Give us hope, bright falcon...

As I pulled up next to my house I saw a soaring red-tail perch in a tree across the street. So I ran in and got my camera and luckily for me, it was still there. It wasn't hard to find with all the screaming blue jays.

The odd part was, from where I stood, I only saw one hawk. As I was looking through the photos I noticed an odd growth on the hawk. Is its wing slumping, I thought?



No, it turned out there was ANOTHER hawk beside it.



Apparently this hawk just had a very big meal. Eventually it became tired of all the screaming around it from jays and the like, and decided to find another branch. I was lucky enough to actually snap a photo of it in flight.



Zooooom. Too bad it was overcast and the light was all weird.

I wish it was the first day of autumn for two reasons. The first being that autumn is my favorite of the seasons; I love the scent of leaves and the crisp air, seeing pumpkins on front steps and the smells of harvest and fall cooking.

And the second reason is because the arrival of autumn means winter is next, and with winter comes wonderful cold weather. I hate the heat more than anything else.

This is now a private journal. If you wish to read it, please leave a comment telling me who you are and if I know you, I'll add you.

Yes, that's right - Ireland's airports have free wireless internet. Anyway, shit...do I have a story to tell.

It starts off innocently enough. Brenda gets woken up by her freaking alarm clock of doom at 5:00 am after getting practically no sleep and trudges around, packing the last of her stuff. I cleared out the fridge, cabinets, and threw out the trash, leaving no trace at all that I even existed in that house. A cab is called, and prompted by the driver to answer his questions about my origin, I find myself telling the same story.

"I'm from Connecticut but I go to school in Montana. No, I really don't miss home. I want to stay, but the University here doesn't offer art courses."

He drops me off at the CityLink bus area. There are two buses there, both for Dublin Airport. I ask the bus driver where the Shannon bus is, and he says it will be here shortly. No problem: it's still 15 minutes until 6:00 am, and even still, the bus trip only takes an hour and a half. Check-in doesn't open for two and a half hours. Plenty of time.

Sooo...I wait. And wait...and wait. Finally, the bus driver gets out of the bus and calls someone on his cell phone. He walks over to a group of people and tells them something before heading over to me and this other guy (who had been periodically drinking from a bottle of some sort of cheap liquor) and telling us that the Shannon bus driver "stepped out for a bit" and that the gentleman over there would be getting a call from the CityLink office to tell us what the deal was.

Okay...

Me and the drunk head over to the group while the two Dublin buses chug away. Mr. Cellphone gets a call from CityLink saying "a minibus will be picking you all up in five minutes." Right. We all know what 'five minutes' means in Ireland. I started a conversation with a man who turned out to be a professor in Minneapolis, in Galway for sabbatical. His flight would leave at 9:00 am, meaning he had to be on that bus soon. Five minutes turned into 15 minutes...then 20...with the CityLink office calling every once in a while to say, "oh, the bus isn't there yet? Hmmm." Yeah, thanks a lot.

Finally, the professor calls a cab, which is going to cost him €115. The drunk offers to split it, and they all pile in. The professor actually offered to let me go with them (he said he would pay for me), but I refused. Partially because my luggage wouldn't have fit, and partially because I wanted to see how this would all conclude...

Meanwhile, one of the other people waiting for the bus just...walks away, probably to wait for the 7:30 AM Bus Éireann to Shannon. This left three of us - Mr. Cellphone, myself, and a guy named James from Queens. After half an hour, we get another call. The minibus isn't coming, but CityLink is going to send us a cab. The cab (a van) arrives, and we're greeted by this poor guy that seems to be able to speak English, but doesn't quite understand it...I tell him, repeatedly, that CityLink will be paying our fare. He kind of...nods and keeps saying, "uh huh...uh huh..." And off we go to Shannon.

The cab ride was...surreal. James and I are sitting in the back with tons of luggage at our feet. Mr. Cellphone is in the front seat and gets off at Clarenbridge (as he just needed a ride to work). Meanwhile, we continue on the hour and a half ride to Shannon Airport, Christian rock droning from the speakers like some sort of demented siren. I swear...Christian music is so regretably catchy. It turns out James was just in Galway on a week-long vacation. He told me how he and a friend were walking down the street a few days prior and saw some poor kid getting the shit beat out of him by 15 other kids with a bottle. They help the poor kid off, only to get the shit beat out of them in return. James' friend gets stitches and flies home, and James is left bored out of his mind. He's leaving a few days early and doesn't even know if he'll be able to change his ticket to today.

We finally get to the airport, and for some reason I'm required to sign this receipt thing (and print my name...) as I was the only one with a ticket. And now? I'm sitting in the airport, typing away, mooching free internet and watching kids leap off things and land on their face.

