We are headed to Italy this weekend. Rome, Florence and Venice are on the agenda. It is going to be a quick trip and I am looking forward to it.
Italy, here we come!!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Another interview
Attended another interview at a startup this morning. I was offered the job more or less, but I think I'll pass. I wasn't too impressed with the market that they are targeting, though they claim that it is the best thing since swiss cheese. Neither was their product awe inspiring.
For the moment, I am going to stick around here.
For the moment, I am going to stick around here.
Spago's
Monday night was Wife's birthday and to celebrate I took her to dinner to Spago's in Palo Alto. What a letdown? I was looking forward to a romantic evening in a quiet setting and the place was literally humming like a beehive. The suit types were everywhere and it was loud inside.
Sitting at my table, I looked up and found I was in direct sight of a bunch of people from work. Baw! Work was the last thing I wanted to be reminded of.
The food was passe. Wife loved her chicken dish, but the pasta dish I ordered, had caramelized onions that had been burnt too much and left a bitter taste in my mouth.
The redeeming grace was our waiter, who was a kind old gentleman who asked us if we were there celebrating a birthday or anniversary. I told him it was Wife's birthday and he brought us a cake and sang the most lovely rendition of Happy Birthday that we had heard. He deserved his tip.
I don't think I will be going back there anytime soon.
Sitting at my table, I looked up and found I was in direct sight of a bunch of people from work. Baw! Work was the last thing I wanted to be reminded of.
The food was passe. Wife loved her chicken dish, but the pasta dish I ordered, had caramelized onions that had been burnt too much and left a bitter taste in my mouth.
The redeeming grace was our waiter, who was a kind old gentleman who asked us if we were there celebrating a birthday or anniversary. I told him it was Wife's birthday and he brought us a cake and sang the most lovely rendition of Happy Birthday that we had heard. He deserved his tip.
I don't think I will be going back there anytime soon.
Monday, June 19, 2006
US Open collapse
I watched, riveted to the TV, as Phil Mickelson walked to the 18th tee on the 72nd hole of the US Open Golf tournament with a one shot lead. Will he do the sane thing and hit the safe shot on the fairway from where he could make par or better or at worse bogey to tie the lead, or will he try to dazzle and bang the driver to god knows where? He chose the driver and the rest is history.
It was a collapse that ranks among the most famous collapses. The day after is usually the day it hurts the most and today must be the darkest day in his career.
Actually, I was rooting for Monty to win the championship and when he made harakiri and bogeyed the last hole to drop out of the lead, I felt really bad for him. I thought his generosity had benefitted Mickelson who was the sole leader at that point and had the championship in his grasp.
In the end, a relatively unknown and unheralded Aussie won. But you couldn't help feel, that he had won, not by his own right - though of course he played well - but by the foolishness and charity of others. It's a victory that at least in the present has a bunch of footnotes attached to it. But with the passage of time, those footnotes will fade and a quarter century from now, all we will remember is that an Aussie won the 2006 U.S. Open.
It was a collapse that ranks among the most famous collapses. The day after is usually the day it hurts the most and today must be the darkest day in his career.
Actually, I was rooting for Monty to win the championship and when he made harakiri and bogeyed the last hole to drop out of the lead, I felt really bad for him. I thought his generosity had benefitted Mickelson who was the sole leader at that point and had the championship in his grasp.
In the end, a relatively unknown and unheralded Aussie won. But you couldn't help feel, that he had won, not by his own right - though of course he played well - but by the foolishness and charity of others. It's a victory that at least in the present has a bunch of footnotes attached to it. But with the passage of time, those footnotes will fade and a quarter century from now, all we will remember is that an Aussie won the 2006 U.S. Open.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Sports extragavanza
There was so much sport on T.V. last week and there is so much on it this week, that it is a sports fans dream. There was soccer from the World Cup and tennis from Roland Garros last week. This week the U.S. Open Golf opens on Thursday and the soccer continues. If only I didn't have to work every day...sigh!
Da Vinci Code
Slept right through it. D~ kept poking me in the ribs saying that I was kicking up a racket with my snoring. Now, that was bad taste on my part. But I innocently replied, that I wasn't snoring. Haven't met anyone who admits to snoring. Why is that?
