Hello again! I can't remember most of what's going on really..



We met a new Aussie girl called Leah and she had broken her phone, didn't have money and several other things in the one day. She wanted to go out so we took her to this place that played rock and metal music and had all the bands albums that they had written on the wall so you could write them down for the dj. Leah lives in Scotland recently and works at gleneagles.



^ Steve, Mikey, me, Dave and Bobby.

The next day we took Leah, the teacher Aussie Debbie and Mishca (one of the two guys that runs the hostel) to the beach and lazed about and made fun of all the crazy beach outfits.

At night we took Leah and Debbie to this place called Fellini's that played good music for a while. Frazer from Scotland told us to go.



This morning we were waking up to pack up our bags and move to the next hostel and just then we got raided by the police (they don't have the proper paperwork to run it - despite it being a really cool place) and everyone had to get otu (including Leah and Debbie who were booked for a few more nights). We just walked down to the new hostel and they tried to get a room but it was full so they're on the search.



^ the crazy Belgian that was having the time of his life and loved the colour beige.

I have loads of photos but I can't put them all up, when I get home there will be a photo fest!



^ Leah (left) and Debbie (right) on the beach.

I can't be bothered writing really becahse all the keys on this odd Spanish keyboard are blank.. Maybe another update later in the week!

Hello from Barca !

Where to start ? Since getting here we've done lots. It has mainly been spent on the beach, dodging sun burns badly and cooling down in the fantastic sea when we get too hot.

The first night we arrived, Sweden played England and we decided to go and support the Swedes. We went to a place called Sinatra's and befriended some lively Swedes who taught us the national anthem and some easy chants. We were so happy when Sweden equalised ! Twice !

Bobby was waiting outside and just as we were leaving we noticed he was gone and we had to go on a manhunt to find our MIA member. Steve tried to phone him but called his parent's house instead, who couldn't understand him and were presumably quite worried at the fact their son was missing. But Steve hung up quickly anyhow, to save money. We found him in the end and we went to bed in our hostel, just off La Rambla.

The hostel is really nice actually, there are a few rooms and the guy who runs it is cool. He's called Emanuelle but we decided to call him Mani.

We met a Belgian in the place and he came out with us last night. We were going to take him to the huge beach party but he didn't get that far when he met two Swedes he thought he knew and kept Bobby with him.

The beach party was fantastic and filled with fireworks and people, mainly Spanish. The beach was 500 times fuller than during a busy day and it went on all night. Fireworks went off all around you and a free jazz band set up on the beach, but there was things going on everywhere.

We also met this really nice Australian girl, originally from Greece. She is late twenties and a teacher of the criminal mind ! She tells stories of her students and of one of their dad's, who has an extra thumb and of an old boyfriend who is stalking her around the globe and somehow turned up in her bedroom in the middle of the night on time. He keeps texting her while we're there.

We ran into Jess from last year several times, who is still living here and changed jobs but still hangs around the same places. We met a friend of hers seperately too, a Scottish guy called Frazer and keep running into him too. He's from all over Scotland and claims to be staying here for a Catalan girl he met but he has to learn the language because her parents are very strict.

The food is okay, we have managed to eat a nice curry and various turkish foods but KFC and Burger King were too appealing with their low, low prices. To save a bit of money, me and Steve bought pasta ingredients and baguettes and made pasta for everyone and we ate it all in our hostel, while watching a football game on a television with terrible reception.

Well done if you read this far, I wish I could put up some of the excellent photos I have but this internet cafe is too strict and won't let me have access to the drives so I can't get them up. I will try other places though ! Plus, I will have tonnns when I get back home.

Okay, it's only a few hours before I go to Barcelona now and I'm pretty much ready.

Okay, I'm not really, it's nearing midnight and I have to shower, wash my flip flops (they've been outside since last year), get travel insurance (oops), write my Gran a birthday card (80th), write a tax form, pack the last of my stuff and whatever else I am forgetting (- get power adaptors - well reminded!).

I had a nice day with Beki, now that you ask. We got up and hit town major style, buying last-minute stuff and eating nachos et al at TGI Fridays. We then cleaned up the place proper and had a nice pasta meal (with garlic bread - shout out to Rory for calling me on sans garlic bread pasta meals) whilst watching Big Bro and 40 Year Old Virgin.

I will TRY to post whilst away, dunno how I'll manage though. I will TRY to post photos if I can too. If not, when I'm back you will be swimming in them (or I will! Geddit?).

