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Taking My Chances at Chancery Lane
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| Friday, May 19, 2006 |
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I survived my first week of work. I’ve accepted a six month contract with Price Waterhouse Coopers in the City (at Chancery Lane). I’ll be doing consultancy work for an energy company, and interestingly enough, working on a piece of software that estimates how much it costs to send employees on assignments to other countries.
It’s a bit sad to be leaving HSBC, but in the end, working with people a few thousand miles away does get pretty lonely. I’m leaving behind an extremely talented team, a great bunch of people, and IMHO the finest online trading site in Canadian brokerage! :) I hope one day we’ll work together again.
As for our cruise, it was brilliant! I can’t say enough good things about Holland America… or Mel’s mum for taking us! Our first time cruising and I guess we’ve been quite spoiled. For ports of call, we visited Rome, Vatican City, Monte Carlo, Florence, Pisa, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Tunisia, Sicily and Naples. A lot of sites to see in 10 days.
It’s nice to be home though, even if it still feels like we’re onboard a ship. Glad I didn’t get pulled over in the first few days back because I couldn’t have managed to walk in a straight line! Nothing like good old terra firma, yeah?
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When in Rome...
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| Thursday, April 27, 2006 |
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Do as the Romans do. I don’t really know what that involves, besides cappuccino and pizza, but I guess we’ll find out on Friday. At 18:30 we’re flying to Rome and joining a 10 day cruise with Mel’s mum and bro Mark. I know, I know, it must seem like all we do is fly around these days, but honestly this time it’s all about Mark. The big guy is wrapping up his university years and has even attended the sacred iron ring ceremony (which I hear is what all engineers have to go through to try and add some significance to their degree – ouch! – Mel just pinched me). Soon he’ll be convocating up there with the rest of his classmates.
So yeah, this is Mark’s big trip after uni. It’s all about him you see, but we really will try and enjoy ourselves as well, if we can manage ;-) Never been on a cruise before but it will be a great way to see a lot of different sites in the Mediterranean.
Congratulations are also on order for my own bro John, who just finished his MBA at Ivey this term. Good on ya mates!
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The Woes of Owning a Ferrari
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| Wednesday, April 19, 2006 |
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I had a rather amusing phone message on our answering service when I got home last night. “Hi Simon. We haven’t met, but I’m living in the penthouse upstairs and have known your landlord for a couple of years now. The reason I’m calling is that we’ve just bought a new Ferrari and it turns out to be too big for our parking spot. I noticed that your spot is extra large and wondered if we could arrange a trade somehow.” Not sure whether she meant trading cars or parking spaces, I thought I had better return the call to clarify.
I have to admit that I did notice the “new Ferrari” when I parked last night. Kind of hard to miss really! A brand new 2006 red F430, which apparently had been on order for two years. I didn’t know they were so big though. I suppose this *is* England, and in a country where everything is somewhat miniaturized, it shouldn’t be too surprising that a Ferrari would have trouble fitting in a parking spot. After all, the engine itself is probably the same size as our whole car...
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Switzerland on a Rail Pass
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| Monday, April 17, 2006 |
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When one thinks of Switzerland they usually think of chocolate and watches, and all the advertisements in the airport do nothing to dispel that notion. Well add to that a rail system that runs like clockwork! On Friday morning we went from Geneva to Interlaken, and learned first-hand the accuracy of Swiss trains. We got on the wrong one because it was two minutes earlier than the one we were supposed to get on from the same platform. Thankfully we were able to change at Lausanne and get back on track. From Interlaken we took another train up to the Jungfrau region. This 2.5 hour journey takes you to a height of 3600m and is known as "The Top of Europe". The incline at which the cog trains can go is quite amazing. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the view was spectacular. You can walk outside at the summit and the wind almost blew us straight off the mountain! Ah, memories of a Canadian winter :) ...
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Off to the Alps
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| Thursday, April 13, 2006 |
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Seeing as we have a four day weekend over Easter, we made a somewhat last minute decision to go away somewhere. I read about this famous train journey called the Glacier Express that goes from Zermatt to St. Moritz through the Swiss Alps. So we decided to get a Swiss Rail Pass and head to Switzerland! The flight from London to Geneva is only 1:40, and the same to return from Zurich.
I used my old friend Microsoft AutoRoute to plot out our trip. Note however, that this is not the exact route we’re going to take. One, because we’re going by rail, not motorway; and two, c’mon, this is Microsoft mapping software we’re talking about here! We’d likely end up at the top of the Matterhorn if we followed its turn-by-turn instructions. To add an extra bit of geekiness, I plan to borrow a GPS receiver to track our journey in AutoRoute. Forget looking out the panoramic windows at glaciers and alpine valleys – I can watch our entire journey in real-time on the laptop!
We’ll try to post some photos as we go along. “The hiiiills are alive, with the sound of Wallis’s...” Now taking orders for chocolate and Rolex watches.
