Is just what the doctor ordered after a tough week of trudging the mean streets of London!
There is, of course, precious little to celebrate (gosh knows WHY the pound is so strong when the London job market is so obviously incredibly weak if they can't find ME a job already), but I think I'm worth it.
Oh no, wait, that's the excuse I used to buy all my Max Factor makeup today. Or whichever woman's thing has that logo. I don't know! Maybe its Laureal?
Friday, April 20, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
And lo! There came a man in a pink tee
So, I might just write about my most recent job-hunting adventure. Only I won't mention names or anything, because stuff like that can have all sorts of consequences.
Only, admittedly, the last two posts probably aren't that interesting. Or the second one. Or even the first one, depends on what you find interesting, really. I didn't even READ those pages I linked to, I just wanted to do something cool with a few links on a relevant subject.
All for you! The reader!
Ok, so all my story is (and after buildup like the above, well, it's going to disappoint) is that I went to one job interview, only I didn't quite realise it *was* a job interview - I thought it was a meeting with a recruiter. Hence a pink tee shirt and a growing confusion as to:
a) why I was being shown around a recruitment company's offices, when I CLEARLY wanted an IT job
b) why everyone in the recruitment company were all busy coding
c) why I was being given the (very non-recruitment company-ish) origin story OF the recruitment company.
Anyway, it all turned out well in the end, and I saved the world* which is always nice.
To turn this blog on it's head and cause blood to rush up places that it normally doesn't, I'm going to have a quick swingin GRIPE at the confusion mill that is the J2EE/Struts/Spring/Hibernate/Widget/Yet-Another-Open-Source-Add-On industry. There are too many things doing just plain old too many things that really, honestly, should be able to be simplified.
Only every company in the world seems to have jumped on all these things, and so like a giant, bloated legacy system it is all looking very much like its here to stay. I'm not even aware if there are standard standards that everyone is adhering to when making apps with the above (and other) technologies.
In an effort to become more one with other solutions, tomorrow (or the day after, or maybe next week), I'm going to go and look at Ruby on Rails, which claim(s/ed) to be the magic bullet when I first read about it a year or so ago. But that's going to be AFTER I toil through a few more bloody hibernate/struts/widget tutorials.
Oh! And I'm taking the SJCP Developer exam... soon. As soon as I work out how to sign up for the exam, I'll book it and give myself a week to finish up the book. Rushed? Crazy? Maybe, reader, maybe, but that's how we fly here at MOART - we wing it better than Icarus ever did, anyway. And that's saying something - heck, we can even SWIM should the need arise.
Because, y'know, we are flying over a sea?
Ok, that's me done with a day's blogging!
Ciao!
*But no one will ever know, because THAT'S the kind of hero I am.
Only, admittedly, the last two posts probably aren't that interesting. Or the second one. Or even the first one, depends on what you find interesting, really. I didn't even READ those pages I linked to, I just wanted to do something cool with a few links on a relevant subject.
All for you! The reader!
Ok, so all my story is (and after buildup like the above, well, it's going to disappoint) is that I went to one job interview, only I didn't quite realise it *was* a job interview - I thought it was a meeting with a recruiter. Hence a pink tee shirt and a growing confusion as to:
a) why I was being shown around a recruitment company's offices, when I CLEARLY wanted an IT job
b) why everyone in the recruitment company were all busy coding
c) why I was being given the (very non-recruitment company-ish) origin story OF the recruitment company.
Anyway, it all turned out well in the end, and I saved the world* which is always nice.
To turn this blog on it's head and cause blood to rush up places that it normally doesn't, I'm going to have a quick swingin GRIPE at the confusion mill that is the J2EE/Struts/Spring/Hibernate/Widget/Yet-Another-Open-Source-Add-On industry. There are too many things doing just plain old too many things that really, honestly, should be able to be simplified.
Only every company in the world seems to have jumped on all these things, and so like a giant, bloated legacy system it is all looking very much like its here to stay. I'm not even aware if there are standard standards that everyone is adhering to when making apps with the above (and other) technologies.
