10 Years Later...

I suddenly realised on Wednesday the 21st of June (Longest Day of the year) that I had been in Ireland for 10 years.  I remember the day so clearly, I was laden down with so much luggage on a Swiss air flight from Johannesburg via. Zurich to Dublin.  I arranged with Eva a girl I met in Australia in 1998 to meet her at the airport in Zurich as I had a 2 to 3 hour stop over.

She met me laden with all nice Swiss goodies it was so lovely to see her.  Then onward to Dublin, and D was waiting for me at the airport, he had hired a Ford Ka, which must have been the smallest car I had ever seen because he had already collected the unaccompanied luggage and had to rush home to take it as there was no room for anything else.

Anyway it was so nice seeing him after almost a month, D had left on the 18th of May as he was starting work on the 21st of May.  Well I was quite surprised by the apartment he had rented, I expected it to be really old and dark and dingy, but in fact it was Bright and lovely.  And yes he never lets me forget how long it took him to clean it and how filthy it was.  It's amazing the things we experienced in the last 10 years.

For the first year we never had a car and would go shopping walking to Rathmines from Milltown with a backpack, actually walking everywhere.
My mom came over for a few weeks and sadly she passed away that same year, we have had loads of visitors.
We've met some wonderful friends and some not so wonderful.  We have met other South Africans, some who have arrived and left either to go home or proceeded on somewhere else.
I have revived old friendships with friends I lost touch with 12 years ago and are living just across the sea - Thanks Google.  Actually thanks to Facebook, SA reunited and Google I have got in touch with people I haven't seen or heard from in almost 30 years, some who I hope I will stay in contact with for the rest of my life.
We have seen some awesome concerts, and we have traveled to places we never have even thought of going to had we still been living in SA.
We had the most wonderful addition to the family "Emily" who also may not have come along had we still been in SA.
I have learnt a lot about the Irish nation, mostly how they are ruthless in business and will smile and shake your hand while stabbing you in the back, even on your mother's funeral.
However I have also learnt that Irish people are just as friendly as South Africans and once you make a true friend they will bend over backwards for you.

Most of all in the 10 years gone by, I can finally say that I think I am now content with our choice, we made some good decisions and we have made some bad decisions, but the decisions we have made have been made and there is not too much we can do about them.

But I often wonder where will I be in 10 years time, I know where I would like to be but I guess sometimes we just can't have everything we want!

By the way the photo at the top is of my friend Bob who I started working with in 2001 so his probably one of my oldest Irish friends!

Today's Quotes

“Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it.”


“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”


“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”


“Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.”


“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”


“Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you.... The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'”

My Daily Quote

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.”

We walked the Walk

How I managed to get D out of bed by 8 on Sunday, God only knows but we managed and we left the house by  9:10 a.m. to meet Lisa in Bray by 9:30, we started the walk slowly from outside the Porterhouse and managed to get to Greystones in just over 2 hours, with a lot of stops on the way - we had to watch the Dolphins frolicking in the bay, listen to Em complain.

It was a stunning walk and one I will do again, and I am so proud of Em as she was the only kid on the walk and managed it.

Walk the Walk is a video showcasing the fantastic Bray to Greystones Cli...

The Parlotones - Stars Fall Down

What a life ...

I was just thinking what an amazing life my child has, she has been around the world, she has traveled extensively, and she really does have a wonderful life.  Last week was her birthday party and we did Movies "Kung Fu Panda 2" with her friends, and then went off to Eddie Rockets for a kiddies Meal.

Then on Sunday we had the adopted Grandparents over, Joe, Carla and Lisa and some kids from the neighborhood for snacks and cake.

Monday we did something but for the life of me I can't remember now, oh yes we took the LUAS into town to go and explore the new Disney store on Grafton street (what a disappointment, but I will leave that for another post).  Then on the way home, I took her to the gym for a swim.

Wednesday was sports day at school, I took the afternoon off and that night she had a sleep over at a friend (mid-week) only because D and I were off to the Def Leppard Concert, and then Friday she had a Birthday party after school a "pajama party".

Friday night I got a call from Granny Yvonne, who's daughter is here from SA, and her granddaughter Sarah wanted to spend time with Emily, so Saturday I went and picked her and her daughter up, who is a year younger than Em, took them Marlay park, then to Dundrum for some retail therapy, ice-cream for the kids, Coffee for the moms and a walk around Hamley's (so way over priced)!


Then back to our place for lunch and playing and finally dropped them at home on the way to our concert, and as it turned out D went and got Em a ticket for the Journey Foreigner Concert so she came with us.  We stopped at Milano's on the Quays for dinner first.  Then walked over to the O2, well I should do a post about that separately because my child was head banging standing clapping waving her arms just like a really Rock child (mum a wee but embarrassed)  - lol but I got over that :).

Today has been a home day because we got home so late and it hasn't stopped raining the whole day!