Anyways, there were only a handful of us in an otherwise empty theatre. Seems like quite a few got the message that this movie was way too long and boring.
Reading the book beforehand didn't help either. If you were to ask me, I'd just say: read the book!
Anyways, there were only a handful of us in an otherwise empty theatre. Seems like quite a few got the message that this movie was way too long and boring.
Reading the book beforehand didn't help either. If you were to ask me, I'd just say: read the book!
World Cup surprise
D~ isn't much of a sports fan. She has a passing interest in tennis and cricket, but absolutely abhors golf, which I love. But every four years, for the one month that is the spectacle called the Soccer World Cup, she is every bit a die-hard sports fan. It is a transformation that is remarkable, if you know her. She usually sleeps in on weekends, while I am up and about early on my way to the golf course for a round with my friends. But this weekend, she was wide awake at 6:30 in the morning, ready to watch the football matches on T.V., with a cup of tea in hand. And this morning, she chose to work from home, just to catch the U.S. play the Czech Republic. Remarkable!!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Reflections on the day after
I am beginning to get over the disappointment of being turned down by G. Yesterday was exactly the two month anniversary when I was first contacted.
Looking back, the whole process took much longer than expected and left me more than a little dissappointed. I had two phone interviews, followed by two rounds of on-campus interviews. The second on-campus interview took the longest time to be scheduled. After the initial contact, it took the recruiter two weeks to schedule it. I didn't hear back from them for a further two weeks until last Thursday evening, when they asked me to come back for another round of interviews the next day. Looking back, I guess they were undecided about me, and the two folks I met probably cast the deciding vote.
But I feel like they set me up for failure, especially with that hastily arranged third round of interviews. I wish I had stood my ground and asked them to schedule them this week.
This is all water under the bridge. It's time to concentrate my energies on new opportunities.
Looking back, the whole process took much longer than expected and left me more than a little dissappointed. I had two phone interviews, followed by two rounds of on-campus interviews. The second on-campus interview took the longest time to be scheduled. After the initial contact, it took the recruiter two weeks to schedule it. I didn't hear back from them for a further two weeks until last Thursday evening, when they asked me to come back for another round of interviews the next day. Looking back, I guess they were undecided about me, and the two folks I met probably cast the deciding vote.
But I feel like they set me up for failure, especially with that hastily arranged third round of interviews. I wish I had stood my ground and asked them to schedule them this week.
This is all water under the bridge. It's time to concentrate my energies on new opportunities.
Red ears
At the Italian consulate yesterday, as we waited to collect our receipts, we watched others apply for their visas. One girl was looking forward to go to Italy for research. She was asked whether she was an intern or a research assistant. She dithered and then answered that it was a bit of both. Ah! Wrong answer! Her visa was rejected. Had she just said that she was going there for research, I am sure she would have been approved. As she left, her fair complexion had turned beet red. Something I noticed was that everyone turned hot and red beneath their collars as they were subjected to a myriad questions at the counter.
Each case was different and made captivating listening. It occurred to me that a day at the consulate would be a great plot for a TV serial.
Each case was different and made captivating listening. It occurred to me that a day at the consulate would be a great plot for a TV serial.
Monday, June 05, 2006
A visit to the Italian Embassy
Wife and I had to go to the Italian Consulate in SF today to apply for a tourist visa for an upcoming trip.
I thought the Indian Consulate was the poster child for slow, rude and unprofessional service, but today I was proved wrong. The Italians definitely set a higher (or is it lower?) bar.
Set in a house in what looked like the middle of a residential area, the Italian Consulate receives tourist visa applicants on Monday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. only. Why they chose to restrict hours to such a small window in the height of the tourist season, is a question that puzzled me and others who stood in a long line that took more than two hours to move. As we waited patiently on the sidewalk leading upto a side entrance, the only gratifying aspect of our vigil was a sunny day with a pleasant breeze. That combined with a great view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, made standing outside a less onerous task.