In an effort to become more one with other solutions, tomorrow (or the day after, or maybe next week), I'm going to go and look at Ruby on Rails, which claim(s/ed) to be the magic bullet when I first read about it a year or so ago. But that's going to be AFTER I toil through a few more bloody hibernate/struts/widget tutorials.
Oh! And I'm taking the SJCP Developer exam... soon. As soon as I work out how to sign up for the exam, I'll book it and give myself a week to finish up the book. Rushed? Crazy? Maybe, reader, maybe, but that's how we fly here at MOART - we wing it better than Icarus ever did, anyway. And that's saying something - heck, we can even SWIM should the need arise.
Because, y'know, we are flying over a sea?
Ok, that's me done with a day's blogging!
Ciao!
*But no one will ever know, because THAT'S the kind of hero I am.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Crazy times
Ok, so, right now my fingers are FREEZING cold, and I am cold, but all is otherwise well!
I turned up to a job interview in a pink tee not realising it even WAS a job interview, but I'll expand on THAT later, when I actually have some non-blue fingers to write with!
Just a quick "let-you-know", that, in case you are someone who has written me emails asking, say, WHY I haven't contacted them (no, mum, not you! But I'll contact you soon too!) well, I have been trying - it would seem whatever fancy british system you have is totally just rejecting my emails as out-of-hand rubbish!
And if that doesn't clear things up, nothing will! And I'll call you soon (And you too, mum!)
Andrew!!
I turned up to a job interview in a pink tee not realising it even WAS a job interview, but I'll expand on THAT later, when I actually have some non-blue fingers to write with!
Just a quick "let-you-know", that, in case you are someone who has written me emails asking, say, WHY I haven't contacted them (no, mum, not you! But I'll contact you soon too!) well, I have been trying - it would seem whatever fancy british system you have is totally just rejecting my emails as out-of-hand rubbish!
And if that doesn't clear things up, nothing will! And I'll call you soon (And you too, mum!)
Andrew!!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Quick and short update, because my life is now boring
So, google mail has died tonight. Or today, or tomorrow, depending on wherever you are, dear reader.
That's a bit of a shame, because I quite like checking my mail, oh, I don't know, when I WANT to. Anyway, seeing as I can't waste valuable time that I'd ear-marked for j2ee and servlet learning (yes, I even learn stuff sometimes!) on emails, I thought I'd waste it on posting to this blog.
Which is, of course, not the ideal solution. But it IS a solution, which is, of course, me just rambling because I've pretty much written about everything I've done whilst in London. Oh, sure, I saw London Bridge (or a bridge, in London, that was NEAR the london bridge train station) but it wasn't falling down, which the people on is were quite grateful for, I'd suppose.
And I'm reading some Ben Elton - Chart Throb, a humourous take on pop-idol-like shows, I suppose. I don't know, I've never really WATCHED a whole episode of one. Oh! And I have my own pad in swinging Notting Hill for the next 9 days! I know, excitement much.
Now all I need is
1. money to do something
2. a job to get money
3. money, because I really don't want to work anymore.
The pad is nice, it's small, and has been donated by a v.cool aussie girl I met at the hostel who has gone to Italy for a trip to spain with her mum. In fact, let's face it, anyone who lets me have their flat whilst they are gone aren't just very cool, they are incredibly cool, super nice and must, by the laws of the MOART blog, be very clever too. However, Emma (as that is her name) easily outstrips even THESE lofty accolades, gentle reader, and is super-incredibly cool, fantastically intelligent AND in a hitherto unforseen twist, also quite gorgeous!
So, thanks Emma for saving me the ignomity of living it rough on the mean streets of London (and I'd thank Dave here too, but he just doesn't read my blog, so I won't).
Maybe I will do something exciting tomorrow? I remember when I was doing exciting things ALL the time. No more, eh?
