(soft music)
- Hello there, welcome back to my YouTube channel.
My name is Jack Edwards.
How are ya?
How's work?
How are the kids?
Hope you're doing good.
Today, I am coming to you with a big fat life update,
because things have changed a bit around here.
And so I headed to my Instagram story
and I asked you guys what you wanted to know.
And based on the sheer number of responses,
I felt like perhaps this is a tad overdue.
So I'm gonna get through as many of these
as I possibly can.
And let's get started.
Oh, this is a nice one to start on.
Someone said, "what does the ring on your finger represent?"
This is actually quite sweet because I bought this ring
when I hit 500,000 subscribers.
I don't know how well you can see it,
but it basically is covered in numbers,
but the number 11 is in brackets
'cause that's my lucky number.
And I wanted something that would be visible in every piece
of content that I make.
Basically, just to remind me, and to remind you guys
that none of this exists without your incredible support.
And I appreciate it so, so much.
And although on the surface, it's just a bunch of numbers.
You guys are very, very special to me.
So yeah, that's the kind of reason behind that.
And now onto the juicy stuff, "did you quit your job?"
No, actually.
So I've been working as a research assistant in publishing
for the last eight months and I love it.
It's such a great job. It's so interesting.
It really keeps me on my toes.
Like I'll spend a whole day just researching
what the Korean Paralympic team's training regime was,
in London, 2012.
And it's so random,
but so fascinating at the same time.
I work on non-fiction books,
which is quite nice because my personal
reading preference is fiction.
And so having that separation between work
and what I do for fun is nice.
And on top of that,
having a job means like separate work and content,
which is perfect because then I really look forward
to making YouTube videos and I've been so productive
since starting a job.
So definitely sticking with that.
And I'm very fortunate that this job allows me to work
anywhere 'cause it's remote,
and you'll see why that is useful in a minute.
But I have no intention in quitting.
I have been a little quiet on the job front recently
because the book that I'm working on at the moment
is with the editors.
So I haven't had to do very much recently.
Next question is "where have you moved to?"
And the answer is Paris.
When I applied to university,
most of the courses that I applied to were English
with a year abroad, and I fully intended
for one of my years at university to not be in the UK.
However, once I got to Durham,
I was so comfortable and happy and I loved all the friends
that I've made and I just wanted to stay in Durham.
And so I promised myself that if I wasn't taking
a year abroad at university, then the year
after I graduated, I would travel.
However, as you know, COVID then did the world tour,
but I wanted to beyond.
And so instead I moved to London for 14 months.
The middle chunk of that time,
I found really, really tough.
But by the end of my time in London,
when everything started reopening, life was sweet.
I was having the best time, and this summer
will always be so special to me.
However, I still felt like I owe it to myself to go
and travel and enjoy the world,
that we're so lucky to live in.
And so I decided to move to Paris
and see what Paris has to offer.
It's really perfect for me right now,
because the time difference is only one hour.
If I do need to get back to London at any point,
if like YouTube conventions like social in the city,
for example, I can, it's really easy.
And it is such a privilege to get, to come to France
and see everything that Paris has to offer.
And I feel so lucky every single day,
I just feel grateful
and count my lucky stars that this is my life.
Yeah, I'm really, really happy here.
So I've only been here for nine days
and I really like it.
I've got a lovely apartment.
I am vlogging over my second channel,
if you wanna go check those out.
But yeah, surprise.
I live in Paris now.
Okay, next question is "have you been watching
anything good recently?"
And yes, before I left the UK,
I was binge watching "Pose" on a BBC iPlayer,
who very kindly sponsored today's video.
"Pose" is this absolutely brilliant
and groundbreaking series
from across the pond over in the US.
And it's all about the underground dragon ball culture
of the 1980s to 1990s,
right at the height of the AIDs epidemic.
It's all about New York and the Black
and Latino LGBTQ+ community.
And that subculture, it really puts a microscope on this
really incredible and inspiring community of people.
