireland/Belfast.
Below will try and become a short recap of each location with some photographs:
Scotland: Never doubt a Scotsman
* Flew over for a weekend and stayed with friends in Glasgow. Met many men in Kilts and asked them the million dollar question, 'So, is it true you really don't wear anything underneath those?' Answer: 'You can't ask, you have to see!' (then flash of an under-kilt....and Yes, it is true.
*Absolutely LOVED the place. Looks a lot like Ireland: green, raining and overcast, but a LOT cheaper and who doesn't love the accents??
*Went to a comedy club and sat near the front- BIG mistake being an American-living in Ireland-visiting Scotland-with a surname for a first name. Mental note to not do that again, but it was good laughs--the parts I were able to understand!
Then not so long ago, Stephanie and I headed throughout Europe for two weeks for Holiday time away from work. With limited amount of money we spent most all our trip COUCH SURFING, which was an amazing experience! If you haven't read much about it, then you create a profile and basically if you are travelling you can stay with locals in their house/spare rooms/floor/couch, and then also put your place up for someone to crash in. We were pretty careful with who we asked to stay with- as you can see if they have prior references, background check or location check. This saved us two weeks of free accommodation which would have been at least two hundred dollars-even at cheap hostels. We made great friends and I highly recommend this to anyone- just make sure to be safe!
Germany: Apfelwein! ('apple-wine')
*We arrived into Frankfurt and spent about 3-4 days here. Our Couch Surfers treated us extremely well and we slept with two kittens in the living room. On the first night there was a going away party for one of their friends who was moving to Berlin- so we went out to a traditional German restaurant and had the local Apfelwein. Steph and I rode on the back of motorcycles through downtown and across the river-bridge to the restaurant, and they were nice enough to point out sightseeing along the way--I think Stephanie had her eyes closed most the time!
*At the restaurant everything was in German, but we got a lesson in German food from everyone eager to teach us. It was great because they wanted to practice English and we wanted to hear German so it was a mix of both all night.
*We were based near the Apfelwein location of Frankfurt, which means they bring out large pitchers called Bembels- which can hold 1 to 2 Litres of Apfelwein- ranging between 5.5% - 7%AbV. Plus one large pitcher can cost as low as $3-5.
Jerez, Spain: Mystery Location
*For those of you who didn't know, Stephanie and I planned a 'mystery location' which meant that we booked flights to Jerez, not knowing where it was at all. We just made sure we could fly into someplace from Germany and out to another place we knew- which was Madrid. We didn't tell anyone were our mystery location was just to make sure it didn't come back to us, and we finally found out once we were on the plane and flipped open the Ryanair magazine.
*We landed in Jerez without a map, accommodation or any point of reference. We got onto the airport bus and when asked were we wanted to go (in Spanish) I answered the best I could and we just went to the city center. From there we went next door to the train station, looked up accommodations and started walking. We found a great little hotel for a great price and then went exploring in Spain.
*Jerez is the wine bodega capital of Spain and from here we went to the Tio Pepe Bodega and a dinner show of Flamenco dancing.
*We feel in love with the $1 Tapas and cervezas.
*Since we were here for about 5 days we decided to take a bus down to the South of Spain, Tarifa, and hop a ferry over to Morocco for the day! The bus down to Tarifa (a small & VERY cute surfing/beach town) was indescribable, as we had NO idea where we were and nearly missed our ferry!!
Morocco: "Who just goes to Africa for the day?"
* From Tarifa the ferry to Tanger is about 35 minutes and since we were worried we would only have a limited amount of time there, we decided to book a day tour which would take us all around. It was a great tour, however the next time I go I would just do it on my own.
*The weather was fabulous and the water was amazingly blue. No wonder the camels were hanging out on the beach!
*There were little side markets and it was a flash back to India for us. Lots of bartering and hassling. But once again I was able to blend in pretty well and when I would answer them in Spanish they started to shout out where they thought I was from or what my ethnicity was: "Moroccan, Spanish, Madrid, Bilbao, Indian, Hungarian, etc etc." I doubt they would ever guess I lived in California, and currently Ireland.
