Not claustrophobic

Hey guys,

Well, I made it.  I arrived safely in Japan and have spent the night at Narita airport while I wait for my friends to catch up with me today.  I decided to spend the night rather than arrive on the day because I wasn't sure if I was going to be held up at customs or not.  Turns out I was, but only for a few minutes, not hours like I thinking.  I made it through, and went in search of my bags, which also came out as I was coming down the stairs.  I'm having a great day! 

I came out of the arrivals and Beelined for the capsule hotel, 9 hours.  On the way, I saw some coin lockers and decided to put one of my bags in, as I had a feeling (as well as it mentioned on their website), that they had a locker for use, however, I didn't think it would fit both cases. And I was right.

Check in was quick and painless. I was given my locker and pod number (40), and my mesh bag which included: a robe/nightgown, a toothbrush and paste, a body and hand towel, and a pair of slippers.  The locker was probably a bit wider than a high school locker, and a bit taller as well.  It comfortably fit my one large suitcase, my backpack, shoes, and jacket.  I put on the slippers, as no shoes are allowed past the locker room, and went to see my sleeping pod.  On the way I passed the toilets, western style thank god, and the showers.   There are two doors into the pod room, but I chose the farther one as I was still scoping out the place.  

The pod room was quite dark, with the glowing lights coming from each individual pod.  My pod was near the door I entered and I climbed right in, after removing my slippers and leaving them outside the pod of course.

The pod itself was clean and comfy, and bigger than I imagined.  I was able to sit comfortably with lots of head space still and it COULD have fit myself and possibly a small child (not that that would have been allowed).  There is a screen at the end of the pod you would pull down for privacy.

The one thing that kind of threw me though, was, while I was sitting in there, I kept hearing someone's deep breathing.  I was thinking that someone was having the sleep of their life, until I started fiddling with the knobs in the black area and I found I could adjust the volume.  IT HAS A DEEP BREATHING WHITE NOISE MACHINE!  I was thoroughly entertained! And the initial creepiness wore off, and I found it to be quite relaxing actually.   If you imagined, it could almost also sound like waves in the distance.  I had to struggle not to let it lull me to sleep.  

I figured that it was about time to get something to eat, so I grabbed my things and went in search of the 7/11 I found earlier.  Well, I went to search for the breakfast cafe first, and I ended up in a bookstore where I purchased the first Harry Potter (something to read while I was for my friends), a cat bus daily organiser, and a new green erasable pen.  After my excursion to the 4th floor shopping area, my stomach was ready to eat itself as I had missed the last half of the meals on my flight because I was sleeping.

I ventured down and found the 7/11 where I treated myself to some of my favourite convenience store items.  A Chahan roll, a tuna mayo onigiri, honey and lemon cider, and of course, a melon pan. I scarfed them all down and cracked open Harry Potter while I ate.  When I was finished, I was feeling pretty good and figured I'd better shower and get ready for bed. 

The showers at the capsule hotel were FANTASTIC!  The pressure that came out of them!  They had shampoo, conditioner and body wash available for guests use.  Now that I was all scrub-a-dub-dubbed up, I put on the robe (which fit even around my hips!) and went back to my pod to crash for the evening.  I don't think I even last another hour.

Sleep was good, but a little messed up due to my jet lag.  I was only sleeping a few hours at a time, but the rooms were very quiet, and the white noise machine helped lull me back.  At about 3-3.30 I was up until 5 before I fell back asleep. I woke again around 9-9.15 when my alarm went off and I felt rested, so that is what's most important.

I checked out after changing and grabbing my things, another painless process.  Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and I would definitely stay again!

Let me know if you've ever stayed anywhere that's a little different than the norm!

Hola!

Hola my lovelys!  How art thou on this miserable Sunday?  With the wind howling, rain slashing at the windows, I'd much rather be in bed.  With a cup of tea.  And a smutty book.  Alas, I am at my new job, sitting at a desk.  With a cup of tea.  And a smutty book.  So 2 out of 3 ain't bad, I suppose. 

How's the new job going you ask?  Not terrible.  And I know that doesn't sound very confidence inducing, but I am pretty happy at the moment.  It's a strenuous account that I am currently working on (most of the country hates us), but I am really thankful for all the support given here.  The people are fantastic as well.  I've made so many good friends in this short time and I know that these are friends for life.  And if they aren't, well, it was a helluva fun time while it lasted.

The job itself is on the phones for a utilities company that most of the country is having a FIT about because they are introducing charges for something they've never had to pay for before.  But with the country growing, and a generation of entitled people, there was such a deficit, something had to change.  And really, guys, it's 2015.  Time to catch up to the rest of the world who have to pay.

