End of 2009

I want to post a summary of my year here but I'll start with some pics of the snow! Always nice eh? Pic number 1 is some icicles from outside an upstairs window and number two is a generic snow scene. Very pretty.




So onto my end of year review? Well it was the best year of my life, too sum it up.

As you can read if you browse through the archives on here I blogged once a month to update about how I went to Australia, then get a casual job which blossomed into a job offer which unfortunately I couldn't take due to the visa and financial situation so ended up back in the UK.

I travelled alone to Sydney, Canberra, Hobart and Perth and with my (sort of) Cousin I saw Dirt River Radio, Juke Cartel, Grinspoon, V Festival and we pulled out of seeing Eskimo Joe at the last minute, which I now regret doing.

My first real job in journalism was in Melbourne and consisted of bushfire season coverage - now not many people can say that can they?

Fairfax were fantastic too me and playing for a local soccer team helped me make new friends and enjoy my time over there even more.

My (sort of) cousin and family was the best hosts ever as I know I can be a bit of a knob at times but they somehow looked past that and I am forever grateful.

They introduced me to numerous types of beer I had not drank before and always good to try the local ale. I got to see Melbourne Victory and Richmond play AFL at the MCG - experiences I will never forget and always look back on fondly.

Back in England I had three job interviews, one with the BBC, sadly none of them worked out and the main lesson learned is I need to work on my interview technique. I am still applying so we'll see what happens...

I am realistic. I know 2010 isn't going to get near 2009 for all its adventures but I hope somehow this year is memorable for the right reasons. Please.

Joe McElderry Vs Rage Against the Machine

How could I not post about this being a music fan an all and not having watched a moment of the x-factor (except that time in the pub when the landlord had it on).

If you don't know a facebook group has been set up to prevent X Factor winner Joe from being the xmas number one - which X Factor have had four years running.

There are a number of issues here: 1) Joe McElderry - I know nothing of this guy, except he has the same first name as me (well played mate) and this is nothing personal I am sure but the cover of a Miley Cyrus song...hmm. He must have been brillant to win X Factor but that doesn't give him the right to xmas number one.

2) Xmas number one - When I was growing up people "earned" this more than the X Factor junk that is a cover of someone else's song anyway and is timed just to do this. For the past few years "campaigns" have been launched to dislodge a particular song from the top spot or get a old classic to the top with no luck but this year may be different....

3) The choice of song. Ironic ay? "F**k you I won't do what you tell me?" Er, actually yes I will by buying and downloading the song! Rage are brillant there is no doubting that but why the song was chosen out of all the tunes out there. Just have to go with it.

4) Sony - Yes, 99 per cent of people that have downloaded RATM know both labels will line Sony's pockets but it's about more than that. The bigger picture is some cover of a s**t song won't get to number 1 based on timing and nothing else.

5) Facebook - Now this is scary. One group and so many members - jumping on the bandwagon comes to mind. This particular exercise may be nothing more than a bit of fun but if the song does beat Joe than the power of social networking cannot be denied. To be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if the people who started this actually have some connection to Sony!
Just take a step back and think how all the media have picked up on one social networking site group's campaign for xmas number one and how (at the time of posting) the song is pretty much level.
If the group had not been created how many people would have really downloaded RATM this xmas - not many, if any.

Finally, I hope to goodness RATM win as I like the song and don't think X Factor should be an automatic number 1 for Christmas. I will be listening Sunday before 7 (to boost Radio 1 listening figures...) but doubt it will previal. Even if it doesn't it should be number two and if it does, than it shows the power of social networking than (I think) has never been seen before.

Right, what's next then Frankie Boyle for President. I'll get right onto that...

The life of your Average Joe with no journalism job

As we approach the festive season there's not much for me to be jolly about I'm afraid.



After being forced to leave Australia at the end of September, where I had a casual journalism job with a major newspaper company and returning to England I have had zero luck in landing a role back "home".



I secured my job back at Asda so at least am working and bringing in the cash but not what I want to do for my life. I had a chat with a guy that joined at the same time as me (August 2008) recently, a maths graduate, and he said the same - no jobs. He is even thinking of changing his career path and I'm not surprised.



In the space of ten days I had three interviews, one for a job in Manchester, one on a paper in Sale and another for a year long trainee scheme with the almightly BBC. I already know I have been unsuccessful with the Manchester and Sale jobs.


