Thursday, September 25, 2003
Well...somehow I don't think I'll be hearing from the job peeps anytime soon.
Very odd - both the people and their methods. Interview of 3 questions each allocated 10 mins precisely. If you try to get more information they respond "perhaps I'll read the question again". They seemed to expect the candidates to have already done the job and know all the specifics - which given that to do that I'd already have to be doing the job I'm applying for, because it's pretty much the only one like it in the country...
And when I asked the generic "what colour is your parachute"/every single other self-help book's standard question - "what do you think are the best and worst aspects of this role?", the guy responded "are you trying to get revenge?". Er...?
Odd, worrying and downright weird.
I know I stuffed up, but they really didn't seem to want to have to be doing this.
Tourist bowling in oxford street's quite good for relieving bemused anger (walk fast in a dead straight line in a very determined way, and watch the map wielders scatter).
And why do all the shops along there seem to have the identical stock to last November? Some of them even have exactly the same displays.
Everything just seems like a vague rehash of the past. I know I like dull colours, but it gets a bit strange when all bar one shop only does navy, beige and muddy olive. And the one exception is the one that sells the cheapest clothes that fall apart quickest (which was also the busiest). Does this mean fashion's finally hit Permanent Global Summertime? (PGS = the phenomenon that allows supermarkets to sell the same vegetation all year round).
And when did American accents become normal? In a "taking far too long to notice the accent and identify it" way.
Getting asked directions by a quite nice American, and trying to work out why I was picked (do I look like I live in London?), and then remembering the whole wearing a suit thing. Possibly I was having a just being dappy day. Oh and sorry to the random tourist for giving what in hindsight must have been thoroughly unhelpful directions (but everything would be shut by the time you got there, so I don't suppose it matters).
Speaking of annoying shutting things - why's it only Wednesdays that the National Gallery's open till 9? So people watched in Trafalgar Sq instead. So basically watching tourists take exactly the same pictures every 3 minutes. And then you notice the groups have the same dynamic - the short jokey one, the thin nervous one, the one who believes they are the one and only. And they all do fill the roles, poses and actions, ever repeated movements as a great cascade of humanity. Apparent frentic chaos, individually confusing, yet locked into the same pattern as the past, the solid image only developing with time. And I never know if that's worrying or comforting.
The individual particle. Statistically insignificant. There is no master plan. Everyday annoyances are mere happenings: it's nothing personal, it's just nobody counts. The universe doesn't do malice aforethought. Do what you want, safe in the knowledge it will be forgotten. Everything is emphemeral.
Everything is ephemeral: but it that good or bad? Does it matter either way?
Hmm, I start by trying to say that I like London, and somehow go all impartial philosophical.
Speaking of which that "I [London Underground Logo] London". Can NY sue? And what does it mean? I-please stand to the right-London? I-delays on the Northern Line due to signal failure at Tooting Broadway-London? I-when will short people learn that they can fit under the curved doors but tall people can't, so if they don't like people leaning over them why don't they swap places-London? I-studiously avoid eye contact, and have even brought a book to pretend read-London? I-how the hell does one find the way out of Oxford Circus Station-London? I-travelcard in rear pocket-London? I-watching people on the opposite escalator-London? I-why do the station and train doors on the Jubilee line never line up-London? I-whatever happened to Mind the Gap-London? I-where did that pigeon come from-London?
Actually the last is fairly apt for London. But Trafalgar Square is much nicer with only a few (and not being a roundabout).
And remind me to vet my brother's girlfriends - or at least make him think objectively. Listening to him talk, and trying not to laugh, and also thinking "and how did you not notice this at the time?".
Basically she didn't even like the building for Tate Modern, let alone the contents. Not good for compatibility.
And would applying to the company my brother works for be downright rude?
Random link of the day: Most of the blurb is rubbish.
Other linky thing. Sometimes good. Sometimes annoying. Possibly wrong, but when you want to argue you start feeling like you're trying to find the end of the roll of Sellotape [Durex or Scotch Tape for our overseas viewers] when it's made as a Mobius strip.
And I nearly typed that as a Mondrian strip. Which I'm now trying to visualise. This make take a while, and please ignore me if I start screaming like a pressure cooker.
And I have a hunch GC is quite possibly annoyingly bright.
Reminder for later/next time:
- Bridget Riley. I will get round to this (eventually).
- The wrongness of blogs in french.
