The Do's And Dont's Of Getting Ink

One of my favourite things in the whole entire universe is the moon for as long as I can remember I've always been obsessed with the moon so when I turned 18 I knew I was going to get a tattoo of the moon. Two years later at the age of 20 and in my first few weeks of college I decided to bite the bullet and go get my first ever tattoo.

 I've always been weirdly fascinated with tattoos growing up watching Miami Ink and gaining an obsession with Kat Von D (who I actually wrote a letter too when I was 11 and guess what... SHE REPLIED!!... I know, I'm too cool)
There are so many amazing tattoo artists out there and mine in particular are Kat and English artist Alice Perrin so make sure you look around for the artist you like.

I got my tattoo from Jim Farrell in Carlow after recommendations from friends and I'm so thankful I went to him, I have to admit I was a ball of nerves, needles are my biggest fear in the world so Jim really did help me through the process and for that I will be forever grateful, along with my friends Jennie and Emma who came with me and helped me through the excruciating three minutes.
Getting my second tattoo is now on the cards but with a million and one ideas this is something I'm not prepared to rush into especially as I want it on my wrist where I'll see for the rest of my life.

So even though I only have the one tattoo and I'm not full of tattoo knowledge from my research and my experience I have a list of Do's and Dont's that I recommend anyone thinking of getting a tattoo gives a quick read over. I mean have you seen Tattoo Fixers????? - You don't wanna be on that do you?! (Okay, well I'd personally love too be on that but for Jay Hutton and that's about it)
Anyway here are the Do's and Dont's of getting ink -

The Do's as in.....DO THESE!!

1. Research your tattoo artist:
Don't ever just randomly go into a tattoo shop and get a tattoo straight away. Ask around, go online, ask to see their portfolio do whatever it takes to make sure you're getting your ink from a reliable source. Truth be told looking through an artist's portfolio will show you more about them than anything else.

 2. Know what you want:
As simple as it seems don't walk into a shop with the idea that you want a tattoo and pick something off the wall 'that one' why do people do that?!! It's something you're going to have on you forever and make you younique to everyone else so really think about what you want.

3. Trust the artist:
We all have ideas on what would look great but your tattoo artist knows best and if they say it won't work realistically it's not going to work. Listen to them and take their advice on board.

4. Bring a friend or someone to keep you company:
Getting a tattoo can be extremely nerve wrecking and painful so having someone by your side to hold your hand really does make the experience that little bit more tolerable.

5. Think about the future:
Yep I'm being a mammy here but you really need to think about your future, think about your career, your future career aspects, where you place your tattoo is so important and of course what about your children in the future? Are they going to appreciate a big 'fu*k Bi*ches get money on your shin??? ...yeah, didn't think so!!

6. Eat before you arrive:
Sugar!! Sugar will be your best friend before you get your tattoo so drink some lucozade before you head to the shop, you may get light headed so having sugar and a full stomach will help you wildey!!

7. Take care of your tattoo:
The aftercare of your tattoo is the most important part of getting ink. Everyone will explain this to you but initially your tattoo is an open wound and must be taken care of.

8. Realise it's painful:
It's an obvious one but tattoos are sore!! I'm not kidding I didn't think i'd make it through my tattoo and I was in and out of the shop in seven minutes, that being said though some people say it's nothing it's all based on your own physical pain threshold and my pain threshold is shocking!!

9. Be on time and respect your artist:
This goes without saying but usually the best tattoo artists are always back to back and under high demand, I know for my own tattoo Jim squeezed me in and if I was a couple of minutes later he'd have ran into his next appointment which would run into the next, so on and so forth.
 Don't give the artist grief and always leave a tip.

10. Keep still:
The most important and this is the only thing going around in my head when I was getting my moon tattoo. The straight line was so important and if I moved just once I could have ruined it....BUT I DIDN'T and neither should you...KEEP STILL.

And next you have the DONT'S of getting a tattoo...

1. Don't be under the influence:
I know it might seem like a great idea to have a few shots of vodka to ease the pain but it really doesn't work like that, alcohol actually thins your blood which means you'll bleed a lot more and even bruise more, don't bother just get on with the pain.

