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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Jordan the arid land!!!!!

This is a really interesting photo that i took outside of a little restaurant and you see them all over the place in Syria.
-Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iran's president)
-Bashaar al-Assad (Syrian president)
-Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary General Hezbollah)
The TRIAD OF EVIL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Jordan was really really cool, when i was in Damascus Syria i met loads of people who have been in Jordan before being in Syria and they all said that Syria was so much nicer than Jordan and the same with people. Everyone pretty much felt in love with Syria. I was not so bias and i just let myself be impressed by Jordan . The last day i was in Damascus i didn't have a nice experience although. I was in the taxi-Bus station to get a cab for Amman Jordan and when i first arrived to the station one boy approached me and said: Oh you are going to Amman come here that i have a CAb!!! He took me to the car which was a brand new car really modern in comparison with the rest of the cabs around and then I haggle over the price. This was extremely difficult because none of the boys who were offering the service spoke a word of english!!!! So it was really difficult it was all through Arabic, after that they called one guy who spoke english a bit more and told me that it was a real cab and that it was all cool. I trusted the guy into believing that he was a real taxi driver so now it was all a matter of waiting for more people to join the cab because they are all shared cabs in the middle east unless you pay for a private service. A couple of minutes later he asked me for my passport because apparently they had to fill in some sort of forms that everyone who is crossing the border into Jordan is meant to have, although i made the stupid mistake of giving him my passport. Six minutes later i asked one of the guys of where the hell his partner was?? He responded in a very oblivious way and started asking me for money for some strange reason so then i was FUCK!!!!!!!!!! The other guy is now going to run away with my passport and imagine being in syria with no passport considering that Syria us such a difficult country to travel around. A couple of minutes later after i gave him 3 euros as the price to go and look for the boy who took my passport and still didn't see a shadow of him and then i though i was so screwed!!!!!!!! I started getting a bit crazy and then all of a sudden i saw the boy and asked him for it. He acted as if i never gave him anything and all of a sudden another guy totally unrelated with the current transaction gave it to me. I was so relieved. It was a really difficult that day. It took so much energy out of me and once more i realized that it's not so easy to travel in the middle east at all.



Then managed to get to Jordan-Amman and then took a bus to Petra, although before i went t to Jordan I investigated of a good guide who could take me to the Wadi rum desert.
I manage to get into Jordan and then went to the wadi rum desert and met this guy called Aodeh. He is a Bedouin and he makes tours all along the Wadi rum desert. He took me all along the desert for 2 days and manage to sleep in the open air at nite it was great it was not cold at all!!!!! The Wadi rum is such AN AMAZING desert is just completely amazing its just so beautiful.
The second day he took me to a really remote place close to Saudi Arabia with no tourists at all and I met a Bedouin who lives in the desert all by himself. He didn't have a real house. He lived under a rock literally and he has been living alone in the desert for 30 years apparently. It was surreal to meet someone like that and realizing how could there be human in the current 'Modern Age' living like that??? Mubarak, Aodeh's partner was the guy who drove me along the desert and he cooked me really good Bedouin food.The tent was really amazing really relaxing (Aodeh's tent) and the stars at nite are just unbelievable its just so incredible i couldn't believe we live in such a great cosmos where the hell are we????????





So then i went to petra really amazing as well everyone should really go and see. It is unbelievable as well. I stayed there for 3 days just exploring all the amazing sites and met a really nice guy from Taiwan who offered me to take a picture (I had no camera at that stage) and send it over by email. A couple of days later i went to Amman and the most important part was that i met incredibly friendly people too. I was just walking down the street and all of a sudden one guy call me over and offer me to sit right next to him just to have a conversation. He was Palestinian and stayed in prison for 6 years. It was really great to meet someone like him adding the fact that he invited me some coffee, later on another guy came over but he didn't speak a word of english but he was so nice and welcoming is just crazy how people in this big city could be so incredibly welcoming and friendly that was the big lesson we are all giving humans deep down inside or not so deep down. We are just so full and full of fear of rejection or of being hurt etc etc.....It's and old story.






