What's going on with your life?

@Bastion how was your first driving lesson? I got my drivers license last year's august. I'll never forget all the troubles I encountered with the driving school and then the traffic exam.

@Raduwent rather well I'd say, spent around an hour driving for the first time, learned the basics (mirrors, gears, ect)

Although I did stall the car twice, went over the sidewalk a couple of times and had a fair few moments where I had to give control to the instructor because I either screwed up a turning or panicked.

Lot of fun though.

Jesus you make me feel old, got my driving licence 16 years ago. I'm almost twice your age

I might actually have to redo everything, being an expat and not needing a car, realised the licence was expiring as I was going on holiday, then didn't have the time/forgotten to renew so now after 6 months they probably won't just let me renew

@blackdog That ought to make you feel young again! Do you have interesting drivers stories?

fixed my washing machine today. feeling great.:D

Oh man this "getting a job" thing turned out to be fucking hard or maybe I'm just unlucky. Anyway, I'm really bummed out at the moment due to not having anything to do during the day.. Skateboarding, yoga and climbing is fairly limited in terms of how long you can do it so I spend a lot of time doing nothing. Uhhg.

Going to Munich next week to a huge apparel trade show, my dad was going anyway and he figured that I might improve my chances at getting a job if I do. I'm not sure but I like trade shows so at least I'll get to see tons of cool product.

Keep getting treated shitty at work.

Emailed the boss yesterday because it's been two months they offered a promotion, and then never wanted to discuss details so I'm already doing stuff that the new position requires but not the money.

plus I'm the one idiot that doesn't have priority for a workstation despite without my office work the centre can't function.

boss said, for the Nth time that "tomorrow we'll talk", but I bet he won't show his face today. I just wish I could find a new job in a snap, so I could resign when he will fail to sort this in time for the deadline I asked him.

~

@Radu I have a couple of fun cautionary driving tales, just haven't gotten round to write.

Quote from blackdog

On 2/3/2017 at 10:56 PM, blackdog said: boss said, for the Nth time that "tomorrow we'll talk", but I bet he won't show his face today. I just wish I could find a new job in a snap, so I could resign when he will fail to sort this in time for the deadline I asked him.

So...Did your boss avoid the talk once again?

Also, It's my third month of backpacking around Southeast Asia....Found my way to a remote island in the Philippines. The road ahead is full of curves and uncertainties...got no clue where I'll be sleeping the next night.

Quote from Zarsky

16 hours ago, Zarsky said: So...Did your boss avoid the talk once again?

Also, It's my third month of backpacking around Southeast Asia....Found my way to a remote island in the Philippines. The road ahead is full of curves and uncertainties...got no clue where I'll be sleeping the next night.

Remote islands full of animal predators, hostile indigenous tribes and low internet bandwidth are the worst.

Been off sick since yesterday and somehow that's got me into getting more work done. I suppose since I have nothing else to really do, sitting back and grinding out as many paragraphs of text is the best way to spend my time alongside working on levels in editor and on paper.

I'd be enjoying this a lot if I didn't feel awful.

Aside from that I've got another driving lesson soon, no set date just yet but it's almost sorted.

If you didn't feel awful you'd do something unproductive in celebration of your good health.

Quote from Bastion

7 hours ago, Bastion said: Been off sick since yesterday and somehow that's got me into getting more work done […] grinding out as many paragraphs of text is the best way to spend my time alongside working on levels in editor and on paper.

When you talk about paragraphs… talk about school stuff, or is it creative writing?

Quote from blackdog

38 minutes ago, blackdog said: When you talk about paragraphs… talk about school stuff, or is it creative writing?

Mix of the two actually. few pages droning on about risk assessments being followed by a few paragraphs on my portfolio blog, writing up level concepts and rewriting my CV.

Quote from FrieChamp

On 2/9/2017 at 4:37 PM, FrieChamp said: Remote islands full of animal predators, hostile indigenous tribes and low internet bandwidth are the worst.

Agreed.....but once I've suffered through it all, I'll value my normal daily life so much more. When you see people sleeping on the sidewalks you get a slightly different perspective on what a good life is.

Also, I love diving and I'd much rather do it in crystal clear 30C°water.

Quote from Zarsky

On 08/02/2017 at 4:09 PM, Zarsky said: So...Did your boss avoid the talk once again?

Also, It's my third month of backpacking around Southeast Asia....Found my way to a remote island in the Philippines. The road ahead is full of curves and uncertainties...got no clue where I'll be sleeping the next night.

