Final Video

It's been a really intense week - ever since finding out about the STA top 10, I have been non-stop on the go, go, go! No uni work has been done, only manic STA planning, filming and editing. I wanted to do this thing to the absolute best of my ability, to have no regrets, to be able to say, win or lose, that I couldn't possibly have done anything different, or anything more.

And now that my video is finally finished and uploaded, I feel that I can safely say I have succeeded in my aims. Even if I do say so myself, I'm really proud of what I've created in the short space of time we were given (even though the deadline has now been extended to Friday, but whatever!) and I think my video fully represents what Falmouth is all about.

I planned it all out on Thursday, started filming on Friday evening, spent the day interviewing locals on Saturday, filmed the beach bits on Sunday and finally finished it off on Monday night. Then editing began (one of the best bits, in my opinion...it's like a puzzle - you just have to keep playing with it until you get what you want) and after two days it is now complete. All I can do is wait. Fingers crossed for the 12th of May! And if you haven't already, please please please take a few seconds to vote by visiting www.voterusja.com!

OMFG

And I'm into the TOP 10!!!!!

That is all. There are no more words. I'm too excited for words!

Over and out. Votes please www.voterusja.com

Life, oh life

This week has been a hectic one, full of uni work, library visits and of course, STA stuff. I had my phone interview (to try to get into the top 10) on Monday and I think it went pretty well, although it's really hard to tell over the phone, because you just can't gauge someone's reactions to what you say. I didn't know when to stop talking! Some of the questions were cool and I was sort of expecting them, so I'm pleased with my answers for those but there were a few that threw me a bit - like 'how would you advertise yourself on a billboard?' and 'what is your claim to fame?'. I think I did pretty well and came up with some good answers, but annoyingly now in hindsight I keep coming up with better ones. But oh well, I need to stop that, other wise I'll drive myself crazy! I did my best, and that's all I could do. You can't predict what it is that they're looking for so you jut have to be yourself and hope for the best. So fingers crossed.

They said the Top 10 will be announced either today or tomorrow. I want to be on that list sooooo badly! If I do get in, then I've got my next video all planned out and I have a HUGE marketing campaign in mind, but that's a big IF. All the other applicants are fantastic so I say good luck to everyone, may the best 10 get through.

In other news, I'm back at uni after a really good Easter break and I have absolutely insane amounts of work to do. And only 5 weeks (well, nearly 4 now) to do it in: one presentation, one essay (3000 words), one research project (4000) words, and a film to finish (re-shoots, ADR sound stuff, finish the soundtrack, finish editing, write a group essay, write a self-reflective essay and complete my portfolio). So much to do, so little time! My motto: it will get done, because it has to get done!

Right, enough for today. I'm off. Got my presentation in just under 2 hours. Might just have another read through of my notes.

Tantrums, Trampolines and Tortoises

The other day I was left in charge of two of my younger sisters (yes...i have four sisters in total, crazy right?!), one of whom is eleven (Clara) and pretty much just chills and looks after herself but the other is just a baby (Thalia), well almost two, so she requires a little more attention. And my god is she entering those 'terrible twos' with a bang.

First it was, 'lets go outside and play with the chickens'. 'okay...yes', she says. So we go upstairs to get her dressed and all hell breaks loose when an attempt at changing her nappy (or 'mappy' as she calls it) is made. I mean she literally had an absolute screaming meltdown, the likes of which I've never seen. Eventually though, and with the use of many distraction tactics, I managed to wrestle her into some clothes, after which she was a very happy bunny and toddled off to play with her dolls, the chickens completely forgotten about.

Shortly afterwards we had a game of hunt for Louis, the tortoise, so that we could give him a bath. Now you see, Louis is given free roam of the house and he likes to hide in small dark spaces, which means finding him is somewhat of a mission. We looked high and low, in every nook and cranny I could think of, all the while Thalia got more and more excited, shouting 'Louis, Louis' and she stomped around the house. Finally we found him, huddled behind a piece of furniture and took him for his bath, a job Thalia relishes...anything where she can get a bit messy! And after some 'gently splash Louis...now all clean' gobbledygook from Thalia, it was time for lunch. Carrots, pitta bread, humous, cottage cheese and tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!

