Friday Friend #5

It's Friday; you know what that means! Friday Friend! *party poppers* This week, I open with a question. Do you know a Jedi? I do. The honourable Countess Rascal. She's in God College. She's very cool. She was one of the first people I spoke to (fourth day of the semester!) and she's helped me with lots of stuff, like copping on to myself. And she has two lightsabers.

She "borrowed" some priest robes at Halloween last year to dress up nice and fancy for the party. I must say, it was quite an outfit. I don't think anyone else put half as much effort into their costume as her (though there was a member of the Ghostbusters... and I was Dracula... and Ferris was a pikey - he's never dressed so poorly for as long as I've known him!). But anyway, no one went to the effort of actually getting something from a priest, wearing it backwards, putting on a big belt and big boots, electric blue make-up and doing their hair all mad like in the movies. While carrying a lightsaber.

All that, and there's still more. Between battling a love for Macaroon bars (well, they are delicious) and keeping up with her studies (okay, she's actually a genius and seems to do well with minimum effort), she put on a great show for Drama - Donalbain. I've mentioned the play before, I believe. But I didn't tell you she won an award for Best Director for it! Go Countess Rascal!

This is the part where I tell you what I like about the person in question, isn't it? Um... let's see... I like that she's perfectly happy being herself, and not just some idea of society as to what people should be like. I like that she always seems in control of herself. I like that she knows what to say to people who are upset. I like that she crashed my birthday party. I like that she has so much time for people who are just themselves.

Excuse the abruptness of that. It has been a long day. I will see the Countess on Monday, anyway. Use the force, Miss Rascal, and use it well.

Friday Friend #4

It's that time of the week, again, where I exploit the fact that I have friends worth talking about. I think it's time to take a break from the wonderful people I know from college and go back a little further in my life; James Joyce. He's so-called because that was how he looked before, with particular glasses on and without having shaved. It was wonderful how much it annoyed him to be in the likeness of one of Ireland's most famous writers.

I think the first thing James Joyce ever said to me was, "Did someone try to ruin a Darren Shan book on you?" Or something along those lines. That was in first year in secondary school. Towards the end of that year, it was James Joyce, who happened to be something of a genius, who came up to me and said, "You're Paul, yes?" Well, it made sense to confirm I was one twin and not the other. He brought me over to a poster in the noticeboard. "Look, you're nominated for Best All-Round Student." I had to sit down.

So, you can probably tell straight away James Joyce had a bit of an affect on me. He'd liked one of my favourite authors and he was the one who told me I was nominated for an award I didn't even know existed in the school. (Note: I did not win, because first years rarely win anything in the school awards; I was just delighted to be nominated!)

In fourth year, James Joyce was the Managing Director of our mini-company. By the time we left school and got our results, he had the tied-first results in the Leaving Cert exams for our year. In all that time, we'd become really good friends, and he was the first person to take an interest in the fact that I wrote. Because of that, he was the first person to get to see a lot of what I wrote.

I think this is the point where I say what I like about someone, right? Okay, I like that he always has time to talk about things. I like that he's really good at understanding people. I like that he can bring a whole new level of wit to a conversation. I like that he's modest about everything. I like that we can have long talks out of the blue, just for the sake of catching up. I like that it's still easy to be friends with him despite not seeing him as much as I see lots of other people. I like that he can see the good in everyone. I like that I've been friends with him for so long and we've never fallen out over anything.

He really is one of my best friends, and I don't know how different my life would be without him in it. It'd be a whole lot less interesting, anyway. I mean, how many people do you meet in a lifetime who taught themselves piano and who can take control of a situation without ever having to resort to violence? How many people do you meet who can be the funniest person in the room one minute and the most serious the next, depending on what's needed?

James Joyce, if you're reading this, don't ever stop being the way you are; the respect you've gotten from so many people just for being yourself is unbelievable. You're an inspiration. I don't care whether or not you agree, because it's the truth. Thank you for being such a good friend.

Friday Friend #3

Friday Friend is a feature in which I post about a different friend each week - on Friday! Simple concept, really; I pick a friend, not quite at random, then tell you some of the fun stuff about them! This week is the now almost-famous Miley Cyrus, who's been mentioned here a few times in the past, and on my Twitter page.