I highly doubt me landing the Beeb role, partly down to me being a bag of nerves during the gruelling interview day in London and partly due to the competition I was up against. Find out next week so if I could get that it would be a dream come true and the perfect xmas gift.


Searching job sites at the moment is seeming relatively fruitless but I'll keep checking and it could be worse... But if I don't get a journalism job in the new year I might expand my horizons again with a trip to South Africa - after the cricket and before the World Cup!

Who says nothing happens here?

Last Sunday while minding my own business and listening to Snow Patrol's new "Up to Now" album - which I recommend you buy something very unusual happened.


Neither me or my neighbour heard this but we were informed by a guy and gal later that a take-out food delivery employee had not put the handbrake on the car enough and it had rolled down the hill and smashed into the fencing near my house.



Funniest thing is I was in at the time but my parents were not. So I was enjoying a cool glass of Hoegaarden (again - I recommend this), just casually looked out of the window and saw the fencing in bits and concrete plinths knocked over.

I couldn't believe I hadn't heard anything so went outside took some photos then rang my parents and told them the news.


It really is lucky that a police officer happened to be passing by at the time and that no-one was hurt with the car rolling at some speed, uncontrollably, now a hill in the dark narrowly missing a lamppost.

Analogue BBC Two...your time is up

This is the news the analogue BBC 2 signal went off at midnight last night and it went all digital which is expected to be completed later today. At the moment all I have on my screen is blue nothingness because I am served by the Winter Hill transmitter.

I was actually just going to bed at midnight last night and am cursing I forgot to tune in for the last few seconds of analogue BBC 2 TV as they had a light and sound display on the history of television in Manchester city centre so I will definetly be awake for the switchover of BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five when they are permanently switched on December 2.

I will certainly be interested to hear how much chaos it does actually cause throughout the north-west today and other regions, as reported by Sean Poulter in the Daily Mail and commented on by 40-0dd people at last check.

There are thirty advice points across the region, apparently, and it's not as if we've not been told about this - even I knew and I had been out of the country for eight months until late September.

But someone in the north-west will be confused and think of all those people without Sky or Freeview...programmes such as Newsnight, Autumnwatch and Strictly...it takes two will be left devastated.

There is a lot of discussion, some for, some against and some sitting-on-the-fence posters on reghardware where you can go back to see the actual article. But like it or lump it the digital swithcover is here and within a month analogue will be no more in the north west.

Future here we come.

Back in the UK

Yes, I have been back a month tomorrow now.

It's like my (sort of) Cuz said: "Not much changes."

All the people here are still doing the same thing pretty much and my family are still the same after almost eight months of being apart within a week everything was back to "normal."

It is still weird, I am applying for jobs left, right and centre and have got back on at Asda for a few hours but I have up and down days. Some days I am glad to be back home others I miss Melbourne, the house I stayed in, the people and the animals ;) Montrose Soccer Club and Fairfax people. How long will I go on feeling so up and down?

The thrill of being back to my laptop and champ manager and PES 2008 was shortlived, even the souvenirs and CD's I brought back are being worn out through the amount of times I have looked/listened to them.

As for my next move I really don't have a clue. If I get a journo job I will probably stay here for at least a decent amount of time. If not by Jan or Feb 2010 I will be off somewhere else but not sure where yet so open to suggestions...maybe South Africa but the World Cup is on later in the year which will be awful for finances, otherwise I can't decide.

I am still looking at Australian news and still in contact with people over there through the wonders of Facebook etc but it's just not the same and I still haven't found a positive way to handle that at the moment.

That's a wrap people

I am posting for what will be final time from Fairfax offices in Bayswater, Melbourne.
I have put an out of office on my e-mails and spoken to a few contacts telling them that's it I am off back home on Monday.
Montrose training ended last night and my last day of work is around one hour from ending as well.

What can I say? I planned to come here for a month in the hope of some work experience but I ended up working for Fairfax Media as a casual journalist for pretty much seven months.
I have had articles on the front page, in news, sport, entertainment and features - the company really have been so good to me and trustworthy.

Unfortunately, the two applications for New Zealand jobs were unsuccessful - mostly due to my circumstances of Visas and not being a settled resident. Again, both responses told me straight out when I asked and explained my situation, my chances were slim and I appreciate them not messing me around.

I have been treated well in Melbourne. My work team have given me gifts including a pen and a wallet, Montrose gave me a shirt to keep and I can't say enough positively about my (sort of) cousin and her mum and step-dad who I have lived with since I arrived.
My time here has also taken me to Sydney, Canberra, Hobart and Perth and I have filled three camera memory cards.