But I think the customers are the most frustrating thing about this job.  Like any customer service role, you get the WHOLE spectrum of people.  Some are amazing, who literally invite you over for tea the next time you are near their house for helping you.  And some...well...leave something to be desired.  I work for a water company now and some of the things people have said to me are outstanding.  The one that sticks out in my mind the most is that "people in Africa get better supply than us." Uh, Sir?  I BEG to differ.  I mean, you are more than welcome to go there and see for yourself first hand how "great" there water supply is in most places.   Cop on dude.  I know it's frustrating that there is an UNPLANNED outage in your area due to a BURST water main, but seriously?  Use your effing brain.  I know Ireland still has a lot of lead pipes, but really.

The actual job itself is fine.  I work in what's called the Networks Department.  My job is to handle any issues not pertaining to a bill.  Discoloured water?  Call me!  No water? You've got my number!  Blockage on the sewer line? Ring Ring Ring Hello?  I can certainly raise a case wtih your local water department, John, in regards to your issue.  See? Not the worst job.  It's really difficult, though, when there is nothing you can do further for a customer as it is private side issue. 

Overall, it's going ok.  I think I can be very happy here for the rest of my time in Ireland, whether that is until March or May.  Whichever comes first. 

Let the adventure begin! PART 1

Hola, Chicas!  And welcome to another exciting instalment of Roaming Roren!  On this episode, we find our heroine on a perilous journey.  One that takes her off to a foreign land, crossing oceans and timezones!  Where has our fearless femme gone this time?  Stay tuned to find out!

As some of you may know, I was recently on holiday in ORLANDO, FLORIDA!  I'm talking sun, heat, and blue skies.  Ahhhh, now that's the life!  Not that we had much leisure time to sit back and enjoy, but that was perfectly ok by me.  But let's start at the beginning.

One of my good friends works for a timeshare company and a few months ago asked if we would be interested in going with them for 2 weeks to Florida for a holiday to do "The Park Experience".  Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, the whole shebang!  I think anyone in their right mind would have given the same answer of jumping up and down all the while squealing out the word YES repeatedly.   It was only then that we were informed that the accommodation was taken care of for us.  I think I nearly passed out from sheer joy.  Oh, the money we would save! (Or so I thought at the time)

As time wore on, holiday days were booked and confirmed, flights arranged, and money pinched at every penny.  Except when it came to actual Penney's.  We needed some new summer clothes because I knew how hot Florida can get, so we packed up our life savings and hit the store full force.  Shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, bathing suits, cover-ups, sandals, sunglasses... You name it for summer, we most likely bought it.  So with our new summer wardrobe in hand, we grabbed our suitcases and headed off to meet the aircoach.  At 1AM.

Have I ever told anyone that a Roren on little sleep is not exactly a pleasant Roren?  I suppose that's putting it mildly.  We had our choice of a 1AM bus or 3AM bus.  We chose the 1AM bus even though our flight wasn't until about 8 in the morning as a precaution.  If something happened on the way, we wanted to make sure that nothing would stop us from catching our flight.  But that wait time was a bitch.  We got off the bus and headed straight through security.  It was 3:30-4AM when we reached the airport and figured, let's just get through and then we can relax and chill and eat and anything we wanted really.

 The whole airport was practically a ghost town, so needless to say, security was a breeze.  We made our way to the waiting area and quickly realized that nothing opened until 5.  Except for a restaurant that I couldn't have told you the name of if I was sitting in their booth because that's how exhausted we were.  We ordered a breakfast to try and perk ourselves up.  I ate everything and promptly felt so sick.  Not a nice way to start your holiday.  But walking around the just opening shops seemed to help.

At last, we could go to find our gate.  We moseyed on down to our numbered gate, unaware of the plight that would meet us to the next airport, and relaxed again.  There's no stopping us now.

The uneventful flight to London Gatwick quickly became quite the opposite as we disembarked.  The gruff Englishman told us to "follow the signs" for the connecting flights.  And we would have except that we didn't see any damn signs, nor was there a single soul about to ask for help.  So we trudged onwards, only to find ourselves back at the security line, where we would have to re-do the process.  I was not impressed to say the least.  Time was a ticking, and with less than an hour between our connections, it seemed that missing our flight to the sunshine state was becoming more and more likely.