Journey to a Foreign land competition

This morning I was in the kitchen listen to Radio Nova  as usual except this time we were childless, Em had a sleep over at a friend while D and I went to the concert at the O2, anyway in the mornings they have all kinds of competitions and this morning they had "Journey to a foreign land" and they played a recording in a different language and you had to phone and tell them what country the language came from, so the recording was: "Ons kantoor is nou toe, skakel asseblief .... blah blah blah", like hello why wouldn't I know where that was from.  So D said phone and I did, but I never expected it to ring or for "Pat" from Radio Nova to answer, and I said "Hi, Pat it's Rose here" and he said "aaaah, I know you are going to know this" he recognised my accent.  So I got it right and got into the draw.  Well I the winner was going to be chosen at 9:50 and they would get tickets to see "Journey & Foreigner" at the O2 on Saturday night.  I left my phone on my desk sort of hoping I would win, but never expected to, but lone behold at 9:50 my phone rang and it was Pat to tell me I had won.  So I was on the radio twice in one morning!  He kept me on the phone for a while and also told me what a beautiful voice I had and he bets I get told that all the time ... a bit of flirting going on there you think?

Anyway D is going round to pick up the tickets from them tomorrow and I have to get a baby sitter.  Looking forward to it.

Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper

Well the main aim of the concert was to go see Def Leppard, but after seeing them in Belfast in 2008 I thought last nights gig was not that great!  However, I have a new appreciation for Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper - wow what a show.  It started at 7 with Thin Lizzy coming out and belting out some of them well known hits, The boys are back in town, Black Rose and Whiskey in the Jar along with some other really good hits.  They played for over and hour, then after a half hour break while they changed the set, Alice Cooper came on and although I know some of his songs I did not expect him to be the performer he was, the sets were amazing and the python wrapped around him was like a female Glenda Kemp except he kept his clothes on.

The last act was Def Leppard and they definitely did not keep the best for last, because although the songs from their new album are good and they belted out some oldies they just did not perform up to the standard we had seen in 2008.  I also think coming out and telling the audience that they were not as great as the audience they had in Belfast really pissed some people off.

Between D and myself we took some amazing pictures.

Alice Cooper ~ Poison (with lyrics) AWESOME VIDEO

Looking forward to an awesome Concert at the O2 tonight, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy!!!

Lost Continent: Cinema of South Africa - Movie List on mubi.com

Lost Continent: Cinema of South Africa - Movie List on mubi.com

Happy Birthday Em

The final product that took 4 nights to make!

Suicide

Why?

A dear friend of mine came to work yesterday and was really upset, a friend of hers in her neighborhood had committed suicide by hanging himself.

Of course when she told me so many memories came flooding back of people dear to me who had committed suicide, and although she was really upset I had to tell her that it is so selfish, because they don't realise what they do to the people they leave behind.  She was beating herself up about it, just as I had done when Norman committed suicide.

I know that when you are in that moment of depression you are only ever thinking about yourself, and you think the world would be a better place without you but that is never the case.  90% of the time suicides are related to Alcohol.  That was the fact in every suicide that I know of, which makes me think that alcohol like cigarettes should be banned.

Most suicide victims are just shouting out for attention, wanting someone to show them that everything is going to be alright, why also are majority of suicide victims "male"?

If I could have 5 minutes with each of the people I know that committed suicide, would I be able to change their minds?

Often I have been in the situation where I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel and things just keep going wrong, but I realise there are people worse off than me!  D also always makes me think, what is the worst thing that can happen in your situation?  I could get fired?  then what?  I look for another job?  What happens if I can't find one? I go on the dole? then what?  99% of the time there is an answer and there is always someone out there willing to help - the problem is a Suicide victim would never go up to someone and say "I am thinking of committing suicide", because majority of the time these things are done in haste and if they could have woken up the next morning, I am sure they would have regretted what they had done the night before!

The worst funerals I have ever been to have been because of Suicide and I think it is something we need to tell our children about.

Summer is arriving on the week-end

Lookout Dublin, Summer is arriving on the week-end and I think it's supposed to last an entire week :), well in general for the last few years summer has arrived on Em's birthday which is the 4th of June.  Last year we had her party on the 5th of June which turned out to be the hottest day of the year!  Hopefully this year will be no different, but as we plan not to do anything at the house it won't matter.

I just don't have the time this year and can't be bothered with annoying mothers, so have decided just to do it outside of home.  Sunday I will have the adopted Grandparents over and some friends and that is it over for another year!

Princess Castle Cake

http://www.bettycrocker.com/videos/videolibrary/birthday-cakes/pink-castle-cake#ooid=dveXQ5MTrBOSZVaktAiVwfprAdadqVCv

Slainte! Barack Obama toasts Irish ancestors with a Guinness

Imelda May - Johnny Got A Boom Boom

A historical day in Irish history and my new found love for GOOD Irish music! Imelda May I love your style.

Winnie the Pooh quotes

http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/280036/winnie-the-pooh/if-you-live-to-be-100-i-hope-i-live-to-be-100-minus

Happy Birthday my BFF

I must say that I am so lucky to have one of the Best "Best Friends" in the whole wide world, today is my BFF's birthday and we have been friends for 29 years, but it seems that it was only yesterday that I met her.  She is the most genuine, kind hearted generous persons that I know and I have never ever met anyone like her in my life.  We have been through death defying experiences together, experienced laughter, tears, pain together and through our ups and downs have remained friends all this time.

