Saturday, December 06, 2008

Bound In Tune

My new book Bound In Tune is now available to purchase. It is a collection of short stories in which the common theme is music. I have been writing this for quite a long time and am glad to be able to present it to those who are interested.

Support independent publishing: buy this book on Lulu.

Monday, November 10, 2008




Yesterday I went to Tarnow which is not too far from Krakow. It was a big Sunday out. It is quite a ncie city and like a miniature version of Krakow. I was with two friends. We didn't explore too much of the town but got involved in the local culture by going to a death metal show. Despite wearing ear plugs, my ears are still full of throat-ripping roars. 'Hell United' was the headline act but the heroes of the show was the band in the photo whose name escapes me. Next Saturday they are coming to Krakow. See you there!

Sunday, November 02, 2008







It's been a while since anything has been entered into this space. A trip out to the infamous Nowa Huta is the reason for this return. I was warned before going not to speak English and to be very careful as the area is reknowned as being the most dangerous in Krakow. Rejected by people from Krakow and even seen as another city despite it being included within the city border, this was an area of rich agricultural land which was developed in the fifties 'Communist Style' as a means of breaking the intellectual spirit of Krakow by installing a massive steelworks factory not far from the historical centre of the city. It seems not too much has changed in this area although tourist trips are becoming more and more popular, a clear sign of what we can expect to see in the future. The atmosphere is different and I felt myself in Berlin again - the East for obvious reasons. What amazed me is that, a short walk away from Plac Centralny (Central Square) are fields of unused land (photo 2). The centre of this 'city' exists so close to the countryside. I have only really touched on this area and expect to investigate it further in the near future.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

A Short Analysis of Where I Am

Living in another country has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it feels like a magical dream surrounded in a misty haze where everything seems to intrigue and fascinate the senses as the adventure continues with each step. On the other hand, on those grey miserable and wet days, the thought of lifting off the covers, and exposing my skin to the biting cold as I nervously place one foot on the cold uncovered wooden floor and make my way to the bathroom fills me with fear and dread as my finger presses the snooze button for the last possible time resulting in another five short and delicate precious minutes in bliss.
Nobody expected me to end up here and there was no great master plan which stated in large bold letters that ‘I WILL LIVE IN POLAND’. Like most things, it just happened and is the only answer I can give each time I am asked. I often feel that this answer doesn’t quite satisfy the curious, a lot of whom have friends or colleagues in my country, who are planning to go there or indeed have been there themselves. Some people frown in puzzlement and look at me as if I am missing something vital to a logical functioning brain and never seem to accept that I am not working for the tourist board in Krakow. Others accept my answer more easily and get down to the task of comparing and contrasting everything from the best way to prepare tea to the prices of renting a flat. I am well prepared for the latter type of people with detailed answers that have been fine-tuned to perfection but the former group is always a challenge which requires an enormous amount of energy and determination.
There are many differences between this country and the one I come from and certainly most of them are have taken time to discover and analyze in microscopic detail. One of the first ones is the obsession with change in Polish retail. This constant asking for the exact change and the vicious looks I receive whenever I timidly hand over a hundred zloty note in return for my purchases ensured that ‘drobny’ was one of the first words etched into my Polish vocabulary tablet. Queuing can be a testing business at times and especially on those days when you are lacking patience or a good mood. A short dip in concentration can rapidly be taken advantage of in lightning quick style by a conniving and well-practiced individual. In Poland the strong emphasis on the family is clear on those numerous occasions which draw willing or perhaps unwilling family members together to partake in various forms of celebration and ritual. I have witnessed many such so-called ‘long weekends’, the longest of which defied reason and continued for one whole week, which have sometimes left me feeling quite homesick especially when students gasp when I tell them that I will not be going home to visit my family on each of these occasions. These moments of homesickness are quite rare though and that is why I am still here. Will I go to another country and grapple again with more new customs and nationality traits? The answer to that is unknown but as long as Krakow continues to interest to entertain and sometimes to completely confuse me, I will be here.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Wexford Again



Back at the beach where I spent many childhood days swimming, making sandcastles and holes to fall into.
The Irish weather continued and now Asia knows why we Irish are so obssessed with weather. The reason is because it is so bad most of the time and on those rare glorious occasions when it is good, we have to take full advantage of it.
It si funny because since I have been back I have spent more time shopping for clothes then I thought possible. The amazing fact that clothes are cheaper in Ireland when you have the likes of 'Penny's' and 'Heaton's' (two clothes shops) makes it worthwhile.

