Ok, so you've all probably heard about the eruption in Iceland (near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier) which has sent clouds of ash into the atmosphere and paralyzed airports across Europe. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, including mine with Ryanair to London. In my last post, I said that I was going to just hang out in Dublin till this blew over, but after reading and talking to more people I've decided to bite the bullet. As no one knows when the air is going to clear and airports are going to be crazy with backlog, I've booked a ferry to Holyhead tomorrow morning and will try to get a train to London from there. Let's hope there's space on one of the trains (I can't pre-book the tickets).
As much as I have loved my time here, I'm ready for the vacation to be over and to get back to work... and I'll still make more working than the extra trip cost. Of course I'll be talking with Ryanair and my travel insurance to see if I can get any money back, but I wont hold my breath. If everything works perfectly, I'll only be around 12h behind schedule though which is worth it.
Keep watching this space as I'll have another post with more Ireland info and pictures (not to mention first full time teaching experiences) up in the next few days.
Saturday 17 April 2010
Friday 16 April 2010
The Good, the bad and the Irish
Some days I feel like a broken record, but I couldn't think of a better phrase to capture my feelings than "wow, I can't believe how the time has flown!" It seems like only yesterday that I stepped into Dublin and now its nearly over. This trip has been almost perfect - beautiful weather (I actually got a little sunburnt), spectacular scenery and a funny and knowlegable guide (seriously, Sean could waffle on about paint and it'd be interesting). For the trip, he shared with us his two big travel tips to have a good time:
1) Don't travel broke. Seriously, there is nothing worse than being stuck in a country with no money. Sure you've already pre-paid for the sights and accomodations, but there are still optional extras and, I don't know, FOOD!
2) Don't complain about the weather. This seems to be the number one complaint for tourists and really, what can be done about it? Personally, I would amend this to say simply "Don't complain". You are on a tour in a brand new country - just relax and enjoy the experience. If anything bad happens, you'll at least get a story to tell your friends and family back home.
Getting back to my sight-seeing... ya, there's no way I'll actually fit the whole five day tour into this blog (and really, words alone wouldn't capture it properly). So I'll speak in generalities and add longer captions onto my pictures whenever I get them up next week (boy I'm rather dreading that... I figure I have over 400 pictures on my camera)! From the Michelstown Caves where mellenia of erosion has created cool organic rock formations to the stark beauty of the seaside cliffs towering over the water; from the stark beauty of the wind swept Burren to the rolling emerald hills criss-crossed by stone walls and corkscrewing roads the beauty of the country is captivating.
Like many other places I've seen in Europe there is a delightful mix of ancient and modern, but moreso if that makes any sense. There's something about standing at a prehistoric area (such as the ruins of a fort) that is simultaneously awe-inspiring and humbling. On one hand, despite the best efforts of man and nature, it is still standing after thousands of years. On the other hand, you realize that this is all that's left of a once proud people... dispite their best efforts everything they once had has fading till only a shell is left. You realize that everything you hold dear is ultimately finite.
Anyways, that's all for now... I'll probably add another blog to expand on some points but I think that's long enough for now. Right now, I'm due to fly out tomorrow. However, there's been a volcanic eruption in Iceland and the ash in the atmosphere has played havoc with air transport (all planes have been grounded till 1 pm tomorrow at the earliest). Many are opting to take the ferry and bus to get back to London, but I think those will be waaaay too crowded for my taste so I'll wait it out here. So (fingers crossed) my plane will still be on schedule.
1) Don't travel broke. Seriously, there is nothing worse than being stuck in a country with no money. Sure you've already pre-paid for the sights and accomodations, but there are still optional extras and, I don't know, FOOD!
2) Don't complain about the weather. This seems to be the number one complaint for tourists and really, what can be done about it? Personally, I would amend this to say simply "Don't complain". You are on a tour in a brand new country - just relax and enjoy the experience. If anything bad happens, you'll at least get a story to tell your friends and family back home.
Getting back to my sight-seeing... ya, there's no way I'll actually fit the whole five day tour into this blog (and really, words alone wouldn't capture it properly). So I'll speak in generalities and add longer captions onto my pictures whenever I get them up next week (boy I'm rather dreading that... I figure I have over 400 pictures on my camera)! From the Michelstown Caves where mellenia of erosion has created cool organic rock formations to the stark beauty of the seaside cliffs towering over the water; from the stark beauty of the wind swept Burren to the rolling emerald hills criss-crossed by stone walls and corkscrewing roads the beauty of the country is captivating.
