New job

Well, I’m on my coffee break on the second day of my new job. It’s pretty cool – in a scary kind of way. It’s a very different feeling when you’re working because that’s what you do. What I mean is, up until now I was working, and it was hard and demanding, but I was doing it because I was in university – or at least I had university to finish. Now there is no other calendar but the project calendar. It is really keeping me busy!

The company is more “laid back” (I’ve explained that one before) in outward appearance. I was amazed at the building. It is in its own glass and white concrete building with beautiful lawns around it and a small lake or large pond with ducks in it.  My boss says that they got money from the state government to build the pond large enough so that a helicopter could get to it for water in case of forest fires. I don’t know if this is true, but it sounds possible. Work is good. The people here work very hard, but somehow they seem less stressed about the day to day activities of the job. It’s interesting too because there is a great deal more latino influence around here, which I really like.  It’s in the street names and place names and just everywhere.

Anyway – my coffee break is over. I’ll write more soon.  It’s not bad to be Bob in Carlsbad California! Janine is having a good time getting to know the place, but starting to think about work too!

It’s cloudy and cool today! I gotta go!

Surf’s Up!

We’re here! It’s strange! We had a great 4 day drive from Wisconsin. It was really cool to see the Rocky Mountains. Janine really got a kick out of driving out there with me “showing her It-tai guy” what the west was like. It was fantastic! We left Madison and headed south until we got the high-way to Des Moines Iowa – and then out to Lincoln Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen’s best album! We stayed in Lincoln for the night and the next day went through Denver and into the high Colorado Rockies (the mountain range). It was spectacular. Like the alps, but somehow more wild. And the little towns and cities have real “western” feel. They are lined up along a main street with shops along the sides of the road and sidewalks. The mainstreets are quite wide, but still. Then outside the town centres there is always a shopping centre, industrial park or broader residential centre. And the mountains are everywhere! The second night we stayed in Grand Junction. It was amazing! Very different from Wisconsin! OK – here it comes. The next day we took a short drive to…

LAS VEGAS! This was the coolest, tackiest, most interesting, most disgusting city I’ve ever been in. It lives up to the movies! We stayed in a cheaper hotel and just walked around all evening. We ate at a place called the Peppermill – which was alright. We didn’t go into casinos – because rent in San Diego is going to be pretty expensive and we have all the setting up expenses to pay. Moving costs money! It was just amazing to see the place – all the lights and hotels and – a surprising number of Italian-American services (hotels and restaurants). We didn’t go.

After Las Vegas we drove THROUGH THE MOJAVE DESERT! The day before we were in high mountains and then in desert HEAT! Any Russ Meyer fans out there? Faster Pussycat territory! Again, it was spectacular – but no place for the car to break down! We bought a lot of water before we left Las Vegas. We didn’t have any problems, but it’s easy to imagine getting cooked out there! We arrived at our new apartment in the later afternoon and met our landlord. She’s very nice and very helpful.

It was so much nicer walking into a strange appartment this time. One reason was that I’ve done this before in Madison – only last year! The most important reason was that I wasn’t alone. Janine has been great with all these changes. I love it, but it does make me a bit nervous – and tired. I find it really tiring. In Italy I had all of my stuff in one place and my friends and places to go all in one place – since I was kid. Madison was great adventure, and so is this, but I think being back in Italy for a couple of weeks this summer just brought back old habits or ways of doing things. Then I came back to Madison, finished packing and “hit the road”. There was no time for re-culture shock (even if its only 110 V – ha ha!). We’ve been here a little more than a day – and haven’t really had time to explore yet. I start work officially next Monday – but I’ll go in on Friday to say hi and tell them I’ve arrived etc. this evening we ate at Chin’s Szechuan Restaurant – mostly because it was on Madison St. and we were a little homesick! It was really good though – I’d recommend it to anyone! It’s much better than the chinese food we got in Italy. Anyway – it did a great job of curing homesickness!

So tomorrow we’re setting up the house more and going to the grocery-store and shopping centre to get supplies. It’s been a crazy period, really since just after that presentation in March. I’ve got internet set up now, which is good. I e-mailed Frank, but haven’t got a reply yet. Madison seems so far away. Maybe because it is!

Expression of the day “We’re not in Kansas anymore” – it comes from the film “The Wizard of Oz” when the character Dorothy realises for the first time that she’s not in her hometown in the state of Kansas. By now it is used to mean “We’re in a strange new situation that is beyond our control – for now”.

I can’t keep up! I must!