Tarifa: The Ocean Beach of Spain
* The town was very cute and welcoming, but since it was off-season it was very quiet and had we stayed there longer probably would have gone crazy looking for things to do. No wonder everyone goes to Africa.
*But we did stay an extra day to enjoy the beach and sun, before getting back on the bus to Jerez for our flight to Madrid.
Madrid: The capital of Spain
*We went to Madrid for about 4 days and stayed with another great Couch surfer. We were there for the weekend so basically went out until 5 am- normal with the locals, and then spent the day strolling through the park and going in and out of museums.
*It was recommended that we take the train over to Toledo and visit the medival town. And there it is, about 45-minutes/an hour outside of Madrid in the middle of the desert is this VERY hilly town. It's a great day trip, but wear comfortable clothes, shoes and drink LOTS of water!
Palma Mallorca: After 11 months I am finally reunited with a warm beach
*After our very busy and exhausting time in Madrid, we flew off to Palma Mallorca for a relaxing 3-4 days. Here again we stayed with two very fun and friendly gals. They lived right near the main city and huge Cathedral. So we toured around the town and then made our way down to the beach every day. The sun was so hot, and the water so refreshing that I really started to wonder why I was even in Ireland.
*Palma is a great city with a fun nightlife, but because it is a tourist destination it can be very expensive compared to the rest of Spain. But that doesn't mean you can't find some sweet bargains! 
London is Calling...
*After a relaxing beach vacation in Mallorca, we caught a flight to London for a quick visit. With only two days we got onto the Hop-on-hop-off bus tour which takes you everywhere.
*Spent some time with Big Ben, the Crown Jewels, a naked protester, the London eye, river cruise and Nita- a volunteer we had met when in India!
*The weather was a bit colder and started to rain, but I absolutely feel in love with that city. There is a vibe about London that can't be expressed. Maybe it's the fashion, buildings, history or expensive drinks but I would love to live there one day.
After London we finally returned back home to Ireland to finish our last few weeks of work.
Below will try and become a short recap of each location with some photographs:
Scotland: Never doubt a Scotsman
* Flew over for a weekend and stayed with friends in Glasgow. Met many men in Kilts and asked them the million dollar question, 'So, is it true you really don't wear anything underneath those?' Answer: 'You can't ask, you have to see!' (then flash of an under-kilt....and Yes, it is true.
*Absolutely LOVED the place. Looks a lot like Ireland: green, raining and overcast, but a LOT cheaper and who doesn't love the accents??
*Went to a comedy club and sat near the front- BIG mistake being an American-living in Ireland-visiting Scotland-with a surname for a first name. Mental note to not do that again, but it was good laughs--the parts I were able to understand!
Then not so long ago, Stephanie and I headed throughout Europe for two weeks for Holiday time away from work. With limited amount of money we spent most all our trip COUCH SURFING, which was an amazing experience! If you haven't read much about it, then you create a profile and basically if you are travelling you can stay with locals in their house/spare rooms/floor/couch, and then also put your place up for someone to crash in. We were pretty careful with who we asked to stay with- as you can see if they have prior references, background check or location check. This saved us two weeks of free accommodation which would have been at least two hundred dollars-even at cheap hostels. We made great friends and I highly recommend this to anyone- just make sure to be safe!
Germany: Apfelwein! ('apple-wine')
*We arrived into Frankfurt and spent about 3-4 days here. Our Couch Surfers treated us extremely well and we slept with two kittens in the living room. On the first night there was a going away party for one of their friends who was moving to Berlin- so we went out to a traditional German restaurant and had the local Apfelwein. Steph and I rode on the back of motorcycles through downtown and across the river-bridge to the restaurant, and they were nice enough to point out sightseeing along the way--I think Stephanie had her eyes closed most the time!
*At the restaurant everything was in German, but we got a lesson in German food from everyone eager to teach us. It was great because they wanted to practice English and we wanted to hear German so it was a mix of both all night.
