Finally Moved Out

After 1 month short of 5 years, I finally moved out of 31 Shanowen Avenue aka the UN House aka La Comuna aka The Commune! Those days living in that house were certainly interesting! We have had people staying there from 5 continents! We've had people from Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Scotland, Poland, Lithuania, Argentina, Nigeria, Angola, Libya, Pakistan, China and Australia! Not to mention visitors from tons of other places!That's a lot of countries! Some nice, some not, some just plain weird! I reckon that living there has taught me a lot about the different people that walk this earth and how to deal with them!

So, now I'm back at the folks' place. It's a bit of a change. So, now I need to work out what I need to bring to China and whether I need to buy anything before I leave on Wednesday!

I think the whole leaving the country thing is starting to dawn on me! It's scary but it's gonna be one of the biggest challenges of my life. And hopefully a good laugh as well! See can I get a few sing-songs going in the Chinese pubs!

Enter Budley

Some of you may have noticed a new face on my site. Welcome Budley aka Xiao Pang (小胖）！

Originally from China, he was captured as a young man and taken to America. He was sold into the tourist trade in San Francisco. I saw the poor guy in a souvenir shop there and liberated him for the measly price of two American dollars. Since then he has traveled to all corners of the world on his adventures. He has been to England, France, Spain, Finland, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Malaysia, China and New Zealand to name a few. He has also traveled extensively in Ireland (he has been to more places here than I have).

Now he returns to his home country of China to find some inner peace. Dunno how he'll find that living with me!!!

So, today was raining again. Did some more packing. Got the good news that my place ticket is ready but I didn't have enough time to pick it up so I'll do that next week.

I Love These Irish Summers!

Ah, the joys of living in this little island. Woke up to the pissings of rain this morning. So much for the barbecue that I was supposed to be going to that evening! Well, the plan for today was to do some packing, head back to parents place with the stuff and go to the bank, so the rain wasn't a big factor thanks to the act that my dad's car has a roof. On the roof note, as a famous Irish weather forecaster put it, "It'd be a lovely little country if you could only roof it!" A classic from D'Unbelievables! They're an Irish comedy act poking fun at the way of life of the folk in the countryside.

Anyway, I digress. I got 4 boxes of stuff packed but it still looks like nothing has moved from my room! Still lots of stuff left! Got the stuff home and did my banky stuff and then went to town to meet up with a friend. One of the bar staff there was from Dalian. They are all amazed if I tell them I am going to China and even more so when I say I am going to teach English there.
This time next week I will be in Beijing. I plan to travel in China for a few days with a friend before hitting Dalian. Should be very enjoyable and hopefully my Chinese language skills will improve!

I have to get my little friend Budley aka XiaoPang back tomorrow. He disappeared from my desk in work last week and has been "found" by one of the lads. A likely story! He has been kidnapped and held for ransom before. The poor guy has had so much stress in his life. But hopefully he will find peace when he returns to his native China. He's a delightful little fellow! Hopefully he will be an important part of this blog. Stay tuned....

Wednesday Singing Contest

Today was supposed to be a day for a lie in to help get better from my cold. Instead I was up early trying to contact China about something to do with my visa.

I didn't get much information about that, so I found some stuff about health/travel insurance and then went to the Porter House North in Phibsboro to meet 2 legends: Eamon Duffy and John Roche. It was great to see Eamon. He is Tour Director of the Blazing Saddles events (as mentioned in a previous post) and was sadly diagnosed with stomach cancer last year. He was sadly missed on the the Blazing Saddles tip to China last year. However, Eamon has recovered and looked very well today and myself, himself and John had great craic over lunch. Eamon and John are looking forward to this year's trip to Argentina. Shame I won't be there as it looks like a trip to remember. Below is a pic of myself, Eamon and John outside the Porter House.


After that, the afternoon consisted of buying travel/health insurance from USIT, getting my hair cut (what's Chinese for a short back and sides anyway???) and collecting boxes from Tesco for my planned packing...

Well, the packing never came to plan and the Irish (i.e. booze) came out in us. Was just having the craic with 2 of my housemates, when I decided to have some Southern Comfort for my cold and the others decided to have some booze cos it was a Wednesday or something. This proceeded in me getting the guitar out and the three of us having a sing-song. It was very impressive when Sun Yao (from China) sang some traditional Irish songs! I hope I can learn some traditional Chinese songs for China and sing them as well as she did. I was singing a few Irish favourites like Dirty Old Town and the Fields of Athenry, when wondered what Paddy's Day would be like in Dalian, China. I can see myself in the Irish pub there (well, I'm told that one exists) and belting out a few songs on the giutar. I think we feel more Irish when we're abroad!

So, after that bit of a sing-song, we headed to the sitting-room and tried to have an international singing contest between Ireland, China, Poland and Libya. I think Poland and Libya were a bit shy. Poland sang first and we eventually got Libya to sing "Happy Birthday". Everybody eventually sang their National Anthems! Ah, I only hope it'll be as much fun in China. Well, I'll show them how to have fun, Irish style, anyway!

Got my visa at last!

Today was another good day in my "man of leisure" week.

Went to Chinese Embassy and hey presto - no queues. Must be a Monday thing, the queues. Got my visa anyway at long last!

