#14 My Weekend

Of course, I worked.

But for fun, Soren and I went to see a DJ sets by Ed Banger artists at Matter, a club in London. Very nice. Very loud. Very fun.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ed Banger, the DJs at the show included DJ Mehdi, Justice, Busy P, among others. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, more of a casual listener. But I really enjoyed the sets.


(The show was called "This Is Not London". Well, then where was I on Saturday night?)

On Sunday, Soren, my friend Tejmur (pronounced Tee-mur - I think) and I went to see Arsenal take on West Ham. For those of you who don't know, I normally pick teams to follow based on going to a game and see who plays better.


This happened with the San Francisco 49ers, Real Madrid, among others. And clearly, Arsenal played better. Won 0-2.

So now I'm an Arsenal fan. So bugger off you lads from Tottenham!

That's about it for the updates.

#13 A Media Filled Update

Sorry for the infrequent posting to this blog. Thanks to the loyal fans who keep checking up on it.

The reason I haven't been able to update is, simply, there isn't much to report. We have been working pretty hard here and I don't think you'd be interested in school stuff.

My work partner, Soren, and I were able to take a break from working in the middle of the week to look at t-shirts at this trendy clothes shop. For some reason their prices are relatively cheap but their clothes are pretty creative.

So I bought this shirt for 15 pounds:


It's like I'm dressin' up without dressin' up. New favorite shirt.

Something interesting I might tell you about this store is that it's connected to a hallway that has signs pointing towards a "Dutch Model" with "No Strings Attached" sorta deal. So basically a prostitute. I asked the lady working at the clothing store if that was part of her shop, and she said, "That's another organization". Didn't have the chutzpa to go down there and check it out for myself.

On the way back from the shop to return to work, I saw a three foot gap between two parked cars, both in their respective spaces.

And then this happened:

(video was sped up, no bikes move through London that quickly)

It's called the Reva. And it makes the Mini look like a mid-sized sedan.


This weekend's plans include working, going to see a DJ show, and seeing a Premier League football match - Arsenal vs. West Ham.

More pictures are posted. Check them out by clicking the slide show to the right.

Cheers.

#12 British Food Myth

I don't know from who I heard this, but legend has it that London has horrible tasting food.

I want to dispel this myth for my friends and family out there in Internet-land. Food here is amazingly good.

So here I go:

Pizza. Yeah, had some of the best pizza outside of John's in NYC (My favorite pizza restaurant). Right by school, just three blocks away.

Sushi. Had fast-food sushi (doesn't sound right) the other day, which was surprisingly tasty. The fast-food joint was more like a 7-11 hybrid with a buffet. They have individually wrapped pieces of sushi and sashimi that you pick up and pay for at the counter. No place to sit, so you just take it home. Really good for what it was. And cost like 5 pounds. It's not something I'm happy to admit being a self-proclaimed sushi snob, but how can you beat sushi for 5 pounds???

And if you're wondering about traditional English food, I've had my share. At some local restaurants I've had shepherd's pie and other meat pies. Very very good.

There you have it. The British food myth has been busted.

I'll upload some pictures tonight when I get home (one of the sushi "restaurant").

Thanks for reading and leaving comments!

#11 Something Different

Ever wonder how to find those cool sites on the internet?

Do you hate being the last one to know about a fun video?

Me too.

So I try and spend time looking at the new videos people are passing around and the funny sites. Hey, it's part of my job.

Since I spend so much time doing this anyways, I might as well share what I find with you.

Here are some of my favorites:

www.PalinAsPresident.us (It's interactive, so click on parts of the picture.)

If you don't talk to your parents about not voting for John McCain. Who will? (A funny political video.)

www.MakeMeSuper.com (Here's a funny one. Watch mine then create your own.)

#10 A New Update

Hi everyone. Thanks for voting on my poll for what I should do that I've never done before.

There were two winners. For me to get into a bar fight. And for me to be silent for a day.

Unfortunately there were two constraints that kept me from doing either:

1. Didn't want to get arrested then deported, which would probably happen since I would be doing something illegal (assault) in another country.

2. Had to work, so I couldn't be silent all day.

Sorry to everyone who voted if you feel cheated. I promise that I'll try to do more stunts throughout the quarter, hopefully making up for this let down.

What I did do instead was pray at a Catholic church. I tried to take it pretty seriously, but it was kind of difficult. I know, this wasn't the most exciting of things to do. But I did learn something while doing it, so it wasn't a total loss.