I will miss all the family and friends I have made here, the animals, the lifestyle and the routine I had gotten into but I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends, having home comforts like my laptop and PS2 available and seeing what future challenge lies ahead for me.

All that's left to do now is enjoy my final few days here the best I can and ready myself, as much as I can, for leaving Australia to go back to England.

How to stop people speeding nowadays

You know when you're just getting around and you have a sort of light bulb coming on moment?
Well, I had one of those after my last training session ahead of my last game this Sunday. (Incidentally, we won last week in the Ressies meaning I got my first points for my Aussie soccer team).
Back to the point, I was trying to keep to the speed limit on a 70km/h with no cars anywhere near me and had to resist the tempation to put my foot on the gas.
I asked myself why and the answer is pretty simple: because everything else is available so easily and quickly nowadays.
We don't have to wait for TV, Internet, Music, to speak to people etc etc because technology has evolved so much.
Yet we have to wait to get where we are going in a car because of speed limits.
Which, of course, there are very valid reasons for but we just want to get where we are going all the time = why we hate public transport ;)
For example, my friends mum was once caught speeding for doing less than 10 mp/h over the speed limit and I know the law is the law but it was hardly like she was driving recklessly (or so I was told!)
My point here, is that we live in a world where we expect everything instantaneously and don't want to wait for anything so when you are just cruising around in a car it goes against the grain to not get where you are going as quickly as possible.
Now, slight problem because that is illegal and some people in getting to where they are going drive too fast but I am sure people have sat in their cars cruising along at the speed limit thinking if only they could go faster they would get to their destination faster and not be wasting valuable, precious moments they could be on their PS3 or iPod.
I'm not what can be done about this except building cars that only go so fast that you can't possibly exceed the speed limit but that won't work unless speed limits everywhere are the same which is a stupid idea so I am open to suggestions.
But I think (until we get cars that fly through tunnels in the sky) the problem is only going to get worse - everyone is so impatient we don't have time to cruise around in a car even if going faster increases the chance of an accident.
Any ideas?

The countdown is on

I have to admit I am feeling a bit disillusioned at the moment.

I have my flight booked at the end of September and cannot extend it on my current working holiday visa in Australia.

I have been on my working holiday, which has gone so well I still find it hard to believe and would say these may be the best years of my life, since February and everything is going along very nicely.

Of course, I miss my parents, friends and other home comforts but my rellies here have made me feel so welcome I am forever grateful but I do feel I have got to the point of overstaying my welcome.

Fairfax get internal job opportunities e-mailed weekly and the New Zealand jobs catch my eyes as I could go there on a new visa for a bit - I would be by myself but what a challenge that would be...

My (sort of) cousin signed me up to an Aussie job site which e-mails me everyday with jobs in journalism and some of which, seem pretty good.

The job situation is England doesn't seem much better than when I left but with six months working on a paper that has to help. However, working alongside some of my colleagues I have learnt they haven't got Shorthand (I have 90WAM) and their knowledge of law isn't as strong as mine based on the law section of my course.

Of course, there is no substitute for on-the-job learning and they beat me hands down at that but I can't suppress this feeling inside that I should apply for jobs here or else it will be an opportunity missed.

From the fact Fairfax offered me a job, before they found out I had to be sponsored and withdrew the offer, I know I have a chance of securing a job here but should I? I really don't know...

I am off to look at Aussie/New Zealand jobs and update my CV. I haven't got much time to make a decision and for any visa details to be sorted out so I better make a decision damn quick.

Where's that coin gone...???

Round, round, I get around

While I am in Australia I have decided to explore a bit - this is thanks to my income from Fairfax and not working five days a week with them!

I have already been to Sydney as I posted about before, early July I visited the nation's capital Canberra for three days and I got back yesterday from a short trip to Tasmania.

Canberra is not like a capital, especially not of Australia, but it is inbetween the unofficial capitals Melbourne and Sydney so no-one gets unhappy?!

In the capital I saw Parliament House, Lake Burley Griffin about three other museums and other things.

In Hobart sights seen included Cascade Brewery, two AFL football stories, Richmond among others. Only disappointment was not seeing Port Arthur after being booked on a tour which was cancelled as I was the only one on it. Unfortunately by the time I got the message I couldn't re-arrange other things but oh well.