Then eventually found Donnybrook (I'm a Northsider, I don't know nor want to know my way around the South Side ;-) ) and paid for my plane ticket in Sino Irish Travel. Nice to get things sorted. Will get the ticket on Friday or Tuesday.

After that, I took a stroll around Dublin in the summer sunshine. Forgot how nice it is. Hope Dalian will be as good! Met a mate Dave and went to the pub for a bit of lunch and a few bevvies. Well, I had 2 hot whiskies, since I have a cold, haha!! Just for medicinal purposes. This is the life!!

On Course For Next Week's Departure

My first day of being a man of leisure went pretty well.

I got to the embassy, had to queue for ages but got the application for my visa submitted. I should be able to collect it tomorrow!

Then I rang Sino Irish Travel and got a cheaper one-way flight than I got off World Travel. So, anyone going to China, check out Sino Irish Travel (Donnybrook). I think they give great prices!

So, besides the setback of having caught a cold today, everything is going to plan. Fingers crossed and touch wood, it will all be grand, as we Irish say all the time! I'll have to add "grand" to the important words I must teach the students in Dalian. They'll be speaking perfect Dublin English in no time, ye know wharra mean?

A Good Send-Off

So, last night was my non-work booze up in Doyle's! I wasn't as hammered as I was on Tuesday. I do actually remember getting home :-) . 40N niteink!

Cheers to all who turned up. There was a huge crowd there to say goodbye. That will have been my last drunken night in Doyle's for a while I'll miss the place. Maybe if I make enough money, I can open a branch of Doyle's in Dalian! They won't know what's hit them!

Thanks again to all who turned up. I had a really good night and I'll miss yis all! I hope I can find as crazy a bunch of headcases, I mean friends in Dalian!!!

Last Day in Sun Microsystems

End of an era. I've been working in Sun since November 2000. That's a fair while!

So, had a day of tidying up the desk and sorting out emails etc. And also paid my last lunch visit to the local Indian Restaurant. We've been going here for ages. I think we've helped 2 or their kids though college! This time was a first, since we had some lunch-time beers!!!



And my papers finally came through from China, so I can apply for my visa next week.

Yeah, it's sad to leave Sun after so long but a new challenge and adventure awaits me in China!

Cheers Lads

Well, we had a big turn-out last night for my work going away in Sin E. Cheers to the lads for plying me with copious amounts of alcohol and getting me totally rat-arsed!!! Although I wasn't too thankful for the hangover this morning.

Also, a big thanks to the lads for the card and iPod/speakers. It'll come in very handy in China! I'm now a member of the white headphones brigade.

So, another piss-up on Saturday night. Should be a goodun! Hopefully I won't be as hammered as I was last night....

Bye To Blazing Saddles

The Blazing Saddles are the fund-raising arm of the National Council For The Blind of Ireland (NCBI). The NCBI gives training and support to blind and visually impaired people in Ireland.

The Blazing Saddles hold fundraising cycling events every year, both in Ireland and abroad. I have been on cycles in Canada (1997); France, Spain & Portugal (1998); Malaysia (2000); California (2001); South Africa (2002); Chile & Argentina (2003) and China (2004). I've met some great people and had some great times and also more importantly, raised a lot of money for the NCBI.

None of this would have been possible if it wasn't for the big man in NCBI, Eamoon "Big Daddy" Duffy, who is the Tour Director. I can probably say that if it wasn't for Eamon, I wouldn't be going to China this year. Last year's trip was to China and before the trip, I went to night classes in Chinese language to help on the trip. I really liked China and because I have been there and also have learned some Chinese, this gave me the motivation to head back to China to teach English.

Anyways, the Blazing Saddles are going back to Argentina this year and it will be the first foreign trip I will have missed since 1999. I'm sad that I'm not going but I went down to Thurles, County Tipperary last weekend to one of the Argentina Training Camps.

I had intended to just go down and say hello and goodbye to people but the camp organiser, Billy Shanahan, sorted me out with a bike on the day, cheers Billy!



I had a great day and got to say goodbye to a lot of people. And had great craic traveling up and down on the train and going to the pub with the great John Roche and his dog George (pictured above)! Go on ya good thing, Rochie!

The Countdown Continues...

Well, only 1 more week of work left....

Still waiting on work permit documents from China before I can apply for my visa and buy a plane ticket. Hopefully they will arrive soon and I can sort everything out.

The plan is to hit Beijing at the start of August and then hopefully do a small bit of traveling before arriving in Dalian around August 16th!

So, boozing season will start next Tuesday with a work going away thing in Sin E in town. Should be a good laugh. I'm sure more nights out will follow.

The Waiting Game

I plan to keep a blog of my impending trip to China.

So the story goes like this.... I have applied for TEFL jobs in Dalian, China and got an offer from Dalian Maritime University, which I have accepted.

Now I play the waiting game. I've sent them my stuff (contract, info for work permit etc.). They need to send me some documents and then I can apply for my visa! Catch 22 is that I can't buy a plane ticket for a specific date cos I don't know when my visa will come through!

My last day here at Sun Microsystems is July 22nd. I am really looking forward to a change of scenery but will miss the lads in Sun! I'll need to find people in China that I can talk the same level of shite to! Gonna be hard!