Tough times, tough choices. I guess we all have hard days when we wonder why?! Today was one. But friends help you through - thanks to those that did.

Casino Royale

aston
Originally uploaded by aineoconnell.

So as promised, a post about the 21st Bond movie Casino Royale! I remember when Craig was announced as the new bond...there were rumblings in the media...this blondie could never do the job right! I almost agreed too...I had been hoping for Clive Owen...but I take it back! Every and any bad word I may have muttered about the choice of Craig to slip into that famous tux...I take it ALL back!

He was perfect! and the extra muscle he piled on for the role was much appreciated! It was a different kind of Bond...yes there were the usual demolition jobs with buildings crumbling under fire or following explosions...thats to be expected but this one was also more intelligent somehow.

Judi Dench gets better and better as M :)

I must say it hurt to see what they did to that beautiful car! I think a little piece of my heart broke at that moment! Mischa certainly thought my reaction was funny ;)

Roll on 2008 and Craig's next outing!

Some fave quotes..."shaken or stirred?" "I couldn't give a damn"
and "arrogance and self awareness don't usually go together"

- Get Your Own

Sexy Back Tour comes to town :)

I had a fantabulous fantabulous weekend! Back in March 2005, I went to a conference in Malaga called WENA Newies...since then I have met a number of my fellow delegates either at other conferences (Thordis, Annika, Thomas, Amine, Emmanuel...) or they have come to visit (Burcin and Annika) and this weekend I had the pleasure of having another two come to visit :)

After a false start visit to New York....meaning I didn't get there :( Mischa came to Dublin and brought another WENA Newie too! Max! Add to the mix the greatest Indian trainee I have ever known, Ms Priyanka Vieira and well you have a fun time guaranteed!

They arrived to a torrential downpour on Friday night but by the time we were ready to head out (after Mischa's snooze; malibu, whiskey and vodka shots and a visit from another WENA Newie Mark) it was decidely better...after a quick stop in Temple Bar we headed to the infamous B4TB - haha my version of Cheers! Friday night ended with me falling FAST asleep :) Saturday morning was meant to start bright and early...ehm...not quite! We eventually made it to Temple Bar market for lunch, following a whistle stop tour of Dublin Castle ;) Next stop StarBucks, so the poor little Russian Dutch New Yorker could get a fix of Chai Tea Latte :) and then on to Trinity where we saw the tiniest bride ever have her wedding photos taken!! and she was wearing a fur cape something akin to what Max reckoned the queen wore to the opening of parliament ;) we also met Cathal and Oonagh who declined our invitation to Bring Sexy back with us that evening! On to the pub to watch some of the England Vs South Africa game and of course enjoy an afternoon pint/hot toddy! and the Italian boys joined us :) Jameson Distillery was next on our tour (following a stop off at Subway..meatball marinara - yummy!) The guys did the whiskey tasting while I got heckled by Mark for being on my third tour of the distillery - I'm a dedicated Jameson drinker! Mark did make up for it though by printing Franky a cert :) Saturday night, once we managed to wake Mischa up...we headed out again this time accompanied by the Pfizer boys and Aisling...fun times were had at Fitzsimons, personal highlight?! getting to watch some of the Ashes from the dance floor! I mean how cool is that?!! Ok so I admit it....I miss watching sports on tv!!

Sunday was what Sundays should be about! Breakfast at Bewley's followed by a trip to Dun Laoighre and a walk along the pier! And then...oh and then we went to watch Casino Royale! Which was so awesome it will get an entire post to itself tomorrow! Although I must say I am only now coming to terms with what they did to that beautiful Aston Martin! As we left the cinema it was bucketing down again so where else was there to go to except the Capitol! Where Max's eyes lit up at the thought of cocktails!! so we indulged ourselves there for a while!!!

All in all a great weekend!!!! Thanks boys...thanks Priyanka...

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Quote of the day

but he's IRISH which means he's in danger, any day now, of POKING OUT HIS OWN EYE

Thanksgiving :)

McNulty and I headed for Thanksgiving lunch today at Luigi Malones , it wasn't quite the turkey but it was still soooooo good! And you know what? Today gave me the chance to reflect on some of the things I am grateful for!

