JonathanByrne.net

This made me laugh and soon after wonder what coke and pepsi combined would be like.
These are the tough life questions you gotta ask yourself I guess

I studied French for 6 years and unfortunately never got to visit France during these years.  As with anything you learn, if you don’t put it into practice you will forget it very quickly.  Such is the dilemma I found myself in as soon as I arrived in Morocco.

It is an Arabic speaking country but 90% of the people here also speak French.  I never got to go on a student exchange to France because the year my class were supposed to go Foot and Mouth struck Ireland and that cancelled all travel plans.  The result of this means I struggle every morning asking the Taxi driver to take me to work.  Its worse if he understands my initial request because I then have to heed his chit chat and explain to him that I don’t speak french….just a few select lines that my iPhone gave me.

So I’ve downloaded iPhone apps and consulted a French friend for some tips, I can at least order a coffee!  Expect a separate blog on the quality of coffee and tea in Morocco soon. For those few minutes when I order a coffee, I actually blend into Moroccan society and don’t stand out as a ‘possible American’.  This seems to be the impression a lot of Moroccan Taxi drivers get when the see me.  They seem to relax a bit when I say ‘Je suis de Irlandais’.

I’m rambling a bit here so I shall sum up by saying why the fuck were we not sent to France when we studied it for 6 years?  After 6 years I was able to write French essays!  It should be mandatory in every school that at least once a year, for every language you learn you must visit the country or something similar.  Even a few weeks a year where you were forced to speak a different language like the Gealteachts.

I’ll continue learning french will I’m here, it would be nice to have another language, it could open up more job opportunities in the future and then I could have a lovely chat with the Moroccan Taxi drivers.

Its been a while since my last post so a quick update is in order..

• Finished the second year of my Masters.  Again was under immense pressure to get reports and labs completed and had little time to study for exams.  I just hope I passed!
• I went to Stockholm for a quick trip for work, it was very interesting and I finally got to see the main headquarters.  Stockholm is a fantastic city, I was very impressed but the cost of living there is quite high.
• I’m now working in Rabat, Morocco.  I’ve been here for nearly a week now and only 4 weeks left to go, I’m counting down the days.  Its not that I dont like the place the project is extremely laborious and I hate being dropped in the middle of projects were you are expected to start running from a standstill.  To make matters worse I’m doing work I have not been assigned to do, to say the least I’m angry about this.  It happens and I’m expected to deal with it but it is a horrible way to work.
• I was planning on taking part in SoFoMoBo seeing as I was in a foreign country and all but its proving impossible to take photos while I’m here.  I might get a day sometime before I leave and try get all the photos I need but I can’t do a photo a day deal.

Right thats the end of the updates lets get onto something less depressing.  A very good friend of mine got a tattoo yesterday and I think its really cool.

While its not the most original tattoo in the world (I know a good few girls that have a star tattoo) it is a very cool tattoo and the only tattoo thats acceptable on a girl.  Made me think what would I get and where?  Its difficult to get a tattoo if your a guy cause its very easy to get a tattoo then one day your in your 40s with a hairy chest and a stupid tattoo of your favorite football club on your arm or something.

Guys can’t have cool tattoos, guys with emo tattoos are gonna look stupid when they turn 40…..what am I saying they look stupid now.  I remember contemplating getting a Metallica tattoo but there is no originality in that.  It would be nice to have a tattoo that showed I’ve lived a little.  I mean I travel a lot but I’m not coming back changed and trolling on about my experiences abroad, clearly I have none  MaybeI should get a Henna tattoo or something while I’m here…..

So Reader! What tattoo would you get and where?  Answers on a post card addressed to Rabat or post a comment to forgo the millions of stamps required to reach this place!

During a conversation with gaff (flatmate) he said he never read this blog because he does not know the address. Subsequently, here is a picture of Gaff on Saturday night, sober as a judge.

The KS keeps photo bombing all the pictures when we get drunk   Click on the Kevin Smith to see the full picture.

I’m not known for my cooking skills, for years my biggest achievement in the kitchen has been scrambled eggs on toast.

I’ve been living in Newbury for the last few weeks and I’ve been stepping up in the kitchen.  I’m no Swedish Chef but damn I make a good steak!  It was my first attempt and I’m well chuffed, really nice and best of all I didn’t get food poisoning.

I also tried Spagetti and meatballs, the first attempt was not a good one, i burnt the mince and the meatballs crumbled.  However look at me second attempt!  BOOYEAH!!!!  I’m gonna try a few more dishes, I need to cook a few friends a meal too so until then the flat mate will have to be the guinnea pig.

I got a cool kitchen utensil today too, its a garlic crusher!!!  How awesome is that!!!  Much better than hammering garlic cloves with a wooden spoon!!!  Not that I did that *embarrassed*

———- EDIT ———-
I must show Gaffs cooking skills, this was sold to me as “the best dinner you’ve had since you were 12″ and do you know what?

It wasn’t half bad and best of all neither of us got food poisoning.

My little holiday is over and I’m sitting on an aer lingus plane back to the uk as I am writing this.

I always try sit near the back of the plane because if it crashes, statistically you are more likely to survive. years of watching air crash investigation has proven this over and over.

However today I am sitting one row behind the emergency exit at the wing; 25F to be exact. it’s alright I feel some pressure being so close to the wing exit but at least it’s not my responsiblity to open it in the case of an emergency. I’m pretty sure I’d be like father ted good under pressure but up until the pressure arises I would be a nervous wreck. (post fr ted clip)

I get quite sad when I’m on a plane and penny lane is not doing the safety demonstration…or at least mocking it. God damn I love almost famous.
that film makes me sad all the time, I could see a band t-shirt think about rock n roll then remember I’m not William miller or anyone in stillwater.

Anyway I’m being asked to turn off my phone so I will fancy up this post later on when Im not restricted to the iPhones capabilities.
I’ll post pictures of the plane and fr ted video to illustrate
my mindset on planes and emergency exits/buttons ooooooooooooooooo

At the weekend I was out for a dew drinks with some German friends that were visiting Dublin.  I love Germany particularly Berlin its a fantastic city and great people….or so I thought.

During drunken discussions about colors (don’t ask) the most shocking statement I can imagine was uttered by one German friend “PurPur……but we don’t use that word we just call it red”.  PurPur is the German for purple and apparently Germany has abandoned using this word.

WTF!

So Barney the dinosaur was red was he?  Was he fuck!  How can you abandon a color?

This is how I imagine gf watches Jurassic Park.

She laughs during Horror films while I recoil and curl into a ball.  I mean laughing during Slither!

The film is proper sick and shes giggling the entire film!

The only way I can justify her strange behavior is this photo, she must see monsters as Disney/Pixar characters!

I cannot stand blogs giving awards to other blogs, I vomit a little every time it happens.

However…

The Irish Blog awards is a worthy event and I happen to know some people that got into the Finals of each category.  Check them out.

WhiteRabbitNI

Culch.ie

David Maybury

For the full list see here

EDIT:  I’m annoyed there is not one blog that is saying “Fuck it we deserve it”, everyone is saying “oh I’m so proud…….I never thought I would be shortlisted for anything……”  Everyone of the nominees should have the following on their website!