Love at First Sight?

Hi Everyone,

I've been watching this film (Only You), and it sparked a question in my mind, do you believe in love at first sight?

When I was younger, I believed that love at first sight was a real thing, that the movies were so right, that it was possible to meet somebody and instantly fall in love with them.

Do I believe it now?
Well in order to answer that question, I need to take a few steps back, to a few years ago:

I was at university, in my first year, and met someone who is seven years older than me. I had only known him for two weeks, but the minute I laid eyes on him, I thought I was in love. The key word here being "thought"! After having only known me for two weeks, he turned around to and said he thought I was too shy for him. He broke it off straight away, and I ended up being upset about the situation for a year.

Thinking back now, I know it's crazy, because I have had a few since then, and with some of them I thought I was in love as well. However, after being in a relationship for a year and a half with my current boyfriend, I know I wasn't in love with any of them.

So here's what I think (and may people will tell you the same thing), you don't technically ever know what love is, or if you are in love, because each time you are with someone, the feeling will be stronger than before, leading you to believe that you were never in love before, and this feeling you have now, must mean that you are.

I think love at first sight is a myth, because love takes a lot of work. Love is built by memories, and people building a life together. Love is not based on the first second that you meet someone.

Anyway, that is my opinion, but please feel free to share yours, I would love to know what you all think!

As Always, Stay Tuned!

- A

Louis Vuitton Sunglasses, Apologies And Other Things In Life

Hi Everyone,

I will be dedicating this post to various things, amongst them: Louis Vuitton Sunglasses, Mobile Phones, and Apologies!

So firstly, I must apologise for not posting anything on here for over a month now, work has taken over my life, and when I'm not at work, I'm busy spending time with my boyfriend. Here's what's been going on in my life:

I've been at my new job for 4 weeks now, and so far I am enjoying it. The work isn't necessarily mind blowing, but it is still interesting and I am learning more and more each day. Unfortunately it's all so confidential that I can't even tell my boyfriend about the clients I am working on, which is annoying as some really interesting stuff is happening.
Other than that, everyone is really nice at work, a lot of people have already left the company however, but new people are getting hired as well, meaning it's not just me in the newbie position now.
Compared to the company I used to work for, this company is pretty awesome. They do a lot of out of work socialising, and the vibe and atmosphere at work is pretty relaxed and friendly. You do, of course, get the odd annoying person, but that's normal. There isn't anybody at work, who isn't likeable, which is really great.

Appart from work, I've been visiting new places in and around London, such as Richmond Park, which is really nice. I've also managed to convince my Dad to bring the rest of my things to London, so I finally have all of my clothes and shoes back now, thankfully!

Other than that, not much has been going on. I've been trying to decide on what phone to get next, as I want to get a new contract soon. I'm thinking iPhone 4S, or the Samsung Galaxy Note. Any suggestions on the matter are of course welcome as I do need help on the subject, so please don't hesitate to leave a comment!
Also, if you have any suggestions on which mobile phone network to use, please advise me on this, it would really help!

Other than that, I saw some GORGEOUS Louis Vuitton Sunglasses on the website:

Other than that, there's not much to say! Hope you are all having an awesome weekend!

As Always, Stay Tuned!

- A

When Things Start To Fall Into Place...

Hi Everyone,

The hard work has finally paid off! I received a job offer this morning, from one of the jobs I interviewed for last Wednesday! They are meeting my salary expectations, and have set the start date for next week Monday!
The offices are in a really nice part of London, which makes everything even better for me!
I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I have a few days to relax and prepare before starting the new job. Of course the contracts have not yet been signed, and I am now awaiting the official offer letter, so I won't be able to fully appreciate it all until everything has been sorted. But for now, I am imensely happy, especially because this job is something I really want to do!

