Randomness

Hey thanks to everyone who celebrated my birthday with me and sent me their wishes, you guys are the best!

So, life is getting dull, i think it might be the weather. There is still quite a lot of uncertainty ahead. The job offer in Norway for one thing, and my housing situation for another. With uncertainty number 1, the email correspondence has come to a sudden stop. I haven’t received anything from Norway since last tuesday when they said they’ll get back to me in a couple of days to let me know of final hiring decisions. There were a lot of ‘ifs’ in the email which made me a little unsure of things. However, I did get details of an offer which i may possibly get if i am hired, which was quite promising. Still it’s quite a long way yet until i can see myself on a flight bound for the northern hemisphere.

So yeah, the second uncertainty is somewhat related to the first. That is, i have been putting off my house hunting for at least 3 weeks now in the hopes that i may not need a house if i am to be leaving the country. In either case, there are going to be big commitments waiting for me whether i am destined to be tied up to a mortgage in Melbourne or whether i am tied up to a 2 year clause in Oslo. Oh, they said that they may pay for relocation costs but only if i stay a minimum of 2 years, otherwise i would need to repay them.

Enough of that! I am sick of talking and thinking about Norway, it has been going on for too long now and has been all talk and no action. I have noticed in the last couple of months that this blog has become more of a personal journal and less of a collection of reflections and thoughts. Sometimes its easier to fill in the spaces with mundane everyday happenings. There’s nothing wrong with that, i quite enjoy writing about my day to day activites, but i also want to be writing about other things that are outside my immediate world. I will keep a conscience thought about this the next time i update.

Go check out Nanaca Crash and have a play! My current record is 2,465.73m. Supposedly someone almost got 4,000m but i won’t believe it until i see it.

So many things have happened since the last update, i’ve had several unsuccessful ‘attempts’ at trying to update this blog but i never got as far as the ‘Create a new post’ link due to my lack of motivation or inspiration. Also, i don’t have a computer at home, well not really i do have one its just that i just haven’t unpacked it from the box since moving in. Okay so i should probably begin there.

I have moved into my new place! I will be here for the next 6 months or so, and so far i’m really loving it. I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best place, on so many levels, that i have lived in all my life. Its’ close to everything, the neighborhood is nice, and the house is just absolutely humungous for little ol me. I have a drum kit in the house to mess around with, which Anna very kindly lent me, and a fantastically fantastic kitchen, i just keep stuffing myself with food which my girlfriend keeps cooking up. Also, i’m really digging the garage and its’ remote roller shutters, very convenient. So yeah, i’ve been here for almost 2 weeks now and i’ll slowly settling in. I still keep putting off a few things to do around the house mainly because i’m still enjoying it, but i promise myself that i’ll get around to it this week or next. I keep thinking to myself though, "don’t settle in too comfortably, you’re only here for the next 6 months" so i haven’t really thought of it as my home in the usual sense, and a lot of my stuff hasn’t been unpacked yet, i plan to keep them in boxes and keep the place as spartan as possible.

Oh what else has happened, oh yes. We have settled the matter with our former landlords, we were able to negotiate something within reason which i was happy to pay for just to get all the stress out of my system. We didn’t get much of our bond back, only about 20% but it’s all good. So it’s all over now, and I would like to keep those memories buried and never to be unearthed again.

Check out this band i came across on SomaFM, they are called ‘The Pale Pacific’. They come rocking from Bellingham, Washington (of the U.S. of course) and you can check out their latest album release on their website. I recommend you have a listen to "Your Parents’ House" and "If Only She’d Leave Town". Nothing special or great about the messages in the lyrics, just cool songs to listen to.

Man i was going through a tough time during that last post, I just wanted to get that out. I am so glad to be out of it now. I guess it all depends on your inner perspective though, someone like myself who worries a lot and stresses out over little things can find it really hard to get through tough times. But also, what i have realised is that the normal times can be considered good times when you’ve just come out of the bad.

Okay, i also have news about the job i have been applying for over the last two months. A few days after submitting my programming test i got a returned email saying that i didn’t quite make it this time. Initially i was disappointed cos i had put a lot of time into this application particularly the time i spent on the programming test when my life was in disarray. But afterwards, i felt a great sense of relief that i did not have to make any major life decisions and that i could lead a normal life again and look forward to buying a place of my own.

