Cover Letter to Environmental Graffiti Ltd
Dear Sir/ Madam,
My name is Dan Yeo, I am twenty three years old with a joint honors degree in journalism and media studies.
I firstly want to highlight the fact that although I am lacking journalistic experience in the sense that I have spent very little time in the news room, I consider myself to be a capable journalist with my own personal style to writing.
I have this very day finished a one hundred day project that required me to experience one new thing each day for a hundred days and then report back about it on my blog site; in fact sending you this CV is my very last new experience!
I began the blog with a total lack of confidence in my capabilities as a writer, but have slowly come to realize that not only is it something I have come to enjoy more and more with each post but I seem to be improving.
My grammar may be a little off at times and some of the posts could have a bit more meat to them, however, I'm proud of everything I've written on it and for that reason would like to submit it to you as an example of my work in the hope that you may consider me for a position as a blogger on your website.
I have a massive place in my heart for environmental issues and have been involved with various NGO's that act against threats to the planet and it's animal inhabitants.
I have contacts with Greenpeace members on varying levels of authority as well as an upcoming research trip with the Atlantic Whale Foundation to collect data on humpback whales.
I am involved with local campaigns groups helping to work towards transforming our town in a transitional one and am also a member of a 'grow it yourself' communal allotment.
I have alot to talk about and a real enthusiasm to do so.
Thankyou for taking the time to read this, please find my CV right under this (what was meant to be short) cover letter.
Yours sincerely,
Dan Yeo
Thursday, 13 May 2010
EXPERIENCE #99: CONSULTING THE I CHING BOOK OF CHANGES ON WHAT TO DO NEXT WITH MY WRITING
I first heard about I Ching interpretations when reading Rex Weyler's account on the coming together of Greenpeace.
They would use I Ching coins and hexagrams to consult an eastern oracle on troubling or confusing matters.
Each hexagram has a reading to go with it, so once a question is asked and the hexagrams have been selected, an answer will be acquired or get a shove in the right direction at least.
Although I'm neither terribly spiritual or religious, I do get a kick out of taking advice from something that seems rather high and mighty, you know, like the weekly Take a Break horoscopes, that sort of thing.
Whether I take it or not is a different matter but in my eyes if I Ching is good enough for the Greenpeace boys then it's good enough for little ol' me.
Ahem, problem is I don't actually own an I Ching kit (talk about falling at the first hurdle).
What I do have though is the Internet and also a well worn in Amazon account.
As you read this I have my very own I Ching set on its way to me, but whilst I'm waiting I decided to do an online reading to achieve some up to date, high speed clarity about one thing in particular.
I decided to ask the oracle 'what's next with my writing?'.
See my problem is that before I started this blog I totally lacked the confidence to show anyone anything I'd written (itsy bit of a problem when your trying to get work published to the masses).
The thing is, set aside the horrendous grammatical errors that are splayed over each post I make, I actually like showing my writing off now.
So problem solved right?
Wrong, the only other real issue I have is that the idea of writing for a local paper about cake stalls and gnome burglars (well, maybe not the gnome burglars that actually sounds rather riveting) makes me want to dry wretch and perhaps even bring up a little bile in my mouth.
I want to write about the things that I have a passion for, I don't want to have to start out by making cups of tea for jumped up journalistic big wigs and covering car boot sales and baby beauty competitions, it just seems like a big waste.
So, what the oracle have to tell me about the future, actually some really quite interesting things.
My first hexagram was 'Hexagram 2, Earth'
‘Earth.
From the source, creating success.
The constancy of a mare bears fruit.
A noble one has a direction to go.
At first, confusion. Later, gains a master.
Fruitful in the southwest, gaining partners.
In the northeast, losing partners.
Peaceful constancy brings good fortune.’
Right, so now I'm just going to take a whole heap of snippets from the reading and interpret them in my own way.
'Creation unfolds from the original vital energy, creating success with an ongoing exchange between spirit and daily work, flowing through to fruition'
'And so at first there is confusion: you set out like a pioneer, open to all the possibilities, and find them as many as scattered rice-grains.'