Anyway if you still want a postcard but didn't email, do it now.

Have a nice time while I'm away kids!

Steve and me in Barcelona 2 years ago

I don't know why Steve's in all the Barcelona pics, but he is. I will right this by not taking a single photo of him this year. I'm going to get a 1gig card for my camera tomorrow, I think. That should give me 1000+ photos. Does anyone know if you can plug a card reader into EasyEverything computers and upload your photos??

Last night me and Beki met Tessa and Nick and my parents to go for a Thai meal. Half of us had only eaten Thai in take away / microwave format, but this was AMAZING. We got a banquet which had tons of starters and main courses, which we all shared, and every single one was so tasty. I would go back tomorrow but it's mad expensive.

I have all my holiday moneys in my hands. Well, beside me. It's all in pounds sterling though and I need Euros..

I have been doing proper full days working on the house, but a lot is getting done and it's quite fun actually, although it takes ages.

Tomorrow is my last day here and I'm not even nearly ready, no joke.

Reminder: I'm going on holiday! Would you like a postcard? I'll send you one free of charge and full of love/humour/scribbles/insults!

Email me your address and I will send you a postcard! mr_chalmers@hotmail.com

Steve, JV and Gav in Barcelona 2 years ago

I went to Kim's shop today to take photos and talk about what her website will look like and stuff and she offered to cut my hair and I was all "yeah, why not" and she was all "sit down and let your hair be cut from you".

I decided getting all my hair cut would be a good idea for these hot European countries so that's just what I did. I would post a picture or something but Beki's at work so I have nobody tto take my photo and I'm not so up for taking photos in mirrors and stuff.

Reminder: Email me your address and I will send you a postcard! mr_chalmers@hotmail.com

Steve and Me in Barcelona one year ago

I went to a new dentist this morning, the first time I've been in like 3 years. The guy was actually really nice, not what I expected after years of going to an older guy who kinda freaked me out at the time.

I was a bit worried about what work would be needing done, after my long absence but I pretty much aced the check up. I'm pretty sure when I left the room, the guy told his assistant that I had the best set of teeth he'd ever laid eyes and tools upon and that I'm a dental marvel and all that sort of guff.

I had the X-Ray-ed too, it goes without saying I passed that with flying colours. I was going to ask to keep the prints (whose blog said something about that?) but I was almost certain that they were keeping them for the record or something.

Freaks and Geeks is excellent. Shame there's only 18 episodes, but I'm a third through.

5 Days Left.

Reminder: Email me your address and I will send you a postcard! mr_chalmers@hotmail.com

I've been watching as much of the World Cup as I can and, luckily, Beki is not opposed to watching the odd match. For the Italy game on Monday, we ordered in some Dominos pizza (Football fanatic - brilliant - plus half price, yep).

The footballs pretty good so far and I'm looking forward to all the games we'll watch in spain in a weeks time.



I also went sailing on Sunday, with my dad and my little cousin, Dylan, who always seems to be helping my dad with his boat or pottering around. We went really fast and it was really hot so that equals really fun.



I am just in from my last day of this year and it's roasting, in fact I should be heading out to the Filmhouse showing dead soon, so I better get a move on.

I am very happy with my results from the year so that is another weight off my shoulders. The other being my money situation being all sorted for Barcelona.



I reckon I might post an image every day or so from last year's Barca trip, to get everybody up for it. Starting tomorrow.

Beki got her braces off today, they were only on her bottom row of teeth but they embarrasse her, although I liked them. Anyhow, they're off and I took the final picture of them but I promised I wouldn't put it on here.

Although that means I will, just not yet.



Taking a leaf out of Danielly's book, I would like to send postcards to anyone and everyone who reads this site..

So if you would like a personal postcard from Spain (I don't care if you hardly/never read my blog or whatever, if this is your first time..) then email me your address to: mr_chalmers@hotmail.com.

And expect one in a couple of weeks.

Alternatively, post it in the comments but expect crazy people to visit your house.

I promise to be super secure about it all yadda yadda, (it's our little secret where you live).

Off I go, to the filmhouse show..

I have handed in my films and my coursework is all completed, so my first year is pretty much over. We have a showing at the Filmhouse next Wednesday, which I'm really looking forward to.



On Wednessay, a man came to my door and was an obvious door-to-door sales guy. But he looked very odd. I began to think he was a satanist when he started talking. He introduced himself and took my last name off this name plate thing on the door, while I was talking to him. He started talking about his 20 year old daughter doing an Open University course and stuff.