Never the less, I felt inclined to find out why i didn’t get through cos i felt that although my 2nd interview didn’t go as well as i wanted, i still performed pretty well in the 1st interview and in the programming test. So i replied the email asking for some detailed reasons but got nothing in return. Until a few days later, which was mid last week, a Development Manager of another team in the company got a hold of my CV and emailed me asking for an interview. I thought to myself, what the heck why not, so the interview was arranged for the tuesday that had just passed. Now, this interview was very unusual as it was on a level which i am not used to and was very different from any other one i’ve had. There were no technical questions asked of me, just personal questions about me as a person and about my life. I guess he wanted to gauge what kind of person i was and whether i would fit in the company’s culture and environment as well as living in the country itself. They seemed very concerned about people moving to Norway to work only to have a change of heart not long after and moving back to their respective home countries, which i can totally understand from both the company and the employee’s point of view. I also found out that the team i had originally applied for have been recruiting very aggressively recently and actually had no more positions left, and that there was some sort of misunderstanding. So yeah, i think i’m in the next phase of the recruitment process, as this morning i received email from their HR people with more questions asking if i’m really sure i want to move there and about bringing my girlfriend with me and about salary expectations and blah blah.

Phew that was long and winding, I think that’s enough updating for now. I will try to do more frequent albeit smaller entries in the future. Tu-du-lu.

So this week has been pretty crazy, crazy i tell ya. Last weekend was mighty fun, and very little time was spent resting, which would have been good for me in hindsight. It meant that i was not able to dedicate anytime to the programming test i was supposed to finish off. But i’m glad to report that said programming test is now complete and is on its merry-ol-way to Norway via the internets.

But not all news is good news this week. We are currently in a dispute with our former blood-sucking, two-faced-snakes, vile-oh-so-vile, land-stupid-face-lords. They are charging us for a cleaning bill which we think is excessive and very unreasonable. Our appeals for fairness and reasoning have made no difference, so our next action is probably to lodge the dispute to The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. It’s just more stress to add to the already hectic schedule of things to do. And this weekend, i will be moving again! Yay, oh what fun is to be had this weekend, not.

This blog update comes to you courtesy of my sisters’ computer. I have moved in! I’ll be staying here for the next couple of weeks. The move was very successful, in fact it was so successful that we were even able to squeeze badminton into our schedule. The weather wasn’t looking all that fantastic at first but that didn’t hamper our efforts, nor did that car accident that clogged up traffic on our way back leave the slightest dint in our determination, not one bit i say. A whole bunch of big major thank-you’s go out to Alvin and Samson, you guys are tops! I can’t believe how quickly we were able to move all my stuff, and if any of you out there are moving places in the future be sure to pack all your stuff into boxes, it makes it all the better for everybody. Ahhh Boxes, Cardboard technology at its best.

Not much else to say. Oh, the interview on wednesday went okay, i thought it could have been better since there were a few things which i wanted to say and should’ve said but didn’t get around to saying. Anyhow, i’m into the next ’round’ as people call it and i have been emailed a programming test, to test out ahhhh my programming skills, so yeah. This will be quite challenging since i won’t have a computer of my own to work on until i move to my next place of dwelling. I guess i’ll be doing a few late nights at work this week ahead. What better way of utilizing (read, abusing) the companies assets than to use my employed time and their computer equipment to assist the acquisition of my next job. Hooray for Alt-Tab!

In the words of Morten Junker, anyone who has a dream can make it come true, you just have to be patient. Good things will come to those who wait. I came across this Lifehouse cover band who do an excellent cover of a couple of their songs, Blind and Into The Sun. Check them out the recording is very well done, quite inspiring since this guy had only seriously started playing guitar back in 2001.

So the next telephonic interview for the job i’m applying for in Norway is scheduled for tommorow evening, and i will be meeting the company’s Vice President of Engineering. Thanks to everybody who has asked me about how things are going with it and just generally giving me support. Strangely enough, i don’t feel as nervous about this interview as i had felt about the previous interview, even if the sheer weight of meeting an executive is actually quite intimidating for someone like myself. I hope it all goes well tommorow, my Girlfriend seems to have convinced herself entirely that i will be offered the job, but i have severe reservations. I remain 20% cautiously hopeful and 30% confident, but also 40% apprehensive and 10% pessimistic all at the same time. (You went back to check that it added up to 100% didn’t you!) I mean, i still don’t think i’m ready to give any straight answers about my feelings and thoughts towards relocating, which i am sure will be asked of me again tommorow. My preparation for this interview has consisted of reading online chat transcripts which was held last week by the CEO and a couple other execs, and the reading of several blogs by the developers who are currently working in the company, and it just so happens that one of the bloggers originally came from Melbourne. I have an insider’s scoop!

In other news, we’re supposed to go to the snow within a couple of weeks time, but that may not happen since the snow is slooooooowly meeeeeeeeeeeeelting away. But we will find out more as to whether or not we are still going as we get closer to the date. Also, i’ll be moving this weekend, and thanks to those of you who have offered to help out with the moving, as this is especially appreciated with the moving of the heavier heavy objects.

It’s only 2 weeks away now until i will have to pack my stuff and move info my sisters place only to stay there for a few weeks and then move AGAIN to my new place. All this moving back and forth only means one thing, lots of packing, lots of lifting and lots of pain. I am not looking forward to it. Now that i think about it, i have been doing a lot of moving about in the last 5 years, no fewer than 5 places i have lived in, with each successive move i leave a tiny bit of myself behind. So you can probably say that there is a bit of me all over Melbourne.