It is so vibrant.
It's classic Ryan Murphy,
high production values all about glamor,
but also shines a light on trends
and black queer resistance,
which is such a huge part of that movement.
Also, fun fact, "Pose" has the largest trans cast
in scripted television history.
How cool is that?
So yeah, I'd highly recommend "Pose".
All three seasons are available over on BBC iPlayer
alongside literally hundreds of other fantastic TV shows.
So I'll leave the link down below to check out BBC iPlayer.
And thank you so, so much BBC iPlayer
for working with me on this video.
What an honor.
"Are you planning on writing another book?"
Now, this is a question I have answered before
and previously the answer has been no, not yet.
The answer now has changed ever so slightly.
In fact, it's changed quite significantly
because the answer is actually yes.
I've always dreamed of writing my own novel,
writing fiction, but I didn't want to force it.
I didn't want to put pressure on myself to create something
and put it out into the world.
I've obviously been writing creatively,
but I was waiting until the perfect idea came to me
to sort of begin to flash out and explore.
And I think that I have it.
I had this light bulb moment, where I was like,
this is one thing I've been obsessed with that for years.
And I just think it would make a cracking book
and it's something that I would love to read.
And so instead I'm gonna write it,
and that's part of the reason as well
for wanting to move away and put myself out
of my comfort zone because I was so comfortable
and climatized to London
and the lifestyle and the routine.
And I felt like, you know,
even getting on the Tube was just second nature to me.
So I wanted to basically airlift myself
out of that situation and throw myself in at the deep end
in somewhere where I'm not used to the culture
and the city and the lifestyle,
because I think that's the perfect thing
to stimulate creativity.
So yeah, that's very, arty-farty pretentious way
of saying yes, yes I am.
But I'm in absolutely no rush.
And I want it to be something
that I'm really proud of at the end.
So I'm sure it will be a labor of love,
but don't expect it any time soon,
it's just something I'm sort of,
there's brewing away up in here right now.
"Who is your favorite band?"
Ooh, probably The Cheetah Girls.
Super important question.
"Do you cut your sandwiches in triangles or rectangles?"
I actually like to make mine in a sphere.
Occasionally in like a pyramid sort of shape.
Yeah, sandwich arts is actually my specialty.
Oh, this one says, "hi Alex, have you moved to Paris?"
I don't know who Alex is,
but yeah, yeah I have.
"How long are you living there for?"
Okay, so I've spoken about this a bit in the past,
but I'm really fascinated by the concept of slow travel,
where you move around to a different place every few months.
And so originally I booked to be here for two months,
but I already love it.
And so I have extended the trip.
Obviously nothing is as straightforward
since the pandemilovato, but we'll see.
I'm double jabs.
I'm a member of the Pfizer chiefs,
which obviously does make things a lot easier
and the world is a bit more accessible again.
But yeah, just taking it as it comes, pretty much.
"What song is the theme tune of your life right now?"
Ooh, probably Can't Speak French by Girls Aloud.
That has a surprising amount of relevance
to my life right now.
"Are you worried, you might get lonely?"
This is a good question.
I think that I'm very comfortable in my own company.
Having said that the last year has definitely proved to me
that I am a massive extrovert and I do really thrive
in the company of other people.
And I do sort of need that to stay sane.
So it's a balancing act, not gonna lie.
A lot of my hobbies are things that I do alone,
for example, creating content, reading.
But I also do, really like the social sites.
So I've got a lot of friends coming to visit
and I've met a few people here in Paris.
I would say though, that speaking
to the camera is basically what's preventing
me feeling loneliness.
'Cause like I felt like I am speaking to someone,
and one of the biggest parts is that
I am never really truly alone 'cause I always have you guys.
So yeah, feel very lucky about that.
"Are you going to do your masters?"
The evergreen question.
Am I gonna do my masters?
Am I ever gonna get in to a master's program?
Who knows?
It's a big goal of mine in my life to get a master's degree
and get PhD in English literature.
