WELCOME TO HOTSEAT!
The article where Matt puts some of your favourite members of the staff team onto the Hotseat! From hobbies to professions and maybe even some hot takes, I hope you'll get to know our staff much better! In this edition of Hotseat, we welcome our one and only Content Manager, Jamie! And without further ado, let's dive right in!

Matt » Hey Jamie! How’ve you been? Anything you’ve been up to recently?

Jamie » Hey!! Honestly, it's been a lot of either cleaning my house because we have inspection in a few days 😭 or a lil bit of UpBeat!

Matt » Ahh, tell us a little more, what’s the inspection about?

Jamie » Oh, it's just a simple, my landlord needs to make sure my Girlfriend and I are looking after the place. Should be pretty simple but, I am very nitpicky over my tidyness!!

Matt » I see, I hope that inspection goes well! Do you want to share a little more about your love life? How did you two meet? 

Jamie » Funnily enough, we met through an old member of UpBeat met up one time IRL and have been together ever since!!! Been around 4 years now! 

Matt » That’s amazing! How did you two know you were meant for each other? Was it a love at first sight or a slow burn?

Jamie » Honestly, I think it was definitely love at first sight, we moved in together within 3 months of being together. (Definitely do not recommend, please take your time) I know she 100% agrees but, it is crazy how quickly it all happened!!

Matt » Oooh, what was attractive about your partner? Was there anything that stood out the first time you met?

Jamie » Obviously, I find her extremely pretty but, I honestly admire how easily she's able to overcome any sort of hardship within her life. She's definitely helped me out A LOT when things have gotten difficult!!! 

Matt » That’s really nice! How did you two build up that relationship through the months before you move in together? What was that process like?

Jamie » We initially just traveled back and forth, which did cost a lot of money. Once it started eating too much into our bank accounts we figured it was only smart to just move into together. There's only so many times you can justify spending £200 every few weeks 😭

Matt » Tell us more about your travels! Where did you go? What did you enjoy?

Jamie » I don't remember a lot of the initial travel but, I can talk about my favourite holiday I've had with her!! We went to Kefalonia in Greece!! It was a lot of just walking around and exploring, but I can send a picture here, which is almost one of my favourite pictures I have ever taken!! 

Jamie » This was a picture I managed to take during a boat tour we were given within I'm pretty sure were open caves, which was pretty sick!

Matt » Now, tell me, were there any travel horror stories?

Jamie » Honestly, every time we either end up having our flight delayed before traveling or even before we go back home. But, it's been pretty smooth sailing most of the time besides random delays 😭 which is pretty lucky ngl

Matt » That’s great! Glad to hear that it was generally a positive experience. Now, how was that feeling of settling down in a home? What were you two feeling?

Jamie » Its amazing to have personal space! After living with Family for so long, even though you love them, you definitely want to live away from them after a certain point. It was 100% a very freeing feeling when we did, while also A LOT to learn about ourselves and each other!!

Matt » That is true. Tell me, what were some challenges of moving in together, if any?

Jamie » Honestly, a lot of it was trying to make sure we allow each other to have some personal space without ALSO not spending enough time together. It definitely should be a healthy balance but it did take a while for us to get to that point 😭

Matt » How did you come to this healthy balance? Any tips, advice for other couples?

Jamie » Communication!!! Everyones says it but, it 100% is the fix to most relationship problems, you never believe it until you actually make sure you do it.

Matt » Definitely agree! How do you guys decide on boundaries? Can you tell us some of yours?

Jamie » Honestly, it's quite funny but if the only person is snoring, we have given each other the right to sleep in the other bed 😭 Which is honestly the best boundary; you never realise how bad relationships can get if you keep struggling to sleep LMAO

Matt » Fair enough ahahaha. Now tell me, what's the best part of the relationship? What's your favourite part about your partner?

Jamie » 100% the way we make each other laugh over the stupidest thing, one us can just make a silly noise and, you'd think you're in a room full of two kids, the way we keep giggling over each other. 😭 

Matt » That's so cute! How do you maintain that healthy relationship for the long run? Is there any methods or tips you have?

Jamie » Let your partner have a life outside of you! If you spend ALL your time with them no matter who it is you're going to get sick of them 🙏

Matt » Great advice, definitely agree. Now, if you don't mind, were there any hardships in the relationship? How did you barrel through them?

Jamie » Honestly, learning that small arguments aren't the end of the world, always better to listen to what they have to say EVEN if you don't necessarily agree with it. At the end of the day, you're supposed to be working with them not against them!!

Matt » Let's dig a little deeper then because you really do have some great insights! In your view, what is love?

Jamie » Love to me at least, is definitely someone you can have who holds you accountable, let's you make mistakes while also being proud of anything you accomplish. Realistically, I realistically believe if you aren't you're partner's biggest fan, are you really in love?

