Today, it is a very sad day - it is Arielle’s last day at Oddies! I can not believe that she is going to leave us already - *sniff*… :’(. Therefore I did an interview with her which you can read below. Hope, you will enjoy it:

Barbara: Arielle, it is already your last day at the Oddies. How are you?

Arielle: The time went by very quickly and I am sad to leave Oddies and London.


B: Is there something you will miss?

A: I will miss the responsibility I had at work and I will definitely miss the blogs. I really loved to write those.
(B: and I have enjoyed reading them ;-) – Arielle’s blogs are very funny and entertaining, aren’t they?).


B: You have been in London for more than 3 weeks. What did you like most in the English capital?

A: I really liked the general atmosphere of the city because I come from a suburb and not a bustling, big city. Although, I do go to New York City all the time.
I liked seeing the tourist attractions as well as the night life and going out for dinner.


B: What was your favourite place for having dinner?

A: I loved going to Pizza Express. In fact, I think that I will go there once more before I go back home.


B: You went sightseeing to several places but you did some shopping as well, didn’t you? You told me that you bought lovely gumboots. Which one of the Oddie socks will you wear with them when you are back in New York?

A: Ballet Oddie socks!


B: Why are they your favourites?

A: It is the most enjoyable story to read. And Ballet Oddie is a very cute character.


B: Actually, what are you going to do in New York? I guess you have got summer holidays? Will you go on holidays abroad?

A: Well, I am going to visit my sister at Camp Robindel, a sleep-away camp, which is in Hampshire. I will go there on a little road trip with my friends.
Afterwards, I will fly to Italy and visit several cities with my family.


B: That sounds very exciting. Italy is known for its ice cream, isn’t it? (Mmmhh…. both of us love ice cream! Arielle and I often ate a delicious dish of ice cream after lunch ;-) – we regarded it as our wage for the working day. The ice cream shop is a little French place and it has got MANY different flavours of ice cream. So we just stand there without knowing how we should decide. And there was no Mum who could help us with our decision…)

Arielle, I say thank you very much for the interview and for your work with Oddies. It would be nice if you could stay longer but I am sure your family and your friends are really missing you?!

A: Yes, I miss everyone at home and they miss me as well. But, I am really going to miss all the new friends I made while in London.


B: I wish you all the best and take care! Oddies will miss you!

With Arielle back in America, I will try to post on the blog. I hope you enjoyed the interview!

I will be back soon.

Barbara

Hi Everyone!



My last day at Oddies, where did the time go? I can not believe that I will be returning to America at the end of the week. I am going to miss my time spent surrounded by Oddie characters and colourful stories. It is not everyday that one gets such an experience.



I must thank Kate Bright for the opportunities I was given while at Oddies. She entrusted me with numerous tasks and let me make decisions on my own. I never felt as if I were only "interning" but rather holding a prominent position in the company.



I also want to thank Barbara, the other intern, who I have been closely working with for my almost 4 weeks here. In fact, Barbara will take over the blog when I return to the states. Look out for an interview featuring... Me! Luckily, no photo shoots were involved.



This post is beginning to sound like an award-show acceptance speech!
"And last but not least, I would like to thank..."



Although I miss my bed, my family, and my friends (Did I mention my bed?), I am really going to miss London. I loved the nightlife, the restaurants, the tube, and all of my friends that I made while overseas. Oh, and what am I going to do without Pizza Express and Harrods?! I guess I should bring some tissues with me to the airport... it could get a little teary in the terminal :(



Since this is my last Oddie post, I thought I would tell you about my favourite things while interning at Oddies...



1. I know this is a given but... the hot chocolate, sandwiches, and ice cream from the Boulangerie Patisserie. I come all the way to London and my favourite lunch place is French. What are the "odds"?!

2. The 2 Starbucks that are close to the Oddie headquarters. I felt like a real working woman with my (iced) coffee in hand in the mornings.

3. The shoe store, Bullfrogs, that is directly across from the Clapham Common tube stop.
Yes- I managed to find a "favourite" store for this list... then again, it is me who is making the list. Of course, I found my favourite local store!

4. Sending out all the orders to dedicated Oddie fans. I loved familiarizing myself with the post codes and addresses. 3 weeks later and I can finally spell some of the town names... G-L-O-U-C-E-S-T-E-R-S-H-I-R-E... (just kidding, I peeked to spell that one)

5.My lunch breaks with Barbara. We would discuss all of the Oddie going-ons as well as our exciting London lives.