'You gain someone or something to be loyal to, where you can find fulfilment in service. Once you have this guiding principle (which may or may not be a person), you begin to follow signs as fluently as the mare.'
'There is a balance to be found between joining with like-minded people and following your own calling alone – but gaining allies comes first. Perhaps your individual sense of purpose emerges more strongly when you’ve learned to work responsively with others, like the mare running with the herd.'
The way I read this tells me that there are so many pies that I want to stick my fingers in that the real purpose with my writing is vague and confused, which I agree with.
I can also see the emphasis for a need for guidance in order to being achieve my goals. Perhaps by working with others I'll be able to then follow my own true passions in writing, as it say's though 'gaining allies comes first'.
I suppose that by even working with others that are alike to myself I'm going to be furthering my individual loves and passions....deep.
My second one was 'Hexagram 16, Enthusiasm'
‘Enthusiasm in the dark.
Results bring a change of heart,
No mistake.’
Again, here a some snippets I've nabbed from the reading.
'The energetic charge of enthusiasm can be used to set great things in motion. It is good to use it to expand and enrich your experience by extending your network of communication and support, marshalling your resources ready for future challenges. And it is also good to use such structures to channel the motive power of enthusiasm, and keep it from running amok. It's brightly coloured images can be woven securely into the larger patterns and meanings of life.'
I think this one nicely nestles in next to the first hexagram which sort of finds a balance my fears and what is reality.
I think what it's telling me is that on the one hand I need to mix with other journalists, get a job with a publication of some sort even if its not exactly what I have in mind for the larger picture but on t'other hand always remain focused and enthusiastic for what I personally like to garble on about.
A lot to ponder on here, now where's my pipe?
They would use I Ching coins and hexagrams to consult an eastern oracle on troubling or confusing matters.
Each hexagram has a reading to go with it, so once a question is asked and the hexagrams have been selected, an answer will be acquired or get a shove in the right direction at least.
Although I'm neither terribly spiritual or religious, I do get a kick out of taking advice from something that seems rather high and mighty, you know, like the weekly Take a Break horoscopes, that sort of thing.
Whether I take it or not is a different matter but in my eyes if I Ching is good enough for the Greenpeace boys then it's good enough for little ol' me.
Ahem, problem is I don't actually own an I Ching kit (talk about falling at the first hurdle).
What I do have though is the Internet and also a well worn in Amazon account.
As you read this I have my very own I Ching set on its way to me, but whilst I'm waiting I decided to do an online reading to achieve some up to date, high speed clarity about one thing in particular.
I decided to ask the oracle 'what's next with my writing?'.
See my problem is that before I started this blog I totally lacked the confidence to show anyone anything I'd written (itsy bit of a problem when your trying to get work published to the masses).
The thing is, set aside the horrendous grammatical errors that are splayed over each post I make, I actually like showing my writing off now.
So problem solved right?
Wrong, the only other real issue I have is that the idea of writing for a local paper about cake stalls and gnome burglars (well, maybe not the gnome burglars that actually sounds rather riveting) makes me want to dry wretch and perhaps even bring up a little bile in my mouth.
I want to write about the things that I have a passion for, I don't want to have to start out by making cups of tea for jumped up journalistic big wigs and covering car boot sales and baby beauty competitions, it just seems like a big waste.
So, what the oracle have to tell me about the future, actually some really quite interesting things.
My first hexagram was 'Hexagram 2, Earth'
‘Earth.
From the source, creating success.
The constancy of a mare bears fruit.
A noble one has a direction to go.
At first, confusion. Later, gains a master.
Fruitful in the southwest, gaining partners.
In the northeast, losing partners.
Peaceful constancy brings good fortune.’
Right, so now I'm just going to take a whole heap of snippets from the reading and interpret them in my own way.
'Creation unfolds from the original vital energy, creating success with an ongoing exchange between spirit and daily work, flowing through to fruition'
'And so at first there is confusion: you set out like a pioneer, open to all the possibilities, and find them as many as scattered rice-grains.'
