Taking Part as a Virtual Audience Member For Television – What’s it Like?

Many TV shows, over the last 14 months or so, have returned to our screens (even with some real audiences). I did a few virtual audience experiences, Including but not limited to: A League of Their Own, on Sky one, The Voice, on ITV2, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Comedy Central. I had no idea what to expect, this was my first experience with TV and I had no idea what it would be like. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

Ok, so, I’m going to be brutally honest and lay it all out on the table. It is heavily orchestrated (as you can probably imagine) you often have to force yourself to laugh at the same joke over and over for multiple takes, for the Sky One show, the Director would tell us WHEN to laugh, HOW to laugh and for how long! This show was my first glimpse into television and my first EVER show. Now I’ve worked on over 10 TV shows and counting!

I’m glad I had the experience because it gave me an inside glimpse into TV and entertainment. It definitely prepared me for future TV work I undertook, and it is certainly an experience I will not forget!

What’s It Like Studying at London Met University? | Massimo Peluso

I’m currently a second year student, studying psychology and sociology. This entire year, I have had my learning online. I’m glad I was able to have half of my first year in person and have a little experience of university life. Firstly, studying online was a big adjustment for me; I felt lost at times in the beginning, but thankfully I’ve adapted. Secondly, it can be difficult at times doing all of my assignments independently without any direct support.

The lecturers are very friendly and have shown a lot of support throughout. I’m glad I decided to move to London Met, my course is very diverse and the students are nice. I hope that I can step foot on campus on the remaining year and a few months I have left! Studying Psychology and Sociology can be challenging but I do enjoy my course. I’ve been studying both of my subjects for 4 years now and my interest has grown.

Please do watch my YouTube video, for more, which is linked here: https://youtu.be/-s_9Mrazw8U

Rome Vs Milan – 2 Competing Cities

I have been very lucky and had the opportunity to fly to both Rome and Milan; the 2 biggest cities in Italy; with a population of 3 million and 1.4 million respectively.

They surprisingly have many differences, firstly, Milan is in the north and Rome is in the south. That in itself makes them both very far apart literally and in terms of how they run. Milan is mainly known for fashion, food and tall buildings I feel, whereas Rome is mainly known for The Pope, tightly packed buildings, landmarks and it’s history. Although Rome is more populated, it is a fairly quiet city in certain areas and has a very relaxing feel. I felt Milan’s main focus is business and investment, therefore it can get very busy and crowded. What you will find visiting both is that Milan has more skyscrapers and tall buildings around the city centre compared to Rome. One building that stood out for me in Milan is called Bosco Verticale, the best way to explain the building is a tree building. A building full of trees -to be exact, 700 trees and over 20,000 different shrubs and plants…. a great step in the right direction

I love Milan for numerous reasons – there are many nice restaurants where you can eat some authentic food such as Di Gennaro (central) and Dai Baffo (outside of the central area) and just the general atmosphere whilst walking around. I highly recommend seeing San Siro Stadium, having a Tour was a highlight for me.

I love Rome also, restaurants are outstanding I highly recommend going to other restaurants outside of the city centre, not just ones that are popular with tourists. I highly recommend Cantina and Cucina (pizza place), Gelateria La Romana (Ice cream) and La Taverna Dei Monti. Those were my favourites! I highly recommend visiting the Colossuem (duh) and paying for a tour before hand, because you learn a lot.

Whichever city you decide to visit (or both!) you will have a fantastic time, I can guarantee it!

Choosing Your A-Level Subjects

I think this is a very very serious and important question that must be heavily thought about as it’s very hard to change once you have chosen your subjects.

DO NOT choose subjects that you think will only benefit you and in reality have no interest with the subject as this will affect your grade and your overall potential. What I mean by this is subjects classed as ‘facilitating subjects’ for example Biology, Geography, Maths.. these are extremely challenging subjects that push you throughout and so shouldn’t randomly be chosen. I studied Geography and understand the workload required. A-Levels are HARD, there is no doubt about it.

Secondly, choosing subjects you studied at GCSE will be a massive help towards your experience. For example I studied GCSE Business Studies and Geography and that allowed me to have a foundation of knowledge and I had the ability to apply it to my answers. Although, not having background knowledge will not necessarily put you at a disadvantage a such, but will help you to learn and understand what is considered more challenging content.