6. The Oddie office. What am I going to do without being able to gaze up to Oddie characters?! I guess this is a hint, "Barbara, would you please pass me a poster to bring home with me"?

7.ODDIES, ODDIES, ODDIES, AND MORE ODDIES...

8.And finally, this blog and its many readers!



I hope you have all enjoyed reading my posts because I have certainly enjoyed writing them. It is a pretty cool feeling to be able to Google your name and have your very own blog-posts to pop up. It is as if I am famous... well, that could be pushing it.



I plan on staying in contact with Oddies and hopefully I can continue to help with getting Oddies to America.



Speaking of America... See you on Friday!



Anyway, thanks for following my time in London, and more specifically, my internship at Oddies. I loved sharing it with all of you!



Blog you later,




Arielle

Hi Everyone!


Wow... I can not believe that today is my second to last day of my internship. My time at Oddies flew by. It was as if one of the Oddies cast a magic spell to make time go by quickly. The possibilities...
For a laugh, let me tell you all about my morning: My friend and I usually wake up around the same time, and since I never pay attention to my alarm clock going off, she knocks on my door to get me on my feet. Well, I, completely forgot to set my alarm for the right time and she, completely, forgot to remind me that she is done with her internship. When I actually did open my eyes at 9:20 a.m... well, you can all imagine the rush I was in. A 40 minute commute and a workday that begins at 10. I could have really used some help from Sock Fairy this morning. Sigh.


But, don't fret, I am at work and posting on this blog. I could never leave you all hanging, as I said, on my second to last day at Oddies. And, it is actually sunny today! It will be just my luck if London begins to have "summer" weather. But, if my last few days here are nice, I certainly, will not complain. And my pocketbook would be so much lighter.. an umbrella and/or raincoat can be quite heavy to carry around 24/7!


Speaking of rain, yesterday was extremely rainy :(. And, out of all days, I had tickets for the London Eye. Lets just say, my pictures had more rain drops in them than scenery.


I am just finishing up some "odds" and ends at Oddies in these last couple of days. Sending out e-mails and updating and completing databases. I, also, must snag a few Oddies for myself. I could never go all the way back to America without Oddie stories and socks... and maybe even a poster!


Hopefully, however, Oddies will be all over the United States and not just in my possession. I can see it now: "Oddies, Oddies, Come and get your Oddies".


Well, that is a nice image to leave you all with...

Blog you later,


Arielle

Hi Everyone!



Sorry about the lack of posts in the past couple of days... it has been quite crazy around here!



Kate Bright is going to be on holiday for my last week (I can't believe that this time has come) so a lot had to get done during these past few days. Oddie books have been sent out all over America to book reviewers. 36 press packages later and I was rather tired! I even thought to include a slip saying, "Also, please check out our blog at..." Hopefully, this blog will get lots of hits in the next week.



With Kate away, the office is going to be quiet. Luckily, we have our ever-reliable XFM online to keep the office "rockin". Don't worry Kate, things will stay under control! I will, personally, make sure that this office follows the standards of Good Oddie Island... we won't have any Bad Oddies around here.



Yesterday, I had quite the suprise. Kate took Barbara and I out for lunch to a delicious Italian restaurant on the main road. It was a real treat to lunch with my boss. I was full until dinnertime after a lunch consisting of an appetizer and 2 desserts for the 3 of us... I really am always talking about food on this blog (uh-oh)!


After a great day at work, I went to the theatre to see Billy Elliot. The show was phenomenal! I would reccomend it to all of my readers.


I can not believe that this is going to be my last weekend in London. Time, certainly, flies when you are having fun! It is, officially, now crunch time for shopping and dining. I feel as if I have lots to do and see in a little amount of time. Then again, I manage to always shop until I drop... London should be no different (Sorry Dad !).



Lets all cross our fingers that London sees more sun than rain this weekend.



I know, "Keep on Dreaming Arielle"...



Blog you later,




Arielle

Hi Everyone!


Well, here is the post that you all have been waiting for.


THE ODDIEWORLD PHOTO SHOOT: STARRING... ME!



(this is so embarrassing!!)



Unfortunately, Kate Bright was not in a picture-taking mood and left me on my own :(. So, here are the awkward-alone pictures of me at Oddies... Enjoy!!


Here, I am sitting at the desk on the computer. However, I usually work on the computer that is hidden in the corner. The far computer is the one that I am most often on.