Like many other places I've seen in Europe there is a delightful mix of ancient and modern, but moreso if that makes any sense. There's something about standing at a prehistoric area (such as the ruins of a fort) that is simultaneously awe-inspiring and humbling. On one hand, despite the best efforts of man and nature, it is still standing after thousands of years. On the other hand, you realize that this is all that's left of a once proud people... dispite their best efforts everything they once had has fading till only a shell is left. You realize that everything you hold dear is ultimately finite.
Anyways, that's all for now... I'll probably add another blog to expand on some points but I think that's long enough for now. Right now, I'm due to fly out tomorrow. However, there's been a volcanic eruption in Iceland and the ash in the atmosphere has played havoc with air transport (all planes have been grounded till 1 pm tomorrow at the earliest). Many are opting to take the ferry and bus to get back to London, but I think those will be waaaay too crowded for my taste so I'll wait it out here. So (fingers crossed) my plane will still be on schedule.
Sunday 11 April 2010
Off on an Irish Adventure!
Today I began another adventure (this time to Ireland) which means it was another early morning start (bloody 3am!). However, as much as I whine and whinge (hehe... really picking up the British expressions) about early mornings, there is something to be said about pre-dawn travel - its just so peaceful. The bus is quiet and uncrowded and journey times are greatly reduced due to almost no traffic. The darkened streets have a serenity to them - a pureness which is lost in the hussle and bussle of daylight.
At least that's how it usually is... this time's been a bit more stressful. Between my first bus being delayed for 30 min (stupid loud, drunk, obnoxious people) and nearly missing my connecting bus due to road work and I had difficulty finding the temporary stop. Add to that my 5 hours of sleep and lack of coffee and you have my state of mind.
Luckily, I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. I'm really liking these smaller airports and the relatively quick lines. When I got to Dublin, I got the "Dublin Pass" which got me free entry into a lot fo the central attractions and a coach ride into the city. I've seen the Guinness Brewery, Dublin Castle and Jaimeson Distillry (not bad for a day's sight-seeing I think). I've also tried "the best chippery" in Dublin - I needed some sauce and the chips were underdone... but it wasn't bad.
But the tiredness has caught up with me and I couldn't even finish my dinner :(. So I'm signing off... look out for more updates whenever I can!
At least that's how it usually is... this time's been a bit more stressful. Between my first bus being delayed for 30 min (stupid loud, drunk, obnoxious people) and nearly missing my connecting bus due to road work and I had difficulty finding the temporary stop. Add to that my 5 hours of sleep and lack of coffee and you have my state of mind.
Luckily, I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. I'm really liking these smaller airports and the relatively quick lines. When I got to Dublin, I got the "Dublin Pass" which got me free entry into a lot fo the central attractions and a coach ride into the city. I've seen the Guinness Brewery, Dublin Castle and Jaimeson Distillry (not bad for a day's sight-seeing I think). I've also tried "the best chippery" in Dublin - I needed some sauce and the chips were underdone... but it wasn't bad.
But the tiredness has caught up with me and I couldn't even finish my dinner :(. So I'm signing off... look out for more updates whenever I can!
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Back from Amsterdam
Wheew! So I made it back from Amsterdam in one piece. Let me tell you, it was great! I love going to see new places as a total tourist. I met quite a lot of nice people on the tour (there were 2 buses of 50!) and spent my time walking around Amsterdam and hanging out with them. The only real “let down” was the weather, which pretty much rained the entire time (I really need to get a rain coat I think). Considering we were just there for the long weekend, we saw quite a bit so I’ll try to say as much as I can in this short space.
The trip started when I woke up at the ungodly hour of 4am in order to meet up with the coach in Central London by 6 – why do all tours have to start so early?! We traveled by coach to Dover where we boarded the ferry to Calis and then drove the rest of the way to Amsterdam (in all, about 11h). It was a nice day for traveling though very windy on the Channel (nearly lost my hat a few times on deck).