Although not booked it has been cleared with the people that count about me staying for a final month till the middle/end of September.

I hope to leave Fairfax on as high as possible and visit other places in Australia/New Zealand - maybe one more or two trips if financial/time constraints don't get in the way.

English footy season kicks off this Saturday (bloody hell that has come around quick!) and Ashes has two tests to go with England 1-0 up and still going with AFL here and the Aussie soccer starting any time now.

Teletext swiched off

This is devastating. Absolutely devastating.

Teletext has been going 17 years and Ceefax from 1974 but has been losing money and its demise puts around 70 jobs at risk. January is goodbye to telextext, 2012 is goodbye to Ceefax?

But at least Teletextholidays will continue...

The BBC's Ceefax will be fazed out around digital switchover time and moved to the red button interactive service.

I guess this shows how much me and a Uni colleague were/are out of date. We championed it as a news source when no-one else did in our uni days. We thought it was around the future not just the past but alas, how wrong we were.

I mean, all you needed to do was switch on your TV, press text and away you went - to news, sport, entertainment, tv listings and so much more.

I am going to go and have a look at the have your say bit to see what people have to say after posting this. But you can only e-mail and text responses.

Everyone else seems to be going down memory lane so here I go...

...I always used to have teletext football scores flashing up whenever footy or even cricket was on. I sometimes even pressed hold to see how far the numbers got round before the next goal was updated! (sad I know)

Many a time I have spent a good half hour looking at the sport, entertainment and news stories on Ceefax - without needing to start up my pc and choose from the plethora of sites available.

And no-one has asked what is going to happen to such things as Question Time on BBC One where you could see people's opinions on Ceefax?! I guess it will be on the red "freaking" button.

The news broke about a week ago and plenty of people have had something to say about it but not much we can do apart from sit back and enjoy it while it's still here, unless someone bails it out.

Step by step online is taking over the world mmwmwwhhhaaa. All we need now is VictoriaPolice to join twitter and post updates on how their operations are going....oh.

Australia in the News.

I have noticed how, while being away from my little town in the UK you really do have to make a concious effort to stay in touch with news and events back home unless it is Michael Jackson's death which 7 News had an extended 1-hour bulletin for last night.

For example, Michael Schumacher being outed as the Stig (or not) and Michael Owen signing for Manchester United?!

Of course with the digital media we now have it is so much easier - today for example, in my lunchtime I have been job searching back in the UK (not much going I'm afraid...) and visiting websites such as Press Gazette, The Guardian, Google News, BBC News and so on to try and keep track of what is going on back on the other side of the world.

Surprisingly a lot of Aussie-related stories popped up. I haven't done this nearly as often enough as I should so am unaware if it is common or not but I suppose with the World Wide Web it is. By searching UK-based websites I was (rather stupidly) believing that I would just be looking at UK content - with the mainstream exceptions of course - but I haven't caught up with this global conglomeration thing yet. Just because Australia is nearly a day's flight away it is about a minute away on the web.

There is the debate about Uluru (Ayers Rock) , a lovely story (albeit, not the worst idea ever either) about Bundanoon = an Aussie town banning water bottles , fire warnings being available on Facebook and Twitter and other social networking sites (and why the hell not the way the world is going, or has already gone?) Although it will be very weird with one minute JournoJoe tweeting/facebooking something mudane and then JournoJoe has just received a fire warning to flee!

I could keep the examples going for a while but let's not. The basic point is that I am naive, whether in the UK or Australia I will always be able to access the news and continue to sparadically blog from the other side of the world at an instant...this internet is a wonderful thing right?

"Aussie soccer club sign foreign national"

Thursday June 11 saw me turn out at a training session for a local soccer (English footy) team at training. Plenty of people had said I should give it a go and although it has taken like four months I am glad I have.

I have played two games for them at the moment - a 4-1 loss were I was voted BOG (Best on Ground) and a 3-0 defeat were I conceded a penalty, which was saved! At half-time in both games we were only 1-0 down.

On the serious stuff, I helped cover the Knox Journal for two weeks while the actual journo for the paper was away on holiday which including me covering a council meeting, albeit a very short one - again adding to the experiences.

It has already led to another front page, the Journal have been so good to me I will not be able to thank them enough when I do go home.

And something that really interested me was the front page of the Herald Sun in, a national newspaper here, running a front page photo of the dead body of Des Moran. I am not familiar with the whole story (read here from ABC News) but here is an opinion from young and grumpy.com that reflects what quite a few people said about the photo. Now I have done Ethics at university and I'm pretty sure that an attempt to put this photo on the front page would have been greated with certain distaste.

