At the beginning of the lesson, Bronek said that he was sending half of the group out into town with a digital camera to take some shots for use in this collage we were to create. Outside, it was raining and cold. Like hell was I about to go and do that. Luckily, I already had my backup plan ready and waiting to show him - An entire directory of Liverpool-related photos all taken by me three years ago.
I got to work on designing the collage, but as soon as I started, wondered just how the hell you're supposed to make a group of images that have nothing in common visually look good together? He had told the group that he had wanted them blended together but I wasn't about to willfully make my work look shit. The only reason he was saying that was to get the class used to how to blend images together, not because it would produce a nice result. I decided to use the images in another way and created a fictional "Official" guide to Liverpool. I think it took about an hour altogether, but I didn't start it till about 10am or so. By 11am, I had finished it and I showed Bronek. He was very impressed. "That's good", he said, "That's very good!". It wasn't actually that good really though. I could do better, just that the images in my Liverpool directory aren't very high quality so I couldn't use them in ways which may look better.
I talked to Sean for the last hour or so, just trying to help him out with his version of what I'd just created. As I've said in the past, Sean isn't a complete newbie when it comes to Photoshop, but he does have problems when it comes to actually thinking up new methods and new ideas. He also has a very bad habit of using blue for everything he does so I spent some time teaching him that there really is other colours of the rainbow to use.
The time passed quite quickly and before I knew it it was lunch. When everyone had left the room, I asked Bronek if he had anything I could do in Tony's lesson, since Tony only teaches the basics and I wanted something to keep me occupied. Again, he said he had nothing. I find it really disappointing that here I am, willing to learn, asking to be given some productive tasks to aid me in getting that qualification I want, and yet he never has anything for me to do, even though I've now asked him at least four times to do so and he's said he'd get something for me 'next time'. Yeah right.
Having said this, I then got onto the subject of our first project.
"I don't see why you can't just give me the brief now so I can get on with it", I told him. "I mean I know that you're now allowed to because of the rest of the class and..."
"Alright, I'll tell you what, I'll give you the first part of it to do. How's that?"
"Ok, sure"
"Right, well the brief is called "A journey from A to B" and it's basically that. What you're going to do is create some sort of visual map of how you've got from college to, well, I was thinking of incorporating it into something to do with the Biennial so from college to a Biennial place. What I want you to do is just go and visit some of the Biennial places and get as much information as you can from them. Take some pictures, even video if you want. A group of my other students are going out with a camera actually, I'll see if you can go with them."
"Yeah, that sounds great", I replied. Finally, I had something worthwhile to do.
In addition to this, he was saying how he has very high hopes for me. He thinks that the quality of my work is high enough to be in university right now. That was a great compliment. A nice confidence boost. I said I didn't think I was quite at university standard just yet, but he disagreed, saying that the work he'd seen from me already was more than enough to get me in there.
At lunch, I just hung about the college, waiting till 12:30pm, which is when Jamie, Fisher and Mike get out of their lessons. We just talked outside for a little bit. I'm glad that even though we're not in the same classes no more that we're still able to spend some time together, whether it's just 30 minutes at lunch or on Friday's when we might go out.
Their lunch break is 12:30pm to 1pm, but mine is 12pm to 1pm, so I only see them for 30 minutes.
Tony's lesson at 1pm was, of course, very very boring and I decided not to do it. I couldn't be arsed bowing to the pettiness of it so I decided to make another Liverpool guide. It looked awful though because of the low quality images. Still, it passed the time.
I told Tony that I had to go at 2:20pm because I had an appointment at Student Services. It was to get some advice about housing. I was very glad that I did have the appointment, since it meant that I could leave the lesson on some required business. I said goodbye to Tony and he asked me would I not be coming back to lesson. I told him that I didn't know how long I'd be so he said ok.
"Hi, i'm here for my appointment with Anne", I said to the woman sitting at the desk in Student Services.
"Ok?"
"I have an appointment with her"
"Oh, are you here to see if there are any earlier appointments?"
"No? I have one with her"
Then it dawned on me, as she said what I'd just realised.
"Your appointment is next month".
Doh. I had seen "Tuesday 5th" on my appointment card, but what I had somehow forgotten was that it also said 11, meaning October.
I walked out of Student Services and pondered going back to class...for about 2 seconds, before going home instead. I wasn't missing anything by doing so.
Since it was only 2:25pm at this point and I desperately needed to buy some new trainers, I decided to go buy some. Buying trainers is so damn difficult. I don't know if i'm just really picky when it comes to buying a pair or if they just don't have that much of a variety, but either way, I find it hard finding a nice pair. A nice pair that are affordable too!
I went to a place last week to look for some, but didn't find any and I went to two yesterday. The real problem I guess is the fact that I'm useless when it comes to knowing where places are in town to shop.
I tried on a pair which I liked, but they didn't feel that comfortable. I then found another pair and liked them and paid the �65. �65! Fucking expensive. �65 is a hell of a lot of money to me, but I couldn't find any cheaper that I might of liked. I also hate trying on pair after pair, because even though that's what they're there for, I hate asking the assistants to go get me them, only to tell them I don't like them and then they have to go put them back.
Once I'd bought them, I pondered putting them on just so I get used to them, but I thought not in the end, because if they get scuffed then I wouldn't be able to take them back if I didn't like them.
After I'd bought the trainers, I then went to look for some long sleeve t-shirts. On the way, I saw Danielle coming towards me, which was a nice highlight, but after I said hello, she said she was sorry, but couldn't stop, as her mum had just been rushed into hospital and carried on walking in a hurry. I hope she's ok.
Atter trying one t-shirt, along with a pair of jeans in one shop, didn't really like it. Well, it's not that I didn't like it, but it just didn't look good on me. I then went to another shop and tried on two in there, but they didn't look good on me either. All they were were a khaki-ish long sleeve top and an very light grey/green-ish one. Neither suited me at all, even though the tops themselves I think are nice. I don't seem to suit ANY colours! The only colours I seem to suit are black and white. That's it. Anything else just looks stupid on me. It's very annoying. Why don't I suit colours? Seriously, can anyone tell me anything this because I really don't know. Anyone out there know something about fashion and what suits who? Anyone want to come and be my clothing expert for the day?
I returned home, �65 lighter and put my trainers on to get used to them, but after about an hour or so of wearing them, I thought they felt quite strange. They're really weird actually. The sole doesn't cover my entire foot. There's a bit on the inside of each trainer with has no sole so when you're actually walking in them, it feels as if the inside of your foot is falling off the trainer. How stupid is that? I mean, surely the designers of these shoes must of tested them and stuff? People can't actually like this "falling off your own shoe" sensation. Needless to say, I'll be returning them.
College tomorrow with Brian and Daniel. Also, tomorrow i'm going to ask Jamie if he wants to come with me to the British Musical Fireworks Championships in Southport on Friday. It sounds pretty cool to me. 8 firework companies over the course of two nights - Friday and Saturday - will hold firework battles to see whose fireworks are the best. I've really wanted to go since I read about the event some time last month. Regardless of whether anyone does go with me or not, I think I'll go. It'd be nice to have some company, though.
