My space…

Well, I think the subject line for this blog says it all, doesn’t it? 🙂

 

I finally started working, about 2 weeks ago.  This is a tech support ("helpdesk analyst") position, which means I’ll be on the phone for at least 9 hours a night… – Hence the "work that mouth" remark.

 

Some more details about the job: As said, this is a helpdesk (1st level) support for a pharmaceutical company – one of the largest actually – called Merck (AKA Merck-Frosst in N.A., and M.S.D. in Europe). 

We (the helpdesk analysts) actually work for an outsourcing company called Ajilon, which is a subsidiary of Adecco – a global human resources company with offices all over the world (including Israel, of course).

 

The job is actually supporting Merck employees in the EMEA (Europe, Middle-East & Africa) regions, which means that it’s a night job – corresponding to the regions’ business hours.

The funny thing is, the company also has an office in Israel (Petach-Tikva), and so my part in the team of analysts will be to take any Hebrew calls that may arrive in the support queue.  Who would’ve thought that knowing Hebrew would eventually land me my first job? (especially as I’ve tried to avoid it so hard).  Anyway, all other analysts are bilingual as well – French/English of course. Which also means that I have a good potential for learning French on the job as well. 

 

As it is an internal helpdesk, the "customers" are pretty well-behaved, so there shouldn’t be a problem there.  We are currently learning the job, gaining/refreshing our knowledge on different products and softwares used by the employees so that we can help them once we "Go Live" with the support lines (we’re actually taking the place of analysts working from Brussels, Belgium).

 

Part of the training has been, for the past three days, "shadowing" live siupport people at the local Merck offices.  This was done to let us see how the actual support is currently being handled, and so we can get tips on using the internal case-recording software (built on top of PeopleSoft CRM), as well as troubleshooting techniques in case we forgot how to do those…

 

There are currently 7 people in my team – 4 native Montrealers, a Korean girl, a Pakistani guy, and myself.  The company is still searching for another Hebrew speaking person to fill the second opening they have for this part, and I’m trying to help them by looking for someone myself, among my <very limited> resources.  All the people in the team are very nice and with past experience in the field, so the atmosphere is very good, and we all get along pretty well (for now…).

 

Apart from that we have of course a Team lead who is new to the company as well and will be probably go through the same hardships we will in the first few weeks (although he does have previous experience managing helpdesk teams).  This guy is also very nice and makes no effort to distance himself from the team, which is very important to building a good relationships with the team members.  The same goes for his boss as well, so overall, it’s a very relaxed, although businesslike environment.

 

Being paid every Friday for the week before (one week lag) means I just got my first Canadian paycheck.  Very exciting, and much needed.  To "celebrate" this, I bought myself a new hard-drive, as my old one decided to die on me just a couple of days before… It goes so fast…

Nevermind – within a few short weeks I will have not only enough money to pay next month’s rent, but also to buy myself a decent TV set which I’m sorely missing, and also probably that much coveted XBOX360 I’ve been putting my eyes on for quite sometime now. Yeppee!

 

I guess that’s it for this update.  I’ll probably make another entry next week to cover any other aspect of my life here that might deserve a mention. (we’re probably looking at quite a short entry there…  ).

 

Ciao.

 

 

 

 

 

G*d damn it!

 

4.5 months, and still no work…  I’m beginning to think those Canadians actually know what they’re doing, keeping me out of the local work force.  It’s really becoming more and more frustrating, and by now also alarming, as my resources (i.e. money!) seem to vanish like, well, dollar bills in a casino (did I mention we have a big one here?).

 

I am about to finish my first French course, which is kind of nice, if you can call anything the French do nice…  the main problem is (as I think I may have already mentioned) that the teacher insists to teach us French in, well, French – not a word of English is allowed (or any other language, which is fine by me, as most of the students are Chinese anyway).  This reminds me of a few years ago, when Borland came out with their Delphi programming language, which they touted as having been written in… well.. Delphi.   Different language, same wondering…

 

this (the French studies) is supposed to help me find a job in this French-stricken town.  However, I now have growing suspicions that this is not the only reason for my failures so far…  Although no one actually went as far as to say it out loud, I think they mostly regard me as either over-qualified (having had many years of experience in my field), or under-accredited.  This seems to be really a major thing for them here, to see accreditations. And since I didn’t bother to update my MCSE since the now arcane NT4.0 era, I am, well, kinda fu*ked.  They also seem to think that a Microsoft systems engineer has to be a CCNA, a Novell expert, a QC buff and a technical writer all at once… well, good luck with that! (oh, who am I kidding?).