We follow the PCC code and surely 3) Privacy but definetly 5) Intrusion into grief or shock have been breached? It may have been in the public interest to know that he was shot dead in broad daylight but for a pic of his dead body, I am skeptical.

Again, my knowledge of the Australian media watchdog is very limited but there must be some guidlines for newspapers and does this photo not push the boundary?

It seems Des "Tuppence" Moran was a bit of a gangster and it seems his family have been involved in mobster business - again something which I know very little about so research it yourself ;)

My main gripe is putting a photo of anyone's dead body on the front page, I mean it's a little graphic isn't it? And what does it really achieve - it didn't happen when Michael Jackson died and splashes of so many other people die - they get a mugshot pic not one of them lying flat out dead on the ground. I have a lot to learn about the media here...

Best Headline Ever

During my stay at the Dandenong office I was asked to do a section like "On this day" in the paper from 10, 25 and 50 years ago.
While scouring through past papers I came across this gem of a headline. Just to explain, it is about a certain person being passed fit to play this week...

It is up to you if you think it is the best headline ever or if it just gives you a childish giggle.

Syndey (or Sydders)

14-16 May took me to a place were I have never been before - Syndey, Australia!

The 14 didn't take me to many places except late night Thursday shopping, a pub's quiz night, a pizza shop, another hotel's bar and then finally back to the Formule 1 Hotel were I was staying.



May 15 saw me climb Syndey Harbour Bridge, which was s**t scary let me tell you - especially after a few beers the next before despite passing the breath test...hmm.



Syndey Opera House was another great sight and so is the general CBD (Central Business Distrcit) = breathtaking. I so wish I had the camera lead to put some up but I don't and out of principle I am NOT buying one!



May 16 was just a general walk around the Sydney train line stops going in from Domestic to the Harbour stop. Getting off at most stations having a wander then getting back on the train and continuing my journey.



Dandenong was different on May 19, way different, as I got a job offer - I took my time to consider my options, consulted the yes and no men and women. I decided to accept but then the carpet was pulled from under my feet with the only visa I would be applicable to work on unable to be compatible with Fairfax as they would need to sponsor me and in this economic climate, understandably, they said No.



Fairfax offered local work May 20 and the next week 26-29 and with a front page of the Monash Journal under my belt in April I was cooking on gas for sure. Heading into June and another d-day - should I stay or go? On the go home side is friends, family, regular home comforts and a job at home. On the stay side is the time I having with my (sort of) cousin and family, the work with Fairfax and the overall experience of spending time in a foriegn country in a job where I am doing different things every day and a lifestyle I could get used too...

Plus Junction

Ok, so it has been about a year since I graudated Uni or should have graduated Uni but the fact that I decided to aim a gun of laziness and fire a bullet of not-putting-enough-effort-in at my head I graduated late last year with a 2:2 when it really should have been a 2:1

...ANYWAYS...

I have been keeping up to date with the majority of people from Uni and those I met/talked with of forums on facebook and some now on Twitter and it is interesting to see where different paths and fortunes have led us all, or more to the point, have led a very small number of us - the rest left struggling to battle the tide of getting any job in the journalism industry.

I am not going to allude to anyone who has not got a job where they want as I will soon be back on the preverbial scrapheap swimming with you Salmon's trying to get (and stay) upstream.

Personally, after leaving Uni it was pie-in-the-sky as I failed the last module and had to re-sit it. I used that time to re-sit some NCTJ exams which made my qualification list a little better. I then decided to pack the bags and jet off for, what I thought was, a one-month working holiday around the other side of the world.

But I am still here now, months on, with a casual journalism job at a newspaper = result! Albeit with the shear robbery of the job offer that was, then that wasn't.

Below are a few of my old friends and forumites to see where we have gone since leaving the educational institution that was.

One of my classmates uses his valuable bit of internet space to blog mostly about football, although life and journalism are in there somewhere I am sure.

Another, is games-mad and is damn good at writing reviews so uses his blog for that exact purpose - check the Michael Jackson posts!

The next was my flatmate for a year, while he may or not have a blog he does write for Suite 101 doing reviews which I believe pays a bit so you can't knock that - as they say it is a foot in the door.