Gwen I love you like a sister, I am truly blessed to have met you and as long as we both shall leave you will be a true friend.  Happy Birthday!!!

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. ~Henri Nouwen

Remember

Back on Line

I felt like my communication links had been severed ... the damn eircom modem gave up on us but luckily after a week all is well, new modem installed and back on line, so hello world I will be back with my thoughts about the Queens visit to Ireland, which I hastily scribbled down at work during my break but never got to post them!  Be prepared.

Moving on

I never quite got to blog about my holiday, I might just post random pictures now and again and tell you about them, but to cut a loooooooooooong story short, we had a fabuloses holiday in South Africa, we saw most of our friends and family, it was very rushed, ate far too much, drank far too much, but none the less it was good for the Soul to connect with those special to us, gives us strength to carry on for another little while.

We are lucky to have two homes, one where we have chosen to live and one where all our amazing friends and family are!

What we did:

Braaied
Braaied some more
Went to Sun city for the day
Went to Kwandabele to see the dear old lady who looked after me all my life
Went to Lusito land
Met friends that I had not seen in 30 years
Met family I had never met in my life
Saw my new Great nephew
Had the cousins sleep over with Em
Did all the things we never get to do in Ireland

Harties - Water Problem

Funky Chair

I took this photo at McDonald's at Dublin airport the day Em & Derrick left for South Africa, I just loved the chairs, they came in a variety of colours and I thought that I would take a picture so that maybe one day I when I have a funky house I may get one, let me know what you think.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all woman out there, just because you haven't given birthday to a child doesn't mean you are not a mother, we all take on Motherly duties sometime in our lives.

Our Accommodation

We decided to stay outside Jo'burg just so that we felt like we were having a holiday as well, luckily my BFF's sisters boyfriend has a place at Haarties that we could rent from him, it was absolutely stunning to wake up and see the beautiful Magaliesberg mountains every morning, and every morning it looked different.

The one thing I love was when it was pitch black at night looking up and seeing zillions of stars, something we don't see in Ireland.

Before I arrived

Well my darling hubby and daughter left for SA a week before me as you know, and it turned out that not long after they arrived, my child abandoned her only parent and went to stay with her cousins for a week.  Leaving hubby to enjoy a childless week of nothing but rest, relaxation and an abundance of animals that he could go and look at every day.  

How lucky was he to see such amazing animals and this are just a touch of all the photos he took, I will try and put a link to the photos up.

Back to Life, Back to Reality ...

Well my world wind trip home to SA has come and gone, but I feel so inspired - when I left Ireland everything was doom and gloom a bit like SA becomes when people start talking about the crime.  But having spent so many wonderful days with my friends and family and especially my BFF I feel like I can go on again and I know that for all the grief some people give me, they can never take that away from me, never ever.  Spending time with my BFF was better than anything I could ever have done, and I realised that I don't need a million acquaintances because the friends that I make, are my true friends - it's funny how my mother always said to me that I knew how to choose my friends and I really do, because they are all still in my life and very dear and special to me.

The pain, hurt and backstabbing can all be put to bed now because I realise that those who caused it were never my friends and never important in my life - so farewell, off with their heads they are finally gone and forgotten!

Even though I was dreading going back to work on Tuesday, especially as I had only arrived home on Monday evening, it was actually wonderful - it was amazing the reaction I got from everyone in the office including my directors, wow I feel so lucky to be so well liked, but I guess you always get what you give out - you would have sworn I had been gone for months with the reception I got!

Okay so I guess you want to hear about the holiday, well it may have to wait till the week-end.

the punjabi Royal Wedding

Off to Africa ...

Well after months of planning, D and Em left on Saturday for South Africa, they arrived up at Bakubung and surprised D's folks, they were supposed to surprise the whole family but only his youngest brother and family were there.  No sooner had they arrived and Em decided she wanted to go back to Jo'burg with her cousins, so has been living with them for a week.

I have had loads to do, but have been missing them terribly and finally I only have one day left at work and I will be on the plane to join them.  Can't wait, so if my posts are missing for a few weeks you know why, I will update you with our visit when I get back.

Rio ...

We went to see the most amazing kids movie today ... Rio and I have added this to my list of places to see before I die especially at Carnival time.

Ghetto Lovin' -- Summer Nights Grease Parody | Black Version

Awesome Birthday

Wow, I can't believe how many people sent me messages for my birthday, I guess Facebook is a great reminder, but even so it was so overwhelming getting so many messages from all my friends and family.   I had an awesome day too, which actually started on Thursday, I went for lunch with my "Girl" friends from work to Avoca, my favourite place, then Friday My bestest buddy send me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to the office, along with a happy Birthday Balloon, a bottle of Bubbly and a real card!

From Emily & D I got vouchers for my hair and a CD!

Saturday morning I took Emily to a "Brownies" meeting up the road and then went with a friend for breakfast, and after that my friend Carla laid on an awesome Birthday brunch for me at their house.  The weather was perfect, Blue Skies and sunshine.

Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Marvin Gaye, one of the greatest musicians born 2nd April 1939, would have been 72 today!