Internship in London: Day Five... last post! (I think)

Second last day of this internship! Not sure if glad or sad. I remember I was so excited for this internship to begin, but it's somehow disappointing... Except that today I was taught to do something! Thanks to you, NEW FRIEND! I was taught how to do some things on tumblr, how to fix the photos so they fit and look good on that platform. So yay! And I said "ok, thanks, I won't trouble you anymore" and he said "you can trouble me as much as you want" WOOHOO someone cares, a tiny bit. Or pretends he does, so that's nice.
It was cheat day as well, like every Thursday, so I had coffee and a muffin and that made me feel very good, so I was so hyper with all those things going on! And stuff to do! So happy. Also in my lunch break I could lie down on a bench and "get a tan". Which means, I could see the sun for a while, something I won't be able to do for some time.

But when I was leaving and said "see you guys tomorrow" nobody replied? what the hell, seriously? Am I that unbearable? Well, how would they know if they never talk to me? HAHAHAHA, that's ironic.

The day started beautifully when I found a flower on the ground right after walking out the hotel, by the riverside (which I love, in case you didn't notice). I don't like to get flowers as presents, it makes me sad to see them die after a few days... I like them better alive in nature. So tip: never give me flowers! But this one was, unfortunately, already cut off... So I kept it, and it's now on "my" desk.I thought it was a nice way to start off a day.

Found this in the ground by the riverside. Thanks #London for lighting up my day first day in the morning #goodmorning #goðandaginn #flowers #pink #internship #smile

Una foto publicada por Paula DL (@diel05) el 23 de Jul de 2015 a la(s) 1:10 PDT

After I left, I felt very down because of that unpoliteness so untypical (or rather, unexpected) from English people. Where are your manners? I'll tell you what: Lara and I always say that Glasgow sucks, because out of 10 times we've been there, 8 was raining. But the people are always so cheerful it's almost annoying. You hear stories that make you thing that you are going to be stabbed while walking around, or some drunkard is going to smash a glass bottle of your head (yep, that's the image we get from Glasgow) but actually everyone is always in a good mood: bus drivers, they like to joke around, waitresses, retailers...People in Edinburgh are nice too, ok, but Glasgow has something else. Maybe because they are always drunk, HAHAHA. (Sorry, it was so easy I had to say it). Stirling is just average, not extremely nice but not as rude as these other people.
So next time something talks about the "English politeness" like they do in Spain, I'm going to mention a few things!

When I got the hotel, I was very down and sad. Probably hungry as well. I didn't feel like going out for my workout, but I forced myself (because I was not feeling tired, just not in the mood) but I went anyway. I started jogging in a different direction I always walk... and I ended up running for so long! Ok, it was almost 40 minutes, but that's A LOT for me! Then I sat on a bench, did some abs work and some random (creepy) guy congratulated on my good effort, so hey!AWESOME!
It's funny how exercising makes you feel a lot better and not as down anymore! I know there are scientific explantions for that, and it's because we release some hormon, but it's odd to feel it yourself. And gratifying!

So after that... IT WAS TIME TO PACK! Oh god, THAT is drama. Real drama. How I'm going to fit so many things? I know if I managed to do it on my way here, it will work out for the way back but I really had to do some tetris in the suitcase... Just procrastinating a little bit, I'll do it tomorrow. (Where's my sister when I need her? :p )

And that's all for today. I won't be able to blog tomorrow... and after that, I'm not sure if I will feel like bothering you, people, with some of my stories (I probably will) so... hopefully, write to you soon!

Internship in London: Day Four

First of all, I must say that I'm watching (a.k.a playing in the background) Step Up 2 (I think) and it's driving me CRAZY because the girl has the exact same voice as Pensatucky from Orange is the New Black but it's not her. But it's her voice. But not her. And I'm getting a headache because it's A GIRL WITH PENSATUCKY'S VOICE! So if I write some nonsense, more than usual, you know why it is.

