What in the HELL is THAT??!! And WHERE is it COMING from??!! I don't even think it hopped away - I think it walked away. And there were more:
Actually 4 that I could see. You just never know what you're gonna get.
Monday, October 27, 2008
La di da
So, we're just walking along in the airport parking lot, minding our own business when we see:
What in the HELL is THAT??!! And WHERE is it COMING from??!! I don't even think it hopped away - I think it walked away. And there were more:
What in the HELL is THAT??!! And WHERE is it COMING from??!! I don't even think it hopped away - I think it walked away. And there were more:
Must've been the fish and chips
The Saints pulled it off - THANK GOODNESS! There was some weird activity there at the end. Don't know what was up with that. Anyone understand why Drew Brees would run backwards and spike the ball behind the endzone so that the team can score a safety? Why not just spike the ball?? Anywho...
The trip was really great. Not only did I get to see the Saints play, but I got to hang out with actual NOLA friends!
We went to dinner at Smiths of Smithfield - a 5 story restaurant/bar where the higher you go, the more expensive it is. We ate on the 2nd floor. :) They did serve organic beer and I have to take a picture of anything that says "Bob". That's for you dad...
The next day we went to the Tower of London. By the time we ate and toured, it was time to head out to the game.
The stadium is apparently only a couple of years old:
They even set up a tailgating party. It was very strange to see all of the people in football jerseys and then hear their accents - clearly English. There's more international interest than I thought!
I was very impressed with how efficient everything was. I was more impressed that the stadium had it's main focus on the Saints due to the fact that they were giving up a home game to be there. San Diego would've been away regardless. There was a mention in the email sent to all who bought tickets, both scoreboards were all Saints logos, there were huge Saints banners covering the first few rows of seats, and there was a Saints flag on every seat. We had first level seats - not too shabby.
Stereophonics started off the show:
Then Neyo sang the National Anthem:
And then Joss Stone sang God Save the Queen:
Deeuuuuuuuuuce....
One of the many great shots we were able to get.
Overall it was a fantastic experience and I can't wait til next year!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
I'm back!
And here to tell you all about our trip to Cork at the beginning of the month. Cork is located in the south central part of the country and is approximately 3-4 hours from Dublin if driving.
A little wikipedia history:
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city of the province of Munster. The city has a population of 119,143, while the addition of the suburban areas contained in Cork County brings this total to 190,384. Metropolitan Cork has a population of approximately 274,000, while the Greater Cork area is about 380,000. Cork County has the nickname of "the Rebel County", and Corkonians often refer to Cork as the "real capital of Ireland". The River Lee flows through the city, an island in the river forming the main part of the city centre. The city is a major Irish seaport — with quays and docks sited along the broad waterway of the Lee on the city's East side.
You here this a lot: and Corkonians often refer to Cork as the "real capital of Ireland". To be honest, I don't think that the people of Dublin care where the capital actually is, but they love winding up the Cork people about it.
The accent is my favorite part, and wikipedia describes it best:
As an American, I have about a 20% shot at understanding anything that they say. Makes it fun. It's a whole other world over there.
We were there for a black tie event, but had a chance the following day to walk around the city for an hour or so. I didn't expect much but I was pleasantly surprised. Here's one view:
The streets have the widest sidewalks, which makes the street feel very open even though the buildings are extremely crowded together.
Glad I didn't have to go up that hill! If I had to commute up and down that hill every day, I'd buy a donkey.
There's actually an interesting resemblance of this drive to any interstate drive in southern Louisiana: green farm lands, cows, and a random house no closer than 200 yards to the next.
A little wikipedia history:
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city of the province of Munster. The city has a population of 119,143, while the addition of the suburban areas contained in Cork County brings this total to 190,384. Metropolitan Cork has a population of approximately 274,000, while the Greater Cork area is about 380,000. Cork County has the nickname of "the Rebel County", and Corkonians often refer to Cork as the "real capital of Ireland". The River Lee flows through the city, an island in the river forming the main part of the city centre. The city is a major Irish seaport — with quays and docks sited along the broad waterway of the Lee on the city's East side.
