Too tired to type..so here's some pics =)

* On my way to work (from the old apartment) at 08:30 am



On my way home (the old apartment) from work..

My new neighborhood...I love the mixture of new and old.. =)










The landlords gave me flowers as a welcome-to-your-new-home gift =D






One of the desserts they served for lunch at work....I managed to stay away from it..took a picture and imagined the taste of chocolate that could kill...=) I believe this was the same day I had a side of leaks with my main course.....the chefs have humour..they properly named it "wiki leaks" ;-)...yup...I had me some wiki leaks for lunch that day, ya'll =)

Went to a going-away party for one of the girls in the Danish team today....she's going to the states to work in Mountain view..where the stars themselves are based---which stars?..HEllooOo..LArry Page and Sergey Brin, of course! =P...


I don't know whether it was because I was tired or what not...but at one point - in an attempt to mingle and try to get to know new people - I was talking to a guy and I totally zoned out.....he was talking and talking and talking.....and talking and talking..and then he talked some more...and then it hit me..HOLY-MACARONY......this must be how guys feel like when they talk to girls who just won't shut up!!...just that,in this case, I was the GUY !. ...Sure I asked a question or two to keep the conversation going.., but I didn't expect him to never stop talking! =s....... maybe he just didn't feel comfortable with silence, maybe that's why he kept on talking...lesson to learn, girls,.....we need to learn when to shut up...cause that experience was seriously exhausting....and guys..you need to learn how to NOT keep the conversation going just to avoid the silence...if you ask the questions, you're asking for it (trouble)...and when people ask questions (applies to most social-gathering-situations) they only ask to be polite...they don't really care about the answer, so don't give the the whole story from A-Z..=P

Pure Genius...

Whoever thought of making Google's business culture the way it is, is a freakn genius...hire people from around the world, bring them to a country where they don't know anyone- except from their colleagues, of course- and make the work environment/facilities so great that it's pretty much like being at home..or even better..feed the employees from morning 'til evening, and give them all the snacks in the world...all for free- of course....give them some incentives, but most important- the freedom to plan their day, and how to work,,,,,the result? --People actually hang out at work much longer than the normal work-hours.. your colleagues are your friends, and your friends are your colleagues,,,you workout-buddy, study-buddy, party-buddy...they're all your colleagues...it's hard - unless you truly make an effort- to really get to know someone that doesn't happen to be your colleague as well...it's a bubble...and most people don't mind staying/being in this bubble. When your employees would rather stay longer at work than go home,,that's when you know that you've done it: created the perfect business culture (or at least close to perfect...cause there's always room for improvement, right?)......

Everything I read during my masters..all the articles and books that talked about corporate culture,,,the affect and effect of an employer's trust towards employees...the balance between autonomy and goal setting....this right here, you guys, is theory put into praxis...and- contrary to most situations where things are "good in theory, but bad/impossible in praxis (like communism)" - this right here,,is working perfectly well...=)


..although work is fun. it still doesn't mean that we don't get tired once in a while...and just need to put things away....

*after dinner my colleague and I went back to the office to get our stuff, and we saw this...lol---we're assuming that someone had a long day? (lol)*

Almost done with training...at least for now. A lot of information to take in..truly a crash course in how the internet-world works...




My brother and sister were here for the weekend and they literally spent all day shopping. It was a marathon from morning -when the stores opened - until 6-7 pm when the stores closed....the night they came to Dublin I took them around the office/buildings...when I told them that the buidlings were open for us 24/7 my sister questioned the need to keep it open...*who in the world would be at work so late---right?*....turns out...there are a good number of people...by the time we hit the 6th floor of the engineer-building (at 2 AM !) , we'd already seen a bunch of engineer dudes on every floor...some playing tetris,,,others just hanging out there it seemed..very stereotypical...the engineers are somethin' else..one of a kind, I tell'ya..

I keep on forgetting how corky my sister can be..we were watching a TV-show, and a french guy said (about his relationship with his fiance): "it's just happiness..she is just,,,happiness"....he's french, so he didn't pronounce the "H" and happiness turned into "appiness"..and my sister said: "What,,,?? A PENIS?!!" ....yeah...my sister in a nutshell..lol..why a guy would say that his relationship is just a penis,..or call his fiance a penis,..beats me...you gotta ask my sister for the logic behind that one=P

As for the apartment, I can almost say it's mine. Now it's just down to the paperwork..the monthly rent has been set...100€ less than what I pay now, a bit smaller, but equivalent to the scandinavian standard..now I just need to find someone to take over my current apartment so that I don't need to forfeit my deposit..:-s ...

The apartment Hunt..

