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sobriqueWell, I've just got back from London. Yes, the train did get in at 21:30 - combination of 'cheap day return' == no peak travel and train lateness.
I can still definitely report that over the last 3 years, whilst I don't travel by train _often_ not a single one has been on time. I mean, what's a guy got to do to get a reliable and efficient train service?
Move to Germany.
But I digress. Train from Coventry to London Euston, I missed the 13:07, which I'd _half_ expected to do. Ended up with two tickets from the office - I thought £60 was a little steep, and so had to faff and take one back.
Got into Euston a little after 15:00. Hopped on da Tube, changed at London Bridge for Canary Wharf on the Jubilee line.
Nice enough journey, if a little warm. I was vaguely apprehensive that I wouldn't find the place I was after - after all, I was looking for 33 Canada Square.
Getting off the Tube, there was signposts for $blah road, $otherblah road, $otherblah road and CitiGroup Office.
Hmm. So off I went into their office. Got a little confused about being asked for ID at reception (I mean really, do I look like a terrorist or a fake?).
Anyway, we went about halfway up the building to the 19th floor (yes, it is that big - apparantly 12,000 people work there - they have a gym, and a bank and everything within the block).
Had a chat with the nice chaps who I'd be working for. And ... well that was it really. I was sort of expecting some kind of technical questions, but nope. Just seemed to cover roughly the same ground as we did on the phone. Really hoping they ain't going to be wanting me to do 4 interview.
Did stop and have a chat with a potential team mate on the way out for a bit.
And I'm not entirely sure how that went. One guy mentioned that the common misjudgement is availability and price of accomodation in London (I was kind of aware of that, but only sorta peripherally - didn't really want to be counting chickens).
Oh and gave 'em my stats graphing script.
Bimbled out, and then had a bit of a mooch. Docklands is really rather shiny these days (I rememeber going on a school trip to the construction project at Canary Wharf). Stopped at a coffee shop, read for a bit, and then headed off for my train.
The thing is, I travelled on 6 trains today (well, ok there's a possibility that I ended up on the same one inbound and outbound on a particular line).
All of them were made by Alstom. (Or GEC ALSTHOM which is the same company, but before the latest rebranding).
In other news, I got a letter saying that my Accreditation Document Set (boring set of documents, to do with IT accreditation) is 'acceptable' by the Gov'mint. Which after 14 months, and 2 changes in the 'official' specification isn't bad going...
Had trouble this morning being with a minor spot of LJ deprivation. Wow, this is bad juju.
Found out that M&S Vanilla and Maple Syrup smoothies are dangerously addictive.
Oh, and I also have correlated (a little at least) the results of the sleep poll. Of all the people who answered 5 'got enough'. Everyone else didn't.
That's really rather strange. Now leaving aside that my sample isn't exactly demographically representative, why is that do you think? Do you just find more interesting things to do with your evenings, and Mr. Alarm clock wakes you up because of that horrible work thing?
I refuse to believe that it's because everyone likes that slightly washed out and vaguely fatigued feeling. I mean, I know the day passes faster when you're snoozing, but really.
Oh, and won't be pubbing tomorrow. Most likely anyway.
Whew. Busy day today.
I can still definitely report that over the last 3 years, whilst I don't travel by train _often_ not a single one has been on time. I mean, what's a guy got to do to get a reliable and efficient train service?
Move to Germany.
But I digress. Train from Coventry to London Euston, I missed the 13:07, which I'd _half_ expected to do. Ended up with two tickets from the office - I thought £60 was a little steep, and so had to faff and take one back.
Got into Euston a little after 15:00. Hopped on da Tube, changed at London Bridge for Canary Wharf on the Jubilee line.
Nice enough journey, if a little warm. I was vaguely apprehensive that I wouldn't find the place I was after - after all, I was looking for 33 Canada Square.
Getting off the Tube, there was signposts for $blah road, $otherblah road, $otherblah road and CitiGroup Office.
Hmm. So off I went into their office. Got a little confused about being asked for ID at reception (I mean really, do I look like a terrorist or a fake?).
Anyway, we went about halfway up the building to the 19th floor (yes, it is that big - apparantly 12,000 people work there - they have a gym, and a bank and everything within the block).
Had a chat with the nice chaps who I'd be working for. And ... well that was it really. I was sort of expecting some kind of technical questions, but nope. Just seemed to cover roughly the same ground as we did on the phone. Really hoping they ain't going to be wanting me to do 4 interview.
Did stop and have a chat with a potential team mate on the way out for a bit.
And I'm not entirely sure how that went. One guy mentioned that the common misjudgement is availability and price of accomodation in London (I was kind of aware of that, but only sorta peripherally - didn't really want to be counting chickens).
Oh and gave 'em my stats graphing script.
Bimbled out, and then had a bit of a mooch. Docklands is really rather shiny these days (I rememeber going on a school trip to the construction project at Canary Wharf). Stopped at a coffee shop, read for a bit, and then headed off for my train.
The thing is, I travelled on 6 trains today (well, ok there's a possibility that I ended up on the same one inbound and outbound on a particular line).
All of them were made by Alstom. (Or GEC ALSTHOM which is the same company, but before the latest rebranding).
In other news, I got a letter saying that my Accreditation Document Set (boring set of documents, to do with IT accreditation) is 'acceptable' by the Gov'mint. Which after 14 months, and 2 changes in the 'official' specification isn't bad going...
Had trouble this morning being with a minor spot of LJ deprivation. Wow, this is bad juju.
Found out that M&S Vanilla and Maple Syrup smoothies are dangerously addictive.
Oh, and I also have correlated (a little at least) the results of the sleep poll. Of all the people who answered 5 'got enough'. Everyone else didn't.
That's really rather strange. Now leaving aside that my sample isn't exactly demographically representative, why is that do you think? Do you just find more interesting things to do with your evenings, and Mr. Alarm clock wakes you up because of that horrible work thing?
I refuse to believe that it's because everyone likes that slightly washed out and vaguely fatigued feeling. I mean, I know the day passes faster when you're snoozing, but really.
Oh, and won't be pubbing tomorrow. Most likely anyway.
Whew. Busy day today.
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-09 03:40 pm (UTC)It beats the full force of reality anyday ;)
no subject
Date: 2004-09-10 05:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 01:40 pm (UTC)