Adrian

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Shopping Addict

Hey guys, if you have a chance, watch this video - the first few bits are obvious, but when she gets to the consumption and disposal stuff its kinda scary.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html

It was only yesterday that I saw a woman crossing the street, and I noticed her shoes - They were the old fashioned heels, like the one in the picture:

(Even when I was looking for this picture, I saw so many nice shoes, I am so weak, I want them all!!)

This video spoke to me about how I am being tricked into being a consumer: I mean how recently would I have thought these shoes are mingin... and now, just by seeing them on sale everywhere, and in magazines, and worn by the celebs... they are suddenly delectable! Its insane!

The american economist, Victor Lebow said the following in the 1950's:
"Our enormously productive ecomony demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption... we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate."

Its crazy, but I feel personally, at the moment, that I can sometimes use shopping as a method of filling my soul. And that scares the shit out of me! I wish I didn't feel this need, to own stuff, or to look pretty. As I cycle a lot, I tend to people watch, its an addiction! I'm hooked!

I know deep down that spending my hard earned cash on good food, and good times is much more important than the buzz I feel from wearing new shoes, but with Christmas around the corner, and new shops opening everywhere (has anyone seen Limerick lately? Its superb!) its hard not to jump on the bandwagon, and buy, buy, buy!

That said, I was aware of the problem, so I started bringing my journal to work, and writing during my breaks instead of shopping... but now that I've seen this video, I'm more determined not to let myself be brainwashed into thinking the latest fashions will soothe my soul.

Happy christmas shopping!!
love el xx

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Work issues

Yesterday I had a shit day at work. I met my new friend afterwards, (we were meant to play squash but the courts were full so we settled for having a drink instead) and I was able to scream and shout and let it all out!

So in the midst of us both moaning, I felt myself being carried along on the bandwagon, finding more and more things to complain about! All of a sudden I started feeling pissed off - I have been through a lot of shit, and I was pissed off that I had already forgotten the most fundamental thing that I learned: No one has a perfect life. Happiness is not given to you - you have to go and get it. There is no such thing as "when I have a better job, then I'll be happy". Fair enough, you may feel less bad on a daily basis, but you cannot rely on your job to be the thing that needs to change in order for your life to be happier - YOU have to change. Plus!: Sitting around complaining is not gonna get us a better job! We have to go find it! We have this idea when we are struggling, that everyone else is happier, or luckier. But I remember, when I was sick, and even now, it is impossible to find people who are without problems in their lives. And there is no way to measure whose problem is larger, or more important.

I interrupted her in mid sob story, and asked her to name 5 good things in her life. She told me it was impossible, but I insisted. I didnt want to be telling her what to do, I know that perhaps I would have gotten better results if I had trained as a psychologist - if I was able to ask her the correct questions so that she could come to the conclusion by herself, but this exercise was as much for me as for her, and I felt I needed to at least plant a "positive thinking" seed in her brain...

So she did so. And we created this lovely bond between us, that ok, work can be tough sometimes, and maybe we need to start looking for other jobs, or at least speak up about our problems and try and sort them out. But to sit in our negativity, and moan, we both felt like shit doing it. Sometimes life gives us a hard situation to deal with, and by reliving the drama and the pain, by dwelling in the awfulness of the situation, we do ourselves no good. The sooner we can accept that this is the way things are going to be - in my friends case, for 2 years; in my case - until I start making money from other sources! the easier it will be to just rise above it.

When I came home I remembered Sunny Jacobs, who I wrote about ages ago - she was happy living on Death row, in a tiny little cell, alone. And I remembered how I managed to feel positive even being told I had 2 years to live, with no boob, with an open wound in my chest, with no hair, with physical pain from chemo... In that state I realised that all I need is hope - hope that the pain will go away, and hope that I will get better; and love from my family and friends. All the rest is bullshit. When I felt well again, it was the most beautiful feeling - that all I need is to not feel that ache in my brain from the drugs.