'You gain someone or something to be loyal to, where you can find fulfilment in service. Once you have this guiding principle (which may or may not be a person), you begin to follow signs as fluently as the mare.'
'There is a balance to be found between joining with like-minded people and following your own calling alone – but gaining allies comes first. Perhaps your individual sense of purpose emerges more strongly when you’ve learned to work responsively with others, like the mare running with the herd.'
The way I read this tells me that there are so many pies that I want to stick my fingers in that the real purpose with my writing is vague and confused, which I agree with.
I can also see the emphasis for a need for guidance in order to being achieve my goals. Perhaps by working with others I'll be able to then follow my own true passions in writing, as it say's though 'gaining allies comes first'.
I suppose that by even working with others that are alike to myself I'm going to be furthering my individual loves and passions....deep.
My second one was 'Hexagram 16, Enthusiasm'
‘Enthusiasm in the dark.
Results bring a change of heart,
No mistake.’
Again, here a some snippets I've nabbed from the reading.
'The energetic charge of enthusiasm can be used to set great things in motion. It is good to use it to expand and enrich your experience by extending your network of communication and support, marshalling your resources ready for future challenges. And it is also good to use such structures to channel the motive power of enthusiasm, and keep it from running amok. It's brightly coloured images can be woven securely into the larger patterns and meanings of life.'
I think this one nicely nestles in next to the first hexagram which sort of finds a balance my fears and what is reality.
I think what it's telling me is that on the one hand I need to mix with other journalists, get a job with a publication of some sort even if its not exactly what I have in mind for the larger picture but on t'other hand always remain focused and enthusiastic for what I personally like to garble on about.
A lot to ponder on here, now where's my pipe?
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
EXPERIENCE #98: VISITING MY GRANDFATHERS GRAVE
Gosh, I really do need to start visiting places that don't involve the deceased en masse.
Um, my pappy died when I was two. This wasn't really enough time to really get to seal a real bond with the ol' guy and so it's one of those passing's that hasn't really had a huge place in my life.
What I do know is that he was a journalist so I suppose we have that in common, and also my mam seemed to like him which is saying a lot considering minus my brother and I, the Yeo clan aren't at the top of her special people pile (he's my dads dad you see).
Regardless of all this I considered it pretty poor that I'd never even visited his grave before or for that matter even been aware of where he was buried.
So I headed up to the graveyard I knew he was buried in and went from stone to stone looking for the name William Yeo.
At one point I found a Wilfred Yeo and thought I'd struck gold, however the death date didn't add up to what I'd been told and so I carried on skulking around the tombstones in search of my real granddad.
Pretty much the last bloody stone I looked at was his, so freaking typical of the Yeo's, good work team, not.
A little flustered I sat right next to his grave and just read my book and smoked my pipe (it was a definite pensive moment right then, sorry mum).
A little chunk of me felt like one of those runaway adopted kids who after some mild hysteria and weeping are always found by their new mummy and daddy asleep on the grave of their recently deceased nearest and dearest.
Another little chunk of me elsewhere did feel something special for being there though. My granddad was supposedly a good human being and so it would have been nice to have been properly introduced.
Although it's perhaps a little too late to do that, the letters on his plaque definitely need touching up (Jay can you help me with that?) and he's in real need of some sort of flower arrangement to spruce up the plot so at least I can do this eh?
Dedicated to a man I wish I'd met x
p.s Totally checked for orbs around his tomb!
Um, my pappy died when I was two. This wasn't really enough time to really get to seal a real bond with the ol' guy and so it's one of those passing's that hasn't really had a huge place in my life.
What I do know is that he was a journalist so I suppose we have that in common, and also my mam seemed to like him which is saying a lot considering minus my brother and I, the Yeo clan aren't at the top of her special people pile (he's my dads dad you see).
Regardless of all this I considered it pretty poor that I'd never even visited his grave before or for that matter even been aware of where he was buried.
So I headed up to the graveyard I knew he was buried in and went from stone to stone looking for the name William Yeo.