- Birthday cards for 9 year old boys.
Anyhoo,
Very odd - both the people and their methods. Interview of 3 questions each allocated 10 mins precisely. If you try to get more information they respond "perhaps I'll read the question again". They seemed to expect the candidates to have already done the job and know all the specifics - which given that to do that I'd already have to be doing the job I'm applying for, because it's pretty much the only one like it in the country...
And when I asked the generic "what colour is your parachute"/every single other self-help book's standard question - "what do you think are the best and worst aspects of this role?", the guy responded "are you trying to get revenge?". Er...?
Odd, worrying and downright weird.
I know I stuffed up, but they really didn't seem to want to have to be doing this.
Tourist bowling in oxford street's quite good for relieving bemused anger (walk fast in a dead straight line in a very determined way, and watch the map wielders scatter).
And why do all the shops along there seem to have the identical stock to last November? Some of them even have exactly the same displays.
Everything just seems like a vague rehash of the past. I know I like dull colours, but it gets a bit strange when all bar one shop only does navy, beige and muddy olive. And the one exception is the one that sells the cheapest clothes that fall apart quickest (which was also the busiest). Does this mean fashion's finally hit Permanent Global Summertime? (PGS = the phenomenon that allows supermarkets to sell the same vegetation all year round).
And when did American accents become normal? In a "taking far too long to notice the accent and identify it" way.
Getting asked directions by a quite nice American, and trying to work out why I was picked (do I look like I live in London?), and then remembering the whole wearing a suit thing. Possibly I was having a just being dappy day. Oh and sorry to the random tourist for giving what in hindsight must have been thoroughly unhelpful directions (but everything would be shut by the time you got there, so I don't suppose it matters).
Speaking of annoying shutting things - why's it only Wednesdays that the National Gallery's open till 9? So people watched in Trafalgar Sq instead. So basically watching tourists take exactly the same pictures every 3 minutes. And then you notice the groups have the same dynamic - the short jokey one, the thin nervous one, the one who believes they are the one and only. And they all do fill the roles, poses and actions, ever repeated movements as a great cascade of humanity. Apparent frentic chaos, individually confusing, yet locked into the same pattern as the past, the solid image only developing with time. And I never know if that's worrying or comforting.
The individual particle. Statistically insignificant. There is no master plan. Everyday annoyances are mere happenings: it's nothing personal, it's just nobody counts. The universe doesn't do malice aforethought. Do what you want, safe in the knowledge it will be forgotten. Everything is emphemeral.
Everything is ephemeral: but it that good or bad? Does it matter either way?
Hmm, I start by trying to say that I like London, and somehow go all impartial philosophical.
Speaking of which that "I [London Underground Logo] London". Can NY sue? And what does it mean? I-please stand to the right-London? I-delays on the Northern Line due to signal failure at Tooting Broadway-London? I-when will short people learn that they can fit under the curved doors but tall people can't, so if they don't like people leaning over them why don't they swap places-London? I-studiously avoid eye contact, and have even brought a book to pretend read-London? I-how the hell does one find the way out of Oxford Circus Station-London? I-travelcard in rear pocket-London? I-watching people on the opposite escalator-London? I-why do the station and train doors on the Jubilee line never line up-London? I-whatever happened to Mind the Gap-London? I-where did that pigeon come from-London?
Actually the last is fairly apt for London. But Trafalgar Square is much nicer with only a few (and not being a roundabout).
And remind me to vet my brother's girlfriends - or at least make him think objectively. Listening to him talk, and trying not to laugh, and also thinking "and how did you not notice this at the time?".
Basically she didn't even like the building for Tate Modern, let alone the contents. Not good for compatibility.
And would applying to the company my brother works for be downright rude?
Random link of the day: Most of the blurb is rubbish.
Other linky thing. Sometimes good. Sometimes annoying. Possibly wrong, but when you want to argue you start feeling like you're trying to find the end of the roll of Sellotape [Durex or Scotch Tape for our overseas viewers] when it's made as a Mobius strip.
And I nearly typed that as a Mondrian strip. Which I'm now trying to visualise. This make take a while, and please ignore me if I start screaming like a pressure cooker.
And I have a hunch GC is quite possibly annoyingly bright.
Reminder for later/next time:
- Bridget Riley. I will get round to this (eventually).
- The wrongness of blogs in french.
- Birthday cards for 9 year old boys.
Anyhoo,
