-40 degrees Celcius....

Song of the moment: Leon Lai- 你有本事 (#1 on HK Charts!!)

I've been thinking lately how I can enjoy my newfound time off once I finish school. I mean, when you're in school, you're always "I can't wait till I'm done..I can travel the world!!" Then reality kicks in (and so do student loans), and makes you yearn for more practical things. So I've composed a semi-list (semi, due to the high possibility that I'll be a lazy ass and not do anything) of things that I would like to accomplish:

• I think I would really like to take up yoga and/or pilates. I need to learn to be more agile, and I think the excercise would help my breathing. Me and Diana have already decided to do another belly dancing class, so if anyone wants to join us.........!
• One hobby that I would adore to take up is photography. I love looking at minimalist pictures of people or beautiful scenery, or even capturing the essence of an emotion. It's always so, so hard to get that one perfect picture. I would love to have this guy's weekend job as a photojournalist *link*.
• For sure, I need to read more.
• Oh yeah, GET A GOOD JOB.
• Err...clean my room *winces*

So, I'm in a position for another phone interview with a oilfield fracturing company tomorrow. Now, can anyone tell me whats up with phone interviews? Am I missing something here? Do people not take my job hunting seriously? I'll be so much happier to come down, in -40 degree weather, wearing nice pants and high heels, to impress you with my solid handshake, and dazzle you with a good morning smile. Face to face works a lot better on me. It's difficult to get across positive energy and vibes over the phone. But alas, I have another one. But seriously...can someone tell me if phone interviews are done to shorten the number of candidates for a job? I would like to know if I am a running contender for something.

Speaking of which, 4 interviews later, the first company hasn't contacted me back about the position I was vying for. Which pisses me off. They are a week late. I will email the guy tomorrow as well.

Sorpie, this is for you at work. I think you'll like this! (if you haven't seen it before)

Okay I'm off...gonna work on my presentation now..ciao!

Karen

Boo hoo!

Is it just me, or where did the blogging world go? No one seems to update anymore. And Donna, where the hell did your blog go? It disappeared like Teresia's!

*sigh*. Update update!!


Karen

It's SO cold!

So, is it just me, or do companies really take that long to get back to an interviewer about a job prospect? I mean, does a week really mean....2 weeks in the real world? Or maybe I'm being a dick and impatient about the entire thing. But seriously, I hate this "sitting by my cell phone" crap, because I feel like a high school girl waiting from that one phone call from Mr. Good-Looking, with hopes that he'll still ask me out (even though he's still with Miss. Cheerleader).

Or maybe it's a sign: it's not for you Karen, it's not meant to be, look for another. *looks at cell phone* Yups. It's a sign.

So, I learned the second most interesting tidbit in class the other day (aside from how glow-in-the-dark stuff works and the chemistry behind it). Did you know that Pept0-Bismol is made out of Bismuth? Which Bismuth is an element on the periodic table. I had no idea that it had medicinal properties!!! To learn more, click *here*. But I'm in awe. Who knew!!!!

Speaking of class, my next "assignment" is to present a paper to the class. My paper is on *ahem* "Synthesis of Antimony Telluride Nanoplates from a Single Source Precursor". What does this mean, you ask. Quite frankly, I don't really know. All I know that after reading that mumbo jumbo of a paper, I know that:

1. There is a crapload of new technology that I have to know to "teach" to the class
2. What the freak is a Seebold constant?
3. What the freak is a ZT constant?
4. What do all these numbers and graphs really mean?

Soooo, at least I know what I don't know. That's a start...right right..???

And that's not the sucky part. Today I went up to my prof to get him to explain to me this one huge section of the paper, since it's all about this new technology and how they used it in this case. He pretty much said to me (and I quote), "Ehhh...don't worry about it". Great. That's a huge paragraph. This bites.

And...AND...to make matters worse, in a class where everyone has to present a different topic and paper, he gives another girl my paper to do. Well that would have been strange.

I downloaded Leon Lai's new CD! And and....it's pretty good!