If you can get over how awkward this picture is, you will see the Oddie characters hanging on the wall behind me. In my hand is the poster that we send out when you sign up to be an Oddie friend. So, if you sign up for an Oddie membership, you will get this adorable Oddie poster as well!! What more could you want?!?

Directly behind me is the map that was put up when Oddieworld was just created. All the different colored pins symbolize some of the locations of the schools, nurseries, libraries, scouts, and guides that participate in Read With Me Week. Hopefully, one day, there will be a map of the United States right next to the one of the British Isles!



Ok, I think that is enough pictures for one post...



Last night, I was privileged to see the show: Little Shop of Horrors. It was fantastic! I have only ever seen camp and school productions of it so I wasn't really sure what to expect. However, it was a "lovely and brilliant" (how British!?!) show and I would recommend it to all of my blog-readers! And, I can't seem to stop singing the theme song.



"Little shop, little shoppa horrors. Little shop, little shoppa terror..."



Hands down, though, the actors voices are better than mine. And, that, my readers, is a fact. (My family can, MOST certainly, attest).



Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the photos and captions. It is not everyday that you get to see an insider view of Oddies... (and I am quite thankful for that :) ! )



Blog you later,



Arielle

Hi Everyone!




Hope that all my blog followers had a good weekend. I certainly did. These past couple days have really made me feel like a tourist with all the sights that I saw. I was even fortunate enough to experience high-tea: Harrod's style! What a treat! It is a tough call to decide what my favorite finger food was... a scone with strawberry jam, a miniature chocolate tart, or tea sandwiches (smoked salmon!). Well, now that I made you all hungry...



Besides Harrods, I went to the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and I visited the Tower of London. The crown jewels really put all other gems to shame! They are breathtaking. But what is even more of a sight to see are the guards who look as if they aren't even breathing! However, my friend managed to get a guard to smile. Believe it or not, a smile is huge!!



And then, to top off my weekend, I saw the Harry Potter movie. It was a really cool experience to see the movie in the country that it takes place in. When the characters were in the tube station, we all had a little yell... "We've been there!"



Oh! I also happened to run into Orlando Bloom. What a surprise! As my friends and I were leaving dinner, he was leaving the play that he currently stars in. You can never complain about bumping into a major British celebrity... especially a good-looking one!



But enough about my going-ons, let me tell you a little bit about Oddie World. The office is quiet now that it is only Barbara, Kate Bright, and I that are working. All the other interns have finished their time here. This week will be one full of anticipation as we are awaiting the response of hundreds of schools to Read With Me Week. I am also going to be sending out emails/ press packages to various Book Reviewers all over the United States. Hopefully, they will have positive things to say about these creative books!



I was very excited to see this morning that my mom had placed an order for oddies. I hope that others are encouraged to do so as well. And.. for all those adults that want Oddie socks, we have them! Such a fashion statement!



Imagine yourself reading the Oddie stories in adorable Oddie socks...




Blog you later,




Arielle

Hi Everyone!


Back by popular demand... I hear that this blog is quite the "hit" back in the states. Since many of you are from America that have been reading my posts, how about you check out the Oddies site at www.oddieworld.com.


Here, you can find Oddie books and socks as well as some online fun. I would love to send out orders to familiar addresses! You wouldn't believe how confusing it is to write out a British address. The postcodes are quite different!


Although today is a Friday and the weekend is right ahead of me, there is a lot of work to be done. We have already had a few New York schools sign up for Read With Me Week, which is very encouraging. However, hundreds and hundreds more emails must be sent out (especially if we want all of the US to be introduced to Oddies)! With all the resources provided for free, I can't see why American schools wouldn't want to participate in such a fun week. And, the Oddies are just SO adorable.

Another Oddie story that I really enjoy is Footy Oddie. In this edition, Sock Fairy needs help from Footy Oddie in order to stop Witchy. Witchy is sending all the rain clouds from Bad Oddie Island to Good Oddie Island and it just won't stop raining. After all this rainy London weather, I really can understand why Sock Fairy wants the sun to come out!!!




A fun fact about this Oddie story is that Footy Oddie is a "footballer". However, for us Americans, he plays soccer. If you check out the picture above you will see that he has a black and white ball rather than a brown and white one. It is funny how there are still so many differences in context despite the same spoken language! Then again, I don't play football or soccer.. so I think that I will be just fine!