I went back to Italy for a couple of weeks, it was great to see everyone at home again and, heh heh – graduate from Urbino. Thank you Prof. Bogliolo! I just arrived in Madison to finish getting my things together and then Janine and I are MOVING TO SAN DIEGO! Yes – you heard me, Janine is coming too! My parents thought I was taking things a bit fast, since I’ve only known Janine for less than a year, but we figure that things will work out the way they work out whether we’re in Madison or San Diego. I guess that’s the part they’re not comfortable with – the fact that I’ll be in the US. Mum gets it a little more than Dad, but they’d both prefer I were in Italy somewhere they could see me regularly. And I thought they’d be used to it by now! Anyway – they’re basically happy, and very happy about the job.

It’s going to be really hard to leave the gang here in Madison. I got to know them pretty well, and really feel at home here. Like Frank says, though, I’m too young to be “set in my ways” (have rigid plans). I told him that the plan was fine, it’s just that I’d miss everyone “a whole f*ck of a lot”! (One thing about being young in the States – they say “f*ck” a f*uck of a lot! heh heh”. Watch US action movies or crime dramas – in fact it’s worse when they make movies about Italian American communities or what they consider “ethnic” communities. Anyway – that’ll be a discussion for another day.

San Diego – It seems really nice out there. It’s got a lot to offer as a city and I like the south western feel. What is south western? Well – somewhere between “The Big Lebowski” and a Tommy Lee Jones movie. It’s got all of the Los Angeles components in some ways, but it definitely has a more southern, desert feel to it. From San Diego, you know Mexico is just across the border and Arizona is not too far away. It’s got the ocean, which I love, and lots of tourist and cultural things. Anyway, it’s a big city – the seventh largest in the US! Maybe I’ll learn to surf more than the internet. We’ll be living in North County – which borders on the Los Angeles area, but it’s relatively close to the company and has a pretty cool beach culture. It seems “laid back” (I think I explained “laid back” once – it means “easy going”.)

http://www.sandiego.org/article_set/Visitors/8/119

This link is from the San Diego Tourist Bureau’s website. CEO’s changing into wet-suits to go surfing on their lunch breaks! I could live like that!

Anyway – I’ve got a million and a half things to do RIGHT NOW! We’re going to Janine’s parents later in the week and we’ll drive out to California from there. I’m really going to miss everyone here. (But I get to take Janine with me!) It’s going to be strange to go through the leaving and arriving phases again – so soon after settling into Madison. Oh well – that’s as it should be!

“Well I’m goin’ out west where I belong.

Where the days are short and the nights are long.

And I walk, and she walks.

And I run, and she runs.

And I shimmy, and she shimmies.

And I fly, and she flies.

And we’re all just a havin’ fun – in the warm California sun!”

(I know the version of this by the Ramones – but I don’t know who originally did the song – actually – let me look it up…

Wikipedia says it was written by Henry Glover and Morris Levy, is a song originally performed by Joe Jones in 1961, covered very successfully by The Rivieras in 1964. It reached #5 in the main U.S. pop chart

here’s the Ramones version of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z9iUdiS3hI

and here’s the Riviera’s version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LH8q95xJ34&feature=related

I hope to have time to post more soon!

No rest…

Whew – It’s been busy! I’ve left my apartment, and got my damage deposit back completely – which is a nice bit of extra cash available for moving to San Diego. The only problem is still to find an apartment out there! Somehow it doesn’t seem as scary the second time you do it, though. I can’t wait to get out there. It will be amazing living near the Pacific Ocean.

Surf’s up dudes!

Sometimes you win!

Ok – here it is -I GOT THE JOB IN SAN DIEGO! I’m moving to California this summer! We went to San Diego on Thursday and I had my interview Friday morning. It was really a formality in some ways, although there were about 10 of us there to be interviewed. It seems that the directors had heard good things about me from Frank (the bastard – he didn’t tell me they had called him). Anyway – they were very interested in my background. I was surprised because they didn’t seem so interested in the technical part. They said that a basic knowledge of network structures was enough to get anyone started for this position – managing network structures as part of a technical team, but they really asked me a lot about how I found the United States and problems I had integrating and adapting. I think they were trying to find out about how flexible and “multi-tasking” I am. Anyway – this interview was more like just talking about myself and not answering technical questions. It was actually a bit fun. There were three interviewers. They took turns asking me about my experience in Madison, but at a level of detail that I didn’t expect.

Anyway – the result is that by the end of July I must move to San Diego. They will begin the process of visa application for a work permit. I have leave the country and re-enter with my new permit in order, but the interviewers said that they have done this with four or five foreign employees and they never have problems. I’m very excited. I will go back to Italy for a couple of weeks in July, then move my stuff from Madison to San Diego. I think I’ll get a car and go through Saint Louis and Route 66 – like in the song. Heh heh! I won’t be making tonnes and tonnes of money out there, but certainly enough for a “single” guy. I’m not going to tell you how much – but it’s “certainly enough”. It will be great to see my home town again, and my house and parents and relatives and everybody. Then it will be very nice to MOVE TO CALIFORNIA!