Some of the highlights of the trip included:
- A night boat ride on the Amstel river with the group in a covered boat. We learned that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice (a whooping 88) and most of the land is at or below sea level. Motifs consisting of three "X"s were everywhere... these represented the three things the old city feared most: fire, plague and flooding. The buildings and bridges were beautifully lit up but many of my pictures came out poorly due to the condensation, darkness and rain. So I eventually abandoned my camera and hit the open bar with the rest of the group ;).
- A bike ride through a little town, Edum, about 40 min from Amsterdam. Its been so long since I rode a bike that this was one of my favourite parts. Of course, the bikes over there are different – instead of the mountain bikes I’m used to, they use “granny bikes”. You need to sit straight in your seat and, instead of the breaks being on the handlebars, you need to pedal backwards to stop. Afterwards, we visited a cheese and clog shop where they showed us how they were made. I’m now glad of the wall-to-wall carpeting in my house cause I actually bought a pair of clogs lol. They’re my new slippers!
- A visit to the Keukenhof Gardens. As you may or may not know, Amsterdam is the tulip capital of the world. Every year, tulips are shipped there from all over to a central exchange where they are purchased in the millions. So the city has some exquisite samples of the flower and these gardens show it. I never thought about how many different varieties of the flower there could be. These gardens have been the site of many royal visits and important visits. My new friends and I had a ball going around viewing the flowers and art and generally acting like silly tourists . Its so liberating at times to kick off your shoes (and inhibitions) and just have a good time (responsibly).
- A tour of a couple of the museums: the Anne Frank museum (very sobering), Heineken brewery (great experience) and Sex Museum (just funny). These were each very fun in their own way, but this blog is already running extremely long and I’m sure you all know what a museum is so I won’t say much. Jsut that the brewery provided a beer tasting at the end and there was a very stark quality to the Anne Frank museum (the furniture had been removed when the Nazi’s raided and was never replaced per Anne’s father’s wishes) that really brought the message home. The one museum I didn’t see which I wanted to was the Van Gogh...
- A live sex show in the red light district (hilarious!!). What trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a trip to the famous red light district. The show we saw was exactly what it sounds like, but very “tongue in cheek”. Several members of the tour were even pulled on stage to participate (mostly dancing). Before the show we wandered around the district a bit and its true about the ladies in the doorway – these “ladies of the night” are standing in front of a glass door with a red curtain leading to a small room. When they’re open for business, the curtain is open, the red light above (where the district gets its name) is on and they are standing in their lingerie. At that time, customers can approach and negotiate (they reserve the right to refuse anyone on any grounds or whim). There are large “bouncer type” men standing around on the corners ready to respond to any alarm and to prevent people from taking photos.
Well those were the main events of the tour. My free time generally consisted of food like pancakes from the best pancake house in the city (I got a Thai ... curried chicken with salad in a crepe), chips and mayo (a classic favorite) and a cheese burger from a vending machine (it was actually quite good... better than McDonald's); sleeping; and bars. Don't worry though... I behaved myself - didn't get too drunk or visit any Coffee Shops. So it was a great trip (though Europe is quite expensive and I spent a little more than I planned... oops lol) and I will definitely be using Contiki again.
Pictures of the trip have been uploaded to the web album for anyone who wishes a look.
The trip started when I woke up at the ungodly hour of 4am in order to meet up with the coach in Central London by 6 – why do all tours have to start so early?! We traveled by coach to Dover where we boarded the ferry to Calis and then drove the rest of the way to Amsterdam (in all, about 11h). It was a nice day for traveling though very windy on the Channel (nearly lost my hat a few times on deck).
Some of the highlights of the trip included:
- A night boat ride on the Amstel river with the group in a covered boat. We learned that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice (a whooping 88) and most of the land is at or below sea level. Motifs consisting of three "X"s were everywhere... these represented the three things the old city feared most: fire, plague and flooding. The buildings and bridges were beautifully lit up but many of my pictures came out poorly due to the condensation, darkness and rain. So I eventually abandoned my camera and hit the open bar with the rest of the group ;).
- A bike ride through a little town, Edum, about 40 min from Amsterdam. Its been so long since I rode a bike that this was one of my favourite parts. Of course, the bikes over there are different – instead of the mountain bikes I’m used to, they use “granny bikes”. You need to sit straight in your seat and, instead of the breaks being on the handlebars, you need to pedal backwards to stop. Afterwards, we visited a cheese and clog shop where they showed us how they were made. I’m now glad of the wall-to-wall carpeting in my house cause I actually bought a pair of clogs lol. They’re my new slippers!
