• about
    • Awards
  • designer
    • Samples
  • lecturer
  • writer
    • a few novel pages
    • Alternative Beauty
    • Dublin Dating Disasters
    • staycation versus fernweh
    • Curls just want to have fun…
    • Already kissed today?
    • Film Reviews
      • Transformers: Age of Extinction.
      • A Walk Among the Tombstones
      • Before I go to Sleep
      • Begin Again
      • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
      • Earth to Echo
      • Film Reviews 2012
        • Argo
        • Bel Ami, not so seductive…
        • Brave
        • Damsels in Distress
        • Detachment
        • Dr Seuss’ The Lorax
        • Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
        • Frankenweenie
        • Friends with Children
        • Grabbers
        • Jeff who lives at home
        • Joyful Noise
        • Magic Mike
        • Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
        • Skyfall
        • The Amazing Spider-Man
        • The Avengers Assembled
        • The Devil Inside
        • The Lucky One
        • The Raid
        • Think like a Man (Act like a Lady)
      • Film Reviews 2013
        • 2 Guns
        • After Earth
        • Austenland
        • Before Midnight
        • Behind the Candelabra
        • Blue Jasmine
        • Elysium
        • Insidious: Chapter 2
        • Lovelace
        • Mama
        • Man of Steel
        • Monsters University
        • Now You See Me
        • Pain & Gain
        • Playing for Keeps
        • R.I.P.D
        • Rush
        • The Act of Killing
        • The Call
        • The Fifth Estate
        • The Irish Pub
        • The Kings of Summer
        • We’re the Millers
        • What Maisie Knew
        • White House Down
        • World War Z
        • This is 40
        • A Dark Truth
        • Django Unchained
        • Flight
        • Lincoln
        • The Impossible
        • The Paperboy
        • The Sessions
      • Get-On-Up
      • Gone Girl
      • Guardians of the Galaxy: dance and quip their way out of any danger hurdling towards them
      • Serena
      • Sex Tape
      • Sex Tape – a slapstick comedy
      • The Book of Life
      • The Calling
      • The Equalizer
      • The Expendables 3
      • The Maze Runner
      • Think Like a Man Too
      • This is where I leave you – better left unwatched
      • Film Preview 2013

jensinewall

~ writer, designer, creative thinker

jensinewall

Monthly Archives: April 2015

contemplating ‘C’ words

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in day to day, quotes, thoughts

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

acceptence, compliment, compliments, interior photography, photos, quotes, rejection

sniffYesterday, I got a compliment and I have to admit that I didn’t quite know what to do with it. Being criticized is easier as I don’t need to except it, can argue it or I can learn from it, even if it initially hurts.  But compliments are somewhat different and do tend to make me feel a little bit awkward.

There are three main ways to deal with compliments: acceptance, rejection and deflection. It seems that most of us have a hard time with just gracefully or humbly accepting a compliment paid, as we often feel it makes us come across as boastful, proud or conceited.

But we also know that to reject a compliment outright isn’t the way to go either, as it is just plain rude. So what I do, like so many others, is deflect or dilute the compliment paid. A little “really – I didn’t think it was that great” or a “oh this old dress, nothing special – got it at Pennys”  or even a “but you did so much better” , takes the wind out of that compliment sail and calms the hurricane of emotions within.

But I can’t help but wonder that, maybe, deflection is just as rude as rejection. In a way by diluting a compliment you are telling the giver that you don’t really rate their opinion, you are putting them down as you don’t respect their input.

Maybe this stems from low-self esteem, of lack of self-worth or some odd sense of wanting to seem polite, courteous and unpretentious, but that doesn’t make it okay. So, the more I think about it, the more it becomes clear: accepting a compliment when given, is the only right way to go.

I suppose the trick is in how to do it  properly and possibly there is only one way to do so. No shy looking away, no “buts”, no deflecting or playing compliment wars, just look the person in the eye, maybe smile and say two simple small words: “thank you” .

The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions – the little, soon forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

lucky, yucky bird poop

29 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in Dublin

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bird, bird poop, birds, Dublin, lucky, sunny afternoon, superstition

I can’t believe what happened to me yesterday. It was a sunny afternoon and I had just come back from one of those appointments, where you have to fill in lots of forms and never seem to have them all right or are always missing one.