Around 3 p.m. we reached the door that lead to two counters where two middle aged Italian consul officers accepted applications. Outside we had heard the two ladies shout and holler, and folks around us exchanged tales of previous rude encounters. From the door at close quarters, wife and I saw the two ladies quiz harassed applicants with a bevy of questions. Standing there, I learnt that the only acceptable form of payment of the visa fees was by money order. This nugget of information is expertly hidden in a document deep in the bowels of the Italian consulate website, that is poorly designed and even more difficult to navigate. I work on software for a living, and it took me seven tries to unearth the information that had three levels of indirection. The person who designed the site would have done "Da Vinci Code" proud.
I decided to leave wife standing in the line and drove in search of a bank. At the bank I was directed to a nearby postal office by a helpful officer. I returned with the money order just as D~ was called to the head of the line.
After her papers were accepted, we waited a full hour for a receipt. We'll have to return to collect the passport with the stamped visa at a later date.
I had planned to step out of the office for 3 hours. In stead, this turned out to be an enterprise that took the entire day. Government bureaucracies resemble an 18th century train that yawns and trudges forward at a snails pace. The Italians did nothing to dispel that image.
I thought the Indian Consulate was the poster child for slow, rude and unprofessional service, but today I was proved wrong. The Italians definitely set a higher (or is it lower?) bar.
Set in a house in what looked like the middle of a residential area, the Italian Consulate receives tourist visa applicants on Monday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. only. Why they chose to restrict hours to such a small window in the height of the tourist season, is a question that puzzled me and others who stood in a long line that took more than two hours to move. As we waited patiently on the sidewalk leading upto a side entrance, the only gratifying aspect of our vigil was a sunny day with a pleasant breeze. That combined with a great view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, made standing outside a less onerous task.
Around 3 p.m. we reached the door that lead to two counters where two middle aged Italian consul officers accepted applications. Outside we had heard the two ladies shout and holler, and folks around us exchanged tales of previous rude encounters. From the door at close quarters, wife and I saw the two ladies quiz harassed applicants with a bevy of questions. Standing there, I learnt that the only acceptable form of payment of the visa fees was by money order. This nugget of information is expertly hidden in a document deep in the bowels of the Italian consulate website, that is poorly designed and even more difficult to navigate. I work on software for a living, and it took me seven tries to unearth the information that had three levels of indirection. The person who designed the site would have done "Da Vinci Code" proud.
I decided to leave wife standing in the line and drove in search of a bank. At the bank I was directed to a nearby postal office by a helpful officer. I returned with the money order just as D~ was called to the head of the line.
After her papers were accepted, we waited a full hour for a receipt. We'll have to return to collect the passport with the stamped visa at a later date.
I had planned to step out of the office for 3 hours. In stead, this turned out to be an enterprise that took the entire day. Government bureaucracies resemble an 18th century train that yawns and trudges forward at a snails pace. The Italians did nothing to dispel that image.
The final answer is no
Last Thursday, I received an urgent email asking me to call the recruiter at the big online company - well it is one of the big search companies and it also owns this service. I duly called the recruiter who then proceeded to ask me to come in the next day for another round of interviews.
This was the last thing I expected and I simply wasn't prepared mentally for another round of interviews. I resisted and suggested that I could come in the next week, but the recruiter insisted that I come in the next day. I relented, and I was told that another recruiter would confirm the time later. Later that day, I received an email and learnt that I had been scheduled for two interviews - one at 8:30 a.m. in the morning and the other at 11 a.m. The recruiter helpfully added that I should feel free to leave after the first interview and come back later for the second. The blatant disregard for my own time was shocking. I told the recruiter that I could only attend the 11 a.m. interview and the 8:30 a.m. interview had to be rescheduled for a later date.
I went to bed - Thursday - agitated and irritated and that is not the best frame of mind to prepare for an interview the next day. When you are in such a mood, bad things happen.
My first interview was with a Pre-sales manager on Friday morning. He fired questions at me in rapid succession and took copious notes while I answered. I wonder if he even listened to what I was saying. I just could not connect with him and 10 minutes into it, I knew that I was screwing up badly. The nail in the coffin was my answer to the question - what makes you unique? I should have said that the diversity of my experience through a 10 year career makes me stand out from the crowd. But at that moment, I mumbed some inanity which left the interviewer distinctly unimpressed. Looking back, I think that was the tipping point.
