For my sister...

To the baby of the family,

Tomorrow you turn 11. Imagine.

I remember so clearly the day you were born. I was eleven too. I didn’t know if I would be welcoming a new baby brother or a new baby sister.

I wished for the latter. Poor Michael has been outnumbered by women in this family ever since.

You will always be the bambino of the family so to see you grow up before my very eyes is a strange, but wonderful experience. I have had the privilege to be someone you can look up to and admire and I know I don’t always get it right but I hope I’m setting some sort of a good example.

When you were a baby you were effervescent, stubborn and oh-so-very cute. Now you are slowly (but surely!) morphing into the ultimate teenager.

I’m almost getting used to not being able to find my mascara or lip-gloss because you’ve robbed it and are experimenting with it in your bedroom. It doesn’t mean I’m not still mad about it being gone. I am.

As the baby of the family I never really thought the day would come when you would suddenly have an interest in fashion and make-up but you already do. 

But you're still so young so slow down...you will have years and years of wearing make-up everyday and wishing you didn’t have to. Putting on fake eyelashes and straightening your hair. You will have endless nights out with your best friends, getting dolled up and heading to Creation like I do now. Your time will come.

It doesn’t seem like 11 years ago you came into this world, peeping out through big blue eyes. In another 11 years you will be my age. 22.

By that stage you might have gone to college. Or you might not. I know you think school is “soooooooo boring” right now but stick with it. I only ask that you follow your passions and do what makes you happy. You are one of the most creative 11-year-olds I know; making homemade lip-gloss, hair dye, nail varnish and all sorts of other bits and bobs. You are so talented at music too. Please don’t ever stop playing the piano or singing. Even if the singing drives me mad from time to time. 

And the cooking! How could I forget the cooking? You will make more of a chef than I ever will.

Also, keep reading. The beauty of getting lost in a good book never fades away. Trust me. Keep at it, even if the lure of your iPod is more enticing.

Take an interest in the world around you. I know you already do this, dreaming of big city living in London and New York but don’t be afraid to explore other places too. Sometimes people and places aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

In 11 years time maybe you will get the opportunity to do what I am doing now. I hope you travel and see what the world has to offer. Ignorance is not bliss so don't be afraid to try new things, ask questions or voice your opinion. Lord knows you have one! 

Finally, you will never be too old to sleep in my bed. I might give out about you sneaking in there but you make the perfect spooning partner.

Love,

Your big sister x 

Oh and...

Age is only a number, true love is eternal

The romance surrounding weddings often brings a tear to the eye. Even more so when the love story of the couple at hand is this cute…

Wedding bells are in the air...

                                                                        

There had been months of planning and preparing for the big day. Finding the right church for the ceremony, booking the hotel reception and, most importantly, choosing the perfect wedding dress. There was also invites to be designed, table decorations to be organised and seating plans to be approved. There was so much to do, but Annie didn’t mind. After all, she had time on her hands and was determined to make her big day absolutely perfect.

Annie had always thought the old saying "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" had been written especially for her and, after four weddings as maid of honour, she had given up all hope.

And then she met Tommy.

He strolled into her life and settled comfortably as if he had been part of it for the last 82 years. They went for walks together, read the newspapers every day and, occasionally, played cards. They fought like any old couple; bickering and niggling as if they had been doing it for years. But they had just met. They were in the honeymoon phase; despite being 82 and 86-years-old respectively.

She knew she loved him and wanted to spend what little time she had left on this earth with him. So, defying the odds and proving that age really is only a number, they tied the knot last summer less than a year after they met.

At 82-years-old Annie finally walked down the aisle.

She knew their story was one for the books and, at her wedding reception, Annie beamed as she said:

“When I think about it there’s nothing incredibly special about Tommy and I together. Except that I think our love story is the sweetest of them all.”

Pictures c/o: Top Vectors and U Turn Crossfit. 

Des Bishop's 'Coming Home'

The funny man is back on Irish soil after an interesting time in China

From the Glen to Beijing and back home again.

Des Bishop’s ‘Coming Home’ tour left audiences with tears rolling down their cheeks as he performed his hilarious, sold-out gig in Cork last weekend.