My neighbours were outside watching their kids play on their running bike. I joined them for a little while for a quick chat when suddenly I became a standing target.

A bypassing bird decided it was the perfect time to relieve itself and, with no consideration for us earth-dwellers, dropped some poop which landed on my hair and shoulder. Not all of it but enough of it to make me feel not so lucky- and the bird  didn’t even stop and say sorry.

I have no idea who come up with the notion that being pooped on by birds brings you luck, but whoever it was probably was never pooped on. And I wonder if maybe the belief was created to make the poopee feel less bad about the fact that they are covered in yuck.

But maybe I should just decide to take the superstition and believe that “wealth from the heavens” is now coming my way to make up for the sticky, white inconvenience. After all who says lucky things can’s come in yucky packages?

wonderings

28 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in day to day

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

quotes, Socrates, thoughts, wisdom, wondering

Wisdom begins in wonder

Socrates

Today my head feels full, I have too many thoughts and all seem to be jumbled up together like a big ball of colourful wool. All these thoughts seem to be having  a bit of a  row for attention, each demanding to be first leaving me unfocused and a little scattered.

I find myself starting one thing, getting distracted and moving on to something else, a domino slide of actions leading nowhere and me somewhat unsatisfied.

I just hope that at some point I can regain my thoughts and that all my wonderings do lead to some sort of wisdom as Socrates promises.  But maybe the only wisdom I will find today is that sometimes too many thoughts just don’t lead anywhere at all, like a maze that turns in on itself and you are led back to the point of origin.

At least tomorrow is another day, and hopefully it will be a much more focused one.

I think this angel may be having similar issues with their wonderings

I think this angel may be having similar issues with their wonderings

exploding bin bags

27 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in Dublin

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bin bags, Dublin, general waste, Greyhound, recycle, wheelie bin

Does anyone else have this problem? Or is it just me?  Maybe I should explain where my frustration is coming from.

As someone who lives near enough to Dublin inner city I don’t have a wheelie bin. Not only do I not have the space to store one I don’t even have that option of owning one. So like so many other city dwellers have to rely on bin bags.

Not just any old bin bags, but specifically ones issued by Greyhound (the privatized company that collects our waste) you buy at designated stores, and they don’t come cheap. Red ones for general waste, transparent ones for recyclables.

Every week big bin lorries come clattering down our tiny street and gather up all the general waste bags, every other week they come and collect the recycle ones. Only they don’t!

For two weeks now our street is being littered due to uncollected bags of paper and plastic, and since they are only ever collected bi-weekly they always tend to be full, burstingly so. Some of us brought them back indoors, or at least put them in to our tiny yards, but many falsely trusted that Greyhound would eventually come around and pick up what we paid for.

Now these bursting bin bags seem to have become a permanent fixture and I find it increasingly annoying that, like so often, a big company does a s they please and the ‘little people” are the ones that suffer. I know it may only be a small thing compared to all that is going on in the world, but it annoys me none the less.

And to not just sit and complain I will be spending some time this afternoon contacting Greyhound and requesting all the exploding bin bags to be picked up. After all they have been paid and they should just do their job.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge – Motion (2)

26 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in blogs

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

dancer, Motion, photography, photos, Rome, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge - Motion

Today I saw some strangers in the park doing Tai-Chi, or something like it. As I walked past I thought how graceful they looked and how beautiful their slow-motion movements were and I remembered a photo I had taken in Rome a year and half ago. It was  a dancer in the park , a graceful lady in motion while the trees swayed in the autumn breeze.

dancer in the park

dancer2dancer in the park – beauty in motion

shopping for new electrical goods

25 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in day to day, work and play

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

kettle, new electrical goods, photography, printer, shopping, toaster, work

Something is happening in my home that I can’t quite explain, my electical goods are all dieing. First it was my toaster that decided that it had enough of roasting my bread, then my kettle decided to join in and became a little temperamental and stubborn, not always wanting to boil and sometimes just giving up halfway through.

