settling-in... slowly

Finally, after more than two weeks in my new project, I have my own cube. I'm expecting the key to my mobile cabinet anytime today. After that, only one thing is left before I could say that I'm completely settled in. And that is my own WORKSTATION. Yep! I'm still a "squatter" in this project. Moving from workstation to workstation day after day.

 

I consider myself lucky though. One of my teammates have been here for more than 6 weeks and he still "squats" on other workstations. =)

brighter side

If there's one thing I like about my new project, it is that my new teammates are so friendly. Being isolated from the rest of the company (well, this is an exaggeration), they have retained their innocence. There's almost no politics in this project. No gossips. No quarrels. No scandals. It's a very friendly and somewhat welcoming environment.

 

This is what I initially thought about my previous project... until I got in on the little dark secrets. Hmm... now, I'm wondering. Are there any dark secrets in this project? We'll just have to see about that.

DIY iced tea

I was kinda bored so I tried to make an iced tea using ingredients available in our pantry.

 

Iced Tea Ala Pantry
 

Ingredients:

1 Lipton Tea bag

1/2 Cup hot water

1 spoon of Creamer

1 spoon of Sugar

A lot of tube ice

 

Instructions:

Dip the tea bag into the hot water until the water turns dark brown. 

Mix 1 spoon of creamer and 1 spoon of sugar into the concoction.

Stir.

Add ice until your cup is full.

 

Serves 1 - 2 persons depending on the size of your cup. Hehehe.

 

Okay, I have to get back to my training now.

From COBOL to VB to Oracle

Last week, while I was updating my project-specific training plan, I realized that I have been retooled and in fact, I have been retooled twice. Damn! First off, I was trained for Mainframe capability. I attended a one-month course on Mainframe programming (COBOL). I didn't like the thought of staring at a black and green screen for 8 hours so I wished hard not to be deployed to a Mainframe technology based project. Luckily, I was deployed to a project that used Client-Server technology. That deployment changed my capabality to Graphical Environment. Now that I have a new project, I am expected to develop my Oracle PL/SQL skills. I've been retooled twice. I don't know what to say. I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. What I'm sure of is that I don't want to be retooled again. I want to stay in Oracle.

 

Please don't offer me VB.NET training. That would be excruciatingly tempting.

super proxy

Change can sometimes be very difficult, especially if the change involves extremely restricted internet access. You can't check mail, can't blog, can't visit forums, you can't even visit vehicle-related websites.

 

Lucky for me, I have a proxy server that has less restrictions. Look Ma! I'm blogging. Hehehe.

This is shocking!

I may have been deployed to a BPO engagement. Why else would there be no development or programming involved?! (note: this is not SEPG) This is really, really, really alarming. My new project manager hasn't even set up an expectation setting session which was supposed to be today. Arrggh! I want to scream!

If this can't be fixed, I might resign.

first day at my new project

Here's what I have found out so far. In chronological order.

 

Buses going Cubao ilalim bypass Araneta Center, the location of my new project. I had to walk a kilometer to get to my project.

Rumors about tremors in Gateway are true. I felt it. It made me nauseous. For a moment, I thought it was another earthquake. hehe.

The guards don't know the names of the employees. They probably don't log them as they enter.

The project has more or less 30 personnel.

One cube accomodates 6 - 7 persons. Can we say cramped? hehe.

Gateway Mall cannot compare to Glorietta. Probably why it's almost empty.

They're restrooms are nice. hihi.

Access to web-based mail is restricted. Shhhh... hehe.

 

Uhm.. I have more but I want to stop now. I'll try posting again tomorrow, after my expectation setting meeting with my new manager.

 

I have yet to see the wonders of this project. (Is this a mean comment?)