Excessive travelling

3 weeks, 4 hotels, it sums up my job perfectly. I spent 2 days in a ‘HI’ branch at Colchester. It was dated, the bed was soft, the gym was alright but the pool was simply unusable. A normal pool welcomes you with a strong flavour of chlorine, but this one is the smell of sea water. It wasn’t sea water, but it was a bit salty, not gonna say anymore. Almost forgot about the restaurant, it was the darkest meal I had ever had. Even located the knife and fork in front of me was difficult, nevermind the food, which was pub like but at proper restaurant prices. For a 2 course meal plus a glass of wine, coming just under £30 was a shock. If it was £17, it would be acceptable, but £5 for a glass of wine that tasted like its 50p equivalent and a lamb shank that submerged in the gravy wasn’t a typical £30 meal I usually have.

Then, it was HIE Newcastle, it is quite new and I have spent at least 8 weeks there since March. The bed is supportive, China town is just around the corner, no wonder it is full most of the time. JI just round the corner isn’t bad, but more expensive than the HIE and no air cond... are you kidding me? Today, the 4th of Sept, I am staying at the PI at quayside. Out of the 3, it is probably with worst one. The floorboard creaks and the bed is just a few springs covered by a duvet. Not impressed, even if it is just metres away from the customer’s office.

My plan is always the same, when I need to go on site, I take my camera with me and practice when I can. Newcastle is kind of dull, in terms of sightseeing. I do love the Millennium Bridge though. It is a place to walk around after dinner and certain a place to hold hands with a girl… if only there is one for me… I know I am picky, but why is it so hard? I am not looking for a drunk, just someone who is intelligent enough not to care too much the way she looks, kind enough to realise there is more to life than enjoying herself, not so intelligent that she became obsessed and has a habit of picking bones out of nothing. Oh dear (light bulb)… I am an arse…

I guess the way I shoot sums it up. When I shoot I shoot with my heart and everything has to be right. A photo is a piece of art, an expression of one’s thought at a particular moment in time. It is a way to look at life differently, to search for another angle. I don’t shoot for the sake of ‘I need a photo to show I am here’. If I don’t feel like it, I can walk all night and not press the shutter once, if I feel like it, I can shoot 5 rolls a night. This evening, when I was shooting at the bridge, people came to talk to me, encourage me to shoot, it was nice. It would be nice to shoot with someone though. I felt so lonely, by myself on site and away from home so often, eating at restaurants by myself, sleep on a bed I prefer not to know the history of it. I thought I could handle this but I have been at Newcastle for so long (almost 3 whole months since Feb) I might as well setup a branch here.