This guy wanted to do online when our print and online course was merged so maybe his interests have gone elsewhere or he has another outlet for his obvious talent but his blog isn't it from May 2008 anyways.

This blog from a guy who won three Press Gazette student journalism awards hasn't been updated for a while which seems like most people whose blogs I have been able to track down so maybe I'm not doing all that bad ;) How am I supposed to know what everything is up to if they don't update their blogs which were created while at Uni?! Oh.

However, we are all put into deep shame by this guy - Dave Lee - who has put major effort in and got rewards in a job at the Beeb. He is very well known in the online blogging circles and deserves to be so. It might be his "speciality" but it's not his only focus and shows the dedication that you probably need to be successful.

Oopsy.

Not sure why I did this really. I know why I did it in terms of catching up with people online and seeing what there presence is but why post it? I guess to see in which direction most of us have gone at the plus junction and it seems that most, this might not be their view, have gone sideways or maybe diagonally upwards but quite a few backwards with no jobs.

Personally, I have gone up a bit but am soon to be dragged back when I come back home on expiry of my visa when the push begins again to claim the career ladder.

It seems only Dave Lee, who I sort of know off a forum, has gone straight upwards after finishing university.

Happy Birthday to you (from the other side of the world), Happy Birthday to you

You may I have guessed I have decided to stay for my birthday - something to tell, I turned 22 on the other side of the world - crickey!



I would like to backtrack a bit though to the April 25 6am ANZAC dawn service which we attended. Quite moving, ANZAC for anyone who doesn't know stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and refers to soldiers landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey on the morning of April 25, 1915 in the First World War.



The four of us stood there silent with such an amount of people that I have never seen and am unlikely ever to see again at that hour. The readings, gunshots and general eerieness of the short service was very humbling to me - even though I had no family involvement of course. The day also features an AFL match Essendon V Collingwood - cracking match as it turned out.



Anyways, to business before my birthday came the celebration of an Australian Citizen, formerly of the UK - my (sort of) cousin's mum. Cracking lady, become my mother while I have been out here I must admit - lapsing back to laziness after Uni and independence is something, I am ashamed to say, I have done but she has taken up the task without a peep.



In between that an Mothers Day (10 May for Australia), for which I sent a text and e-mail to my mum back home, I saw another band Juke Kartel, top notch I have to say - my (sort of) Cuz has an impeccible taste of music (and beer!)

For the Mother's Day we had a nice Thai meal, my birthday passed uneventfully but to celebrate I booked a trip to Sydney May 14-16 - I'll tell how that goes next time.



On a side note, the most important part of this trip - journalism work - is still consistently one day a week with the odd splattering of a day here and there at Dandy and nearer to home.



I am staying till June then. How about that?

Pack your bags - you're off to Dandenong

Before we get down to business, I need to poke you in the direction of Dirt River Radio - the keyboard player is my (sort of) cousin's mate. I have listended to and bought a Dirt River Radio CD - the full one coming out around July/August 2009.


Now, I had been working around 10 minutes from (where I have been) calling home but all that changed recently.


Do not get me wrong, the thrill of working at a paper for more than one day a week is awesome - my portfolio is expanding, I am meeting new people and having so many different day to day experiences it really is becoming my dream trip. Three days one week, two the next, then four is greatly expanding my budget.


However, this Dandenong is out of my comfort zone at the moment being a bit far away and all and having to get driven and picked up all the time I feel like a bit of a tool. Not that I am complaining, the main editor is based here - a fellow Pom (there seems to be an awful lot of non-australian's in australia!) so suck it up and impress you trainee foreigner?!



Outside of work, I have sent some papers and a 2009 Melbourne calendar back home to show off to Mum and Dad, my Albert Park stint has finished but I have seen Burnley (Melbourne) - funny how England and Aussie places have some of the same names...not that we invaded them or anything.



This Saturday is Anzac Day, an Australian memorial day, I will post about that any other things later - decision time is approaching on whether or not I spend my 22nd Birthday here.

V FESTIVAL

I put the title in caps because this is my first ever festival. Thanks to my (sort of) cousin I have seen some brilliant music here in Melbourne.

However, V Festival had love , awesome live music and more great bands/artists than you would care to poke a stick at.

I even got a T-shirt.

Personally, my day consisted of (in no order at all) The Killers, Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs, Duffy, Madness, Elbow, Razorlight and a little bit of Tame Impala.

wow.