But again, I'm just in no rush it'll happen when it happens.
I always plan to do the PhD as like a part-time thing,
which I think means that instead of taking four years,
it will take eight,
but I like that that's kind of a long-term goal
and it will mean that I'm constantly learning
and constantly sort of challenging myself
and researching things.
But the masters is something
that I would love to do next year.
I mean, touch woods.
Thankfully I've got this massive beam next to me.
Thank you my glamorous assistant.
Genuinely, I am just really passionate about the subjects.
I would love to study it further and have the opportunity.
So it's something, is a big bucket list life goal for me.
So I've got a list of places I'd love to apply to.
I kind of see myself doing my masters in Scotland,
but we'll see, who knows,
hopefully this time next year
we'll have an answer to that question.
"When are we getting not safe for work stuff from you?"
That is a cracking question.
And the answer is never,
I think the closest you'll ever get to not safe for work
for me is me reading Hillary Clinton fanfiction,
'cause that was scaring.
I'm actually still recovering from that.
"Since you've moved to France, what is your favorite piece
of French literature?"
Oh, I really love The Stranger by Albert Camus.
"Do you always want your career to involve books
or could you see yourself doing something else?"
Now the reason I love books so much
is that it's like, this goal that you can never conquer.
It's just completely insurmountable.
You will never be able to read every book
even written in one year.
So put this into context,
every year about 300 films are released
and it would be impressive if one person watch
every single one.
Now take into consideration the fact that 188,000 books
on average are published every year in the UK alone.
You could never even dream about reading 'em all.
And I think that's what, so appealing about it,
that there's always something more to unlock and discover.
And so I love the publishing industry.
There were so many fascinating jobs
that you don't even realize exist.
So many amazing creative people.
So many brilliant books are being written right now.
Not including my own because I have idea
and I haven't started writing it yet.
So I think that whatever I do in my life,
it will involve books in some way.
I think it's just woven into my internal tapestry.
I think it's a big part of my life
and something that I've massive passion for.
So if you can find something where you can find a career
in your passion then that's the best case scenario, right.
Someone just said, "what's with the mustache?"
To be totally honest with you.
I just needed to make sure I look slightly different
to when I was 14 years old.
And I think that it was part of my,
like post university identity crisis
where growing a beard and mustache
has made me look slightly different to my fresher self.
So yeah, this person really said, I must ask you a question.
"What happened to the mouse in your apartment?"
While I moved to France,
it's the mouse's apartment now.
It's the Mickey Mouse club house.
In all seriousness, if you didn't know,
I had a mouse infestation in my flat
because I lived above a pizza shop
and they got in through the pizza shop,
which is so gross.
We were trying to deal with the situation as calmly
and as peacefully as possible.
But these mice were terrorizing us.
And so unfortunately we did have to get pest control in it.
Do you know what broke the camel's back?
You know what the final straw was?
I'm sure he won't mind me telling you this,
but this is horrendous by the way.
So basically my housemate came downstairs
and I felt like everyone in that house has that bag pile,
you know, your bag of bags.
So we had our bag full of reusable carrier bags,
and he was going off to do his weekly shop.
So he grabs a bag chucks in his pocket.
He goes out for like an hour and a half.
And when he pulls the bag out of his pocket,
a mouse comes with it.
This mouse had been in his pocket
for like an hour and a half.
This mouse had a tour of Camden
and I'll never recover from that.
It didn't even happen to me and I'm scared.
But that is one of my favorite stories,
or the housemate, Adam.
We love him.
"Who's the most famous person you've met?"
Probably Judy Walters.
"Are French people really mean IRL?"
No, everyone's been really lovely to me so far
and very patient with my broken French.
So, no, is the answer to your question.
Someone said, "what book are you reading currently?"
I am reading Self-Help by Lori Moore.
That's the main book I'm focusing on today.
It's a short story collection,
all about modern womanhood and it's really experimental
and I'm enjoying it,
but I always have a few books on the go.