Ok, my job is not perfect, but I earn a bit of money, I've made a friend, and I am not sitting alone at home everyday. I am learning about people, and about illnesses, and I am learning how to deal with my inability to take orders! Its just so hard, to keep remembering - that all this is extra - that all I need to be happy is to be well and to have love, and to remember to look on the bright side of life. Screw Maslow's pyramid.

So my gratitude for life has been lost, and I am trying to find it again. I guess I just have gotten so used to being well... Long may it last.

I hope you all had a smashing day at work, or if you didnt, that you can take the time to list 5 good things in your life, and try to remember that theres more to life than work, even though it doesnt seem that way sometimes...

Love el xx

Monday, November 26, 2007

The Middle East Experience

Since Ellen is not writing anymore in the blog because she doesn't like the fact that people know about her life constantly and she doesn't know anything about others life i'll keep writing no matter what especially since i have so much to say as well.
Well first of all I went to Jordan and Syria for 16 days. I just loved Syria it was such an amazing experience like it was just one of those trips in which i really learned loads and got to meet amazing people.The interesting thing about all this is the fact that when i told people that i was going to the middle east they were like WOW that is something by itself and then when i said i was going to Syria everyone was like Jesus that is going to be dangerous and not only that i also went by myself which added excitement to the hot pot of soup, and even if you log into the US department of state they quote basically don't go because is dangerous. Well first of all its all media. Syria is one of the safest countries i have ever been and its all Media brainwash. The western world is brainwashing all their citizens into believing that the world is a dangerous place and everyone keeps living with fear and therefore more controllable reducing the possibility for humans to exercise a more pure form of free will and conscious choice. In addition specially Syrians and some Jordanians were incredibly amazing so so so incredibly friendly and i was freaken shocked. Syrians opened their arms and said welcome to our home and that was incredibly amazing and if a Syrian knows an English word that would be 'welcome' because that is the first thing they say when they see you on the street which is Welcome Welcome to Syria can you imagine those words coming from Arab terrorist?? not only that they see ya they talk to you ask about your life, country, family, work, beliefs, religion, likes and dislikes (without asking for any money) and they wish you a good trip in Syria and happy life fancy that (I am Not exaggerating)!!!!!.
The biggest lesson in short was that people by nature are capable of giving love, but at the same time there is incredible fear of such a risky act. I believe and know that this a fundamental human act that could sustain us living in the current desperate world that we live in full of poverty, hatred, war and disbelieve. I believe human beings are good by nature but sometimes is just hard to see it and believe it and especially being able to "give" it and "receive" it. We are also so full of prejudice and preconceptions about people, ideas and places that blurs everything around us with a tainted and deviated perception that in a way stops this inner human act of giving and receiving.

Syria
This is in Damascus Omayyad mosque one of the islam's greatest architertural monuments and it has an incredible peaceful atmosphere. Plus Damascus incredible old city would just blow you away.




Spice stall in Aleppo Souk (Aleppo Market) you can tell how important Syria was for the east ern trade in earlier centuries.


Gold Souk



Apamea This is a Roman city from the 4th and 5th century these are the columns if the main street you can feel how the roman had such an incredible power.



This is an old man selling Spices in little bags i was just shocked by the simplicity of the trade and how this probably 65 year old man makes a living out of bags with spices, i wonder how many children he has and a wife to support since muslim don't work in the regular trade at least in Syria? Would that be enough to make a proper living????????


This is in Damascus and as you can see there is a little boy at the back with a funky custom giving a sort of flavored water . The first day i arrived in Syria a committed the mistake of drinking a glass of that water because the boy was extremely persistent so i took the glass and zip down the contents which cause me a serious diarrhea which didn't go away for 24 hours and i ended up taking antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria. Although Syrian food is incredibly beautiful.



