That one Rule

Tinie Tempah - Written In The Stars ft. Eric Turner

Halloween 2012

Queen - No One But You (Only The Good Die Young)

SFO to Atlanta, Georgia

Wednesday 09/05

So I was up at 3:00 a.m. showered and out the door by 3:50 waiting for the bus to the airport, the flight was uneventful but cramped, I had some guy sitting next to me wanting to take over my seat too.  The view from the plane was awesome, we flew over the Rocky Mountains, over Denver and then over Memphis, where you could see the Mississippi Delta and river.

Been here at Atlanta airport for ages waiting for the next leg of the flight to Dublin, we should be boarding soon - thank goodness for WIFI, it cost me $6.75 for 24 hour WIFI and I got to talk to D and Em for ages on Skype, just finished talking to a colleague and going to pack up the computer now so that we can start boarding.

Chat tomorrow from Ireland, unless they have WIFI on the plane over like they did coming here :)

Last day in SFO

Tuesday 09/04

Pretty much uneventful day today, the girls took me for lunch to a Japanese restaurant, then K gave me a lift through to Millbrae at 4 o'clock, but not before all the good byes and hugs from my team and from Sri.  I miss them already, but I want to get home to see my family, miss them so much!

Driving to Millbrae, we had to take the San Jose / San Mateo bridge, the fog had come down behind the sky scrapers in San Francisco and the view was awesome, like a fog blanket over the city - it was also weird driving on a motorway that crosses the ocean.

What I could not get over was the amount of traffic, even though each morning I had watched the traffic report on TV which starts at 4:30 a.m. at 5:30 a.m. this morning there was already a huge traffic jam on the Interstate 680 which was due to a CHP being shot by a motorist today - lots of shootings in SFO.

So K dropped me at my hotel and I basically just lazed about and then decided to go and get some dinner from the Mexican place across the road, I didn't realise it was a fast food - The Chipotle Grill and of course having no experience at ordering mexican, I really mad a twat of myself, but managed to get something to eat at the end of it.

And now I am back here thinking that I had better get some sleep because I need to be up before 3 a.m. so good night everyone and goodbye SFO ... I will be back to this wonderful city! 

Labor Day

Monday 09/03

Well I haven't done much today, took a walk to the Apple store at Stoneridge Mall to get an iPod touch and then went to the Cheesecake Factory for the best Milkshake I have ever had!  I have spent the rest of the day here at the desk in my hotel room, chatting on skype and blogging ... it's just too hot outside and I need to pack!

Tomorrow after work I am off to a hotel in Millbrae which is close to the SFO airport so I don't miss my 6 a.m. flight on Wednesday morning.

Will chat again soon, but I best start packing!

Downtown San Francisco - Labor Day week-end

Sunday 09/02

So ... my trip the previous day had been pretty successful, didn't get lost except maybe for waiting for the Marriott shuttle on the Dublin side of the Bart station instead of the Pleasanton side, but that's another story.  I left the Residence Inn at about 10:00 and headed over to the Marriott and got the shuttle over to the Bart. 

I got off at Montgomery Street Bart station and then walked over to Union Square, I am not sure what I was expecting to see but I though it would be a big shopping Mall, there was one but that was in Market Street.  There are loads of expensive shops round the area, so I did a bit of browsing and then decided to head down Powell street to Market as the Internet had said to go there to get tickets for the Cable Car (which is like Cable bus), well the queue was round the block, about 300 people in the queue, so I just went shopping!

When I was all shopped out I jumped on the Bart at Powell Street and headed back to Pleasanton, walked from the Bart to Stoneridge and did more shopping and then back to the hotel, let's hope my suitcase is not going to be over weight!

I was so hot when I got back that I decided to go for a swim, the water was awesome and I ended up chatting to a girl called Lisa from Florida, then went over to the Marriott for the best burger I have ever had! and a Heineken of course.

Then off to bed for me.

