Good grief!

A friend of mine just sent me a link to one of the oddest events I've heard of: the Dublin Zombie Walk. So far as I can gather, hundreds or even thousands of people are going to disguise themselves as zombies and walk on a prechosen route through Dublin before finishing up with a disco, including a children's disco, in Temple Bar.

Well, this is certainly a novel way to collect money for charity. I'm kind of sorry I'm busy this weekend, or I'd join in. Or maybe the Mom I babysit would let me bring the kids? Would you take children on a zombie walk?

Apparently, though, they are walking more or less the same route, at more or less the same time, as the annual Gay Pride Parade. Well... that sounds like it's bound to result in a lot of unintentional hilarity. OMG, I've got to go!!!

And hats off to the organisers for inventiveness! I hope they raise lot of money and have a fantastic time. I might even be there. I've actually recommended the event to a few of the people I've met in Dublin Tourism in my meet 'n' greet job. Note to self: stop doing that -- it's too hard to explain to someone who speaks English as a second language, and I think I've alarmed a couple of lovely French families. And the people I meet there are so nice!! I recommended the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl to a couple yesterday, and they went on it and had such a nice time that they came back today with a little box of Butlers Irish Chocolate for me! How sweet is that? I'm just doing my job here.

I have ALL SUNDAY OFF this week, until the evening when I'm on at the restaurant after 8. I'm torn. Should I spent the whole day in bed and catch up on some very necessary sleep, or hook up with my pal Saoirse and go to the mountains for some equally necessary exercise? Oh, decisions, decisions... Maybe I'll wait to see what the weather forecast says before making my choice.

Distractions

Even though Ireland isn't in the World Cup this year, people seem pretty distracted by the whole thing anyway. Maybe it's because I'm spending most evenings working in an Italian restaurant, but it seems that everyone is pretty much glued to the television all the time. This makes for a exciting pub scene as unlike most sporting "fixtures" (why are they known as "fixtures"?) the World Cup is quite easy to get excited about. If you look at the photo below, consider how few people there are about when Dublin is usually full of people you'll realise just how much impact a particularly exciting match has on the number of pedestrians!





But, guys, football is not the only thing happening at the moment!!!



For instance, I only found out today that there's an Indian Film Festival on in Dublin this weekend. I love Indian cinema. I didn't think I would, but I do. And the stuff I like best is the real old-style Bollywood, with millions of extras and loads of singing and dancing. All the actors are so gorgeous -- and the girls look real; they make a little roll of bellyfat look as sexy as hell. It's on in the Swan Cinema in Rathmines.



My only regret about my complicated patchwork of three part-time jobs is that I will never be able to get away for a whole weekend, at least until things calm down. I'm not complaining, of course, because I know I'm darned lucky to have a job and all, but sometimes I think it would be nice to go camping in the Wicklow Mountains, like I did last summer. However: not complaing. I have enough money to pay the rent, I get free tickets (occasionally) from Dublin Tourism and the weather is (mostly) shining.

So, a minor dilemma: I'd really like to go hear a band I was introduced to a while ago, Jimmy Cake. They're playing a gig soon in the Lower Deck, in Portobello. Problem is, my ex is one of their biggest fans (in a slightly worrying, stalker-ish sort of way). I don't want to see him with his (beautiful, thin) wife. But isn't it pretty lame to not do something I want to, just because he's going to be there?

Costa Dublin

Well, I've been here for a year and a half, and I've never seen so much unbroken sunshine ... or so many underdressed people in city parks! As in, wearing swimsuits. Ah yes, the conservative Irish ... to be seen in string bikinis in a city park near you!

Not me, though. I'm too pale to throw myself into this sunbathing business. I wouldn't turn a lovely shade of brown -- I'd just get red, and sore, and irritable. So I'm contenting myself with a black tee, shades and some hastily improvised shorts (read: hacked-off jeans).

I'm coming down from a fabulous weekend spent at the Street Performance World Championship! Absolutely wonderful. The kids I was taking care of on Saturday loved it, I loved it, and my flatmate, Bepe is now one of over 1500 people listed in the Guinness Book of Records, for taking part in the World Spacehopper Record Challenge!!! I was sorry I didn't participate, but it would've been tricky with the kids there. Anyway, supercool fun.

Today is a busy, busy day. I'm actually on a break from meeting-and-greeting at Dublin Tourism. I've been asked on 4 dates! One from a man who must've been at least eighty, so that doesn't count. But I've declined all politely as it doesn't seem professional, plus I don't think they were very serious invitations. You meet all sorts of people in there. Sometimes they're really organised: They've done all their research and know exactly what they want to do and they've just come in to pick up tickets or whatever, and sometimes they just wander in with no plan. I actually really enjoy giving advice and stuff, because at heart I'm quite a bossy person, plus I think I have some good insights into what's cool to do in and around Dublin. Although, note to self, not everyone is as impressed as I am by the thought of going to St Michan's to shake hands with a mummy. In fact, some people even find the prospect sort of scary. Go figure...

...and then tonight I'm on dishwashing duty at the restaurant which is my least-favourite job as it's dirty, heavy work and on the lowest rung of the pecking order in there, which means that people treat you differently.

But no, I'm not complaining, I do know how lucky I am to have found work so quickly and to be making enough to make ends meet!

I'd probably be feeling a little more sprightly if I hadn't been out late last night. A friend called me up and invited me to a gig at Whelans, a band mysteriously called the Van Diemans. Whelans is a fairly ordinary-looking pub, but it's got a big venue at the back, and for those in the know it's one of the prime gig venues in town. The band mostly did covers, Nick Cave and Tom Waits and that sort of stuff; lots of great, if lugubrious numbers!! I restrained myself to three drinks, but I feel like I had six.

Anyways... back to work!