Hillarious spoof on Christian music, bang on with the mannerisms and personalities. Love the Rick Warren tribute Hawaiian shirt...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Dodgy Dodgy Gumdrops
The Great Job Hunt started again the moment I was finished with my gig at the promotions agency. Since then, I've interviewed with several head hunters and have interviewed with two companies. The first one, arranged for me by a headhunter last week, loved me, but unfortunately they were unable to hire someone on a contract basis. The other, an award winning design agency that I found on Gumtree, turned out to be a strangely dodgy experience.
Gumtree is an excellent public classified service for London and the UK, similar to Craiglist or Kijiji. The difference between Gumtree and these other classified services is that while it's free to browse, it costs someone £25 to post an ad. This ensures the quality of postings and that the person posting is actually serious about it. Looking for a job on Gumtree seemed like a perfectly good solution to my employment troubles, especially since I have a friend who's now very happily employed in a medium sized company that he found on the site. He found the job 3 days within his job search.
Sadly, my experience hasn't been nearly as good. Since March, I've secured 5 interviews via job postings on Gumtree and 3 via headhunters. The Gumtree interviews have all been with small companies, one of which hired me but didn't quite work out. My interview yesterday was the strangest yet, as the Director that interviewed me showed some very troubling signs:
Gumtree is an excellent public classified service for London and the UK, similar to Craiglist or Kijiji. The difference between Gumtree and these other classified services is that while it's free to browse, it costs someone £25 to post an ad. This ensures the quality of postings and that the person posting is actually serious about it. Looking for a job on Gumtree seemed like a perfectly good solution to my employment troubles, especially since I have a friend who's now very happily employed in a medium sized company that he found on the site. He found the job 3 days within his job search.
Sadly, my experience hasn't been nearly as good. Since March, I've secured 5 interviews via job postings on Gumtree and 3 via headhunters. The Gumtree interviews have all been with small companies, one of which hired me but didn't quite work out. My interview yesterday was the strangest yet, as the Director that interviewed me showed some very troubling signs:
- When I walked into the interview room, she didn't look like she was very happy to see me at all.
- She refused to tell me her name when we shook hands in the beginning, even refused to acknowledge when I said "oh, you must be Jacky". When the other person in the room interviewing me asked her if she introduced herself yet, she said that she'll do it later.
- She took my CV and totally destroyed it. By that I mean she folded it, crumpled it, wrote all over it. Thanks to her, I have to spend more money to reprint my CV and portfolio again.
- She kept showing signs of stress, which I really don't understand as *I* should be the one stressing out.
- She kept criticizing me in front of me, said she couldn't figure me out, and at one point even made a personal attacked on my employment choices. This was the first ever interview where I actually got mad at the employer. I didn't feel like I needed to defend my life against someone that I didn't know.
- When I asked about the job itself, the answer that I got was so generic and wishy-washy that I really don't think they knew what the job was themselves. This made me even more pissed as they demanded detailed answers from me but couldn't reciprocate when I asked for one from them.
- Half way through the interview, I had visions of me flipping the table over screaming "This interview... is OVER!". I just wanted to end it and go home. I have a feeling that she's worse then Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Persepolis
A couple of weeks before my departure to London, I stockpiled on some movies in case I needed to kill time while job hunting. Within my pile was Persepolis, nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars and based on a critically acclaimed graphic novel of the same name. It came highly recommended by a movie buff friend, and I was intrigued by the style of the movie and it's unique coming of age story. When I finally got around to watching it last week, I was all proud of myself because this movie had just started playing in London cinemas.To my dismay, Persepolis was a French film and the copy I got was void of any English subtitles. There's an English dubbed version with the talents of Sean Penn and Iggy Pop, but this wasn't it. I decided to brave through it anyway, figuring that the stylistic animation will keep me from yawning and I'd be able to guesstimate the plot. I was right. The film was funny, witty, and at times disturbing. I got all that from not understanding a single word of the dialogue.
After watching the film, I bought the graphic novel to catch all the bits that I missed. As it turns out, Persepolis was a FRENCH graphic novel as well. Luckily, with the release of the film, I was able to easily find ample copies in English.
The book is a detailed autobiography of the author, Marjane Satrapi. Born and raised in war-torn Iran, her parents flew her to Austria for a better life. She later returns to Iran, only to find herself trying to readjust to a society that she no longer truly belongs in. The book feels like a diary, with snippets of memories that somehow all fit together. It also gives a very rare first person account of of what happened in Iran during that time.For those who still think of comics as a medium strictly for superheros and jugheads, this book will change your perception in an instant. I'm convinced that Satrapi was able to tell her story far better with images then with just words alone. Her illustration style is very basic, all in black and white (not even a shade of grey), and it works very well in conveying her perception on her life's events.
