I found out a day late that yesterday was international talk like a pirate day, and I have to say its a great saddness, last night could have even been more entertaining (more than going dancing at the queer bar with my straight male roommate!!). I took the personality test while I was checking out the site . . . here is what they say about me. Its crazy that even as a pirate I'm am queer and an activist!!!

You are The Cabin Boy

You, me lad, are an activist! You will not only change the world, you will make a dyed-in-the-wool Pirate dream of you in a sheep costume. You are the embodiment of the love that dare not hoist its sail! Ahoy thar! You could make a two-patch Pirate turn his head - but then he would lose sleep over it and what good would that do anyone? An innovator, you are WAY ahead of your time - and everyone else's. You are sensitive and artsy-fartsy. You say things like, "artsy-fartsy" but there is always a slight giggle in your voice when you say it - like Paul Lynde on Hollywood Squares delivering a staggering punch line. Speaking of "punching" the only "punching" you would do is punching up that outfit with some accessories - say, a little bandana and some glass beads. You're not the Pirate we want in a fight, but we want you there for the crying game that follows! You go, girl.

What's Yer Inner Pirate?
brought to you by The Official Talk Like A Pirate Web Site. Arrrrr!

I went to this meeting yesterday for the no human is illegal campaign to stop the deportation of parents of irish born children . . . they have immplimented this new law to get non irish citizens out of the country. The majority of those effected are nigerian citizens living in ireland.

the language: these children are called irish born children, not just irish children, or irish citizens - the language is loaded with their visible minority status
the rhetoric: the governement is blaming migrant women for the over crowding of maternity hospitals, they are telling stories of migrent women on the verge of labour coming over on planes and boats to take advantage on the welfare system here.
the truth: the hospitals are over crowded - they don't have enought funding, yes many migrant women are having children and many irish born women are having childre. yes women are coming over while they are pregnant, because they don't want to have their children live in poverty in nigeria, they don't want there girls to have female genital mutilation.
the scapegoats: the citizens believe that these people are taking their resources, taking there jobs, as the economy ends its boom, and problems are arising they need someone to blame and the government is more than willing to provide them with a group of people to blame so their seats in government stay secure
the balancing act: the courts have ruled that the childrens right to have their parents and family here with them in Ireland is not as important as the states right to deport those who are not citizens. In the irish constitution the family unit is the most important part of society and to be protected (which they use against womens right to work, abortion, queer rights etc) but only some families seem to be protected and not these families from nigeria. Even though the children are citizens and are to stay in the country, the parents are encouraged to take them with them, supposidly this ethnic cleansing is in the best interest of the children.
the problem: families are given 15 days in order to make an appeal. But only irish citizens are entitaled to free legal aid. Plus a huge number of these letters went out in the summer when the courts were closed, adn you couldn't find a solisiter in the country. Families had to leave or disappear.
a solution: residence agaist racism is try to get free legal aid from the childrens right to it, they are saying by proxi the parents should be able to receive the aid.

one of the women who is being deported spoke at the meeting - it was so emotional that I was in tears, they read a letter from this younge girl who family was being deported who was pleadign with the government to stay so she would not have to have genital mutilation, not get an education and forced into marriage etc. There is a protest happening in a few weeks on behalf of a few of the families. I will go but getting other poeple to see this as an issue of human digitiy an dracism is harder then I tought. Even my roommate who is in development who seemed to be aware of these issues . . . sees this are very complex, says she sees both sides, and understands how the irish people feel these migrants are a threat. How they are not assylum seekers rather economic oppotunist. She thinks that the work that needs to be done is in th countries themselves and the irish people and government should not be strained due to another countried faults. Ahh it was a tense breakfast. I keep telling myself, getting into these discussions can only make my arguenments stonger because I get a clearer picuture of what we are up against and the direction we have to go. I know preaching to the converted doesn't make change, so living in this apartment will be a test or living with such a wide range of option NEVER a safe intellicual space, always being challanged. Faudi would love it!!!


I was talking to the GR kids about the radical cheerleaders and they want me to start it here . . . dude, I don't know if I can do that . . . I am deffinatly being challanged everywhere, GR is really making me think about my boundaries and seeing if I can push this shy girl away and have even more fun (hard to think its possible!!) I don't know about the radical cheerleader thing, I don't really have what it takes to be a head cheerleader, radical and queer or otherwise. But I am trying to get an anti-homopobia/transphobia/biphobia etc booth started at the irish social forum. I'm meeting up with this phd student next week to see what we can do. . .

