Pot of Gold

Some friends were looking through some of my pictures on my iBook today... and this picture came up.



Jamelia (the French one) Then said " Noleee... whatss zis? Lepp-reh-shaun?"

I spit up my Sprite and I howled my ass off... omygosh I was keeled over on the ground... (and she got mad at me for laughing).

Long story going way back, an inside joke...she didnt get it, and if you dont get it, Im sorry I cant explain it here... but suffice to say, when the french say Leprachaun... I think its freakin body convulsing hilarious...

[Oh yeah, Portugal.. its coming... my excuse is twofold; Playing golf alll day and going out all night is not conducive to time consuming photoblogs. These are rare occurences so I have to take advantage.]

Faro?

2.5 weeks later, I finally get to the Portugal portion of the trip. Got Erics CD of pics in the mail too, now, so I have more choice for posting.

Later on Ill do it, I said. Ill post them tonight after the Champions League Final, I said...

and then the Champions League final happened, Liverpool vs AC Milan... and it ends up being the craziest and quite possibly the best championship game Ive ever seen in any sport... and I am just too freakin wasted now ... totally spent...

Milan scores right away within the first minute, dominates the first half and eventually goes up 3-nil at halftime, capitalizing on the brilliant play of the best name in sports today, Kaka. 3-nil, a score in soccer which is equivalent to a 40 point lead at the half for basketball, or a 10 mile headstart in a marathon, or consistantly getting lobbed "Sam I am" vocabulary words during the National Spelling Bee. ("HAM" "AYCHH, AYE, EMM" "HAM". "Well done Noli, correct. Now our other semi-finalist is Jessica Simpson. Your Word is 'DIMETHYLAMIDOPHENYLDIMETHYLPYRAZOLONE') Seriously, most Liverpool fans looked as if their Mom discovered and took away their Paris Hilton video.

Liverpool scored quickly though in the second half. And then again. And then again, somehow channelling the Boston Red Sox, and squaring the match with 3 goals in 6 minutes... Liverpool fans go nuts, and Milan fans start "mama-mia"-ing... Then Liverpool proceeded to make crazy saves to keep it tied, while AC continued to press for the go ahead. To no avail.

It goes to extra time and then penalty kicks, the most obsurd yet most exciting deciding event in all sports. Liverpool goalie, Jerzy Dudeck, who was a sieve in the first half, but Jackie Chan in the second half, then does the coolest things Ive ever seen in soccer; in order to distract every Milan penalty kicker, he first stares them down with dagger eyes while he hands them the ball, then he shaked about in goal, doing what looked like a cross between the electric shock, jumping jacks and samba dancing, waving his hands and hips about while every Milan penalty kicker addressed and kicked the ball... which proves shit like that has got to work... cuz he made 3 of 5 saves... Liverpool wins.

And like I said, Im spent. Tomorrow Ill give it another try...

Saturday Night Movie

I feel like quickly commenting on a film, for filler. 3 friends were over last night, Miriam and Jamelia who are from France, and Renata who is from Brazil, and we watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I learned in Brazil it was called "Brilho Eterno De Uma Mente Sem Lembracas", and in France its was called, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". LOL Anyways normally I mention movies that are notable for some reason, and this one gets that box checked because it came up to me as a mild suprise, wholely unexpected. I was startled by how much I enjoyed it. It shouldnt be a surprise really, the movie is over a year old and critics and public have praised it repeatedly. I just paid no mind. It flew under my radar, and wasnt on the list of movies I was making a point to eventually watch. To be honest, Im dubious of movies that mess and distort with reality and conscience. They are always wildly inventive, and no doubt even better when high, but sometimes they kinda give me a headache, even though I end up appreciating them in the end (eg other Charlie Kaufman creations Adaptation and Being John Malkovich). This one somehow played better than those others though. I expected a chill night watching some random movie (Meet the Fockers was all out), and instead enjoyed myself quite contently on a movie I didnt expect much from, so kudos. Plus the best part of the movie, we see Kirsten Dunst in tight tee and panties, jumping and dancing on a bed. So Awesome. [Noli pumps his fist]

This came on the same day that I watched Episode III. Yeah, that was good too.

One night in Belfast

Queens University, Belfast


To some there maybe some misconception to Belfast, a place to maybe avoid; in truth it is an absolute blast of a city, crazy fun. Unfortunately it still has a stigma to those who dont know any better of being troubled and aggressive with random bombings; a divided city with deep rooted conflicted. And it still maybe a little, because wounds so severe take extended time to heal, but Belfast as a city is regentrifying. And its now one of those best-kept secrets in Europe. Too many are influenced by movies with IRA and war torn neighborhoods, and avoid it like Israel. Bahhhh... those same neighborhoods now have tour buses going through them, like a Disney ride attraction, which honestly has got to be the biggest victory in forward progress, considering the peace process is fairly new, only started some 6 years ago. And like I mentioned in past, I think it has really good shopping.

We partied it up at the Botanic Inn Pub, a University pub, kiddy corner to Queens University.


There we, by fate, got included in a quiz nite competition, and proceded to get very drunk. We started off strong in the quiz, getting most questions right in the first few rounds, but lost steam and got anhilated when the Irish and UK knowledge reared around. Homeside bias was evident, and there were way too many brainy teams from the university with obvious ringers, our '604' team didnt have a chance. But this night was absolutely awesome, definitely one of our best nights of the whole trip. And we made new friends. I have no idea what their names are anymore though...