That's a bit of a shame, because I quite like checking my mail, oh, I don't know, when I WANT to. Anyway, seeing as I can't waste valuable time that I'd ear-marked for j2ee and servlet learning (yes, I even learn stuff sometimes!) on emails, I thought I'd waste it on posting to this blog.
Which is, of course, not the ideal solution. But it IS a solution, which is, of course, me just rambling because I've pretty much written about everything I've done whilst in London. Oh, sure, I saw London Bridge (or a bridge, in London, that was NEAR the london bridge train station) but it wasn't falling down, which the people on is were quite grateful for, I'd suppose.
And I'm reading some Ben Elton - Chart Throb, a humourous take on pop-idol-like shows, I suppose. I don't know, I've never really WATCHED a whole episode of one. Oh! And I have my own pad in swinging Notting Hill for the next 9 days! I know, excitement much.
Now all I need is
1. money to do something
2. a job to get money
3. money, because I really don't want to work anymore.
The pad is nice, it's small, and has been donated by a v.cool aussie girl I met at the hostel who has gone to Italy for a trip to spain with her mum. In fact, let's face it, anyone who lets me have their flat whilst they are gone aren't just very cool, they are incredibly cool, super nice and must, by the laws of the MOART blog, be very clever too. However, Emma (as that is her name) easily outstrips even THESE lofty accolades, gentle reader, and is super-incredibly cool, fantastically intelligent AND in a hitherto unforseen twist, also quite gorgeous!
So, thanks Emma for saving me the ignomity of living it rough on the mean streets of London (and I'd thank Dave here too, but he just doesn't read my blog, so I won't).
Maybe I will do something exciting tomorrow? I remember when I was doing exciting things ALL the time. No more, eh?
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Nandos and the SOUL MATE Calculator
So, I'm still hunting for jobs here. It's kind fun, doing the whole job thing again!
...
Not.
So, today, and any other days I have, were spent looking for jobs. BUT, the big news now is that, in the UK, Nando's is OUT OF CONTROL. It's like, well, a posh swanky place with fantastic chandelabras, or however you spell them, and wine, and mood lighting.
It's certainly not the Nandos' we have back in Oz, which is more a slightly-higher quality maccas. Anyway, I was thinking about what if Maccas sold wine (which they'd probably call McWine), and what THAT would taste like. I'm imagining it would not taste good at all.
Maybe really sweet, with some bubbles? Like that freaky cheapo champagne stuff?
Who knows! Except the secret lab-people who make up the maccas menu. And they must be on some serious acid - I mean, a McFlurry? Crazy.
Ok, and I was GOING to find out the exact name of my soul mate using this internet thinggummy, but it wants to send that name to my mobile phone, and charge me 9 pounds a week until I tell it to stop, so I'm not going to do that.
Also, there have been a regular plethora (ok, 2) of people who have written me emails asking me where I am, and what am I doing. And then saying "I should probably read your blog...". Now, I've just realised that these people won't actually get this message - but that is just crazy!
Ok, see how much I can write when I have nothing to note? Fantastic, isn't it? Maybe I should start wondering about other things. Like what to have tomorrow... a cheap falafel, a cheap yeeros, or maybe some cheap pasta?
...
Not.
So, today, and any other days I have, were spent looking for jobs. BUT, the big news now is that, in the UK, Nando's is OUT OF CONTROL. It's like, well, a posh swanky place with fantastic chandelabras, or however you spell them, and wine, and mood lighting.
It's certainly not the Nandos' we have back in Oz, which is more a slightly-higher quality maccas. Anyway, I was thinking about what if Maccas sold wine (which they'd probably call McWine), and what THAT would taste like. I'm imagining it would not taste good at all.
Maybe really sweet, with some bubbles? Like that freaky cheapo champagne stuff?
Who knows! Except the secret lab-people who make up the maccas menu. And they must be on some serious acid - I mean, a McFlurry? Crazy.
Ok, and I was GOING to find out the exact name of my soul mate using this internet thinggummy, but it wants to send that name to my mobile phone, and charge me 9 pounds a week until I tell it to stop, so I'm not going to do that.