That said, I must say that the day today was rather irregular, but good in average. I FINALLY talked to someone for LONGER THAN TWO MINUTES in the office. It was most of it about work and such, but IT'S SOMETHING! I don't know the guy's name, or I think I do? But nice that someone tries to engage conversation with me. He even talked to me while lunch. Once again, about work stuff, but yay! He was basically helping me to make the tumblr post I've been working in look PERFECT. And it will. It's just frustrating that it's taking 3 days for a tumblr post, but all we can do is to be patient.
I have also noticed, and again it's very frustrating, that people just do things that I COULD DO myself, and actually, are among my tasks. Let's take twitter. If I'm working with the social media and promotion, I should do the tweeting and such. Well, one guy tweeted three things today right before leaving. And told me on his way out "I've tweeted a few things". THREE TWEETS IN 10 MINUTES! And I'm sitting here all day doing nothing! Why not suggesting me to do it? That made me sad... But when I was leaving, this other guy who talked to me today was also doing on the tumblr post and I asked "why didn't you tell me to do that so I would have something to do?" and he said "you'll have things to do tomorrow", so YAAAAAAAAAASHHH!!

Just to clarify, don't think that I'm a lazy bastard and sit there all day staring at the computer screen. I really, really try to find things to do, but it's a bit complicated because I don't want to disturb the other people with things I think and might be rubbish to them. I might come up with an idea of something to do, but they all seem so busy I don't want to disturb... But still, I keep trying, in case I find something super valuable that makes me a celebrity in the place... or similar.

So that was basically it, although I must mention the moment when the fire alarm went off and everybody had to leave the building, I expected it would take at least half an hour, because when that happens at the Thistles centre in Stirling, we spend a considerable amount of time outside waiting. But not today. In fact, I thought "this could help to make people talk to me, or for me to talk to them". Nope. So I just give up. It just feels so frustrating, nobody asks; nobody knows what I do for a living, they don't even know what I've studied or where I'm from! I guess they know where I'm from, yeah, it's pretty obvious, but... c'mon! Socialise!

I also tried to go to a Three store, my mobile phone company, because I can't get any calls. So I have a dual SIM phone, and if I put the UK SIM card in the slot 1, I get signal, and the calls and all that, but when I answer, I can't hear anything. Or when I call. But when I put it in slot 2, it always worked... until Tuesday, for some reason. So I go to the store:
Incompetent Guy: Can I help you?
Me: [I explain the situation]
IG: Yeah, our company can't operate in dual phones because their setting are too complicated.
Me: But it USED TO work, it just suddenly stopped.
IG: Yeah, we never guarantee anything on dual phones.
Me: I get that, but I think it's weird that it worked BEFORE and it doesn't work anymore?
IG: Like I said, it's not guaranteed. And that can happen, it worked and it doesn't work anymore.
Me: So I can't use my SIM for calls at all?
IG: You could get a new plan and get a new phone for only one SIM card
Me: But I have two cards, that's why I have a dual phone.
IG: Then get two phones [laughs]

LISTEN YOU ANNOYING T***, CHIP FACE, GREEDY C***! Look at me. Do I look like I was born yesterday? Like I don't have a brain? I'VE HAD TWO PHONES, YOU IDIOT, and that's why I have a DUAL SIM now, because it's a lot more comfortable and easy!!! You son of a fart!!! Thanks for your no-help, thanks for nothing!
In UK, I've noticed, it's a common habit to ask for reviews and opinions in retail places. We do at HMV, and we are encouraged to get more and more every week. Well, if this company asks for my opinion, I'm going to give it to them. And they're going to like it, but that guy won't.
Conclusion: I think it's just that because I'm out of Stirling, in a different area, my phone and SIM card have entered a conflict. I guess they don't like holidays together and they don't get along if we leave our cosy village. Well, GET OVER IT. This place is great and we are staying a couple of days longer. Cheers.

Seems like I'm complaining about many things, but I also like other stuff. I like the area, I like the weather (although today was cloudy, but we'll see tomorrow) and I enjoy being out of Stirling for a bit. Fresh air is good.

Done with my workout of the day, I'm going to watch The Fighter because... MARK WAHLBERG! You need any more reasons? And because writing about boxing at "work" makes me curious about all this.
Tomorrow is my cheat day: coffee and cake! And if there's nothing more remarkable, I will skip the post.

Back to you soon, people!

Internship in London: Day Three

Madre mía, madre mía, MADRE MÍA! What a great day. It was sunny and warm again! Which doesn't really help, actually. Being indoors all day seeing the nice weather outside frustrates me, because I'm able to enjoy it just a few more days but I can't! Then I'll be back to rainy Scotland and no more sun for little Paula.