Miley is another college friend, because frankly I have more friends in college than I do outside of it, so I might as well write about them. She comes from the strange land of Offaly, but enjoys coming to Dublin more than spending time in, say, Tullamore. I've been to her house, met her family, even been in her bedroom. She showed me her CDs and books, and a few photos on her dressing table. That was pretty much it, before we left to watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

It's true to say that Miley is one of my best friends in the whole wide world. We're there for each other when we need a kind word and a friend who likes to talk, and even when we just want to chat... well, we're both thankful for free texts.

Miley was the first person to be told the Rules of Adventureland, since at that stage no one really read them from my blog. Since those days, we've been out living up Adventureland to the fullest, exploring Dublin and Offaly, getting a not-birthday present for Ferris together, going into Penneys more times than is normal and even bringing her youngest brother to the zoo, because he'd never been before. We've also gone out for dinner, because we could.

There's so much to like about Miley, so once again I don't know where to begin. I suppose... yeah, I like the way she calls her parents Mammy and Daddy, even now. I like that we can text each other all day long and not get bored. I like that we have all of our little arrangements made for when we go back to college. I like that we spend days out together and manage to always find something to do, even without a plan. I like that she can't go into Penneys without buying something. I like that she gets a bag in every shop she goes to. I like that I get to be part of her life, and that we keep each other in the loop about everything. I like that we share our plans for the future with each other. I like that despite loving Dublin so much, she's still a small town girl. I like that she knows what church she's going to get married in. I like we can trust each other with anything. I like that she understands what's important to me. I like that she takes an interest in all the things I write. I like that we have most of the same friends in college. I like that no one seems to feel uncomfortable around her. I like that she's one of the coolest people in the college but she doesn't act like it. I like that she cares so much about other people.

Wow... that was a little more substantial than I thought. But what can I say - Miley Cyrus is one of my best friends! And her mammy and daddy are so lovely! Her nickname was given to her by Ferris Bueller, and it's stuck since then. We're but weeks away from college again at this stage, so the real test will be how many people remember the nickname. And of course, once we go back we'll be working on doing some of the things we said we'd do, like our "whopper study sessions" and our Adventureland days out. Summer's almost over, but good times are still ahead with Miley and I!

And a last remark..? Well, there's not much more I can say. Miley, you're a star; you're kind and caring and you have that very traditional side to you that everyone loves. Keep being yourself and I know you'll be happy.

Begins with A, Ends with E

There's a word that describes this past week quite well. It begins with A, ends with E and has wesom in the middle of it. So, discounting work, because that's never really worth mentioning unless a customer is an idiot or there's an event or someone does something really funny, this week has been great. I mean, I didn't think I'd get a week like this all summer. Okay, circumstances could have been better for someone, but still - it's been fun!

Monday
Ferris had a couple of exams. They weren't repeats but they were on the same time as the repeats with the same questions. Just had to point that out. It's complicated. Okay, so he was at God College for his exams, and I'd helped him with Drama that morning. I was there, then, for his exam that afternoon. It was Poetry. I hadn't really done the poets he decided to answer on - Tennyson and Browning - so I had to familiarise myself with them a bit beforehand. Still, twas grand! He seemed happy with the exams, anyway. We had lunch. Chicken rolls. Sure it'd be rude not to.

Then it was off to Westmeath for Giddimon's birthday. It was a long trip out, but he got collected at the bus stop with our bags and my sleeping bag and we were left to ourselves in the kitchen with a cup of tea, a plate of biscuits and a bowl of jellies. Phone reception was rubbish. Still, we did a lot of talking and the kitties were just the cutest things I've ever seen. About two and half hours after we got there, her other friends arrived. There was some awkward silence, then some banter, and always lots of food.

I had my first taste of alcohol. Literally a taste. Hyper McHen had a glass of punch called purple pussy. Naturally I texted Ferris saying "Hyper likes her purple pussy." Once I had a sip of it - and only a sip, because it was literally only a taste - she texted Ferris saying "Paul also likes my purple pussy." A wee while later I texted, truthfully though vaguely, "Hyper's threatening to tie me up!" A little while later when my phone had gone ignored, I received a reply from Ferris. "Sounds like fun! Tell all i said hi! Have a great night ya messer!" He didn't know what a purple pussy was until I told him the next day.