So the telephonic interview i had on Friday went pretty well. I was interviewed by the team manager and the session went for a full 2 hours, that’s a pretty hefty phone call i would think, not to mention expensive too. I will be interviewed next by the manager of the team manager, and in the meantime they will discuss with each other about how to proceed with the recruitment if i am sucessful in making a good second impression, since they normally prefer to meet candidates face-to-face before making any final hiring decisions. I also need to start seriously think about relocating to Oslo, but not too seriously of course just in case you know i don’t get the job, and all of this would just be a waste of time.

In other news, i was in Sydney for a couple days this week for the annual exhibition thing our company does every year. Also, i have been following the ashes series very closely on tv, it has been very enjoyable to watch. Now, time to do some more webcomic reading and Madagascar watching. Later.

Just a quick and short update. I just got my car back from the repairers, about 5 days earlier than expected. Though they said that the work on the car had been completed and ready to be picked up since the mid of last week, but they weren’t able to contact me to let me know since they didn’t have my number, morons. What more, i have to take it back tommorow to get the guard repainted since they did a shoddy job of it.

In other news, i took a long and blind shot at applying for a job in Norway last week, and that long and blind shot landed me a ‘telephonic’ interview next friday with said Norwegian company. I just know i’m gonna fumble through the interview since my last job interview was for the one i currently hold, and that was almost 4 years ago. Furthermore, i totally suck at job interviews, i just get so damn nervous around prospective employers that i turn into this cardboard cut-out gorilla with zero personality. But having said that if you (you being potential employer) are reading this, i am awesome, hire me now! Please.

This weekend is going to be a wild one and it all kicks off with virtual friday tommorow. I will be going on not one, but two day trips to buller with two seperate groups of people, my work colleagues and my friends. It is going to be a pretty tight schedule and i can foresee very little sleep ahead, as i will be out of the comfort of my own bed when i sleep over at other peoples places for thursday and friday night.

Okay, the weather has gone absolutely bonkers. Not only did we have snowfalls earlier this year during summer in febuary, but we’ve also had snowfalls reported all over victoria today down to mean sea level, a supposedly once in 50 year event. This is in the midst of an abysmal snow season in the victorian alpine resorts, and one of the warmest may’s on record. The good news is that we recieved a massive 23cm today and there is more to come on thursday, the timing couldn’t be any better for me. Yippee!

I wonder what it will be like to live and work in Norway.

Today i helped an elderly man on to the train. That is my good deed of the day, and quite possibly for the week or month. Other good deeds that i have performed in the recent past. I have held open doors for total strangers, including but not exclusive to, elderly people, pregnant people, people with prams, pregnant people with prams, elderly pregnant people with prams. Actually that last one was not true, but all the other ones really did happen, really they did.

So i got two calls today, the first of which was from the insurance company of the driver who pulled out in front of me, and the other from my own insurance company. So it turns out that the other party has professed liability for the accident and the claim is all settled now. All that awaits me now is for my car to be repaired, and for me to pick it up in 2 weeks time.

Yesterday was the first sunday of many, many sundays which i was allowed to sleep in until late, all thanks to my lack of personal transportation. Being driven around by others ain’t so bad, in fact i’m very much enjoying it quite a bit, but not too much. Catching the train to work ain’t so bad either if it weren’t for the walking, the waiting, or the cold, so i guess that only leaves the actual trip itself which is bearable.

Scienceworks is heaps of fun if you are a kid or a kid at heart. There is a magnitude of things to see and do, and many of the exhibits are interactive so there is a lot poking, pushing, lifting, sliding, smelling, prodding and zapping to be had. Still, you will need the wonder and the youthful stamina of a child to get through everything without feeling the need to collapse in exhaustion every 15 minutes, with tongue protruding from the side of the mouth.

The time i choose to wake up is carefully planned and optimised to give me the maximum amount of in-bed time and minimal time to get my shite ready and out the door. Now that i am at the complete mercy of our fantastic public transport system, i have had the leisure of ’snoozing’ very rudely taken away from me, with me having no say in the matter at all. The moment the ‘beep, beep-beep, beep-beeep-beep’ starts to happen, i’m all wide-eyed and pop straight up and out of the sheets.

Yesterday, i walked in the rain. My crappy old pair of sneakers just won’t hack it in these weather conditions as by the time i got to work, i had soaked in a decent amount of water which manifested itself as patches of wetness in my socks. I could audibly hear the squish-squishing sound coming out from my shoes as the sock and shoe engaged in some bizarre orgy of laughter at the expense of my unhappy feet. Thank goodness i have my boss to drive me home at the end of the day, who coincidentally lives only down the road from me. I am yet to decide if this is a good or a bad thing.