Big pause, big update.
I haven't actually updated this since early June, and I'm not even sure why or how. But here's the last three months compressed into a tin of processed goodness.
I begin with the sad news that Patsy, my rather large hamster, died this afternoon. I think she had a little stroke some time on Tuesday night, because yesterday morning she could only stumble around in circles and wasn't really aware of herself, then she went to bed and just slept until she finally went this afternoon. I am sad, but at least glad that she went at home and that it was quick, unlike my guinea pig who soldiered on with various health problems for seven years. I've buried her near him under one of the trees in the garden. She was two, which is normal for a hamster, and she's had a good life. Even if she did nearly eat my entire house.
Last week I went with Josh and Taras to stay with Jess in Aberdeen for a few days. I'm usually not phased by train journeys, but the 6-and-a-half-hour marathon each way was a bit of a killer. However, it's quite a nice place and the surrounding area is lovely. Trouble is, I couldn't understand anyone. We did a veritable smorgasbord of activities ranging from eating to, well, eating. Mainly enormous quantities such as 18 Vietnamese dishes between five of us (including what looked like Crispy Fried Foreskin and Sellafield Chicken) and a two-square-foot pizza. Scotland is certainly the land of hearty food. We also went on a tour of the Glen Garioch whiskey distillery. Now, I only started drinking whiskey 'properly' within the past three months, and although I know part of how it is made, I didn't know as much as I do about wine, for example. So it was really interesting to see it all, and, at the end, taste it. I wouldn't call myself a whiskey buff by any measure, but it's certainly something I could get used to.
Going backwards a bit further, the next event was probably my last trip to London, and the visit to ITV. The people fromt he TV Festival I went to run a scheme to give a lucky few a six-month paid placement at certain television production companies. I applied and got a first-round interview, held at the ITV's headquarters. Independent Television is within a larger complex on the Thames' South Bank called The London Studios, where countless shows for all channels are filmed, from Have I Got New For You to GMTV to Ashes To Ashes. Around eight of us were shoved into a lift which shuddered its way to the 25th floor in about two seconds, rearranging my intestines, from where there was a fantastic view over London. They even had a free Starbucks - FREE. Although it was great to see around the place and some of the studios, alas, I didn't get any further. I was slightly annoyed because I was the only one who actually did anything in the 'group task' (an brainstorm and pitch for a new programme), but there were four other groups apart from us.
The next step back is probably the graduation, as I've only just realised that I never wrote about it. It was a rather strange day, not least because Journalism was oddly paired with Teaching in a little ceremony of their own. Although several famous people were due to appear during the week, including Judy Dench, Billy Conolly and David Attenborough, we only had one. Michael Rosen (I think that's how it's spelt), the children's author. It didn't even last that long, but it was nice to see everyone for the last time - at least in a while. And they did have a champagne buffet for us afterwards. I showed my parents around the campus, CBJ and my old magazine office, which will be knocked down during next year. They seemed a little overwhelmed by the scale of the place (my mum was at the Open Uni and my dad left school at 14). now, of course, it's incredibly strange having no definite 'next chapter', but I'm working on that.
You may have noticed that I left my 21st birthday out of that lot, and that is chiefly because I didn't have one. I got some money from family and my mum and I went to Yo! Sushi, but apart from that nothing happened. In fact, on my actual birthday, I did nothing at all. Guy was, until last week, still in London and I've been waiting for him to come back for us to do a meal or something. Although, as of tomorrow, that plan will be a month overdue. Fantastic. I may as well have thrown a party for myself in my bedroom - and I almost wish even that was a euphemism.
I begin with the sad news that Patsy, my rather large hamster, died this afternoon. I think she had a little stroke some time on Tuesday night, because yesterday morning she could only stumble around in circles and wasn't really aware of herself, then she went to bed and just slept until she finally went this afternoon. I am sad, but at least glad that she went at home and that it was quick, unlike my guinea pig who soldiered on with various health problems for seven years. I've buried her near him under one of the trees in the garden. She was two, which is normal for a hamster, and she's had a good life. Even if she did nearly eat my entire house.
Last week I went with Josh and Taras to stay with Jess in Aberdeen for a few days. I'm usually not phased by train journeys, but the 6-and-a-half-hour marathon each way was a bit of a killer. However, it's quite a nice place and the surrounding area is lovely. Trouble is, I couldn't understand anyone. We did a veritable smorgasbord of activities ranging from eating to, well, eating. Mainly enormous quantities such as 18 Vietnamese dishes between five of us (including what looked like Crispy Fried Foreskin and Sellafield Chicken) and a two-square-foot pizza. Scotland is certainly the land of hearty food. We also went on a tour of the Glen Garioch whiskey distillery. Now, I only started drinking whiskey 'properly' within the past three months, and although I know part of how it is made, I didn't know as much as I do about wine, for example. So it was really interesting to see it all, and, at the end, taste it. I wouldn't call myself a whiskey buff by any measure, but it's certainly something I could get used to.
Going backwards a bit further, the next event was probably my last trip to London, and the visit to ITV. The people fromt he TV Festival I went to run a scheme to give a lucky few a six-month paid placement at certain television production companies. I applied and got a first-round interview, held at the ITV's headquarters. Independent Television is within a larger complex on the Thames' South Bank called The London Studios, where countless shows for all channels are filmed, from Have I Got New For You to GMTV to Ashes To Ashes. Around eight of us were shoved into a lift which shuddered its way to the 25th floor in about two seconds, rearranging my intestines, from where there was a fantastic view over London. They even had a free Starbucks - FREE. Although it was great to see around the place and some of the studios, alas, I didn't get any further. I was slightly annoyed because I was the only one who actually did anything in the 'group task' (an brainstorm and pitch for a new programme), but there were four other groups apart from us.
The next step back is probably the graduation, as I've only just realised that I never wrote about it. It was a rather strange day, not least because Journalism was oddly paired with Teaching in a little ceremony of their own. Although several famous people were due to appear during the week, including Judy Dench, Billy Conolly and David Attenborough, we only had one. Michael Rosen (I think that's how it's spelt), the children's author. It didn't even last that long, but it was nice to see everyone for the last time - at least in a while. And they did have a champagne buffet for us afterwards. I showed my parents around the campus, CBJ and my old magazine office, which will be knocked down during next year. They seemed a little overwhelmed by the scale of the place (my mum was at the Open Uni and my dad left school at 14). now, of course, it's incredibly strange having no definite 'next chapter', but I'm working on that.
You may have noticed that I left my 21st birthday out of that lot, and that is chiefly because I didn't have one. I got some money from family and my mum and I went to Yo! Sushi, but apart from that nothing happened. In fact, on my actual birthday, I did nothing at all. Guy was, until last week, still in London and I've been waiting for him to come back for us to do a meal or something. Although, as of tomorrow, that plan will be a month overdue. Fantastic. I may as well have thrown a party for myself in my bedroom - and I almost wish even that was a euphemism.