Food, Films and Festivals

As with every new house, there are bound to be problems.

Although Rob, Lisa and I have encountered more than our fair share of little ‘bumps,’ I can safely say our house is slowly turning into a home.

On the weekend we did throw a housewarming party to celebrate all of us finally moving in, and it went off without a hitch…. For the most part. Monday was mostly dissertation work and it’s finally hitting me how close I am to having to submit my thesis. I have no idea where this summer has gone and I’m scared how quick August is going to move along.

On Tuesday I went to see Finding Dory and it didn’t disappoint! Pixar delivered another winner, and the sequal lived up to all the hype around it. Plus the short shown in front of the film was cute and entertaining as always, it may even move into my top five Pixar shorts. I may have even enjoyed Finding Dory more than Finding Nemo… but you can’t have Dory without Nemo.

Wednesday jump-started my want to cook and bake more so I made shepherd’s pie for Rob, Cormac and Joey- Lisa is back in Germany for the week. It wasn’t my best but the boys were happy and had no complaints. It was a simple, no-fuss recipe: the base was made of vegetarian mince, onions, carrot, spinach, peppers, peas, mushrooms, and then topped with homemade gravy, potatoes and a little bit of cheese.

Thursday was another movie night and then Friday was pizza night! We went and bought ingredients and even made our own crust. Deliciousness all around.

Saturday my friend Leo and I went into city centre for the Dublin Rock n’ Roll festival. We saw a fashion show and then stayed for some live music by the Louisiana Six- there was such a sexy red double bass, I think I drooled a little. It's been a while since I listened to live music and the rock band was solid. 

Good weather, good company, and just an all around fantastic day.

A few friends stayed round Saturday night and then we made a feast of pancakes the next morning. I mean we all had seven or eight each, I was more than a little comatose for the next couple hours.

And here we are now. So much research and writing over the next three weeks and more than a few breakdowns.

xxkim

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Lots of Koala Kontrol this week.

My favourite has been Wander | A Chill Mix

A Month Needed

Well it’s been a month.

To be completely honest I consciously made the decision to take a month off of blogging to concentrate on the end of term assignments. I didn’t want to keep making the excuses of having nothing to talk about because of work, so I decided to take a step back for a bit… but now I’m back with a vengeance and since summer is nearly upon us, I’m gearing up for some more adventures!

Gorgeous sunset from the back garden.

To catch up on the last month- yes Mother and Father I am finally filling you in- I wrote a full short film script, completed multiple presentations, hung out with friends and watched Game of Thrones, pigged out on Romanian Easter treats, and got mild pneumonia.

Let’s go back to where I left off. 

The beginning of April, Easter Sunday to be exact.

After a lovely weekend filled with Easter activities it was back to work once Tuesday came rolling around. On the weekend though I was able, yet again, to meet up with one of my friends from Australia. When I left there I thought I wouldn’t get to see these people for five years, and yet I’ve already had so many reunions and so many more to come! Hannah and I only had a short time to catch up so we just walked around Dublin and talked about the past year and a half. Luckily it was a beautiful day and it was good to be out and about just walking around.

Hannah being a cutie.

I have to mention the weather before moving on because it has been so mixed as of late. Now I come from New England, a region in the USA where it’s not abnormal to experience four different seasons in one day. However, in Dublin you can experience a season from one hour to the next! During the last weeks of April I swear there was this one stretch of five days when it hailed every single day. You always have to be prepared around here, BUT May has brought out some incredibly sunny days and I’m finally starting to get in the mood for summer.

Not only did April 21^st mark the date of my best friend’s birthday, but it also was my last day of lectures… possibly the last in my life. 

When I finished my baccalaureate I didn’t feel as though it was all ending since I knew I was going to get my masters, and yet now that I know my education is finally coming to a close, my mind doesn’t quite know how to processes it. Don’t get me wrong, I have two assignments due next week and I still have to write my dissertation over the summer, but the end is tangible and I can’t yet tell whether it’s foreboding or exciting. All I know is that it’s coming and I should take it in stride.  