 

So, as said in my former post, I am brushing up on my MS skills, while also studying (slowly and privately) the CCNA material, in hope that I can at some point say that I know what they want me to know without having resorted to lying.

 

On a high note, my right knee is now becoming more and more of a pain.. (the high note is the squeeling sound I make everytime it decides to act up on me)… think of your knee’s cartilage nibbling away at your nerves while trying to make a run for it through the bone… that’s what it mainly feels like.   And to think this is my good knee…   I can’t wait to go skiing… :S

 

Oh, heck, it’s after 2:00am… I’ll never get my hours straightened this way..  Well, I guess I’ll go to sleep now and hopefully remember to continue this in the "morning".

 

P.S. Darn friends: going next week for a holiday week in Varadero, Cuba, while I continue to battle with myself here.  Oh, well, they deserve it.  I just wish I could join them…

 

Well, au revoir, as they say… (see, I am putting my learning to use!)

Well, don’t know about those, but these here are the days of the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

So many shows, so many talents from all over the world.  What a delight!

 

Indeed, summer in Montreal is one of the most beautiful experiences.  With the city under snow for most of the year, it’s no wonder summer is celebrated to the fullest.  Downtown and the old city are swarming with tourists from all over the world to see this lovely city and its offerings of old architecture, museums, churches etc. alongside the modern, hi-tech features of the financial and business district.  Top that with streetshows all around, all day long, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a vacation.

 

And as mentioned above, now it’s also the time for music (jazz in particular, but also blues, latin, midwestern and even some rock, among others) conneseurs to take their time and enjoy the many outdoors concerts, going on from noon till midnight, and then party on in the numerous jazz bars…

 

It all sounds like an advertisement, I know, but that’s just because it is really that good. It’s a good thing I decided to come here now and not postpone my arrival to the end of summer…

 

For me, the highlight of the festival is (or rather was) the performance by Maraca and his group "Otra Vision".  An Afro-Cuban Jazz/Son/Salsa band that arrived here from Cuba, unfortunately for just one show.  But what a show! Oh, my God!.  The energy on the stage swept through the croud and left it in extazy.  The crowd (admitedly, mostly Cuban and of other Latino origins) literally did not let them leave the stage until it was absolutely the time for the next performance to start. 

The performance most notably included songs from their albums "Tremenda Rumba" (2002) and "Soy Yo" (2005), which also earned them the Best Recording award as well as a nomination for the Best Danceable Music Album at the latest CubaDisco music awards.  The song "Soy yo" (the theme song from their latest album) was bizzarly not performed during the show, although they thankfully did do part of it during the soudcheck… Glad I was there to catch that 🙂  Again, most notable in the show, which lasted an hour and a half(!! longer than most shows) were "Llevame con tu babalao", "Se te acabo la rumba", "Castigala", "A cualquiera de toca", the excellent Danzon "Estrella del amor" and more.   and again, I have to say: WOW!!!

   

(breathe)

 

On a more personal note –

Just had my first Canadian work interview yesterday (about time, ain’t it?). 

Went pretty well, I think.  talked for over an hour, which everybody agrees is a good sign…  as always, I have reservations about some of the answers I gave (not technical), but overall I believe it was good.  Now I wait for next week hoping to get invited for a "second round", this time with the technical people as well (although I wasn’t told it would be a technical interview, I do presume it will be more of that than the former).

 

Need to do more reading now on the "CCNA" stuff, to re-acquaint myself with the lower layers of networks inner-workings.  Overall, this is not "a dream job", but it certainly does open the door to advancement opportunities inside this good company, which is one of the leaders in its field.

 

That’s it… ’till next week (or the next major event).

 

Aren’t I just the fountain of words tonight, hey?