Finally, after much crying, giggling, running (and falling over) and shouting (her, not me), I got the naughty little one into bed for her afternoon nap (I know...I wish it was socially acceptable for a 21-year-old to have a nap too!), meaning I could use the time to do some of my mountains of uni work. Did I? No, of course not. I spent two hours pretending to work (i.e. having the word document open), while really I was just on facebook/twitter/STA or watching some crap on Ninjavideo (you know the drill).

Luckily, when Thalia awoke she was in a much better mood, and while there was still a little complaining about the 'mappy' change - 'don't like it, don't like it! Just mummy do it' - she was enthralled enough with the idea of doing some painting that she didnt put up too much of a fuss this time.

And painting we did. Her hands were covered. Her feet were covered. Her clothes were covered. The sink went purple. The flannel turned multicoloured. She had a blast! The fun continued outside on the trampoline, where I was ordered to sit and 'watch' as she bounced to her heart's content, checking every now and again that I was indeed doing as I was told.

I'll end the day with tales of bath time and bedtime which were, thankfully, an absolute pleasure. We got all the plastic ducks out, had a bubble blowing fight and took lots of photos (to which Thalia says 'me see, picture, me see?' At story time we read a book called 'I Want My Mum'...her choice. Very funny little tale of a princess who wont go anywhere or do anything without her mum. Sounds like someone I know. Then it was night night, lights out. Zzzzzzz.

Babies are hard work. I love her to bits but I'm glad I could give her back at the end of the day!

I Can't Believe It!

Wow. That is all I can say.

I am into the Top 20 of the STA World Traveller Intern competition and I am actually speechless. Literally don't know what to do with myself I am that excited! It will be a while before anything can wipe this grin from my face (see below for my reaction to the news):

I really didnt think that I was going to get through - there were so many other fantastic applicants, all with awesome videos...so congrats to the other top 19 and commiserations to those who didnt make it.

The next stage is the phone interview and hopefully all my planning and crazy-lady talking to myself (by way of practising) will pay off. Fingers crossed!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me...keep them coming!

Victory!

What a match, what a glorious glorious match. Come on the Chels! 3-0!! Into the FA Cup Final. Amazing.

Wembley's a crazy place...so huge it's hard to comprehend, and you only realise how big it really is when people at the opposite end of the stadium start chanting and you can't actually hear them properly, they're really that far away, like when you hear a muffled radio in a film or something. Insane is what it is.

Hello World

So I haven't blogged for a few days...been busy with essays and family fun times. But now that one essay is done (a very long, boring look into the stereotypes of blaxploitation films...yes BLAXPLOITATION. That is Black Exploitation...Funzies) and the sun is a-shining, I can, for a few days at least, get back to enjoying the last week of my holiday, before term starts again and it's back to grind.

And what, I hear you ask, am I going to do to entertain myself this week? Well, this afternoon I'm off to Wembley to watch the Chelsea v. Aston Villa FA Cup Semi-Final...for those who aren't football fans, this is VERY exciting! It's made all the better by the fact that Mr Sun has got his hat on. Hip hip hip hooray! Doesn't everything just seem so much better when the sun's out and the first real glimpses of summer can be seen? I'm already daydreaming about the beach, bbq's, camping, surfing, and all thing's summer. And tomorrow I'm going up to Norfolk to visit my little sisters...all gazillion of them (okay well, three of them. But still), and hopefully this weather will continue so we can hang out in the sun.

Anyway, I'm off. Come on you blues! Yes. I'm a Chelsea fan...and what? :P

P.S. The top STA WTI Top 20 are announced on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Actually you can do better than that and click here to vote!

Belgium Video

As promised, here's a little something from my Easter weekend getaway to Belgium. Enjoy!

Belgium: Day Three

With it being our last day, we thought we'd head out into Antwerp for a little explore and some light shopping, but when we got to the main shopping street (the Meir) we discovered that, because it's Easter Monday and therefore a bank holiday, none of the shops were open! Our plans scuppered, we just wandered around a bit, gazing longing in all the shop windows until we decided that we should probably do something cultural, so we headed to Reubenshuis, (the house where the painter, Rubens, used to live) which has been done up and re-furnished to look just as it might have done when Rubens lived there and is full of all his artwork. However we all thought the most interesting thing was the embossed and gilded leather wallpaper.

