Today was my first day at Atomhawk Design. I was only surposed to start on Wednesday but I asked if it was o.k. to start earlier because I was really looking forward to working there and didnt want to waste any more time.
They asked me to come around 11 because they still needed to prepare a few things for me before I could begin. Once I was there I introduced myself to everyone again (I'd seen them once before when I came to NewCastle in november but I couldnt really remember anyones names, plus there were some new people). Then Amy showed me my desk. An awesome spot in the corner of the office.. with my back to the wall, so I can see what most people are working on. Its a long office and one of the long walls is all windows... with a great view of NewCastle.. Ill try get a picature of it tomorrow.
Amy told me to settle in, customize photoshop and the wacom to my preferences and then after that I was aloud to look at all the projects Atomhawk has and is working on. I was like alittle kid looking at a collection of all the shiny pokemon cards. After awhile of doing that, Dan showed me a video in the meeting room about Atomhawks own IP they are working on called "Realm". The things I make for that project I'll be aloud to show to people luckily. All the other stuff is under NDA's... so if I'm lucky I can show that in a year.. or maybe 2.. or never O_o.
After that it was nearly lunch time and Ron (the boss) said he'd give me something to do after lunch. So I took a break with some of the others, we went down the road to get some lunch. When we came back everyone just went back to their desk and ate their lunch there.. so I did the same. I still had about a half hour so I went back to the project folder and started looking at some more awesome stuff.
Ron came over later and talked to me abit, showed me which project I would be working on and showed me where the style guide was. After that time flew by, every now and then I walked past my colleges to check out the awesome stuff they were making and Ron came by a few times to check up on me and give me feedback on the work I'd done. At about 18:30 I finished for the day. They are really flexible with your starting and finishing time here at Atomhawk. Im aloud to come in between 9-10 and depending on how late I start I finish between 17:30-18:30.
On saturday morning Jan (the french room mate of mine) asked me if I wanted to go out in town with Lucy and him that evening, it was a friend of theirs birthday and they were gonna meet her in town for a couple of drinks.
Around 9 o'clock we started with a beer at home...but no not a normal beer.. a huge pint of australian Fosters. It tasted pretty oke, was alittle different to the beers at home in holland. I had a good chat with Jan, and he told me that he hadnt been out much in NewCastle either so he wasnt exactly sure where to go. But I didnt mind, I said thats all part of the adventure!
At around 10 we made our way to the local metro to grab a quick lift into the city centre. Its a real short trip, about 1-2 mins. Once we were there they phoned their friend and she said we just had to make a right and then a left and then we would be at the bar...but.... we couldnt find it. While we were standing outside I noticed we were standing at a place called Lloyd's bar! This is about the 4th time Ive seen a building with my name on it. Im gonna start collecting picatures of all the different things with my name on it here, because its quite common.
While we were standing there... outside in about -2*C, I noticed how little the girls here in NewCastle were wearing. I just couldnt believe it but all the girls here were in short skirts/dresses, high hills and no jackets! And some of them were already drunk out of their mind and it was only 10 o'clock! Walking all wobbely on their high hills, falling all over the place.
Anyway after awhile Jan and Lucy's friend (Rachel) came to get us cause we just couldnt find the place. It ended up being about 2 blocks further. Inside we got a couple bottles of beers and went to the back of the bar where Rachel and her friends were sitting(3 girls and a guy). I introduced myself and then sat next to Jan and Lucy.. but the music was so loud in there that I couldnt really talk to anyone on the other side of the table so.. I just chatted with Jan and Lucy some more, we talked about how weird it was that there was a huge group of girls going crazy and then there were a couple of guys sitting at the next table not even looking/talking/mixing with them.
The beer that I got there tasted terrible... I think they made it with sewage water or something. But once I finished it I really needed to pee. I went to the toilet and when I got there it was empty except for 1 cubicle that was closed. I took a wiz and then turned around to go wash my hands.. and as I was doing that the door of the cubicle opend and some guy dashed out behind me and went straight out the door and then a few seconds later another guy walks out and comes and washes his hands next to me. O_O I put 1+1 together... and got the hell outta there!
When I got upstairs I told Jan about it.. and then we started to notice things around us. The girls were all together.. and the guys were all together... could this be...a.. gaybar!!
We decided to make our way out after our next drink.. which was thankfully a Heineken.. or so I thought. I dunno what they do to their beer here but even the Heineken didnt taste the same...I wonder if they mix their water with it or something... because the water doesnt taste that great either.
We made our way to the next bar which was... Lloyds Bar! It was quite a nice place.. it had 2 floors.. up stairs was quite mellow, a good place to sit at a table and drink with your friends. But we headed back downstairs to the loud music and crazy dancing people. NewCastle is apparently famous for bachelor parties, I saw quite a few groups of people dressed in the same clothing. For example a whole group of girls were dresses in red and white striped clothing from "Where is Wally", and a few of them even had big round glasses.
The guy friend of Rachel was standing next to me, just drinking his beer. But after awhile Rachel started tempting him to dance...and oh how I wish she didnt..but she unleashed freaking Bruce Lee!!! This guy did the funniest moves.. I had to try so hard not to laugh. He was waving his hands all over the place. Kinda reminded me of this...but without the leg movement and turning hehe.
We danced, drunk and had a good time till about 1 o'clock.. when the lights suddenly came on and we got told to get out.. Wasnt quite what I was expecting for a place called Lloyd's Bar.. but o well.. Off we were to the next pub.
