There is no place like home, there is no place like home

The toilet is my happy place at the moment.

It is the only quiet place in the entire department where people are not constantly harassing me and demanding things off of me.

It's cold in there.

The seat isn't very comfy and there is no reading material.

Yet it is my safe haven.

I think I am spending indecent amounts of time in there. My colleagues are probably starting to think that I have some sort of bladder dysfunction but I honestly do not care anymore.

The problem with having a really big team?

More people to bother you.

22 people to bother me at present.

All these whining voices

Miss M can you ...

Miss M I need ...

Miss M ...

BLAH BLAH BLAH

The toilet is a much better place.

Wrong signals

Mixed signals in all aspects of life are just tiring and confusing.

Boys sending you the wrong signal just leads to embarrassing and frustrating situations.

Bosses telling you one thing and then changing around completely without informing you but expecting you to know is equally frustrating and embarrassing.

I worked with my current Manager on my previous show and we had a system with costs and money that I spent. I cleared everything with her and that was the way she liked to do it.

Now we're on this new show together and I was just continuing doing the same thing. I get this email

Miss M - if you can reference to the budget/cost monitor to see what we have budgeted in so I don't have to approve all hotel/travel for the team

Ok, fair enough but don't make me feel as if I'm putting you out for something that I was just used to doing.

Makes me feel a bit like a moron.

Oh well.

The clocks went back in the UK over the weekend. It is now dark at 1700 and thoroughly depressing. When we reach this time of the year I always feel the desperate need to move back to South Africa, I get horribly homesick and just want to return.

I often wonder how many Saffas return to SA vs how many settle and make a life for themselves in the UK.

It's a strange place here. I miss the sunshine.

Sorry this is a really disjointed post but kind of how I am feeling at the moment.

Overheard in the office

Colleague 1: I think Daniel Craig is sexy

Colleague 2: I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating biscuits

Colleague 1: Hell, I'd invite him into bed to eat biscuits!

Yes.

We do so much work.

Bonding time with colleagues

From: Researcher*
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: M, Miss
Subject:

Important question, you must drop everything to answer this:
Dan, Nate, or Chuck Bass – who’d get it??? **

From: M, Miss
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: Researcher
Subject: RE:

Who’d get what?
My lovin?

From: Researcher
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: M, Miss
Subject: RE:

Yes. Who would get your moistness.
I vote Nate. Yum yum.

From: M, Miss
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: Researcher
Subject: RE:

Nat is yummy.But Dan is so nice and wholesome
Though Chuck Bass is just so naughty and delectable and bad. I like them.
GRRRRR who to choose!!!!!

From: Researcher
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: M, Miss
Subject: RE:

I hate chuck bass – he’s so not attractive! I don’t get that whole bad-boy thing. Also did you know he’s a proper Englishman in real life?? Still just as smug though!

From: M, Miss
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: Researcher
Subject: RE:

Yes I did know that.
Ja, I LOVES the bad boys!
However I am completely and utterly in love with Nicolas Hoult – and not when he was in About a Boy, but now in Skins
YUUUUUUUUUUUMYYYYYYYYYYYY

From: Researcher
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: M, Miss
Subject: RE:

That’s just WRONG. So wrong. He’s a bit of a pastey geek as well!

From: M, Miss
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: Researcher
Subject: RE:

He’s pretty.
Though my ultimate is Daniel Craig.

From: Researcher
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: M, Miss
Subject: RE:

Who *apparently* lives in my area but I can’t confirm this! He’s a bit of a midget though… and a pinhead.
Give me McDreamy or McSteamy any day. A man with a beard is an instant plus. Matthew Rhys or Dermot O’Leary would also be high on the list!

From: M, Miss
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: Researcher
Subject: RE:

Mcsteamy over Mcdreamy any day!
I like stubble, not a full blown beard. Last boy I snogged had a full blown beard actually. Was weird.
I’m not into facial hair like Work Experience.
He braids his.
Seems wrong.

From: Researcher
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: M, Miss
Subject: RE:

Haha I know I don’t like a full Taliban beard but something like mine or McSteamy’s is fine. Work Experience is a bit overkill. Probably something living in there. So very wrong.
(Sigh we’re like teenage girls now, I hope you realise that.)

From: M, Miss
Sent: 21 October 2008
To: Researcher
Subject: RE:

I realised that about 5 emails back :P

*The Researcher is actually a male

**Gossip Girl characters

Jetsetter

Sometimes I do think that I work in the wrong side of Television.

I occasionally crave the glamour, the excitement and the travel that the Creatives tend to have.

I went for lunch today with some old colleagues and one of them has been offered a job on one of our shows that is filmed in Australia. He gets flown out there for the duration of the show and then is allowed to extend his return flight so that he gets a holiday out there too. It's like a free plane ticket to Australia for a holiday.

He ends up saving loads of money for his holiday too as when you're on location you get Per Diems and don't pay for any food or accommodation.

How nice would that be?

Another colleague has been in Houston, Texas for a couple of weeks, another has been filming in the Amazon and another is off to Spain soon for a new series.

Production, on the other hand, are stuck in the office - in particular I am seated in a basement at the moment where the air con is either too hot or too cold. We only get a small window in between where the temperature is perfect.

I am having to dress for all seasons down here. The other day we were as hot as Cape Town in the summer.

Oh the glamour.

Cold Front blowing

So I have started on another new show and this one looks like it could be quite a bit of fun. It is a really large team which I'm not used too but they are all very friendly and welcoming.

