Pandas, and What I Do

Winter hedgehog! A rare blog post. Here is why they are rarer than usual at the moment:

Because it is cold.

Because this is how my day goes! It is a pretty fun day - am really enjoying new job - but it's going to take some getting used to.

4am: Alarm goes off and is quickly thumped into oblivion. Have started putting the phone across the other side of the room so turning off the alarm means getting out of bed, but apparently this doesn't stop me going straight back to sleep directly afterwards.
4.15am: Second alarm goes off.
4.5am: Third alarm goes off.
4.30am: I stumble out of bed and get into the shower. Usually I walk into the couch. (Thought process: "Probably I don't really need to turn the light on OUCH")
5.05am: Leave the house and walk to work. It's actually really nice walking to work at 5am because it's so still and quiet! I manage to counteract this by turning my iPod up really loud and hoping no-one's up early enough to catch me rocking out.
5.30am: Arrive at work. Make coffee. Sort self out.
5.45am - 10.15am (approx): Work. Morning work is as the online editor for Firstline, which is TV3's breakfast news show. You should watch it! It's on early, but it's very good.
This work falls into two categories:
1) video cutting. I look at a list of everything that's going to be on the show and talk to the news editor about what they're going to need video for. "Scientists have discovered," says the presenter, "that pandas in Northern China have developed a taste for human flesh, and are going on pandacidal rampages." (Note: not a real news story.) Cut to reporter talking about pandas, and some pictures of pandas. I cut the video, call it "pandarampage," and send it to the editors.
2) writing up interviews. "This morning in the studio," says the presenter, "we are talking to the leader of the Panda Independence Society in Wellington. What can you tell us about the recent pandatrocities in China?" Cut to serious panda in suit. I cut the video, transcribe the interview and then write a story based on it. ("Speaking to Firstline this morning, Mr. Monium said he was unaware of any atrocities, calling reports "pandabominable".) Then I think of a snappy headline ("Rampage reports bamboozle spokespanda"), find a photo, attach the video, and put it on the website.
11am: Arrive home. Eat something, check email, muck about.
12 noon: Nap. This is weird. I'm not used to having enforced naptime and it makes me feel like a toddler.
3pm: Stop napping. Put makeup on again, maybe do some washing or the dishes if am feeling industrious. Not usually feeling industrious.
4.30-5pm: Leave for work, depending on start time and whether or not I want to stop for a snack on the way. .
5.30pm-9.30pmish: Work. Second job is setup producer for the 3news website, which is also 2 things:
1) Go through newswires (news we get from other places, like overseas news agencies and NZPA) and talk to the online editors to see what will be good news to set up for the morning. Set up this news. Also talk to lovely people from radio and people in charge of the reporters to see what news they'll be doing the next day, to ensure I'm not panda-ing if all their top stories are marmotcentric. (Technical news term.)
2) Write a couple of original stories for the next morning, which kind of works like this: we get press releases throughout the day, which I look at (in conjunction with people who know a lot more about news than I do) and base stories around. Example: I get a press release from the Wellington Zoo about how they are concerned panda uprisings could happen here. I talk to some people to make sure that this is legit news and I haven't chosen a dud story, then I do some research (which is mostly reading press releases and websites), call the zoo and also perhaps a spokespanda, and then put the interviews, the press releases and the research together into a story ("Panda Panic Pervades Petone!") and set it up to go live the next morning. (Side note: I called someone the other day and their PA said, "He's on his way to blah blah, but happy to speak to a journalist." How irrelevant, I thought, I'm not a- oh.)
10pmish: Arrive home. Eat something. Perhaps watch a little television.
11pm: Bed.

So now not only do you know what I do, but you will know why blog posts may be scarcer than usual until I get used to this new sleeping pattern.

HERE'S WHY: