My time in Mexico
Lindsay Hall, a 21 year old Graduate of St Mary's University College in London, joined us in Mexico to gain media work experience. Here's her story:
For me, going travelling has always been an adventure full of anticipation and excitement. The idea of not knowing where you’re going to spend the night or not having a route mapped out is what makes your journey exhilarating. I arrived in Mexico just over a year ago with Global Media projects. I originally came to the cosmopolitan city of Guadalajara on a journalism placement, however the trip proved to have a lot more in store for me. Not once did it ever occur to me that l would be working on the red carpet at Guadalajara fashion night, an exclusive event which was part of the MTV awards, or l would be up at the crack of dawn setting turtles free into the Pacific Ocean on the spectacular beach in Mayto. It’s all of these stories that have made my trip to México a truly memorable experience.
I had the great opportunity to be working with professionals at the University of Guadalajara radio station. Sitting at my desk from the 12th floor with panoramic views of the city, l was no doubt the envy of many friends back home in Gibraltar. Being a reporter is a hectic and unpredictable job. You don’t have the pleasure of knowing that you can walk out the office at half five go home and relax…in fact it’s the complete opposite. My day started at 5:30 am when my wretched alarm went off and l robotically jumped out of bed. At 6:30 l was in the office gathering the latest news from Europe, at this point Sky news and the BBC have become my most reliable and trusted friends. When you start a new job there are always challenges to overcome, mine was the language. Luckily enough lm bi-lingual and was brought up speaking both languages which was an enourmous advantage when it came to translating. At 8:30 am l was live in the studio with my headphones on waiting to be introduced by Pepe Diaz, head of news here at the University radio. Nothing could have prepared me for the nerves and anticipation l experienced seconds before going on air live. All I can say to future volunteers on the journalism placement is to really throw yourself into your work and learn from others around you….Most importantly enjoy it and don’t waste an opportunity like this. It is thanks to my journalism placement in mexico that l got my job as a reporter for the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation!
As for my Mexican family…where so I start? I lived in a small apartment with Mama Rosy, Pelona and Moon (both dogs). Rosy is not doubt the person who made my time in Mexico feel like l was just at home. She welcomed me into her home and straight away felt a mother-daughter bond which to this day is still strong. A great cook and sales woman….she is a woman of many talents! Rosy is not the only person l have to thank. Ariel Duenas is a fantastic project leader and is always just a phone call away. Him and his lovely family welcomed me into his home and showed me many of Guadalajara’s hidden gems. Thank you Ariel. The likes of Alfredo and Israel are passionate about what they do at the turtle camps in Puerto Vallarta and make sure volunteers get the most of their experience. Thank you Global Media Projects, but most of all thank you Mexico…Until next time!
Lindsay
There's more information on our media projects in Mexico here:
Print and online media projects
TV Placements in Mexico
Radio placements in Mexico
Flim production placements in Mexico