Also, there have been a regular plethora (ok, 2) of people who have written me emails asking me where I am, and what am I doing. And then saying "I should probably read your blog...". Now, I've just realised that these people won't actually get this message - but that is just crazy!
Ok, see how much I can write when I have nothing to note? Fantastic, isn't it? Maybe I should start wondering about other things. Like what to have tomorrow... a cheap falafel, a cheap yeeros, or maybe some cheap pasta?
Saturday, April 7, 2007
London Post #2
Hi kids!
So, here's my London post number two, as readily visible by the title of this blog.
1. London is just expensive. I mean, it's more than just being expensive... it's stupidly expensive. When the wage for bartenders is 5 pounds an hour, and you can only buy 2 beers with that at your average local, you KNOW that something that isn't fly is going down. And damned if it's not up to me to sort this city out.
But more on that later, ie when I actually do something to shake thm to their senses.
2. London has lots of... stuff. I mean, big ol' monuments, and big ol' buildings, and all their art galleries are free (which is good. I saw a da vinci! Me! Yeah, that's right. My art teachers would be soooo jealous. But they don't know, because I doubt they are reading this).
3. I walked around hyde park, and kensington gardens, and it was all very very green. And nice. Londoners, truely living in an expensive city, do get some nice deals out of it.
4. Everyone here drives really nice cars - like a ferrari, or a porsche, or a lotus, or if they are really on struggle street, a beemer. Speaking of which, I saw one which had rather dramatically crashed and apparantly exploded, but that's just by the by.
Ok! When I get photos (well, I have them, but when I get around to putting them up), I'll, ummm, put them up. And then you can view them.
So, here's my London post number two, as readily visible by the title of this blog.
1. London is just expensive. I mean, it's more than just being expensive... it's stupidly expensive. When the wage for bartenders is 5 pounds an hour, and you can only buy 2 beers with that at your average local, you KNOW that something that isn't fly is going down. And damned if it's not up to me to sort this city out.
But more on that later, ie when I actually do something to shake thm to their senses.
2. London has lots of... stuff. I mean, big ol' monuments, and big ol' buildings, and all their art galleries are free (which is good. I saw a da vinci! Me! Yeah, that's right. My art teachers would be soooo jealous. But they don't know, because I doubt they are reading this).
3. I walked around hyde park, and kensington gardens, and it was all very very green. And nice. Londoners, truely living in an expensive city, do get some nice deals out of it.
4. Everyone here drives really nice cars - like a ferrari, or a porsche, or a lotus, or if they are really on struggle street, a beemer. Speaking of which, I saw one which had rather dramatically crashed and apparantly exploded, but that's just by the by.
Ok! When I get photos (well, I have them, but when I get around to putting them up), I'll, ummm, put them up. And then you can view them.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Fancy a cup'o tea, Guv'nor?
Coz I sure do! I'm in sunny (or, well, not-so-sunny) London, really.
Went around the ... oh sod it! I'm in a bit of a rush, meeting up with Dave (met Haran last night, and aside from a grouchy much german co-worker, it was a really fun night. Actually, the grouchy-much german made the night better, he was hilarious!) so I can't do an uber post.
But I will, one day!
Went around the ... oh sod it! I'm in a bit of a rush, meeting up with Dave (met Haran last night, and aside from a grouchy much german co-worker, it was a really fun night. Actually, the grouchy-much german made the night better, he was hilarious!) so I can't do an uber post.
But I will, one day!
Monday, April 2, 2007
Iccy sal schene fur beurn ascott*
Which is a norweigen saying. I know, in MOART, you actually LEARN. THINGS. That might just SAVE YOUR LIFE. You also can see that I am growing an unhealthy prediliction to capitalising every gosh darned thing I write. But more on that later. That's a lie though, I won't write more on that later. Well, I might. Either way, there's a lie in this paragraph.
Sorry.
