Ode to Brussels

The only way to approach praising or loving Brussels, is by accepting the city as it truly is...surrealist in all aspects.

As Belgium pulls itself apart,with Brussels caught in the middle, and the world snickers at its antics, this article (sent by M and posted by S on her blog:http://mynybits.blogspot.com/2007/11/mannekenpis-revenge.html) accurately captures how most expats feel about their adopted home city:

http://www.guardianabroad.co.uk/lifestyle/article/344

My own ode to Brussels is mainly situated in the non-touristy spaces of the city - Matonge, Gare Midi, Place Lux, Le Stoemelings (place de londres), l'ultime atome; and built around memories of walking up and down Chausee d'Ixelles, going to the museums, running to bars and movies on Toison d'Or, late night frites near rue dublin, and partying at Mezzo and Le President with good friends.

I do hope the current government "crisis" sorts itself out - though even in this context, one is forced to just roll one's eyes and sigh...only in Belgium!

Being tough and knowing what you want...a life lesson

Today has been spent negotiating my job offer. I have three things on the table I want changed, a sort of hierarchy of desires. I have an idea of what is feasible and their own limits.

I'm trying to take the advice of friends and be tough. Of course, the hardest part is figuring out what I want or don't want. I had to really ask myself today where I want to draw the line in the sand and if I'm ready to stand by what I feel/think.

I expect not to receive all I requested, but to have a combo change...a little of this, a little of that, etc. And I've made a mental decision of what I will not accept. It is hard when you really like a position/team, but since my job will involve a lot of negotiating, this is good practice.

Can I really imagine myself saying "no", maybe – it’s so dependent on the nature of the negotiations and how I’m left feeling (happy, respected vs. resentful, unsatisfied).

Almost there...

UPDATE: Just as I posted, then wandered off to the kitchen, sans phone ...they called. An offer has been made. I'll call back tomorrow to say yah/nay/negotiate. Not sure how much room there is to push for changes...


I'm holding my breath because my second meeting on Friday, with the people I love and want to work for, went VERY well! I was assured that an offer would be made by COB today, with a start date of next Monday!!!!

I'm prepared though for the offer to be made Tues, or even the dreaded Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving. Fridays and Mondays are generally a mess in every office, if I remember correctly. I'm surprisingly calm, but I think that is just exhaustion from guests in town, cleaning up the house, rushing around for interviews etc.

I can't say more till the offer comes through - already my Indian superstitions are kicking in and I feel it has been jinxed with too much talk. AAAAAAAH!!!!! I'm also preparing myself to have to negotiate terms and I wish I was the boy or my brother in such matters.

In other news, the in-law visit went off very well. We all gave each other a lot of space and having the boy's uncle visiting at the same time, was really a blessing.

We have a whole group of friends coming over for dinner. I know it will be fun, but when I invited everyone, I'd had a few drinks and totally forgot that Monday nights is HEROES!!! And that maybe I'd be burnt-out and want to sit on the couch and do nothing!

I'm really excited...and I can't write anymore because I only have one subject to talk about...and well, I can't really talk about it right now...

Of course, as you probably have guessed - my mind is reeling with alternate scenearios, like has the position been cancelled? Did one of the boss-people I met on Friday not really like me? Are my instincts and research about this job/place right or wrong? What if I don't get it by some bizarre universal flux? AAAAH - OK, maybe I'm not feeling so calm. I've got to take a deep breath.

Here is what I feel: from talking with friends who are in the "know", this is a really good place to work - the organisation respects the job I'd be doing, the benefits are solid, they have well planned long-term goals and are in a good cycle of growth. From the research I've done, the actual work I'd be doing is pretty damn interesting and cutting edge. My instincts tell me that the team I'd be working within is a good one and that this path I'm choosing is very promising. I know I want to work on migration issues via an effective vehicle. This job/place is truly effective. And finally, I need to think ahead and see what other avenues could open up by this step, not only in terms of life in the US (which it seems is the reality) but also in terms of keeping open international opportunities.

And if I don't get the offer, by some great universe-inspired, mind-f**k, I'll hold my breath and channel really hard so that I enter another realm, where this doesn't occur. Or else, I'll just keep on searching.

Aaah, to be a Japanese Salaryman!

I went for Interview #4 today - with a large, private corporation. I thought I'd delve into something more than social justice, just to test the waters and see if I could return to such a world...this particular job is not the way to do it, but the interview alone left a slightly acidic taste in my mouth...let me just say, that they called ME and I did NOT apply for this position...the dangers of randomly putting one's CV on Monster!

Let me break it down:

1. The job is for a project coordinator - working with a number of IT projects. Basically, shepherding IT project managers (PMs) to meet project outputs and goals. Very, very boring work any-which way you look at it. But good pay!

2. 98% of the PMs, at this particular corporation, are Indians from the South of India. And I mean, right off the boat from India...they all speak various south Indian languages as they walk around the halls and the women ALL wore salwar churidar (not to be confused with the north Indian salwar kameez)! A lot of sly, male looks were given my way...I felt like I was traveling through India on my own again...

2. One of the important skills for the job is to be an effective communicator. One of my tasks would be to attend numerous meetings between the PMs and the VPs of this corp., (who appear to be all WASPs) and basically guide the PMs through the meeting – stepping in when necessary - an explaining or interpreting what they are saying to the VPs.

The interviewers (two nice boys from Denver) explained that it is often difficult for the VPs to grasp what the "brains" (i.e. the PMs from India) are saying. They meant tech jargon and not accents...I hope!

3. I was asked to give examples of projects I have coordinated – preferably ones that I've seen through a whole cycle...I gave two examples, of course both international. One was Lebanon. They asked if we met the project deadline. I said we met the project deliverables ("X" amount of persons evacuated) but that the project was extended due to the continued shelling of Beirut.

They said: Aah, so you didn't meet the proposed time deadline?

I said: "Well, the war/crisis went on longer than foreseen by the Israelis or the rest of the international community: the stakeholders in the project (the EU, IOM member states, the Lebanese, the Israelis etc) foresaw a possible extension but hoped to avoid it"

They said: Hmmmm…But you didn't deliver the goals in the set timeframe?

I said: You could say that - though working with stakeholders who are sovereign states is different from working with private companies.

The head interviewer, one of the nice boys from Denver, said:

"I GUESS THAT IS WHY THIS WAR (IRAQ) HAS BEEN HANDED TO PRIVATE COMPANIES, SO THAT DELIVERABLES CAN BE ASSURED".

I said nothing and gave them my best fake smile.

I don't think I'm (1) getting this job; (2) taking this job

They also asked me if Brussels was colder or warmer than LA in temperature/weather. I laughed and said Brussels was rainy but the surfing was better.

And that my friends is really dependent on what you want from your waves, because as well ALL know, its the motion of the ocean and not the size of the waves that matter:
http://www.globalsurfers.com/spot.cfm?land=Belgium&surfing=246