After this cultural excursion we went off in search of a nice cafe for lunch, and ended up in a cute little place called 'jam', which served delicious pasta and toasted sandwiches. Once full to bursting point (food seems to be a theme of this weekend, doesn't it?!), we went back to the hotel to collect our bags and we were soon on our way back to Brussels station and quickly on the Eurostar heading for London.

It's a been a fantastic three days, full of fun and culture and discovery, but most of all full of chocolate. When asked what has been the best bit of the holiday, my sisters all replied: "THE FOOD!" What a surprise. So there you go, if you like food, Belgium's your place. It's pretty good for culture too.

Belgium: Day Two

Today was a proper 'exploring' day. We set off for Bruges at about half eleven this morning, arriving roughly an hour later to streets lined with chocolate shops, all absolutely packed with tourists. We excitedly rushed up and down the streets, looking at the different chocolates on display (even buying a few [boxes] to take home with us!), and being enticed by all the vibrant colours and delicious smells.

When sufficiently sick of all this chocolatey goodness, we ventured further into the centre of the city, towards the canal and the Markt, passing yet more chocolate shops on the way. The Markt is the focal point of Bruges and is where most of the city's restaurants and cafe's are situated...so after looking around for a bit, we picked one and went in for some well deserved food. Forty-five minutes later, and with full tummies, we made our way over to the Belfort Tower (a landmark some of you may recognise from the film In Bruges) to climb all 366 steps right to the top, but when we arrived there was a massive queue to even climb just one step, so instead we headed to the Burg, a square that is walled by beautiful old buildings, churches and museums.

After all that sightseeing, there was just enough time before heading back to the hotel in Antwerp for one last treat...a very large ice cream!

Belgium: Day One

It was an early rise this morning (6am to be exact) but even as I was rudely awakened by my alarm, I couldn't help smiling. That's how much I love to travel. No really, just the thought of being on the move and seeing somewhere new excites me enough to be able to get up that early, a rare occurrence as I'm barely ever seen out of bed before midday!

As our train (the 07:57 train from Kings Cross St Pancras to Brussels) pulled out of the station, I got those familiar little 'travel' butterflies telling me we were on our way, that the journey had begun. It's hard to explain to people who don't get those same feelings what it is about travelling that I enjoy so much; it's the not knowing what's ahead, the spontaneity, the people, the food, the culture, the differences, the similarities. There is no one thing that can summarise the essence of travel as it's not just something you 'do'. Instead it is a way of life, a mentality driven by passion, curiosity and a  childish excitement for all things new.

Anyway, 2 hours later and we were in Brussels, where we hopped into a waiting taxi and made our way to the hotel. As we drove through the streets of Belgium, travelling away from Brussels and into Antwerp (where our hotel, De Witte Lelie is situated), I was reminded of the slick city feel of Berlin, with its trams and busy roads, combined with the delicate beauty of Paris, with its little shops and cobbled streets. I guess all European towns and cities are pretty similar really, soaked in history and culture.

After settling in at the hotel, we ventured out onto the streets of Antwerp to find some food! And food we found - at a lovely little cafe/restaurant place called Via Via. And once we were full we headed back into a taxi and went on our way to Tongeren, where we were going to visit Trinny and Susannah as they filmed an episode of their new TV series! So as I sat in the back of the taxi, with two sisters beside me singing along to the Glee soundtrack, and the other one and her friend sitting in front of me, giggling away, playing some insane game of 'hit me when you spot this car', I decided enough was enough, stuck in my earphones and fell asleep to the dulcet tones of Frank Turner..."to the East, to the East, the road beneath my feet. To the West to the West, I haven't got there yet..."

We returned back to Antwerp after a few hours spent sifting through all the rails of clothes, and ventured out once again in search of food.  On the hunt we came across the city's cathedral and spent a few moments staring up at it in awe, before our hunger pains got the better of us and we scurried off to a little restaurant for delicious pasta and pizza.