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Confessions of a Chocolate Thief
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| Tuesday, April 11, 2006 |
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Well, this is a confession, of sorts :) We had some of our friends from Bermondsey over for lunch on Sunday afternoon. We enjoyed a nice meal and a good time of fellowship together. When we came home that night, we found a bag with two big Cadbury’s Easter eggs inside – what a nice surprise, someone had left us a gift! We naturally assumed this was from our dear friend Jenna, who has left us nice little things in the past. We heartily enjoyed those chocolate eggs. Definitely two thumbs up and good till the last bite. We later sent Jenna note of thanks and asked if she had been the “secret Easter bunny”.
Well, indeed the eggs had been left there by Jenna, but as it turns out, the Easter bunny had made a fatal mistake. Chalk it up to clerical error, or carelessness after so many years of delivering chocolate eggs throughout the world. She was going home to Northern Ireland for the long weekend and had left them at our flat by mistake. The intended recipients were actually her wee brother and sister! Oooooops. Heh heh. I suggested that maybe liver and onions would have been a better choice, as chocolate doesn’t last too long unguarded in this house. As I wipe the brown smudge from my chin, I heartily apologize to Jenna’s little bro and sis!
So, there, we’ve said it. It’s out in the open. We’re chocolate thieves. What punishment could possibly be fit for such a grave crime? I hang my head in shame and await your sentence…
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Lazy Man Movers
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| Saturday, April 08, 2006 |
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We really love moving. Or at least you'd think so by how much we've done it. Last weekend’s move makes it three times in seven months: houses in Toronto once, across the ocean once, and to a new flat in London once. At least Tiberias now has his own parking spot.
We had movers for half a day because our couch doesn’t fit through the hallway or in our building’s elevator, so we had to rent a crane. It only took them 45 minutes, so I eyed the bookshelves, tables, desk, chests of drawers, and said, "Hey, while you guys are here, I *do* have a few other items". Two hours later all the hard work was done. But still, I didn’t want to strain anything carrying plates and pillows around, so I ingeniously took the back off my office chair and constructed my own wheelie skate. A couple dozen trips of wheeling stuff up and it was all done. Hardly lifted a thing!
Melody’s brother Mark and I have been considering a "Lazy Man Movers" business venture for some time now, mostly on Mark’s part due to the amount of times we’ve roped him into helping us move. Catapults, pulley systems, mobile cranes, slave labour from kids at the hall, anything to avoid breaking a sweat. I think with this last move we’re one step closer to incorporation.
And don’t believe me about the crane? Check
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A Serious Grilling
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| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 |
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That's what the recruiter said my interview at a certain investment bank would be like. All I knew was that it was a highly respected team of people who work directly with the trading floor (ie., high stress and get yelled at a lot). I figured I was okay with the technical and math components, so my preparation the night before involved reviewing all the business material related to the job.
I walked in there more nervous than usual, not exactly sure what "a serious grilling" would entail. Are they going to do something weird like accuse me of being late just to see how I react under pressure? Are they going to fire off 10 questions and see if I remember them? Will they ask the beloved, "Give me an example of a situation *when*..."?
So I enter the boardroom and the first question they ask is: "Do you know how to play Russian Roulette?" Gulp. ...
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Covert Ops
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| Wednesday, March 15, 2006 |
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Operation Allied Lobster accomplished. It’s been pretty tough over the last few weeks keeping our visit to Atlantic Canada a secret. The occasion? Mel’s mum’s 50th birthday. You should have seen the look on her face when we walked in the door. Of course, I do have experience in making clandestine trips to the Maritimes. The last time I slipped unnoticed past the Sussex cows was when I had a diamond ring in my pocket. Planning this trip was a little less stressful!
After spending a relaxing few days in New Brunswick, and making not a few trips to Tim Horton’s, Mel is on her way back to London and I’m at my mom’s in Toronto for a wee visit. Glad I arrived in time to see everyone at Lansing – we miss you guys!! :(
Well this special agent has had enough excitement for one day. Time for bed!
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Movin' On Up
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| Thursday, March 02, 2006 |
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Two floors, that is, to a different flat in the same building. As mentioned previously we had just purchased a car, and due to an administrative error we had no where to park it (a slight inconvenience!). We thus had to give our two month's notice and find a flat that *did* have parking.
So there I am one day, working away in the living room innocently trying to make the world of online investing a better place, when suddenly I thought I heard someone turning a key in the door. I've heard the neighbours go in and out before, but this time it seemed a bit louder. "Hmmm, the front hall really carries the sound quite clearly," I thought to myself. I kept working, but also kept hearing sounds, as if someone was chatting outside the front door. I was curious and got up to go look out the peep hole. I walked out of the living room and stepped back in shock. Am I seeing things, or are there people in our bedroom?!
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