On Starter’s Orders

We hear the starter’s gun go-off and with it the ringing in our ears as we jump unknowningly into the waters below. Life starts and so does the race, to swim, as fast, as long as possible in the aim to get there first.

We keep our head under the water in effort to get there quicker. At times we struggle to keep the pace and must come up for air and by doing so we fall behind.

We struggle with the waves, the current, the cold and the fear of not getting there. Someone shouts ahead and is not heard, not waited for, feared that they will hold them up in the race.

But where is there? We all set out together but seem to swim in circles not knowing where to go. We look out on the horizon and not a thing is seen. Someone sets the pace for us to keep but do we let one person decide or go into it together.

We need to be united together, aiming for the one thing, help each other along, when one falls back we all wait till they are ready. We all begin to swim in our own directions in life but we need to swim closely together as we all aim to get there.

Here I Am!!!

Yes it has been sometime since I have posted but have been internetless over the last few weeks but now I have Metoer’s Broadband To Go which is working well despite using 1GB in 2 days. A quick update is that I have moved into a new apartment in Monkstown while on Placement as it is nearer to work than Ballincollig, it also gives me some independence which I have posted a good few time over the past two years.

I am living with a class mate who is also working at the same company as myself. Though I act chauffeur everyday, as I drive, it gives me some company ^_^ We have not had any fights yet, there are 4 or 5 months to go yet. Yes moving out is great but still have to do the shopping, washing and cooking but I enjoy it all though spend a bit too much money at the start to fill up on needs and get stuff I need.

I however, need to start on my Thesis ASAP!!! Just trying to get through the day of work, I am wrecked when I get home that I am in no mood to do research or write up. I hope by next week that I will get into it and put pen to paper or in my case, fingers to the keyboard.

I hope to have a good summer but the weekends so far have gone quickly with no chance to get out and about but as things settle down and get use to work etc. I want to travel the length and breath of Ireland ^_^

5 Years On…

Today, 10th of March 2010, is the fifth year anniversary of the bone marrow transplant which I gave to my sister who was diagnosed of Aplastic Anemia in early January 2005 while in America.

During the summer of 2004 my sister went to Greece for two or three months to earn some money but ended up in more debt than to begin with. She returned home and went to America on a scholarship to Washington College in August and while there fell sick and was diagnosed with Hepatitis C or A, and was given medicine and told to rest. In December she returned for Xmas and was not too well going back to America.

2 weeks back and she was in hospital and my parents left the following morning after receiving a phone call saying my sister was in hospital. The diagnosis was not known at this time. While at a meeting in the Day’s house Dan prayed for me and said that God will use me soon to bring new life. Couple of weeks later my sister returned to Ireland and was sent to St James’s Hospital Dublin for treatment of Aplastic Anemia. The treatment was for a bone marrow transplant which meant that my Brother or I would be the donor.

After blood samples given to see who would be the best match, I knew I would be the donor, it was calling inside me. Thats what happened, I was about to “bring new life”. God had and still has a hand on my life and being able to bring a new life to people is a great thing to do.

I wish to thank all those who were praying for my family, my sister and I and all those who were giving me support.

A Break From Reality…

A holiday is what I really need at the moment as the summer once again comes around. With all the sun blazing down at home, though lack of heat, I would love to be just lying on the grass and taking some time out but once again I am studying for exams. Last summer on the J1 was my first real independent holiday of more than 2 weeks to a place with sun, sand and sea, and it was fantastic. But once again, placement will block my chances of getting away but will definetly need to get away during the weekends etc. to hopefully far off places (those not in Ireland) so that I can actually see some good cities. It seems to be a trend of those in college which is the fact that placement destroys all possibilities of a social life with yourself wanting to be fresh and ready for work.

With late October being the chance of me being free from college once more, I have a long way to go but I hope it will be worth the wait as I plan to go somewhere/anywhere in the month of November but may have to hold out till January if I have other people wanting to join me.

What did I do to deserve this???

This is not for those moments in life that truly get you down and you feel can’t keep on going but for those times where you are shown gratitude for just being you which should be appreciated everyday of the week.

So to say thank you for being you and to encourage each and everyone of you, I give you this. Thank You!!! ^_^

Where do I belong?

All of us know how cold it is outside.

It’s almost unbearable out there.