My friends Cormuck, Kieran, and JC

The end of April came and just as I was getting excited to travel to Edinburgh to visit Steph and Chris before my final study period started. I had spent the last week hanging out with friends, and just generally enjoying the last week of classes, however it went downhill quickly.

I got sick. 

At first I brushed it off as nothing more than a common cold- something that I could easily handle while traveling.  Boy was I was wrong. 

I went to the doctor’s before my flight on Thursday for a follow up and unfortunately my results came back with mild pneumonia. This meant no Edinburgh for me.

I had been looking forward to this for months and now I had to cancel at the last minute. Not only was this going to be the last opportunity to see Steph before she heads back to Australia, but it was going to be my first time back in Scotland for nearly 9 years! My parents told me to chin up though, and I like to believe everything happens for a reason.

Before I end the update here, I want to make a shoutout to my Grandmother for her 88^th Birthday and also to my Mom for Mother’s day.

Love you both to the moon and back!

I guess that’s all for now so see ya next week!

xx Kim

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Song: Ain't No Sunshine

Artist: Bill Withers

Thrifts, Theatre and Transformations

I have been delaying writing this post for a while, not because I have nothing to say- quite the opposite in fact- but I just haven't felt the motivation to write.

However, a change was in order.

I was going to wait until the summer to redesign my blog, but than I realised how ridiculous that was and that there was nothing stopping me so..... Welcome to Leap of Faith 2.0.

It's a little brighter, and, in my opinion more clean cut.

Shameless self promotion.

I've also included some badges to the left in desktop view so you can follow me on twitter and instagram. I must warn you twitter is mostly inactive besides music events, and instagram is food, landscape, and things I think look aesthetically pleasing.

And now onto the good stuff.

It's been a while, eh?

My illness was not the worst I've had, but it definitely hit me hard. Thursday and Friday were blurs and, by some miracle, I made a recovery just in time for my busy weekend.

Kilo Sale at the Raddison Blue Hotel

On Saturday Lisa, Leni, and I bought tickets to attend Tola's Vintage Kilo Sale. I realised after that there were quite a few kilo sales on and they are quite a cool concept that I have never heard before.

After purchasing a ticket we were lead into a ballroom full of racks of second hand clothing, jewellery, bags, and other miscellaneous things. After choosing your items you would get them weighed and pay the assigned price. I was able to find a big bomber jacket and sweater for €16. We then went to Queen of Tarts afterwards and enjoyed our spoils. I also bought a cheeky sketchpad and pencils because I left mine all in the States.

Sunday I attended a play festival with Emma, Aoife, and Alan to support our friend Rory. The plays were in the Smock Alley Theatre and I was hit with a huge wave of nostalgia as the productions reminded me if the 10 Minute Play Festival held at the end of the year at my undergrad college.

The week following passed by in a rush of classes and assignments. I was able to take a quick break to see Triple Nine- I'm still confused as why there had to be black Russian Jews? I mean I guess it was alright.....

Wednesday I tagged along to Lisa's Game Society meeting since it was board game night and I genuinely had a great time. It was nice to socialise with new people and forget about school for a bit.

My back garden in a blanket of white.

Friday I woke up to the beautiful sight of snow! Yes, I thought spring had sprung, but seeing snow made me feel home- it also kind of made me crave maple syrup and other New England things but I digress.

That night I returned to the scene of New Year's Eve for yet another house party. It was much more low key, but so much fun nonetheless. I was also able to actually talk to those I met New Year's without worrying if they'd remember talking with me or not! I may have made people stay up far too late again but oh well.

Xx kim

This is the last week before reading week and Paddy's Day so I have a lot to get done before Jana, Maxi and Steph arrive.

It's going to be a busy two weeks!

New section! 

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Song of the week: 

Lukas Graham - 7 Years

Bittersweet

Here’s to Jana and Maxi, my dear German family <3

I came over to Ireland clueless, friendless, but eager for adventures.

