Security Alertt: Bomb in Dublin

Monday was D-day for my big Global competitive strategies presentation. For the last month or so, me and my group have been working our ass off researching Korean conglomerates such as Samsung, LG, Lotte group etc. in particular their presence in the medical sector.  we were trying to find a potential partner for an Irish medic company who sells sleep monitoring equipment, random I know, but seemingly very high tech.

Anyway after hours of practicing our presentation on Sunday afternoon and editing the report, we felt we were as ready as we would ever be, and agreed to meet one final time on Monday at 1pm to do a final run through and then we would do the presentation in front of the teacher during the class, which was between 1.30-3.30.

So on Monday I got up at a normal time and headed to Bray DART station (Train station) at around 11.30. bought my ticket, sat down as normal, train zoomed off. Then we got to the second station and there was an announcement

 
"This train will terminate in Dun Laoighraire, the buses will accept train tickets"

This didn't phase me too much because I know there are lots of buses going from Dun Laoighraire to Blackrock where my college is. However when we got to the third stop Dalkey, (where my Grandma used to live before she bought the apartment) a quiet little village with not much in it, just some restaurants, a few pubs, cafes, post office, newsagent and a castle.

Another announcement

"This is the last stop, the train is terminating and will go back to Bray, You can use your train tickets on the bus"

I knew I had 2 options one go back to Bray and wait for a bus, but I didn't have my timetable and the Bus only comes every 40 minutes. the other was to stay put and wait for a bus in Dalkey and take my chances. In hindsight I think I should of gone back to Bray.

Anyway a big mass of people (mostly tourists) headed to the bus stop. Despite going to Dalkey so many times to visit my Grandma, I had never once tried to get a bus, and I now know why.

We waited and waited and waited and by 1'oc there was still no sign of a bus. I text all my group mates and told them what had happened and that I would be there as soon as possible... Then I heard one lady with her granddaugter saying they were going to get a taxi to Dun Laoighraire. I was so desperate at this point I didn't care about the cost. I just wanted to get out of there. So I asked could I join them.  so did a polish girl.

No sooner had we arrived at the taxi rank, we saw the bus whizz buy us. SHIT, then we waited what felt like another hour for a taxi to show up.  The taxi cost 2.50 euro each which was actually much cheaper than I expected. By the time I arrived in Dun Laoighraire it was 1.40pm I waited and waited for a bus  and there was no sign I was so close to trying to get another taxi when eventually at 2.10 the bus showed up. I arrived at college at 2.30 during the class break. Then next up was our presentation.

When I got home from college I found out the reason for all the cancellations. Apparently there had been explosives found in Dun Laoighaire which potentially could have gone off. The gardai (police)  army squad all had to come disarm it.

Better late and safe than sorry.

We all need good neighbours!

Me and my boyfriend have been living in this apartment/flat, Its basically a converted house with 3 apartments since last June. We have one (a couple) neighbour downstairs and one neighbour beside us.  However we basically never ever see them. Its so weird, but we always hear them banging the front door so we know they are alive.

I suppose we have the most interaction with the neighbour beside us. When he is too noisy we knock on the wall and when we are talking to loudly late at night he knocks on the wall. Its our code system. When he opens his skylight window coverer in the morning we know he's woken up. We know he likes to listen to horrible noisy music really loud at all hours of the morning.

When I put on my music he puts on his music to respond. The first thing he told my boyfriend when we moved in was the walls are paper thin. He was serious. That was our flat warning gift.

Despite hearing him a lot I have only ever met him 3 times on the stairs since we moved in, the first time was when we first moved in, second time yesterday and today. Me and my boyfriend had this perception of him

He must be divorced with kids (we sometimes hear a woman and kids coming to visit him)

He's a lazy bugger with no job.

He's addicted to gambling.

Then we have the male neighbour downstairs who we have seen a bit more regularly but not that much, Practically every time we have met him he has showed me how to lock the door. which is not very challenging you just pull up the handle.

We also had the perception that the male neighbour downstairs,

has no job, stays at home everyday, gambling. (the few times my boyfriend met him he said he was off to play poker)

Then yesterday I found out that all our perceptions were probably incorrect. Basically I was in our apartment doing my assignments and there was a knock on the door.It was the guy beside us "The census man is downstairs" so I put on my slippers grabbed the census rushed downstairs. The census man was still talking to the female neighbour downstairs and I couldn't help but overhear that the neighbour has a child, and a job.

Then I heard a bang upstairs our apartment door had closed and self locked itself. I was now officially locked out with no keys, no phone and wearing slippers all thanks to the Damn Census!!! I have been locked out of my own house countless times but never like this, It was usually because I forgot my key when I went to college. I used to have to sit in the porch or garden waiting for someone to come home. Anyway I had no choice but to ask the female neighbour could I borrow her phone to call the landlord. Luckily she said OK,

Unluckily neither of us knew his number.... Then out of nowhere our neighbour from beside of us appeared and the female neighbour downstairs explained what happened and he said I will ring the landlord. and within 5 minutes the landlord arrived and the day was saved!

So that will teach us not to make presumptions about our neighbours, total disaster and then they appear.