My week-end in San Francisco

Saturday 09/01

I met Mustafa down in Reception and we got the guy from the Marriott to take us to the BART station, I was so glad M was with me as I was a bit nervous about my first trip into SF.   But by the time he showed me the ropes and gave me his BART map it was really a piece of cake.

I decided to get off at the Civic Centre Bart station as I wanted to get to the Spirit shop on Van Ness street to get Emily a halloween costume, I wasn't sure where about it was, so thought I would just start at the beginning.  It was probably a good place to start as I got to see the Opera house, civic centre and some other cool buildings.

After getting off the Bart and walking down to the start of Van Ness by Market street, I couldn't believe how many homeless people there were and they came in all shapes, wow really sad.  I walked for ages and eventually thought well either I missed the Spirit store but will just carry on walking as it doesn't look that far on the map, I eventually come across the store and spend ages there.  After the store I plan to head down to Pier 45, so check with the store girl who says to me to get the bus as it's too far to walk, I reckon it can't be that far and carry on walking.  Well it took me ages and yes it was far but I eventually got there.  Miraculously I end up in front of the Ghirardelli Chocolate shop, I should have gone in but I didn't.

The weatherman had predicted that it was going to be a cold and cloudy day in SF, but to the contrary it was absolutely beautiful.  I first went to the Maritime museum and then did a boat trip around the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz, never got to Sausilito where T had told me to go.

I did a bit of touristy shopping and then decided after getting a bite to eat it was time to head home, I found the trolley bus in front of Walgreen's so went in to get a few things, found Peanut Butter M&M's on special!  Got the bus to Embarcadero Bart station and then the Bart back to the hotel.

View Larger Map

Work ... work ... and play ...

Okay so let me start at the begining, I had just got back from SA and on my 6 month anniversary with the company, my boss who I have never met in person said to me that everone including our new QA person from Toronto was going to be in Pleasanton the following week.  So I went on line and found a good air deal, so I told her and she told me to book - within 5 days of booking I was on the plane.

Sunday 09/26

We had a braai the night before with good friends, who left round 9pm, so I had to madly rush and finish packing - I was then up at 3:30 a.m. so D could take me to the airport for my flight to Paris, then an hour wait and the flight to SFO.  Wow, it was long - luckily I sat upstairs where there weren't that many people and I had two empty seats next to me for most of the flight.  Well with an additional 8 hours daylight by the time I arrived in SFO, I had been awake for like 20 hours.

Monday 09/27 (HOT)

My dear collegue T who came over to Ireland for 3 months to mentor me came to fetch me in the morning, it was so cool to see her again so soon and I met my boss for the first time and the new guy from Toronto - Monday was a short day as we left the office at midday for a team outing at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, it was loads of fun and great way to meet all the people from my team.  Ended up playing pictionary with the guys what a laugh. 

After T dropped me back at the hotel, I was chatting to the rest of the guys who were here from Dubln, so we ended up going out for dinner to the Cheese Cake Factory at Stoneridge Mall - it was great to have other people from the Dublin office here else I would have been all on my own.

Tuesday 09/28

A busy day at work and uneventful, then ended up going out with the gang again, this time we went downtown pleasanton and had dinner at a mexican restaurant called Blue Algarve Club I can't find a website but there is a link to facebook, we then had a night cap back at the Marriott.

Wednesday 09/29

Well today was another busy day and a last minute invitation to a team dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory at 5:30 - at 3:15 the alarm goes off in the building and we have to evacuate, well it took them at least 20 minutes to evacuate the building, by which time we could have all been burnt to death - I still had time to go back and get my sun glasses and a visit to the rest room and I was still in the same queue. 

Dinner at the cheescake factory was nice and it was nice to be out with all the team, reminded me of my days in SA when we used to go out for lunch / dinner.