And now my trusty old printer died of internal injuries, an ink-cartridge exploded, destroying the inside of the printer. Sticky, black ink is absolutely everywhere, some of it is even still under my fingernails.

Now, I do have to say that I’ve had all of them for more than eight or nine years, so I can’t really complain, it just annoys me a little bit that they have all decided to unplug at the same time.

Not really being able to cope too well without a functioning kettle and desperately needing a printer at the moment ,while I sort out all the end of year grades, I decided to dig deep into my purse and go electrical goods shopping.

I have to admit that for a while now I have been yearning for a red Morphy Richards kettle. I have been known to wander around department stores with longing eyes, stroking the glossy red pyramid, but always giving in to reason and leaving the pretty kettle behind.

But since circumstances have changed I decided to treat myself and invest in the desired kettle, but my German sensible self didn’t give in to the allures of a matching toaster. While they are very pretty, I just don’t have the space for one with four slots, nor do I need such a big one as I live on my own. But I did buy a very basic two slotted one, plain and silver, a reasonably priced replacement.

The printers where a bit more tricky. I don’t really know much about them and to my dismay discovered that small and simple isn’t really an option you can go for anymore. As I wandered around the shelves looking at all the chunky squares housing printers, copiers and scanners – all in one- I did feel a little bit overwhelmed.

The sales guy,  sensing an easy sell, hopped over and enthusiastically started his theatrical sales pitch, he showed me a printer they had on offer, too expensive for my liking, he then showed me another one, a little cheaper but still not what I was willing to invest. As I kept asking questions – how much do the replacement cartridges cost (after all this is where your money goes), how many pages will said cartridges print, (3-6 cent per page was the cheapest option), how many pages can it hold at a time, does it print double sided, what is the difference between this one and that one (other than price or colour) –   slowly his enthusiasm waned, and finally he conceded that while on the outside they had different specs, inside they were all very much the same: made in China!

When I finally picked a low range one, sufficient for what I need it to do, he exhaled a sigh of relief and I packed all of my boxes into the boot of the car. So last night I spent my time unpacking, setting up and installing the printer. And this morning I am enjoying new electrical goods that do what they are meant to – ignoring my bank balance tipping.

kettle printer2

Weekly Photo Challenge – Motion

24 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in photography

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ernest Hemingway, Motion, photography, photos, quote, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge - Motion

reedsGrass in the wind, a breeze putting blades into motion and creating a moving sea of gold and white.

Never mistake motion for action

Ernest Hemingway

roadside knitting in the sun

23 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in day to day, Dublin

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

crafts, knitting, knitting needles, photography, photos, teaching

busy hands last year at Mud Island Community Garden

busy hands last year at Mud Island Community Garden

Yesterday a gentle knock on my door interrupted an afternoon at my desk. My nine-year-old neighbour was standing outside holding a ball of wool and some knitting needles in her hand and asked me if I could teach her how to knit.

Unable to say no to the little girl in a ponytail I put on my red clogs and sat down on my blue bench. My young protegee watched as I showed her how to make a stitch and soon she was in deep concentration as she “went in through the bunny hole, around the tree, up she come as and off she goes”, creating one pearl after the other.

In no time a gaggle of kids was gathered around us, wondering what we were up to, big eyes, dirty faces and lots of questions. And a few minutes later a second little girl was perched on my blue bench, head bent over some knitting needles and wool.

And while it will take a lot of patience and practice for these two beginners to move on from pearl to plain,  I am sure I will never forget our impromptu roadside knitting in the sun.

Contemplating Women in Media, Ballybunion 2015

20 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in Ireland

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ballybunion, Breaking news Editor of the Irish Times, conference, David Labanyi, Dearbhail McDonald, Dee Forbes, Dr. Tom Clonan, former Tainiste Dick Spring, former Tanaiste Mary Harney, Geraldine Kennedy, Image and Licensing Officer of the National Fgallery of Ireland Marie Mc Feely and Cyber Psychologist Patrick Kennedy, Ireland, Irish Independent, Katie Hannon, Managing Director of Dury/Porter Novelli Anne Marie Curran, Miriam O'Callaghan, Moya Doherty, Natasha Fennel, Olivia O'Leary, Reported.ly journalist Malachy Browne, Roisin Ingle, rte, Women in Media, Women in Media 2015

After a good nights sleep and a large mug of tea I have  a few moments to contemplate everything I heard at the Women in Media conference this weekend.

