Winter has kicked in finally here. It is starting to get quite cold, but still no 24x7 rain that I had been warned about. I get up in the morning at around 7:15 and it is almost pitch black. By the time I leave the house the sun has just started to peek it's head over the horizon. This morning the city was covered in thick fog, as I walked up Baggot St to work the sun was rising - a massive round ball burning through the fog - very impressive. I like my morning walk.

I am currently working as a document controller at Arup Consulting Engineers. It has to be the most boring job I have ever had. All I am doing is filing, and not just run-of-the-mill filing, but filing A1 drawings. It is a real pain. And when I am not filing, I am twiddling my fingers waiting for something to file (I do this quite a lot). Luckilly this is only a 2 week job and then I go on to my next boring assignment. I WANT A REAL JOB!

I went for a job interview a couple of weeks back that sounded great - I would have been perfectly suited. I didn't even get a second interview or a reason why. I think it is because I am not Irish, as the market is so bad companies have so much choice that they might as well hire a local candidate.

I have given up looking for IT work. I think I will go traveling after Xmas then head home before April when my ticket runs out. That will be almost a year abroad - a pretty good effort. Yesterday was the 6 month anniversery of leaving Australia - celebrated with a frozen pizza in front of the tele!

Not going out much lately, partly to save money and partly because I don't feel like it after my last clubbing experience. I did go out on Friday night with people from work. It was a "paid for" event combined with a site visit to a car park. A bunch of about 20 engineers - all male, except for me, another secretary and a graphic designer. You can imagine it got pretty roudy with free drinks and so much testosterone in the room.

As you can probably tell I am feeling quite low at the moment, things just aren't going my way. I certainly don't have the luck of the Irish! Send me lots of emails to cheer me up, and to give me something to do at work!

My purpleturtle account has pretty much crashed and died. Can you please send emails to alisoneire@hotmail.com

Went and made a statement at the guarda's on Thursday. I was seen by Sergent Finbar Murphy and sat down in one of the little rooms off the waiting area (just like on The Bill) I went through what had happened and he wrote it all down. I then had to sign that it was all correct. Not really a very pleasant experience having to sign that it is all knowing that I will have to stick to the story in court etc.

I also saw a solicitor who says I have a strong case but it will be up to 18 months or 2 years before I see anything. It's going to be a long process!

I took the steristips off yesterday and the scar does not look too bad. It is neat at least. Still can't laugh properly though and I am a bit worried that I won't get the feeling back or be able to move my lip properlay again. At the moment the left side of my top lip is a bit dropped (Like Miss Shutes at Cheltenham for those of you that know/remember her)

On a brighter side, I have been going to plays most nights this week. Saw Oyster on Tuesday, Guess Who's Coming for the Dinner by Roddy Doyle, Le Costume which is directed by Peter Brook (a legendary director). I just saw Rose Rage (an adaptation of Shakespeares Henry plays) and I am off to see Pete Postlethwaite in Scaramouche Jones tonight. They were all fantastic and I couldn't really pick out a favourite. I might have a day off tomorrow!

Just when I thought I could not have any more bad luck here in Dublin - it has hit again. When you see me next I will have a 4cm long scar (6 stiches + one internal stitch) on my left cheek thanks to some drunken idiot in a club in Temple Bar.

Here's the story...kind of so you all know and feel sorry for me and partly for my own memory and to get it out of my head... (if you don't like blood stop reading!)

I was in Bobs in Temple Bar celebrating a friends 21st birthday. I was standing talking to Karen and her firend Chris and I hear someone (I think a girl?) shouting "You f***ing spilt my drink". She must have retaliated and thrown her drink at the person who had spilt hers, only she missed and the next thing I know I felt my top get saturated with beer followed closely by the glass hitting my face. I put my hand to my face and felt a big flap of skin with blood spurting out everywhere. It was very crowded and dark in the club so I was screaming and trying to get someone to help. I couldn't see who did it but remember seeing a couple of girls standing where the glass come from.

Finally I got help and was ushered into the managers office and the ambulance was called. I got to hospital (the ambo's had Fire Department written on their uniforms!?) at 1:35 and was patched up. The nurse was horrible pointing out to me that I would have a big scar on my face (like I didn't know that!) and then refusing to belive before she took my blood pressure that I was going to faint. After 20 minutes on a bed regaining my blood pressure I was out with the drunks in the waiting room. Luckilly my wonderful friends Neal, Karen and Derval were there to sit with me. Neal stayed the full 9 hours till I was seen at 9:30am and hung around while I got stiched up. Don't know if I would have coped without you guys!

St James hospital emergency room was an experience in itself. I was in with the drunks and the knackers all with self inflicted assorted injuries as results of falls or fights. One guy there said to me " I had a few jars and fell off a bunk bed" He broke his nose and wrist. There was a young guy there who when he walked in on the arms of a few friends looked like was on some pretty heavy drugs. In the morning he was bouncing off the walls and informed Neal and I that he had "tried to kill himself with alcohol and fell over and cut his head". Some of the patients got a bit annoyed at the long wait and were constantly causing trouble in the waiting room. Needless to say it was not a very pleasant night.

Apparently after I left the club Zena insisted that the guardai were called and they took down numbers. I called on Sunday night and reported the incident and have an appointment with the duty sergent on Thursday night. Tomorrow I have to go to the trauma clinic at the hospital where I will see a plastic sergeon. Hopefully the scar will not be too bad as it is almost a clean cut - I only lost a tiny amount of skin. Reguardless I will be speaking to a solicitor about recouping any money from the club.

This is all really terrible timing with the festival opening last night (I missed out on my opening night tickets to Oyster :( - I am going tonight though so it's not too bad). I am unemployed again in two weeks too so hopefully my scar is seen as tough and not a potential liability to future employers.

Thanks to Neal, Karen, Zena, Derval (my new next of kin!) and everyone else that has rung or helped me.