Thursday 09/30 (HOT)

Well Thursday was another short day at the office, it was the company meeting out at the Marriot in San Ramon seems like a good place to stay to explore the Napa valley wine region.  Anyway the meeting was good, I couldn't believe how much people in America drink and drive though, reminded me of days back in SA.  

After the meeting and getting our T-shirts we all headed over to The Firehouse No. 37 in San Ramon which was a great night, but I wasn't in the mood to drink, so couldn't wait to get back to the hotel.

Friday 09/31 (COOL very COOL)

Another busy day in the office, T came back to the hotel with me to unload the Computer and stuff, we then walked over to the Marriott to wait for Stu and then got our favourite driver from the hotel to take us to downtown Pleasanton, once there we got some wine from the wine shop and went to Strizzi's for dinner which was good, then we had to wait for our driver, but it was great we had a good view of the "Blue Moon".  Once back at the hotel, I said my goodbye's to Stu who was heading off the next morning to the Yosemite (which looks absolutely awesome)  and T who was going off to Oregon, I was still going to see Mustafa in the morning before he headed off to Vegas - I was being left in Pleasanton all on my own.
 

San Francisco

What a whirl wind month, I got back from South Africa on the 5th of August and the 21st I was booked to go to San Francisco ... it's been an awesome, but busy week.  Today I went into the city and did some sight seeing awesome, awesome, awesome!!!  Will tell you all about it.

 

South Africa ... dear land!

Barry Hilton at The Laughter Lounge in Dublin

You're never too old to learn ...

I learnt a lot about myself this week ... I learnt that I tend to take care of others and neglect myself.

I learnt that one thing that humans know how to do well and that is to hurt each other.

I learnt that instead of standing up and fighting for what is right, I let other people win.

I learnt that as much as someone can promise you that they will always be there for you, humans tend to forget what always means ... always and forever doesn't last

I learnt that when people hurt me, I walk away and build a wall to shut them out.

I learnt that if people want to be your friend they will tell you your faults and still be your friend and not shut the door.

I learnt that God sends us people to show us the way ... Thank you for sending me Trinity she restored my faith in friendship, I know I will only have her for a short time but she has helped me so much.  Thank you for sending me Athena, my faith in South African friends has been restored although she too is only here for a short while.

I learnt that I need to now start looking after myself too!  

Arthur-In My Africa

9 Weeks

9 Weeks today and I will be in SA ... count down and hopefully a trip to London before that for my dear friend Tracy's 40th!!!! Life is good ... 

Cat stevens-How can i tell you + lyrics

Facebook CIA Project: The Onion News Network

Americans viewpoint on SA

Americans Viewpoints on South Africa from Harold Schenk on Vimeo.

Pule Mofokeng Photography

Pule Mofokeng Photography: 

Stunning photos of a "Traditional wedding" in South Africa! I stumbled upon this blog and had to share!!  Click on the link above to see the rest of these amazing photographs. 

Dublin 8

I park my car in the back streets of D8 just South of the Liberties, this morning I was a bit earlier than normal and managed to get a parking on Mill street, the streets were really quite, it was cold and the sun was streaming down, I parked my car and looked up and noticed and old building which I had obviously not noticed before.

 Like quite a few buildings in the area it was all boarded up, but this one looked like it was probably a couple of hundred years old, and must have been quite a grand place in it's time could possibly have been a school. The building half broken down had all kinds of things growing out of every crevice and all that was occupying it were the birds flying in and out feeding their young in their nests. Next to the old building is an abandoned excavation site.

It was so peaceful.  Just down from this building is an old pub that has also been boarded up. I was upset because I hadn't brought my camera in and would have loved to have capture the moment, as I walked down and turned the corner by the pub, a heard the clip clop, clip, clop of a horse - and there before me was a young lad riding a horse drawn carriage, the carriage not in too bad shape was small and black and looked almost like a hearse, it felt like I had suddenly been drawn back 100 years or more with the beautiful silence and only the sound of the horse on a cobble stoned road.