Anyway hope i made it clear enough. There is just an incredible world out there!, full of incredible people this fact just gives me a sense of peace .

I'll put a post for Jordan soon enough


Adrian

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Limerick

Hi everyone!

Adrians news is great, but as you probably gathered, I am not going with him. I am happy to have a bit of stability in my life, and those shelves won't restock themselves!! :)

I discovered something surprising today... that I love Limerick. My dad said recently that no one would choose to live in Limerick, but today especially, I wanted to be here. I love the people (not all of them of course!), but they are just so REAL. On an average day I now encounter so many, and the amount of good humoured, chatty folk is uplifting. The acts of unexpected kindness, such as the donating of parking tickets, "there's still a good hour and a half left on that", and the passing comments from strangers, "what did you do with your hair today? Mine's the same, curly, crazy! can't do anything with it!" There's still a huge community here, at least in parts of the city, and its nice to feel part of something, something large, and undefined, an undercurrent of familiarity, of caring natures, and the common need for people to just belong somewhere.

Have a good weekend,
Love el xx

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Jordan And Syria

Hello everyone, i have cool news. I just bought my ticket to the middle east im flying to Jordan and Syria and probably Jerusalem for 2 weeks and im really really excited as a matter a fact i have never been to the middle east before. I have read great things about Syria and its a great country to visit and well Jordan has petra which its amazing, also i joined the allianse francoise for some french classes i took 3 years of french at college so i dont want to loose it all. My teacher is french of course and all my classmates hava a incredible level very very good for anglophones, since you know spanish is very closed to french but still different. Anyway loving Ireland and the job is quite good its crazy to see how much Irish people travel abroad, like i never seen anything quite like it its pretty much a country of travelers and i love that because it brings a huge diversity into the Irish culture by itself, also had Mariead's party last week end it was really good cos i got to talk with pretty much everyone and also met a big group of frenchies and got to speak some french and spanish because one of the frenchies spoke prefect spanish so that was great anyway i'll keep you posted


Jordan




Syria




Adrian

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Hi Guys,

This post is on behalf of Jessica, who would like to thank all of you who donated to the Shining Star Primary School in Kenya.



She managed to raise a whopping 2000 euro!! which is going directly to the school, and I will let you guys know what they do with the money as soon as we know any more.

Thanks again! Your generosity is very much appreciated,

Ellen & Jessica xx

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Electric Picnic

Hi everyone!

I was thinking of taking a blog break, but then adrian gave out to me, so here I am...

Electric picnic was an experience! I didnt take many photos, or make many movies, I just tried to absorb the event fully! It was great, on Friday we arrived, and set up our tents, we got there early so no sitting in traffic, or worrying about finding a place to camp, and no queues! Although as a result of arriving early, jessica was practically strip-searched by the over eager first-hour-on-the-job bag-searching attendant!



We heard some great music, danced at the silent disco, did some yoga and meditation, made wishes, proclaimed our virtue at "lost vagueness" (see photos below), laughed our socks off at Des Bishop, watched impressive flame throwers and pathetic kiddy show acrobatics, and ate a variety of organic and fair trade goodies. Adrian even managed to fit in a circus, and some debating over a set menu - no small talk allowed. Didnt manage to meet up with anyone properly! Feel really bad, but my phone went dead on Friday night would you believe, after attempting to ring Jessica about 67 times... trying to get thru to anyone was madness!




All in all, it was a super weekend, and it was lovely to have a dudley reunion.

Now, I'm preparing for Paris on Monday, and my new job on Monday week... trying to get some website work done before the madness of work begins, and I wont know myself!

Hope you are all well,

Love el xx

Monday, August 27, 2007

Creamfields 2007

Hi everyone, just back from Creamfields yesterday. It was ... it is hard to sum it up in one word - great/nice/super/fab/wicked/cool/fun... but all of those! We did a bit of sightseeing in Liverpool, and went to the Tate art museum.

