attempt to be objective

Adam received an early offer from Microsoft for summer coop just now.
If he is just ranked for all his remaining companies, he'd have to go to Microsoft.
But even if he gets other offers, the prospects for Microsoft seems a lot greater.
Between Infusion, iMason, and 2xNexJ that are all in Toronto, and 2xRIM that's in Waterloo, they don't seem like they would compare.

I am aware there's a reverse fallacy at work here: because i know that of all the companies i want him in Seattle the least, I'm convincing myself really hard how great Microsoft is so I can remain objective, which in turn, may become a bias on its own. So I'm going to make lists of why either of the choices are good...

What does Microsoft have to offer?
*1. Reputation - crazy boost on resume
2. Experience in large corporation from #1 company in the world
3. Learning advanced software development
4. High compensation and good benefits
*5. A chance not only to be independent, but also living in another country, to see the world

What would the other guys have to offer?
1. in a smaller company, more contribution to the overall value
2. experience as a consultant as opposed to code monkey
3. RIM is one of the largest company in the world as well, and is accelerating at high speed towards the top.
4. Compensation and benefits are also good at RIM
*5. Immediate long-term career opportunity after graduation in Ontario because he doesn't want to leave Canada permanently.

* means that it's an opportunity that can't be paralleled; that is, if the opportunity is missed, the benefit is not likely be regained elsewhere in the immediate future.

This really means Microsoft is probably the better choice, when will another easy opportunity to work in another city without longterm commitment arise again?

BAH

At least it's a cause for celebration.
Though I feel a heavy weight on my chest regardless.

some pics of our babies

meet the new home of raspberry, blueberry, grape, cantaloupe, and honeydew:

Presents for Adam

i got these for adam about 2-3 wks ago cuz he wanted dog tags.

i designed them myself!!



Side 1


Side 2

fishy...

Sometime in December, a group of us were at Market and Ian wanted to go visit the aquarium because he wanted to get some fish for his newly renovated room. Although he didnt end up getting any fish, i suddenly decided, after looking at all those pretty colours just loafing around, that i wanted to get some.

Adam and i talked about getting fish and we kept having to put it off cuz we've been so busy and the timing of things have just been really hard. Today, we finally got them!! we were gonna get those puffy fish from the acquarium at silverstar called "golfballs" that were actually shaped exactly like a golf ball (same size and everything) but then i knew adam found them a little boring so we were kinda still thinking. either way we knew we were gonna get the pretty glass tank from market village cuz we didn't find them anywhere else.

while we were there, this enthusiastic kooky chinese salesman sold us a tank, a filter with waterfall, and he managed to sell us some fish too. we saw these fish called "christmas light bulbs" because their back had a streak of glowing neon colour. there were a variety of colours to choose from and we got one of each: green, blue, pink, purple, and orange. we named them after fruits (haha): honeydew, cantaloupe, raspberry, grape, and blueberry, i'm sure you can match the colours to the fish..teehee. the fish were buy 5 get 1 free, but i managed to get 5 for the price of 4 (my asian haggling skills kicking in). no tax too!

we haven't gotten rocks and decorations for them, but we're working on that!

the only thing im worried about now is transferring the tank to loo...and the fact that the kooky guy was practically abusing the fish when we got it...so i dunno how long it's actually gonna live!! im worried! but we'll see.

another reason why i hate waterloo

monday was the first day i had to sign in
5 min before 1pm (my class) i got to class (i was still proofing my essay right before class), the secretary told me she didnt draw up a sheet yet and i should go over after my class. i went back to her office at 4, right after my class and she already left for the day.
tuesday i went to sign in again at around 12:30pm and she was on lunch. I went back at 3:30pm and i still had to stand around and wait cuz she wasn't at her office. she told me she can just leave the sign in sheet in the mailroom but i would need keys. i needed a key for my new office anyway so i went to talk to the graduate chair's secretary.
this was the procedure i had to go through: she had to write me a receipt so i can go to needles hall (10 min walk) to pay $40 for two keys. i had to come back hagey hall with another receipt after i paid to get a permit from her. then i have to take the permit to DC (20 min walk) to get the keys.
Oh, but that's not all.
Today, when i went to DC to pick up my keys cuz they were closed at 4:30pm the night before and i was too late, the freaking woman at the key place told me the secretary gave me the WRONG coloured receipt, "she was supposed to give you the white copy and not the yellow copy" so i had to go back to HH and grab the correct copy.

are you kidding me?

Working at home is awesome

1. i spent all of yesterday evening throwing up. yes, my body hates me part 3453452345. if i had to work onsite, i probably wouldn't have made it to work.
2. i actually get more work done working offsite than i do onsite. this is mainly due to the fact that i can actually work until 7pm and not feel like it's time to go home.

i live in three places

My life is so scattered right now.
I moved half of my stuff downtown a month ago, and now im moving half of the stuff from downtown to waterloo to adam's place.
i have things literally everywhere.

when i was in scarb, i was dumping things out of plastic bins so i can use the bins in d/t. i just took all the stuff i didnt need and put it in plastic bags and left them scattered around.
now im taking things out of my bins again in d/t and shoving the stuff i dont need in plastic bags so i can use the bins to take stuff to loo....

this only indicates that bare essentials can always be more bare...