View Larger Map I did a "Google Search" and found some history on the area:

http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Dublin&id=13043

Dublin
2003:556
10 Mill Street, DublinUrban post-medieval

Test excavation on a large site at Mill Street, Dublin 8, was undertaken in October and November 2003. The site includes a standing historic structure (10 Mill Street), which was the subject of a separate report.
The development site has frontage to Mill Street, Sweeney’s Lane, and flanks Warrenmount Lane and convent grounds. The development of this area is heavily influenced by the River Poddle, which powered many mills and serviced other industries in the south inner city from the medieval period onwards. The site of the medieval “Double Mill” of St Thomas’s Abbey, with its water channel and millpond, is located on the development site. The millpond (SMR 18:20(398)) was located to the west of the mill and the mill (18:20(92)) was sited towards the eastern end of the site. One channel of the Poddle led north-east around the boundary of the lands of St Thomas, and a mill, known as the Double Mill, was located on this branch. This is located on the site under study.

The first edition of the OS map shows the millpond, fed by the combined sources of the stream from the mill at Greenmount Terrace (annotated the ‘factory water’ on the estate map of the earl of Meath) and another branch down Sweeney’s Lane. The millpond at the site appears to have been visible as late as 1973, when Fitzgerald wrote: ‘it is of special interest to see today – still open and in the centre of Dublin – the Mill Pond belonging to the ‘double mill’ listed above. It is the last open portion of the Poddle still there, within hailing distance of Saint Patrick’s.’ She describes it as ‘about 3ft wide and 2ft deep with no sign of power or history at all, except where it finally cascades underground, under the former old mill at Warrenmount’.

The location of the trenches was determined by the perceived location of historic features, which included the mill building/s (Trench 1), early 18th-century buildings on Sweeney’s Lane (Trench 3) and the edge of the millpond (Trenches 2, 4 and 5). The locations were limited by the presence of live services, a culvert for the Poddle and the presence of standing buildings. All the trenches were excavated by a JCB fitted with a toothed bucket.

Trench 1 was located in the area of the two buildings indicated closest to the millrace on Rocque’s map of 1756. Two discrete groups of industrial features were uncovered in the trench, which measured 2m in width and almost 10m in length. Further investigative work is required in this area. The features uncovered relate to the industrial buildings last present on the site. They are likely to relate to the 19th-century mill on the site, which stood until the 1970s. This large mill building may have incorporated elements from the smaller mill depicted on Rocque’s map. These are likely to include the watercourses and wheel pits. None of these were exposed in the test-trench.

Trench 2, in the yard to the west of the millpond, uncovered a decayed timber pipe or drain. A shard of 19th-century pottery was retrieved from the silt which filled the central perforation of the pipe. The pipe lay on subsoil.

Trench 3 was dug along Sweeney’s Lane. It was expected that evidence for the substantial houses built here by 1718 would be uncovered. Concrete overlay hard-core to a depth of 0.4m. This directly overlay subsoil.
No deposits were uncovered in Trench 4, which was located in the south-western part of the site, close to the west wall of the large modern building. It was expected that the retaining wall/s for the millpond would be uncovered. The trench measured 20m in length. The sides collapsed continuously throughout excavation, due to the unstable nature of the deposits uncovered. The trench was dug to a maximum depth of 2.5m, and the profile was consistent throughout. Very loose stone and brick rubble and loam, which included plastic debris of recent date, was uncovered. No structural features were evident. The material uncovered represents deliberate and rapid infilling of the millpond.

Further archaeological work is planned for this site.
Reference
Fitzgerald, A.D. 1974 Down the old Poddle. In E. Gillespie (ed.), The Liberties of Dublin. Dublin.
Claire Walsh, 27 Coulson Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6.

I'm Back ...

New Blog Title for a revamped blog ... now just to get the time to blog!

Africa

Easter 2012

Material movie EPK part 1