Lastly, choose subjects you enjoy! Is there a subject that intrigues you and excites you? Choose that subject! I didn’t have the chance to study GCSE Sociology & Psychology, and took a big risk in choosing them at A-Level, but I was confident that I would love them as I read up on them and did reading around the subjects prior.

I recommend taking A-Levels and my subjects in particular!

What Has Working In A Clothing Store Taught Me About The Fashion Industry?

I LOVE fashion and my job, and I have learnt lots about the forever changing fashion industry.

At George Clothing, we tend to have sales every 6 weeks and therefore this means new clothes! I’m very lucky as I get to see all the new collections before they’re released to the public. We have new lines in the warehouse in carefully organised packaging and cannot he touched. This of course shows the privacy the store would like to carry through with, in order to surprise customers. Each time we bring out new collections, I’m always impressed! What this tells me is that George Clothing try their absolute best to stay up to date with trends and keep up with competitors, for example: shirts with stripes for men or denim jackets, both very popular items that are very in at the moment!

As there is more awareness about the importance of improving the environment and going plastic free in particular, many companies have used this in a bid to develop a better reputation and receive more customers. At George Clothing we recycle approximately 99% of waste. We recycle every single hanger and all the packing from new products, the remaining 1% is primarily from 2 small bins behind the tills, although this isn’t lots of waste, such as cardboard from shoes or paper. I think this is great for both the company and the environment. I care for the environment and therefore I fully support this!

It is very clear that the industry is always changing. It is a very competitive world and other upcoming and established fashion bosses such as Asos, Boohoo, H&M and New Look (to name a few), are some of our biggest! We are always thinking of ways to increase profits and sales. Customers number 1 goal is to find affordable and good quality clothing and I believe George Clothing does that and I believe that is why it has been so successful.

From working in a clothing store has made me love fashion even more and I’m now considering working within this field, perhaps as a Stylist..

What Is It Like Working In A Clothing Store?

I love fashion and putting an outfit together, and therefore it was an obvious decision to work with clothes!

I have worked in George Clothing for nearly 6 months now and it has pushed me and challenged me 100%. I am fully trained and know a lot such as answering the telephone, organsing the shop floor (sizing, making sure it is in the correct place and neat), bringing out new stock, dealing with purcashes, refunds & exchanges, locking up, cashing off the tills and making sure the changing rooms are of a good standard. I have been faced with many challenges and different types of people. Although it can be very tiring and physically draining, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

99% of customers are lovely and make my job enjoyable, but there will always be the 1% that will try and make your job difficult! I always try to remain professional because there is no point in being rude, although some people do push my buttons!

I can confidently say that from working in a clothing store has made me want a future career in fashion and it is a goal of mine, whether its a Stylist or running my own clothing store. I love seeing how fast the industry is changing; I have been able to see a bit of the autumn collection, winter collection and now spring/summer collection. It is interesting to see how fast it changes and what is popular in the fashion world.

If you want to work in George, I recommend it! It has been a great experience for me and has taught me a LOT about dealing with people and using different types of technology – if you want challenges, this is for you.

 

My Trip To Thailand – The Big Culture Shock!

I enjoy flying around the world; wherever it may be… I enjoy seeing different parts of the world and having the ability to immerse myself within the culture! My entire trip in Thailand was such a shock for me. In this blog, I will tell you why.

Firstly, health and safety isn’t much of big deal as it is in other parts of the world. Fish prepared on the ground with a thin sheet between the fish and pavement, telephone wires left exposed near to where you would walk and sone taxis (which are called a tuk tuk) didn’t have doors! I’m so used to living in the U.K. and having a particular way of life that you don’t consider that not everyone has the same upbringing.

The way Thai people communicate is rather unusually, in the sense that you address men and women differently. The way you say hello is different! It’s all based around respect. One time that stood out for me and I thought it was very shocking was when I went out for dinner in this one restaurant (they serve the best food!) and the waitress stood around 2 metres away from our table and watched us eat. Perhaps it’s a way of showing that they’re attentive, but I have never come across this before!