In other news, our first week of reviews for our first week's assignments. Let me just say that they do demand a lot of thinking here. Which is great.

Unfortunately, it means more time spent on ideas. Even when Soren and I think an idea is there, it isn't. We need to push it further. If you aren't in the ad business, this might not make a lot of sense so I won't dwell on this too much.

Gotta get back to work. Have a great day!

#9 Poll

Sorry Josh, but I had to use my shnazzy working Internet to... upgrade my blog!

Now HeyGordon is interactive. But don't worry, little bro. It isn't a competition. Because I'm kicking your ass and a competition is, at its heart, competitive.

Just Joshin', of course.

ANYWAYS, just look to the side of your screen (your right, my left - now a little bit lower) and you'll see a newly created poll where you, my readers in the blogosphere, can choose what I will do for my homework assignment from my last post.

It's like a choose your own adventure blog. But you don't get the adventure, I do.

Vote early because it's due Thursday. Thanks!

(If you don't know who Josh is, he's my little brother who is living in Ghana. Yeah... it's in Africa somewhere. He's working there, can you believe it? He's got this cool blog that you should check out: sweatpantsfreelance.blogspot.com)

#8 Something I've Never Done Before

So the first week of classes are over. Only nine left.

We have three classes per week (one being taught by a team at Saatchi, one is taught by a team at an agency called Lean Mean Fighting Machine, and another is taught by a team of freelancers). Yes, the agency is really called Lean Mean Fighting Machine. Cool, right?

Each class so far has given two briefs and each teacher has requested that we focus on strategy rather than execution. Strong strategy is something London agencies are known for.

Except for one class. It is our class with the two freelancers. Yes they have given us a traditional advertising brief (assignment for those of you not in advertising), but also every week they will give us an "alternative brief". This weeks alternative brief is:

Do something you've never done before.

Ok, done. Sounds easy. I'm living in a country I've never been to before. I'm navigating my way through one of the world's most historic cities. But I think the assignment is more than that.

Well, I've never balanced a quarter on my tongue while playing the banjo. Yeah, that isn't the assignment. I think the challenge is more about conquering a fear than doing something original.

It is more about self improvement and self discovery.

So, I'm looking for ideas. Is there anything you have done that I might want to do for this assignment? Anything that might be enrich my outlook on life? Ok, didn't mean to put all that pressure on you. But I think you get the idea.

Please comment to this blog with your suggestions.

Thanks!

#7 The London Facade

Just so you know, I love England's history and everything that comes with it. Including architecture. But, something that has really bothered me is that everything here looks fake. It looks like a facade.

And it's because I've been to Disney World. Disney World, with its fake European cities and towns has tainted my perspective. Even though I've been to other (real) European cities, for some reason London looks exactly like those facades set up in Florida.

Looks fake, right?

But no, that's genuine. The real thing. Built a few hundred years ago, not to look like a Tudor mansion. But built because it was a Tudor mansion. (Yes, now it has been gutted and holds a few shops, but that's beside the point)

So I have to come to grips with the reality of these beautiful buildings and streets that look like they were built on a Hollywood set. London is truly a magnificent city and looks too good to be true.

#6 Bubbled Blisters

A blister is a bubble of fluid that collects under the top layer of skin. Sometimes blisters can form when your skin constantly rubs on a rough surface. These can be painful.

Especially when you're walking almost 5 miles, according to Google Maps. But according to what we actually walked, it was probably closer to 6. Since we made some wrong turns and Google creates its path based on the quickest (and most logical) route.

My first full day here, Helena and a friend she knows took me around the city. She has been here quite a lot and it was nice to have a helpful guide take me to some 'must see' London points of interest.

Here's the map of our trek. (Click on the image to make it readable)


For those keeping score at home, marker H is our school.

So now I have these blisters that are still bothering me from that day. But it's a small price to pay when you are in a city that not only begs to be seen on foot, but rewards you for your effort.

Don't worry, I won't post pictures of my blister. Unless someone requests it...

#5 The First Day

So, I just want to tell you all how the first day went.

Started out cold. The gas ran out. In London (and probably other cities) one can buy gas in increments, it's actually a utility pay as you go plan. And we needed to pay. Unfortunately, we also needed to go - to our first day at the agency, downtown. It was early, but Soren and I didn't have time to run to a store and get more money for our gas, which would have heated our shower. (Remember I was telling you all about this pesky shower?). It was also about 7:30am (yes Dad, am... impressed?) so the stores weren't open yet.

We decided to skip the cold shower and just stink up the agency. No one noticed, thankfully. Or maybe they did but were too polite to tell us. Oh well, the cat's out of the bag now.

