To the Wire

Tonight (Thursday) the paper goes to press, so that means the staff are feverishly proofreading, working on layout, and worrying about how we are going to get another 200 words to fill up that remaining space. Me, I'm trying to do what I can --proofreading when I get the chance, hauling newspapers into the pack of a pickup truck, drinking the beer that TH, our paper's other publisher, so graciously bought for us and "allowed" me to serve. TH is an American expat and it shows - he is about 300 pounds, likes to drink beer and eat potato chips, and cackles out loud when one of us says something mildly funny.

I'm not sure how long we'll have to stay here tonight, but I'm mostly sticking around because there's a rumour of free food after the paper is finished. I wrote five things for the paper this week, four of which were basically lifted from local Spanish newspapers, although I got to translate and add my own style. The fifth thing was a story about an underground market that they´re building in downtown Guadalajara, the thing I investigated with the help of BH (who by the way, has never made any conversation with me that wasn't related to work). I got to write it up myself, and even though NG the editor cut it down in size, it turned out pretty well.

The last few pages to proofread are coming out now. After all the writers are done checking the pages and the changes are made, we can finally leave the office after 12 hours! Which makes me wonder... I can't imagine working at a daily paper.