Matt » I love that thought! Do you have any specific anecdotes about that?

Jamie » It's quite mild but, one time I was complaining about someone interrupting me constantly, and she straight up sat met down and just went "I get that but, you do that to me all the time, now you know how it feels."

Jamie » And honestly, worked wonders because it made me stop doing it entirely and made me chuckle because I never realised I did that prior 😭

Matt » That really does show so much growth and maturity. What important lessons do you think you've learnt that you hold till today from your relationship?

Jamie » The best one is definitely, if you aren't willing to fight for your partner, you definitely don't care about them as much as you think you do.

Matt » I agree! What do you think has allowed you and your partner to bond closer?

Jamie » Games!!! We used to play Minecraft a lot together so we definitely need to start doing that again. We used to run Minecraft Modpacks and build the coolest things!!

Matt » Ooh, tell me more about Minecraft, what's your favourite thing about it?

Jamie » Honestly, the creativity you're able to do! One minute you're making a house, the next second you could building a subway 😭 it is just endless possibilities

Matt » What's your favourite 'creative' thing that you can do in Minecraft? Are there any specific builds you really enjoyed making? Any really memorable moments?

Jamie » We used to play a Modpack called AllTheMods10, and unironically it was just every mod imaginable chucked into one. We'd have builds of full on warehouses, computer infrastructure, even a working bakery which would break every day. Definitely even more capabilities when it comes to Modded Minecraft

​​​​​​​Matt » That really does seem really fun! Is there anything you can't do in Minecraft that you wish you could?

Jamie » It'd be amazing if a lot of the mods were just in base Minecraft. Even something as simple as backpacks you'd expect to at least by now be base game. But, if anything I wish machinery was in the game originally, even though that does also take a lot of the fun out of it after a while.

​​​​​​​Matt » Definitely! Would make everyone's lives easier hahaha. Is there any specific modpack that you think would be fun that you haven't seen exist yet?

Jamie » I think i just want a new AllTheMods pack HAHA, i know are working on a new one but, I played 10 to death so I want 11 already!!

Matt » Excited! Really hope you get that soon. Aside from Minecraft, what’s one really fun thing you do with your partner or by yourself?

Jamie » Currently, my favourite thing to do at the moment, is collecting vinyls. I think I have around 40? I promise I do actually listen to them as well, I would never collect things like that for the sake of it 😭

Matt » Woah! Tell us more, how did you get into it? 

Jamie » Well, I love music! (Why I've been in an out of UpBeat since 2017) But, honestly wanting to have physical forms of the albums I enjoy to listen to everyday was the initial motivator. Then, obviously, vinyls have started to come into fashion more and more so it's honestly just worked hand in hand!!!

Matt » I really do love vinyls, they're such an underrated form of music! I think it's time we move onto some rapid first questions!
 

​​​​​​​Matt » Coke or Pepsi?

Jamie » Is it bad to say I like both? Genuinely depends on the day I can't lie 😭

​​​​​​​Matt » If you were stuck on an island, what 3 things would you bring?

Jamie » I would personally bring, my rubix cube for boredom, some kind of music player and honestly some vodka. I know I wouldn't survive long may aswell make it enjoyable LMAO

​​​​​​​Matt » What's your favourite messaging app?

Jamie » I'm boring and feeling old by saying this but just normal text messages is the way to go!!

​​​​​​​Matt » Favourite food?

Jamie » Waffles are maybe my one true love

​​​​​​​Matt » Who inspires you?

Jamie » It's a bit of a cop out but honestly my girlfriend inspires me!!​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Matt » And also, let's talk all about UpBeat!

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​​​Matt » Tell us about your role here at UpBeat, what'd you do?

Jamie » I am a Content Manager here at UpBeat! I basically oversee the Content Department with the Content Administrator Cal! So from the likes of Hotseat to just to an article we make sure UpBeat is supplied with the latest news and showcase everyone's passion for writing!!

​​​​​​​Matt » How would you describe the team at UpBeat?

Jamie » Honestly, the team here sucks.... joking everyone is lovely! You get to meet some great people and showcase things you are passionate about!

​​​​​​​Matt » What would you tell someone who was thinking of becoming a staff member at UpBeat?

Jamie » Do it! You won't regret it and honestly it's easier than a lot of people seem to think!

​​​​​​​Matt » Thanks Jamie!

THAT'S THE HOTSEAT!

That concludes Jamie's time on the Hotseat! Thank you so much for reading and I do hope you've managed to learn a little bit more about Jamie, our lovely Content Manager here at UpBeat. Have any suggestions as to who should be put on the Hotseat? Leave a comment down below or let us know in the UpBeat Discord, tagging Matt! Once again, thank you for reading and stay tuned for who'll be in the Hotseat next!​​​​​​​

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