More on the mechanics of this later – I’m going back to work now. I’ve only got until the end of this month here at work in Madison, then a week or so to pack up, then to Italy, then back here to pick up my things and go to San Diego. I won’t sleep. I haven’t slept properly for a few weeks now. Ugh. Thank God for Janine!

Here I come – a nervous wreck

Janine and I leave for San Diego tomorrow. I’ll tell you right now – the expression of the day is “to sweat bullets” – it means to be incredibly nervous (the reference is that when you’re nervous, you sweat, and when you’re really nervous, you sweat out large drops of water) – in anticipation of some major event or situation.  I’m really sweating bullets. Another, similar expression (Janine’s addition) is “to shit bricks” – the idea is the same. It’s kind of funny how we make metaphorical reference to bodily reactions to stress situations. Anyway – I’m rambling again.

One of the primary reasons I’m so “wound up” (nervous, stressed, excited – today is full of idiomatic expressions!) is that It’s almost June, so my work visa expires in 2 months. That may seem like a lot of time, but two months ago I was finishing up my part of the project with Frank and beginning to look at what to do next. Now it’s already the middle of that phase and I don’t have any answers. When my visa expires, I have to leave the country – if I don’t have a job “lined up” (meaning a job offer confirmed) then I probably have to go back to Italy to work. That would not be good. Don’t misunderstand me – MUM! – I miss my family and friends etc., and it will be great to be back in Umbria for a bit, but I don’t want this adventure to finish yet. There’s too much to do. I could be here for years, I think. (Not to mention that Janine is really cute! – and fantastic.) So, “there’s a lot riding” (meaning the consequences of the outcome are serious) on this job possiblity in San Diego. I’ve also been called for an interview in Chicago, so when I get back from San Diego I’ll go down there for a couple of days. Whatever happens, I have to start organising my departure from Madison – talking to my landlord, my bank, etc. Really, I don’t know how I would do all of this without Janine. I would hate to run around all day, and then not have her to hang out, have fun, and relax with in the evenings (although I’m not that easy to be around lately – too excitable!). Anyway  – if the San Diego job comes through, I will really be the luckiest person on the face of the planet. If not, I have been incredibly lucky anyway. EXCEPT I’M SO DAMN NERVOUS ABOUT THIS! So, I’ll stop. I’ll let you all know how the interview in San Diego goes. I’m going out with Frank this evening – to shoot some darts, play some pool, drink some beer and get a “big brotherly” slap across the face to “snap me out of it” (my nerves) and calm me down.

Today’s expressions are all of the above!

Later!

A second interview!

I’ve just been called for a second interview at the company in San Diego! This is great! I just got the phone call today. The assistant to the executive asked if I could come out for a second interview and a closer look around next week. WOW! I was starting to get a bit down on things over the last week or so. I was waiting for California to call, and had a not-great interview here in Madison, and have already sent out 40 or 50 c.v.s – and now I’m going back to San Diego! Janine said she’d come with me and we’ll take a long week-end in San Diego. I am thrilled. I don’t know what else to write. I’m so excited.

Anyway – I’m going to lunch with Frank! I haven’t been able to talk to anyone about this yet. I’ll keep you informed!

The Waiting is the hardest part

One of Janine’s favorite songs – “The Waiting Is the Hardest Part” by Tom Petty. It’s pretty good. It’s very true. I won’t hear about the job in San Diego for another week or so. Ugh. I’ve had another job interview here in Madison, but I don’t think it went too well. I was really nervous because I haven’t slept because I’ve been really nervous about San Diego. It is true, the waiting is really hard. In the information about job hunting and all the advice you can get about job hunting, they don’t tell you how to stay calm while you wait for responses. I suppose I should just keep active – but then I don’t sleep at night and am “beat” (extremely tired) during the day. Janine has been fantastic. (There may be two of us moving to San Diego if that works out!). There are so many things going on, which is fine, but there’s still no clear direction – which is A PAIN IN THE ASS!!! Anyway – here I am again at 1:20 AM because I feel like I’m “spinning my wheels” or “running around in circles” (using up a lot of time and energy but not getting anywhere). Janine says I need to relax and not worry about it because something WILL happen. She’s right. It’s just a strange period.

Work is going well – as always, by now. Although there is the sense that it is coming to an end, so even that is a bit sad. Ok – I’m depressing myself now. You all must be sick of this post!

