Interviews.....the after

So the waiting begins...

will they call, or will they not??? I went in there, stardom-like and 'knocked 'em dead!'

My suit dazzled they almost didn't recognize me.

I believe that whenever one intends to do something, thorough preparation is paramount. For example, reading all about Behavioral interview questions, Stress interview questions and all will make you understand the interviewers point of view 'from the other side' Preparing thoroughly before the day gives one the confidence to go in and open up. Of course the first question will be answered with a slight quiver in your voice, but as the second or third question set in.... go with the flow!

For more interview tips read 'Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions' by Martin John Yate.

Hope i am not shaking my own hand in vain!!

Wish me Luck!

The Third Twin

I have just finished 'The Third Twin' by Ken Follet, Yeah! Ken Follet!!(and i know i should have read it like a zillion years ago!!) Its a quaint little drama book, with a scientific twist, i think this book was Follet's debut at science. Its well written and an easy read too. It talks about, to put it plainly, three greedy friends, scientists, who in the 80's revved by part, quest to 'breed' the perfect american (white, strong, blond haired, blue eyed, good genes, IQ off the charts et al) and part to make a lot of money, of course, clandestinely split an embryo seven times, and plant the eggs into seven reproductively challenged mothers on different days! the latter produce 8 identical twins with the same DNA, unfortunately, these 8 all grow up with an innate blood-thirsty persona, rape, murder, arson etc.

One of the scientists becomes a celebrity professor at a university and unfortunately hires this fiesty spitfire 29 year old junior female professor who does research on identical twins. Unbeknownst to him, she comes across the puzzle of the octuplets! To cut the story short, she ends up playing a Nancy Drew on the scientists and their organization and the rest is history.

Its a fast paced set in one week book that will keep your heart beating till the end. I personally dont think its his best work (Pillars of the Earth would take that accolade for me!!) but its a different twist to Follets writing style. He can easily come off as a Jeffery Archer in this one. Try it for a different Follet twist.

Interviews

All, how was the long christmas break?

I have been on a perpetual cycle of eating, sleeping and drinking, i became a basic animal with little or no need to worry about anything, and i should say it paid off well!

As the new year gradually sets i get jostled from my reverie and remember that i have a year to start off!

Yesterday i got shortlisted for this job i had been running around trying to apply for. This means i start my year in gear, barely out of my leave, i sit to read all day for the interviews, mumbling and thinking to myself, forward and reverse thoughts: "have i read enough? will the basics make do?, or have i veered off the path?" My mind is lost in a cyclic mind process that, even though i have done countless interviews before, i cant shake off the shakes!

I am thinking confidence, confidence, confidence! March in to the interview room with my head held high and a conjured bravado, answer all questions with rapid spit fire responses, and then impress them with my vast knowledge of things! Whatever comes of it, victory shall be met!

Basically this job will be the exit of my problems, the yin to my wallet yan, and the veneer of a new year ahead.

Wish me luck y'all!

holiday perks

I get to sit home and watch documentaries all day. This week I got to learn new animal species. Who knew that underwater species numbers dwarfed those on land! That there is this little fish looking thingy that has some sort of wormy looking piece of flesh hanging tantalizingly off the bottom of its open gob, beckoning the small fish for a meal of worm, only to be snapped shut in the jaws of that ugly looking thingy! As cool as that was, I had to shift my attention to other tasks that have included driving people around as they do their chores, ha ha, I feel like a chartered driver with my own car! Anyhow, I am planning to spend the rest of my holiday maybe in nairobi or bujumbura. The former is a Christmas/new year hub of activity while the latter is known for its dank, underground off the radar happening spots where I can choose and pick! I guess I hv made my mind up! For those looking for where to spend the new years holiday, take a drive down to your nearest tavern. After imbibing your first glass of ale, you will know what you wanna do! Cheers all, and feel christmasy all of you!

I'm Irate

I am currently attending a highly technical training at work. Late last week, my debtors called me and said it was imperative that i attend a meeting with them this week. Knowing christmas is around the corner and they would probably 'wet my beak' before, i decided to dart away from my morning training and with high spirits traipsed to my debtors office.