In other news, I got a few more bits and bobs for the flat yesterday, had a telephone interview which I didn't feel too great about afterwards, and completed a few more job applications. I realise that I don't really have to worry about it all now, but I do like to have a backup plan, especially because of what happened to my friend (let's call him Jason):
He had a job interview about 5 weeks ago. No offer has been made, and the job hasn't gone to anybody else (as far as we're aware!!), however the company did ask Jason for references. He's been fighting an downhill battle with his old company since then, trying to get references from them and supply them to the other company. Now, he's still no closer to a job offer, and has no backup, as he hasn't applied to other jobs as much as he had been before the interview. The main problem I see here, however, is the fact that Jason only seems to contact these companies once a week. I, however, find that if you really want something, you need to be contacting people a lot more, almost pestering them, to get something done. This is especially the case with busy people as, if you don't remind them constantly, the will forget!
Ever since then, I've been applying to jobs like crazy, even after interviews, and contacting people as well, to make sure I know exactly what is going on, and that I have some form of contingency plan in case plan A messes up!

Other than my job offer, I have no other news, but I will keep you posted on further adventures!

Hope you all have a lovely day.

As Always, Stay Tuned!

- A

Time To Move!!

Hi Everyone,

The last few days have been a bit of a blur, but I can safely say, that my boyfriend and I have finally moved in to our new flat!! We've managed to put away most of our things, but obviously still have a few things to sort out. Anyway, here's what's been going on since Wednesday afternoon:

I went for the second interview, which, as I said, is right up my street, being online related. I thought I did quite well in the interview, I was able to answer all questions, even the more technical ones which they didn't expect me to know, and I got on quite well with both of the interviewers.
Afterwards, I headed over to one of London's Hilton hotels to meet another interviewer. I thought this one went well too, I was able to give some input into what he could do to improve things within the business, and was able to answer all his questions too. The only problem with this one is that it initially entails working from home, as the company does not have any offices anywhere at the moment, which sounds a little fishy to me.
Anyway, I heard back from the recruitment agent who got me the second interview. He gave me positive general feedback so far, but the final decision won't be made until tomorrow, so here's hoping it's good news!
I also heard back from the Sales interview, unfortunately they decided to hire someone else, because this person seems to have gotten a better score in their degree than I did. It did make me a little angry at the time, but thinking back now, I'm glad it happened, as sales is not really something I want to be doing.

I spent Thursday packing and applying for more jobs, and have scheduled a phone interview for next week, which is always good!

Friday came around, and my boyfriend and I went to our new place to sign the contracts and get the keys, all ready for Saturday. We then went home and waited for my boyfriends parents to get to his old flat. On Saturday, we spent the day moving all of our things to the flat, my boyfriend sorted everything out with his old flat, and we all went for dinner out afterwards, which was a pretty good meal as I had risotto for the first time in a long time!

Today we decided to go bowling with my boyfriends parents, which was quite fun! I do love a bit of bowling, I must say!
Unfortunately, however, last night's sleep wasn't too great, as the bed frame is in the process of breaking, and the matress is really uncomfortable. However, after having a short conversation with the landlady, my boyfriend managed to get her to agree to sort out a new bed and matress, which is great!
The only other annoying thing about the flat is that there is no kitchen bin. But as it's only our second day here, we will sort that out in the next few days.

Another piece of news: I finally managed to ask my dad to bring the rest of my things to London. He said he might be able to at the beginning of April, so I'm hoping that will actually work out! Otherwise, not much has happened.

Hoping for some good news tomorrow, and hoping you all have had a FAB(!!) weekend!

As Always, Stay Tuned!

- A

Inspiration Strikes at Starbucks!

Hi Everyone,

So apparently, inspiration strikes at Starbucks!

Here's an update on what's been happening:
the Non-profit organisation got back to me. Unfortunately, it was a no from them. However my motto in these situations is "onwards and upwards"!
The calls I've had from recruitment agents turned out not to be so fruitful.
One of them really annoyed me. She sent me a specification for a job which was clearly above my level. I really hate it when that happens, it is such a waste of time. The worst part is, she got me an interview at the company, without even asking if I was interested. How she got me that interview in the first place is a mystery to me, but I wrote her a fairly direct email, expressing my feelings about this particular job. She then had the cheek to call me again, with the same job spec, and had clearly forgotten that I'd already said no!