I told a few people that I thought I had met a satanist and that I thought he would call me back so I could buy insurance or something.

Anyway, today I get a letter in the mail, addressed to Mr Chalmers (Jnr) and it was from the satanist. He thanked me for talking to him and said he looks forward to meeting my parents at some point.

What?!

I am currently keeping all the doors and windows locked.



Caroline sent me my favourite gum today, its Blumeberry and reminds me of Wonka, a bit. I love getting packages in the mail.

I was pretty worried that the place we booked for our first week in Barcelona hadn't gotten back to me yet and it wasn't showing on the website. Since it is now a week and a half away, I though I should re-check and sure enough, there is no confirm.

Had a bit of a panic and me and Steve hit the internet again and try to get somewhere else booked. We finally find Colombus hostel which seems just as good and stuff, so that's a relief.

Less. Than. 2. Weeks.

11 Days.



You know what, I really like peanut butter and jam sanwiches. Especially with crunchy preanut butter and raspberry jam (it is strawberry above..). Tip: Cut with the jam knife, not the pb knife.

I'm happy with my final film this year. I'll put it up here next week at some point.

Freaking out about the holiday starts....now.

I promised to help my Dad do some work since I have no job and he woke me up at 815am saying he was wanting to start in an hour. I was totally shocked because I didn't think Sunday had an 815am.

I was outside the house by 9am and we started scraping and cementing and primer-ing. We out there for hours. When we had done so much that there were many hours before anything would dry, we stopped. My dad said he had bought some outdoor cooking stuff for summer and wanted to try it out so we ended up cooking lunch over a tiny gas stove.



That's my dad and he looks a) homeless or, at the very least, poor and b) like a total geek in that Matrix/Manhattan hybrid tshirt.

The lunch was pretty good acutally, sausages and beans, but still.. When we were done I realised it was only half two and I would just be getting up around now anyway, so that's a pretty good deal.

All the friends going to Barcelona with me, except Mr. D King (but including Steve), were at my house last night to book the first week of accommodation and we are staying here, from the 20th of June. That's this month. Pretty much 2 weeks.



I managed to track down extra footage of my Grandad yesterday to put into my film tomoro and complete it. That should be good.

Everybody seems to be watching and loving Big Brother 7. I think Nikki is amazing now. Her facial expressions and the things she says, especially in the Diary Room, are really entertaining. Nikster to win!

Today was sunny. Suh. Nay.

I was stuck in an editing suite but it's all good in the hood because I was finishing my film about my grandad and it was moving along rather quickly.

My head lecturer, Fergus came in around lunchtime, popped into the editing suite and

"Michael, can I have a word?"



That's about where I got the feeling like I was in trouble, and I don't think I've had that slight sinking feeling in a good few years. He led me to the studio (which is coming apart piece-by-piece, as we prepare for the Big Move) and sat down. He told me that I looked unhappy every time he saw me and wondered what was up..

I didn't really have anything so I told him about my money slash occupation troubles and my firm hatred for my hard drive caddy (Sir Crash-a-Lot) and that that was it.

It's good to see somebody cares for my welfare, he told me he'll keep his ear to the ground for jobs and that's fine by me. I might hold him to that and ask him about it constantly. Not really.

I showed him the rough cut of my film and was expecting the usual not-so-bothered critisisms. After he wateched it he said

"I'm off to cry. I thought it was lovely."

He had some pointers, but I had figured most already and it's about time I got some slight praise. Fergus had a good day today, if you ask me.



That picture was sent to me by Ms. Sleepbox, her art draws me in. I might try to get some more off her to decorate my room a bit more arty (what? I'm applying to Art School in less than a year, darnit.. Films ARE SO art. Yeah. Yeah? Whatever.).

How good is Big Brother anyhow? Sezer just got told he was a packing, which is fine by me. And Nikki (or however she likes to be spelt) is my new favourite, her expressions and everything are awesome. And everfin' and everyfin'.

House decorating tomorrow? Movie night at mine? Booking Barcelona apartment? Steve back in Edinburgh?

Who knows.

UPDATE: I let my parents see the film about my grandad, they all cried. My mum cried twice. Maybe not the best way to showcase my work to them.. I have become a bit immune to the emotional side of it, after weeks of going through and editing it but it all came back when they watched it.