So I'm also working my way through
The Outsider by Stephen King.
"Have you been recognized in Paris by subscribers?"
Do you know what I hadn't been until I went to a bookshop
and then I found my people
and it was like a meet and greet.
It was so much fun.
And I spoke to loads of you guys about books
and it's just the best whenever I meet you in public,
it's a wonderful experience.
So please always say hi, even if I'm looking lost
or dazed or confused or hung over,
I'm always keen for a chat.
"What is the one thing you're gonna miss
about living in Camden?"
I'm gonna miss all my friends in London,
being able to go and sit by the canal and read my book,
living so close to Primrose Hill and Regents Park.
It's a really lovely part of London.
I love North London,
Camden itself is so vibrant,
there's always so much going on.
Everyone is so nice there.
I used to go jogging a lot
and all my running route was London Zoo.
And so just on a casual Wednesday in London,
I would run past giraffes and camels and zebras.
And that's something I don't think everyone could say.
And the vibes were immaculate, so I will miss it.
Okay, here is the big one.
I've had this, asked a lot.
"How is your girlfriend, are you doing long distance?
How is your relationship?"
And the answer is that we actually broke up in June.
So that's obviously been difficult.
I felt we're both healing and navigating being a part.
We definitely have remained friends,
that was really important to both of us,
to salvage a friendship, regardless.
That was always our priority.
We speak all the time.
We've met up since, there's absolutely
no hard feelings at all.
The truth of the matter,
I think is just that we met at university
and situations change, people grow,
and we were trying to fit a square
into a triangle shaped hole.
Obviously the circumstances have been so bizarre
because it's been a pandemic
and that puts strain and pressure on any long-term
or long distance relationship.
I suppose, it's just a fact of life that people's priorities
and plans change.
And sometimes they are no longer compatible
and that doesn't make either party a bad person.
And I think the whole point is to make each other happy.
And sometimes the ways to achieve that
is actually to be a part.
She is a phenomenal, compassionate kind person
whose heart is just busting with care
and consideration and love for other people.
She's brilliant with everyone she meets.
And I will always look back on that relationship
as a really happy special thing.
It's obviously something that's really tough
and difficult to share and talk about.
But all I ask is that you please respect our privacy
at this time, especially her
because she isn't a content creator.
She's not an influencer,
her life isn't public property like mine is.
And honestly there's no time to speculate
because you would just be wasting your time.
It was a very amicable split,
but that relationship is something
that I always kept offline.
And so I would really appreciate it if we could,
just keep it that way,
but I appreciate that it's important to share.
So there we go.
Moving on.
What is your favorite YouTube channel?
Probably One Direction VEVO.
I love my BookTube gang, Uncarley, Fictional Fates,
Noel Gallagher, Ariel Bissett.
Oh, you know who I have been loving recently,
who is also got into books, Emma Chamberlain.
I will always be such a fan of her.
I love the way that she sort of reinvented her content.
She kind of edits like she's the sole survivor
of the apocalypse and I'm here for it.
I have noticed a definite trend in the type of content
and the type of fiction that I'm really enjoying.
And it's stuff that really focuses on ordinary life
and the small pleasures of our existences
and how you can find beauty in ordinary things.
And even when you can't find beauty, that's fine too.
Someone says, "how are you really doing?"
I'm really good.
I'm really happy.
I'm in a really positive place.
Both physically and mentally.
I think I've really spent the last year
and especially the last six months,
cultivating a healthy relationship with social media
and my online presence, to a point where I feel,
yeah, really positive about it.
So life is sweet.
Thank you for asking.
And on that note,
I think that's a very nice point to end the video.
So thank you so much for watching.
You can subscribe for more from me if you want.
I'm also vlogging over on my second channel.
So if you want more of an insight into my Parisian life,
that's where you'll find it.
All the best, stay in touch.
Have a wonderful day
and I'll catch you next time.
Bye-bye.