Getting Ready for Stage

My last post was a while ago. Almost two months ago. My goal of posting something every week has been tossed out the door. Or more like tossed for me.

24 hours in a day, and only 7 days in a week feels like a cruel joke. Whoever cam up that system was obviously not balancing work, school, and an actual life. Or this person had "people" working for them. Looking forward at how much work needs to get done to finish the semester, I am trying to figure out how fit it all in, without alienating the girlfriend. There is still an Oracle application to implement (if anyone knows of a simple guide to Apex, please let me know), a shopping cart in ASP.net to finish, a mail server to install and configure, and a message board written in php to produce.

As the end of the semester gets closer, we also have to get ready for our stage (a.k.a. internship for those outside of Quebec). I have already been to two interviews. Each at very different companies (nameless companies of course, just in case).

My first interview was at a small start up. A tiny little office that barely fit the five desks. Basically a cafe that, for one reason or another, is producing all their management software in house. Probably to bring to market in the near future. Very anti corporate guys, and looking at their website, very community oriented. The more casual style of this company fits my style very much.

The second, which was self defined as a small to medium business, had a more cutting edge feel. And cutthroat. Though my interviewer was impressed by my C.V., despite the immense lack of IT experience. I felt like fumbling idiot at this one.

Neither place asked a for quick programming test, like others in my class had to perform. Both places what projects I had in progress outside of school.

Outside of school, my life is ruled by work, and a friends. And I am starting to get a feel for this industry, and while whatever skills and knowledge acquired on my own can only be beneficial, my interviewers seemed surprised how I do not live and breathe programming outside of a work/school environment.

Having a side project looks like the norm in this industry, and sleep and friends take a back seat.

The Summer Crunch

Summer is packed.  Now that  have a social life, there's not enough time to get everything done.  The unofficial start of summer was last weekend with the Grand Prix, which coincided with Francofolies, Fringe, and probably a few others that I forgot.  And It only gets busier from here:



100 days is not enough, when you consider most people have to work five days a week to pay the rent.  So really, an average person only gets to enjoy much less.

Take those festivals above, add in Sundays at Tams and Piknik, finding time to play around in the river, and LaRonde.  That's the summer.

Now, take the festivals, and other classics mentioned, add in weddings, parties, BBQ's, and the occasional birthday, you start to run out of sleep time.  And weddings take the most time.

If you happen to be part of a wedding party, a wedding turns into a minimum four day commitment (for the ladies), with the bridal shower, bachelorette party, wedding rehearsal, then the actual wedding.  Guys come out on top with one less day, since there is no lame gift giving gathering.  If one is required at two weddings, that's one week right there.  More if it's out of town.

Take all of the above, add in work and try to fit in a few days at the beach, next thing you know it's October and carving a Turkey for Thanksgiving.

It almost makes me want to be a teacher, just for the summers.

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How I Came Into Hooping

For the last few weeks I have been working on a website for a friend who starting her own side project.  She's a fitness instructor, who teaches yoga, and found a new passion: hoop dance.

NOTE: That's not my friennd up there, just a cool video.

On top teaching fitness at her regular day job, she is setting up her own side business focusing on hoop dance.  She has already started giving beginner workshops, all advertised through word of mouth.  She has also set up  couple free demo days, a stage for St Jean in our town (which oddly includes me), and is taking part in the Canada Day parade, again in our small town west of Montreal.  The site will go live by Monday, all that is needed now is a french translation for it.

Anyway, here are some pics, not my best ever, with more to come over the summer.  Enjoy.



For those who are interested, this is what she started with:

A Wedding From Last Summer

I was going through my flickr page and found these.  My friend's wedding from last year.  It was a simple backyard reception, after a ceremony at the botanical gardens.  Enjoy.