We followed Jan and Lucy's friend Rachel to Cozy Joe's I think it was called. Another pub with 2 floors.. downstairs was a big party area and bar.. and upstairs there was a smaller party area with karaoke and then there was this long hallway with doors, which apparantly all have their own small party area behind them which you can rent to party with your friends, sounds pretty fun to me. After listening to some reallllyyy drunk blond chicks and a not so bad italian guy we went down stairs. The music was alot better there so we ordered a couple more drinks and danced. After awhile Jan and Lucy wanted to go for a smoke.. and I wanted alittle rest from the loud music so I followed them to what I thought was outside.. but the bar had kind of built abit into the alleyway next to it, there were shelves on the walls for your drinks and heater lights that you could turn on if you were cold.
While I was standing there some random guy started talking to me, he was very kind but I could hardly understand a thing he said because of his heavy geordy(not sure how you spell it) accent. I then told im that I was from holland and asked if he could speak abit slower so I could understand him. I then introduced him to Jan and Lucy and we all chatted abit. Then some super drunk lady showed up and started asking us how old we thought she was. And to be nice we made some really low guesses, which made her even more happy. Then she told us she was so happy cause the guys at the door asked her for her ID and she was 31! So I can understand why she was so glad. She then started telling us about her 11 year old son and then next thing she tells us that the guy next to us was her boyfriend. So we all had a good laugh together.
Shortly after they left the italian singer from upstairs showed up next to me. He also started talking to me asking me how I was and where I was from. I then complimented him on his singing upstairs cause it was way better then all the others that tried. He was a really funny guy and told us how he was born in Italy and that his grand father had a beautiful name "Giovanni Valentino". I told him I was born in South Africa and now lived in Holland. Then suddenly a girl came up to us and asked who was from South Africa, I told her it was me and then she immidiately started talkin in Afrikaans to me. I laughed and said I couldnt speak it but I could understand everything she was saying (mostly because its alot like Dutch).
We finally went back inside, there we danced and laughed. Around 2:50 the DJ started shouting that it was the final round at the bar because after 3:00 they werent aloud to serve. 3 o'clock came and went...they stopped serving drinks but the club didnt close. The DJ said once everyone stops singing along with the songs he stops playing music, which is quite a cool way to close a club I think. Things kept on going back at around 3:30 Jan, Lucy and I decided to make our way home.
We dont live that far away from the city center so we walked home.
So I decided along time ago that I wanted to do my 3rd year internship aboard and it's finally here. I'm gonna be spending the coming months in NewCastle Upon Tyne working at Atomhawk Design.
Ill be posting all my adventures here so enjoy all the stories and photos! Ill post as many as I can. And if I'm lucky I'll be aloud to post some artwork.. but the chances are small.
I came by boat which was pretty fun and I did it because you can take alot more luggage with then by plane. The trip was about 14 hours, traveled at night so I just had dinner once I was on the boat, then walked around abit, watched a film on my laptop and then went to sleep. Didnt get much of that though, I woke up somewhere middle in the night.. at least I thought it was...but it was already 8 o'clock.. and the boat arrived in Newcastle by about 10. The worst part of the trip was the goodbyes... really gonna miss my girlfriend... after living together for the last year, we are gonna only see each other a few times these coming months which it gonna be tough.
Once I got off the boat I grabbed a bus into the city center, there I met Jack (the guy Im renting a room from). He picked me up and took me to the house (29 windmillway!). I hadnt met any of the other tenants yet but the house is just 5min walk away from Atomhawk so I wont have to take any busses or trains to get to work!
The house has about 7 people living in it including me, 2 couples, and a guy and girl. I met 1 of the couples when Jack showed me the house, Jan and Lucy, they are here from france also working for a half a year in Newcastle. Guess they were looking for some adventure too.
Next I had to unpack, but then Jack offered me a lift to the nearest supermarket because he was going to leave for work. So I accepted the offer because I still had the whole day to unpack and I had no idea where the supermarket was.
Jack dropped me off at the Tesco, a HUGE supermarket compared to our local AH at home. I must say I was abit intimidated by the wide selection of products...I had no idea where to start. So I just started walking down all the isles looking for things I needed and what looked good to eat. Pies! Curry! Crunchies! I had to be careful I didnt buy too much though.. cause I had to carry it all the way back home.
After my shopping adventure I got home and unpacked. I still hadnt seen anymore of my roommates so I kinda just had to claim a spot in the fridge, freezer and cuboard. Then I unpacked all my stuff in my room and made it nice and cosy. Got a great view from my bedroom window!
Next I went for a walk into town to go exploring abit. I also needed to make a phone call to the local Jobcenter to apply for a National Insurance number (sofinummer), so I went looking for one of those classic red telephone booths but I couldnt find one anywhere. So I settled for a boring glass one. I made an appointment for the next day. Then I went off looking for the Jobcenter building so I knew where I had to be the next day. Next I walked around a mall in the center of town, really miss malls in holland. I then went outside and walked around the shops there but after awhile I started to get cold so I headed home.
Once I got home I got the internet organised so I could skype with all the people back in holland.
After telling them about my trip I went to grab dinner, which turned out to be a cold chicken pasta salad.. instead of the warm pasta meal I was expecting. It wasnt bad though... the spicyness made up for the missing warmth.
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