At one point I found a Wilfred Yeo and thought I'd struck gold, however the death date didn't add up to what I'd been told and so I carried on skulking around the tombstones in search of my real granddad.
Pretty much the last bloody stone I looked at was his, so freaking typical of the Yeo's, good work team, not.
A little flustered I sat right next to his grave and just read my book and smoked my pipe (it was a definite pensive moment right then, sorry mum).
A little chunk of me felt like one of those runaway adopted kids who after some mild hysteria and weeping are always found by their new mummy and daddy asleep on the grave of their recently deceased nearest and dearest.
Another little chunk of me elsewhere did feel something special for being there though. My granddad was supposedly a good human being and so it would have been nice to have been properly introduced.
Although it's perhaps a little too late to do that, the letters on his plaque definitely need touching up (Jay can you help me with that?) and he's in real need of some sort of flower arrangement to spruce up the plot so at least I can do this eh?
Dedicated to a man I wish I'd met x
p.s Totally checked for orbs around his tomb!
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
EXPERIENCE #97: GOING ORB HUNTING
For the past few days I have been overtly aware of an overwhelming increase in the levels of paranormal activity in my life.
It began late Saturday night when Jack and I decided to take a midnight walk down to the graveyard. It was all blustery and billowy out and walking down the country lanes played a little on the nerves.
So when Jack blurts out that he's just seen some sort of glowing orb springing from spot to spot in the sky we both freaked badly.
Skip forward a few hours to when we have returned from the scariest walk ever and we decide to investigate this phenomena further through the power of the world wide web.
So much orb related information!
Oh, sorry for those of you that have far better things to do in your spare time than read over conspiracy theories and pictures of ghosts and aliens, let me explain to you what an orb is.
From what I've read it's something to do with the faintest of visual energies given off by something spiritual. Let me show you...
...so like these, just minus the fox (isn't he just smashing by the way?!)
The circular little thingymabobbies you can see are orbs and there are tonnes of photo's out there with tonnes of them in.
So, whilst on this paranormal high of mine I decided this evening to stop by the graveyard on the way home from work and do a little orb hunting for myself.
Tottering around tombstones in the dark alone is perhaps the worst possible scenario for me ever and so I felt way, way, way outside my comfort zone. I clicked on some happy music on my mp3 and prayed to Allah that I wouldn't see any spirits lurching toward me between flashes from the camera.
Don't worry nothing bad happened but the whole thing did make my heart thud doubly hard. The photographs are still awaiting a detailed analysis from myself but at first glance I do believe I may have failed to bag even one.
For those that fancy partaking in their own orb related hunts I've added a nifty video to help you get started.
It began late Saturday night when Jack and I decided to take a midnight walk down to the graveyard. It was all blustery and billowy out and walking down the country lanes played a little on the nerves.
So when Jack blurts out that he's just seen some sort of glowing orb springing from spot to spot in the sky we both freaked badly.
Skip forward a few hours to when we have returned from the scariest walk ever and we decide to investigate this phenomena further through the power of the world wide web.
So much orb related information!
Oh, sorry for those of you that have far better things to do in your spare time than read over conspiracy theories and pictures of ghosts and aliens, let me explain to you what an orb is.
From what I've read it's something to do with the faintest of visual energies given off by something spiritual. Let me show you...
...so like these, just minus the fox (isn't he just smashing by the way?!)
The circular little thingymabobbies you can see are orbs and there are tonnes of photo's out there with tonnes of them in.
So, whilst on this paranormal high of mine I decided this evening to stop by the graveyard on the way home from work and do a little orb hunting for myself.
Tottering around tombstones in the dark alone is perhaps the worst possible scenario for me ever and so I felt way, way, way outside my comfort zone. I clicked on some happy music on my mp3 and prayed to Allah that I wouldn't see any spirits lurching toward me between flashes from the camera.
Don't worry nothing bad happened but the whole thing did make my heart thud doubly hard. The photographs are still awaiting a detailed analysis from myself but at first glance I do believe I may have failed to bag even one.
For those that fancy partaking in their own orb related hunts I've added a nifty video to help you get started.