His stand-up show garnered impressive reviews at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last summer and, having brought it back to The Everyman for two nights this year, it’s easy to see why.

‘Coming Home’ tells the entertaining, amusing and laugh-out-loud account of Des’s two years living in China where he challenged himself to learn one of the world’s most up-and-coming languages.

Having already spent a year in the Gaeltacht in a bid to learn cúpla focal and speak as Gaeilge, Des decided to set the bar even higher and try his hand at Mandarin.

Our tickets for the show last Friday night.

Without giving too much of the show away, I can tell you, if you’re lucky enough to see this performance it will leave your cheeks hurting and stomach aching from laughter. Des’s anecdotal stories of working in a local restaurant as a ‘welcomer’, attending match-making fairs, learning to play ancient Chinese instruments with the locals and, finally, making an appearance on the Chinese version of ‘Take Me Out’ are guaranteed to entertain you.

The problems he encounters along the way, the inevitable difficulties he has with the language and the differences he experiences with the culture are all told in brilliant, comedic fashion by the much-loved Irish-American.

His recount of his time on Take Me Out is one for the books as he recalls how he got the audience clapping along to ‘Come Out Ye Black and Tans’ while also yapping away in Mandarin AND trying to woo the ladies for almost half an hour. Talk about multi-talented!

However it was just a fleeting visit to his old haunt in Cork as the New Yorker returns to his home city next where his ‘Made in China’ tour, as it is known outside Ireland, hits the Barrow Street Theatre for a three-week run.

Having spent years laughing over his jokes and eagerly waiting to finally see him, Des Bishop did not disappoint, and, if this show is anything to go by I can’t wait to see the next!

Picture c/o: desbishop.net

Not-So-Smart Phone

They have fast become an addiction in recent years; a gadget we can't seem to step outside without, get panic attacks when we can't feel it in our pocket and rarely leave out of our hands.

Can we even remember a time without a smartphone; when Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter didn’t exist? When you actually had to sit and talk to people without constantly glancing down at your phone for fear you might miss something.

We have become obsessed with our phones and have blurred the line between needing and wanting. We have become addicted, rude, disrespectful and clearly lack any kind of self-control. 

Is it really too much to ask to leave the bloody phone down when someone is trying to have a conversation with you?

Here are four of the most annoying things I've noticed...

Using your phone when someone is talking to you

This is possibly one of my biggest pet peeves. There is absolutely nothing worse than someone scrolling through their news feed while you are trying to have a conversation with them. They are oblivious to what they're doing and it's obvious they're not interested in one word you have to say so, what's the point? Seriously. If you’re going to be that anti-social why do you bother hang out with real life people where, God forbid, you might be subject to real life interaction?

Checking your phone every two seconds

Now don’t get me wrong, smartphones are essential for reminders, alarm clocks and to-do lists but the endless stream of notifications can also be annoying. A status update from Facebook or a notification from Pinterest to tell you you have a new follower are hardly essential updates or justify the need for you to check your phone every two seconds. As well as the ‘ping’ noise becoming super annoying, looking at your phone all the time is anti-social, distracting and can prevent you actually living in the real world.

Bringing your phone everywhere

Seeing people out walking with their phones yapping or texting away irks me like no other. Isn’t one of the main purposes of exercise to relieve stress and disconnect from the world for half an hour? As well as that how many times have we all had someone bang into us because they weren’t looking where they were going because they were too busy with their mobile phones? Just leave the phone at home already!

Using your phone when dealing with a cashier

Working in a shop for the last few years I have dealt with this one too many times. Would you wait in line then as soon as you get to the top of the queue wait a little bit longer while the person serving you takes a call or answers back a text message? I doubt it. Newsflash! You are not the only person in the queue. Other people are waiting, I have a million and one other things to do than wait for you to finish your conversation so stop being ignorant and get off the phone.



Photos c/o: Wordpress, hercampus.com and greenbot.com 

Texters, talkers and seat-kickers...

‘Why do I go to the cinema?’ I asked myself half way through the monotonous, overrated and utterly underwhelming 50 Shades of Grey.

I should have stayed at home, in the comfort of my own house, eating food that didn’t cost a small fortune and avoided the inevitable queue for the year’s most highly anticipated movie.