On Saturday morning Adrian brought me to the World Museum, where there were exhibits of fish, and bugs and then whole floors of artifacts from all over the world. It was interesting, but after 2 hours I was in the cafe resting while Adrian was still going strong! Reading the fine print below each artifact...

Then at 3 we headed on the shuttle bus to Creamfields, and joined the throngs of people walking towards the same entrance. I was not searched at all - except with metal detectors, and Adrians bag was checked briefly, and as regards police check points, or drug confiscation, I think I saw 6 policemen all day, and they were probably the same 2 devices at 3 separate occasions! So there were drugs everywhere, but no trouble whatsoever! People were so polite, I mean, they apologised for walking past, they apologised for stepping on your toes, for touching you with their waving arms, they apologised all the time. It was more pleasant than most nightclubs I've been at. There didnt seem to be that many knackers really, most seemed to be just passionate about the music, which was just amazing. We got to see all these djs I've never heard of, but luckily I had Adrian as my guide, and we danced for 14 hours, until I had to finally sit down, and Adrian kept on until 15 minutes from the end.




We got the shuttle bus then just outside the entrance, and got off at the airport which was on the way back into town, and then discovered our plane was delayed. I knew it was too good to be true - everything had panned out perfectly over the weekend - and that is not normal! So we waited 10 hours in the airport, listening to dance music would you believe, piped over our heads like it was trying to drive us insane! We finally got home yesterday evening at 7ish.

Needless to say, I've slept all day, poor Adrian went to work! That will be me in a months time! :)

I made some videos, which are a bit bumpy, and hard to see, but using my camera with a broken screen, I couldnt see what I was doing, so I'm happy they even worked at all! I must invest in a new camera now I'm using it to broadcast to my millions of devoted readers. I could probably buy one now with the money I am making from the ads on this blog :) Ah, wishful thinking I'm afraid!

We saw Hernan Cattaneo




Harry "Choo Choo" Romero




Erick Morillo




David Guetta








Tom Novy







Swedish House Mafia





Sven Vath








Also saw Jorge Jaramillo who was good, and Carl Cox but we left after 10 minutes, didnt like him.

So thats all, hope you enjoy the post,

Love el xxx

Monday, August 20, 2007

From Greece!

Hey guys,

Im writing this from an internet cafe in Perissa, on Santorini, and its all in greek, so luckily I know the positions of the necessary words to click!

Im heading home tomorrow evening, for my interview on Wednesday. To be honest I havent thought much about it, havent thought about much of anything over here - its a great place to come and chill out.

The girls are snoozing at the moment - we had a triathlon of a day yesterday - we climbed the volcano in the blistering heat, compounded by the black rock we were walking on; swam a long distance from the sailing boat to sulphurised hot springs, and rode enthsiastic donkeys up the side of a steep cliff to see the sunset from the north of the island. It was a great day, but I could have done without the donkey ride!

Our accomodation has been eventful to say the least - we've been shipped back and forth from Stelios' Place to various other hostels, and back again, long story as to why! But at least Stelios will drop me to the airport tomorrow, and the girls to their ferry stop - they are heading on to Ios.

Ill be sad to leave, the pace of life is so nice here, im getting used to just hanging! And the weather... well it goes without saying!

But obviously i'm looking forward to seeing Adrian, and heading to Creamfields.

Hope ye had a good time at steves birthday - Happy Birthday steve if you ever read this! And with Laura visiting. Didnt get a chance to meet up with either of you, another time.

Have a good week!
Love el xx

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Ellen is gone to Santorini

Hello everybody, now it is my turn to write since ellen is gone to Greece or should I say Santorini. I heard from a friend that it is an absolutely beautiful island so I must definitely go some day, I've never been to Greece before.