After finally making our way through the security line, time was of the essence. And we did something my mother would have been so proud of.  We Amazing Race'd our way through the terminal, to our gate.  Yes, fellow adventurers, we became a team from the TV show my mother will never stop watching until they cancel, as we ran through the duty free area, yelling "Excuse me!", and continuously thinking "Jesus, people, MOVE".  Of course our gate was one of the last ones in the terminal and at the very end of a super long corridor.  Gatwick, you are a CANKER BLOSSOM.

The Roommate and I made it with minutes to spare.  Hot, Sweaty, and spent, we took seats in the waiting area of the gate.  I needed something to cool me down or else I was going to go all Johnny Storm on somebody because I was on FIRE.  I looked around, and my prayers were answered.  A drink and ice cream vending machine.  I got one of each and sat to enjoy the cool items and hoped they would release me from this pre-mature hot flash.

The boarding began shortly after finishing my delightful delicacies.  We took our seats, prepared our own entertainment items, and sat back for the long 9 hour flight to Orlando.  We were officially on our way.

Stay tuned for our next episode: The resort and Disney!

Back in the habit

Hey everyone!  Sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately...I could lie and say I've been super busy, but the truth is I've just been super lazy.  Like, with a cap,e super....I've really just been feeling uninspired.  I can't say that I haven't been enjoying myself, because these last couple of months have had amazing memories and sad goodbyes.  But the time has come for me to get back in the habit and tell you what's been going on on my side of the world!

October was a blur of weddings, except for the Jazz Festival.  Every year, Cork puts on a one weekend festival or Jazz artists from all over the world.  The city turns into one big party for an entire weekend, and the Imperial hotel is no different.  We had over 15 different acts playing in the hotel alone!  The buzz was amazing, the people outstanding, and the atmosphere unbelievable. I worked reception for 2 out of 3 days, and on the day I wasn't wearing that sexy black dress, I was serving hot dogs to the hungry (and mostly drunk) patrons.  What an absolute gas!  Best weekend by far, even if my hearing might be a little impaired from it.

November saw weddings and the turn of the seasons into winter.  While not much goes on in November, the city comes alive with the promise of Christmas just around the corner.  The streets turn into crowded hallways with shoppers and guests from neighbouring cities, ready to get a head start on Christmas shopping.  Vibrant lights are strung throughout the city, Christmas decorations in stores, and magnificent trees put up, in anticipation for the coming holiday.

December saw a month of laughter and tears.  It was my mothers 50th birthday in December, and I flew home and surprised her.  I had been planning this trip since August with my brother and a few friends.  It could not have worked out any better.  Not to mention my new friends Travis & Gillian, I met while travelling.  There were tears on my arrival to see my mother, and it was AWESOME.  December also saw my first Christmas and New Year's Eve in Ireland.  For Christmas, I worked as normal, but the roommate and I went to our friends for Christmas dinner, where I cooked the oh-so-traditional Italian Chicken & Pasta.  Wait, you mean that's not a common Christmas dish?! ;)  New Year's Eve was far less eventful.  An evening spent in with the roommate, drinking and binge watching something or other on the TV.  Midnight came, a slight array of fireworks went off, and that's all folks.  Welcome to 2015.

January saw a lull in customers at the Imperial.  Not that I was complaining after the last 6 months of BUSY.  Until they mentioned the room sale.  Jesus Christ.  An amazing offer that was a pain in the ass to deal with.  69 Euros, Bed & full Irish breakfast (rates fluctuated based on different days).  Can't beat that!  Oh, but there were still people who asked, "Is that the best you can do?"  Oh, excuse me sir, but apart from providing you with a dirt cheap rate for bed & breakfast in a 4* city centre hotel, let me also include my first born child and this new lexus!

Now we hit February.  the month of love.  Valetine's day has come and gone, and the only flowers I received were from The Roommate.  Lovely ombre-ish roses and a fuck ton of chocolate.  Not to mention a tub a playdough.  She truly understands the 4 year old living inside this adult body.

March is almost upon us, which hopefully means slightly warmer weather, bluer skies, and the promise of something new!

My So Called Life

Welcome, my friends, to my so called life.  This story takes place in Ireland at the moment, Cork city to be exact.  And it's about a girl named Lauren, a "blow in" from Canada.  She moved here at the beginning of May, after, essentially, running away from her life at home.  It wasn't a bad life that she had in Canada, she just needed to get away from it all.

After a hard breakup of a 3 year engagement, she decided that it was his loss and she needed a new adventure.  The world was her oyster and it was calling her name.  "Lauren, you can sing London bridge is falling down ON London bridge!"  "Lauren, you could learn to surf in Australia!" "OOH OOH!  Waltz with a handsome stranger in Austria, Lauren!" She'd thought about all of those places, but in the end, the enticement of playing with fairies and leprechauns had won out over more exotic locales, because as many of you know, she's a giant 4 year old.  It might also have something to do with the fact that her best friend from Japan had been living there for the past 3 years.  (But we all know it was mostly the fairies.)