No ticket to get in

On Thursday Night I attended the Smurfit Business Ball, but thrust me the road there was a bumpy and troublesome one, Firstly we had the problem of No room at the inn and then the next problem emerged on the night, No ticket to get in, 

On Thursday I was basically rushed off my feet,

• Go to the Dry cleaning shop and collect my dress

• Go Bra shoping

 Not just for the sake of it, I needed a strapless bra to go with my dress...

• Go to the hair salon

• Get my make up done

• Find the right shoes

• Get my clothes for tomorrow packed.

Then Panic!!!! 

Just as we were about to leave my house I realized shit! I left my ticket in my boyfriends apartment... And my boyfriend was out with his friends in the city centre so I had to walk/run down the street in my long dress and in high heels, that i could barely walk in !

So I rushed up to the apartment and No Ticket to be seen! then i started frantically searching throwing books newspapers fliers everywhere. I still couldn't find it, and I left my phone in the car so I couldn't ring him 

So in the end I went back to the car and rang up my boyfriend and asked/ accused him "Did you move my ticket?"Oops I think I threw it in the bin! Then I had a huge screaming fit... Whilst my mom tried to reassure me it doesn't matter come on.We were already running late I was suposed to be at the college before 5.30... and this was 5.15 and it takes a good 30 minutes to get to my college

Being worried about being late proved to be pointless as when I arrived there were still crowds of people waiting for the bus, and I met my friends and then they called 3 more seats on the bus. So we decided to go then the man said Tickets please!

OH SHIT! I explained to the man I had forgotten my ticket, I thought he would say OK go ahead... Wishful thinking, he said No we have a strict policy No Ticket No admission I'm sorry there is nothing I can do. Then more Panic and stress. The bus drove off without me...

Then I called my mom and told her. Then she came over and tried to talk to the man, and he even suggested to drive back to bray to collect it... Which obviously was impossible since my boyfriend had thrown it in the bin! She even asked could she buy another ticket for me, Bear in mind each ticket cost a whopping 70 euro. He still said no.

Then I had a stroke of extremely good luck, I noticed my cousin was working at the event. Hallelujah! then he came over and there was more conversing with the man. and then the man said OK don't tell anyone, Paul (my cousin) give her your ticket and I will look after you later...

THANKS BE TO GOD! i got on the next bus! Although I didn't get to sit with friends I was still delighted to be able to actually get on the bus.

Here is my cousin Paul

Here's one from the night... I will tell more in my next post... when I get more photos from my friend and my camera.

The luck of the irish and the mad Hatters

My last post was fairly negative about Ireland so I wanted to post something positive and you can't get much more positive than St Patricks day! Coming soon on the 17th of MARCH!!!

If there is one thing that Irish people are truly proud of and patriotic about, its the colour green, and March is the month with the most important day (asides from Christmas) on the Irish Calender, St Patrick's day.

You will never meet an Irish person who doesn't love St Patrick's day, Obviously I am no different. I love the parades the atmosphere and the freedom to wear your favourite green white and orange attire and not look strange. 

Whether you go to Dublin City Centre or stay in one of the local towns you are bound to have a day full of fun. For me most years I spend it in my home town Bray and it is the only day where you see the streets completely packed and everyone standing on the side of the street watching the parade go by. Also every year we always have a carnival at the sea front, which is always an essential part of St Patrick's day. I am not much of a drinker so I rarely join in any of the drinking festivitiies at night but of course it's there.... 

But one thing I have never thought twice about was wearing the colour green it seems harmless right. Sure some shades of green are less attractive than others... but other than that why not? But today I was alarmed when one of my Chinese friends Jia Qi said to me "Oh my god I can't believe you guys wear green hats!!!!" 

Naturally I was really curious when I heard this, what is wrong with green hats? They are funny and cute and tradition.... 

Then he told me, In China nobody ever wears a green hat it's extremely unlucky... How?? If a chinese man wears a green hat it means his wife has had sex with another man! Wow talk about shooting St Patrick! 

Then tonight I wanted to test my boyfriends reaction as I thought perhaps it's only northern Chinese people who think this way.... NO!!! My boyfriend said "Why do you always learn something bad about Chinese??? Don't ever let me wear a green hat" and then he stormed off.

So I did a bit of research to find out what is the meaning of this strange unluckiness and here it is "There is an old story in China, about a businessman, a tailor, and the businessman's wife. (You can guess where this is going...) Whenever the businessman left his village to go on a business trip, his wife would cheat on him with the village tailor. To make it easier for the tailor to know when the businessman was going away, the businessman's wife asked the tailor to make a green hat for the businessman. Whenever the wife put the green hat on her husband's head, this served as a signal to the tailor that the businessman was leaving the village. Over time, the other villagers figured out what was going on, and they would say to one another...Tade laopo gei ta dai lv maozi le..."His wife has put the green hat on him."

To this day, this phrase is what Chinese people use to talk about wives having affairs. This phrase is the reason why Chinese men never wear green hats"

Looks like I put my foot in it. I know I am considerably early with this post but definitely stay tuned to see some of my St Patrick's day festivities on the 17th of March!