 

Well, just wanted to write this down before I forget to…

 

So, my friends (the other ones…) who actually found my apartment for me – at the building next to theirs – have decided to move away from Montreal and onto Edmonton, also known as the Oilers town (the Hockey western champions and Stanley Cup finalists).  This is a bit disheartening as they only came to Montreal (also emigrating from Israel) about 6 months before I did.  But then again, their situation is much different than mine, as they are married and have a little child to support.   Oh well.  Wish them the best as they move out later this weekend.

 

On a different note – The Montreal Jazz Festival is starting next week – June 29th to July 9th! lots and lots of performances, some free and others with some kind of charge.  I am especially excited about one performer – the Cuban jazz artist and bandleader Orlando Valle – "Maraca" – well known, also for his recent album "Soy Yo".  Amazingly enough, this is going to be a free concert! Oh, what joy!.

 

Other artists / legends of jazz et al are also going to be there, of course – Great names like Elvis Costello, Etta James, Dave Brubeck, Jesse Cook, Martha Weinwright, John Pizzarelli, Tony Bennett, B.B. King(!) and much much more!

 

WOW!.  what a couple of weeks these are going to be! (I’m starting to hope I don’t get a job till then…)

 

More details on the festival, and a list of artists can be found at the fest website at:

 

But for now, I’ll go back to investing in my Second-Life self, as this one is really starting to prove an addiction.

 

 

That’s it for tonight. Really.

 

 

So, where was I? – Oh, right.. right where I am right now…

 

My primary concern right now is finding a job.  It’s been increasingly frustrating looking for jobs when it’s always blowing in your face with the same answer – "Sorry. You need to know French to work here".  Oh well… Don’t give up just yet, Gal.

 

So I signed myself up for a French course.  Thankfully, the French courses in the Quebec district of Canada are free – sponsored by the government to attract people to the language.  (I guess they know otherwise no one would bother. No one loves the French, do they ? )

 

Have a exam on Wednesday to find out what level I’m gonna enter at.  The beginner levels were all filled out, but I managed to talk them into register me for the intermediate levels – wow! who would have figured that my 7th grade French lessons (which I took for only a year in elementary school would prove so beneficial this far on? – I actually remember things!)

 

Another thing I’m doing now is getting my Canadian driver’s license – exchanged from the Israeli license.  This includes a driving theory test, and a skill test that’s supposed to take about an hour or so.

 

So I did the theory exam (easy enough), but unfortunately, didn’t have an official translation of my Israeli license (Thanks sent to the Israeli Ministry of Transportation, which stupidly enough writes everything in both Hebrew and English on the license, but the type of vehicles allowed to drive, which is only in Hebrew.

True, they have a "type 2", but here passenger cars are considered type 5, so what gives? also, "type B" for motorcycle license is inscripted with the Hebrew letter "ב", not corresponding to anything here.  Thanks again, guys.  Well, so I’ll have to go back to the SAAQ (the Quebec dept. of Motor Vehicles) for that.  Scheduled that for Monday (translation to be done on Sunday).

 

That’s all for now..  stay tuned for more…

 

 

 

So, here I am, in Montreal, Canada.  Been here for the last 3 months, actually (almost, anyway).

Summing up these three months is a breeze:

 

Boredom. settling issues. and more boredom.

 

So it started with me announcing myself as a landed immigrant on the 30th of March to the customs guys at the airport.  A couple of hours later – confirming visa papers, declaring baggage and monitary items etc. – and I was out, trying to find my friends.

Just as I discovered I have no idea where I put my friend’s phone number, he showed up through the crowd.. what luck!.  Well then, took the luggage and off we went to his home.

 

Yada yada … waiting for residence card, health insurance card, and social insurance card… yada.

while waiting, started acquainting myself with the town and its various districts (e.g. Cote St. Luc – where my friends live, Cote de Neige – where some other friends live (and my current residence), Notre-Dame de Grace, Downtown, Old City, etc. etc.).

Found myself a nice little apartment, 2 rooms, pretty quiet.  All in all – OK for the rent I’m paying (includes heating and hot water).

Got all the necessary utilities working – electricity, phone (including cell), internet connection etc. 

Got all the furniture and stuff I sent here in a container through sea from Israel – on my birthday, actually.  Was a nice "gift", to finally have my things again with me.

Got me a computer (not the best, but nicely equiped).  Got some more necessary furniture, and by that, we pretty much come to where I’m at today.

 

End. Part 1 :).