Limbo

As my awkward in-between college and work stage starts to come to a close, I cannot help but to think about all the changes that will soon be entering my life. I will no longer be able to do my errands when everyone else is working, work out whenever I feel most motivated, and take Hunter on numerous long walks per day. It will be harder to plan and prepare lengthy meals and I will spend a considerable amount of time per day in traffic. Even as I weigh all the downfalls that come with entering the working force, I could not be any more excited to take the plunge.

First and foremost, I will finally be getting a steady paycheck and a decent starting salary with awesome benefits (okay now I’ll stop bragging). I will begin to feel as though my expensive 4 year university degree is being put to use and I will have something to do every day. The funny thing is over the last few months I have been desperately hurrying this time along. I have hated being in social situations and having the , “So you’ve graduated — what are you doing now”  question asked. Now with two weeks of limbo left I’m starting to think, “hey this relaxing post-college vacation is pretty nice after all.”

What will my office life be like?

In other news: Today is one of those spring days that makes you really appreciate the nice ones. What’s the forecast? Rain, rain, and more rain.

Puddles everywhere

Wet, wet, wet

Yesterday I spent the day playing with my new Wii Fit Plus. Alex knew I really wanted one and searched everywhere for one. Remember how we had such a hard time finding a Wii? Well apparently the Wii Fit is even more difficult to find. Literally on the Best Buy website it says that every store from MD to California is sold out. During my birthday dinner at Bonefish, my brother (who was also at the dinner) took a “smoke break” and went over to Target. While he was there he found a WiiFit, called Alex, Alex left, bought it for me, and put it in the truck — all without me knowing. I was so excited and surprised to get in the truck after dinner and find it waiting on my seat!

This morning I got a big package from my new job. It has all the information about selecting my health insurance, 401(k) info, code of ethics, paperwork for me to fill out, and info about my first few days. I’ve spent the day trying to figure out finances. How much money will I get for each pay period? How much should I put away? What will I have left over after bills? You know… fun and exciting stuff.

More from me later (with my weekly updates)

[Via http://lifewithacrazypup.wordpress.com]

New job

Following the concerns raised in this post I am very happy to say that I have secured a job with Mandarin Media.

With partners and employees spread between Saigon, Singapore and the States it’s fitting that they shall be able to refer to me as “Our Man in Hanoi”.

A big thank you to them for having faith in me – I was initially interviewed based on Twitter output and general online activities (blogging does pay kids).  There were some Skype chats and a in-person meet up in Saigon.

I’ll be full-time from the start of June and will be chipping away at smaller projects in the meantime.

Most of the work is linked to this country’s tourism industry – something I view as absolutely vital for Vietnam’s development.

Long term we’re hoping to marry the media expertise at MM with a little of my social media experience.  This is the TripAdvisor travel era after all.

Anyway, I am delighted to have a “proper” job again. In the end it was the quality of colleagues and clients that really impressed me.

I had been genuinely starting to worry about employment but, yes, everything in my life is very much now going to plan.

Hanoi always was my lucky place.

[Via http://ourmaninhanoi.com]

giving up. on...

it’s really nice i don’t have to worry about this being found out, for the most part, by people who actually know me. so. been over a month since my last post and since i’ve been here. i honestly don’t know how i’ve tolerated the constant, daily, inescapable korean exposure i don’t like when i’m where i’m from. i know whats i mean. it’s just so bothersome and it fucking gets to me..maybe because i’m not used to it or maybe even because i’ve had some traumatizing experiences i can’t remember, but are thoroughly ingrained in my brain. been yearning for what i’m used to—i think a lot of it is food and being able to do what i want when i want (..uh, accessibility of my own transportation and, no, not driving alls the time). also, i didn’t really think it was possible, but i’m fucking sure i’ve gained weight since settling down in my little ville. why.

in other words, i’m a little bit peeved.
and i would totally kill to go to coachella this year. pavement alone gives me solid reason to fly back home.
*sigh*
four more months…

[Via http://againstdefinitearticles.wordpress.com]

ALWAYS ASK, NEVER ASSUME

ALWAYS ASK, NEVER ASSUME  !!
His request approved, the CNN News photographer quickly used a cell phone to call the local airport to charter a flight.
He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.
Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger.
He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, ‘Let’s go’.
The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and took off.
Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot, ‘Fly over the valley and make low passes so I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.’

‘Why?’ asked the pilot.
‘Because I’m a photographer for CNN’ , he responded, ‘and I need to get some close up shots.’
The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, ‘So, what you’re telling me, is . . . You’re NOT my flight instructor?’

Are you like a Scout? Always prepared for anything? Find out-CLICK HERE

[Via http://tasneemrocks.wordpress.com]

The Perks of Working with Six-Year-Olds

Well, actually, there are several perks: they forgive you faster for things, they make you feel incredibly intelligent for knowing how to read and add double digit numbers, and they have story time on a fairly regular basis. My favorite perk, however, is that they say the darndest, cutest little things to you, meant with all seriousness and sincerity. Oftentimes it’s not only cute, but also stunningly honest and perceptive. It’s the kind of thing that you hear, and know that a few years from now they won’t be talking the same way anymore, but without being able to explain why or how that comes to be.