Within the first couple of days I had slowly made my adjustment to life in Ireland and tried to

immerse myself in the social life the country had to offer. You guys were a big part of making Ireland feel like home.

Maxi, even though I thought your name was Emma you decided I was worth your friendship and I couldn't have asked for a better Mom. You are so fun loving and always have a smile on your face. You were never one to shy away from a pint at the pub, and you were always there to make sure I got home safely on nights out. I better see you and your beautiful sunshine bag soon!

 Keep laughing and being beautiful babe.

Jana, I’m glad that we decided to have that first date at the Autobahn. It was that night that we discovered we were twins and that night set the tone for our entire friendship. Girly you are so beautiful. We’ve been through some serious stuff together and you were always there to have a casual drink or  walk around Dublin with me when I was bored. What am I going to do without my other half? This is not a goodbye, but a see you later and all I can say is look forward to some more adventure featuring Thing 1 and Thing 2.

The three of us have survived multiple nights out, and we managed to survive Snoozles- forever bonded together by the shock the shock of rooming with a naked drunk Irishman, a terrified Frenchman, and a mystery man that didn't know how to shut a door.

See you soon fam! 

Love you both so much <3

Xx kim

P.S.
Expect a lot of snapchats, whatsapp messages, and endless Skype conversations!

One Month In!?

The very idea that I’ve lived in Dublin for a month terrifies me. It literally seems like last week I arrived. If one month passes this quickly I really have to take in as many experiences as possible because a year could pass in the blink of an eye.

This last week has been full of new adventures, new experiences, and new people. On Saturday night I even met my twin! Well my Birthday twin, but still I’ve never met anyone born on the same day and year as me.

Against the Grain
Photo credit: mynameisola.com

My Birthday twin and I met up at the Autobahn Pub in Glasnevin, but soon decided we wanted to journey into City Centre. We ended up at Against the Grain on Wexford Street - I highly recommended it!- and remained there for the majority of the night. I have a feeling that this place is going to be a regular spot of mine. Against the Grain is mainly known for its craft beer, plus it has one of the largest selections on tap in the city.  I even convinced some of my friends that I met Wednesday night to come and join us. We all sat around and bonded through talk and jokes, but I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better Saturday night. I love pubs in Dublin because they really are like community living rooms. No one seems afraid to strike up a conversation even if they do not know you. This is strikingly different from the US where strangers do not approach one another- and sometimes if they do, you really wish they had just stayed put.

I had originally wanted to catch the late bus back to my flat at 11, but that did not happen. The more I go out, the more I realize I probably won’t ever just “catch the last bus.” Time flies when you’re having fun, what can I say? At least the taxi's here are reasonably priced- take note Boston!

I had planned to go to one of the free museums Dublin offers earlier Saturday, but I thought I should probably go during a weekday when it is less crowded. So, instead, I dragged my flat mate out Sunday to wander around town. No GPS! We just picked a direction and started walking. Dublin is not the largest city, but there are still so many streets I have yet to explore. I tend to avoid Temple Bar and O’Connel Street like the plague. There are so many people there it can be almost suffocating, but, to get the ‘full tourist experience,’ I know my feet will eventually lead me there.

I’m also learning how difficult it is to take photos here since the sky is almost always white- meaning atrocious lighting for skyline photography.

I feel like I wrote about a lot, yet have said very little…. Does that make sense? I’m still getting used to such shorthand writing and hope to improve in the future!

Here are some pictures I took during my time around the city. I soon hope to find the right setting to take better photos.

Slán!

A lovely little craft fair hidden in an ally.

 

Graffiti filled building just north of Temple Bar.

I love all the old architecture styles, so refreshing from a skyline dotted with towering buildings.

And we're walking...

…..

To Note: There are a bunch of statues hidden around the city and I’m thinking about doing a walking tour to visit all of them. My inner art geek comes out sometimes what can I say? I particularly like one entitled “meeting place” but is affectionately known as “hags with bags.”

Meeting Place