So there I'll end the day; fed, watered, tired but happy, ready for another day of discovery tomorrow.

P.S. well done for reading all the way to the end, you deserve a prize...um...*virtual high five*!

My Ideal Destination...

So as I mentioned in my last post, I've been filling in the next application form for the STA WTI and one of the questions I'm finding the most challenging is the one that asks 'what is your ideal travel destination?'. I mean, come on...that's hard! That's like asking me what my favourite film is...impossible! There are just too many to choose from.

For anyone who knows me, it'll be obvious why I'm struggling with this one. I can't make decisions. Ever. Life is too exciting, there are so many opportunities to be had, so many places to visit, so many adventures to be, well, adventured. I want to throw my all into everything, to explore the unknown, to work out who I am and what I like and who I want to be. As I said in my application video, I've been told by my friends that I'm [quote/unquote] "in everything", and I think that's a perfect description of me. However, this also means that I can never just pick one thing or one place.

So in response to your question STA, I say this: I cannot choose just one. The world is too vast and too exciting to limit myself to just one destination - I love different places for different reasons. Obviously I have formed my own idealisations about certain places I am yet to visit, and have favourite destinations that I've already had the pleasure of travelling to, but to tell you just one of these would be to ignore all the others and take away from what they can offer. I'll be happy anywhere, as long as I'm out there exploring; seeing and learning new things, meeting new people and discovering new ways of life, ultimately changing my perspective of the world.

For more details have a look at my profile and if you like my answer, give me a vote!

Top 50 baby!

Yesterday was intense, with a capital TENSE! As I checked, refreshed and checked again on the STA World Traveller Intern homepage my heart was in my mouth, a million questions running through my mind...what if I haven't made it? What if my video wasn't good enough? What if all this effort and panic and fun and stress hasn't paid off and they don't like me enough? What if I'm not what they're looking for?

Those 30 or so minutes when the website went down and displayed the message 'we are currently updating our website' was the most insane, surreal experience, with twitter going crazy, full of messages from my fellow applicants, fingers, toes and everything crossed, waiting for the very same thing I was.

Whether I win or not, this has probably been the most rewarding part of the competition, getting to know all these other traveller types, who live for the adventure and excitement of the open road, just like me. And yes, I know it is a competition, so I shouldn't really get too friendly but the way I see it, if I did by any miracle, actually win, I could be travelling with one of them! So there's no need to burn any bridges. As a group, we as applicants have been so supportive of each other, blogging and twittering about our experiences, helping each other out. I'm excited to meet some of them at the STA meet up next week, maybe make some friends to travel with in future? Who knows?

Anyway, back to the competition...so at about 5pm yesterday evening, when the suspense was really getting to me, I got a tweet from Paddy telling me that the results were up! With baited breath I clicked refresh and there it was...there I was. In the Top 50! Me! I couldn't believe it. Here's some proof...so I never forget:

I'm still in a bit of daze to be honest...and I can't stop smiling. This might sound smug, but I'm really proud of myself for actually doing it and for giving it a go. To know that I made the effort and was successful in my attempts is just fantastic. That goes for everyone else too...congratulations to all the other 49 finalists...WE DID IT!!

So now my attentions turn to the next round...the application for the Top 20. Keen bean that I am, I've started answering some of the questions already.

I'm gonna make this next application form the best that STA have ever seen.

P.S. To all those who voted and campaigned for me...I love you I love you I love you. thank you. x

Artwork

Thought I'd use today's blog to put up some of my artwork from over the years - mostly A-level and Art Foundation stuff, paintings/drawings/photos...let me know what you think.

 

To See More visit: My Flickr page

P.S. Sorry about the random messy placing of the images...it keeps going crazy!

What Are You Doing To Me?

23rd of March. D-Day. The moment of truth. Or so I thought. Imagine my dismay last night when I went online to find this:

So...STA have extended the deadline for the first round for the World Traveller Intern competition and as much as that's great for those who hadn't gotten around to entering yet, for those of us (Paddy Doyle, Emma Sparks, Harry Harris, Sophie Collard etc etc) who've all been eagerly and impatiently awaiting the day we find out if we've made it into the top 50...this is AGONY!
I don't think I've ever wanted anything so much in my entire life and I think that's because I feel like it is a job that would suit me down to the ground. This competition is honestly all I think about, I'm utterly obsessed! But I've enjoyed every minute of it.