Here's hoping for a safe flight.

Hot damn! guruubii got me a paid account! More userpics for me!!!!

Thank youuuuuuuuuu! *hug*

So, I awoke, feverish and sick, to find that my piece, Into the Blue, had been featured as a Mod's Choice on Elfwood. I was all happy and then I laughed, realizing that all sorts of Elfwood weirdos were going to come out of the woodwork to leave their strange comments/flames/suggestions. Sure enough, as the day went on, out came the baffling comments from anonymous posters who could be located anywhere from Ohio to Antarctica.

Of course, there's always a gem.

This one I received from - you guessed it - an anonymous poster on my piece, Into the Faelands:

"Very nice picture. I really admire your coloring and concept.
However, were you aware that "Iolani" is Hawaiian for "Heavenly Hawk?" As a Hawaii local, it's very strange for me to hear that in a fantasy setting. It's very commonly heard around here: a palace, a clothing brand, an apartment building, and a prestigious college prep school are all named Iolani. It just doesn't work for your story, because it's actually too common a name. To hear you using it in this setting is...very, very odd. To say the LEAST. It would be just as bad as calling the hero's horse "Honolulu." I assume you know what that is."

Can I have a raise of hands - who here has heard, previously to me using it as the name of a character, the name 'Iolani"? *laughs* This person is making it sound like Iolani is as commonplace in people's minds as the word "Honolulu." Here, let me make a similar argument, using "Corrib," which is the name of a river here in Galway and also used for many businesses.

It's very commonly heard around here: a river, a shopping center, a student apartment building, are all named Corrib. It just doesn't work for your story, because it's actually too common a name. To hear you using it in this setting is...very, very odd. To say the LEAST. It would be just as bad as calling the hero's horse "Ireland." I assume you know what that is."

Makes just about as much sense, doesn't it? I really wish this guy had left an email adress so I could have set him straight. The uniqueness of names are all based off how common they are among the society they are used in. I mean, how common is the name Niamhín in Japan? It is very common here in Ireland, and it would be ridiculous for an Irish person to accuse a Japanese writer of being 'uncreative' for using such a 'common' name in their writing. 'Iolani' may be common in Hawaii, but in the rest of the world, it is practically unknown. As for the reason I named her Iolani? I chose it because of the meaning 'heavenly hawk.' Iolani is a half-angel blacksmith. She is a warrior, and has heavenly blood. Fits pretty well, I think.

Pssst! I have a secret! The world does not revolve around Hawaii. *giggles* Surprise!

This guy from Brazil has started IMing me on MSN about my art and Ireland since he came here before. That's all fine and dandy, and the guy seemed like a nice guy...at first. Then, he suddenly starts flapping his gaping maw about Muslims, stating how they "don't fit into Western countries..."

( This guy needs to shut the fuck up about shit he doesn't know anything about )

Yeah, great ending argument. Lemme guess, you left the iron plugged in at home? Right.

Fucking hell if I'm going to sit back and listen to that generalizing bullshit. My housemate is Muslim. She has NEVER EVER shown a shred of violence in any form. The first day I met her, she told me, "oh, I can't use any dishes that have touched pork, which is why I have my own. But you can cook pork if you want to, I don't mind." I understand how forbidden pork is in Islam, and... here my roommate is so understanding of other cultures, that she told her roommate that she didn't mind if she cooked pork in the house. Does that seem like someone who wants the whole world to change for her? No way.

I've had conversations with her about everything - school, travelling, how life is different in Galway and the US and Malaysia...she is a regular human being. She worries about her grades, she stresses about homework. She sets off the smoke detector with her cooking and laughs on her phone at 3:00 am. She is NOT some sort of 'kill all Westerners' person. Just because she worships a god by a different name and prays differently and eats different foods does not make her evil.

"Doesn't fit in Western countries"? Why don't you open your eyes and take a good, fresh breath of reality. She fits in Galway better than I do. She's here studying MEDICINE. Would I have the intelligence and patience to study medicine? No way! I barely have the patience to read novels for class! She "wants to be different"? So? I want to be different, too. She has her own way of living, and so do I. Show me anyone who DOESN'T want to deviate from at least ONE thing in their country. Just TRY.

Fucking ignorant assholes.

Fucking hell!

She's been cooking since 4:00 pm

It's 10:30 at night right now!!!

She's been in the kitchen...cooking...for 6 and a half hours.

WHEN AM I GOING TO BE ABLE TO FUCKING MAKE DINNER?!?!?!?

*claws at things*

This day wasn't even worth getting up for.

