First ideas

'Holy fecal matter Batman! He's got some ideas!' Is what I'd like to here Robin say when he discovered that I actually had some dasstardly plans for material for Neg Port 2. Last semester I think I managed one decent idea in the first two months. We've been back a week and I've got three! So here they are:

1. Travel article: Poland on Pennies - TNT Magazine (other backpacker titles as well).

Over the inter semester break I went to Poland on a cheap holiday to see a friend. The return flight from London cost about £40, we stayed in private apartments for around £20 (between us) a night. Snowboarding is super cheap as is food and booze - all the requirements of an Antipodean traveler.

2. Urban Exploration - Vice Magazine

New and growing interest/hobby for people of all ages. Basically, it involves nosing around abandonned/derelict buildings. Kind of making the mundane exciting and abstract, appreciating the world around us. Quite hippie-y really. There's an old hospital just out of town that I want to go and check out, have a nose, take photographs. There are also plenty of websites dedicated to this odd past time and quite a big online community with forums where they show off their crafty work. This could be a good place to hook an expert or two and do interviews (via email/phone probably).

3. 100 Creme Egg Challenge - Front magazine

In the film Cool Hand Luke, Luke eats 100 hard boiled eggs as part of a bet (or so I've heard, haven't seen it). For what seems to be the only lads mag left with a decent stupid sense of humour, I'd like to put an Easter spin on it and try and eat 100 Cadbury Creme Eggs whilst dressed as the Easter Bunny or Jesus (I think Jesus would be more amusing and offensive). It'll probably/definately involve me throwing up/shitting myself/getting tooth-ache, which is exactly the kind of fun they like in the lads market. I'm thinking I'll only be able to get a few hundred words as it's hardly the height of journalism, but it is work for a specified market and audience, which will be written in style and with the bravado it deserves.

To do list:

Read TNT online, Australia & NZ Times - get idea of style, word count, content of travel pieces for travelers. Do background research (contact Polish Tourism Office). Write article.

Check word counts of articles in Vice. Go and adventrue. Take a friend who can operate a camera better than a five year old (I mean me). Get on forums, contact other explorers, do interveiws. Write.

Hear back from Joe @ Front re: free Creme Eggs/Jesus costume. Eat eggs, vomit, write.