yea, i know im neglecting this blog...

well i intend to make up for it now!! :D
so lets get to it. Mixture of subjects today, have a rough list written but we will see where it goes.

Letter Writing
I've started writing letters home to family and friends and its great fun. though when writing them I feel like I'm back in Mr. O'Hallorans History class, trying to write as much as in can in a short space of time. The last letter home to a friend who regularly texts me was four pages long! you can say so much more in a letter. If you want a letter email me or text me!

The Boys and Irish
The boys have asked me to speak more in Irish to them. Now I am glad I can speak Irish, but its amazing how much comes back when you try and formulate sentences! Though I miss my Irish - English Dictionary.

Update on the Boys
The last two mornings have been a struggle barely getting out the door on time to get the tram. We were late today, thankfully the tram was late also (It happens rarely!)!

Apart from that things are going well, though I'm getting a lot of "It's not my problem" when they wont do what they are told!

Irish in Köln
I met two lads who studied in UL on firday in one of my regular haunts and they knew all my friends back in UL. Crazy! I can never get away from Ireland!! :D Had a great night!

I'm Giving Up Drink
*Shock Horror* and all that. Yes, im cutting down on the amount of Kölsch I am drinking. Im only giving up till Paddy's Day mind. Or if another excuse comes along I'll take that! :D

Valentines Day (ValentinsTag)
So Thursday is the day Hallmark loves. I'm going to hate it. I'm not normally a big Vale's day person but being single in a different country will make it that bit more depressing.

Ireland V France (6 Nations)
Went out on saturday to watch the Match on RTE in one of the Irish Pubs with the TT Gang. Had a great laugh, pity we lost. Though it was only me (Ireland) and Helene (France) watching the match. We even had flags!! We are crazy, wait till Paddy's day, then we will be CRAZY!!!

Okay think thats it for now. Remember if you want a letter I need an address!!

Contact Made and Day 1

It is the end of my first day as an Au Pair and it was fantastic. I was collected yesterday after lunch from the hostel and brought to meet the family. What a joy they are. They live in a lovely part of Köln, a good bit out from the city but still on the tram line. It reminds a bit of Ballincollig. Tomorrow is the first day of school after the holidays for the boys so it will be my first early morning and first time taking them to school.

The boys who inform they are now 9 not 8, are two bositerious, full of energy, ruggamuffins, who I must say are the easiest Kids I have ever worked with. I have worked with a lot of Children in my time so I can say that.

The language barrier is something I have noticed and it is a barrier. The parents do not seam to mind as the Kids have to ask me for things in English, but I do not understand any German. It did become a problem towards the end of Sunday in Köln. I am picking up a lot of German, though my Irish seams to be resurfacing. I shouted "Tog a bog e" and "bi curamach" at the Kids. They were mostr confused. I am picking up bits and pieces of German and definately know more then I did on Friday! So things will get better language wise.... I hope!

One good thing about school early in the morning, I get to finish early at night! I finshed at 7:30 tonight! It was great!

Anyway that is it for now as I ma tired and must also get up early!

So guten nacht!

Steve

7 days to Christmas

I am going carol singing tonight with my scout troop (37th Cork) and I thought I'd post up some of my favourite Christmas songs. This is a mix of old, covers, new, Irish, German and Latin songs.

Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin Stevens



Boney M. - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord



john lennon - merry christmas (war is over)



Band Aid - Do they know it's Christmas



Wizzard - I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday



slade - merry christmas everybody



Enya - Silent Night (Oíche Chuin)



David Hasselhoff - Stille Nacht



Enya - Adeste, Fideles



Celtic Woman - O' Come All Ye Faithful



Deck the Halls



Do you hear what I hear - Whitney Houston



The First Noël - Celtic Woman



Hark! The Herald Angels Sing



Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth - David Bowie and Bing Crosby



12 days of Christmas - Muppets & John Denver



The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York



Thats enough I think!!!

I'm so sad!!!

Argh! This week on two separate nights out I've cried!!!! What am I like!!! Everyone will be here when I get back. Most people think I'm lucky to be off moving to Germany, and I am genuinely excited but I will miss my friends and family here a lot!

I am I supposed to be sad? I am supposed to be excited? Or is it both?

Though I will not miss Cork as a city, it is still 'home' and I will look forward to coming home. It is a strange feeling, I wonder hoe the economic emigrants felt something similar or was it more urgency and need for them?

I'm reminded of a Poem I did for my Leaving Cert back in 2004 it's 'Mac Eile Ag Imeacht' by Fionnuala Ní Fhlannagáin

Cuirfimidne chun bóthair arís inniu
Chuig aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath.
Deireadh an tsamhraidh buailte linn
Mac eile ag imeacht.
Eisean féin a thiománfaidh an carr
Tús curtha ar a thuras fada.
Ag mionchomhrá treallach, míloighciúil
Meilfimid an aimsir.

Staidéar ar ríomhtheangacha
A bheidh idir lámha aige.
Béarfaidh sé ar an bhfaill
Faoi spalladh gréine i Houston, Texas.
Tar éis slán a chur leis
Agus greim láimhe againn ar a chéile
Pléifimid na buntáistí a bheadh aige thall
Nach mbeadh ar fáil sa bhaile.

Gealgháireach, fuadrach a bheidh
Na stráinséirí inár dtimpeall.
Ní bhacfaimid le cupán caife
Siúlfaimid go dtí an carr go mall.
Deireadh an tsamhraidh buailte linn
Mac eile ag imeacht.

I suppose it events like this that do inspire poems, but that is one that has sprung to mind.

Staying in Ireland is an option but this is an opportunity I cannot pass up. i suppose Robert Frost's Poem 'The Road not Taken' sums up my attitude to me leaving. I am taking the road less travelled.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Even after writing this post, I feel very emotional....

I am Annoyed

I was looking through the DFA website, when I found a link to an organisation that might have information for me or so I thought! Well i was wrong!

The group in question are the Cross Care Migrant Project formerly known as Emigrant Advice.



They only have detailed advice on moving to 5 countries, all English speaking!

They are United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

All these countries are English speaking and information is easy to get online due to large Irish Diaspora in these countries. If you want to move to another EU country on the other hand (other then the UK) the information is paltry and I could have listed out the organisations it gives from the top of my head!

There are 27 different countries nearly all of them having their own language why isnt there some information on the website?

So they link to the EURES website (Employment in Europe + general country information) which is a good website but is not substitute for experience! Back to Toytown Germany for me