In Phuket, it’s fairly poor and they rely heavily on tourism. You will get a LOT of people coming up to you trying to advertise taxis and restaurants etc to you. It can be quite overwhelming in the beginning, I would look down and leave my sunglasses on because someone would approach you every 10 seconds and it’s a lot. But I did eventually get conditioned to it and it was fine. This was an occurrence particularly in Patong Beach – it’s so busy there! As long as you say a blunt no or shake your head, they will leave you alone. Or even ignoring, although I didn’t like to ignore. Some of the people whose job is to advertise and promote will be very forceful compared to others and will try and stop you or touch you to come in. As long as you make it clear what you want, you will be fine.

Lastly, I’m not sure if it’s just because the way I dress, behave and my appearance is different, but people in Thailand like to stare. But truthfully, many countries I have countries have people staring, so I’m fairly used to it.

I loved every second of my trip to this amazing country. It is beautiful in many ways and I will return in the near future! Thanks Thailand for your kindness and general hospitality!

My Travel Tips – Booking A Trip

Travelling and going away can be VERY expensive, therefore, I thought it would be good to discuss some of my top tips for booking and getting the best deals!

Firstly, if you can be flexible with your dates, that will help you a lot. Going during the weekdays, will allow you to get much cheaper deals – as they’re less popular dates. I have flown during the weekdays and weekends, weekdays are by far the cheapest.

Secondly, use a range of sites, Skyscanner, Expedia, Airbnb, lastminute.com, Trivago; these are my top 5 websites. But in addition to this, don’t forget to check directly on the airlines websites and airports websites to see price comparison. I have in the past, booked flights and hotels together and separately. I tend to book it as a package, and it is normally much cheaper.

Thirdly, for long haul trips, book in advance (typically 3-6 months before) and short haul, a couple of months or a few weeks before. For short haul, for instance around Europe, will allow you to get the last minute deals and packages, which can be helpful!

Lastly, flexibility with airports. I live near London, which is PERFECT for me. I’m near London Stansted Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Luton Airport, London City Airport and London Southend Airport. All vary in prices.

Concluding, look around, try and be flexible, be organised, and be open.

My American Dream – Beverly Hills, California | Massimo Peluso

Ever since I was a young boy, I have had love for America. The tall skyscrapers, THE FOOD, the mountains, the cities! What is there not to like? After I finish education in the U.K., I plan to move to Los Angeles. I don’t have a detailed plan career wise, but in my heart I want to. I probably set up my own business in clothing, that would be a dream! I would love to have a big house in Beverly Hills, with a stable career and good connections. I feel there is a lot of opportunities in the city and America as a whole. I have visited the US a few times and have not forgotten my trips there. I’ve been to New York City, Orlando, Boston and Jersey City. That is only a handful of hundreds of cities that I plan to visit. I want to visit San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Philadelphia, Nashville and Miami. Those are my top 10, although I would like to see many more. If I don’t live in America, I sure will travel around and explore.

I tried out dance and acting when I was younger so perhaps I could try this out and see whether I could have a career in this. I know the industry can be harsh, but if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

I love America a lot, the movies, documentaries, TV shows, etc portray America in such a good light. Of course we shouldn’t forget about the constant battles that are occurring in this country. Such as terror, hurricanes, violence etc. It is a very challenging country with inequalities and divide. I hope I can try and at least contribute to the country and help whether I can. Hopefully in a few years time, I will be in LA!

My Brief Opinion On Social Media

I didn’t grow up around social media or technology. My parents tried giving me a traditional and normal upbringing. Of course when I went into High School and got older, my friends were involved with it and the people around me. Therefore, I wanted to get Facebook and a phone for example.

I got Facebook when I was around 11 years old. Which seems very young but it was normal then and my friends got it before me. It was harmless as I wasn’t exposed to anything bad and my parents kept a close eye. When I went into Year 8/9 at school, platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat became a lot more popular. Life changed from then..

I try and live my life not always on my phone, I try and be involved in conversation (even though sometimes it’s hard) and can go a few hours without checking anything.

I think Social Media is amazing! You have the ability to speak to people around the world, share memories with family/friends and keep up to date with trends. But the constant in your face bragging and popular people pretending their life is great, has a detrimental effect on our lives.

You would be surprised how different people are in person versus online. They show you the best parts and try to cover up the bad. I feel some people don’t realise how role models on Instagram for example can control us. It influences our interests and even what we wear.

I’m scared to see what the world will be like when I have children..