**Week 1 and 2** Well then, I’ve been here 2 weeks now, and I am only just doing my diary…oops. I’ve been well busy though, I had to start a week early because I’ve been making a film for the Blast Magazine show that’s going to be on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 2 in September. Yesh indeed. Bristol Madness
 | | Bristol Beatles |
It seems ages ago all the Blast Reporters were in Bristol for the weekend training programme, (I'd never been to Bristol before, and I have to say, I really like it. It looks more like a hilly town than a big city, kind of reminds me of home a bit.) That was a mad two days though; as soon as we got there we had non-stop seminars and workshops on web writing, photography and CMS right on until 10pm! Which only left us a couple of hours to sample the delights of Bristol’s night life, but never mind, it’s all good. I met some wicked people on the training thing; it’s going to be proper cool when everyone comes to Brum at the end of the placement! Good old ‘Buuuurrrbbbbingham.’ TV Star, don't you know
 | | High class photographer, oh yeah |
So yeah, I’ve been really busy the last couple of weeks sorting out all the stuff for this punk film; we filmed a gig on Wednesday down in Digbeth and interviewed a few bands on Thursday too. And I had to do all the links and presenting stuff to camera on Thursday (I hate being in front of a camera, but it got easier and soon the cheese was flowing); we were filming from 9am ‘til 5pm! I only just made it back home for Neighbours which I was most pleased about. (I really should get out more). Still got a bit more filming to do but for now I'm actually going to concentrate on finding stuff to write about, before my mentor kills me. Champagne lunch Ooh, how can I write a diary entry without banging on about the free champagne lunch me and Sarah (my mentor) had last week?!? Don't get the wrong idea, it’s not everyday champagne and free food here at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Birmingham, but if you know someone who speaks Egyptian Arabic and the Manager of a certain food establishment happens to be from Egypt, well I'm sure you get the idea. It seems being able to speak different languages here in sunny England (yes kids, it is possible), brings rewards in the form of a three course lunch complete with beer and pink champagne. Oh, and I discovered that I actually do like olives, even though I've been convinced for years that they were the most disgusting things ever, apart from mushrooms, of course. Ah, the show biz of it all.Ìý Funky stuff
 | | Blast Crew Group C |
I've actually got quite a few cool things lined up to write about, on Sunday I'm going to a Burlesque show, and Monday I'm going to talk to Ian Reynolds, a Brum-based photographer who’s just done a project on the Birmingham hip-hop scene. I'm going to be venturing deep into the depths of the city to find some funky gigs, festivals, shows and films to see, so just watch this space! Just noticed the time and I've only got half an hour until I have to go to work... ..."Would you like any side orders with that, sir?" **Week 3 and 4** OK, so I’m now in my fourth week of working at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Birmingham and since my last entry I’ve been ever so busy, yesh indeed.
 | | Me on Midlands Today (and you know this) |
I went to the burlesque night at the Glee Club, that was wicked, nothing like what I expected. Check out my article on it and if you care enough check out a radio interview I did with Loyd Williams about it. (See, I’m in popular demand, I knew I was destined for instant fame and fortune, it was only a matter of time.) I went to meet Ian Reynolds, a Brum based photographer to chat about his latest exhibition and why he loves photography so much. Lost Pass That was on Monday last week and it would have been a brilliant day if I hadn’t lost my ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ ID pass on the way to meet him. (I told you I was good at losing things).
 | | ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Bear |
I have no idea how I lost it, one minute it was there and the next I was running back towards the Mailbox to find it after ringing Ian and my mentor Sarah and explaining that I was a complete loser. I didn’t find it though, which meant that I couldn’t get through the special revolving door anymore (I was most displeased). The receptionist let me in and I had to report it to the security office. Then, as if to demonstrate how stupid I am, I lost my tobacco outside as well, (yes I know, ‘look after your things, bla bla bla’ or better still ‘you shouldn’t be smoking anyway’) but luckily at the end of the day the security guards told me that he found it and also that my ID card had been handed in. Yey! I did get two productive things done on Monday though, meeting Ian Reynolds and writing the burlesque article and putting it online. So it was all good in the end. Pop-ups and radio interviews?
 | | Me and Lloyd Williams |
Wednesday was a bit mental really. My computer kept playing up and I kept getting all these annoying pop-ups that wouldn’t go away so I had to phone IT services (it’s really cool, they fix your computer while you’re on the phone to them, moving your mouse and clicking on stuff.) I thought it was well funny at first but the novelty wore off when I had to ring them back five times that day. The problems I had meant that I didn’t get much done at all in terms of writing up the photography piece but I did get to do a radio interview with Loyd Williams for his show about the burlesque night. Gallery sit-ins Ooh and me and Sophia (the Black Country reporter) got to sit in the gallery for the 6.30 Midlands Today news broadcast. How exciting was that?!
 | | Me and Soph |
It was proper cool, amazing how everything has to be so tight on time though, everything down to the last second. And it was cool to see the presenters being normal in between takes, news presenters have personalities too, you know! So that was the highlight of last week. This week I’m only in today because I’m off to Wasted festival in Blackpool tomorrow, I finally get to see the sea! (This is the first summer of my life where I haven’t had the beach on my doorstep and although I love staying in Brum for the summer, I do like to be by the seaside.) Anyone feel a song coming on? | 