Thankful for people I love and love me! Thankful for a plane ticket to Caracas! Thankful for Sma (she knows what for!) Thankful that I am getting this amazing experience :) Thankful for the memories this year will leave me with! Thankful for friends that come to visit - TOMORROW!!!!

Thankful Thankful Thankful :)

Follow your heart
Let your love lead through the darkness
Back to a place you once knew
I believe I believe I believe in you
Follow your dreams
Be yourself an angel of kindness
There's nothing that you cannot do
I believe I believe I believe in you

Who would have thought Celine Dion and Il Divo could provide me with food for thought?! hmmm...

A week of wonderings............

Rob posted (somewhat) recently under the title "another conference, another badge...." I must admit I was waiting to be able to do the same, waiting for last weekend so that I could post about our first national conference....another conference yes...but just another badge - no way! this would have been my first national conf as MCP! My third NTMS and my first as MC....unfortunately it didn't quite turn out as I had expected. But lets not lament...no NTMS meant that this weekend I had time for solitary reflection in the office. Time to stop and take stock of not just AIESEC stuff but other things too...in short my life and what I am doing with it.

There are some things in my life right now that quite frankly baffle me. People that say they are one thing while in reality being something quite different. Boys (oh that odd and yet wonderful word) that are at the same time both perplexing and happiness inducing. The paradox of people not understanding that when you make fun of Irish people they make fun of me. Why does my head hate me so much that it makes me dizzy on a regular basis. And it isn't even the dizziness I object to, sometimes dizzy is good. Sometimes dizzy can be attached to the "oh! boys" bit...but this kind of dizzy....nicht so gut :(

And then there was the "what happens next?!" question... sitting down with my dhl notebook open to clean page with OPTIONS FOR 07/08 scribbled across the top! International MC? Internship? My masters? Just get a job? Stay in Ireland or go abroad?! If Ireland do I go home to Cork?! Is that even an option? And then of course there is the other option...the stay here as in where I am and see this process through. Stay with AIESEC in Ireland for another year? Stay and manage the change we need to go through. Stay and commit another year to different team but to the same organisation and the same challenge?!

What do I do?! Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh! I watched Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version, this week (twice) - I'm sure if I had a man like Darcy, my life would be so much the better for it!

Ich bin trainer

soo much fun in Karlsruhe last week to the tune of Sho Sho Loza, Hakuna Mata and Can't Live! I improved my German (das ist fantasichen, topicishen, steckdose etc), learned some Swahili and Lithuanian and of course facilitated some great sessions on EU identity! Went to a tram party, saw the European Parliament, was called British a few times (and so learned the art of breathing before speaking!), nearly died from laughter (yes it is reeeally possible!), laughed at/with the GPS lady that wanted to share her map of Strassburg ;) and had some interesting adventures in the form of an "amazing" erasmus party and a 4 am trip to the hospital (I wasn't the patient) Fun fun fun!!! Oh and I learned how to dance my name! A skill I am sure will stand to me for the rest of my life!

I'm in Germany :)

wie gehts?! I'm writing from the LC office of AIESEC in Karlsruhe :) Here to facilitate some workshops at their TWIN conference :) funfunfun!!! 45 delegates from 10 countries all here to talk about the EU :) fantabulous!

Oh and Prue will be happy to know that there is a Romanian delegation from Timisoara! i'll make sure to practice my few words ;)

MC Team days and a new chez l'MC

MC Flat
Originally uploaded by aineoconnell.

Wednesday last saw the MC loading ourselves into a rental car and heading to Kilkenny for a long over due team day! Quick coffee break in Carlow (we didn't want to stay there too long ;) ) and then it was onto Kilkenny where we
- discovered that although it doesn't snow much in Ireland, outside of Dublin (where there are trees) it does in fact "leaf"
- also in the absence of snow we were forced to have grass fights instead!
- found ourselves a new home (see picture)
- had some awesome take away even if it was from a dodgy little chipper van!
- Jochen and I discovered we knew quite a lot of celebrity names when we played the celebrity name game for almost 3 hours :)

MC Team day was rounded off with a trip to a CSR debate at Bewley's cafe :) :)