You here this a lot: and Corkonians often refer to Cork as the "real capital of Ireland". To be honest, I don't think that the people of Dublin care where the capital actually is, but they love winding up the Cork people about it.
The accent is my favorite part, and wikipedia describes it best:
- Redundant use of the words "like" or "so" to terminate a sentence: e.g. "I don't know him at all, like"
- Use of the words "boy" (often pronounced "by") and girl, to address each other, even into adulthood, e.g. "Come here to me, boy"
As an American, I have about a 20% shot at understanding anything that they say. Makes it fun. It's a whole other world over there.
We were there for a black tie event, but had a chance the following day to walk around the city for an hour or so. I didn't expect much but I was pleasantly surprised. Here's one view:
The streets have the widest sidewalks, which makes the street feel very open even though the buildings are extremely crowded together.
Glad I didn't have to go up that hill! If I had to commute up and down that hill every day, I'd buy a donkey.
The joke is that this is where they burn the Dubliners (spoken from a Dubliner of course):
Yet another picture of a trash can. I may have a problem here. Need to join "obsessed with trash cans anonymous."
If you have to drive for 4 hours, at least you get to look at this:
There's actually an interesting resemblance of this drive to any interstate drive in southern Louisiana: green farm lands, cows, and a random house no closer than 200 yards to the next.
I actually can't wait to go back. If you're headed to Ireland, I recommend!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
It's all your fault Mom
So, my mother decided to give us Prison Break - Season 1 as a gift. So now that's ANOTHER show that I'm hooked on! We are now on Season 2 and I will say that I'm glad they're not physically in the prison anymore as that was too nerve wracking for me. It doesn't hurt that Wentworth Miller is a hotty. :)
List of current TV show addiction:
List of current TV show addiction:
- Biggest Loser
- Lost
- 24
- Prison Break
- Brothers & Sisters
- Grey's Anatomy
- Ugly Betty
- ER - might as well finish this one off
- Gossip Girl
- Young & Restless - yeah yeah
- Family Guy
- Desperate Housewives - this one may drop off of the list
- Project Runway
- America's Next Top Model
- Lipstick Jungle
- Cashmere Mafia - is this still on?
- Tudors
- Entourage
- Private Practice
- How I Met Your Mother
It's out of control.
The big day
Last Friday I went to a 21st birthday party. No, I'm not going through some 1/3 life crisis and hanging out with 21 year olds - have a connection to the family.
From what I've been told, the 21st birthday is celebrated here with a party the size of a wedding reception. It is normal that 100-200 people would attend. I think for my 21st my friends and I did shots at some bar on The Strip in Lafayette. I was lucky as Louisiana didn't increase the drinking age to 21 until the year that I turned 21. Slid right in there.
For a 21st, the party was impressive. Had to pay for drinks, but I never bought one myself so that was ok. :)
The best thing for me was that it was pure Irish tradition. Not the leprechaun-Irish dancing kind of tradition. Apparently the tradition for the 21st includes a stripper. Those are pretty much standard in any country. Big muscular/greasy guy in a thong with his socks on dancing all over the girl who's sitting in a chair. The difference with their tradition is that it seems the birthday girl's friends give the stripper embarrassing stories about the girl to tell the entire room. Hmmm... may take that out if it were MY 21st.
Drank til 2:00, met loads of family members (here's me mom's sister, here's me mom's other sister, and another, and so on), and did my best to understand all of the conversations.
I think the actual birthday girl ended up with €2,000 from birthday cards - not too shabby when you're 21 - or when you're 30something!!
From what I've been told, the 21st birthday is celebrated here with a party the size of a wedding reception. It is normal that 100-200 people would attend. I think for my 21st my friends and I did shots at some bar on The Strip in Lafayette. I was lucky as Louisiana didn't increase the drinking age to 21 until the year that I turned 21. Slid right in there.