I've been applying to jobs like crazy since last Thursday, and it's been good so far!
I have three interviews in total today alone! One of them being a second interview from one of the jobs I went for last week. It went so so, but the chairman seemed a bit concerned about my educational track record. I had a call from them an hour after I left, with a few follow up questions. They are now considering their options and will get back to me shortly!

I have two more interviews today, both of them very interesting, both online related, so right up my street! I'll report on how they all go, either this evening or at some point tomorrow!

I've also started watching another show called "2 Broke Girls". It's really funny so far. Yet again, however, I haven't watched enough of it to be able to review it, but I promise to do so once I've seen a bit more!
Continued watching 24 as well, which is still pretty good, and keeps you on your toes with lots of cliff hangers!

In other news, I'm moving on Saturday! I'm really quite excited!! My boyfriend and I are going to sign the contracts on Friday, so the deal is pretty much sealed! Just have to start packing (again) now! As I've got no more interviews this week, I've got enough time to sort everything out in peace. My boyfriend is on holiday too, which is helpful, and his parents are coming down on Friday to help with the move!

I still haven't gathered up the courage to ask my dad to bring the rest of my stuff to London, but I will be emailing him by the end of today, because I really do need my things, and he did say he would bring them after all!

My blog visitor numbers have gone up recently, which is, of course, excellent!

For now, there's not much else to say! I do have to get back to my research as well, so I will write some more soon!

As Always, Stay Tuned!

- A

Interviews!!

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently sitting in Starbucks (yes, again!!), writing this. I've just had two interviews, one at 10am and one at 12pm.
The job search is starting to pick up, I've got another interview waiting to be confirmed for some time next week, and am now waiting to hear back from three interviews altogether.

I believe the fashion production company has decided to go with someone else as I haven't heard from them, which is fine by me as it all sounded a little dodgy to me anyway.
The non-profit organisation called today, saying they have not yet come to a decision as the key decision maker has not been in the office, meaning I will not hear back until next week.

The 10am interview was in Camden (!!) and took about an hour and a quarter, I got there a little early, which was good as I cut it quite close with making the interview at 12pm.
The first 35 minutes of the interview entailed taking two tests. The first one was the compilation of an Excel sheet, creating formulas for specific cells etc. I found it quite easy and was finished after about 15 minutes. The next test was a reasoning and mathematical test. I found this quite easy too and for some strange reason I was able to look at the numbers and just work out a few difficult questions by seeing a pattern. The only thing I stumbled upon, which is actually quite embarrassing, was a question which asked for the capital city of Spain. I kept wavering between Barcelona and Madrid. I knew Barcelona wasn't it, so I chose Madrid...luckily!
After both tests, I was asked a few interview questions, which I thought went quite well. I got on well with the interviewer, and the company actually sounds pretty great, even if it is a sales job, it doesn't sound too bad at all! At 11.10, I got a little nervous. I was still in the interview and had to be in a completely different part of London at 12pm. Luckily the interview finished shortly after, and I sped to the Tube station.

By the time I got to my next interview, it was only 11.40! pretty quick journey, and I took a few minutes to brace myself before walking into the building. I've always been told, it's great to be early for an interview, but you don't want to be too early, otherwise you look overly eager and desperate, and it's just annoying for the employer if he's trying to get stuff done by a certain time.