Before you roll your eyes at yet another critical review of 50 Shades, this blog post is actually not about the beautiful Jamie Dornan or the frustratingly annoying Dakota Johnson. It was, however, inspired by my visit to the cinema to see the movie last Wednesday night.

Now, I wasn’t expecting the movie itself to blow me out of the water but, all in all, I was looking forward to going to the cinema. Sometimes we go just for the experience more so than the actual film itself; for a night out with friends or for a date night with your other half.

Something very similar to this happened me last week...

But last week I questioned my own judgement as to why I bother going at all. To see a film I can probably illegally download on my laptop? To eat ridiculously over-priced popcorn? No.

Every now and again the cinema experience is not the relaxing night we had planned. Sometimes, like last Wednesday, it can actually be a living nightmare. Talkers, texters and people who find pleasure in kicking the back of your seat are all reasons your cinema experience can go oh-so-wrong. If you’re one of those people then maybe you should stop reading now…

 The Talkers

There’s always one, isn’t there? Someone who can’t quite seem to keep up with the plot and who proceeds to ask a hundred and one questions throughout the movie. Maybe if you stopped asking questions and focused on what was happening you might actually know. Just a thought. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, there are the people who feel it necessary to provide a running commentary on every single movement. Yes I’m here too. Watching the same movie as you. Yes, I can see what just happened. No, I do not need to hear your annoying, little voice repeating what I can already see!

The I’m-super-popular-can’t-leave-my-phone-down-people

Yes, I’m talking about you with your head bent scrolling through your Facebook news feed or frantically texting some other I’m-so-popular-can’t-leave-my-phone-down creature. There is no need to text in the cinema. Seriously, can you really not leave your phone out of your hands for an hour or two? And as for the cinema snapchatters out there. Please. None of your snapchat buddies really want to see a pitch dark snapchat from you declaring how much fun you’re having in the cinema. Put the phone away.

The Food that cost an arm and a leg

 

Despite how over-priced it can be, food at the cinema is a must. Preferably a medium sized popcorn and coke or even some sneaky supplies you bought in Tesco on the way to the cinema. Some people just don’t think about the rest of the people sitting around them who might want to enjoy the film in peace. Eating pistachio nuts, or any other extremely loud and annoying type of food, is not ok and it never will be.

The Late-comers

The late-comers are up there with the seat-kickers. It’s just so annoying. Granted there are those who come in late and have the decency to be embarrassed by it but this, I’m afraid, is not the norm. The people who waltz in, ten minutes into the start of the film, and loudly ponder where they will sit or how much of the movie they’ve missed are the worst kind of people. This is not ok. Please, think of the audience.

The I'm-so-in-love-I-can't-stop-shifting-couple
Ah, couples. Shifting the face off each other might have been ok ten years ago when you were 14-years-old but it’s not ok anymore. Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean we can’t see or hear you. Have some self-control. 

Photos c/o: Wordpress and the National Times.

If tomorrow never comes

Next week, next month, next year. We are always putting things off. ‘I’ll do it tomorrow,’ I say. But tomorrow never comes and suddenly, as the week slips out of my hands, I think, I’ll start next Monday.

Monday. It’s a little bit like Groundhog Day isn’t it? Not exactly the most inspiring day of the week. But you have to start somewhere so why not today? Why not Monday?

With Operation Transformation dominating our television screens and an unprecedented focus on health and fitness in the media; it’s hard not to be sucked into the world of treadmills, squats and lycra.

If you’ve never considered yourself a gym bunny before it might be time to reconsider. With the ever-increasing stresses of college assignments (yes, FYP I’m talking about you), work or whatever else might be going on in your head; sometimes the best thing to do is get out of the house, get out of your head, get lost in the music blaring out of your headphones and exercise. Take it out on a treadmill. Literally. Pounding the treadmill, or the roads as it may be, is a sure fire way to release any stress or anger you may be carrying. As well as keeping your heart healthy and pumping oxygen into your system, exercise also helps deplete stress hormones while also releasing mood-enhancing chemicals. It’s a win-win situation!

Just do it!

