Its been an incredibly busy past few weeks, what with school opening next week and my ‘work-experience’ at Mattel. I see the days flying by, without having gotten much progress in terms of the multiple essays that need completion… but being at Mattel, though it seems to gobble all my time, has definitely been beneficial in more ways than one. I always love being in the city, I’m from Bombay after all! Living in the suburbs has definitely not waned my love for being surrounded by the bustling energy and constant movement. Though I’ve lived in Poland for such a long time, i’m not exactly an expert when it comes to Warsaw. But working in the city has given me the opportunity to walk around and EXPLORE! And, I love working on the 31st floor of the building! The panoramic view is utterly gorgeous. Especially when there’s a storm outside, and heavy clouds take spectacular form. The work itself has been pretty good too. I’ve met lots of wonderful people, attended meetings (which evoked some serious nostalgia! I played with the very toys they were discussing strategies of- Hot Wheels, Barbie, Polly Pocket (though in my time, polly really could fit in your pocket), UNO, even WWE figures (yes, I know who The Undertaker is- I had a wonderful childhood in a wonderful building called Belvedere Court in Bombay, where we kids loved things ranging from Oprah to Pokemon to Full House to Clifford to Wrestling. I remember in a geography test, they asked what WWF stands for- no prizes for guessing what I wrongly wrote!), gone for video shoots, gone to toy shops to analyze displays and check competitors prices (I realised it had been waaay too long since i’d last been in a toy store, I ended up spending double the time I had to- i’m still a kid!) analyzed prices, discovered the world of potty’s… yes, Fisher-Price is a division of Mattel, and one of my tasks involved analyzing prices for different models of nocniczkis. Who knew that modern pottys have convenient features such as music, built in flushes and toilet paper panels all tastefully included. When I was in the stage of my life that required me to use said ‘device’, I cant say I recall any voice telling me ‘well done’ or pleasant music playing as I did my business… well, depends what you call music ;p haha. Sorry.

But the highlight was definitely having the chance to attend the music video shoot for the polish version of Mattel’s new brand, Monster High’s, ‘fright song’ with polish-czech teen pop sensation, Ewa Farna. Haven’t heard of her? Me neither. But she’s supposed to be very popular in this part of the world, and has made QUITE a fortune for being associated with Monster High. I’m just a year younger than her, and if I were to add all my earnings though my entire life, I’ve probably not even earned the cost of her socks! Well, maybe her socks. Unless she wears like silk Dior socks or something. But I don’t think those exist.

Anyway, being at the shoot was like a revelation. As the daughter of a banker, most adults I interact with are either in the corporate world, or are… socialite mothers. But the ‘adults’ here were totally different- they seem to have the most fascinating lives and careers! (Obviously) I knew these careers exist, but I’d never been directly exposed. From hair-stylists, make-up artists, costume designers, production managers, the director… its like a whole new world! And though I was there with Mattel’s marketing people and so was not involved with the production in any way, I have to admit, the make-up artist and the director’s job’s were sooo much more interesting than marketing! Watching the make-up artist using a palette of colours and transforming people, watching the director work, making all these decisions… he also happened to be the ‘director of photography’, and so watching him work- make the camera take the same shot in multiple angles, was really, really fascinating. I wish I could have attended the editing of the clip! Still, im very much looking forward to seeing the end product!!

The only negative thing about being at the shoot however, is that fact that ‘Monster Monster High Monster High Monster Monster High’ seems to start playing in my mind at every opportune moment. Since the lyrics were in polish, all I can sing is the chorus. So monster monster hiiiigh monster monster hiiiigh… GODDAMNIT! (check their youtube page if you’re interested).

They’re a good company, they make great toys, they’re charitable, people love working there… if anything, I’m now a little more excited about growing up and working. And the cherry on the cake about my Mattel experience, aside from all the invaluable exposure I received, and of course, my newfound knowledge about advancement’s in the potty industry, is the fact that Mattel has given me 400zl budget to buy any Mattel product I’d like! So my dear friends can probably expect to get a barbie doll for their birthdays this year! This company is too cool. Maybe in the future i’ll work for them, maybe even design new nocniczkis! Ahh thats another idea- product design… hm.

AND NOW. Reality. Extended Essay. Writing emails to gallery owners, book sellers, authors… its a time consuming process! I havn’t been able to foucs so much on the writing, but the research to do is so vast! Hussain was an incredible man, and I want to make sure my essay is well balanced. This does mean that once school opens, i’ll face the daunting task of assembling my research and making an argument (Yes, I am behind task!). No, its not really daunting, except with no background in art history, writing about art might prove challenging. I’m more than mentally prepared, though!

I don’t want to talk about World Literature.

I also don’t want to talk about my paper mache atomic bomb, which collapsed yesterday.

Ah, so much to do, so little time…