I think I'm going to watch Persepolis (the movie) again, seeing how much I've missed in the dialogue. But this time, I'm gonna find it in English.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Summer for Spring
It's been getting pretty hot around here lately, hitting highs of 26 degrees. Just a couple of weeks ago, we were doing 12 and it actually hailed. I think we just skipped Spring altogether here.
With the heat comes a need to cool down, but I guess it's a concept that the English hasn't picked up yet. For the $4 you pay to ride the bus (if you pay cash... I suggest investing in an Oyster Card), you get NO air conditioning. That's right. There aren't even FANS. Is it so much to ask for some proper air circulation during the hot season? Hong Kong buses, practically identical to London buses, are fully equipped with a/c that will blast your face off. Toronto buses have a/c. I'm not suggesting that HK or TO does public transportation better, I'm simply noting that it's a basic feature EVERYONE ELSE seem to have.
I hear it's even worse in the Underground. There's no a/c there either, and it's even hotter then the buses with all the people crammed into the trains. My chinese mind goes crazy calculating how little value I'm getting for my $8 (again, if it's cash) trip in the tube.
As bad as I make it to sound, it's really a minor nuisance that I'm willing to put up with to be in this city. The sun was out for a full week and lit up this beautiful city. Football finals are on full tilt and there's excitement in the air. Summer music festivals are on soon as well... I can't wait to go into Hyde Park and listen to Eric Clapton for free. Well, they're unofficial "seats", and I won't be able to see Clapton or the screen. But I don't have the $80 for the ticket, so what's a poor boy to do? =P
With the heat comes a need to cool down, but I guess it's a concept that the English hasn't picked up yet. For the $4 you pay to ride the bus (if you pay cash... I suggest investing in an Oyster Card), you get NO air conditioning. That's right. There aren't even FANS. Is it so much to ask for some proper air circulation during the hot season? Hong Kong buses, practically identical to London buses, are fully equipped with a/c that will blast your face off. Toronto buses have a/c. I'm not suggesting that HK or TO does public transportation better, I'm simply noting that it's a basic feature EVERYONE ELSE seem to have.
I hear it's even worse in the Underground. There's no a/c there either, and it's even hotter then the buses with all the people crammed into the trains. My chinese mind goes crazy calculating how little value I'm getting for my $8 (again, if it's cash) trip in the tube.
As bad as I make it to sound, it's really a minor nuisance that I'm willing to put up with to be in this city. The sun was out for a full week and lit up this beautiful city. Football finals are on full tilt and there's excitement in the air. Summer music festivals are on soon as well... I can't wait to go into Hyde Park and listen to Eric Clapton for free. Well, they're unofficial "seats", and I won't be able to see Clapton or the screen. But I don't have the $80 for the ticket, so what's a poor boy to do? =P
Monday, May 5, 2008
Like zombies in Wales
Just returned from a quick visit to Cardiff, which is home to a beer called Brains. Naturally, we wanted some Brains. So we ordered it in a pub:
Bartender: "Hi, can I help you?"
Gav: "I'd like a pint of Brains Bitter please"
Bartender: "Sorry, but I have no Brains"
Indeed...
Bartender: "Hi, can I help you?"
Gav: "I'd like a pint of Brains Bitter please"
Bartender: "Sorry, but I have no Brains"
Indeed...
Friday, April 25, 2008
Here I am... On The Road Again...
Ever since I started working, I found it very hard to find time to write, let alone blog. So apologies to those waiting for me to reply a simple email, wallpost, or msn message. I spent countless hours in the office, trying to settle into my new job. The gig was something new to me, being an account manager for a promotions agency, hence I didn't mind investing a crap load of hours to get myself up to speed.
Waitaminute... let's check that. Past tense? "Was"?
Yesterday, I had a conversation with the director and we both decided that I wasn't a good fit for the role. On their end, I wasn't performing as they need me to be, simple reason being that I've never done promotions like that before. Product marketing? Branding? Design? Studio work flow? I'm your guy. But I found out that as much as I wanted to, I couldn't become the quick thinking, forward planning, third-party brand attracting promo machine overnight. Or even over a fortnight (that's what they call "two weeks" over here). The job required someone to do pretty much what Clear Channel would've employed six people to do; since I had never seen the full picture of how it works, taking my time to learn my way through was costing them money.
On my end, I wasn't a very happy camper for the past three weeks. I was frustrated with myself, frustrated with work, and I found my confidence slipping daily. Remember going into an exam that you hadn't studied for? That's how I felt like going to work everyday. I was learning on the fly and had no one beside me to cheat off of. That caused me headaches, literally, and Jules was even concerned for my health. I called up Pops (that's UNCLE T to you, foo!) for some guidance and we both agreed that stepping away from this gig would be best for me. 20 days of employment... that's an Ants record. I lasted a year and a half at Krap N' Piss.
Sounds kinda dark and depressing so far, yeah? Here, I'll pick up the optimism from this sentence on.
