Help us raise moolah!!

I am currently the fundraising co-ordinator for Galway girl Mia Joyce who will be travelling to Mozambique this summer as a volunteer for the organisation SERVE.

SERVE is a development and volunteering organisation committed to tackling poverty in the majority world.  They strive to do this by working in solidarity, service and partnership with marginalised and oppressed communities, empowering them to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice.  SERVE focuses specifically on programmes and projects that help communities enhance the lives of children and young people and recognises that gender equality is pivotal to achieving justice, equality and sustainable development.  SERVE contributes a budget of over €1 million each year, and assigns up to 90 volunteers per year, supporting programmes that help transform the lives of some of the poorest communities in the world.

SERVE have been working with Young Africa in Mozambique since 2007 and given the mutual focus on tackling youth poverty, there is a natural fit between the two organisations. Young Africa have been working in Beira, Mozambique since 2004, when they were invited to work there by the Mozambiquan Ambassador to Zimbabwe, who witnessed Young Africa in operation in Zimbabwe. In partnership with the local community, Young Africa has developed a Skills Training Centre in Beira which is providing education, practical skills training and life skills training to 800 young people between the age of 15-24. Young Africa operates on a Franchise Concept which allows local business people to use Young Africa facilities and equipment, whilst providing skills training for young people

Mia  will be volunteering at the Skills Training Centre where she will be providing information on HIV prevention to the young women of Beira.  Mia is the author of A Brave Stand: A History of AIDS West which was published in 2010.  She is currently undertaking a Certificate in Youth Ministry which is accredited by St. Mary’s College Belfast and the Centre for Ministry Development in USA.  As a volunteer, Mia must raise €2,500 before she heads off to Mozambique.  All money raised by the volunteers will go straight into the communities and not into administration costs.

We would be grateful if any of ye would consider helping Mia in her fundraising campaign by donating  to her mycharity.ie page:http://www.mycharity.ie/event/miajoyce-mozambique2012/  by using the "sponsor me now" button on the page via credit or debit card. You can be assured that your transaction on the mycharity.ie website is very secure. You will automatically receive an e-mail from Mia thanking you for your support, and acknowledging the amount of your donation. Any donation no matter how small is hugely appreciated.

Thanking you in advance

 

Distraction

I have no excuses for a very late blog post. I have a tendency to put things on an extendable long finger. I really should be studying now but I tend to adore distraction which my Supervisor man is well aware of. "Dr. Supervisor man look at this pretty conference in Austria/Canada/ Mars, can I go?" "Pretty conferences are meh but if certain person writes a chapter for September I'll be a happy  Supervisor man."

Meeep........chapter........September!! I thought it was a case of write few random pieces and if they look compatiable ah sure might as well shtick them together at the end in order to ceate a chapter. Obviously not!! Right get back to reading(by the way very weird studying a production I actually worked on)

It will always be called the Junction.......

I'm thinking blog entries will be an weekly event from now on. I'm trying to have as little online distraction as possible when I'm in college- no msn or skype what so ever, minor usage of email and Facebook. It does help that college's wifi  is pretty dire at the mo.

Going back to academic life really  does feel like I made the right decision. It feels like slipping on my fave hoody- secure and warm bit patchy in places but great. Obviously there has been few changes since I was last a student.

1. College canteen and cafe have changed hands. I never was a fan of canteen food but was mildly impressed when the Asian counter cooked my lunch from scratch in front of me. I admit it wasn't the healthest option available but it wasn't saturated in old grease as it would have been six years ago. The cafe have changed hands a couple times when I was in college last. It started off as the Junction and now it's Starbucks. Oddly enough it is only during college that I have the urge to drink coffee. My favorite beverage is hazlenut latte.
2. Student  id card is more then a way of issuing books and getting a discount from New Look. You can now use it as swipe card if you are privileged enough to enter restricted areas. You now can buy print credits online ( good job I have an O2 money card) and you use your id card to print/copy/scan. The SU have this card that acts like a loyalty card to be honest I'm not 100% how it works but will figure it out.
3. Even though I have the same student id number from ten years ago my college email address has changed.

Despite these changes some old characters are still around ie weird guy from modern dance soc who came running into the college radio couple years back saying the aliens are coming to get us, little green little red man still in the college bar and of course the WONDERFULLY FANTASTIC Hubie who technically retired last year but hasn't and hopefully will never leave campus. All in all it was a good first week! :D

D-day tomorrow

After years wishing I was back in college It's finally happening tomorrow. I must admit it does feel pretty surreal going back but i know it was the right descision to make. Recession was the final push I needed to do this. I have been lucky in getting 'real' jobs since graduating but I couldn't see myself  being happy to stay in those places twenty years time. Theatre is my passion and getting the opportunity to do  research  on this topic for two years hopefully more. I'm also a tad nervous as I'm venturing out of the comfort zone of making theatre and re-entering the world of academia.


Don't get me wrong I'm more then capable adapting to this newish world but after six years out of it I'm bound to be rusty.  I hope I don't 100% leave the world  of making theatre that I will always have a foot or two in proceedings. My goal/aim is to bring the practicalities of theatre making into academia. Not to disrepect any theatre studies lecturers  I have had  and who I meet in the future I'm not much of a fan of productions being dissected too academically. During college last time round I had to sit through two hours academic debate about how a theatre company had a stone wall for a keypoint  of the set for one of their production.  My answer is and still remains: The play is set in an area where you literally can't go around the bend without seeing same wall. Anyhoo wish me luck tomorrow.........

Holy Monkey Brains

I was in middle of writing blog entry yesterday about The Pink One and I going to the cinema and  how ads for films are not relible when I got an email saying I could proceed to register for college online. Blog immediately forgotten and straight into the first stage of registering. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK.............Username and Password Not Valid!!!!

I immediately went straight to the college I wasn't going to bother try fix situation from home.  Luckily the first person I bumped into was my  supervisor we quickly arranged a meeting for later that afternoon. Got registered (wasn't recognised by computer services), paid fees *sobs*  and got SU card (yaaay will finally get paid from ALIVE). Had meeting with supervisor. Got first mini deadline............EEEEEEEEEErk. Will hopefully be getting a pod in the post grad room soon.

HOLY BATMAN I BETTER KICK ASS

I told you I'd tell ye........

Wooop after many weeks of blood tears and sweat shed I finally know my course code and now can proceed to registering (well after two or three working days) I must admit I did hestiate before clicking Apply in order to officially accept my place in the course.  If I'm getting stressed over the idiotness of admin how stressed will I be in writing a thesis?  But as long as I keep my head down I'll be grand.....right?

The Story of a Prick!

As most of ye know at this rate I pulled my muscle (otherwise known as the Gimp) a couple of weeks ago. It improved for a few days and became a literal pain once again. Visit to doc part deux happened yesterday. Leg was twiddled about in all different angles and directions(doc's way of making sure I really DO need happy pills) Once it was confirmed that yes happy pills are indeed needed the doc happily announced that an injection was also needed!

HOLD THE PHONE I never agreed to get pricked! Didn't he not remember that I'm the same girl that once had to be held down by two people in order to get blood test done and scared the bejaysus out of the other patients with my screaming. With only the Antique there for moral support I squeezed my eyes shut preparing myself for the agonizing pain that was to come....Nothing, Nada no pain!! I have hurt myself more by blindly putting in an earring. Few seconds later, I began to feel a light fluffy sensation across my left side and half my behind. Its an odd feeling when only part of your body is on a high. According to doc my injury is more common for footballers and such atheletes to get. Kind of reminds me of Irish weather we get the tailend of  America's hurricanes and none of the benefits of their hot weather. C'est la vie!!