Merry Xmas to you and to you...

I can't believe this year's almost over. It's been quite a big one! And next year looks like it will be almost as hectic (not quite as intense, because I have no plans to get married again or move country!) If The Bacon has her way (my new boss, for those who don't know) then I'll be making 4 films in the first half of next year - two docos, a corporate for the theatre company and a viral campaign about illegal immigrants.

It's just a pity I won't see Ben for most of the year! That's going to be weird. It's been pretty nice having him here. At the moment both my flatmates are away (back home for Xmas) so we have the house to ourselves. Almost like being a real married couple.

I've got some meetings with journalists first this in the new year. Just some meet and greets, to introduce them to the organisation and to me. The media here is crazy. And I have to say that it's a poor reflection on the British people how crap their media is, because there is so much competition here that if the Brits want high-quality journalism they can get it... instead the highest selling papers are the awful tabloids (I think the Sun is the biggest seller, Murdoch's contribution to the UK scene). People even read the News of the World - which is that paper that often reports on aliens landing and huge imaginary sex scandals. I thought it was a joke! But you see people reading it on the tube!

Here is a nice little summary of the British press to leave you with, from comedian Russell Howard. The quality of the video isn't great, but I'm sure you'll appreciate the content. The sad thing is that it's true.

Merry Christmas!

xxx

Christmas craziness

This week has (thankfully) been a bit more relaxed than last week, probably because last week I tried to shoot a film in amongst working 2 jobs! It was a bit stressful, but the film was for a competition and is now up on Youtube. Check it out (it's very silly, but I think it's funny!)

The film had to somehow be inspired by this short story, which is quite absurdist and our interpretation is loose to say the least! Basically we started thinking about what furniture gets up to when people aren't in the room.

My theory over here is I'm just going to enter everything and anything. Put myself out there. However I can. Hopefully next week though I'll have some time to relax over Xmas and coming into the new year!

xxxx

It's been a while...

My apologies. It's been some time since I wrote.

I'm STILL living in the 18th Century. The boiler has been broken for 2 weeks, and we had told the real estate agent there was a problem more than a week prior to that. What a nightmare. It's been freezing cold (I got sick - gee what a surprise!) and we've had to go to friends' and neighbours' houses to have a shower! Thanks to all those friends and neighbours that kindly invited us in.

Plumbers are supposed to have the boiler fixed today. But I'll believe it when I see it.

All the tradesmen who have come to work on the heating and water systems have been very nice, most helpful, but the real estate agents are so difficult. They have this attitude that they are doing us a favour anytime they do anything - when all they are doing is the absolute minimum they should be doing for their job! And not even doing it very well. They keep telling us how much it is costing the landlord - like it's our fault and we should be grateful! Just get the fucking boiler fixed for Christ's sake! Total arseholes.

In other news, started my work at the Barbican, which is quite fun on the whole. Lots of nice people work there, most people do something artistic. And we get some free tickets. Got paid to watch a movie the other day! It wasn't a great movie (Changeling - Clint Eastwood's film with Angelina Jolie. Story is interesting but Angelina is rather OTT and the film is too long, it keeps going for about another 30 mins after the main mystery has been solved) but I liked it that bit better because I earned £17 while sitting on my backside.

Ben is over, which is so nice. We're like a real live couple again! Watching DVDs in bed (can't leave my bedroom coz it's too cold in the rest of the house!!) I'm working a lot this week, sadly, but we've booked a holiday in January. Going to Sicily for a few nights! Will try to avoid being shot by the mafia.

Think that's it for now. Will try to get back into doing more blogging this week.

Living in the 19th Century

I just did the washing up by boiling water in the kettle.

Yes, our boiler is broken. No heating or hot water for a few days now. A guy was supposed to come yesterday but didn't. He is supposed to come today but it's nearly 330pm and I haven't heard when he's expected to arrive. I have to leave at 5pm. I guess if he hasn't arrived in the next 1/2 hour I'll go and splash cold water under my armpits so that I don't smell at work!

Oh the joy. Why are real estate agents all such shitheads/nobjockeys/cunt weasels (that is  term SD invented - credit where credit is due)? He keeps telling us he's sorry about the delay and the landlord is going to pay for extra electricity costs due to using portable heaters, but he won't say when someone is coming to fix it! We don't want compensation, just a working boiler! And this guy has stood us up for meetings twice! Booked us in to come to his office then failed to be there.

So here I am, waiting, and I'd rather go into the office because it's so cold here but I don't want to leave in case I need to let someone in to fix it!

In better news, I quite like my haircut. Photos included.

Change is as good as a holiday

Today I am volunteering to be a hair model, in a crazy hair-brained (ha!) scheme to get a free haircut. However, it means they can do whatever they like to my hair. I'll post photos of the (potentially-disastrous) results soon...!