Ok! So, there's a bit to cover here, and let's start at the beginning - Santorini is really nice. Very much, it has been so beautiful I didn't want to leave. I had a plane to catch so I had to, but I didn't want to. I have photos that I can't seem to upload without a fancy card reading thing, which is a shame, because I really can't describe how cool shafts of light falling on a city by the ocean, when viewed from a mountiain nearing sunset are. It's quite a, well, it's almost a religious experience - in that, I feel that this is what religious experiences would look like, if I were to see them.
And of coourse, there are stories of little lanes, and dancing, and even learning! Me, learning!
So, to begin - I get off the ferry from Athens to Santorini with two great Swedish girls, and an agreement that we'll rent a car together and check out the island. So, we rent a car - a manual car. Now, I can't drive manual, so the first day was pretty much:
"Andrew Iyer gets driven around by attractive scandinavian girls"
And yes, I am your god. Anyway, we were all pretty tired, so after getting to Fira and getting some accomodation, the girls retire to their room (ok, just a demi-god) and I head out for a night on the town. A wild night, a night with... Plato. Yeah, I've got The Republic, and figured I could churn through it a bit in Greece. I hit a pub called Murphy's and read it there, I suspect to the amusement of all around me. After a bit, I head back, ready and refreshed for the next day.
The next morning, after seeing a town called Oia (prounounced ia, a little like ear), we decide that driving lessons are the GO. As Trina (one of the norweigens) put it:
"Andrew, you are a worse driver than I was when I started learning to drive. And I am scared."
But really, she was over reacting. Sure, I drove on the wrong side of the road once or twice. And, yeah, the car would stall on occaision (mostly on hills), but otherwise... kind of, anyway.
Oia was great, there are stray dogs everywhere there, and then after seeing a beach with black sand, and carving my name in a mountain, we head back to Fira for a night on the town. So I meet up with the local Aussie Greek population there, and get taught Greek Dancing (because:
a) they knew I was aussie and
b) they initially thought I was Greek
Also, where else do you see bullet-letters in brackets?)
I learn to drink a shot, from the floor, without using my hands... crazy most. But fun! And the next day, sadly, the norweigens left to another island, and I had to head back to Athens. But I had the manual car for the rest of the day (they left early), and I can proudly say that, aside from reversing the damn thing anywhere at all, I can pretty competently drive a manual now!
Oh, and on the off chance they read this, my very best wishes to Trina, who is engaged, and getting married next year (congrats again!), and her younger sister Theresa, who is going to the Dominican Republic to, well, do sporting stuff for a year. Which sounds very fun!
So! After driving the car around for a bit, I get on the ferry back to Athens, and who should I meet but two very nice, attractive yankee girls, Erin & Kim, who were in Santorini at the same time I was! We later discoevered that they even saw me at the bar reading Plato ("who is that weirdo" was the then response, apparantly). I explained to them the standard global insight into Americans and had a nice chat until about 1am with Erin ('twas a night ferry) about stuff. Because Stuff is Awesome.
The next day, in Athens, after going our seperate ways, who do I bump into but the girls... again! So this time I meet Erin's mum (who is also travelling around Europe), have some tea with them, and get taken to this totally funky shop which sold some nice things - but my parents will discover that later.
So thanks, really cool americans (who are flying in the face of American stereotypes) for making the last day in Greece pretty cool!
So I've had a pretty fun, cool last few days with some incredibly wonderful people - the entire Greek trip has been meeting really nice people, actually, and I think that's why Greece is running high on my "Cool Places I've Been".
Ok! I have a plane to catch! And good friends to meet in London! Dave, Haran & Andrew, united again - is there madcap zanyness? Can I even AFFORD madcap zanyness (no, seriously, I can't) - read this blog and find out! Because, well, what else are you going to do at work?
* Norweigen saying: don't sell the fur before you've shot the bear.
Others include: "cest pu di (or du, or alla) cactu-sannah" and "yay ach fra norgen".
And everyone's favourite - "Ach du farade?" I'll leave it to you and google to translate them!
Sorry.
