my last day in England.. end of project.. packing and thinking..

went to last meeting with e2000 and VODA. the best thing that you don't have to cry and say goodbye forever, just huge hugs and "see you in october!!!"

this time was really productive with ideas, now just going back and giving feetback to all those fantastic friends i've met and got to know closer, thank you for everything, you have been amusing and made me feel like home although i was so far away from Latvia!!!

a great sunday with Becca!! we went to a carnival in Byker, just relaxing, talking and clubbing at night. don't ahve the feeling that i've been in England for 3 weeks.. great, but i'm looking forward for going home. the wierdest thing was that during all this time i didn't get homesick... s meny great people around!!

today we went to Tyneside cinema. i couldn't eaven imagine that 1/2 of the whole film on the cinema screen, the screen is blank!! the people there were very nice and polite, they showed us all the rooms and ahh!! the beautiful art-deco cinema hall!! that is a splendid place to watch a film there!

but we had our own cinema hall and it was great, we watched Willy Wonka & the chocolate factory (1971). that was a great film, after that we needed to watch the new one - Charlie and the chocolate factory, and so we did. i loved the irony and sarcasm in Johnny Depp's play.

after cinema we went back to the hotel and had an intercultural lunch:)

and then - final dinner in The Mandarin - aah! it was so tasty but so so so soo tooooooo much for me!!! and the text in the cookies - "a true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down " - how do you like that?? i'll have to go down in Latvia to get a true friend in my way:))) as this was the last night for Global Voice TV project, we had to party whole night!! i survived till 4.30 a.m. went to sleep at 7.30 couse my brain didn't want to fall asleep after going to hotel, ah!!!

this morning was funny. i woke up at 10 a.m. 3 hours later then i was supposed to wake up. and again Adam's call woke me up from sleep. the best thing was Gustavo - as we understood, he woke up early, at about 7.30-8 a.m., went down for breakfast, but when understood, that everyone is sleeping, went to sleep again.:))

but the weather was amusing!! it was misty the whole day!! it's never like that in Latvia, seemed like in a film of Sherlock Holmes.. great!!

so we were in Y.M.C.A. at about 11 a.m. this day was great. we had to make a film treatment, about what is going to be our film, introduction, how to make interest, what has to be in the treatment, and the hardest part - what is the theme of our film and how to uncover it within the shots. a real brainstorming and everyone got really excited about the film.

then muffins - Peppe and Gianni were totay addicted. and they knew were the best bacery is, we (me and Ardi) tried to find it, but we couldn't then we got the important information from the muffin addicts personally.

then was a long rest and going to italian restaurant Casa Bellissima - i had a great spicy picca, but italians said that it is not a good italian food, at least noone of them ate the pasta they ordered.

english rain is back, but despite the rain and terribly cold wind we went to watch the tall ships sail out. i like rain, misty sea and the ships were beautiful.

this was the hardes day in UK i guess, but at the same time you can learn a lot. after a cup of coffee and walk along the seaside i felt full of energy, blowed about 100 balloons, but still we have been too bad organised during the week before the project and i guess english sometimes are too tolerant and don't tell what have you done wrong, and that was the problem why me and Adam worked in the kitchen for 4 hours. but it had a possitive side also - i learnt how to make english tuna-fish, cheese and ham sandwiches:))
unfortunately just before Latvian presentation some vegetarian sausages got burnt so i did my presentation quite bad, but we had an informal Latvian presentation in kitchen with Latvian Black Balsam and ate latvian black chocolate. The evening afterwards went alright - belly dances, jokes, etc.

after watching videos form the history of e2000 and Youth Voice we went to a pub, there we learnt some portuguese songs, had some intereseting disscusions about politics, history with Jiovanni and Ardi.

i didn't know that english have video cameras everywhere, almost on every corner, you live in a reality show, i wonder where do they use the tapes.

the first morning when i woke up and got up at the same time:))

the first day of training. it was really interesting.i've never made a film before in a profesional level, just some films for myself or been a model for art photos. Filming doesn't look so difficult as editing. i've never edited but i'm relly looking forward to learn it tomorrow!! the small tips for right places to film from etc. i enjoyed the films about Iraq and Ben's (our trainer) trip to France. the film about Iraq showed the life there, what is not shown on TV, i liked the way of showing it - there is a painful moment, then is something lighter, then again a painful one.

afterwards we had a barbeque, that was great, weather wes nice and i had a great time.

then we went by taxi to Newcastle, to watch fireworks. the comic and inglorious accident in taxi on the way to Bycer bridge is not going to be told here. but fireworks were great, the site form bridge was fantastic!! at the same time project participants had to film 10 minutes long material about barbeque and fireworks, two groups, each group 10 minutes - this material will be edited tomorrow.

going back was funny. the metro station was full, but of course just our platform, on the second platform was a funny english man, with a guitar who was entertaining all the hundreds on the opposite platform.

going back with taxi and again - problems with taxi drivers..daah!!

so- first day of project Global Voice TV.

in the morning i obtained a full amount of grants given by the Keyfund for organisations in North Tyneside, called some organisations for the Intercultural night and Keyfund film, finally i got in touch with Longbenton Youth Project - they have done a lot of Keyfund projects, unfortunately they weren't able to come on Thursday, but are really looking forward for the Keyfund filming.

at 2 p.m. we had a meeting with Anna form Spain, together with her and Paul we went to The Phoenix Project to get the screen for projector, me and Anna stayed there to talk with Mike and Kerry about organisations, countries etc.

at 6.p.m. i was again imn my loving Airport (my second home during the Ford Castle project:) and a traditional Costa expresso and the plane form Amsterdam is approaching - i'm meeting Gustavo (Portugal) and Ardi (Estonia) - participants for GVTV they are not tired and after going to Whitley Bay and leaving bags in hotel we have a walk around. so we are walking along the seaside and i'm shoving all my excelent:) knowladge about this historic place - about the pirats etc. (hope Dave was right) but it's much too cold for Portuguese and we had to search for a pub. after a long searching we found Copperfield. we warmed up and went to the metro, then to see the Fire Station - there was a meeting with other GVTV participants, but before that, lads understood that they haven't eaten anything for ages and we had an expedition for food at 11 p.m. in Whitley Bay - of course the only thing we found was fast food, but they were alright.

an ice- breaking night with traditional english goods.