Task 1

Task 1

For your first task, I'm going to ask you to make a long list of things about which you are qualified to write. (You won't believe you are qualified to write about them, at first, but don't worry about that right now. Just go on blind trust, that's the best way to get through these first few weeks!!!). Then, I'm going to ask you to find a magazine about something from that long list.

Response to the Exercise:

This was an interesting activity for sure. It makes your whole life look a little thin on the ground, after all a three page list isn’t much for twenty five years but nevertheless it got the creative juices flowing. In fact, I was bowled over by the monumental amount of nostalgic memories that crammed their way back into my mind, a symphony for the senses. I can taste that vomit inducing vodka red bull bucket on a beach in Thailand, I can feel the swipe of a newspaper after trying to sell charity to a hobo in Liverpool and I can see the tribal leader of the Vedda, with his beard, sarong and axe slung over his shoulder. So, there are plenty of experiences to share, plenty of stories I look forward to getting (I hate that word) down on paper, the only question is, who’ll have them?

Towards Publication
Week 1: Beginning Monday 29th September

1. Every Place I’ve Lived:

London:
Kirkstall Road
Somerset:
Westcombe
Redlynch
Cardiff:
University Hall
Cogan Terrace
Thailand:
Chiang Rai
Korat
Roi Et
Bath:
Caledonian Road
Rooksbridge Walk

2. Every Place I’ve Worked

Hollingsbury’s Farm – Oddjobs
Montgomerie’s Farm – Potato Picking
Natural Selection – Warehouse Clearout
McDonalds – General Staff
Anglian Home Improvements – Cold Caller
Creation Nightclub – Barman
Angeloni Expeditions – Expedition Documenter
Media Kids – Recruiter
Dragonfly – Coordinator
Stree Suksaa School – English Teacher
Dialogue Direct - Fundraiser
Bath Spa University - Ambassador
International House – Activity Leader
Herschel Museum – Steward

3. Cultural Interests:

Music:
Old Rock
Hip Hop
Reggae
Indie
Folk

Favourite Bands:
Matisyahu
Blue Scholars
Pink Floyd
Everlast
The Who
Guns n Roses
Bob Marley
Dire Straits

Film:
Action
Drama
Fantasy
Epic
Black Comedy
Offbeat

Favourite Films:
Gladiator
H.O.F Daggers
Big Lebowski
City Of God
Amelie
Casino
Forest Gump
Platoon

Books:
Epic
Offbeat
Romance
Different

Favourite Books:
Exodus
Love in the time of Cholera
100 years of Solitude
Time Travellers Wife
The Book Thief
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
God of Small Things
The Alchemist
Perfume

4. Things I’m Good at:

Teaching, Meeting and chatting to people, English Camps, Thai, Selling, Talking, Creative Writing, Poole, Swimming, Tennis, Darts, Squash, Arguing, Performance Poetry, Traveling, Interviewing

5. Interesting People I’ve Met

Mel Smith
Jon Plowman
Cameron McIntosh
Dominic Rouse
Jamie Reid
Prince Harry

6. Subjects I’ve Studied

Art, English Literature, English Language, Maths, French, Spanish, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, R.E, Technology, Music, Communications, Creative Writing, Meditation, Recorder,

7. People/Animals I’ve been Responsible for

My students when I was a teacher,
Children I’ve babysat,
I kept snakes when I was a child,
The family dogs,

8. Places I’ve spent more than 2 Weeks

U.K:
Manchester
Bradford
Liverpool
Leeds
London
Ipswich
Cornwall
Scotland

France:
Chateau Tennesseau
Uzes
Various Ski Resorts

Spain:
Barcelona

Greece:
Corfu
Paxos
Zakinthos

Thailand:
Chiang Rai
Chainat
Maha Sarakham
Ubon Ratchatani
Chayaphum
Nakon Phanom
Phang Nga
Koh Phang Ngan
Koh Samet
Koh Chang

Rest of the World:
Laos
Cambodia
Sri Lanka
South Korea