Last Friday I met a guy that I know from Mexico, actually he is from Mexico City, and he came to Ireland for 3 weeks to take an English course and so far he likes Ireland. He lived in Switzerland for 5 years and then in Argentina for another 5 and now he is living in Madrid. The funny thing is that he hasn't adapted extremely well to Spain, like I thought that he would love it and the like but he's been in Madrid for a year so far. Anyway it is interesting to talk to people that have lived abroad for such a long time.

Next week we are going to Liverpool to Creamfields - it is an electronic music festival and is meant to be amazing! There are going to be incredible DJ's, I'm so exccited plus I've never been to Liverpool before so that is going to be interesting, and the week after we are going to electric picnic so this month is going to be the month of festivals so far.


Anyway we'll keep our post updated since it is going to be a busy month and we'll also have new photos.........




Chat soon and be happy

Adrian

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Driving Test



I am officially permitted to drive my little fiat punto WITHOUT a licenced driver seated next to me! Wahoo!!



I had the test yesterday morning. On Monday night while I was practicing, I managed to get a puncture would you believe, so on the morning of the test they told me I had to get a new tire, otherwise I'd have to do the test another time. I was so pumped up for it, I had 3 lessons and everything, the LAST thing I wanted to do was reschedule! I nearly started crying! Luckily there was a tire shop right next door, and I got a new one put on and still had time to do the test. I think after that they felt sorry for me so I passed with flying colours.



The GREAT news is my insurance premium is lower!!! Not by much mind you but its an improvement!

I have started running again, not that you would have known I had stopped! but I used to be able to run (this time last year) for about 20 minutes before my hip started hurting and I couldn't breathe... So over the last few weeks I have finally felt ready to start running again, my lungs are resisting, and its pretty tough trying to get back my fitness, but its happening, slowly. I felt my body so strong and powerful while I was running last Saturday, when I think back on the last year - there was no way I thought that 11 months from that SHITTY diagnosis, I could be running again, about to go on a girly holiday to Greece, with a job interview to come home to, and a web site in development... It's crazy shit this life business.

Anyhow, the sun is shining, so I'm off to make the most of it,

Enjoy your day!
Love el xx

Friday, August 3, 2007

Good Book

Just finished a good book - in 2 nights I was done! Called Stolen Time by Sunny Jacobs - the lady who was falsely imprisioned for 16 years!



She is an incredible lady with such a determination to live life to the full, being grateful for every last tiny pleasure. She reminded me again of how lucky I am to be here, and how deciding to live with a positive attitude, an open mind, and creativity is so much more fulfilling. And the sunshine definitely helps!

Have a good bank holiday weekend my friends xxx

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Drivers Test

Just confirmed the date of my drivers test... the 7th August... ming... not looking forward to it! Any volunteers to throw on my wig and impersonate me? :)

Any tips send them my way!

My sister, Jess, is currently on a plane to Bilbao to get a train to Leon to walk to Santiago de Compostela... Looking out my window I am very jealous! Will we ever get a summer? The eternal question!



Sending sunny thoughts to you all on this dismal day!

Love el xx

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Meditation weekend

Hey there,

Did you like adrians post? So odd of him to write - I guess he was bored being here all alone all weekend :) I should leave him alone more often!

So my weekend was superb, I am still feeling the after effects of it, I feel very peaceful and relaxed, like I can react to any situation with ease. We learned Lovingkindness or metta meditation, from Buddhism, and I got a great book - its called Liberating Insight by Frits Koster. He's a dutch guy and the lady who gave us the workshop, Marjo, is Dutch too, she translated it into english. Its like a rough guide to Buddhism and its really great - obviously there are problems with every religion, but what I love about the teachings of Buddha is that he never claimed to be god, he never said he was "a buddhist" but that he practiced kindness. I think we would have a lot less war in the world if we didn't have labels for our belief system.

