Quick Update

Hi, this is basically just a quick update to keep this place alive. Sorry about this...
My new job gets me very busy for long hours and it promises to gets even busier over the next few months. I am still learning a lot everyday, both on the professional-technical side as well as on the more social-'how to act in a high tech company' side. I am tired most of the time but at least I don't have that horrible feeling I've had during my temp job days of "how am I going to make it this month". It's sad to say but financial security (and I'm not paid millions if that's what you think and it's Not just the money thing) has a lot of bearing on my mood. I can't say I'm happy; in fact, I suspect this period of adjustments is causing quite a bit of stress and tension which I definitely feel (see next paragraph for details) but I hope that will diminish in time.

As long promised, I have a sort of a musical review. I went last week to an acoustic concert of Amit Erez in the Roots pub and it was sensational. I told you I'm not much of a music critic but I definitely loved it. This is the second time I went to one of his concerts and this one was very intimate as it was a very small pub and Amit played and sang just 3 feet from us. It's amazing to see how far he's come from his CD in 2003 ("Wish I Could Make it a Story", which was good) to this performance and onwards. The only thing clouding it was how I felt, which was not all that well, and I suspect it had quite a lot to do with stress (some work related, not all). So anyway, Amit, if you happen to read this, I'm sorry if I had a sour face on, it was all me. In fact, the music helped me feel better. So there you go, a recommendation.

Anyway, that's really all for now.

Third Picture

A Ground Squirrel in Canada. Taken on June/July 2005 by Sam.

First Week, sort of

Yes, well... That was my first week at the new job. What do I mean by 'sort of'? So far I've only just began to study the systems and applications I'm supposed to work with and it seems it's going to take a while. Having no actual background at this (and trust me, a mostly theoretical course doesn't qualify as a worthy background) it's hard to actually begin the work. So I sit and study and explore around when I can. I ask questions when it's seems pertinent and try not to harass my co-workers too much (cause they're gonna have to tolerate me from here on). I do have hopes but until I get some sort of a basic understanding of things and systems, my confidence and my actual activity seems to me painfully limited. I know I should be patient and I try to be. I do.

On the upside of things, I love the feeling of studying and trying to figure out stuff, even on my own (perhaps especially on my own? Another challenge?) It feels like my brain is waking up from some long slumber. I get headaches sometimes, but they're sort of 'good' headaches. Know what I mean?

Also on the new job subject, I had to give someone at work some basic and interesting details on me and my life for the company newsletter (as one of the new employees). What fun. Anyway, my point is that it didn't seem like I had all that much to say and that's kinda sad I think. There were things I didn't want to divulge of course (no need to un-shroud my mystery on day one...) but still - self improvement, self realization or however you want to call it is very much needed.

Another change this week, today in fact, was that I've put my picture on my new MySpace page. I have ahem... Issues what my pictures and without getting too much into it (unless someone asks me) let's just say it was an important milestone for me. Yay.