Before the interview, I had agreed to come back at 5:30 p.m. for the second interview. I summoned the recruiter back after the first interview and told her that I had done badly and if she didn't want me to waste her time, I would not come back for the second interview later that day. I don't know if I did the right thing by doing this. Wife things that this was a stupid move on my part. Anyway the recruiter told me that they wanted me to come back at 5:30 p.m.
The second interview was much smoother. Unlike the rest of the folks, the second interviewer didn't keep to script, but instead picked up on some of my answers and asked followups making it more of a conversation than an answer and question session.
I left thinking that my chances hung in the balance. Deep down, I was confident that it would come through.
At 10:36 a.m. this morning, I received a call. It lasted all of 55 seconds. The voice at the other end was subdued. Listening to the tone, I knew that it was nothing but the harbinger of bad news. I was told that "the committee" had decided not to go forward. I asked if there was a particular reason. I was told that I lacked a skill that I had never advertised in my resume and that I had candidly admitted in earlier interviews wasn't a strength.
Why it had taken "the committee" to arrive at this decision after four rounds of interviews spread over two months intrigues me. Surely after the first round, it was apparent what my strenghts and weaknesses were. Why string me out for another three round of interviews?
I feel like I was pushed to the edge of the precipice and this morning, they just kicked me over the edge.
Wife says that there is always a silver lining in these things. I'll look for it in the days and weeks ahead.
This was the last thing I expected and I simply wasn't prepared mentally for another round of interviews. I resisted and suggested that I could come in the next week, but the recruiter insisted that I come in the next day. I relented, and I was told that another recruiter would confirm the time later. Later that day, I received an email and learnt that I had been scheduled for two interviews - one at 8:30 a.m. in the morning and the other at 11 a.m. The recruiter helpfully added that I should feel free to leave after the first interview and come back later for the second. The blatant disregard for my own time was shocking. I told the recruiter that I could only attend the 11 a.m. interview and the 8:30 a.m. interview had to be rescheduled for a later date.
I went to bed - Thursday - agitated and irritated and that is not the best frame of mind to prepare for an interview the next day. When you are in such a mood, bad things happen.
My first interview was with a Pre-sales manager on Friday morning. He fired questions at me in rapid succession and took copious notes while I answered. I wonder if he even listened to what I was saying. I just could not connect with him and 10 minutes into it, I knew that I was screwing up badly. The nail in the coffin was my answer to the question - what makes you unique? I should have said that the diversity of my experience through a 10 year career makes me stand out from the crowd. But at that moment, I mumbed some inanity which left the interviewer distinctly unimpressed. Looking back, I think that was the tipping point.
Before the interview, I had agreed to come back at 5:30 p.m. for the second interview. I summoned the recruiter back after the first interview and told her that I had done badly and if she didn't want me to waste her time, I would not come back for the second interview later that day. I don't know if I did the right thing by doing this. Wife things that this was a stupid move on my part. Anyway the recruiter told me that they wanted me to come back at 5:30 p.m.
The second interview was much smoother. Unlike the rest of the folks, the second interviewer didn't keep to script, but instead picked up on some of my answers and asked followups making it more of a conversation than an answer and question session.
I left thinking that my chances hung in the balance. Deep down, I was confident that it would come through.
At 10:36 a.m. this morning, I received a call. It lasted all of 55 seconds. The voice at the other end was subdued. Listening to the tone, I knew that it was nothing but the harbinger of bad news. I was told that "the committee" had decided not to go forward. I asked if there was a particular reason. I was told that I lacked a skill that I had never advertised in my resume and that I had candidly admitted in earlier interviews wasn't a strength.
Why it had taken "the committee" to arrive at this decision after four rounds of interviews spread over two months intrigues me. Surely after the first round, it was apparent what my strenghts and weaknesses were. Why string me out for another three round of interviews?
I feel like I was pushed to the edge of the precipice and this morning, they just kicked me over the edge.
Wife says that there is always a silver lining in these things. I'll look for it in the days and weeks ahead.
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