Thursday August 2nd was a day of figuring out technology — again. Thank goodness there’s an Apple Store in several parts of London. A 3pm class at the store in Oxford Circus turned into a 4-hour session of how to edit and short-cuts for me, because the editing process is not my forte. For 15 years, thankfully, I worked with Dan Roper at Channel 4 San Diego and several other very talented editors whose fingers could fly to make my words and vision for my One on One show and features come to life. With so many great people and images to share, I’m taking a crack at it, too.
After the Apple sessions — thanks especially to Steffen from Florida who’s here getting his Masters Degree in animation — I meandered through Oxford Circus and found a great little backstreet called Glasshouse Street. A trifecta of pubs from three streets converged with the happy hour crowds standing outside on cobblestone streets on enjoying their pints of beer and the beautiful weather.
Needing food at this point, and carrying my heavy backpack full of computer gear, I spotted a familiar site. Whole Foods. Yes, Whole Foods market is in the heart of London. Crazy. I sat outside with my healthy dinner and chatted with man from New Zealand and a woman from Morocco, both living in London. We talked about how the world keeps getting smaller between iPhones, the internet, and now Whole Foods — all beyond just imported brands of fast-food restaurants and clothes stores. I made it hope on the fairly quite Tube, and through the still very busy Stratford Station where Olympics spectators were making their way home, too.
After the pictures… the story continues…
The Apple tutoring paid off, but thanks to my new French friend Laurene Casseville, who’s also in TV for a French production company, Friday has been spent collaborating in a small but functional editing suite upstairs in a quaint brick building in Soho — the artsy part of London.
So, here is part of my Wednesday experience at the Volleyball game. I interviewed two fans after the match between Russia and Albania. I had been watching them from my seat, and noticed how while they were not there together, they were very involved in watching the games, showing their flags. Then, when it was over, they took the initiative to even pose for pictures.
I jumped in and asked for a picture with the two of them, and they agreed to an interview. It’s a little shaky, shooting with my iPad, but it captures the spirit and ambiance. Sorry to say I did not write their names down, but I gave them my website so perhaps they’ll log in.
It’s only one-minute long — shorter than I’m used to — and one of countless conversations and observations possible here at the Olympics.