Busy Sheep

Wow, I've got to improve my time management skillz. The weekend's already gone and I've hardly touched my books! Arrrgh! I'm gonna die when the exams come along in three weeks time...

My first proper week at work was "fun" in that I really liked the office and the people I was working with. The work itself, however, wasn't particularly interesting. I didn't have time to completely absorb what I was doing as there was SO much to do... been pulling in some crazy overtime. Too bad I don't get paid for it... I get holidays to compensate though.

Anyway, I got my second paycheck on Friday, and I'm seeing it all go on Monday! Demoralizing, to say the least, but unavoidable. Moving house, and I'm footing the bill. Still, dad's got a job interview lined up in a couple weeks, so hopefully he can ease our "little" financial problem.

Gonna visit a friend in hospital later. His lung collapsed, and the docs are trying to restore its size and shape. He should be recovered over the coming week though. More details later, as I just found out about this.

Long Hours

It's only Tuesday, and I'm already tired. 10 hours per day. At least. The girl who drives me to work does about 12. 13 even. Anyway, off to bed now (need my 8 hours sleep), more this weekend.

Not a Work-Virgin Anymore!

Yes, I've finally done it... I've gone to work at a client's!

Although I can't disclose the details, I can disclose how I felt... which is basically summed up in one word: confused.

On Wednesday, I thought the office looked nice... nicer than mine anyway. The people looked kinda geeky, but then again, I should look in the mirror. I was shadowing a colleague one year ahead of me, she's cool. Talks a lot, but that's great, I cause I don't. Anyway, I was torn between trying to speed things up, and keeping my work accurate... decisions, decisions.

On Thursday, I was gob-smacked by the client's headquarters... what an amazing design. And when I went INSIDE... I was floored. Shops, gyms, hairdressers, food courts... is this a mall? Nope. I looked up and I saw glass-walled office rooms on both sides, with beautiful bridges spanning the two sides of the building. Awesome.

I didn't do much, I think. I hope what I did, I did correctly. I sextuple-checked everything... but with spreadsheets, it's hard to say. Everyone was ranked MUCH higher than me too... except that colleague I was shadowing. She's a prize-winner in three exam papers I'm sitting over the next 6 months. Talk about pressure!

Stayed till 6:45pm. Considering I arrived at 8am, those are some pretty long hours. Can't complain, I did worse at Deutsche Bank. And considering the other guys and gals stayed till 9:45pm, I practically worked half-day...

That's it then. Spent today gathering with my fellow 1st year trainees, bitching about our first client experience. Good stuff.

Hmm, this post will probably look extremely ridiculous to me 5 years from now...

No Time to Meditate

Just as quickly as I was cancelled off a job yesterday, I've been reassigned to another client, starting tomorrow. No time to be nervous, so no time to meditate either. But there's time to comment on

this. Desperation or innovation?

I bet in about 5 years, this is gonna be the mainstream way of advertising for "companions." Man, imagine the amount of spam this woman will surely get...

Idle Thumbs

Just my luck. Job posting has been cancelled, so I spent the day at the office studying. Doh. Looks like I'll have the next two weeks free, unless something else crops up. So much for my first day of "work."

Weekend was good. Met up with some old friends for a farewell party... one of them was leaving the country. Chatted about old times till the restaurant closed, left the New York-ish Canary Wharf for a friend's flat. Then played some requests on a friend's guitar, reminiscing about uni along the way, drinking bottles of wine, champagne, and whatever was available. Good fun.

What weren't so fun were the goodbyes. Oh well... "parting is such sweet sorrow." Not as sweet as parting with a lover, but hey...

Oh YES! I ALSO have my cool new Motorola V3 now... I wanted to post pics... but I haven't set up an online picture account yet. I'll see if I can do that over the next few days... it is the envy of my friends... it will be for the next 2/3 months anyway, before everyone on the street owns one.

Work Newbie

Starting first client work on Monday, and I'm all nerves! Wonder what it's gonna be like, wonder who the people I'll be working with are like, wonder what the office is like, etc...

Man, I had wanted the jam session partly to work out those nerves. In fact, the session ALMOST happened. Drummer called to say he'll make Sunday, I called the others, only to find that guitarist can't make Sunday because of prior commitments. Argh! Frustrating!

Anyway, I'm supposed to be studying today... or doing some computer based training. Instead, I went out last night, and I'll be going out again later today... view house, get contacts, attend a farewell party.