I'm going back to bed -_-

Okay...I just got an email from the GSA at Rocky, that was forwarded to them by PFLAG in Montana.

( Proposed Yellowstone County Obscenity Ordinance )

This is an ordinance that is going to be voted on in June in Yellowstone County in Montana. Where Billings is. Where my COLLEGE is. This shit is DANGEROUS. Let me point out a few parts:

(a) sells, delivers or provides or offers or agrees to sell, deliver or
provide any obscene writing, picture, record or other representation or
embodiment of the obscene to anyone;

As defined here, this could be a painting, sculpture, poem, literary work, or song, just to name a few.

(2) A thing is obscene if:
(a) the average person, applying contemporary adult community standards,
would find that the material, taken as a whole, appeals to a prurient
interest in sex as defined in (3)(d); and
(b) the average person, applying contemporary adult community standards,
would find that the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way,
sexual conduct as defined in (3)(f); and
(c) a reasonable person would find that the work, taken as a whole, lacks
serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

What is "the average person"? What about "a reasonable person"? What the fuck is "applying contemporary adult community standards"? These are extremely dangerous terms. So, for example, if "the average person" comes into a Rocky art show, sees a painting that a student artist did of two naked women kissing, they could find it as 'obscene' and, the artist could be fined up to $500 and/or spend 6 months in county jail.

Dangerous terms, and a dangerous ordinance. And people wonder why people are so terrified of this country.

Why is it, in Dunnes Stores, that spaghetti sauce is in the "Ethnic Foods" section, but soy sauce is in the "Sauces" aisle?

And...the strangest thing happened last night. When I got off the bus to have a drink with a friend, I noticed a HUUUUGE banner on the Supermac's across from Eyre Square, which said "LET US BE THE FIRST TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON A JOB WELL DONE." Beneath the text it had a picture of a construction worker's helmet and gloves. I snickered, since Eyre Square has been under construction for 2 years and the cost to build has been much over what they estimated. So I look over at what I expect to be the still under-construction Eyre Square and...

...it's complete. There are people walking around, sitting down, the whole thing is finished. I never, ever imagined Eyre Square being finished before I left. Needless to say, this is a nice surprise.

All of last night was a pleasant surprise, but I won't get into that here ^_^

SUPERMAC'S. Holy shit. Remember how I once said that Supermac's > McDonalds? Well, this proves it even more. They DELIVER. I got a little flyer from them with their menu and numbers to call for delivery. And COUPONS. Buy one get one free COUPONS. So I'm sitting here, with a nice full stomach from 2 burgers, fries with garlic dressing, and sausage.

Can you get fries with garlic dressing, and sausages at McDonalds? DIDN'T THINK SO.

The kitty on the property is so cute. He saw me through the window from across the parking lot and came meowing over to sit on my window ledge. I gave him a bowl of milk and after he drank it he tried to come inside. Poor kitty.

I got a text from a person I went to Rome with saying, 'are you in your apartment?' I responded and was happy since I thought it was an invitation and that I might actually end up doing something today.

...then it turned out the text was meant for someone else, and had been sent to me by mistake. ;-;

But hey, I went out and got a turnip for Easter!!! So ha!

Firstly, congrats to Mo and Darin for their winning entries to Soliloquy!!! *cheers*

Now for a little bit of suspicion and fuming ^_^

Before I start, I want everyone to know that I'm not trying to question the judges or whine about not winning. I believe the best literature and art won, and I am completely fine with that.

However...

It has come to my attention from one of the judges (whom I know personally) that my entry was never read by him, which means it was not entered into the competition. All entries are completely confidential, without the names of the writers/artists appearing anywhere on the pieces. Therefore, none of the judges know whose entries they're reading. The way this friend knew that he never read my entry was when I emailed it to him today (after the end of the competition) to see if he recognized reading it. He told me he never read it, which means it was not submitted for judging.

It's one thing to enter your poetry to a contest, and lose to better writers. I am 100% fine with that. If my poem was beat out by better writers, then I have no problem whatsoever. However, if my poem was never even entered, through negligence or forgetfulness, then that's a completely different story. It means my work wasn't even given a chance in a competition that I have entered faithfully for the past three years. Every year I have submitted work, and happily I can say that each year I have placed. This year, if my work had been beaten by others, yes, I would be disappointed, but at least I would know that I tried and would be satisfied with that knowledge.

...not that there's anything I can do about it if my poem, indeed, was excluded from the competition. Hopefully I'm going to get an answer tomorrow, and I honestly hope that my poem was entered. I just needed to get this off my chest.

Again, congrats to Mo and Darin! ^_^

I'll post about Rome eventually...I don't want the post to suck, so I'm going to do it later XD As for now, I'm just going to get some things out of my mind before I lose them.