We stayed the night. I slept on the floor, That Guy I Am on a couch by himself and Hyper and Giddimon on a smaller couch together. We talked a lot, of course, but eventually we fell asleep. I got the best rest out of all of us, and I didn't even have a cushion or a pillow. Just a sleeping bag between me and the wooden floor and a duvet over me.

Tuesday
A breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs for the four tired remnants of the party guests. He sat down a lot that morning. We didn't talk much. We were too tired, so I don't think anyone minded. Giddimon's mum made a lunch of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches - two each - and a cup of tea, and a slice of hat cake. That's a cake that looked like a hat, but it didn't mean to. It was still delicious.

The bus back home. I read for a while. We were all very tired. The Mountain Goats kept me company. Hyper got off before us this time. We ended up back home at about three. We had tea. We showered later, then watched Smallville. We slept.

Wednesday
I've been reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man for a while. It was still boring and painful and contained far too much about religion for my liking. I go to God College. I don't want to have to read about religion in my fiction, too! I got a break from it when we went to town. There were eight of us. We got food at this place called Bad Ass in Temple Bar, then we went looking for a pub. We ended up at the bar in Captain Americas. I took a sip from two drinks. One was an Appletini. We had much merriment and banter.

I got into a bad mood that night. I gave out to Ferris, because he was supposed to have sent me the titles of the stories he was doing for his second text in Fiction. He didn't.

Thursday
I got all the reading done. Ferris had gotten in touch and my mood had lifted up. I was very pleased with myself to have suffered through all that James Joyce. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't want to read it. I wanted to help him with his exam, though, so I had to read it. I think that's a good enough reason if there ever was a need for one.

I got a PDF of Fungus of the Heart by Jeremy C Shipp to review. I got lots of work on these texts done to help Ferris prepare his questions. He didn't answer his phone for ages. I finally got through to him at ten to eleven. We had a twenty five minute discussion more or less solely about James Joyce. It was all very sophisticated. I was a bit cross at him, so I didn't notice when he made jokes. I was grand after the phone call, though. I just wanted him to pass his exam.

Friday
Miley Cyrus and I kidnapped Ferris. She was a surprise for him. I'm very good that way. Arranged the whole thing. We went for a drive down to the south of Dublin. We went to Ranleigh and UCD and Ailesbury Road and ended up, eventually at Stephen's Green. We got lunch at this place called Lemon, Crepe and Coffee Co. Then we sprung Surprise Number 2 on him. I didn't even mention this on Twitter, and I mention everything on Twitter. Since Offaly I've known this. We made him a scrapbook. It was full of photos from the year.

The scrapbook meant a lot to us all. It was something we all had, even though it was now in Ferris's possession. It was a day together for Miley and I. We knew that thing so well. We had put a lot of time and effort into that and we'd been trying for weeks to get it to him. From what I can tell, he likes it. That was the best part, I think. Knowing he liked it. Knowing that it actually meant something to him.

We drove Miley to Heuston, taking the scenic route around North Dublin, around by the prison that had held Larry Murphy, and finally she was gone and I was in the car with him. He drove me home, and we talked a bit. It was all very pleasant and relaxing. I watched Adventureland when I got in, with tea. Loved it. Reminded me of Looking For Alaska and Paper Towns by John Green.

Ferris called. It didn't last long. It was just a very brief, light hearted conversation, but it mattered, you know?

And here we are. It's still Friday. I'm going to see Salt later with some lads from secondary school. This has been my week. I think I could get used to this. Naturally, college is starting back soon, so I can't. But at least I had this week that began with A and ended with E and had wesom in the middle.

Friday Friend #2

Hello and welcome back to Friday Friend, in which I open the doors to the lives of my friends against their will. This week, we have the lovely Hyper McHen. I first met Hyper back in September for college; due to the explosive nature of our individual positive energies, we quickly became friends and have since gone on to wreck the heads of many a person in the college. And each other. Sure, what are friends for?

Hyper comes from Wexford, though she's lived in Kildare most of her life. Much of her time is spent away from home; she goes to Dublin for college and has a way of running off to Wexford or Tipperary or some other county that's not Kildare almost every week, and will soon be venturing off to Galway every month for Drama. Because that's the sort of person Hyper is.

