A few bumps along the road

I was just about done with my post, and then my computer froze. These computers at the office are very frustrating, and the only good news is they've put me on a computer that has internet access. I guess you could say I wasn't prepared for this experience, but then again how could I be? I'm a little frustrated with myself because of some stupid little things I did like forgetting to keep someone's phone number from last week when it became imperative for a story this week. I also haven't fully adjusted to the writing style - the language in the stories is much stronger than the states, and they like to use words like "thugs" and "perverts" that I don't think you could get away with in the U.S.

The good news is my editor is completely understanding and realizes that I'm still learning, but I hate to burden her because I forgot to write or ask about a certain detail. My best pieces have been more feature-y, like a review of Chicken Little or a story about a couple married for 70 years, but these stories are limited. I know it's still early and I'm sure by the end of this internship I'll be a pro at this. I realize now I never fully developed the skills to be a good print journalist on a day-to-day basis, though I know I'd still do well as a producer/reporter in broadcast journalism, which I plan to do anyways when I get back.

Besides working, I went to the Parliamentary Archives on Monday. It was interesting but the lady who presented was kind of boring. They have all the acts of Parliament dating back to 1497 all rolled up on parchment, and one of the acts stretched a quarter mile. I thought to myself that it would be something really cool to do a documentary on, but unfortunately I don't have a TV crew with me at the moment. I did get to meet a few of my fellow interns that I didn't have the chance to talk to before, which was nice, and I am tentatively going to Bath, Stonehenge and Salisbury on Saturday.

I did go to a football (soccer to you 'yanks') match with some coworkers last night, and the team they supported won (yay!). The fan section behind the goal kind of reminded me of the student sections at hockey and football, but these guys are non-stop and a lot more musical than the fans back home, probably because they don't have a band in the stands with them. They also swear more than our student section, which is tough to do. The game was alright, but I think the experience of the game was more important than the game itself. Football can get a little boring at times, but there were a few instances where I wanted to shout "Shoot him like a horse!" or "Sieve!" but realized that no one would cheer with me. They do have the "It's all your fault" cheer, though it's set to music, and they actually sang Hey Jude a couple times.

My hands are tired from typing, so I'll quit soon. The biggest news here is the House of Commons passed a smoking ban on all pubs and restaurants for next year. I also heard Dick Cheney shot a guy, and then the guy had a minor heart attack. I'm sure he's receiving criticism about it, probably more than the criticism he should have received for his secret energy policy meetings or Halliburton's mess in Iraq, but that's for another post ;-)