I went to my first circus on Wednesday. It was awesome...at least, the 45 minutes I saw of it was awesome. As I'm watching a clown do something in the ring, I notice a bunch of people are...coming in? At first I wonder why people are coming in so late, and then I notice smoke...a lot of smoke...quickly filling up the tent.

That's when I realize, those people aren't coming in, they're leaving.

People start to get up and rush toward the exit, and I notice the clown isn't performing anymore - he's grabbing a microphone and telling people not to panic, to relax and to leave the tent in a slow and orderly manner.

Has anyone heard of the Hartford circus fire? Back in the 1940's, a Ringling Bros. circus tent went up in flames, killing nearly 200 people. It's probably the worst circus fire in history, and...Hartford is 2 towns away from my hometown so it's not a foreign place to me. Also, my Dad's pretty paranoid about places going up in flames and there not being adequate exits, etc. So needless to say, it kind of freaked me out. Luckily, it was just something minor - a piece of equipment that shorted out.

I went back the next day and, no fire! Yaaay!

Then yesterday (Friday), I went to archery practice and was presented with a plaque. I won the Novice Shield for my high score! ^__^ I'm so happy.

( Happy little meme )

...take lots of pictures for Angela XD"

I've been told by lots of people to take lots of pictures...under penalty of death. I leave in a few hours to catch the bus to Shannon Airport and then it's off to Rome. Did you know that most museums are closed on Mondays? Sundays they're open, but Mondays everything's closed o_O

Oh well. Looks like Sunday shall be a museum day!

Tuesday I return. ^_^

"Walking all the day
Near tall towers where falcons build their nests
Silver-winged they fly
They know the call of freedom in their breasts
Saw Black Head against the sky
Where twisted rocks they run to the sea
Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland

Drinking all the day
In old pubs where fiddlers love to play
Saw one touch the bow
He played a reel which seemed so grand and gay
Stood on Dingle Beach and cast
In wild foam we found Atlantic bass
Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland

Talking all the day
With true friends who try to make you stay
Telling jokes and news
Singing songs to pass the time away
Watched the Galway salmon run
Like silver dancing, darting in the sun
Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland

Dreaming in the night
I saw a land where no one had to fight
Waking in your dawn
I saw you crying in the morning light
Sleeping where the falcons fly
They twist and turn all in your air-blue sky
Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland"
---Traditional

...I still can't believe this song exists.

What type of Fae are you?

Oddly...fitting o_O

Rice for lunch = gooood. Garlic powder makes eeeverything better. Mmmmm. I'm quite pleased, since I finished my last English paper yesterday, and it's not due until Friday!

And in 4 days I'll be in Rome *chews*

So I check my Rocky Mountain College email, and there's a mass email message titled "Murder Ball this Wednesday." Curious, I open it and this is what greets me.

What's cooler than watching a group of guys bash, trip, fight, and compete for the world rugby competition?
Watching a group of quadriplegics bash, trip, fight, and compete in specially crafted rugby wheelchairs.

OMFG.

Why the hell aren't I in Montana when I need to be?!?!?

My friends and I were exchanging photos of ourselves. I took a pic of myself where I was grinning madly and it looked like I was about to eat the camera.

Me: I look like I'm about to eat the camera XD
Jude: so what?
Jude: only tells us that you are happiest when you are eating something

The deepest truth only emerges during the sleep-deprived hours of after midnight.

And yes, bitches. My last paper for Renaissance Drama is DONE.

So...my grandpa died this morning. Not really sure what to say. They're across the ocean and I'm here.

I'm not sure how I feel...I guess it's too soon to actually react.

Today was the archery competition at GMIT (Galway/Mayo Institute of Technology). I was shooting with NUI Galway, of course. First off, let me explain how the categories and scoring work. There are four categories, essentially - Beginner, Advanced, Barebow, and Compound. Beginners and barebow shoot on a 60 cm target face, and advanced archers shoot on a 40 cm target. There are then some crazy fuckers who shoot recurves on these tiny-ass targets and I think they're uber-advanced...I'm not sure...but those are the three important categories.

Anyways, there are 2 rounds of 30 arrows each, resulting in shooting a total of 60 arrows by the end of the tournament. Thus, the maximum score you could earn is 600. You shoot 3 arrows at a time. For a beginner, the goal to get into the Advanced category is 400.

I got 413!

*dances*

I got a nifty little pin and everything. I'm so happy. T__T Unfortunately, I can't compete at the last competition on April 1 since I'll be in Rome. Though...I can't really call that "unfortunate." XD

( Ready....aim.... )