Monday, September 01, 2008

The Electric Picnic



The Electric Picnic was as I was promised from the many previews I read just before it, an 'eclectic' mix of culture and mayhem. The highlight for me was seeing Stephen Malkmus and the silent disco was a lot of fun. There was a nice crowd of friendly and open-minded people allt he way through the weekend except for the last day when the mood seemed to change. Personally, I blame the Sex Pistols for the change in atmosphere as scumbags appeared from their tents.
The rain also started and Asia and my worry about the ability of our tent to stand up to the rain became irrelevent when we returned to find our tent had completely disappeared. Eventually we got out of there on the six o'clock bus. A sorry wet end to a great weekend the scum will not triumph over the good people who I met.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Homeward Bound


Back to Ireland. 'Zielona Wyspa' - The Green Island. Full of fields and tales from years of 'ore. A magical country with a magical past and a roaring tiger leading it into the future as well as a 'millenium spire...

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Pleeeeeease Read!!!

Pleeease Read!!! It was on the news! ASAP

It's Worth A GO!!!!

This was the email I received from two people who I will not incriminate. Possible, they didn't even know that they actually did this. According to the rest of the email, if I forward it to anyone else I will receive $245. For every person afterwards the fee will be reduced to $243 and to $241 for every third person afterwards.
According to the email Bill Gates is sharing his fortune and Microsoft is running an e-mail beta test. I have been warned that if I don't partake in this venture, I will repent. The person who sent the email has already received a massive present from Mr. Gates and his brother's girlfriend a similar reward. Don't waste any time my friends. This is the chance of a lifetime!!!!!!


Sunday, August 17, 2008

Living With Spirits

I have just been talking my friends Marcin and Olga about spirits. The fact that I am living in an old flat which has obviously had many other inhabitants in the past make me think about the type pf people who lived here before. Has anyone ever died here? Is there some sort of tragic story that took place here, perhaps in my very room...
Even the large old-fashioned heater in my room, what has it seen and who has it kept warm.
It would be fascinating to know a little about this tenement house but unfortunately searches on the Internet (in English) have so far proved to be fruitless. Has anyone got any tips?

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

















Two photos - one is a photo of me and my girl (the metal one) on Sunday and the other a photo of where she took me to. We hit the road to Tyniec which is not too far away from where I live. It was nice to escape from the city for a short time and to enjoy the lush greenery whch was literally only a bike ride away.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

One for the feminists...

What is your reaction to this comment?

Timothy Leary - "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition."


Saturday, August 09, 2008

Dark Days and a Little Sarcasm

Sometimes it is great to have those days when you know that there is not need to go outside and you have an extra excuse because of bad weather. It leaves you with the options that you have been longing for; writing, reading a book, or just doing nothing.
Today I added cleaning the windows to that list so I can have a better view of my neighbours and if my very kind neighbour considerately decides to wake me up at 6 in the morning, I will have no streak marks to block my sight of him therefore allowing me to thank him for the wonderful influence his pop music has on my days.

Friday, August 08, 2008

Private lessons with the Queen

I have begun my search again for private students. Currently I have two messages posted on Gumtree, one in English and one in Polish. I also have another ad somewhere out there which I get responses to from time to time.
I received one yesterday signed 'Pozdrawiam serdecznie(yours sincerely), Queen Lubanguka'.
It is an impressive name. Maybe I will be teaching a queen. Let's see if I get a response to my reply.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008


The Gay Parade in Krakow. Colourful people, violent, close-minded people and the police in between.