Communication Biznatch

Bri bought an iPod Touch yesterday. Now I can contact him when he's at work and anywhere else that there's wifi, hahaha.

Work has been super busy. I can't believe I've only worked their four days! It's been a lot of fun, although technically I haven't had too much to do. Today I was working from home because I am working on a story about the Stampede. I was out interviewing streeters about their opinions on it. Honestly, the info I got from my friends via facebook was much more interesting than their answers, but I ought not use them lest it become a bad habit.

We're supposed to put this old issue to print on Saturday but My Editor isn't sure that The Old Editor will be ready on time. Meanwhile I will write my 1000 words on the stampede and a 500 word food review (which has to be written between eating the meal @ 6 and going to work at the bar at 8!) It will be a stressful finish the workweek, followed by two busy shifts at the bar, back to back. Hopefully I can keep up both jobs. We'll see.

Here's a snippet of the Stampede story so far, feel free to give feedback!

It’s lunchtime, two weeks before the Stampede parade marches through the downtown core and Stephen Avenue Walk is conspicuously flush with cowboy hats.

A small amount of sleuthing reveals the source of the shiny white Stetsons is the Calgary Stampede Promotions Committee. A handful of committee members are distributing the trademark caps out of the back of a chuckwagon, handing one to each of the hundreds of people who have stood in a line that stretches down the entire block before wrapping around the corner. Stampede mascot Harry the Horse, a goofy but endearing fellow, is mingling with the crowd, entertaining toddlers and businessmen alike.

The line moves quickly through the already bustling eighth avenue. The sun beats down hard as people eat lunch out of Styrofoam containers and others sample various types of food-on-a-stick and meats-on-a-bun. Between the crowds of people standing brim to brim and the sidewalk shops selling trinkets, it’s not hard to imagine that the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” is already in full swing.

Nobody is under the illusion that the legendary Calgary Stampede is truly limited to within its ten official days. However, whether the infectious Western spirit is more like that of laughter or influenza, is in the eye of the beholder.

The first hours

Well, I am 2.5 hours into my internship! 437.5 hours to go!

We've got three pages to fill, plus an empty 2-page spread so I've spent the morning writing out contact info for potential advertisers. Now I've moved onto calling businesses to find out who the actual contact for advertising is. My office is extremely echoey (yes! I have my own office with a desk and doors and everything!) which makes it a bit awkward to talk on the phone, but I think I'm doing alright.

The only people left to call on my list are restaurants and I know from experience that restaurants think your company is stupid if you call them during lunch, so I decided to wait it out.

I am looking forward to decorating this place a bit. It's got nice doors and marble-looking floors but plain white walls and lots of empty flat space. Some photos at the very least, I think.

I think the real excitement will start later in the week when we get to start talking about the next issues and making dramatic changes.

Completely unrelated to food

Hours after my last blog entry I had a meeting set up to discuss a possible internship. At least I thought it was a "possible" internship, but it turned out to be a case of "we really ought to hire a reporter for our magazine, and didn't we hear about a young journalist looking for an internship?" on their end! So I went in for a meeting with the EIC and she was very sweet and excited about what the magazine will become in the next year - we will be completely overhauling the design with a brand new team of young folks.

So yes, I am starting my internship on Monday! I thought I'd be starting a lot sooner but they had to figure out the payment logistics (positive results!) and scheduling etc. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing from day 1, but I know that it will include research, reporting, layout, photography and related things. Writing for example.

My biggest problem at this point is the school side of things. This being an internship, I am obligated and required to pay $600 and somethin' dollars so that I can do some little assignments to chat with one of my profs via email. I don't have problems with that financially, but I do have problems with the technology. I was told to change my password to my school email due to maintenance they are performing on the system. Unfortunately I did so and now I'm locked out of the system. Arrggghhh.

And the work experience coordinator who said he would work things out so that I could sign up for this class waaay past registration date is on vacation now so I don't know if he accidentally sent the info to my school email or what. Maybe I'll check the email right now...

Oh! Hahhaha. It's fixed! Sweet.

Holy shit! So, work exp coordinator is on vacay, but he got some lady to get me registered, so I got an email (dated yesterday at 12:56) saying that I'd been registered and that I had 24 hours to pay my fees. That was scary because I assumed that I had missed the opportunity since I woke up at 12:55 today, but it seems like I made it../ Now I have a suspicion that I overpaid because I popups blocked the first time I used my VISA, and the second time I used it it was declined (weird) and the third time I used my mostly-stagnant mastercard and it worked. The good news is that I have to pay another $3000 in August anyway for next term so it's not like the money won't go somewhere. Whew.

I think I did pay it on my VISA, on closer inspection...because I only have $17 available credit there now...hahaha

Geez