Ok! So, there's a bit to cover here, and let's start at the beginning - Santorini is really nice. Very much, it has been so beautiful I didn't want to leave. I had a plane to catch so I had to, but I didn't want to. I have photos that I can't seem to upload without a fancy card reading thing, which is a shame, because I really can't describe how cool shafts of light falling on a city by the ocean, when viewed from a mountiain nearing sunset are. It's quite a, well, it's almost a religious experience - in that, I feel that this is what religious experiences would look like, if I were to see them.
And of coourse, there are stories of little lanes, and dancing, and even learning! Me, learning!
So, to begin - I get off the ferry from Athens to Santorini with two great Swedish girls, and an agreement that we'll rent a car together and check out the island. So, we rent a car - a manual car. Now, I can't drive manual, so the first day was pretty much:
"Andrew Iyer gets driven around by attractive scandinavian girls"
And yes, I am your god. Anyway, we were all pretty tired, so after getting to Fira and getting some accomodation, the girls retire to their room (ok, just a demi-god) and I head out for a night on the town. A wild night, a night with... Plato. Yeah, I've got The Republic, and figured I could churn through it a bit in Greece. I hit a pub called Murphy's and read it there, I suspect to the amusement of all around me. After a bit, I head back, ready and refreshed for the next day.
The next morning, after seeing a town called Oia (prounounced ia, a little like ear), we decide that driving lessons are the GO. As Trina (one of the norweigens) put it:
"Andrew, you are a worse driver than I was when I started learning to drive. And I am scared."
But really, she was over reacting. Sure, I drove on the wrong side of the road once or twice. And, yeah, the car would stall on occaision (mostly on hills), but otherwise... kind of, anyway.
Oia was great, there are stray dogs everywhere there, and then after seeing a beach with black sand, and carving my name in a mountain, we head back to Fira for a night on the town. So I meet up with the local Aussie Greek population there, and get taught Greek Dancing (because:
a) they knew I was aussie and
b) they initially thought I was Greek
Also, where else do you see bullet-letters in brackets?)
I learn to drink a shot, from the floor, without using my hands... crazy most. But fun! And the next day, sadly, the norweigens left to another island, and I had to head back to Athens. But I had the manual car for the rest of the day (they left early), and I can proudly say that, aside from reversing the damn thing anywhere at all, I can pretty competently drive a manual now!
Oh, and on the off chance they read this, my very best wishes to Trina, who is engaged, and getting married next year (congrats again!), and her younger sister Theresa, who is going to the Dominican Republic to, well, do sporting stuff for a year. Which sounds very fun!
So! After driving the car around for a bit, I get on the ferry back to Athens, and who should I meet but two very nice, attractive yankee girls, Erin & Kim, who were in Santorini at the same time I was! We later discoevered that they even saw me at the bar reading Plato ("who is that weirdo" was the then response, apparantly). I explained to them the standard global insight into Americans and had a nice chat until about 1am with Erin ('twas a night ferry) about stuff. Because Stuff is Awesome.
The next day, in Athens, after going our seperate ways, who do I bump into but the girls... again! So this time I meet Erin's mum (who is also travelling around Europe), have some tea with them, and get taken to this totally funky shop which sold some nice things - but my parents will discover that later.
So thanks, really cool americans (who are flying in the face of American stereotypes) for making the last day in Greece pretty cool!
So I've had a pretty fun, cool last few days with some incredibly wonderful people - the entire Greek trip has been meeting really nice people, actually, and I think that's why Greece is running high on my "Cool Places I've Been".
Ok! I have a plane to catch! And good friends to meet in London! Dave, Haran & Andrew, united again - is there madcap zanyness? Can I even AFFORD madcap zanyness (no, seriously, I can't) - read this blog and find out! Because, well, what else are you going to do at work?
* Norweigen saying: don't sell the fur before you've shot the bear.
Others include: "cest pu di (or du, or alla) cactu-sannah" and "yay ach fra norgen".
And everyone's favourite - "Ach du farade?" I'll leave it to you and google to translate them!
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