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.

Nobody cares

Today I have lost all hope in society, and am officially sworn off buses. Normally I complain about the unreliability, infrequency of buses and occasionally about the rudeness of bus drivers. Often I have been waiting over an hour an half for my bus to turn up in the freezing cold and once in the snow. Its really the most annoying thing immaginable. Because you are totally powerless, you have no information. Just have to wait and assume it will come at some stage.

But today something entirely different happened and put my rather minor meek complaints into perspective, Today my bus arrived rather uncharacteristically early at about 4.10pm just about school finish time. It was a double decker bus as usual and I sat on top about 4 rows from the front. Stared out the window watched the world go by. The bus was full of secondary school kids from various different schools Newpark, Gerrards, Blackrock college. So it was pretty lively and noisy. 3 college hefty guys were sitting in front of me chatting away.

Suddenly, out of the blew I heard "stop stop I don't have any money, Help, somebody Help. Me and the 3 college guys looked behind us and saw 3 kids about 13 years old attacking a small little younger boy maybe 11 or 12 years old. I ushered the guys in front of me to go and help because I knew myself there is no way I would have a chance. 

They told the boys to stop and leave him alone and next thing the boys started to get rowdy and viscious and gave the younger boy a huge whallop in the eye and then started cursing and telling the college guys to fuck off, mind your own business, watch out we'll get you... They wouldn't let the boy get to the front of the bus one of the bigger college guys had to grab him and next thing the 3 guys legged it off the bus.  Leaving the little boy crying and saying "Why me, what did i do?

The poor little boy was left with a really badly swollen eye. I tried to comfort him and asked him to call his mom while the other college guys asked around did anyone have anything cold to put on his eye. Then 5 minutes later it was his bus stop and the bus driver saw his eye and stopped the bus and asked the boy what happened and then the police were called his mom was called and an ambulance was called. 

The whole thing was absolutely horrible.Initially I felt really annoyed all those kids around him hadn't tried to stop the bad boys and had just watched I just felt it was so disgusting. However when I got home I talked to my boyfriend about it and he said can you really blame them for not wanting to interfere, perhaps if they interfered they may have to look over there shoulder every time they go out to do normal things. Because those boys might come around and attack them from behind next time. so after reflecting on it I guess they were afraid they would be attacked...

But the saddest part about the whole thing was that I actually knew the younger boy, Last semester I used to have one class on a Tuesday, International Business management which started at 8.30am so I always used to have to catch 7.20 bus. Which coincidentally he used to catch that bus as well and every Tuesday we used to exchange our little morning chit chats and every Tuesday I used to watch out for him at the bus stop and if he wasn't there i would automatically know I had missed the bus.  

I thought I would never see him again, but I never thought I would see him in this horrible circumstance.

My strange encounter on the bus

Today started out rather oddly and ended even more oddly. I was supposed to meet my friends in Dublin City centre at 2'o clock in front of the GPO. to go shopping. When I got to the bus stop at 1'o clock a bus instructor informed me that there were no buses because of a car crash, so all buses have been diverted so then I rushed to get the train. In the end I arrived in Dublin at exactly 2'o clock and rang my friends, only to find out they were not even on their bus yet!!!

So I had  an hour to kill by myself. off I went for a trot and during my travels I ended up finding a new Filipino supermarket which just opened today! They were serving Filipino lunch for free! So I got to try all sorts of Filipino food like spring rolls, Filipino cake, and other strange things I had never seen before.

Then my friends arrived and we went shopping I just bought some new make up sponges =.=;;; I don't really like there style of shopping.... go into one shop and spend hours..... I prefer shopping around...After the shopping we went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered dum di dum... Hui Guo Ruo again. which shocked everyone including myself. we also ate lots of other things like soup, Chinese pancake, sizzling beef and rice.

Anyway the most interesting thing of the day happened on the bus. I had to wait 1 hour for the bus which nearly killed me, I was freezing cold! Once I got on I noticed some rather strange characters sitting at the back of the bus. Dressed strangely, speaking strangely... They weren't foreigners either. They were in fact Irish Travelers @.@ Ever since I watched a TV show called "The Truth About Travelers" I have been quite curious about them and have a bit more respect for them and there culture. Most Irish people want to stay as far away from them as possible because they are scared or they think they are a drunk and rowdy lot. But to be honest I hoped they would try and strike up a conversation with me... I felt it would happen... And it did sure enough the nosier of the 2 came and sat beside me while he was talking to 2 presumably traveler girls who were on the bus. 

For the second time in living memory I got asked for my number. The first time was by a man from Mauritius who i never saw again... I don't know I must have a really friendly face. I can always attract people from different cultures than me.