In other news, a Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house burned to the ground on Tuesday night. The house is on Langdon street, which is really close to me. Apparently no one was hurt, but the house was destroyed. Fraternities are strange things. They are student associations that do “community/student involvement” work. I get the impression that there are lots of parties and that type of thing. I’ve never really figured out their purpose – except to formalise socialisation. Anyway – it was crazy here on Tuesday night. Since I was up (it was only midnight) I walked down to see it. You can get a news clip if you go to http://www.channel3000.com/news3multimedia/index.html and look for Sigma Phi fire.  Now that I think about it, the accent of the firefighter being interviewed is typical Wisconsin. I really noticed a difference when I went to California and the people spoke with a much more “open” accent. Here they sound like Canadians!

Anyway – I’m going to try to sleep.

The expression of the day is: “aòskldhjfioydy” – it is a frantic burst of keytyping that expresses frustration and mental exhaustion in any language. heh heh (I can’t think of an expression of the day!) I’m outta here!

The waiting game

I got back from San Diego on Wednesday. I took a couple of days to look around. It’s a pretty nice place, and the sea – actually ocean – is fantastic! I think the interview went well. There were about 20 of us, and they told me that they were interviewing only about 40 people. The questions were fair and functional, which was good. We talked a lot about the job – actually more about the job position than about my experience. I think they were evaluating my responses in the conversation. They were very nice though, so after a couple of minutes I didn’t feel intimidated.

Anyway – It’s late here. I’m going to bed. More later.

Wish me luck

Wish me luck everybody! I leave for San Diego tomorrow. My interview is on Tuesday. This is really fantastic. On the one hand, its a job interview – you know, JOB for MONEY – and not a small amount of money – at least for me! To be called for an interview means they’re interested in hiring me – or they probably wouldn’t have called an Italian. At least, I like to think that this is the case. I hope that this is the case!

I’ve been talking with Janine and Frank and everybody about this, and they all say that it makes sense: they wouldn’t call me for an interview if they weren’t seriously interested in hiring me – or seriously curious about me anyway – because of the commitment involved in hiring a non-American. Frank says that my internship here has really helped me – but he won’t say whether or not the company called him or Mr. Lundgren. If this were Italy, I’d almost be sure that they had – but it’s not, so I’m not. Anyway – I’m rambling on again.

Janine has been fantastic about all this – although right now she’s asked me (reminded me) not to write too much about her here as she does work for Mr. Lundgren here in Madison – so her comments shouldn’t be made too public. It’s been kind of funny at times, the things that I’d like to write most about are private information. Anyway – work aside, job interview aside, Janine and I have been having a great time. I’ve been really lucky here in the US. The only thing this place has required of me is that I work like crazy and have a good attitude. With that, so many things have been so positive. I have to begin thinking about moving out though. I have my apartment until the end of July – but that’s not too far away. My internship officially finishes soon too, although Frank says they could keep me on an external contract for a couple of months if necessary. There’s a lot going on. I suppose I’m tired too. More has happened in the last year than in the rest of my life – and it looks like that may be the way it stays for a while. Frank gives me funny looks at work – a lot. He says he feels proud of me like I was his little brother or something and he “gets a kick” out of watching me do all of these things. That’s pretty nice. I will hate to leave Madison. In a year, I’ve got to know my co-workers and some of them have become really good friends – and now a year is almost over and I realise that it has ONLY been a year, and that has gone fast too. When I think about it, the people I know at home, I’ve known since elementary school, but I always took it for granted that they were there. Now I have new friends – who ARE true friends and soon will not be there. Anyway – I’m rambling again. I woke up thinking about this stuff this morning, and Janine isn’t here to talk to, and it’s about time I posted something too! I really hope the job interview works out well. That will give me something to focus on. I’ve sent out quite a few applications to other places, mostly in and near Madison though – and then there’s the idea of going back to Italy. That’s perhaps the strangest idea of all. I know that whatever I do next, I’m not finished with the United States yet. I learned so much, and had so much to do, and have enjoyed it so much here, but I know that it is only a small part of what I could learn and do with more time. As Frank said, I’ve got time.

Anyway – enough for now. I’ve got to get some coffee and see what Janine is up to this afternoon. It’s Spring! The weather isn’t horrible! Maybe lunch down at the lake and a movie or something.

The expression of the day is “cool as a cucumber” – it means to be reserved and logical when everything is going crazy – to have the right reaction for the right situation and not to show excessive interest or emotion. These days, I am NOT “cool as a cucumber”! Bite into a cucumber, it’s cool inside. Cool like Fonzi! Not me, I’m a chattery mess. I’m still chatting. I’ll stop. Have a great Sunday everyone!