For once we actually seem to have an equal split between boys and girls however the top people are all woman. It's hysterical. I love it. The bosses are ALL female. I'm expecting some wonderful temper tantrums but at the moment everyone is all lovely dovey.

I have noticed something very strange though.

Amongst the Researchers and AP's all of the boys are in relationships.

Not only that but they are mostly early 20's but are all dating girls who are 6-10 years older than them.

A 23 year old is dating a 30 year old, a 25 year old has a child with and is dating a 34 year old and the 20 year old is dating a 26 year old. Are we really lacking in men so much at the moment that we're turning to the younger generation? Or are these boys really mature?

Even more stranger is that all of the girls are single and complaining about the lack of guys.

Is there some sort of cold front with the male population at the moment?

Should I be dating a 20 year old to actually get some?

It just seems so wrong.

Big Brother is watching

Hi Miss M, can you stop by my office this afternoon for a chat?

The email that can make my heart stop for a minute and then start rapidly beating for the rest of the day.

It's funny how when you're a freelancer you are constantly stressing about the state of your job. Even though you have a contract until March next year written into is the magic sentence which says that there is a 2 week notice period that can be given on either side. It doesn't lend to feeling overly confident in your job 24/7 and I think it is mostly what keeps Freelancers on their toes and forces us to perform well in our job. Not necessarily because we love it, but because you are only as good as your last job and if you want that contract renewed you can not afford to fuck it up in any way what so ever.

So essentially all of us are just a bunch of stressed out, constantly nervous workaholics who feel like their every move is being watched.

Well sometimes it apparently is.

Line Manager: Now Miss M, please don't take this as a telling off - it is more a friendly warning

Miss M: Nervous laugh Okay?

LM: Last Monday you were overheard saying to someone that you were very hungover

Miss M: That's right, I didn't realise there was anything wrong with that?

LM: Well the Executive Producer overheard and has been making noises about whether or not you'll be able to handle the current job you're on and whether you are out partying too much

Miss M: Excuse me? Because I was hungover at work ONCE?

LM: And an hour late

Miss M: Well it is the second time I've been late in the past year and a half, that isn't a bad run is it?

LM: Just try not to talk like that around Execs, they tend to get a bit paranoid. Remember - next time you have a hangover it is a migraine. A migraine Miss M!

Well I didn't realise that my out of school activities were any concern for anyone else. I came to work, I did my work and then I went home.

What cheek.

It's my holiday and I'll cry if I want too

I got very annoyed at work today, I was seething with anger and just wanted to go and scream at someone and then burst into tears.

My Line Manager recently decided that she wanted me to take this week off work between my 2 shows but I refused. I didn't have any holiday planned and I wanted to save it for Cape Town at the end of the year which I thought was justified since I'm going for 3 weeks.

They were pissed at me but eventually dropped it.

Until today.

I have requested 2 days off at the end of October to have a long weekend away climbing and they are withholding it from me. Apparently this is punishment for refusing to take this week off.

It is the only explanation I can think of since we aren't filming over that period and me not being in the office wouldn't affect anything so this refusal must just be them being petty.

Selfish wankers.

I am fighting this.

Missing, please call if found

I'm so tired.

I can't seem to catch up on my sleep from last week but I must admit that the day on the couch is helping with that. 

Oh the joys of sick days.

I feel like I've lost my spark, I have no energy for anything or anyone.

What does one do to get it back?

Lights, Camera, Action!

So Tuesday was the climax to the past 2 months. We filmed our show in the studios and it went amazingly well.

But it was the most intense day and night of my life.

I got in to work at 0800 and headed down to our make-shift Production Office in the studios and from 0815 until 2300 I swear we did not stop. Production is the first port of call for ANYONE so we were basically bombarded with queries, request, complaints and demands for 15 hours.

Not to mention the constant ringing of phones.

Reception isn't the brightest tool in the shed.

Ringing of phone

Miss M: Hello Production office

Reception: Hi, I have so and so downstairs

Miss M: Is there name on the list that I gave to you earlier?

Reception: Let me check. No.

Miss M: Then they need to go to door blah blah

5 minutes later

Miss M: Hello Production office

Reception: Hi, I have so and so downstairs

Miss M: Is there name on the list that I gave to you earlier?

Reception: Let me check. No.

Miss M: Then they need to go to door blah blah

5 minutes later

Miss M: Hello Production office

Reception: Hi, I have so and so downstairs

Miss M: Is there name on the list that I gave to you earlier?

Reception: Let me check. No.

Miss M: Then they need to go to door blah blah

I swear after the 5th time I wanted to murder them. And it went on for about 4 hours.

However throughout the day and night I

1) Peed in a stall next to Emma B and Geri from the Spice Girls

2) Directed Richard Branson to the exit

3) Got smiled at by Kevin Spacey

4) Got winked at by Russell Brand

5) Saw McFly, Dame Shirley Bassey, The Prime Minister, Michael Caine, the Olympic Gold Medal winners of the UK, Jason Donovan, Ronan Keating, Gordon Ramsey, Rachel Stevens and too many other minor English celebs to remember

It really was a night I will never forget.

More stories coming!

The Price to Pay

Overheard in the bathrooms at my Studio show last night

2 minor Celebs standing by the mirrors touching up their makeup

Girl 1: Oh wow, you look so gorgeous and thin! You are so thin!

Girl 2: Thanks, but I am sooooo hungry!

So go eat something. Please dear god. Eat.

I'm just recovering from last night. Will let you know all the details later!

Keep posted.