This next interview only lasted about 20 minutes, and to be honest, I don't think it went too well. I had done all of my research the night before, studied up on the company, made sure I knew what the role would entail, and made sure I knew the key elements for this interview. When it got to the interview, however, due to the fact that I'd been preparing for two interviews, both so close together, in one day, I completely forgot what I'd learned the night before. I was able to explain my knowledge of what the company did in a few sentences, which was good, but did leave out a few things. When it came to the role itself, I completely blacked out. I knew what it was, but in that instance I just couldn't remember. Embarrassing? I think so!
The interviewer explained everything to me in some more depth and we then proceeded to go through my CV. In the end, the interviewer said he's still seeing other people and I'd find out about next stages by next week. He also said that even if I don't get through to the next stage, he would feed back to HR about my interests career wise, as the company likes to keep people in mind and possibly use them for other roles across the business. It's good, but at the same time not so good.

Otherwise, I've had a few recruitment agents call me about other roles which may be of interest.
Fingers crossed I'll find something soon!

Otherwise, I'll be meeting my friend later on today! I haven't seen her since I left London in November, so I'm quite excited to see her and have a catch up, as it's been a while!

Yesterday, I had two meetings with recruitment agents as well, one of them was rather promising, and I'm hoping to hear from him either by tomorrow, or the beginning of next week. After those meetings, I met up with my boyfriend in town, as he had a day off. We decided to go for a Pizza Hut buffet (YUM!) but walked around for about two and a half hours trying to find one! By the time we did, it was 2.30, meaning nearly buffet closing time. I got my buffet, though, and was happy. I pretty much ate my entire days worth of calories in that one meal though...fail!

Otherwise, there's not much to report. Hoping for some positive news very soon, as I'd really like to get the career started!!

I will keep you all posted on my adventures!

As Always, Stay Tuned,

- A

The World is in Need of Anger Management!

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently writing to you all, from a Starbucks in Central London. The reason for this, you ask?
Well, to be completely honest, I'm procrastinating on job applications. I've been sitting here for the past 30 minutes, looking at various jobsites and jobspecs and have found NOTHING suitable. I know 30 minutes doesn't sound particularly long, but it is when all you're doing is looking at job specs!

I thought, therefore, I'd write a little philosophical/thought provoking something.

Now, due to the fact that I live in London, I will be relating this post to my "tube" journeys. However for all you other readers, you've got public transport systems such as the Subway (in NYC), the S- and U-bahn in Munich, the Tram/underground system in Milan and Moscow, or other types of public transportation throughout the world, which you can relate this post to.

Have you ever read about other people's frustrations of sitting on the tube, and constantly being stared at by other people? I know I have. The reason why I ask is, it really is difficult to NOT look at other people, and what is going on around you.
In my experience, I especially love people watching for things such as fashion advice, what's in, what's not, what looks good, and even what looks bad on people with a similar body shape to me. It really can be a very helpful fashion guide. However, I've often been subjected to angry stares, probably because people think I'm judging them or something, but it really is frustrating.
Then again, I've got a little contradiction in the sense that I tend to "dish out" angry and annoyed stares myself, because I feel judged too by people staring at me. The only way to "break the ice" here, really, is to smile and look away.

Now here's the point to my post - why do some of us feel so uncomfortable and uneasy in our own skin, that we think others are judging us just by looking at us? Is this what the media teaches us? Or is it just a general feeling of not wanting to interact with strangers, in case something bad might happen to us?

I know I just read an awful report the other day on the Daily Mail website, here, about a young woman being thrown onto the tube tracks at Leicester Square (!!!) just for having short row with a man, about his hat! The perp, unfortunately, got away as well, and has not been caught! This incident happened over 6 months ago, and only now, has the footage been released to the public!
It makes me wonder what the world has come to, and why people are so vile and aggressive, just because they feel attacked by somebody's words. Whatever happened to "Sticks and Stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me"?
The day before yesterday, I also read a short article about a young man throwing a brick at somebody's head! I cannot remember the "reasoning" behind this, but again, aggressive behaviour occurs, due to...well not really any reason at all!
I just can't understand why people feel the need to resort to violence for every little issue!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings on the worlds "anger issues"! I will get back to my application process now!

Hoping you are all having an awesome weekend.

As Always, Stay Tuned!

- A