 A few of my favorite quotes (they work best if you remember to put them in the cute squeaky six-year-old voice):

Student A: Student B, you are doing an excellent job today!

Student B: Student A, you are also doing an excellent job today!

Me: Oh that’s what I like to hear! It makes me happy when you guys are so nice and encouraging of each other.

Student B: Miss, you are also doing an excellent job today!

~*~*~

Teacher: We’re being a little bit silly today, aren’t we?

Student: I’m not silly, I’m serious.

*very serious pause*

Student: I’m the government.

~*~*~

Kid (who has just lost a tooth moments before, so still needs to wash the blood out of his mouth): Now I’m a vampire!

~*~*~

Me (after watching the kid hug a girl who clearly was not ready for said hug): Hey, I’m really glad that you’re making friends, but you might want to ask people before you hug them, because sometimes people don’t want to be hugged, and it’s good to check with them first.

Student: Well, I asked her at recess but she ran away!

Me (barely keeping a straight face): Well, that probably means that she didn’t want a hug right then.

~*~*~

But one of my all-time favorites occured today. A kid who usually moves a bit slow had done a really good job packing up and getting his stuff together, which had gone unnoticed by the teacher. So I gave him a high five and told him what a good job he had done.

Student: Yeah! Oh, Miss, wanna know what I want to be when I grow up?

Me: What?

Student: A firefighter!

Me: I think you’d be a great firefighter!

Student: Yeah! And I’d get the hose! Woosh, woosh!

Other student: I’m gonna be a policeman when I grow up!

Me: Oh good, then the two of you could work together!

Other student: Yeah! And I would stop the bad guys!

Student: Miss, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Now, I should have expected the question, but I didn’t, and so I wasn’t quite sure how to answer him. If I had been, I probably would have said something offhanded and silly, like “tall” or “a candy taster,” or just have been completely nonsensical. But instead, I wound up trying to stall, and came out with “That’s a good question! I’m not sure what I would be!”

The kid, however, looks at me completely seriously for a moment, then smiles and says, “You would want to be someone that helps other people, right?”

To which I looked back at him, touched and impressed that he had summed up everything I’ve wanted to be since I’d started planning my future life back in elementary school, and smiled back at him.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I want to be.”

[Via http://warmspringrain.wordpress.com]

It's been a year!

I started this thinking I finally had the discipline and fodder to keep it up. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I’ve had plenty to write about, I just didn’t.

I’ve got some time on my hands now though, so I’m thinking about going back and starting over. Oh, trust me, I’ve got plenty to write about when it comes to the past fews years I’ve travelled.

Let me just tell you about what’s happening these days……..

Last May, after my Sicilian boss went crazy and fired me/kicked me out of my apartment I found myself back in NY. I returned to Sicily in July to live with my friend (boyfriend?) and that ended in threats of possible Carabinieri (military police) intervention as only Sicilians love to do. Then after another 2 months in Taormina and Messina I decided to come home. I planned on returning to College to finish my degree. I didn’t realize that I couldn’t enroll on whatever day I would like and that they wouldn’t welcome me with open arms with a heartfelt “OH! Erin’s here….. Now, NOW we can begin” It was the end of September and classes began a month before I even thought about joining in. Now, I’m doing everything possible to get back to Europe.

While looking for a job in Europe I’ve been looking for some sort of gig here in NY. If I don’t find a job in some other country to start….. yesterday…. I figure I’ll go get my butt on line at the registrars office at good ole Nassau Community College and get going on some summer courses.

So, as it stands I have 3 options.

Option A: Find a job overseas and hightail it outta here stat.

Option B: Find a job overseas for September/October, take spring/summer courses and take a part time gig in the meantime.

Option C:  Yeah, no, there’s no option C.

I’ll be back!

Ciao

E.

[Via http://erinaroundtheworld.wordpress.com]

Brighton to London

I moved to Brighton about seven month ago. Before that I lived in London and worked in a coffee shop. Me and my boyfriend we got tired of London and the coffee shop so we decided to try our luck elsewhere. We both liked Brighton so we thought why not move here. We also thought that getting a job in Brighton will be a peace of piss…

Well in real life finding a job here wasn’t as easy as we thought. Luckily my boyfriend found a good job in his occupational field. But still it was more of a job to get experience not to earn money. After weeks of desperation I found a job selling pasties. I hated the job but at least we could pay rent. Every day I worked I repeated to myself that I will leave this job soon. Unfortunately they fired me before I could leave with my head held high. I have been unemployed for over a month now. It seems that getting a job now is even harder than it was in the autumn when we moved here.

I have a friend who manages the coffee shop I used to work at in London. She phoned me the other day and offered to work there for a while. I agreed. That means traveling from Brighton to London. One of the main reasons I left London was traveling and the time I had to spend to get from A to B. Now I will have to commute not  only within London but to it. But that is fine. I am quite exited to work with my friend like the good old times. At least it is something to do and some extra cash. And the summer is near and things are starting to look up in Brighton. With the tourist season knocking on the door there should be more jobs out there. Fingers crossed.

[Via http://ziilek.wordpress.com]