2. Don't rush into anything:
This is something I'm not good at but I'm learning, when I decided I wanted the tattoo of the moon I booked it the Tuesday and had it done the Thursday but for my next tattoo I'm waiting to really decide what I want, think it through it's not something you can change after a year honestly take your time.

3. Don't get one illegally:
As in don't bother getting a tattoo at fourteen/fifteen I'm pretty sure the legal age is 16 anyway but just think this through, also don't forge parents signatures and please don't go to that man's shed up the woods...just don't please.

4. Don't regret it:
I remember crying to my housemate two hours after getting the tattoo because I thought it was ugly, it was too black and it was burning me six months on and there's nothing in the world I love more than my moon, I even buy tops that I can show off my moon in, my only regret is that it's on the back of my neck so I can't see it everyday.

5. Don't pick off the wall:
This is one thing my uncle told me a long time ago and that's to never walk into a tattoo shop for the first time and leave with one the same day, think about it , be original.

6. Don't be a pain:
Okay I probably was such a pain to Jim but I tried my best, I didn't freak out I sat down, braced myself and sat as still as possible!! Don't annoy your tattoo artist, don't scream just head down and get on with it.

And there you have it my do's and dont's of getting tattoos, I'll definitely keep you posted on what and when my next tattoo will be :-) 

What You Don't Know About Working In A Call Centre

Working in a call centre is a piss easy job right? I mean what does it involve? You just sit there, answer the phone, chat to customer and solve their broadband issues, what's easier than that, you couldn't find an easier job right???

 Well I've been working in the call centre for almost six weeks now and before I started working here I had the same expectations as you, I thought it was going to be the easiest job in the world. I love chatting to people and a job that involves 8 hours solid of talking this was going to be piss, I mean really thinking about it as an aspiring radio presenter this was the closest thing, chat, chat, chat and some more chatting it's great however there's another side and that's the actual working side and now that side...well, let's just say there's a lot that goes on in a call centre that unless you work there you'd never understand.
   You've to be in the building half an hour before your shift (which yes if you've a shift at 8am you're there at 7:30, which means leaving at 7am) you rarely leave on time, yes if your shift ends at 6pm and you get a call at 5 seconds to 6 guess what, you're taking it!!
The systems...they're always slow and the main thing you can't take anything personal.
 So as you can see there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes here's 20 more things that you may not know about working in a call centre...

1. It's hard -
Yep believe it or not working in a call centre is hard working, I work in the broadband department and it's one of the most difficult things in the world. You've two computers in front of you, about 10 systems you need to know inside out and considering I failed ECDL in school and every IT exam in college it's not exactly a piece of cake.

2. Abuse - 
1 in every 3 calls is an angry customer, the things people call you are beyond believable. I was once told I had the world's worst voice and shouldn't be answering the phone, I got abused becuase we weren't open 24/7 and that's just the little things, trust me you need to have a very thick skin to work in a call centre.

3. You appreciate nice people so much - 
When you answer a phone and the person on the other end is nice, friendly and full of banter then there's nothing better. I'm a chatter and love chatting to people, I've talked to people about the Bermuda triangle, Calvin Harris, The Loch Ness monster, wine and journalism some people are so lovely and friendly and that's the best part of the job.

4. It's fun ...at times -
When you have someone who's nice and exactly like what I said above there's nothing better than having the craic.
One customer told me my accent would 'make him melt', I told one lady to 'have a lovely weekend' and she replied with 'I love you too' and then there was the time on April fools day I pretended to a customer he owed £500 on a bill.
 When it's a quiet day (Sunday evenings) movies go on like Ride Along 2 and The Martian (2 of my faves) we can also play hangman and guess who in our teams so it really can be a bit of a laugh...at time.

5. You talk : A LOT - 
This kind of goes without saying but you do talk a lot, from the minute you go in until the minute you leave you're yapping, yapping, yapping and come five o'clock I develop a lisp, not even kidding!!!

6. You make great friends - 
The friends I've made in the call centre are one in a million from Eiren to Amy, Joey to Declan there's so many new friends I've made in just my few weeks there.

7. Days are long -
You work 8 hour shifts and if you think a 60 minute lecture is bad you should spend 60 minutes on the phone being shouted at.