The conference started off with a brilliant Symposium with some of the most influential women in broadcasting today. RTE’s political correspondent  Katie Hannon asked the question, if it is harder for women to succeed in the media and if gender made a difference to the panelists careers.

Legal editor at the Irish Independent Dearbhail McDonald spoke with passion about the fact that the problems that women face in the media industry is just a facet of what women face in life in general. And she pointed out that media is a difficult game for both genders and that hard work, flexibility and availability are key elements for any success.

President & M.D of Discovery Networks Western Europe Dee Forbes agreed with Dearbhail on the importance of a strong work ethic but emphasized that women should be helping women more. Dee explained that she felt that women were often not confident enough, even when they had a higher level of competence compared to their male counterparts, and how that needs to change.

RTE’s Prime Time Miriam O’Callaghan talked about her personal experiences and how important it is to remember what the media can do to change lives, so picking stories and subjects that are important is vital. Miriam was very clear on not dwelling on past mishaps or failures but to remember to keep going, pick yourself up and keep at it.

RTE Chairperson Moya Doherty (Co-Founder of Riverdance) was adamant about how women treat language and the importance of not using words like ‘girls’ or ‘ladies’, not to belittle ourselves. She spoke with passion about finding what suits you and to not fall into the trap of behaving like men, but to be strong, competent and confident women, echoing Dee Forbes words.

After this explosive symposium a lot more was in store. Natasha Fennel and Irish Times Journalist Roisin Ingle introduced their recently published book The Daugherhood, a book about the unique relationships that women have with their mothers, be they good or bad.

With just enough time for a cup of tea there was no real stopping the Women in Media conference. The next point on the program was an interesting political forum asking the question: Working in the Media and Politics – are women treated differently? Chaired by the head of journalism from the University in Limerick, Mary Dundan introduced the impressive panel: former Tanaiste Mary Harney, Journalist and Broadcaster Olivia O’Leary, former Tainiste Dick Spring and journalist Dr. Tom Clonan.

They all agreed that women are seen differently, the comments on how they look, what they wear and who they date often seems to overshadow their work. And the statistics that Dr Tom Clonan present from his research were staggering and surprised everyone. It seems that young female journalists suffer a high level of abuse (both verbal and physical) from both their employers and the people they report about, in politics in particular.

With so much food for thought it was only fitting that the last point of the day was a five course Gala Dinner filled with lots of engaging conversation. The delicious meal was followed by the presentation of the Mary Cummins Award for Women of Outstanding Achievement in the Media to Olivia O’Leary. Last years winner, former Irish Times Editor, Geraldine Kennedy presented the award and both incredible women spoke about their personal experiences and how their careers often overlapped.

But the weekend still wasn’t over! After a great night in the pub, a hearty breakfast and some time on the beach the conference was rounded off by an Online Media Symposium. The panelists,  Breaking news Editor of the Irish Times, David Labanyi, Reported.ly journalist Malachy Browne, Managing Director of Dury/Porter Novelli Anne Marie Curran, Image and Licensing Officer of the National Fgallery of Ireland Marie Mc Feely and Cyber Psychologist Patrick Kennedy all spoke about how the future is mobile.

It was clear that they all believed that while the traditions of journalist still stay the same (verifying sources and stories, writing good content, informing and education readers) the way this is done is changing faster than many think. It was obvious by the statistics that most readers chose to access their news in a manifold way, but that the main area of growth is in mobiles.  This also influences how, when and what the reader chooses to read, changing the way we should approach news production.