So there were 16 of us on the retreat, and we learned how to practice lovingkindness, where you try and find compassion for yourself, and then for others, by wishing yourself well, and wishing everyone else well. Its like a way to send out waves of kindness. It was a really cool experience, I learned a lot about myself, and how I find it so easy to feel compassion for others, for people I have never even met, but that it is so hard for me to give that compassion to myself. I think I finally caught a glimpse of what you guys all went through seeing me sick, and how that must have been so hard... just in terms of not wanting any human being, and especially not one you love, to go through any kind of suffering.

We also learned a bit of insight meditation, or vipassana, where you just watch your thoughts and feelings come and go, and you can realise that sadness, or boredom, or irritation, even pleasure, that they are not solid, that they come and go, pass and fade and come back again, and its fascinating to watch, our minds are so crazy when we sit and watch their complexity.

Ill try and meditate here at home, but its different, more difficult when you dont have someone guiding you, and supporting you. I will definitely do another retreat. The lady that taught us has a meditation centre in Cork, Passaddhi if anyone is interested in trying it!

So thats all. I hope it gives you strength in low moments to know that at any moment, all over the world there are people practicing lovingkindness, and sending out messages of love and compassion to all of us.

Love el xx

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Thinking about Ireland

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately and specially about Ireland. I went out last nite with some guys from work. I was talking to one of them, I wont memtiom his name, Polish, on how is such a good experience to live abroad and the like but he said that he will always be a FOREIGNER in this country. I just think that the concept of nationalities is completely idiotic. I mean they work for a lot of things - for example - It's a smart way to keep different type of governments controlling people. I was born in Mexico city and there is a LOT of cool things about Mexico but i don't consider myself solely Mexican - like I am a citizen of the world. I have traveled all over earth and lived in different countries and all I've seen is amazing HUMANS not CITIZENS. I think the concept of a nationality is a MIND conception for most of it and nothing else, and at the end of the day, no matter what, we are all part of the same kingdom and species of the Homo Sapiens.
My point is that Ireland is so lucky to have all of these FOREIGNERS to enrich the culture and it is so interesting to see so many people from ALL OVER. Believe me, it is so boring to be in a country when everyone is from that country, however, as humans, that is our greatest challenge INTEGRATION. The natural thing for most groups, although I am generalizing, but still - consider 85% is to stay within their own group - Spanish with Spanish, Irish with Irish, Polish with Polish and Americans with Americans. We live in the 21st century and Europe has had so many wars because of this lack of integration but it has learned so many lessons and this is the by-product. I love this concept.



Adrian

Friday, July 20, 2007

Loving Kindness Meditation

Hi guys,

I am going on a meditation weekend today, in Athenry, Galway. It is a silent meditation and I will be learning to open my heart and mind to pleasure and pain, fear and joy according to the brochure! I'm really excited about it!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Love el xxx

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Now im Writing




Hello everyone now is my time to write since Ellen has taken over the writing part even though i was the one to start blogging!!!!!!!

I have a couple of good news our blog is LISTED NOW IN GOOGLE,if you type dudleymont in google you would get a reference to the blog that is COOL.

Also you can get feeds from our blog if you have flock which is a really cool browser check it out Flock WebSite. You can get them anyway with any browser so you are updated with all our posts.

Have fun

Adrian

Friday, July 13, 2007

Photos of Finland!

Adrian in Tampere (where Ryanair flys to)



Russian Orthodox Church in Tampere



Next we went to a town called Rauma... to see this cool old town - its a World Heritage Site.



But we had to sleep here:



Cos there was a HUGE rock festival on here on the same night...

Cool castle device in Turku that was closed cos we it was Midsummers Weekend, the only time in the whole year when things close. Again, superb timing out of us!











Cycling to see archepelagos





In a little cafe to take a break...



Helsinki



Eating fresh peas



Having coffee by the beach



Sitting outside at Jazz Club



Me & Rach (she visited for the day!) on fort



Thats all the photos I'll bore you with :)

Love el xxx