On The Buses: Old school friends like to meet up for a chat

Next on the bus was Luiz Alvaranga, from Brazil, heading off to work in Sorrento restaurant, Mahon Point.

Luiz works there part-time while in Ireland studying English. He is currently doing a Masters in Languages in Brazil.
Also on the bus were two former school friends Marie O’Donovan and Pam Ryan. Marie and Pam met each other again after many years apart in Lough Derg.

When we met her on the bus, she had just come from lunch in Debenhams with six school friends. “We have been meeting up for the past 25 years. For a number of years we were all too busy with children to meet up every week, but now that we have a bit of time to ourselves, we meet every week.”
Another coffee fan was Gearoid Power, a scribe at UCC. Gearoid, who has a degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals, takes notes for disabled students by attending class alongside them.

“I’m there to take notes, I don’t like to disturb the people I am note taking for and I am not really supposed to talk to anyone else. I write the notes as if I am a teaching assistant. I try to make them as clear and simple as possible.”
Before heading back to the office, the Evening Echo stopped for a quick chat with the bus driver, Tim O’Donovan who was finishing up his shift.

Tim said the odd time the odd score does end up going up on the scoreboard.