With her plane tickets bought, visa in hand, she said a difficult goodbye to all of her friends and family.  The people she had come to meet over the last 3 years left a lasting impression on her soul, and they helped shape her into the person she was to this very day.  She knew she would see them again.  And they would stay in touch.  That's what all of the technology is about right?  Bringing the world together.

When she arrived, she was as giddy as a 3 year old on Christmas morning.  Getting on the bus after her best friend picked her up, she wouldn't shut up.  So many new things to see and smell and learn.  The country of Ireland definitely lived up to it's reputation.  Everything was green.  Green grass, green trees,  She was in green heaven.  Good thing it's her favourite colour.

The duo spent a few short days in Dublin before heading to where she would call home for the next 2 years.  Cork city.  the tiniest big city you ever did see.  With it's 5-6 streets classed as "city centre", people from all over Ireland come here before Christmas to do their shopping because it's "such a nice big city".  FUN FACT:  Cork city is Ireland's 2nd biggest city population wise after Dublin.  but for being so small, it sure has a very multicultural population.  Lauren's met people from Hungary, Poland, Russia, Singapore, France, Spain, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia, and others that she can't even remember right now!

She works in a fancy schmancy hotel called The Imperial Hotel.   1 of 4 in the Flynn hotels group, centrally located in the heart of the city, it boats an almost 200 year old building, and an even more impressive staff following.  Some working there 20+ years!  It is rated as a 4* hotel, but if you were to come and see for yourself, you'd know that no rating can compare or explain the rich history and decor.  Michael Collins spent one of his last nights in room 115, before he was shot.  Many celebrities choose to stay at the hotel because of it's location, such as the boys from Miami and New York Ink when their new tattoo shop opened in Cork city.  The mouldings in the lobby are some of the finest you'll ever see.  With it's rich history and charming cast of characters, turning down a job at Apple seemed like the easiest thing in the world to do for Lauren.

So here's where we are today.  Lauren is still living with her best friend and her best friend's cat in a small apartment on the other side of the river from downtown Cork.  She walks to work and thinks that she won't try and change over her licence because she doesn't need a car and the expenses that come with it.  There is a view on her way to work that she never gets tired of looking at.  She is still working on herself, and trying to figure out what she wants to do with her so called life, but right now, she's just leaning towards happiness,

S & M

Ouch.  I know we all promise ourselves we'll never do it again, but we always go back for more.  That damn book hangover.  It gets you every time.  True readers will know what I mean when I describe the state of mind after finishing an amazing book or book series and not being able to basically cope with the real world.  It's the feeling of wanting to crawl inside your book and not leave for days because, frankly, it just hurts to much to leave.

 This is not a healthy relationship, but you rationalize any way you can to continue.  Just one more chapter.  Just one more page.  But it can't end like this!  The excuses go on and on.  It's a form of pain that readers, like myself, will willingly bring onto themselves as a form of torture.  We know how good the book will be.  We know this is the last book, or the newest release.  But we still bring on the pain.  Readers are some seriously kinky people.  It's like a form of S & M.  The books bring the pain and we relish in it.  It's a good pain.

I've recently just finished a book series called The Mortal Instruments.  The last book came out in July and I devoured it in 3 days while also working full time.  And this series has left me so hungover that I find myself scouring the Internet for any news of a different series (which there will be) that lies in the same universe.  This will be the authors 3rd series and even though I am 25 and it's in the Young Adult section, I seem to be drawn like a moth to the flame to these books.  And I had to wait over a year for the 6th book in the series to be released.  The torture was excruciating.  But I'm happy with how things ended.  The author tied the previous series together so nicely with this one, and made such a good foundation for the next.  I seem to be giddy with anticipation for the next series.  Please let the author take pity on our souls and release the first book soon.  My poor heart can't take much more.

I really don't care

But even if the stars and moon collide

I never want you back into my life

You can take your words and all your lies

Oh oh oh! I really don't care

Oh Demi Lovato, you really understand me.  This is exactly how I'm feeling these days.  After a bad (but good for me) breakup last year, all I want to do is move on with my life.  And it's really hard when this person, who broke it off with me in the first place, keeps trying to get in touch.  I never want to see this person again.  Ever.  Like the Song says, I never want you back into my life.  Take the hint bro and leave me alone.  Move on.  It's OVER.