Over all it was a wonderful weekend, one that will stay with me for a while and invade my thoughts, ideas and hopefully change how I see and do things. And to remind me of this weekend I took home a surprise gift basket left for me in my room, an edible, healthy memory trigger! At least until next year, and I can’t wait to see how Joan O’Connor plans to surpass this time around.

surprise gift basket

surprise gift basket

fileld with sea salt and edible seaweed, an invite to the seaweed festival alter this year

filled with sea salt and edible seaweed, an invite to the seaweed festival later this year

Back from Ballybunion

19 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by jensine in Ireland, photography

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Ballybunion, Ireland, Kilcooly, photography, photos, west coast, Women in Media

I have just arrived back from Ballybunion. The Women in Media conference was wonderful, so many talented, successful women had so many interesting stories to tell that my head is still trying to sort through all the information.

So for tonight I will just say this, it was a fantastic weekend, long and lively and filled with exciting events. It was well worth all those hours spent in the car.

As always Joan and John were the perfect hosts and their lovely hotel Kilcooly’s Country House is a wonderful place to stay. I can highly recommend it! Just a short stroll from the beach, delicious food, the friendliest staff, the warmest of welcomes and the most comfortable mattresses!

An added bonus for all us who went, the weather was perfect, a summery weekend showing off Ireland and the West Coast from it’s very best side.

walking down to the beach

walking down to the beach

a flag in the breeze

a flag in the breeze

a bench

a bench

some sunbathers (it is still only April!)

some sunbathers (it is still only April!)

take a seat

take a seat

some brave smwimmers

some brave swimmers

Yes, it is the Atlantic (and still only April)

Yes, it is the Atlantic (and still only April)

preparing for summer

preparing for summer

lines

left behind

left behind

the sun was low in the sky

the sun was low in the sky

washed ashore

washed ashore

railing

this way

this way

chairs

a shop feeling blue

a shop feeling blue

balloons dancing in the wind

balloons dancing in the wind

reflecting on my time in Ballybunion

reflecting on my time in Ballybunion

 

 

 

← Older posts

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,681 other subscribers

Shortlisted for Blog Awards Ireland 2012

Me and my thoughts

April 2015
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Mar   May »

Quote

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Past but not forgotten

  • back in Belfast
  • waiting in Dublin
  • a gentle gesture
  • Easter auntie duties
  • sunny Sunday afternoon
  • lost hour
  • Weekly Photo Challenge: It’s easy being green

Reeling through the months

  • May 2017 (1)
  • March 2017 (17)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (1)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (13)
  • October 2016 (30)
  • September 2016 (10)
  • July 2016 (7)
  • June 2016 (18)
  • May 2016 (21)
  • April 2016 (12)
  • March 2016 (25)
  • February 2016 (10)
  • January 2016 (16)
  • December 2015 (13)
  • November 2015 (14)
  • October 2015 (15)
  • September 2015 (19)
  • August 2015 (19)
  • July 2015 (13)
  • June 2015 (17)
  • May 2015 (22)
  • April 2015 (22)
  • March 2015 (20)
  • February 2015 (16)
  • January 2015 (14)
  • November 2014 (12)
  • October 2014 (27)
  • September 2014 (35)
  • August 2014 (25)
  • July 2014 (28)
  • October 2013 (14)
  • September 2013 (22)
  • August 2013 (21)
  • July 2013 (25)
  • June 2013 (23)
  • April 2013 (16)
  • March 2013 (10)
  • February 2013 (22)
  • January 2013 (36)
  • December 2012 (3)
  • November 2012 (13)
  • October 2012 (27)
  • August 2012 (11)
  • July 2012 (33)
  • June 2012 (30)
  • May 2012 (28)
  • April 2012 (35)
  • March 2012 (14)
  • September 2011 (1)

Come and read

All my thoughts

The contents of this blog is copyright © to me Jensine-Bethna Wall and although I am happy for you to post, re-post or reference my thoughts, ramblings and miscellaneous outpourings, to do so you must always make it clear that the content belongs to me and me alone and I have the right to be identified as the author, this is only for non-commercial purposes If the content of this blog is to be published or broadcasted by any for of media for commercial purposes I do maintain the right to be contacted and asked for permission, in some cases even payment. Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording will constitute an infringement of copyright. I grant permission to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending is prohibited, otherwise all rights reserved.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • jensinewall
    • Join 1,246 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • jensinewall
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...