I got an email from the lovely Fran of STA TravelBuzz the other day asking me some questions about the competition, and although I did email him back, and post a response on twitter (click here), I thought I might try to sum up my experience of the competition on here too:

How have you been preparing for the next stage if you were to go through?

As much as I really really want this, I've been trying to think about it just one stage at a time, so I'm not massively crushed if I don't make it through to the next round (although I definitely will be)...but I guess I've just been giving a lot of thought about WHY I want to travel and what it is about ME  that would be so good for this job. I've got a few ideas on the go for another video if I were to get into the top 10 and, like Paddy, I too can often be spotted talking to myself as I answer some imaginary phone interview questions!  But that's a long way off, not even into the top 50 yet!

Note to self: stop getting so carried away.

Any particular views about the competition so far? 
I've been following the US version of this competition since it began and have just been waiting and hoping that one day there'd be a UK one, so when I first got the news I really threw myself headfirst into it. No, really. I was so excited I stayed up all night planning my application video.

I've loved the whole thing...had such an awesome time making my application video (neglected my uni work for a good 2 weeks...oops!) and campaigning for votes by any means possible... ...facebook/twitter/word of mouth, you know the drill. It's also so great to be able to interact (via social networking sites) with some of the other applicants - meeting like-minded people is really what it's all about right? I think my mates are getting pretty sick of me talking about it, so it's nice to have some people who know how I'm feeling!

Have you been particularly impressed with other applicants?

Overall, the videos are great and so diverse, with everyone finding different ways of expressing themselves (Thomas Minnock's is particularly clever and original, with an awesome backing track). It's slightly worrying actually - more and more fantastic videos are being posted everyday, making mine ebb away into obscurity :P

I think my favourite applicants at the moment are Paddy Doyle, Harry Harris and Emma Sparks...not only because of how great their videos are, but also because of how involved they've been...they seem just as enthusiastic and excited as I am, which is great! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's crazy-obsessed with this.

With shameless self-promotion I once again say...vote for meeee!

Bring on the new deadline...Thursday 25th of March.
And please, STA, don't change it again. I don't think my nerves can take it!

I Heart Lists

Was having an introspective moment last night and thought I'd write up all the things I want to do before I die, otherwise known as a Life List...or Bucket List...you choose. The following are in no particular order...I just wrote down what I thought of. This will undoubtedly be added to as i think of more things.

Here goes:

1. Ride on the Trans Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing.
2. InterRail around Europe.
3. Spend a year living in another country.
4. Skydive.
5. Go Hang Gliding.
6. Sing on stage in front of a large audience.
7. See Robbie Williams live in concert (lame I know...but I love him).
8. Run the London marathon for Teenage Cancer Trust.
9. Do the London to Paris cycle ride.
10. Road Trip from New York, across the States and down through South America all the way to Chile.
11. Re-trace Chris McCandless' (aka Alexander Supertramp) travels (but don't die, obviously!)
12. Learn to Surf.
13. Win an Oscar. Or a Bafta. Or both.
14. Get a photograph published in a well-known magazine.
15. Send a secret to PostSecret and have it shown on the website.
16. Get a tattoo.
17. Learn another language.
18. Build a house.
19. Fall in love.
20. Make a difference (to at least one person's life).
21. Give Blood.
22. Climb Everest (or at least to base camp).
23. Learn to Scuba dive (and stop being so scared of the sea in the process).
24. Leave home and don't return until I've been to all the countries I want to visit.
25. Have an exhibition of my artwork/photographs.
26. Have a family
27. Live on a beach/remote island in solitude for 6 months.
28. Hold or pet a monkey/lion/tiger.
29. Get into Film School in America (NYU/USC/UCLA).
30. Graduate from Uni with at least a 2:1.
31. Do the Mongol Rally.
32. Own a dog. A Golden Shepherd to be exact. And call him Supertramp.
33. Get really involved with a charity.
34. Pass my driving test.
35. Road Trip through Africa/South Africa.
36. Go to Glastonbury Festival.
37. Teach kids English in India/Africa.
38. Spend a year without technology (see 27).
39. Build a boat and learn to sail.
40. Design or invent something for Apple.
41. Kayak between the Greek Islands.
42. Walk on the Great Wall of China.
43. Visit the Grand Canyon.
44. Ride an Elephant.
45. Write a book...and have it published.
46. Kayak through the Amazon (all 2010 miles of it).
47. Do a ski season and get good at snowboarding.
48. Set foot on each of the seven continents.
49. Buy and own a car
50.