Before I forget, today is a very big day at the Oddie headquarters. Sabrina, the intern who posted before me, came back for a visit! She just couldn't get enough Oddies to only say goodbye once. And... there will be a photo shoot at 4:00 pm in the Oddie Offices. Yes, I said photo shoot! A representative from IEI, the intern program that I am on, will be making her way over to Clapham Common to take pictures of me at work. Kate Bright and I both had the same thoughts in mind when we got dressed this morning... we must look nice! Luckily, we even coordinate. Great "Oddie" minds think alike!


Maybe, just maybe, I will upload pictures onto the blog for Monday. That is, only, if today is a photogenic day... easier said than done!

I hope that everyone enjoys their weekend and that good weather comes my way! I could use a little tan...


Blog you later,

Arielle

Hi Everyone!

Allow me to introduce myself... My name is Arielle and I am the new intern at Oddies. However, there is a twist. Unlike Sabrina and Dan, I am not from Europe but from America. New York, in fact. And, I am just sixteen years old. Bet you don't know many sixteen year old Americans who intern so far away from home! Although, I do know about 150 others because we are all part of a program called Intern Exchange International. Why don't you check us out at http://www.internexchange.com/.

Almost 3,500 miles away from my home, Oddies has been very welcoming. Kate Bright, Sabrina (who has left us), and Barbara have made it an easy transition for me. However, the rainy weather hasn't eased my forty minute (so long!) commute to and from work. Who ever knew it rained so much in London?!! I have already purchased Wellington boots and am looking for a new raincoat... any suggestions?

Being the youngest one in the office has both its positives and negatives, as you can imagine. But I definitely think the pluses outweigh the minuses. For one, I get to listen to all the "grownup" going-ons and chats around here -- mortgages, life in London, and the like. I also find that my advanced computer skills (it's what happens when you constantly instant message and facebook) are benefiting me with all the emails and databases that I have to compose. Just in my first day of work, I put almost 200 names into Excel... my hands really needed a break after that!

Luckily, lunch breaks suffice (and I get off work by 4... can't complain!). I have accustomed myself to the Clapham Common area and have even found my favourite little French place to get delicious hot chocolate and ice cream. See, I really am adjusting! Good thing I go to the gym everyday when I get back from work.

I am currently contacting American schools asking if they would like to participate in Read With Me Week (a huge success in the UK from what I hear). I certainly never knew how many elementary schools were in New York alone. I will really be sending out lots and lots of e-mails. I am getting tired just thinking about it!!

Well, since I am new to this blogging business, I don't want to bore you. I will make sure to update you with all of my adventures and going abouts while I am here at Oddies. But before I go... I absolutely LOVE Ballet Oddie. And, America would completely fall in love with her. Just think about all the little girls in pink tutus who love to dance (I actually used to be one back in the day... only for a short time though!).



Now, it is time for me to be a true "Londoner" and make myself a cup of tea. My mom isn't going to know what has gotten into me by the time I return home to New York.


Tea, Wellies, and Oddies...


Blog you later,

Arielle

Creative Partnerships Conference June 28 & June 29 2007

Creative learning: crossing boundaries

“Creativity takes courage”
Henri Matisse

Being creative – that is what we all want to be, right? I was fortunate enough to spend two days at a conference in the north of England (in a remote place called Keele, near Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme) where everything was focused on creativity and how to make learning at schools more creative for both pupils and teacher (yes, although they are grown-ups, they like to be creative as well - sometimes you kids just need to remind them of their creative potential!).
Creative Partnerships (http://www.creative-partnerships.com/) aims to put schools in touch with artists or Creative Practitioners as they are called. The Oddies are involved and Oddies author Grant Slatter and Oddies director Kate Bright regularly visit schools that have joined the Creative Partnerships programme. Maybe Oddies has already been to your school?
As an introduction to the conference, the leader of the conference showed us some examples of definitions of CREATIVITY. My two favourite quotes come from children, no surprise! :-)

“Creativity is when stuff is everywhere”

“Being creative gives you a nice feeling inside”

I like the first quote because it excuses my chaotic trait and it unmasks me as a creative person rather than a messy one, well that’s how I justify it to myself. I like the second quote because it does not use any complicated words to describe one of the nicest things in life… It keeps it simple. Yes, being creative gives you a nice and cosy feeling inside – everyone must remember their childhood paintings, completely absorbed in producing your piece of art, and forgetting about the world around you… your imagination took over!