And if I may, comment on the deliciousness of Starbucks' Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream. Oh my....it tastes like heaven!

2 weeks of school left......the countdown begins.........

Karen

Chem majors and high heels don't mix

My interview today went okay....nothing spectacular or hands down amazing happened...which is maybe why I thought it was too...normal, if there is such a word.

I hope I get this job....the interviewer was really nice.....

*sigh*


Karen

Little blessings along the way are always nice...

My former co-worker (who I occasionally email and keep in contact with) responded to an earlier email I sent her. In that, I told her about my job woes and (again), how unhappy I was at my current status, majority lying in the professional part. Her words made me feel a lot better:

I hope you will have more confidence in your job hunting, we always say "
Winter is coming, and Spring is no so far away " ( just like that ). after
i come to canada i think i can live everywhere i like. You just need time and
chance.

Plus, another current coworker also encouraged me to not give up hope. She said that I have a huge advantage over many people, added on the fact that I have a local degree. She held my hand and said, "Karen, you have lot of chance, lot of opportunity, don't give up!"

I feel lots better. It feels good to know that your coworkers back you up and encourage you to find something better.

Thanks Ning, thanks Joanne.


Karen

And so it begins....

Not much new to report I suppose, but it's been awhile, so I should update my oh-so-fun life for the world to see (heheheh...)

We decided ultimately to let the dog as is for now, and potentially let him live out the rest of his life as a four-legged doggie. I'm not too sure if we're going ahead with any plans of surgeries or chemo treatments, but he seems ok for now. I'm much relieved over the fact that he is eating healthy, barking loudly, and doesn't seem to suffer very much. So at least his life is lived to the fullest.

Holy smokes. I paid off a huge chunk of my student loan awhile ago. Damn blood suckers. All my hard earned money has gone off to that. Boo.

My unsuccessful attempts to even get a job interview has been increasingly discouraging. I had a prospective phone interview with a reputatable chemical equipment and supply company, but I got pissed off at the fact that they kept on asking me questions about my current company's relationship with their competitors. And after that, the questions got increasingly hard, ten fold:

• What values would you bring to our company?
• What do you understand about the needs of our clients?
• If we asked the lab techs at the UofC about you, what would they say, or would they even know you?
• What is your weakness?
• Why do you want this position?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

And the list continues. After much disappointing answers and screwups, they informed me that another lady would contact me during the week after they narrowed it down to 2-3 candidates. In which then, she would fly out and meet the candidates in person. My response, thinking-wise, "A 3rd interview? For a job that would last until March? Screw you all."

So all in all, I wasn't even impressed with that company as a whole. Calling much earlier than the scheduled time, interrupting me as I was speaking, asking questions about my job's relationship with their competitors, and finally, not even allowing me an opportunity to ask questions relating to the job when the interview was done (pretty much, "ok, we're done, la-tah") completely ticked me off. This one was job that I don't really care for if I got a callback or not. But I do, however, feel quite used.

Anywayssss....

Rain's having a concert down in Vegas!!!!! I so want to go, but it's during Xmas and I think all of us fresh grads are broke. But that's ok, it's not meant to be...! Besides, I'm hoping someone would post clips of it on YouTube anyways =P

Went out with Audrey, Cindy, Johnson and Tom last week to good ol' B-Jai. I think I'm getting quite addicted to that whole Mango-Tapioca dessert. It's so refreshing. Not as good as in HK, but still, pretty damn good. Went to Mike's after that for some pool. I seriously suck. Who would have thought poking a ball with a stick requires so much....technique??

Halloween went okay..we got more kids this year than last. About 10-15, I'm guessing. But we got some really little ones that got all dressed up, so it was super adorable. But in the end, we still have a lot of candy leftever. Tootsie Rolls, here I comeee!

And what the hell is up with the weather outside? It's *bleepin* cold!! And now it's supposed to +18 on Monday. Should I believe them and be happy, or know that it'll still be cold and miserable?

But on the brighest side of things...Darren got a cubicle at work. That bastard. I want a cubicle!!!!

Karen