well its nearly new year and Im back in London. Christmas at home was sooo nice, eating and sleeping and just being looked after cos I was not feeling well.
It was a bit strange, some things were the same and yet some things were not right. It was the first year that my sister wasnt at home, and it kinda feels like a bit of the magic of christmas has gone, a bit like in HOOK, when Peter Pan grows up
The first change was Christmas mass. For at least the last 10 years were have gone to Christmas mass as a family to a tiny church halfway up the Dublin mountains, where the mass is really simple and said by a little old priest. Its really basic and somehow the mass seems to have more meaning than in most other churches.
This year, we went to the local church, where we havnt been to mass as a family since I was in school. Even though its been about 12 years, it was still the same. The same faces sitting in the same parts of the church, the same out of tune choir singing the same hymns, trying to sound like professional singers but the harmonies were as cringing as ever!!
After mass I was still feeling miserable but managed to wrap my presents and put them under the tree.
Christmas morning I woke up about 6am and just didnt want to get up. Usually me and my sister compete as to who will wake up first, yes I know Im over 30 but at christmas Im back to being a child!!
This year it kinda felt like just another day but by 8am I decide I had to get up. I went into my parents room and we all went down to open the presents. Another family tradition is that before we open the presents, my sister being the youngest in the house, puts the baby Jesus figure into the crib.
My mum asked me would I like to do it, but it didnt feel right so she did it. I know its only a little thing but still......
After that we opened the presents. As usual, my mum tries soo hard to get things that I might like, but she dosnt get it quite right, bless her. This year I suggested speakers for my laptop and an MJ book.
I got the speakers alright but also a webcam. One of my little phobias is having my picture taken, my parents know I hate it but they think its just a phase. They have a webcam so they thought I might like one too. Oh well I know they mean well but its just another thing that my parents dont really understand about me!
After opening the presents we had some breakfast. By this stage I was feeling really miserable and had a fever so I went back to bed. Yet another break from the usual family christmas.
I felt really bad but this year I just didnt have the energy to help with Christmas dinner. Every year christmas dinner is a real family affair, with everyone helping and doing little bits. This year I slept right though the morning and my dad and mum cooked the dinner between them.
Dinner was abit flat too, although I did try to make it a bit festive by wearing new clothes and playing really cheesy Christmas music.
After dinner , took some flu tablets and made a huge effort to try to be festive. Stayed in living room with my parents and watched the usual crap christmas tv while devouring a box of chocolates.
Another thing that stayed the same was the usual annual visit of my childhood friend and her mum. Me and O have known each other since we were about 5 years old. Growing up we were insepartable but in the last 10 years we have kinda drifted.
She is the only one from school and the area I grew up in that I have kept in contact, and I would love for our friendship to be like it was years ago, when we knew everything about each other. I dont think she even knows abot my tattoos, cos she is not a Michael fan and hasnt shared the experiences and trips with me like my fan friends.
And so that was christmas day, same but different and just a bit flat.
The next day, St Stephens Day in Ireland, Boxing Day in the Uk was like always. Just stayed in bed for most of the day, eating and watching tv and chatting online. My dad finally connected up the wireless modem so I was able to use my laptop with out moving from my comfy bed!!
My mum had been mentioning going to see my gran but I really didnt want to. My time at home always flies by and I just want to do nothing but have me time. I know this sounds selfish but being at home is the only time I can fully relax both my mind and body and rechage my system.
So I said that as I wasnt really better yet, maybe I shouldnt go as it would not be good for my gran to catch the flu from me. My mum agreed and in the end my mum and dad and my aunt and her husband went to see my gran.
As soon as they had left I suddenly got a mad idea and decide to go shopping instead!! Maybe it was the combination of all the flu tablets I had been taking and not getting up at crazy o clock and actallly waking up natuarlly instead of being woken up by my alarm.
I put on some music and got ready and decided to go into the centre of Dublin. On my way to the bus I took a nother mad idea and took some photos of the road and local buildings... god I hope none of the neighbours saw me!!
I spent a nice few hours, just wandering around the shops, up and down back streets, finding all the odd quirky shops you dont see in London. Of course I went to the main shopping areas aswell, couldnt resist popping into the music shops.
Finally made it home about 7pm and by then my parents were back from seeing my gran. Didnt do much for the rest of the evening and ended up going to bed early.
