as I walked home today I was reviewing in my head self defence procedures. This seems to be my norm as I walk home allone in areas that no one else is in. I wonder what other people think about on their lonely walks home, I wish I could be thinking of almost anything else but it always comes down to self defence. It got me to thinking about my residence. We have these card keys, like hotels. In the past part of my walking home regiment included carrying my keys in my hand, ready to key someone in the eye is I needed to, plus avoided me searching through my bag for my keys . . . well with this key system, first of all you those your weapon, and secondly it forces you to open your wallet to get the card. Standing there with out a weapon, with my wallet open, I felt in such a vunerable position. There are lights, and actually every apartment looks out onto my entrace. If I look up I can see everyone chilln in there living rooms. But I am so use to getting my keys out early, that I still get my card out early and at that point I am walking allong a path with very little lights and no one around. So I suppose my own lesson here is wait to get my key until I'm by my door and be prepared to use my thumbs to jab someone in the eye!!!

What a day today was, I went down to the immigration office to register, they gave me the number 376 and said there was 200 in front of me. I waited 40 mins and only 40 people had been called so I figured I coudl make it to the anti-deportation demo. I found humour in the fact I left the immigration office to go to the anti-deportation demo :) Anyways there I was handing out signs and chatting with people. (ahhh steph I forgot to ask if there was anything ESSU could do, I will try to find out ) there is a bit of contraversy over the signs. Some of them say Amnesty for All. But this lecture from Trinity in Racial studies made a good point that using the word amnesty we are calling these people criminals and they are not criminals at all, what we really what is human rights for all. Anyways, the demo had all right numbers, but there was a very clear race issue happening.

All the families there were white. They were Romanian, Russian, Hungarian etc. but there were no Nigerian families. This new policy does effect all of the people there, but it seems that is being directed at the nigerian families. I was talking to this one guy from GR who is from Nigeria, he had done allot of outreach work to get the nigerian community involved in this issue, but they look at him like he is crazy. This policy is directly effecting them, but I think the idea of being visible on the streets is not what the community is interested in. He found that they were more likely to go to church on sundays and talk about it there, but not make a scene on the streets. I find this very interesting and wonder what exactly it is that is preventing these people from taking part.

I left the protest early to get back to the immigration office, I tried to pass the barigades but the cops wouldn't let me through, they were letting other pedistrians through but not me. I told them that I was leaving the protest for a meeting and asked why I was not allowded through, the cops said because he didn't know what I was aobut to do or where I was going. Ahhh I've been here three weeks and the cops recognize me and have pegged me as a radical. ahhhh So I went the long way around muttering under my breath.

When I got back to the office my number still hadn't been called, but there were only 10 numbers in front of me this time. I got called up but didn't have all the paper work with me. I had to get a form that no one told me about and bring it back to them grrr . . . but more upsetting then that is tonight in one of my classes this girl called me over and asked if immigration had given me any trouble about part time. I told her I hadn't got that far yet . . . but she was threatened with deportation if she didn't switch to full time, so she did today. AHHH that is not somthing I can do . . . I hope that the same thing doesn't happen to me. But if it does I'm pulling the learning disability card and saying that I have to do it part time . . . cross your fingers for me . . .

At the protest today I met the presidnet and deputy presidnet of UCD's student counsil. We chated aobut the work they do and the work that I'm doing. the president told me about a postion available on the council called the LGB councilor. It is an elected position by the councilors in the union. But first you have to be part of the union as a class rep or something. The position sounds really interesting and it gives you some political power in the LGB community. I told him about my idea for the gender queers . . . he told me how I can start an offical society, but also if I had the positon on council I could have more say about bring trans and queer issues on board. I grabbed a form for class rep, got the signatures I needed from my classmates and handed it in all in time for the evening deadline. It is not for sure that I will get it, but it seems from talking to my classmates that no one else has been nominated so I might just slide in.

As for the position of council, I will have to do a campaign and get voted in. But I talked to a few people from the LGB society and none of them are going for it. So it might not be to hard. Aswell, I seem to have been meeting all the right people and so far have support from the LGB society and the activists on campus.

If I do get this postion I am going to concentrate my work with the union, they seem really lefty and also have clout to make a difference. I have been talking to so many people and seem partially connected to tomany groups and organizations. This is mainly because I havn't found a group that I can whole heartedly say I support and be proud to be a member. It was great this past few weeks meeting all the activists from all the groups and I will keep all the connections for networking perposes. But the union might just be the thing for me.

I almost forgot inbetween all of that activity, I went to my first rock climbing practise, oh my muscles are sore. I feel like I'm in good shape, I have been running and swimming and biking and eating well. But let me tell you - climbing is a whole nother ball game. My forarms were so soar I had a hard time holding on to my pen in class. It can only get easier I say. I am going to go for a few weeks and if I'm really digging it I will by a pair of shoes. Today I had to wear my runners.

ok thats it for now . . .