The all too common excuses such as ‘I’m tired’ or ‘I’m stressed’ should be seen as motivation and not a deterrent.  Too often we get caught in a vicious cycle of all work and no play. We become too tired, too lazy and totally overwhelmed at the thought of actually getting up and moving. In reality, it’s not as bad as you might think. While I’ve been gradually getting back to some sort of level of fitness over the past few weeks, it hasn’t been easy. More often than not I have a mental battle in my head over whether I’ll bother go to the gym today or give it a skip. Sometimes my willpower wins and I go and I feel better, happier, less stressed and more energetic. Sometimes the latter wins and I waste away my evening watching mindless TV programmes, feeling sorry for myself and wishing I got up off my ass and went.

Watching people run a charity 10k, or even a half-marathon, can often leave you wondering how you will ever get to that level of fitness. It can leave you a little envious and a little disheartened. However it’s important to remember that everyone has to start somewhere. Even the likes of Sonia O’Sullivan had to struggle, puffing and panting, before she ever got into the swing of things. The truth is, if you stick with it, running, swimming, football or whatever it may be, does get easier and you will get better. One day you’ll be exercising and you’ll suddenly realise that it’s not as painful or uncomfortable as you once thought it was. Pigs might fly and you might even start to enjoy it! 

Pictures c/o: Pinterest, Twicsy and Indulgy. 

Valentine's Day: A waste of money or a showcase of love?

In theory Valentine's Day can seem like a wonderful idea; a day specifically designed to appreciate your other half and show them how much you love them. In reality though, the day can turn out to be not so sweet.

If you’ve been brainwashed into celebrating Valentine’s Day with a romantic candle-lit dinner followed by a moonlit stroll on the beach after being showered with a bouquet of roses and a bottle of champagne in your hotel room where you’ve gone for a getaway romantic weekend then I’m guessing you won’t agree with what I’m about to say in this blog so maybe you should stop reading…

But maybe you’re a cynical anti-Valentine critic like me and you dismiss the notion of buying presents for your loved one on a random made up holiday. If so, keep reading. You might like what I have to say.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like to be appreciated and pampered as much as the next girl but I don’t need Valentine’s Day for that. Without any of us even realising it Valentine’s Day has turned into an exhibition of us proving our love for each other with over-the-top presents and cards that cost more than my right arm, rather than actually celebrating it. Like many cynics I cling to the notion that this inane, made-up holiday is sponsored by profit-seeking, commercial card companies and overpriced florists who will market anything remotely romantic in order to make some money and then laugh all the way to the bank with your hard earned dolla bills.

I’m not wrong in what I’m saying. Figures released last year from Visa Europe found that in the Irish market, holders of their cards spent almost €10 million in florist shops alone. They also found that 40% of Irish people bought flowers to mark the so-called special occasion on February 14^th. 

And it’s not just the florists who hit the jackpot in the run-up to Valentines. Renowned card company Hallmark, who first sold Valentine's cards in 1913, now offer a choice of over 1,400 different cards for the special occasion and An Post is expected to handle approximately 100,000 Valentine's Day cards this year! That’s a lot of cards, a lot of stamps and a lot of money.

So why do we feel such a need to splurge money a lot of us don’t have on a commercialised holiday that’s forgotten about soon after the clock strikes midnight? Are we worried about keeping up with what everyone else is doing and letting them know you’re in a happy relationship? Cue cutesy Facebook statuses from girls of ‘The boy did well’ when their boyfriends ‘surprised’ them with Michael Kors watches or Mi Moneda chains after dropping not so subtle hints. Chances are they’ll be broken up in a few weeks.

Ok so maybe that’s a bit harsh but you see where I’m going. There’s no need to tell the whole world or the virtual world you’ve created on Instagram or Twitter about what you got, or didn’t get, on Valentine’s Day. It’s annoying, it’s cheesy and most of us really don’t care.

Don’t get me wrong, a surprise bouquet of flowers or an expensive gift is undoubtedly flattering and I’d be the first to accept without hesitation. But is one day of the year really necessary to showcase how much your significant other means to you? Maybe, just maybe, we should be highlighting it all year round without the flashy presents and extravagant gifts.

Pictures courtesy of: http://happyvalentinesday2015z.com/anti-valentines-day-2015-cards/ and Pinterest.