Welcome To The Jungle

Just done my first day's work experience at Princess Productions in London (aka the people who make T4) and it was soooo good! So much better than I expected it would be. For starters, everyone is so nice and the atmosphere around the place is so chilled out and relaxed. No one really seems to be stressed or rushed at all, which is nice.
The day started with a tour of the place...offices, edit suite, post-production, the gallery (where the director sits in a room with a gazillion screens to watch what is being recorded) and finally the studio, where I watched (and got involved with the clapping/cheering/laughing) Grimmy (aka Nick Grimshaw) do all the links that will go between the shows on Saturday's show.
I was introduced to everyone (whose names I promptly forgot), and given a few simple tasks to do.
Then things got just a little bit exciting...Jude Law and Forest Whittaker arrived to do an interview about their new film, Repo Men! It was quite strange, to be standing in this studio that I've only ever seen on TV, watching presenter Nick Grimshaw chat to these two massive film stars...crazy.

If you listen close enough, you might even be able to hear me clapping.

Big Fat Fail

The last few days have just generally been rather crappy, and I'm feeling a bit bummed out to be honest. Can't wait to go home to London on Saturday and have a break. But wait...I wont really be getting a break for another 2 weeks, cos Ive gotta do work experience for one of my course modules. I'm working at T4, and I am looking forward to it, hopefully it should be a lot of fun, but I'm also kind of wishing I didn't have to do it and that I could just hang around and relax for a while. Life's been pretty hectic these last few weeks or so, and it doesn't look like there's gonna be any let up any time soon unfortunately.

The rain doesn't help either. Come on sunshine. I know you're out there somewhere to take these winter blues away.

Travel Envy

Wanderlust: very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

As it comes to the end of term, and loads of my friends are preparing for their course field trips, while I'm stuck in the library, researching for an essay, I find myself with a massive case of travel envy...that's right, the green-eyed travel monster is rearing it's head and my feet are getting itchier by the second. One friend is off to Milan, one to New York and another to California! Just to add to this, my Film course doesn't. go. anywhere. Not in the whole 3 year degree. Not one single trip. So...I figure I'm gonna have to do something about this. Campaign, raise money, really fight my travelling corner. Or just Go. On. My. Own.

There are so many excuses as to why one shouldn't just up and leave and disappear off into the wilderness - no money, no time, too much work etc etc. But I have decided these won't be mine anymore. Screw money, what else is a student loan for? There's always time, you just have to find it. And work? Well, just do it on the plane/train/automobile! This year (whether it be this Easter holiday, or in the summer) I am going to go somewhere. Somewhere I've never been before. A place to adventure in. And I'll come back with tales to tell to all those people who are making me jealous right now.

Serious case of wanderlust: solved.

Happy Birthday James

It would be James' 22nd Birthday today. It's a weird thing, to be thinking about what someone would be like, or what they would be doing if they were still here. Would we still be friends? Would our lives still cross paths? It's been just over two and a half years since he died and there's not a day I don't think about him. Every day it gets a little bit easier, and every day it gets a little bit harder. To think that I have not known him for almost half as long as I knew him is a strange feeling. He was a massive part of my life, and I'm sure if I had never met him I wouldn't be the same person I am today. He has inspired me to enjoy each day, to really live. To do the things that scare me. To embrace my life and the lives of those around me. To not sweat over the little things. To really embrace for the big things. He has taught me the importance of friendship, and laughter, and love. But most of all he has helped me to just be me, because there really isn't any point in pretending to be anyone else.

And for that I am truly grateful.

So I say this...Happy Birthday James. Thank you for being in my life. You are always missed. And never forgotten. xxx