Friday, my last full day in Dublin started early, well early for me when Im at home. I had to be at the hairdressers for 10 am, and managed to convince my dad to give me a lift.
The hairdressers is about 10 mins from the house in the huge shopping centre which has become the centre of the new development of what used to be a suburb of Dublin but is now like a small town.
When I was a child, 25 years ago, where we lived was a new housing development in the southwest of Dublin , just under the mountains. In the late 60's, early 70's the Irish government decided to create a new suburb around a rural village. They built thousands of houses in the fields surrounding the old village but then that was it.
They had the palns drawn up to crate a new town but after building the houses they ran out of money. Unfortunatly by then thousand of people have moved in and thats when the problems started.
Most of the people who moved to this new town were young married people starting families and so the population grew rapidly within 10 years and by the early 80's had one of the youngest populations of any area in Ireland. All these young families, with no facilites led to high crime, and unemployment.
It was only in the late 90's that the govermnent finally started to finance the plans that had been in storage for the last 20 years!! Thats when the the hospital, new police station and most importantly a proper shopping centre was built.
Now the shopping centre is surrounded by new buildings, new roads and amazingly apartment buildings. My hair took about 3 hours, in case you are wondering, I got red highlights, and a wash, cut and blow dry. As I was there I got my hair strightened, as I dont normally have the patience to do it at home!!
After I finishd at the hairdressers, I spent a few hours wandering about the shops. Times like this I realise exactly why I moved away from the area I grew up in.
I have always felt I didnt really fit in and just wanted to get awy and make my own way in life. Being back in the are I now see that I just didnt want to be another statistc and cliche. There are two typical ways of life that girls I grew up with followed.
1. They got pregnant while still a teenager, dropped out of school, went on benifits, either turned to drink, drugs, crime or all three
2. didnt do any of the above, stayed in school, went to college, was in a steady relationship by their early 20's, got a good normal job, ie in a bank, and by their late 20's had bought a house in the local area.
Neither of their ways of life appealed to me and still dont. I think I am one of those people who is a free spirirt, and is completly individual. I dont even dress or look like a typical person my age!!
ERM.... I seem to be rambling abit so going to make this last bit quick, near the end of this epic, I promise!!
After wandering abit I realised I hadnt got my other gran a present and rang my dad for some ideas. By chance he was heading to the shopping centre anyway and I met up with him and finally found something for my gran.
On the way home we called in to see one of my dads friends and his wife. My dads friends are kinda cool, really nice people and sooo Dublin/Irish in every way.
After spending about 2 hours in their house we finally made it home yep you guessed it, finished the day eating and watching tv!!!
Yesterday, Saturday I came back to London. Even though Dublin is not really that far from London, it still takes almost the full day from door to door.
We left the house at 11 am, and drove to the airport by the motorway which goes around Dublin. That journey takes about 45 to 50 mins, it used to be even longer before the motorway cos we had to go right though the centre of Dublin from south to north.
We got to the airport at 11.45 am and joined the queue at checkin. I was abit worried because my case was a bit heavy but luckly I wasnt charged any extra. My flight was supposed to leave at 1.35 pm so I had plenty of time to checkin and go though security.
After checkin I said goodbye to my parents and didnt get held up too much at security. I got somrthing to eat and then checked the boards for my gate. I saw that it was gate 14 so I headed there as it was nearly 12.45pm.
When I got to gate 14 my flight wasnt showing so I had another look at the main info board. This time it said gate 16, so off I went to gate 16. Guess what, wrong AGAIN, this flight was going to Tenerife!!
Back to the info board and now it said gate 11, so back down to gate 11, except this was going to Paris!! By now I recogised a few faces who had been following me from gate to info board to gate so I decided to stay put at gate 11.
Afew others from my flight had the same idea so we just stayed at gate 11 and eventually, about 20mins after we were due to board, the flight info popped up.
We eventully took off around 2.15pm, not bad for a 1.35 flight, oh well thats what you get when you fly with a budget airline!!!
We landed about 3.15 and by the time I got to central London it was about 4.30pm, then I had to get the tube to my flat. I fianlly made it to my flat around 5.15pm!!
And so that was my Christmas, pretty eventful dont you think!!
Roll on new year, and 2008, have made some resolutions, some I might share in my next blog.
Happy New year to who ever reads this and btw if anyone is actually intrested in my epic rambling I would love a comment or two, and dont forget to check out my pics from home.
ok Im done now, byyyeeeeee