When I got off the bus I had all sorts of things on my mind. I had loads of photocopying to do and I needed to make an appointment with one of my professors. Apart from that I had a seminar at 12.00 and a meeting beforehand concerning a presentation. My mind was trying hard to organize all these things, but it wasn't doing very well. So I decided to take things one at a time and see how I got on.

Completely absorbed by my chores I was blindly making my way toward the Audimax and the copying machine. My thoughts were concentrated on the record-breaking speed in which I might do 150 copies. Therefore I wasn't ready for the sight I beheld when I came into the Audimax area: There were big Ireland flags hanging on the wall and a huge "Welcome to the Irish Fair" sign. Students were bustling about, chatting with each other and trying to sell things at the same time. In the distance I could make out a table piled high with food and I could hear Irish music in the background.

Before I know what was happening, I found myself in the middle of this lively lot, eating cheese cake and buying lottery tickets in order to win part of a trip to Ireland. It wasn't until someone asked me why I was carrying all those books around with me that I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. I remembered the saying that there is a time and a place for everything and decided this was not the time to do my photocopying!

Nina Hannaford