I must say that the "breakup" went really well, and the director is a total stand up guy. I hadn't intended on speaking to him about ending my time with them, but the conversation just led that way. He was very upfront with me, and promised me that he wouldn't hang me out to dry (ie the sorely missed pay cheque is still coming). He even offered a letter of reference, and offered help if I needed to look for employment.
That's good cause for optimism if there was ever any!
So I woke up this morning, refreshed and ready to take on the world again. I check my dear blog, and found messages left the day before and yesterday congratulating on my new job.
Whoops...
Waitaminute... let's check that. Past tense? "Was"?
Yesterday, I had a conversation with the director and we both decided that I wasn't a good fit for the role. On their end, I wasn't performing as they need me to be, simple reason being that I've never done promotions like that before. Product marketing? Branding? Design? Studio work flow? I'm your guy. But I found out that as much as I wanted to, I couldn't become the quick thinking, forward planning, third-party brand attracting promo machine overnight. Or even over a fortnight (that's what they call "two weeks" over here). The job required someone to do pretty much what Clear Channel would've employed six people to do; since I had never seen the full picture of how it works, taking my time to learn my way through was costing them money.
On my end, I wasn't a very happy camper for the past three weeks. I was frustrated with myself, frustrated with work, and I found my confidence slipping daily. Remember going into an exam that you hadn't studied for? That's how I felt like going to work everyday. I was learning on the fly and had no one beside me to cheat off of. That caused me headaches, literally, and Jules was even concerned for my health. I called up Pops (that's UNCLE T to you, foo!) for some guidance and we both agreed that stepping away from this gig would be best for me. 20 days of employment... that's an Ants record. I lasted a year and a half at Krap N' Piss.
Sounds kinda dark and depressing so far, yeah? Here, I'll pick up the optimism from this sentence on.
I must say that the "breakup" went really well, and the director is a total stand up guy. I hadn't intended on speaking to him about ending my time with them, but the conversation just led that way. He was very upfront with me, and promised me that he wouldn't hang me out to dry (ie the sorely missed pay cheque is still coming). He even offered a letter of reference, and offered help if I needed to look for employment.
That's good cause for optimism if there was ever any!
So I woke up this morning, refreshed and ready to take on the world again. I check my dear blog, and found messages left the day before and yesterday congratulating on my new job.
Whoops...
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
It's hard work getting work
It's official. Starting next monday, I'll be an account executive for a promotional agency that works exclusively with the video games and movie industries! After a slew of interviews and hundreds of miles travelled by bus and walking, I will start getting those "pay cheque" thingies again. Those are sorely missed. I miss my family and friends, with pay cheques coming in at a close third.
Good timing too, because we went out and bought a Wii last week. That'll have to be paid off some how.
I've learned alot about myself through this job search process. I've become so comfortable with interviews now that I'm actually looking forward to them, whereas I'd used to spend the night before practicing "what if" questions and repeatingly asking myself what my greatest strength and weakness is. It's an opportunity to speak with people in the industry, and you can pick their brains as much as they can pick yours. Thing is, interviews aren't just a time for employers to size up needy applicants, they're there just as much for us job seekers to size up which employer is good for us as well. They're not doing us any favors by hiring us, it's really our skills and time that they'll be exploiting for a profit at the end. They need us as much as we need them.
That's my mindset now, and it's helped me talk on an even level with potential employers. Rather then questions about my abilities, converstaions have led to understanding how the business works and exchanging ideas of how the marketing can be done or improved. At the end of the interview, I feel enriched and even though I might not get the job, I know that I've learned something. If they don't hire me, odds are I just wasn't the right person for their needs. Funny enough, those same companies usually don't fit my needs either anyway.
So here's hoping that this job that I start on monday is as good as I think it is and the company is a right fit for me. It could be the start of something bloody well amazing. =)
Good timing too, because we went out and bought a Wii last week. That'll have to be paid off some how.
I've learned alot about myself through this job search process. I've become so comfortable with interviews now that I'm actually looking forward to them, whereas I'd used to spend the night before practicing "what if" questions and repeatingly asking myself what my greatest strength and weakness is. It's an opportunity to speak with people in the industry, and you can pick their brains as much as they can pick yours. Thing is, interviews aren't just a time for employers to size up needy applicants, they're there just as much for us job seekers to size up which employer is good for us as well. They're not doing us any favors by hiring us, it's really our skills and time that they'll be exploiting for a profit at the end. They need us as much as we need them.
That's my mindset now, and it's helped me talk on an even level with potential employers. Rather then questions about my abilities, converstaions have led to understanding how the business works and exchanging ideas of how the marketing can be done or improved. At the end of the interview, I feel enriched and even though I might not get the job, I know that I've learned something. If they don't hire me, odds are I just wasn't the right person for their needs. Funny enough, those same companies usually don't fit my needs either anyway.
So here's hoping that this job that I start on monday is as good as I think it is and the company is a right fit for me. It could be the start of something bloody well amazing. =)
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