8. There's serious talent - 
Look, when you work in a firm with over 200 people it goes without saying there's a quar bit of talent strolling around...shur look I'm only human.

9. Music- 
There's always at least two radios on the go and you'd be surprised how important the tunes are to get you through the day. Then of course there's the tunes when you're on hold, 'how deep is your love' and don't get me started when 'hot line bling' comes on #RaveToTheGrave

10. Rainy days make you happy - 
When it's raining outside I'm the saddest, most down human being on the planet however when I'm in work on a sunny day, well... lets just say I rather when the rain is pouring down!!

11. You have to dress good - 
Yeah this is something a lot of people don't know but you actually have to dress well when working in a call centre, Monday to Thursday is business wear and Friday to Sunday is business casual. This means heels everyday, work pants and a fairly decent appearance in general. Yep this does mean no tracksuit, no runners and no jeans everyday....the horror!!

12. There's A LOT that can go wrong with people's broadband - 
And the 'have you tried turning it off and back on again' doesn't always make the cut.

13. You talk shit-
The amount of utter shite you talk on a daily basis is phenomenal, I didn't even know I was liable to talk that much crap but you do, you talk absolute crap!!

14. It's a crazy social job -
There's zero chance you can be an antisocial person when working in a call centre, every minute of the day you're dealing with people, even since I started working there I've noticed how incredibly social I've become and I love it!

15. You bullshit A LOT -
Similar to the talking shit, you bullshit.... every second thing is bullshit and sometimes it just can't be helped!! Obviously customers rather when you're truthful and just come straight out with something but there are times you have no choice but to bullshit 'sorry my systems are running slow today, bare with me' *begs neighbour to help you solve the problem*

16. Stress - 
And there's a lot of it, I can tell you from my own experience I've left that live floor in tears as has members of my team as well as almost every other agent on the floor.
 The minute you leave that building you have to leave what happened there behind or else you really will get drowned with stress.

17.The environment is unreal -
I can't speak for every call centre but the one I work in is without a doubt the most unbelievable place to work, the emphasis on teamwork is unreal and there's always unreal incentives like free sausage rolls, free drink and even a free television!!

18. The General public are ignorant!! - 
Look, I'm not even messing when I say this people are horrible, horrible like!!!

19. Hardest job, unreal experience - 
The job itself..not gunna lie, it's not the best it's hard, harder than you could ever have imagined but the experience?... it's worth the torture!!

20. We hear everything -
Oh also, you know when you're on 'hold' - we can hear everything you say! We're muted, you're not ;)

And there you have it, 20  things you may not have known about working in a call centre, decide yourself what you make of working here!! 

Road Trip Playlist

If there's one thing I love in life it's going for a drive with the girls, it's one of the most relaxing things you can do and there's nothing better than having good tunes on that trip.

 Going for a drive is very popular amongst my friends, whether it's been a hard day at work or you just need a chat the car is the perfect place to be.

The same when I was in college, me and my housemate Jennie would always go on drives around the Carlow county.

 Then of course there's the drives with the girls when the music is banging and you listen to the best throwback songs and sing every word, yes I think everyone loves a good road trip from time to time hence the inspiration for this post.

What mainly inspired me to write this post though was when I came across an American car rental Company Turo  which I love the concept behind. You can rent the car from order people and have your own perfect driving experience with some drivers leaving behind their own personal road list playlist. 

Even though Turo is currently just available in the US and Canada from looking into the website and the company it's something I feel will definitely be taking Ireland and the world by storm very soon!! Imagine, renting a car and driving through the streets of Los Angeles....oh the dream!!

Anyway, back to music!! As a lot of you reading this will know I love my music and making playlists for different things like my ultimate night out playlist and now I'm making the perfect Road Trip playlist. When it comes to the type of music we listen to on drives it really depends where and when we're driving. If it's a Saturday afternoon and we're planning on heading out that night it'll be similar to the playlist above, however if it's a Monday morning on the way to work it's going to be a lot like Adele and sad music... it's the way it goes so what playlist do I include??

 Well, think a Sunday evening spin when you're with the girls, you're happy and fancy a sing along but also a bit of a dance this is what this playlist is representing... I hope you enjoy!! :-)

1. Justin Bieber - Sorry 

 Bieber has to be on the playlist whether you pretend you hate him or not  I couldn't decide between Sorry or What Do You Mean.... Sorry won!! 