- A visit to the Keukenhof Gardens. As you may or may not know, Amsterdam is the tulip capital of the world. Every year, tulips are shipped there from all over to a central exchange where they are purchased in the millions. So the city has some exquisite samples of the flower and these gardens show it. I never thought about how many different varieties of the flower there could be. These gardens have been the site of many royal visits and important visits. My new friends and I had a ball going around viewing the flowers and art and generally acting like silly tourists . Its so liberating at times to kick off your shoes (and inhibitions) and just have a good time (responsibly).
- A tour of a couple of the museums: the Anne Frank museum (very sobering), Heineken brewery (great experience) and Sex Museum (just funny). These were each very fun in their own way, but this blog is already running extremely long and I’m sure you all know what a museum is so I won’t say much. Jsut that the brewery provided a beer tasting at the end and there was a very stark quality to the Anne Frank museum (the furniture had been removed when the Nazi’s raided and was never replaced per Anne’s father’s wishes) that really brought the message home. The one museum I didn’t see which I wanted to was the Van Gogh...
- A live sex show in the red light district (hilarious!!). What trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a trip to the famous red light district. The show we saw was exactly what it sounds like, but very “tongue in cheek”. Several members of the tour were even pulled on stage to participate (mostly dancing). Before the show we wandered around the district a bit and its true about the ladies in the doorway – these “ladies of the night” are standing in front of a glass door with a red curtain leading to a small room. When they’re open for business, the curtain is open, the red light above (where the district gets its name) is on and they are standing in their lingerie. At that time, customers can approach and negotiate (they reserve the right to refuse anyone on any grounds or whim). There are large “bouncer type” men standing around on the corners ready to respond to any alarm and to prevent people from taking photos.
Well those were the main events of the tour. My free time generally consisted of food like pancakes from the best pancake house in the city (I got a Thai ... curried chicken with salad in a crepe), chips and mayo (a classic favorite) and a cheese burger from a vending machine (it was actually quite good... better than McDonald's); sleeping; and bars. Don't worry though... I behaved myself - didn't get too drunk or visit any Coffee Shops. So it was a great trip (though Europe is quite expensive and I spent a little more than I planned... oops lol) and I will definitely be using Contiki again.
Pictures of the trip have been uploaded to the web album for anyone who wishes a look.
Thursday 1 April 2010
I'm so "Wonderful"
They called me "Wonderful"
So I said "Wonderful" - if you insist
I will be "Wonderful"
And they said "Wonderful"
Believe me, it's hard to resist
'Cause it feels wonderful
They think I'm wonderful
Hehe... yes, its true - I'm still a bit obsessed with the "Wicked" soundtrack. Then again, is there anyone who knows me and is surprised at this? You may be thinking that this snippet is a tad immodest... and you'd be right! But in my defense, I've received some very positive feedback lately and am feeling on top of the world! I actually so impressed a school that they came running after me when I left to see if I was available the next day (though I'm still unsure whether that has to do with an exceptionally good performance on my part, or exceptionally poor performances from previous supply teachers).
As well, I have my upcoming holiday and long-term Nursery placement when I come back to look forward to. Life is good... now if only I could get a good night's sleep, thing's would be perfect. I'm not sure what the reason is but I can't seem to sleep through the night. Maybe its all the excitement of my life... yeah, right lol. A more likely source is the literal vat of coffee I drink each day - damn you coffee and your delicious flavour.. heavenly aroma... mmmm... I should have another cup.
So I said "Wonderful" - if you insist
I will be "Wonderful"
And they said "Wonderful"
Believe me, it's hard to resist
'Cause it feels wonderful
They think I'm wonderful
Hehe... yes, its true - I'm still a bit obsessed with the "Wicked" soundtrack. Then again, is there anyone who knows me and is surprised at this? You may be thinking that this snippet is a tad immodest... and you'd be right! But in my defense, I've received some very positive feedback lately and am feeling on top of the world! I actually so impressed a school that they came running after me when I left to see if I was available the next day (though I'm still unsure whether that has to do with an exceptionally good performance on my part, or exceptionally poor performances from previous supply teachers).
As well, I have my upcoming holiday and long-term Nursery placement when I come back to look forward to.
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