Monday, 10 May 2010
EXPERIENCE #96: COOKING UP SOME EGGS THAT DIDN'T COME OUT OF A CHICKEN
My preferred poultry type was actually a little quail or something else that lays little diddy eggs mainly because I love items that make me feel like a giant, its cool alright?!.
Today though opportunity struck again when I least was expecting it and I was offered access to a clutch of duck eggs.
I took advantage of the offer and chose to fry them.
The first observation I took note of was the largeness of the yolk which got my two thumbs right up, no surprise really considering how much I actually love runny yolk.
The second thing that I noticed was the richness in taste, this was apparently due to the fact that a happy duck laid the egg, this made me tilt my head and smile.
I'm actually quite sure that the richness had some sort of drug inducing effect on me as after eating the fried egg sandwich I got all galumpy and drowzy.
I want to thank the happy duck and its owner for providing me with such top quality eggs, ducks rule.
EXPERIENCE #95: HAVING A TASTE OF BLUE CHEESE ICE CREAM
Being a rather fancy establishment, the restaurant I work in is the sort that can get away with jumbling up sweets and savouries in such a delightfully delectable style that the yahs just lap it up, at five quid per chew in fact, silly sods.
Today though was different, blue cheese ice cream for whatever reason immediately made my brain holler "Yes". I suppose it's probably my complete and utter (or udder bahahaha, ahem) adoration for all things dairy based.
In fact merging two seperate dairy foods gets a doubly big tick for me so a big ol' spoonful of whiffy cheese ice cream is my perfect type of pudding.
It didn't disappoint either, it was creamy yet potent which is just how I like it. Who knew such a absurd mixture would go down so totally well?
Today though was different, blue cheese ice cream for whatever reason immediately made my brain holler "Yes". I suppose it's probably my complete and utter (or udder bahahaha, ahem) adoration for all things dairy based.
In fact merging two seperate dairy foods gets a doubly big tick for me so a big ol' spoonful of whiffy cheese ice cream is my perfect type of pudding.
It didn't disappoint either, it was creamy yet potent which is just how I like it. Who knew such a absurd mixture would go down so totally well?
EXPERIENCE #94: STARTING WORK ON "PROJECT PARCHED"
As you can see I'm six days away from finishing up and tidying away my one hundred days project.
Although this blog is strenuous to write on the best of days, I've enjoyed it immensely and going to miss writing all my guff and garbage on here everyday.
However the show must go on as everyone seems to keep saying so I've decided to make a start on preparations for my next blog which I've codenamed "Project Parched"(look at me codenaming things, aren't I cool!?!).
I won't bore you with the details of what the whole thing is about just yet but today I needed to find a rough guesstimate of how much water I use in a day.
This basically entailed me jotting down every flush, splash, sprinkle and plop that related back to my own personal needs and requirements.
The results were rather shocking actually.
Dan in a day = 114 litres
What a tremendous amount of H2O to go through don't you think?
Although it was a pain to write down every time I went for a piddle or had a cuppa tea I would really recommend that others do this too for just one day.
It sort of puts things in perspective when you consider that some folk get by each day on the same amount of water it takes to flush the loo just once... mad I know.
Although this blog is strenuous to write on the best of days, I've enjoyed it immensely and going to miss writing all my guff and garbage on here everyday.
However the show must go on as everyone seems to keep saying so I've decided to make a start on preparations for my next blog which I've codenamed "Project Parched"(look at me codenaming things, aren't I cool!?!).
I won't bore you with the details of what the whole thing is about just yet but today I needed to find a rough guesstimate of how much water I use in a day.
This basically entailed me jotting down every flush, splash, sprinkle and plop that related back to my own personal needs and requirements.
The results were rather shocking actually.
Dan in a day = 114 litres
What a tremendous amount of H2O to go through don't you think?
Although it was a pain to write down every time I went for a piddle or had a cuppa tea I would really recommend that others do this too for just one day.
It sort of puts things in perspective when you consider that some folk get by each day on the same amount of water it takes to flush the loo just once... mad I know.
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