Plus I hung out with that NY girl bug, yesterday, not only has she done drag before, she knows the band bitch and animal and is interested in doing a few of there numbers with me. I really wanted to do drag to a song about doing drag . . . she digs it. I have the spirit glue, and the desire, she has the experience and the boy look. Together we can take dublin by storm!! Tonight is the opening night of the girl club, bug already knows the dj who is this butch girl from australia . . .who is also interested in doing drag. that girl is friends with the one and only drag king around this hood. So now we have the connections aswell . . . ahhh I can't wait to meet these girls.

Oh how quickly I forget . . . I started work yesterday at the dry cleaners. It was great, the vibe is chill and friendly. its not hard work, but there is always something to do so you are never board . . . and we do the outfits for the tv station. Yesterday they brought in all this clothes, the stuff for th new, kids shows etc. Tehy even brought in this one peice white elvis outfit with rimstones. I have to write a discription one tag. "1 while elvis suit" hehehe it was great . . .

I said for the first time yesterday half seven to mean seven thirty. Its not even half past seven, just half seven. I said this while I texted bug at the same time. you don't text message someone it just text . . . I'm slowly learning . . .

this has been a great week for saying, here are some of my favorite:

Ernie Eves, I not only rain on your Conservative Common Sense Revolution Parade, I shit on it.
- steph on her blog

She kissed like a lizard and humped my leg all night, but it was better than any guy.
-bug on her first time kissing a girl

I want to deveop the head for the chicken
-joe on why he is taking equality studies

If you want to change the world you miz well be on time to do it.
Kathleen lynch on the strict deadlines for essay

The last thing we need is career egalitarians.
Kathleen lynch on the radicalness of the program

Bud do you have a pair a balls?
-drunk irish girls trying to determine my gender

vegan queers everywhere

ok so they arn't everywhere, but I met this guy edward from my program today who is a vegan and queer . . . we had this moment when we both jumped up in excitement and chatted endlessly about being vegan its connection to equity and so on and so forth. Then the boy from globalise resistance who is also in my program told me that the queer boys we met the other night are both vegan. One of them is the head chef of this veggie restaurant that has many vegan options, joe said he would take me there. We could start our own little club, yeah!!

SO I got a job today, which is a must since I plan to travel while I'm here. I say an add for this dry cleaners that is right outside campus, just a few min walk from my rez . . .I walked in and gave them my resume, after some chating it was determined that I would start tomorrow. I don't know yet how much they will pay me but they seem really flexible and understanding that school comes first. Sal and I will have to bond over this since he use to work in a dry cleaners. I think I will still look for other jobs, but this one works with what I need right now.

Before my first class today, I spent most of the day drawing writing poetry and taking in the sun . . . it was such a nice day today, even when I left the bar that we went to after classes I was only holding my hoody. Earlier in the day I was sitting by the lake . . . they have this huge water area witha fountain in the middle of campus called the lake, where everyone sits around and skips classes. Anyways it was packed today due to the weather, there were these guys playing football (soccer), one of the guys was running backwards to get the ball, and he fell into the lake. It was a riot, the whole field was talking and the ten guys playing with him, all grabbed for there phones and took his picture. Crazy enough most phones here are also digital cameras. I felt like I was in an AF add, all these white jocky boys playing sport, with the best clothes, highest technology etc.

Off to class for me, I went to this equality and the law class today . . . the proff is great, she is super young, very intelligent and has a great sense of humour. I'm going to really like that class. She also teaches gender and the law next semester so I might end up taking that or at least sitting in.

I cna't imagine doing this full time, I think I will be over whelmed with my course load. But I suppose if you do it full time, you don't work, and you put much of your life on hold for the year. Its not for me . . .

mobiles, flights and equality

Today I headed in to the city wiht my printer in hand, I was heading with with my Americin roommate and our irish roommate offered us a drive, she wan't even going into the city for anything, she dropped us off and was on her way. I was so greatlful especially since I was carrying my computer and printer. I got to the shop the forth time this week, I left everything with them and headed off to buy my first cell phone. I can't believe I ahve a cell phone, I kinda feel dirty using it, but really what else can I do when there is not even an option for a land line. Anyways I got my phone and my roommate John was kind enough to send me my first text message.

The computer place gave me a brand new printer, i was all disappointed in myself for not being able to figure out the problem on my won, but the tech guy couldn't do it either so my geekness did not dive down yet. Now that I have a printer I can start handing out cv(I'm not being an elietest here, this is what they call them!!). I better get a job soon cuz I'm planning trips like made. Today I booked a flight to London before taxes the flight was only 11 euros, but it ended up coming closer to 50, but all in all its still not that much, especially if I find places to stay.