She's one of my very best friends in the college, and outside of it. While we may get on each other's nerves a lot, she knows when to be serious, when to just be the sort of friend that gives you company and comforting words.

There's so much to like about Hyper McHen, I don't know where to begin. Okay, I like her happiness. I like that 95% of the time she's the happiest person in the college. I like that she's not afraid to say something mean about someone to their face - which isn't as bad as it sounds - because everyone knows she's doing it for the laugh. I like that she reads so much. I like that she's always there to help when you need her to. I like that she wears boys' clothes but still finds shoes pretty. I like that just by sitting down next to me she can make me feel better when I'm feeling down. I like knowing when she's seen a guy she likes because it gives us something to laugh about. I like that she's always herself unless she's acting for Drama.

Hyper McHen - so called because she's hyper, she needed a surname and she has hens - is a friend for life, and I'm blessed every day that she's there to talk to me. She was one of my first friends at college and she's one of the people I spend a lot more time with than anyone else.

And my closing remarks? Don't be afraid to be who you are, because people will love you for it. And live by the Rules of Adventureland, because you know you love the time you have for following them.

Friday Friend #1

In my hunt for new ways to keep this blog going - because summer is so boring there's very little to actually report to you - I've decided to start another feature, one that will last for at least... 30 weeks. Or something like that. This new feature is Friday Friend; kind of obvious really - every Friday I'll write about a friend. 'Course, I can't tell you too much about them, you crazy Internet stalker. It'll be simple stuff, I suppose.

I'm starting with Ferris Bueller. No, that's not his real name. That's one thing I'll be hiding - it'd be rude to start telling people the real names of all of my friends. Since Ferris has been mentioned already, he seems a good choice to start with. Plus, he's the one I bother more than the others. In his own words, "I'm actually a b****x."

Ferris hails from the magical land of Meath, living on an acre of land with his parents, but he spends most of his time in Dublin. I go to college here with him, and he works in Dublin (his estimate is 10-15 minutes from my house in a car). Though, that might be how he drives - he's a fast but careful driver. Careful, most likely, because he likes his car too much to let anything happen to it. (Side note: it's the most comfortable car I've ever sat in!)

In all honesty, he's one of my best friends. It's nothing against everyone else, but I trust him with more stuff than any of my other friends. It all comes down to a few simple facts: 1. he hasn't divulged any of the things I've told him to other people, 2. he goes out of his way to make sure I'm not in any sort of trouble - my own brand of crazy and the assholes from my past both included in that and 3. he's trusted me with stuff too. It's easier to trust someone who'll tell the truth himself. And in his own words, "I'll never lie to you." Bless.

I do often wonder about people; I've been warned - by Ferris - not to worry about what people think about me. His exact words to describe me were "little self conscious b*****d". Which is kind of true. (Side note: the last word is not technically true - it's more of a colloquialism.) However, that's not going to stop me including the things I like about my friends in these posts.

So, without further delay: I like that he always seems to have a story to tell. I like that he's not afraid to show concern for people - genuine concern, not just are-you-alright-because-you're-getting-me-down concern. I like that he calls at night when he's drunk and starts retelling all the things he did that night, while also giving a running narrative of what's going on around him. I like that he trusts me enough to talk to his girlfriend - possibly because I'm always sober when he hands me/her the phone. I like that he always knows what song can make someone feel better. I like that he's not afraid to speak his mind about certain issues. I like how he keeps everyone in check - he keeps the talkers quiet and he helps people who have problems sort them out. And I like that despite the number of times I've done things that most people would freak out over, he still finds the time to talk.

I don't know for sure if I'll have such a substantial list for everyone. Probably not, since I talk to Ferris more than I talk to a lot of people, though there are plenty of things that I like about all of my friends.

As I write this, a few thoughts come to mind. Like another couple of reasons why he's first on the list! Firstly, he's not likely to see this any time soon because he's working. Secondly, some of the things I want to say about a couple of other people who might otherwise have been first are just waiting until a later week before more stuff gets added to them. Thirdly, "I'm number one so why try harder?" Ferris's words to one of the others.

Last remarks? Well, to quote the movie: "Ferris Bueller you're my hero."