The first lady to address us, a rather plain looking woman with laborious english stood up, folded her fingers at the front of her skirt, nervously shifted her weight, and in a monotone started speaking " we are sorry for all the inconvenience we have caused by not paying you up, we had problems.... credit crunch...." the second woman to address us was this rather callous looking, middle aged rotund woman who impassively dropped the bomb ".... however the reason we called you here was to let you know that we have some money coming in, and we hope to push it into the market for profit before we can pay your principal arrears.... and we hope to pay you up by April next year" i did a double take and almost launched a jet of diatribe.

i mean, she calls me plus the rest of the creditors away from our jobs, one week before christmas and opens her beak to cluck 'April?' her audacity is what shocked me the most. Needless to say the rest of the people pummeled her with insults so hideously sounding that its a miracle she stayed standing with her chin up.

She even had the gall to wave a piece of shit paper in our faces with an agreement stipulating that we understand the terms and will wait till April!

After we cooled down a tad, we tried to reason with her, telling her that her organization should at least pay the accrued monthly interest from months gone as agreed in the contract, one installment at least so our christmas can be jocular in the least, but she obstinately insisted, "you know, we are also almost going under, we can not afford to pay interest, but all we can do is to pay your principal and that is not before april..." One of the creditors shot up and almost slapped her.

Disgruntled, we got up and left the office but not before imploring that she calls us monday next week with new acceptable terms.

Anyone knows a good lawyer, or perhaps a loan shark with a distinct talent at breaking legs? holler...

When do you know when you are falling out of love?

Is it someones hot breath when they are sleeping next to you at night?

is it someones attitude that all over a sudden begins to irk you?

is it the sneer your face wears when they call your phone?

When you have been in love for a long time, its sometimes unwise to fight the feeling when the shakes come on, when you feel jaded, disconsolate, dim, unexcited. This usually means you are irritably falling out of love with your partner.
This does not mean that the 'falling out' is as natural a process as falling in love. I guess it should not happen to you when you have 'worked on it' long enough, but when your heart says no, DO NOT ignore the signs.

Of course do not look forward to this happening, actually you wont know it is happening, but those who have been in love a number of times can quickly tell the dull feeling.

Your skin crawls when he touches you, the jokes somehow dont seem funny anymore!, the once intermittent requests for transport suddenly seem fervent. 'why do you ask for money all the time? dont you have a mother!?' you implore. Sometimes the instant bit lip/ignored puppy look he donnes doesn't even begin to incite some remorse in you, and your nonchalance toward his emotions suprises you.

His first reaction will be a well meant, solicitous quest to apologize for things he has not even done, but even the apologies are met with your lip smacking arrogance. His subsequent reaction after the first move has failed to work will be a grim defiance, a detachment from you, a perfunctory nod to your seemingly relentless castigations on where the juice decanter should have been left after he poured himself a glass! or something as banal as that.

Your sacrilegious attitude at this point is unforgivable.
His well meted out rejoinders are also unforgivable.

Its loggerheads! At this point it takes an older, tougher bird to know its time to extend the olive branch, sit him down and talk to him, tell him its time to water down your relationship to 'friends' status. To tell him its for the relationship's sake lest there wont be anything left, not even the spoils.

set him free, sit down and regroup for a couple of months and then jump onto the bandwagon again.

I will miss my friend

My friend leaves early next year for greener pastures elsewhere. As much as i am irate that he is leaving me, i am also happy that he is off to chomp on greener grass elsewhere. I am sure by now he is in another mindplace and kampala is so erstwhile where he is concerned.

He will be remembered for his hilarity, his unusually good command of four different languages (i only know two) his piquant wit, expressiveness, his exceptionally tick albeit markedly personal dress sense and of course his drunkenness.
He is one of my closest friends, and i hope to God that he will never forget me!!!

I will be particularly miss him on friday/saturday nights... out on the town, drinking club after club as if ad obsolētus!, jibe after jibe rejoinder, leering at passers by, scouring the gutters... i could go on...!
i will be quite poingnant the first few weeks after he leaves, so my friends blease bear with me

The world needs more people like him.