On the second day of the conference, we had a chance to listen to an interview with Paul Collard (the National Director of Creative Partnerships). He told us a very interesting story about a woman who went to the North Pole and claimed that the power of imagination actually saved her life. Imagine that! In order to stay alive in freezing cold water surrounded by polar bears, she imagined a raging fire inside of her. Obviously, the extent to which your imagination can impact on your life should never be underestimated!!

Then, Jonathan Hare, a well-known physicist (he featured in the programme Rough Science, BBC) gave a speech about creativity from a scientific perspective. His work can be found at: http://www.creative-science.org.uk/ and for all the bookworms among you there is a selection of Jonathan’s ‘good books’ (see “Jonathan’s ‘good book’ guide” under “STORIES OF SCI.”). Don’t worry - they are not all about science! :-)
Jonathan Hare also spoke about Astronomy and the Chemistry between the stars (he did not mention Oddieworld though… maybe he does not know this planet yet!). He informed us that planet Earth would not be here today if the stars had not exploded a very long time ago. Human beings are – to put it in Jonathan Hare’s words – all stardust. What a nice image!!

I really enjoyed this conference as well as my time here with the Oddies and as I say goodbye to you, I hope that each of you all go to the stars and back in whatever it is that you do. And remember… Creativity is key!!

Take care.

Sabrina.

“Herzlich willkommen!”

Ooops – this is German and means “a hearty welcome” to all of you!!
I’m new at Oddies and my name is Sabrina and no – I’m not German – I’m Swiss (and yes I do love chocolate – how can you not? Yummy!). I’m sure you guys know Sabrina the teenage witch??! Unfortunately, I don’t have a talking cat like Salem, Sabrina’s tomcat! That would be fun…

But I can assure you: I am not a naughty witch like Witchy and I would prefer to live on Good Oddie Island and be a friend of Sock Fairy and Wizzo rather than living on Bad Oddie Island and being badgered by Witchy!

I know that I’m challenged by the fact that Dan the superstar of the blog was my forerunner! However, I will try to keep up with his exquisite and bright blog entries!!
Speaking of bright: I’m sure you have always wanted to get to know Kate Bright, the director of Oddies a little better??? Well, I certainly have! That is why I decided to interview her!
Are you curious? I won’t let you wait… Here we go with the questions for Kate the Bright. This is another part of our series "Meet the faces behind the Oddies". But now let’s walk the talk! :-)

Hi Kate. May I ask you some questions about you and your history at Oddies? The readers of our Superblog can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Katie, where were did you grow up?

I was born in Manchester in 1978 and I grew up in Haywards Heath in Sussex, 20 minutes away from Brighton. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister, one brother is younger than me and I am in the middle. My youngest brother rowed the Atlantic ocean last year. When I was 18, I moved to London. I became fascinated with this city when I used to go on daytrips with my family and I thought it would be very glamorous to live here. The glamour has started to fade slightly 10 years on!

Which profession did you aspire as a little girl?

When I was 13, I was obsessed with maps and I wanted to become a cartographer. But I then while I was studying for my A-Levels I became interested in Marketing & PR and really wanted to work in that field.

What have you done before you started working at Oddies and above all how did you become the director of Oddies?

After university, I worked in children’s TV working for the CEO of Fox Kids TV. I then went to work for a TV presenter doing PR and Publicity. After that, I worked freelance and represented clients I had met throughout my time in London. Then I did an internship for 6 months in an agency in Notting Hill with a former colleague from Fox Kids. This agency specialised in PR for children’s products. When the internship was over, I established my own business and then I was approached to work at ODDIES!

Have you ever been to Oddieworld? If so, which is your favourite character?

Ballet Oddie is my favourite Oddie character as pink is my favourite colour… Also I did ballet myself when I was a girl. I like Popstar Oddie as well because I am absolutely addicted to music!

If you could invent a new Oddie character, what would it be?

I would invent Rockstar Oddie who would have similarities with Mick Jagger. I am a big fan of the Rolling Stones and – believe it or not – I have met Mick Jagger once in person! He is a really nice man and I even managed to make him laugh!

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to do Pilates and Yoga (relaxing sports – yes, sports can actually be relaxing too – this is no contradiction J) and Mountain biking. Apart from that, I dedicate a lot of my free time to music: I have been playing the piano for about 20 years (and I used to play the violin) and I love going to concerts and music festivals! More than anything though I like spending my free time with my family and friends.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Food! And even more important to me than food is my Sky Plus. I am addicted to it!


Last but not least, a picture of Kate Bright…with her brother Tom after he had rowed across the Atlantic Ocean!

Take care!

Sabrina.