I like this area so much, it's so lovely and cosy. Maybe because the weather is nice so the people are more active, and most probably if I came over during winter it would be as depressing as the North Pole, but anyway.
So I left for work, and walked along the riverside... my favourite. I got there and did stuff. The dynamic in that place is pretty weird, because everyone sits down and people do their thing. Problem is... I don't know what my thing is. Sure, I'm in charge of the online media and such, but there's an editor and I can not rule the place and set everything on fire. Or can I? I'm leaving in a few days anyway, HAHAHAHA. No, seriously. So nobody tells me what to do, so I just go... HECK IT, I'll do what I want and they'll decide what to do afterwards. Conclusion: I tweet and retweet things, post things on Facebook and create some content for tumblr. Those last things need the approval from the editor, obviously, who is right across my desk... but he sometimes seems so busy and focused that I don't dare to interrupt, so I keep researching and trying to find material. Who knows if it will help them in any aspect, but I keep myself busy somehow.

There's another girl doing work experience as well, like I mentioned yesterday, and we get on very well. Only difference is that she's a video editor, and she doesn't show as much iinitiative as me, I feel, so she's spent LITERALLY all day surfing the internet. She would need a little push, maybe... or just ask someone what she could do, how she can help. Anyhow, we had lunch together outsiiiiiiide, in the suuuun, [walk to Bridge of Aaaaaallan...] (the entonation for these words is pretty specific, sorry if only a few of you can get the joke) and we talked about how the staff don't try to engage with us. Nobody has asked us what we do, where we come from, how we're getting on... Which is understandable because we are leaving on Friday, but.. I don't know. I think it's odd. At the end of the day I talked a bit more to one of the guys to ask him how to embed a video on tumblr. and that was it. But hey, it's a beginning! Right?

Although there's something remarkable and that made me very happy and it was... A MEETING! YEES! I'm not joking! So everyone went to the meeting room with these spreadsheets about the plan of the design and content of the magazine for next month and people made an overview of what's done, what's left to do, what to change, what to add... That was exciting! To me, that is, not to the other girl. That's what our teachers have been talking about all year, that's the real thing! I was so happy :D

Plus, lunch was nice because I saw my firtst thistle ever! Which is the flower of Scotland, so YAY!

First thistle I ever see! The flower of Scotland in London! #London #flowers #thistle #sun #Scotland #purple

Una foto publicada por Paula DL (@diel05) el 21 de Jul de 2015 a la(s) 5:52 PDT

Just me... being me

After work, I decided to walk to the hotel, for the sake of fitness and wellbeing. And to enjoy the weather, once again. It didn't take me very long, but I don't think I'll do it in the mornings, I'm not very active in the mornings. If you know me, you should know I'm not a morning person. Nope. Nope. NOPE. So no talking, no work-out, no exercise. All I think is about having breakfast, getting dressed and jumping on the bus. NOTHING ELSE.

When I got here and walked along the riverside AGAIN I was some envious of the people sitting outside the bars and restaurants that I decided to join. I first sat on the edge of a deck, fearing those damn giant swans, but then I went to a Spanish restaurant... that was really disappointing. All I wanted were some patatas bravas with alioli and croquetas! Sure, I had potatos with salsa brava, thta was good. But the alioli was some kind of mustard with spices... nothing, NOTHING like real alioli! And the croquetas? Aagggghhh. There was chicken in them, sure, but why add chive? WHY??? Sacrilege! And the bread crust around it? WHY SO THICK??? It's supposed to be thin and soft, just to create consistency to the mix in the inside, not to make it look like a rolled up porcupine. So glad I didn't order sangría, who knows what would be in it...

PERO EH, tenían CALIMOCHO. Ojo.

What's that yellow thing under my "croquetas"?

What's that yellow mustard thing? That's not alioli, GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT!

After that, of course, I went out for my work-out. I really can't stand running. I'm not a runner, it's a fact. I don't care what you people say, I can't like running! So I jogged for a little bit as a warm up to a bench on the other side of the riverside (yep, I love that place, in case you didn't notice...) and then did this work-out by the BodyCoach, WHO I HAVEN'T MET YET, by the way. Still waiting. I only made a few changes, like 45" instead of 30. So hpefully I will survive supercircuits when I get back on Monday :D
Also, it's a struggle for me to remain seated for almost 7h a day. It's killing me! But it was better today since I tried to keep myself busy. Getting there, getting there.

And I think that's pretty much it. Well, on my way back from the office a guy who I think had got in the water in the riverside blinked at me and said "you alright?" and I looked away so he said "So moody!!!!" but honestly, he looked like a d******* so heck it. But hey, it's something to bump my self-steem up! :p
Plus, when I got to the hotel after my fitness session WiFi did not work. BAD. So I went to the owner and she fixed it. GOOD.

I'll write some more tomorrow, unless it's just the same as today.