*We were based near the Apfelwein location of Frankfurt, which means they bring out large pitchers called Bembels- which can hold 1 to 2 Litres of Apfelwein- ranging between 5.5% - 7%AbV. Plus one large pitcher can cost as low as $3-5.
Jerez, Spain: Mystery Location
*For those of you who didn't know, Stephanie and I planned a 'mystery location' which meant that we booked flights to Jerez, not knowing where it was at all. We just made sure we could fly into someplace from Germany and out to another place we knew- which was Madrid. We didn't tell anyone were our mystery location was just to make sure it didn't come back to us, and we finally found out once we were on the plane and flipped open the Ryanair magazine.
*We landed in Jerez without a map, accommodation or any point of reference. We got onto the airport bus and when asked were we wanted to go (in Spanish) I answered the best I could and we just went to the city center. From there we went next door to the train station, looked up accommodations and started walking. We found a great little hotel for a great price and then went exploring in Spain.
*Jerez is the wine bodega capital of Spain and from here we went to the Tio Pepe Bodega and a dinner show of Flamenco dancing.
*We feel in love with the $1 Tapas and cervezas.
*Since we were here for about 5 days we decided to take a bus down to the South of Spain, Tarifa, and hop a ferry over to Morocco for the day! The bus down to Tarifa (a small & VERY cute surfing/beach town) was indescribable, as we had NO idea where we were and nearly missed our ferry!!
Morocco: "Who just goes to Africa for the day?"
* From Tarifa the ferry to Tanger is about 35 minutes and since we were worried we would only have a limited amount of time there, we decided to book a day tour which would take us all around. It was a great tour, however the next time I go I would just do it on my own.
*The weather was fabulous and the water was amazingly blue. No wonder the camels were hanging out on the beach!
*There were little side markets and it was a flash back to India for us. Lots of bartering and hassling. But once again I was able to blend in pretty well and when I would answer them in Spanish they started to shout out where they thought I was from or what my ethnicity was: "Moroccan, Spanish, Madrid, Bilbao, Indian, Hungarian, etc etc." I doubt they would ever guess I lived in California, and currently Ireland.
Tarifa: The Ocean Beach of Spain* The town was very cute and welcoming, but since it was off-season it was very quiet and had we stayed there longer probably would have gone crazy looking for things to do. No wonder everyone goes to Africa.
*But we did stay an extra day to enjoy the beach and sun, before getting back on the bus to Jerez for our flight to Madrid.
Madrid: The capital of Spain
*We went to Madrid for about 4 days and stayed with another great Couch surfer. We were there for the weekend so basically went out until 5 am- normal with the locals, and then spent the day strolling through the park and going in and out of museums.
*It was recommended that we take the train over to Toledo and visit the medival town. And there it is, about 45-minutes/an hour outside of Madrid in the middle of the desert is this VERY hilly town. It's a great day trip, but wear comfortable clothes, shoes and drink LOTS of water!
Palma Mallorca: After 11 months I am finally reunited with a warm beach*After our very busy and exhausting time in Madrid, we flew off to Palma Mallorca for a relaxing 3-4 days. Here again we stayed with two very fun and friendly gals. They lived right near the main city and huge Cathedral. So we toured around the town and then made our way down to the beach every day. The sun was so hot, and the water so refreshing that I really started to wonder why I was even in Ireland.
*Palma is a great city with a fun nightlife, but because it is a tourist destination it can be very expensive compared to the rest of Spain. But that doesn't mean you can't find some sweet bargains! 
London is Calling...
*After a relaxing beach vacation in Mallorca, we caught a flight to London for a quick visit. With only two days we got onto the Hop-on-hop-off bus tour which takes you everywhere.
*Spent some time with Big Ben, the Crown Jewels, a naked protester, the London eye, river cruise and Nita- a volunteer we had met when in India!
*The weather was a bit colder and started to rain, but I absolutely feel in love with that city. There is a vibe about London that can't be expressed. Maybe it's the fashion, buildings, history or expensive drinks but I would love to live there one day.
After London we finally returned back home to Ireland to finish our last few weeks of work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
