A lesson

"I can't believe she's taken the fucking tin opener to Kendal Calling!"

Ah, communal living... what a joy. I work a day job, and my flatmate works a bar job, so we don't overlap much. This means that both of us - when we're in - feel like that we have the flat to ourselves. However, we also both get that odd sensation that someone has been moving stuff around whilst we're out. Normally it's just a little odd, but sometimes it can really grind one's gears. Like now.

Blue Screen of Death

And, what's worse, I can't boot from CD as the drive's busted, and I can't boot from USB as the laptop's keyboard is busted so I use a plug-in keyboard in the only working port. Time to get that netbook eh?

Voltaire, reimagined

Man, sometimes I love A Softer World.

Interview Swings and Roundabouts

At 9.30am I got a call about the Research Officer job that I’d applied for, and – in my opinion – interviewed well for. “You were good enough, but not the strongest candidate.” Rubbish!

At 4.45pm I got a call about the Policy Officer job that I’d applied for. “We’d like to invite you to interview next week.” Excellent!

As the Dude says, strikes and gutters.

Surprise birthday party!

The lovely Laura turned 30 today, and her lovely housemates threw her a lovely birthday party!

Bad Service at Jessops, Trafford Centre

On Monday, I went to M&S and picked up a nice point-and-shoot camera for Laura’s birthday at lunchtime.

On Monday evening, on the phone, Laura said, “I’ve got some vouchers for the Trafford Centre. Will you come with me and help me choose a DSLR camera?”

On Tuesday lunchtime, I went back to M&S and returned the point-and-shoot camera.

On Tuesday evening, I had a terrible customer experience at Jessops in the Trafford Centre. And still we bought the camera from them.

Webchat with Gripton

Me: Are you coming to France John?

John: no, afraid not.it's my mum's birthday

Me: all week?

John: On the Sunday.

The day I realised I was going to become a JET

On Thursday, whilst I was going through the hell of wait and see, wait and see with my job interview, Laura was in Lytham St Anne's with her friends Claire and Andy. Claire and Andy have been been accepted onto the JET Programme, and were telling Laura all about their plans. They're going to live together in Hokkaido, and earn close to £28k each after tax. It sounds amazing.

Impatience rising

"We'll let you know on Thursday," they had said at the interview on Monday. A watched pot never boils, and my phone, never out of my reach all day, had chosen not to ring.

World Cup Sweepstake winnings

Thank you Germany for 3rd place and Golden Boot, and thank you Tim Cahill of Australia for fastest red card. Nine quid! Best betting return ever!

Interview for Research Job

“First of all, there’s a half-hour test.”
A test that wasn’t mentioned in the interview joining instructions, you mean? Oh, splendid! I took my beaker of water, and sat down to the exam question – in note form, explain how you’d go about conducting a certain piece of research. I smiled, and set on.

I don’t think I’ve ever been as stressed about a presentation as I was with this one. It was a really vague question, about evaluating a project whose aims weren’t available anywhere on the internet. How does one evaluate a project that doesn’t have any aims? I tried and tried and to make a start, and got more and more frustrated that I couldn’t define the research problem accurately. Laura came round, and calmed me down. “You can only work with what you’ve got,” she said, “don’t worry.” I calmed down, and knuckled down, and ended up happy-ish. I hoped that sleeping on it would help me.

Ventenac Roll Call 2010

Vin
Skinner
Kate Nutt
Anna McI
Tom Sugarman
Dave O
DTR
Dominic
The Lovely Colin
The Lovely Jane
Chaz
Hannah and Tom
Jamie

Jihad!

How better to cure a hangover than picking fruit at Chorlton Water Park?

Another day, another job application…

…or rather, another two job applications for the price of one. The positions of regional policy officer and policy officer at Oldham Council had virtually identical job description and person specifications.

Good News Wednesday

Two great pieces of news today!

1. I passed my college course! Whoop!

2. I've go another interview, for a research position this time, on Monday 12th. Yeehaw!

Colin and Jane's Wedding

Jane and Colin’s wedding was unconventional, practical, and lots of fun. Much like the bride and groom themselves.

The registry office was too small for all of the guests to attend, so Dominic organised a webcam in a room of a local pub where the excess guests – Laura and myself included – could watch the wedding on a big screen. Laura got stuck in to meeting and greeting different people in the room, making a storming impression on Helen Clarke with her background in floristry whilst making some flower petal confetti.

After the wedding – with a quick detour to watch the end of Argentina vs Germany – it was all back to Lewisham for food, cabaret and the band. The food was lush, a compendium of tasty vegetarian treats. Our evening’s entertainment came from the guests at the wedding. The cabaret saw Skinner as the compere, and several acts performing.

• Martin performing his poem "The Wedding of Jalin O'Clossick
• The Overlooked Bridesmaids and their version of "I will survive"
• “Always been the best damn part of me…” by Dominic Bristow
• "Let’s drain all the champagne" by Jamie and Dom
• Jane's beautiful song about flying hand in hand with Colin*
• Colin's cousin, pictured, singing old Irish love songs.

Vin's band played. Wine was drunk. And so were we...

*EDIT: The song is called 'Tonight we fly," and it's by the Divine Comedy.

Jane's wedding face