At the agency we met our fellow students. There are 12 of us in all. Some are from Sao Paolo, others from Miami, one from Madrid, and a few from Germany. So a good mix.

They took us to our dungeon... err.... I mean, workspace and we got briefed by two mentors that will be teaching one of the classes. Another class will be taught by two other creatives from a different agency. (The workspace is not at all a dungeon, I was just playing.)

After that, we left. Soren, a girl named Helena from San Francisco, and I went to watch F.C. Kobenhavn (F.C. Copenhagen, Soren's favorite soccer team) play at a local pub. On the way there, we walked through some of the nicest areas in London, Kensington and Chelsea. There were more Mazerratis and Ferraris than people on the street. Well, almost. And we took a picture outside of a house once occupied by Alfred Hitchcock.

I felt like a real European, drinking beers and yelling at football players on the television.

That's about it for the day.

Outside of Hitchcock's house. Trying to be scary.

#4 The Drinking Class

So Europe has this reputation for being very friendly to what I call the drinking class - those of us who like to party.

Well, I will have to say that while the bar scene (that I've experienced so far) is a lot of fun, I am disappointed.

For one thing, most bars close at 2. 2! Rediculous... This wasn't what I expected.

London also shuts down their trains and tube stations before 1. There are all-night buses that are pretty convenient, but I live outside of town (still in London, but about 15 minutes by train to the heart of the city) so the only bus I can take doesn't run very often.

So this being our first weekend, Soren and I had to negotiate these obstacles so that we could get to know the city and experience London's vibrant nightlife (guide book talk for drinking).

First off, Soren and I found a bar that served drinks till about 3:30am. Not sure if it was legal, but it was fun. (Music lovers: the DJ was really lame, he must have been tired).

We also just cabbed it home. That solved the transportation ordeal. But not after spending almost an hour and a half walking through London trying to find a way to get to our all-night bus route. 33 pounds later we were home.

I know that this wasn't the most enlightening of topics, but worry-not, there is more to come. Specifically topics that aren't related to drinking.

Including:
- The London Architecture Facade
- British Food Myths
- My first day of school/work (which is tomorrow, Monday the 6th)

Alright chaps, until next time.

#3 Pictures and such

To see my London pics, click on the link or the slideshow playing over there.

You'll be able to see them larger and in all of their pixeled glory.

#2 Flights And Settling In

What a trip. The first few days came with a mixed bag of emotions: excitement, anxiety, fear of frostbite. Just to name a few.

I landed at London's Heathrow Airport from Dublin after a flight from San Francisco. The trip went as smoothly as one would hope. The long flight (from San Fran to Dublin) was pretty empty so I had some space to stretch. This also allowed me to shove both of my oversized carry-on bags in the overhead compartments.

Seriously, both of my carry-ons weighed probably 30 lbs each. It was ridiculous.

The flight from Dublin to London was a little more crowded but I was still able to keep both of my bags in the cabin (neither was able to fit under the seat in front of me).

When I got to London, I met with Sharon, the mom of a friend of Lauren's who is letting me stay at her apartment. The apartment is really nice and it will be perfect for the 3 months I am here. (I'll load up a video tour of the apartment and some pics in the next few days).

There were only 2 problems, I couldn't figure out how to turn on the heat and the shower is... well lets just say is frustrating.

But Sharon helped me with the heat and I'll just have to deal with the inconsistent shower. No worries.

I'm also living here with my friend Soren. If you don't know him, he's Danish. And very tall. He's an art director who is also from the San Francisco campus.

More to come. Stay tuned.

This is Soren standing outside our house.

#1 The Short And Long Of It

Welcome family, friends and loyal fans to my blog. This blog is to keep you all updated on my adventures in London.

Some of you may be wondering what I'm doing here across the pond.

The short of it is that I have an internship of sorts at Saatchi & Saatchi London as a copywriter.

The long of it is that I’m a student at Miami Ad School. And, as students we can participate in what’s called Quarter Away. Quarter Away is a program that sends students to take classes at different campuses or ad agencies all over the world. Students can also apply for internship positions at different agencies all over the world. I am not in the internship position, but I am taking classes at Saatchi & Saatchi. Here we can work on real assignments and also take classes, but more often we will be taking classes and not doing real work. So we may be treated like interns, but we are really more like apprentices or students.

So if your friend or anyone else wants to know why I’m not in the states, you can chose to either give them the short or the long answer.

More to come. Stay tuned.