I took so many pictures I'm surprised my memory card isn't full, drank so much beer that I'm surprised I didn't pass out and got a pleasan't surprise about 2am in the morning while searching for money for that takeaway - someone else's keys?! Still unsure what exactly happened there.

Deffo go again but I am not great with chlostophobic spaces and at times did feel a little bit, well, squished but the music (and beer) took my mind off that enough to have one of the best days of my life.

I just wish I had my camera lead to show you some pics and vids. Hopefully that won't be the only musical experience I have while I am here but I can see why some people are festival-heads.

It's early April

Grouse, Fair Dinkum, Mate and No Worries but no Foster's beer apparently.


I have decided to do a monthly thing at the moment.


Australia is quite nice, the weather, the sights and staying with my relatives is awesome.


I have seen a Melbourne Victory Game, the MCG and AFL football, although the team I have to support, due to my Cousin, (Richmond Tigers) are not doing that well but the relatives I am staying with go for Essendon Bombers, who are doing a bit better.


The sights are quite spectacular - I wish I had brought my camera lead to share some of the pics - Melbourne is a very nice city compared to what I am used to ;) However, my first set of 150 pictures were deleted and despite recovery attempts only some have been retrieved :(


As I said before I am employed as a casual journalist and after a lot of e-mails and phone calls I have secured a one day a week role at The Journal newspaper, owned by Fairfax papers in regional Victoria.


Trips to local radio stations, including PBS and Triple R, proved unsuccessful but a meeting on Feb 17 gave me a starting date of Feb 25.


I have been there a month now, patrolling the Maroondah, Yarra Ranges, Monash and Knox regions like Jon Snow on Channel 4 but only on Wednesday's! But many articles have already been added to the porfolio and the trip has been extended to early May.


I have been to Preston (in Melbourne), Lorne to see the 12 Apostles and Great Ocean Road, the Moomba festival, helped my (sort of) cousin house-sit in Albert Park - seeing the F1 Practice and seeing the band Dirt River Radio live while mixing with a dog, three cats, 4 birds and plenty of fish in a quite little suburb I now call home for the next however long.

Arrival in Australia...on Black Saturday

I took off from Manchester Airport, UK Thursday Feb 5, and we had to defrost the wings I arrived in Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne (via Dubai) Saturday Feb 7 and it was warm - early- but very warm.

And so began my quest to find a journalism job/work experience/temporary work (WHATEVER!) in Australia and I knew it was going to be very different than the humble beginnings of my home town.

I was jetlagged but could still feel the 40 degree heat. With my Grandad, we slept most of the day but when we didn't the heat was unbearable. Going outside was crazy, my Grandad's ring nearly melted into his finger and I had gone from shoes, socks, pants, t-shirt, jumper and coat to just socks, shorts and t-shirt = phew!

However, we knew it was hot and heard the faint mumblings of bushfires nearby, ahh that's a new one - nothing serious though right...oh dear.



The trouble began when we could smell and see the smoke, my relatives Dad had ash and embers falling near his property and the reports became more serious. We were never in danger living 30 minutes from the bushfires but my relatives Dad lived closer - he evacuated some valuables but stayed and thankfully the fires didn't reach him either.



Nearly 200 people dead.



Crap.



The final fire warnings were only really taken down around the time my Grandad went home, March 5 - by that time I had a casual job with a newspaper = so I stayed.

I'm shocking at this

I am realising how bad I actually am at keeping a blog. Sorry. I am wasting a bit of internet space that really could be used better!

Anyways, it seems the only time my place of residence gets into the national news it is for all the wrong reasons - the race riots and the trouble they caused in 2001 and now this (some interesting comments on this MEN story).

I actually didn't go to Tokyo's in January (not sure why, as I do drink and go into the town centre almost every weekend) and the offer has now expired - as if the publicity wasn't bad enough this fight (again sourced from the MEN) intensified it, but for the club isn't all publicity good publicity in a sense?

Time to move on and say that I am leaving the UK for a month, maybe longer in search of a journalism placement in Australia, this blog is of course going to stay under the radar!

After all the times I blogged about my Aussie trip it has finally come true but I have no solid work ex placements/casual work sorted out - so it might turn into a holiday, which would be good but not want I originally planned for.

I will post if I get something sorted out but my internet access will probably be fairly limited so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. It will be slightly crazy going from snow and freezing temperatures to very hot and burnt scenery!

Finally, I have sorted out Google Analytics so can now count how many visitors "hit" this blog which isn't many at the moment but sometime in the future who knows?