Especially when we’re there

alone,

isolated,

lonely.

You were never meant to be….

alone

Soul Cravings: Erwin Raphael McManus

This is a fantastic book that deals with stories of people cravings and understanding of Intimacy, Love, Ambition, Destiny, Origin, Meaning, Life and Death.

Where Have You Gone?!?!?!

As I mentioned on Twitter last week I have not done a blog post in a while, mainly due to college work/study and being away for the past few weekends.

College is ramping up now with 2 assessments due and exams only 3 weeks away too. What is also ridiculous is the fact that lectures are running up to a week before the exams which blows my mind as anything you learn in the last week before exams is rarely studied as you have prepared yourself on the rest of the course. The exams that I will be dealing with are:

- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Genetic Engineering
- Modern Methods in Analytical Chemistry
- Functional Foods for Health
- Advanced Molecular Microbial Biotechnology
- Biopharmaceuticals; Formulation Design, Secondary Processing and Regulatory Compliance
- Bioprocess Engineering
- Plant Genetic Engineering

Not only is saying the name of some of these modules are hard but learning them is a lot more so. But not to worry I am not stressed at all over them (*Lie*) as I have been taking time off away in Achill and Tralee over the last two weekends ^_^

The trip to Achill was to reminisce the last time we had made the trip which we realized was not even 3 years ago which we felt was a lot longer ago. But we had a great time of drinking, chatting and having the craic, and lets not forget the total driving time of 11 hours.

The trip to Tralee was for my Great Aunt’s Anniversary mass of one year. This was a great weekend of staying in Tralee, like I did during my childhood. 40 Brosnans took on Tralee with drinking, eating and more drinking. While we were in Tralee, I managed to capture this in a pub down there.

It was great to see my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and 2nd Cousins all enjoying the time together. It was great also with getting my own room at the Manor West Hotel in Tralee which was at a bargain of  €40 B&B which was because there was so many of us there with a possibility of many more. It seems that we will be going down each year and not because it was the first anniversary which would be great.

The Year That Was…2009

I know it is up a bit late but found it difficult to upload over the past few weeks as I kept closing the window and stopping the upload >_< Yes you will see a lot of photos of me in America but that is where I took most photos this year but it is still enjoyable to watch with some photos not being in any other photo montage done this year…Enjoy ^_^

Unsociable Social Networking

I am probably not the first person ever to blog/comment on such a topic but over the last 2 or 3 months I am seeing the effects of Social Networking. It is not by the fact that I am not talking to any of my friends and I am slipping into a place where the only light source is coming from my laptop, but the fact that what we write up on Facebook is being seen by so many and our conversations in real life become of what we have mentioned or did we see what someone said. I am not saying this is a really bad thing as it allows us to express feelings that are hard to say. I would always prefer to write something down and show it rather than to speak out what I just wrote as you won’t chicken out.

Though I do enjoy being on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and of course this blog, I have cut down on what I had and not venturing into the world of Flickr, Myspace, Bebo (though I have had some of these) and many others that are out there. Yes, it becomes a way to meet new people or keep in contact with long lost friends or those who we once knew but is totally on a superficial level and really only done so to increase in amount of friends, followers or subscribers we have. Some of these people will take no interest in what you actually do and will glance at your status updates every once and a while. This was made evident by meeting people in real life who are friends on Facebook and thinking as I am on there that they would know what I am doing with my Life and not having to ask me the question. I am guility of this also but it showed me that though you have friends, followers or subscribers, do we really think them as that or just another number in the race to have the most people knowing what you are doing right now?

Ideas

As I mentioned in my previous post I had set out ambitions for the year of 2009. This time as I look through the looking glass and into 2010, this is what my idea of the year will be:

To have learned more about myself, my God and my friends

To have overcome feelings that bring me down

To have moved out of home for a period of time

To have seen a new city and experienced a new food

To have graduated from my Masters course

To have been put to my limits (in a good way)

To have liked, loved and lost

There seems to be more on my plate for the coming year than the previous. I believe though that I will never achieve everyone of these as I didn’t last year. With the first two on my list being the ones I feel I didn’t achieve and they were at the end of the list are now at the start of this one, so that will surely mean they will get done

With another down and now we move out of  the noughties, will we now have the Niceys ^_^