No my boss didn't talk to me. Spoke to the line manager and finally, after she contacted him, he replied to my original email and explained he can't do the increment until I have my PDR... what a dick, why didn't you say so the 4th Jan?! While regarding my promotion he says he's been holding off because Head Office is launching a "trainee" scheme for these roles as well. Sounds really weird, I've contacted Hospitality Managers from other centres to see if they heard anything. Even if it is, sounds like the kind of bs they do to save money. I'm far from expert, but after 2 years managing 12 people you can't put me on a trainee scheme because you didn't bother to train me before! (I've only done a management course sept-dec 2016). I bet I will have to negotiate a higher pay, they will refuse, and I will leave.

Big kudos for your backpacking! So jealous, I've been wanting that for a while. I discussed with my girlfriend to take a 1 month holiday this year (eventually timing it with me leaving the job) and go to a hiking holiday in Canada. For now she's taken three weeks (can't take more)... hope nothing comes in the way and this worry is the only reason I'm not at ease regarding that.

Quote from blackdog

9 hours ago, blackdog said: Spoiler

No my boss didn't talk to me. Spoke to the line manager and finally, after she contacted him, he replied to my original email and explained he can't do the increment until I have my PDR... what a dick, why didn't you say so the 4th Jan?! While regarding my promotion he says he's been holding off because Head Office is launching a "trainee" scheme for these roles as well. Sounds really weird, I've contacted Hospitality Managers from other centres to see if they heard anything. Even if it is, sounds like the kind of bs they do to save money. I'm far from expert, but after 2 years managing 12 people you can't put me on a trainee scheme because you didn't bother to train me before! (I've only done a management course sept-dec 2016). I bet I will have to negotiate a higher pay, they will refuse, and I will leave.

Big kudos for your backpacking! So jealous, I've been wanting that for a while. I discussed with my girlfriend to take a 1 month holiday this year (eventually timing it with me leaving the job) and go to a hiking holiday in Canada. For now she's taken three weeks (can't take more)... hope nothing comes in the way and this worry is the only reason I'm not at ease regarding that.

It's a shame that they can't be upfront with their decisions. I hope you get the wage you deserve and if not, take the opportunity to go on a unforgettable hike instead. Things will pan out one way or the other. Just don't let people walk over you.

How would one go about choosing the university for one's computer science master's degree?

I am facing that currently and I'm kinda stuck. I have two universities appearing to be similar on everything with controversy about which one is the best choice. From the few people I talked to about it in the gaming industry ETH in Zurich seems to be better, but from the other people I've talked to about it, EPFL in Lausanne is as good or even better.

From the veterans around here, what have you heard about these kinds of subjects?

Last night I finished my work on the achievement icons for Furious Angels (trailer), a game by my mate creator the The Specialists Mod for HL. I also made the logo for that. Release is soon

~

Regarding my daytime job....

Quote from Zarsky

On 12/02/2017 at 3:45 AM, Zarsky said: It's a shame that they can't be upfront with their decisions. I hope you get the wage you deserve and if not, take the opportunity to go on a unforgettable hike instead. Things will pan out one way or the other. Just don't let people walk over you.

Yeah, is very stressful when people are not transparent. I don't understand what harm can make. It was infuriating to hear he say my line manager "said too much" when she informed me they were "thinking of offering an 'assistant manager' position" in December... that means that wasn't an offer and we've spent two months raveling on it for nothing!? I don't even know how much I have to wait for progress on this bs position now, the boss was saying the offer is being delayed by the fact that the girl in HR in Head Office has been sick three weeks (dafuq come on); yesterday while doing my Personal Development Review (the second in 3.5 years working here!) my line manager didn't sound confident that this offer will be here soon! So I'm like supposed to do all this extra stuff good for experience without the pay and job title to put on the CV?

Dear Brits Mapcoreans, is this the kind of thing I have to expect everywhere here? (this is my first and only job in the UK.) Because if that's the case I might consider to change everything again. I've always been told that UK was very meritocratic but doesn't feel this way.

I don't care to make a career in this place, but would be really handy to save the extra money, as by living in the workplace I can at least save a lot (more than half of the monthly salary if I don't go crazy with outings).

~

For my trekking holiday idea started discussing a bit with my girlfriend which has also turned around on my Canada idea, saying she didn't think was the only option and the country is not on her priority list as is "somewhere you can go when you're older too". I wouldn't mind doing another original holiday like going in Nepal or some other extravagant country, but if she starts downsizing more and more with the excuse that she wants to save for buying the house then I'm ready to say I'll go on my own wherever I want... she already said I'll have to go to New Zealand on my own if I want to since she's already been in her gap year after uni.

Just started my week by planting my ass on a piss soaked buss seat. Oh god I love humans.

Quote from Sjonsson

1 hour ago, Sjonsson said: Just started my week by planting my ass on a piss soaked buss seat. Oh god I love humans.

they were just marking their territory