Running out of cash BIG time. And I STILL haven't got my V3. "National shortage," the guy in the store told me, promising to call me as soon as the new batch arrives... though he doesn't know WHEN it will. So, nothing seems to be working out as planned in my personal life! What else is new, eh?

Busted Plans

I hate it when plans fall apart.

Here I am trying to organize the first jam session for my fledgling band, spreading the word to my guitarist, vocalist and drummer... first two says "Great, I'm free!" but drummer, as I just found out, says "Sorry, probably can't make it."

"Find a new drummer," I hear you say. Easier said than done. Few drummers play Dave Matthews Band songs. And I'm having trouble enough finding a bassist.

And work? I just began internal training this week, when I get an email telling me that because of my client placement next week, I have to attend a US regulations course, cause the client is US listed... now I am expected to cram not just UK practice rules, but also the US. Great. I'm having difficulty enough committing the former to memory, now I have to worry about the latter. Sigh.

Hence, I really want to jam. It's tough enough without a bassist, but without a drummer, we definitely can't jam. Drum machines just don't cut it.

Oh well, let's see what else life has in store for me over the next few days.

Razr Delayed

I made up my mind last night to buy the accursed thing, so I woke up and rushed out the house, tubed into the nearest town center, before barging into the shop where I first saw it, only to find that they ran out of stock.

So no Razr fix today. I placed an order for it anyway, but I will have to wait till Tuesday or Wednesday to get my grubby hands on it. Bought other stuff for my siblings though... vid games for the brothers, Bratz doll for the sis. Now I'm semi-broke for the next 3 weeks.

Is this why we work? To get paid? To spend? To survive, in a modern sense? To fit in with our peers? To shorten our lifespans through stress? Tune in next week for the next exciting installment of "Counting Sheep" where very few, if any, of the above questions will be answered!

R & R? Not quite...

After an intensive month of studying, exams, and general hair-tearing stress, I am now ready for WORK stress. Next Monday, I'll attend a week of in-house training before being packed off and sent to my first client. Whee.

Note to confused reader:

My employment is composed of periods split between training for a qualification, and of course, working. I've just finished a period of studying, now I'm shifting towards one on working.

Oh yes, studies. Didn't do as well as I'd hoped. Didn't do as badly as I had feared either, so silver lining behind the clouds and all that... basically, my dreams of staying top dog were shattered as I found myself stuck in the 2nd and 3rd quartiles in the last two papers. I just barely scraped through the 3rd quartile in the latter paper... if I had hit the 4th, I'd be seeing my manager very soon next week to "discuss my future and progress" (or lack of it)... so, I'm REALLY relieved about that.

Argh, I REALLY want to be in the first quartile... or FIRST! How do these clever bastards do it??? Looks like I won't be able to stay away from all that study material over the next five weeks as I had planned...

Anyway, looking forward to some much-needed retail therapy tomorrow. That Motorola Razr V3 looks yummier every time I look at it. Can I resist the lure of the Razr? After all, I DO need a new calling plan... hmm.... hmm...

Quickie

Last week at college before the first study session is wrapped up. Last day tomorrow. Been getting my results backs. Mixed. Top of class in one, 2nd quartile in another. Relieved and slight disappointment in the latter result. 2 more results receivable tomorrow. Anxious, coz these are hard papers. Still getting lots to do. Hence, quick blog, then back to the books.

Sick Sheep

Ack, caught a cold. Sore throat, temperature, runny nose. The whole package. *Sniffles*

So annoying. Tired, heavy head, but guess what? Progress exams tomorrow. Yup. I'm sick, and tomorrow's exam results will be passed over to my employers. What luck.

Besides that piece of good news, there was the ball on Friday. Great food, great atmosphere, shame about the company. Turns out most people brought guests, so it wasn't exactly a singles paradise, as me and a few friends had hoped. It sure ain't uni anymore...

Still, got my first paycheck on Friday, so I quickly followed up with some retail therapy on Saturday. Now THAT was fun, sick or otherwise. It feels good to know that you can afford stuff (as opposed to my student days, gazing at gadgets that were WAY out of my budget), even if you don't buy it.

This is drool-worthy...

Ok, better stop procrastinating. I'll see how long I can last with revision before I hit the sack. 6 very long hours to look forward to tomorrow... sigh...