I tried to book my flight to paris but for some reason it would not go through, I don't really know why, the only thing on my credit card is the cell, the london flight and thats it. The expiry date is next month, before my paris flight, but if I'm paying for it now, I'm not sure if that matters. The sad part is the seat sale ends at midnight tonight . . . 45 mins. I assume there will be other seat sales, but this one was so good, it came to 60 euros including tax.

I talked to this guy joe that is in my program and part of the globalise resistance, he knows of a few places we can crash at. I'm not too worried for the first two night, and third night I'm willing to stay at a hostle, I'm sure I can find one for around 20 euros. That way I have a few protest days and a few exploring days. The perfect trip if you ask me!!

We had our introduction reception tonight for equality studies, the group is interesting, there is only one person of colour in the whole group. The rest are white white white I would say almost all of them irish. Teh most diveristy comes iwth age and experience, there are only 5 of us in our twenties. These people have done really cool things and are researching amazing things. I drank the wine and chatted with people aobut language activism and so much more. I was in a happy place.

Tomorrow the classes start, they are very laz about choosing classes. The way it works is you have an essay for each class that is due in JAnuary the essays are assigned in the end of Octomber, you have until that time to tell them what classes you want to take. SO I could so coudl go to all of them and choose over the next few weeks, but that would be a hella lot of reading in order to participate. Basically I already know what I want to take.

The way the program works is there are 5 core courses that are evaualted and 2 that are not, but the autted courses are manditory. Then there is a choice of 4 out of 14 option courses 3 of which are evaluated. It looks like this semester I will take Feminist Theory, Equality and the Law, Women, Pop Culture adn Visual Arts . . . and then an egalitarian semianar and a research seminar both of which are every few weeks over the two years. Next semester I will take Sociology of Inequalities, sexualities and Education and the Reproduction of Inequality. Actaully I don't know if I can take that number of classes because that only leaves me Economics of development, economics of social policy and language power and equality for the next year . . . but I will also have my thesis for next year allong with the two seminars.

I just looked it up and I should take 5 classes plus the seminars not 6 . . . even thought it is hard to decide which ones to drop, I know I can take them next year . . . but having to pick 4 out of 14 of the optional courses is deadly . . . I am drawn to the ones that will directly relate to my thesis at the same time taking some political thoery classes and development classes would really be interesting. Oh my!

The way the exams are done are interesting . . . they are take home exams and you have three days to do them. I already have the dates, so for my feminist theory course I pick up the topic on friday december 5th and hand it in on the Tuesday the 9th, then that day I pick up my equality and the law exam and bring ti bakd on the 18th.

I wish I could stay up all night reading about all my options . . . but alas I promised Anne(the american roommate) that I would go running with her in the morning . . .

finding my way, running and hurling

Today I woke up determined to get to the hills that I could see in the distance. I went with a blanket, an apple, bottle or water and some bread. no map just determination. I went south and took each street that was up hill, I walked for over an hour and really didn't seem that much closer to my destination, mountains are like water, the distance is disceiving. I ended up getting stuck in this suburban complex, the hills were so close but the walls would not let me near . . . sat on a hill in the small park in the middle of the complex. I lay down eat my food, and drew a map of where I thought I had just come from. My mission was defeated, but even I had been able to look down over the city and discover many great parks and streets, so it was not a compleate failure. The most impressive part was the map I drew from memory actually worked and I had not trouble finding my way back home.

I got just in time for the hurling championships. It was cork vs. killkenny. Every fan at the event was wearing team colours, most were wearing the actuall jerseys. It reminded me of seina during the paoleo. So what is hurling you ask . . . well I was told by my roommate that some people compare it to lacross and if they do slap them! Its kinda like field hockey but you can use you hands, its kinda like lacross but the stick does not have a net . . . what every you compair it to, its really intense and actually allot of fun to watch. Its a really fast rough game.

I started to get supper excited about my upcoming year, my classes start this week. I also found a few lecture series that sound really cool. On series called Dublin Queer Studies Group, and a few being held by the women studies department. I'm really excited about them. While I was filling up my planner with all the dates my roommate ann knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to go running with her. I kinda laughed when she asked but I decided it was for the best, so the two of us went running on the track, we ran about 8 times around - not the longest run, but I felt really good - we decided we would motivate each other and go running in the mornings. It just what I need to get my ass in gear. She seems really cool, shes from small town america, but is in international development and seems to be taking really cool classes. She is into feminsim and was already going to go to the queering the body lecture in a few weeks. Yeah I have a friend in my apartment, that is not just a friend based on geography and convienence.

I started looking up flights around europe . . . it looks like I can go to paris next month for about $100 canadian . . . its so insane to be able to go to paris for the weekend! I was hoping marike could go to the european forum aswell and we would meet up in paris, but she is interviewing these wimmin for her documentary that weekend . . .
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