This was my view during dinner, it was gorgeous. We have to give them that.

Internship in London: Day two

Wow, two days in a row posting on my blog. This must a record or somethin.

The title is "Day 2" but it should actually be "Day 1" because it was the first day of the internship, but you guys are not that perfeccionist, right? So who cares.

Anyway, so as I said, today was my first day at Forever Sports. I decided to get there early, like I always do, but my most adventorous side decided to take a different route from the one I knew. I didn't get very lost, but that delayed me a little bit. And to be honest, those are the type of things that always make me leave a bit earlier than I should...
It was a bit disappointing to see that it wasn't sunny anymore, and that the sky was grey and cloudy... but oh well. So I took the bus to work, everything fine, but when I got off the bus, where to go? So in my old habit of talking to anyone and making friends, I asked a random girl who also got off the bus at the same stop as me. And she was heading the same way! So she walked me there and we chatted a little bit, the typical talk: where are you from, what are you doing here, bla, bla, bla...

By the way, I haven't said this before, but Forever sports belongs to a media company called Haymarket Media. They also publish many other magazines, most of them very niche. Like medical and economy stuff. So even if we were going to the same place, we were not necessarily working together.

So I get there, talk to the recepcionist, sit and wait, because like I said, I was early... and see the cafeteria. BEWARE! Cafe latte for 1.50, AND MUFFINS FOR THE SAME PRICE!! Didn't even want to get closer to them, because I knew it would hard to resist and it was not cheat day! But Thursday, defenitely.
Then I was picked up and taken to what would be my computer for the day (and I guess the rest of the week) and people were introduced to me. So many that I remember very few. Then a second young girl arrives and sits on the desk next to me, and she was also introduced to everyone. The editor, James and talks to us, and asks me what I'm studying and what courses were in my degree. I really had no idea what I wanted to do while working there, but I expected myself to work a bit with content and design? But I must have a very obvious social-media-expert face because that's the job I was assigned... I asked if I could also come up with some ideas for content for their tumblr and they said yes, so that's basically what I'm doing! Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. 
First 3h for both of us, the new girls, were like "find something you can work with" but without being very specific so I could do very little... Then we went on our lunch break and I started talking with this girl, whose name is Jade. Because, like I say, apparently it's very easy for me to approach strangers and be friends with people. So I started the typical conversation again: what do you do, what have you studied, what are you from, bla, bla, bla... and had lunch together. Honestly, I can try to begin a conversation like that, but it's very hard to keep pushing the person to carry on the conversation, so at some point I decided to go out for a walk around the area.

Because that's something I have also found out about myself: I'm not done for these office jobs. Oh, god, where is all my energy going to? NOWHERE! I can't be sat down for 8h a day, it kills me! I need action, activity, movement! Or maybe because it was the first day and everything was rather undefined... But that doesn't happen in HMV. You just walk around, back and forth, up the stairs and down, and stand next to the tills... and talk to people. There's a lot more interaction and movement. But I guess that's something I'll have to get used to!

The thing is that after the lunch break I had a short meeting with James and talked about what I would be doing for the week, which is basically what I mentioned before, but I showed him some ideas that came up while I was doing some "research" in the morning. He approved, and I started doing it... and then, it was time to go!

I left, a bit disappointed because I DIDN'T GET TO MEET THE BODYCOACH! Hahahaha. Maybe some other day... hopefully! But here's the funny part: took the right bus... on the wrong direction. LOL. I realised after 2 or 3 stops, so I got off and took the same bus on the opposite direction. I got to my hotel area and there are several supermarkets around, and like Alangrangers know, the "reductions" are taken out at 6ish. It was long past 6 so I went to Tesco and Sainsbury's to check and buy my lunch for tomorrow... that's the sad life of the student: food bought in the "reduced to clear" section!

When I got to the hotel, I still felt a bit too hyper so I went out for a jog. It had been grey and cloudy all day, but no even drizzle. UNTIL THE VERY RIGHT MOMENT I STEP OUT FOR A RUN. Of course. Typical. Regardless that annoying fact, I left for my workout, and then got back to the hotel, took a shower and ate my cous-cous and feta salad. Very healthy.

In the meantime, Alangrangers were organising a plan for this evening, they were considering to go to the Settle Inn for the open mic night. Kevin played the mandola last week, and a girl called Judith sang along with him. I hope he doesn't perform tonight, I'd hate missing it! I must confess there's a bit of mixed feelings there, because even though I'm "glad" to miss it because I got this opportunity, but at the same time, I wouldn't mind go out and socialise. This place is so greeeaaaat! And I have to enjoy it alone. Oh well, tough life.

