Do You Love Your Job?
31 January 2004
While all you guys back in the States are gearing
up with the Buffalo Wings and Bud for Super Bowl Sunday, I'm winding
down with a bowl of oatmeal and World Cup skiing.
I got out my new camera today, a Holga http://shop.lomography.com/holga/
and set out in town to try it out. I live right next to the Lithuanian
Art Academy and it's a great place for photos! A Holga is probably
the cheapest camera you can buy, aside from a disposable, and using
it, I feel for the first time in a long time like an artist behind
the lens. It's a great feeling.
I love walking around Vilnius. It has all the benefits of an up
and coming major European capital, with the quaintness of a small
town. It's easy to feel at home here. On Gedimino street, the main
street in the center leading from the Parliament to the Cathedral,
they were taking down the stars and replacing them with flowers
in the Lithuanian colors. They will be lit every night to spring
I imagine. I can't wait to see them!
My mission today, besides breaking in my Holga, was to go to the
post office to pay my mobile phone bill. I feel very proud because
I managed to do it using my Lithuanian! I don't make New Year's
Resolutions because they are never kept. But when I decide I'm going
to do something, I do it. Even though it's happening slower than
I wanted, I can feel the Lithuanian coming and I'm learning new
words every day.
To celebrate this success, I treated myself to a double cheeseburger
meal at McDonald's... but since I'm not fluent yet, I ordered diet
Coke.... Coca Light in Lithuanian.
I'm sure what everyone really wants to know is how is my job! Well,
the answer is simple... It's great! I love it. Our new issues are
going to be excellent, I can't wait to see them on the stands! Especially
the March issue of Ieva. It will be really impressive. On Thursday,
we brought in 10 girls from the Lithuanian Army Academy and gave
them makeovers. When I saw these girls I was shocked. They came
in all in uniform, and it was the first time that I ever saw a group
of european girls and thought, they look just like me! I mean, you
can usually tell euros from americans, but these girls looked and
acted just like a group of american army girls. I was fascinated
by them. They will be in the March issue of Cosmo.
On Monday I will go with one of the photographers all day to Kaunas
for a photo shoot. This photographer is good... but at the moment
he needs to be pushed a little. It's now my job to push the photographers
to work up to all of our standards. Not easy!
I got my new computer and desk on Friday so that was exciting! At
the end of Feb I will move to a new area though with the FHM staff
since that will be my top priority.
Overall, the atmosphere is so fun. It will get more stressed at
the end of next week as we start to close the March issue of Ieva
and that will be my first. I like to work under pressure though
so I am pretty confident I will only enjoy what I do even more.
So that's the news from Lithuania. No ski race this weekend... after
last weekend's party we need a bit of a break! There will be a small
race next weekend in Vilnius and then we will be in Ignalina the
two weekends after that. Should be fun! |