For a 21st, the party was impressive. Had to pay for drinks, but I never bought one myself so that was ok. :)
The best thing for me was that it was pure Irish tradition. Not the leprechaun-Irish dancing kind of tradition. Apparently the tradition for the 21st includes a stripper. Those are pretty much standard in any country. Big muscular/greasy guy in a thong with his socks on dancing all over the girl who's sitting in a chair. The difference with their tradition is that it seems the birthday girl's friends give the stripper embarrassing stories about the girl to tell the entire room. Hmmm... may take that out if it were MY 21st.
Drank til 2:00, met loads of family members (here's me mom's sister, here's me mom's other sister, and another, and so on), and did my best to understand all of the conversations.
I think the actual birthday girl ended up with €2,000 from birthday cards - not too shabby when you're 21 - or when you're 30something!!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
No Man's Land
We went to see a play last night at the Gate Theatre. I got second row seats, but I expected there to be an orchestra bay between the first row and the stage. But nope - first row was right up against the stage.
I can't even tell you what the play was about. Wikipedia says:
"No Man's Land is the name of a 1974 play by the English dramatist Harold Pinter.
The play is a four-hander. Hirst, a successful but isolated and alcoholic writer, looked after and guarded by Foster and Briggs, has met Spooner, a failed writer (if a writer at all) who seeks to inveigle himself into Hirst's household.
Once the four characters are established, the play shows their manoeuvrings - Foster and Briggs seeking to fend off Spooner, and Hirst and Spooner's verbal jousting. An entire scene is spent on Hirst's mistaken - or feigned - recognition of Spooner as an Oxford contemporary from the 1930s, to which Spooner plays up, leading both of them into ever-increasing extravagance of reminiscence. The play ends ambiguously, after Spooner's most blatant attempt to supplant Foster and Briggs, when Hirst pronounces that the subject has been changed for the last time, leaving him (and conceivably the others) 'in no man's land...which never moves, which never changes, which never grows older, but which remains forever icy and silent.'"
We went because of the actors. They are relatively famous here and in the US:
I can't even tell you what the play was about. Wikipedia says:
"No Man's Land is the name of a 1974 play by the English dramatist Harold Pinter.
The play is a four-hander. Hirst, a successful but isolated and alcoholic writer, looked after and guarded by Foster and Briggs, has met Spooner, a failed writer (if a writer at all) who seeks to inveigle himself into Hirst's household.
Once the four characters are established, the play shows their manoeuvrings - Foster and Briggs seeking to fend off Spooner, and Hirst and Spooner's verbal jousting. An entire scene is spent on Hirst's mistaken - or feigned - recognition of Spooner as an Oxford contemporary from the 1930s, to which Spooner plays up, leading both of them into ever-increasing extravagance of reminiscence. The play ends ambiguously, after Spooner's most blatant attempt to supplant Foster and Briggs, when Hirst pronounces that the subject has been changed for the last time, leaving him (and conceivably the others) 'in no man's land...which never moves, which never changes, which never grows older, but which remains forever icy and silent.'"
We went because of the actors. They are relatively famous here and in the US:
- Michael Gambon (Hirst): This is one of those actors that you would recognize but not sure from where. His credits include all of the Harry Potter movies, Layer Cake, The Good Shepard.
- David Walliams (Foster): His main credit is for one half of a comedy show called Little Britain. They are actually going to start Little Britain USA on HBO on Sunday, September 28 at 10:00 pm EST. http://www.hbo.com/events/littlebritainusa/
- Nick Dunning (Briggs): He's currently playing Anne Boleyn's father in The Tudors on Showtime. They're filming the second and/or third season here in Dublin so his schedule seems to work out well.
- David Bradley (Spooner): Harry Potter movies. He had the most lines in the actual play.
We weren't sure if we could take pictures, but here is one of the stage:
Cell phone pictures don't have the best resolution, but you can get the idea. That's taken standing in the middle of the theatre, so you can see it's not very big at all. We guessed about 400 people maximum.
All in all a great night! I think an Oscar Wilde play is next.
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