But right now I'm leaving you, my loyal audience, to go watch Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I. Because it's on tv I have nothing better to do. #teamjacob forever!

Internship in London: Day one

So yep, I got an internship! YAYYYY!! And yep, it's in LONDON! Yaaay to that too, right? Well, not completely, since that means that I have to move to London for a week and leave Stirling, Alangrangers and more behind for 5 days. SUCH A PITY to have to abandon my confort zone to take part in an internship at FOREVER SPORTS! My favourite sports magazine in the UK :D
At the same time, I'm also working for Rucksacks Readers by assisting in their promotion on online platforms, also an internship so I'm very happy, I must say!

Like I said, this internship is in London, and here I am. The offices are placed in Mordor. No, not really, they're actually beyond Mordor. So you can imagine the journey to the hotel, because I was not willing to pay for a hotel in the city centre and spend 2h to the offices and 2h back every day, so I booked a room in Mordor, to be closer.

My journey began yesterday after work and having a wonderful dinner with Lara (we ate JAMÓN!) when I took the last train to Glasgow, because my flight in the morning was at 6:50, so I had to stay the night at the airport. No worries, I have a MASTER on spending nights at airports, although this time was tough because it was F****** FREEZING so I couldn't doze off at all. Anyway, I took my plane, headed to London (managed to sleep a bit during the flight) and when I get here... IT'S SUNNY AND WARM. Oh, so delicious. So when I got to Victoria station I just layed down on the grass and read Lady Chatterley's Lover, my loyal companion these days (either the real novel or the transcript of the trial, or anything related...). Because in case you didn't know, that's what my dissertation is about.

ANYWAYS after enjoying a few hours under the sunshine, I walked to Marble Arch, which is quite a walk (just because) and took the tube to Waterloo to meet... DOVILE!!!! Yeeeeeesssssshhh, after five years, FIVE YEARS!!! Unbelievable, and like nothing happened. Remembering those "special" lunches we had in Iceland... It was nice to have a short reunion.

So then I headed to Mordor, as I said, and... I LOVE IT. I love it here. It's wonderful, it's SPLENDID, MAGNIFICIENT. I think this place is in Surrey (I'm terrible at geography) and it feels like it's a little town inside London. The hotel is right beside the river Thames, and you can see it right over the road. So beautiful. Best part is that on the riverside there are soooo many bars and restaurants with tables and chairs outside, and people were sitting there enjoying the good weather, like if they were in Paradise. Or in Spain.
That actually made me feel a bit sad, because I wanted to join but it's a bit pathetic to do it alone... so I missed someone. This wouldn't have happened if I had my other half this year, Lara, especially because she misses the sun and the heat and she would've enjoyed this so much.
I actually just got home, changed my trousers for shorts, and walked out for a walk. It felt so good. I didn't feel even tired, which is weird considering my sleep depravation. I guess that sunshine really gives me energy and I could kept on. This area is so beautiful, really! So I've enjoyed my walk a lot. I even had ice-cream, because there was an ICE CREAM VAN parked there! And I never had had ice cream from a van like that, and this one had italian ice-cream. So... NOMNOM. I ordered chocolate and cookies, my favourite, but it was done... so I just had regular chocolate. BORING. But surprisingly, that was the only thing that went wrong today, which is odd. KNOCK ON WOOD, though. I hope it keeps like this.

Anyway, it feels strange to be able to understand the accent here. And that they don't thank by saying "cheers" and they don't call you "pal". Those wee Scottish things. But the sun is nice, SO I'M FINE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'll have all those things back on Friday.
I've also noticed a difference in what we call in Spain "el ganao"(Literally, "livestock", but it has a meaning). There's a lot better (and more variety) of stock here. Which is also fun.

And here I show you some pictures from today. I will update you tomorrow with my first day, hopefully only good things.

The view from the front door of the hotel

I WAS WEARING SHORTS!!!!

Riverside

This got my attention and I checked the menu. They have patatas bravas. Gotta try them, probs tomorrow

More riverside

Church

ICE-CREAM VAAAAN!!!!

Velkominn í baenum okkar

Species not existant in Stirling, they were huge

The beginning of England, give us money

This could perfectly be Spain... Look at that garden.

So cuuuuuteeeeee

Just an idea of my birhtday present. If you make him add some dreadlocks, I'll be the happiest