I've found a new apartment. The landlords are architects and designed the apartment themselves,,,they were also involved designing the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.. if all goes well, I'll get to rent it for a decent price =) Ah...how long it has taken to find an apartment that holds a scandinavian standard.... the straight lines, wooden floors..neutral...it gives people (me=P) the chance to make it their own... =)

*crossing my fingers*

a little bubble-burst

We (those who have a job) live in a bubble here in Dublin..I personally haven't noticed or seen much sign of the financial crisis. Perhaps its because I live in the financial district, where most people have jobs and where most apartments are still pricey. But, yesterday I wandered around the city centre to do some shopping..and I noticed a boy sitting outside of Topshop (guilty as charged, I didn't do grocery shopping, that's for sure =P)..Im guessing that the boy was around 13 years old... I wondered how he ended up there..in the streets, and I wanted to ask him,-- I really wanted to know the story behind why he had to sit there to beg for money..maybe his parents lost their job because of the crisis,,maybe they were drug addicts..or maybe he was an orphan...:s---endless theories..I couldn't get myself to ask him,,no matter how I re-phrased the question, it just seemed wrong..

the other day I gave a bag of coins to one of the gypsies, who I pass by every day on my way to work...come to think of it, I know I've seen him before...deja vu- as is said in French...I've seen him beg for money on the subway back home in Norway. I remember his face because of his eyes....crystal clear green-brown-ish eyes...after having seen that boy, I wish I gave the bag of coins to the boy instead..because the boy seemed so lonely..(and maybe he only has himself, and no one else) while the gypsies have each other,... plus.. they're supposedly involved in organized crime...either way, I thought to myself that regardless of how bad reputation the gypsies have, those who sit out on the streets to beg for money are still poor...I mean, who would voluntarily sit out on the streets to beg for money if they really didn't have to?.......but I DO wonder who the end-receiver of the money is....I hope he speaks English- the gypsy, that is- 'cause next time I see him, Im gonna ask him why he has to sit out on the streets to beg for money...




*passed by a guy who was writing on the ground..*

My Swedish colleague talked about how he felt a sense of pride of being Swedish whenever he's abroad....he said that he doesn't really even like IKEA, but still felt kind of proud when he went to IKEA with some of the other nooglers...the other day I took a different route home from work, and I noticed this building just a minute away from my apartment...and I gotta admit, there was indeed a sense of pride....I may be far away from norwegian soil..but Norwegian oil isn't that far away from me....hellooo StatOIL;-)



Among the many things we went through last week was security policies..for instance, we should always take precaution and lock our computer screens whenever leaving the computer..you never know, a sneaky bastard may be among us =P I forgot to do that today, and a sneaky colleague "tampered" with my computer...when I came back to my desk, this was on my screen....lol =P

FAIL.

What I did today,,,is gonna haunt me for as long as Im here...they (my fellow, nooglers) are never gonna let this go..:-s lol...most of us haven't really started to work yet,,I mean, we're still in training, and we're pretty much gonna be "nooglers" for at least 6 months.....there's a lot of stuff to go through, and today I did the IMPOSSIBLE...one of the quick tests that we have to take- in order to get access to certain systems- had 4 - I REPEAT...4 questions...and it was a multiple choice test.. you "only" get 2 attempts...you have to pass it with 100% in order get access to the system...a system that I need access to to continue and advance in this training process...the worst part is that if you fail the test once (which, in my case I did :-s) then they show you the right and wrong answers.....(remember, guys, there were only FOUR QUESTIONS...and friggin' MULTIPLE CHOICE)......give me some applause, y'all..cause, I..managed to fail------- TWICE!!!...HAHAhaha! =P....I've gotten some good ab-workout today having laughed so much...how I got hired, I DONT KNOW..but I did the impossible, I failed a 4-question-multiple-choice-test..HAHAHAHA..! yah, happy-women's day to me..I've certainly excelled beyond means today =P

I moved into the apartment a couple of days ago, and I have a luxury problem..it's too hot in the apartment, and I don't understand how I can adjust the heat (gas heating)..Ive pretty much pushed all the buttons that I can push, but it still heats up like crazy,,,so I wander around in the apartment in shorts..other than that, Im looking for someone to take over the apartment so that I can get my deposit back,,its at ground level, and close to the traffic..I've always said that I don't mind noise, but maybe that's because I've only lived in quiet areas...or maybe I'm getting old :-S .....


I have no plans on cooking that much (or at all), yet I still want an apartment with a nice and Fresh-lookin' kitchen...two days ago I looked at the refrigerator and thought: "hey, I don't have anything in there" (no exaggeration, I really have NOTHING in there) so I pulled out the plug (electricity)..no reason for why I should waste electricity on an empty fridge, right? During the weekdays I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at work...thank God ...or google...for free food, cause I would'nt be able to have a balanced diet otherwise...during the weekends I eat out, or buy takout...:-



When I come too late for breakfast I try to grab sometime healthy from the mini kitchens...so far, not too many chocolate bars have been grabbed....


I swear, the kitchen is dangerous..dangerously filled with calorie-bombs...:-s


Weekend food... =P...yeah, I have no"wifey-skills" people,..=P

The Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Amen!
..

cheers, y'all.. (that's not part of the prayer, by the way=P)