tgcgel . net^blog

i just officially accepted a job with cisco systems in boston. its done. i'm in. i have a job...a real one

yesterday someone asked me what i wrote about on my blog, as if i follow a style guide of sorts. the question did make me think a tad...is there an inherent theme to my writings? do i rant incessantly about trite subject matter? i honestly dont pay much attention to what i post on here, not that it lacks importance or im callous about what i type; i simply allow the thoughts to flow. i have a habit of going off on tangents. something may happen during the day that is fun and worthy of mention that triggers a desire in me to post, and yet when i sit to update i almost always fail to make mention of the notable events that warranted the time and effort in the first place. hm. thoughts and comments are certainly welcome. i dont allow random comments to be posted on here, thats lame. if i dont know you, i dont care what you have to say. if i do know you, then we talk in real life, and you can feel free to vocalize your opinions.

in other "real" news, ive almost 100% acepted a job. with cisco. in boston. looks like im moving. the pay is excellent, the benefits above par, company culture enjoyable, and opportunities and potential phenomenal. its not exactly in boston. its a few miles out. the cost of housing there isnt terribly higher than it is here, at least not for apartments. im actually pretty excited about it, and decidably nervous. its a big change and a step into the unknown. crzy

rado recetly relased a special edition chronograph for their ceramica line...want want want...want.

i spent thursday and friday in new york interviewing with goldman sachs. let me say this: no other company can possibly have comprable office space. The views from the 41st floor of 1 New York Plaza and the 30th floor of 180 Maiden Lane in center of the financial district in manhattan are simply breathtaking, to say the least. i tried hard not to gawk over the heads of the interviewers and pay attention to the questions which would determine whether or not i was made an offer. in the end the interviews were a little sub par. i certainly presented myself well, but i know that on at least 2 or 3 of the 9 i had that day i was less than impressive. shortly we will see how i did; i am expecting a call from them any day now.

monday and tuesday found me in dallas interviewing with cisco. their campus was intimidating, as were the atmosphere and benefits offered to employees. it truly felt like an amazing place to work. not only are the employees treated well, but new hires totally have their choice of work location and team. if i am offered a job (and i have high hopes, i think i nailed the interviews today) i choose between san jose, dallas, raleigh, or boston. after choosing a location i will have the opportunity to interview the managers from all the business units and teams, and then i get to pick in what division i want to work, and for whom i will work. what an opportunity! i should also hear back from them in the next day or so. im really excited about these 2 companies. if they both offer me jobs i will pretty much stop interviewing with everyone else.....so.....i'll keep my fingers crossed, because i'm so tired of interviewing....

im sitting on an airplane right now, right over birmingham, alabama. im on my way to new york city for an interview with goldman sachs, and it seemed like a good time to update the blog. its a new month, and now fall is really upon us. im exicted. the semester is winding down, my interviews are peaking, and soon i'll have to make a choice as to where i will be working after i graduate. it seems like most places expect a reply by december 1st, so i have a month to wrap this stuff up, pick a place, and commit. easier said than done :)

school is going reasonably well, all things considered. lets just say i wont be nailing that 4.0 this semester, but i wont be pulling a 2.0 either. honestly all i need to do is pass all my classes this semester and next, and graduate and then im set (grades really dont matter anymore), but thats lame and a waste of my time; im not here to screw around and slide through doing as little work as possible. so...it'll be more like ill hit all Bs this semester. :-/ oh well. its more or less impossible to do better since i'm never in class anymore and i find myself struggling at times to meet all my deadlines. no matter, i've managed nicely so far.

i went to see ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead last week in concert. They were pretty good, and i was pleased with their stage presence. they played mainly new stuff, which was to be expected, so it was a shame i didnt get to hear their classics ive come to love. all in all though it was a great show.

lets see, what else is new...nothing is screaming at me right now, so ill have to update later when i have more ideas flowing. i will post soon, no worries, im sure i'll have LOADS of cool pics and news to write about after my brief sojurn in NYC. im excited!!!!!!!!!!

so, some people have been asking me questions about jobs and what books im reading...weird combo, but here is a little "list" if you will in these areas:

books
Seta - Alessandro Baricco
The Oresteia - Aeschylus
The Gulag Archipelago - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

all 3 are excellent and are highly recommended.