 2. Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean

Long story short What Do You Mean made the list.

3. DJ Snake - Middle

It's one of my newest favourite songs and not only can you sing along but it's chilled, cooled and relaxed, the perfect drive song.

4. The Weeknd - The Hills

Nothing puts me in a trance more than this mans voice which is exactly why Abel made the cut with one of my all time favourite songs!!

5. Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody

They're my favourite band in the world and no one compares to the Followill boys but this song, it's a ballad and needs to be played on every single road trip across the globe.

6. Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

Growing up this was my favourite song in the world having listened to it 890878 times (no exaggeration) but every time it comes on it's like hearing it for the first time and a sing along on a road trip is always A1.

7. Oasis - Wonderwall

Everyone knows wonderwall and everyone knows every lyric to Wonderwall and even though it could possibly leave you in tears by the end it's the perfect song for a drive. 

8. Vicetone & Tony Igy - Astronomia 

Picking up the pace a bit now and it's my get going song, there's nothing like this song with a decent bass so put it on, turn it up and dance...like a mad woman!!

9. Julio Bashmore- Holding On

It's the ultimate feel good song and I love nothing more than grooving out to this tune. If you haven't heard it before then you need, I repeat NEED to listen to it!! 

10. Sigala - Sweet Loving

Yes...that is all!!

11. Sia - Cheap Thrills

Another one of my new fave songs is this banger by Sia and it's the perfect song to rock along too in the car.

12. Dzeko & Torres - L'amour Toujours

A remix of the classic L'amour Toujours that is almost as good as the original!!! 

13. Milky chance- Stolen Chance

I adore Milky Chance and this song is perfection at it's finest. 

14. Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines

Blurrrreeeddddd linesssss

15. Britney Spears - Piece Of Me

Everyone loves a bit of Britney and if you say you don't then you're lying!! Nothing gets the girls going than a Britney sing song on a car ride

16. Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire

Another KOL track but a guarantee feel good song. 

17. The Killers - Mr Brightside

Everyone's favourite Mr Brightside is also on the list and it's a song that I know you don't want to give into and sing but the minute it starts.... 'coming out of my cage....'

18. Kanye West - Black Skinhead 

One Of Mr West's best tunes in my opinion and my God is it wonderful, blaring this, driving along it's the perfect road trip tune. 

19. Big Time Rush -Windows Down

THE PERFECT DRIVING SONG!!!! - Don't even try disagree with me!!

20. Coldplay - Charlie Brown

My favourite coldplay song of all time and I adore this belter when we're driving along, good aul Charlie B

21. Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat 

I listen to this song at least once every single day and it reminds me of my college days in Carlow and there's nothing better than when a song brings back those feels!! 

22. Calvin Harris - You used to hold me

A playlist wouldn't be complete without a bit of Calvin Harris especially a bit of a throwback from his hunk so here is you used to hold me. 

23. Mike Posner - Pill 

I love Mike Posner and this song has literally brought him back with a vengeance and it's gone onto become one of my all time favourite songs. 

24. Paul Simon - You can call Al 

Classic

25. Eiffel 65 - Blue 

Here's a throwback that everyone knows and everyone loves.

26. The Cranberries - Zombie

There's something about hearing Zombie blaring in the car that gets you going, especially as an Irish Woman. 

27. Don Henley - New York Minute

Slowing down now again but for good reason, such an intense but amazing song. 

28 Artemesia - Bits and Pieces

Okay so this may not be everyones cup of tea but for me it's one of my favorite songs in the world, listen to this and try not want to head out. 

29. Faithless - Insomnia

If you're friends with me this is a song you're likely to hear about 23 times a week and I'm not joking, faithless is King!! 

30. Noahplause - Crunk

And finishing our list on a tap end it's Crunk... the only thing I can advise about this song it to blare it up, down the windows and nod the head...trust me it's the best way to go!!

And there you have it my 30 top tunes for the perfect Road Trip, even though there's about 15,000 more that I've wanted to put in, aka Dimitri Vegas, more Calvin, Taylor Swift, Cha Cha slide but I hope you enjoyed some of them and can incorporate them into your own drives :)