Belfast Dude: "Hey why do you guys call your team 604?"
Us: "Oh Six Oh Four.. its cause it represents Vancouver. Its our area code... ya know for our phone number.."
Belfast Dude: "AHHHH! [starts singing] I got Hos! I got Hos.. in different area codes.. area codes!"
Marty, Eric, Noli: "Yeah yeah yeah!! hahahaha.."
Suddenly a bunch of people we were wtih start group singing Ludacris Area codes, in a Belfast accent.... Good times, good times...




Okay now check out the girl in front the short one. Marty liked her. But I was sitting beside her, at the table; she came to sit beside me. Marty asked why I wasnt hitting on her, obviously cuz he wanted to hit on her. So I conceded and switched spots with marty, and hilarity ensues. 5 minutes after Marty gets his game on, FIVE MINUTES max I say, she is getting her coat and leaving! Hahahahahahaha... she left before all her friends, by herself, which like, almost never happens for girls. Girls cant go to the bathroom themselves, let alone leave a pub by themselves, with all her girlfriends still there. Marty has mad game.



I like these pics... they have a funky effect to em. Sherry I think is her name? Shirley? I forget. Anyways, the important thing is that Eric and I got the Euro style double cheek kiss at the end of the night. Marty SAYS he got it too, but we dont believe em, we definitely didnt see it. Belfast rocks.

Antrim Coast

Ive been slightly distracted the last few days. Does anyone think Natalie Portman still looks really hot, even though she shaved her head? (and add to that, imagine her eric chin level savings on eliminating hair salon and shampoo). It be known that I have a soft spot for short cropped hair, but hers is a bit extreme, bordering on the bull-dyke no fly zone. But still, in Natalie's case, wow still way cute, if not even more so, in that wacky bizarre, have to look twice to make sure, yet totally pulls it off Sinead kinda way. Theres just something really stunning about an exposed neck line (thats why hair tied up or pig tails are the dogs bullocks as well) Anyways if its up for debate, comment below, but if you disagree, just know, you are wrong.

Insert clever segue, here are pics from the Northcoast of Northern Ireland... very pretty, and shockingly surprising and unexpected, almost out of place, just like when I first found out Katie Holmes was seeing Tom Cruise (That under tall, overacting asshole. I hurt my foot kicking the door in when I found out that one...) Maybe she didnt notice yet that she is one foot taller than him.

Normally this is what most people expect from the Irish coast. That surfer is NUTS.


Not the Antrim Coast. This is Portrush, the small beach town getaway of Northern Ireland.



More Rhymes. Throwing Disc is one of the trips themes.





Further on down the coast, about 10 minutes, is the Giants Causeway. It has funny rocks, shaped liked that old school Qbert videogame.



Further on down the coast a bit more, 10 more minutes is the Carrick-a-Rede.


Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.


"Kindly Remove Bottle" "Kindly remove yourself, Mr. Moto!"... "ARgghhh... KIYAHH!"

Derry / Londonderry

Sunday, Bloody Sunday -U2

The Republican Irish call it Derry. The Loyalist Irish call it Londonderry.




Its the last European walled city in Ireland, and it was the location of the infamous Bloody Sunday Massacre, same one referenced by U2, the devastating random killing of unarmed Catholic Rupublican protesters by the British Army. And its reknown for its political murals from Irish Republicans (Catholic and Allegiance to Ireland) and Irish Loyalists (Protestant and Allegiance to Britian). Things seem grand now, but Derry / Londonderry was one of the flashpoints during the "Troubles" that plagued Ireland through the 60s - 90s. Now its a good place to visit, a beautiful city and definitely interesting. If and when I build a house, Im seriously thinking of saving one wall to paint a giant mural on, with dudes in gas masks and balaclavas, carrying guns. But, in the Jungle, brown dudes with bandanas and flat noses and smoking; filipino styles...


Here are the Republican Murals... aka IRA... (Catholic Area)







And here are some Loyalist Murals... (Protestant Area)

Galway

Hiking into Galway. But only from the Parking lot to the Hostel.


The Living Room Bar. Erics new favorite bar. Traditional Pub Downstairs, more modern club upstairs, with a multi-level setup, with a chill couch section, Plasma sports section, and a table section. And the Bar glows Red.


Galway University






A bit of black and white styles

The Burren

The Burren is a rock wasteland / protected national park on the west coast of Ireland. Its landscape is as close as you can get to the moon... hardly any soil over a 100-200 square mile area. Marty and Eric feel asleep as we drove through this interesting landscape... I had to stop and take pictures to wake them up... LOL

Cliffs of Moher, Part Dos

Between all three of our cameras, I estimate we took maybe 1300 pictures on this trip. And a disproportionate amount were skewed towards Ireland. It feels like we took WAY more pictures in Ireland than the rest of the trip. I dont know why that is cuz the weather was half crap. I guess it was still the beginning of it all and the paparazzi was trigger happy. Its a little bizarre, because Im kinda from here... so why would I be taking so many pics around these parts; a bit odd. Then again I had a brand new camera, a way better one, it was just begging for overuse. Anyways expect more than a few pics from Ireland.

Ive posted from the Cliffs before, when Martin visited last September. Oh well, lets do it again.