TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

5:52 PM
Posted by jodi rose

another day at the office...
created a 1585 turkish/hungarian battle scene for radio today, and a vignette of 1000 drunk slovak soldiers in the town. russell usually steers clear of the old cart fx, knowing the eccentric sound guys and how they made them, but I have no fear - and they turn up unexpected gems. crowd with slaves whipped came in particularly handy today for the shouts of agony in battle - although we had to cut all the ruler slapping sounds.
having a lot of fun with the program, although a little scared of the audio diary entries still to edit - the sound of my voice keeps putting me to sleep. not a good look for the radio. unless you're doing an insomniac program.

just had drinks on level 5, for nick f who is off on long service leave next week - steven told me I should apply for some, you've been here long enough. not quite, I replied, only two years - well, it feels like longer. gee, thanks - I think. Brent offered the services of Attila, young Hungarian radio student who may come in and record some battle cries and poetic text for those esoteric border crossing moments.
our floor distinctly over-represented in the protest about the cleaners' contracts yesterday afternoon - some great songs and chants, 'you can't stop the cleaners, nobody can stop the cleaners' etc. but it's the thin edge of the wedge, reminds me how lucky I am to be freelance and self-employed. Brent told me about hearing the blog prize announced on radio, how they were really hyping it up, and then I was so excited - he said it made him feel high just listening to me. How funny. Robin told me the news report she heard really played up the abc connection, so I understand a bit more how all that furore lit up.
Debating wether to go down to the quay for writers festival tonight, although the talks I'm most interested in were during the day.
Maybe tomorrow - really feel like getting out amongst it. Light, colour, movement. Again seem to spend all my time either in the studio or walking between home and ultimo and then sleeping. Would love to have a social life here, but it just doesn't seem to happen. Heard that a study on australian life recently found people believe that we are having less fun than we were twenty years ago - corinne on the glass house pointed out that was the year of Chernobyl, height of the cold war and some other not so great things - but it does feel like that.
In conversation with sarah w last week at dinner, a similar thing came up - especially people in sydney being just too busy for fun. And it really is one of life's essentials, or why do we bother. Planning some good silly art projects, and just getting through the days for now.
And the nights, but that's another story. It's a glamorous life on the floor at darlington. Still, this disconnection from security and the 'normal' world is what allows me to make these flights of pure fancy, although worrying that I'm losing my facilities. But then, Brent just raved about a writer whose work is 'scrambled and messy' and I thought, hey! I can do that!! Just stop trying to make it coherent.
It's all such a kaledeiscope in my brain anyway, and if you're going for an authentic voice, then this is it. I remember having a foot-writing competition with friends many years ago (when we had time for fun) and the 'judge' applauding my work - insanely demented scribbles - as being probably the closest to what was inside my head. Indeed.
If only it wasn't so dark in there some days. Let the light in...