jobs
second round interviews pending with:
Goldman Sachs
Cisco
NetQOS
Lockheed Martin
ConocoPhillips
ExxonMobil

offers:
Pariveda Solutions
The University of Texas at Austin

i have a LOT of other 1st round interviews to go, and there are still many companies i'm waiting to hear back from...so this list will grow....

fall is here. i anxiously await the sound of crunching leaves underneath my shoes as i wander down the street. midterms are over. im excited that school will be a little less demanding in the coming weeks, and i can work on performing well in upcoming interviews. there will be a lot of travelling in the days to come, which is cool. i like travelling a lot, especially when its 100% free. things have been going really well lately; everything just seems to be falling into place. I had an interview with IBM last friday and that went so well. the gentleman who interviewed me is the head of a ~200 member team as well as the head of hiring for their division, and he had only wonderful things to say about how i did in the interview. i'd love to work for IBM and im really excited about that. what else has been going on....there are so many things i could write, but i think it suffices to say that im happy and life is going well, and more good things are sure to come.

I started a new book last week, called Seta by Alessandro Baricco. its incredibly good. The story line is interesting and the characters are tangible, but the prose is what really sets this book apart. i love the simple, concise, short declarative sentences that can convey so much with so little. the power of word choice and elegant semantics are evident as you follow the voyages of the book's hero to and from japan in search of silk worms.
allow me to translate a section of the book:
He left the 6th of october. alone.
at the port of lavilledieu he pulled to himself his wife helene and to her simply said, "you needn't have fear of anything."
she was a tall woman, who moved gracefully, she had long black hair that never matted on her head. she had a beautiful voice.
...
he turned 33 on the 4th of september 1862. his life rained before his eyes, a quiet spectacle.

its not quite the same in english, but trust me, this book is amazing. its such a good read and its so elegant and simple and profound. i love it.
i need to sleep now, but more updates are on the way; i promise!

hope

No more dreams,
nothing to believe in,
to hope for still.
Energies exhausted
for an inexistent cause.
Seeing at all costs
the beautiful, the good
in a landscape
that is ugly, squalid, brutta.
Hanging on with my nails to an ephemeral illusion.
Without strength, exhausted,
resting a bit
to catch my breath.
Breathe deeply.
Count to ten.
Decide the direction.
Get up again and go.


silence

if they ask you
what is silence?
you reply: it is a sound.
the sound that hurts the heart,
a deaf sound
that screeches in your ears,
a sudden start
that torments the soul.
a desperate cry of pain,
an illusion that decieves you,
a last breath of life,
a kiss never given,
a dried tear,
a prayer never said.
This is silence:
The companion of my life!



the evening

when evening falls
i love to look at the sea.
then i stop to contemplate
the sweet sunset
admiring the stars
that slowly
peep out
in the brilliant heavens.
in the silence of the soul
i listen to the lullaby of the waves
and then i fall asleep;
serene, peaceful,
in the company of my dreams.


love

love is beautiful
when it is given.
love is beautiful
when it is recieved.
it is an expression
of happiness.
it is immensity
that embraces
and indifferent heart,
that makes it tremble
in its tight grasp.
love is
an impalpable truth;
it is the whip of reason;
it is a gesture of brotherhood;
it is the kite of
a helpless child,
of those who love love.
love is
a wanderer looking for
love.

its funny how we can have so many good things going for us and yet allow a thing or two to ruin that for us, as if everything hinged upon it. for some reason ive fallen into that trap recently, and its a terrible trap to find yourself in. My job hunt has been paying handsome divedends, interviews are going well, im getting called back for second interviews left and right, im being given all these great travel opportunities to go to different company headquarters, school is going reasonably well, im in good health, i have no debt, i have a good job...so why sweat the small things? i guess over the last 2 or 3 days i've had a lot to think about and ive done a lot of reflecting. its been very informative for me, as much as i dislike it at times. patience it seems is my biggest weakness and it appears as if i am going to be force fed that whether i like it or not. i know its good for me though, and im learning that sometimes the best thing you can do is just sit back, and do nothing. let it unfold and worry about yourself and not the events and things you cant change. doesnt mean its easy though...