Ok, so this actually happened a week ago, but it was a cool experience, so I will record it in blog-form.
I had an interview for a part-time position at F&B. I originally had doubts about going to said interview because I knew I hadn't mentioned in my cover letter that I was going to Africa. I actually wasn't even going to call and schedule the interview until supervisor convinced me otherwise.
In any case, I go to the interview, which was scheduled perfectly (it was early in the morning, and didn't conflict with the major things I had planned that week, which were convocation and the seniors lunch). I was upfront at the beginning about my availability, and I was interviewed regardless. It actually went really well, I had all these connections to the company, and I had done research which impressed my interviewer. I was also able to talk about my feeling about greenwashing and sustainable design which further impressed my interviewer. My interview concluded with me being asked to come for a second interview the next day, and I asked if my availability was a problem and the interviewer said she still wanted me to meet the general sales manager for a second interview.
I was not expecting any of this. My worst case scenario of the situation was me telling the interviewer my availability issue and having the interview end there.
Anyway, on to the serendipitous moment:
So, In order to accomodate for this unexpected second interview, I needed to move/reschedule a meeting I had scheduled with Supervisor, so I was thinking about how I needed to get home and call her (in my rush to get to the interview on time, I had left my cell at home). Anyway, as I am passing the park across from the Rosedale subway station, I see a woman on a bench with hair like Supervisor, who was dressed like Supervisor...who turned and saw me and WAS Supervisor!
She had had an appointment near Summerhill station, after which she had bought a Venti London Fog, which she drank along the way, which made her slightly queasy, so she decided to cross the street and sit down.
Situations like that make me appreciate God's timing and sense of humour.
Anyway, Supervisor and I ended up having out meeting that day on the bench, then afterwards we walked along Yonge street, got Nepalese felted wool hair ties and went to see a movie. We saw "Fugitive Pieces". It was surprisingly really good. Lots of hidden gem moments.
It was really good to spend time socially with Supervisor, so much of our times together have technically been social (at least more social than most of the meetings I've grown accustomed to within my program), but still filled with details and planning. It was good to have both.
So Friday the 13th came and went, and with it, well...you be the judge:
- Got the equivalent of the scary fundraising phonecall from Navin (but the much tamer version). In my sitch it was an email from supervisor in which she stated Al was "concerned" about my funding. Either way, it sent me into a panic and had me crunching numbers and sending TMI emails to people (but my vulnerability with these emails actually worked in my favour)
- Went to dinner with www.atragicomedy.com and friends at Michelle's Brasserie in Yorkville. It was good until I:
a. ate too many things that made my stomach (and wallet) go "oof"
b. realized I lost my metropass when I went to the ATM before heading to the restaurant.
- We got caught in the storm towards the end of our dinner, so we took refuge in the Four Seasons for a few minutes (I SWEAR that place is haunting me).
- I finally decided to go to the surprise party I said I would be at, especially since I got 6 phone calls about it during dinner, and braved the storm with my broken umbrella, got sideswiped and soaked by a taxi, but finally made it to the party.
- Ironically, I thought that going to the party would be the option that would bring me home sooner. I had been tempted multiple times to ditch the party to go to a concert, which would have ended with me getting a ride home. But I thought leaving downtown, or rather the Gladstone at 12:30 would have been too late. Then I ended up leaving the party at that time, and then took the bus home arriving home at 1:30. wah wah.
- However, it being the 14th when I left the party my night actually got better. I had a lovely chat with Names, got to the station and when my token was originally rejected, I reached in and got it and got an extra token with it (so I DID end up getting a free ride home). I also ran into SY on the subway, and had a good time catching up with her. AND I didn't get harassed/stared at by creepy men on the bus, so everything kinda turned around. :)
So I'm not necessarily superstitious, but I had some unlucky happenings.
- officially graduated from University!
- ate lunch with cb1 and cb2
- found lost umbrella, in the nick of time!
- ate dinner with IVCF president Geri Rodman (she sought ME out and wanted to sit with me!!)
- got to hang out with Jbo and Jhazz!
- got to reconnect with CS!
- gave 3 newsletters away, shared story to multiple people!
- connected with RC and DD
- met TR from Zambia trip, and connected/bonded with PL excited to spend more time with him in July!!
- got $100/monthly donor from what I thought was an unfruitful meeting :D
feel so blessed and TIRED and a wee bit overwhelmed!
After tomorrow I will officially be done University and plow head-first into my new life as an IVCF intern (literally, I will be leaving my ceremony for an IVCF staff lunch)!
This is where I will post how I REALLY feel, not the condensed version on my intern blog...
abalakumaran.blogspot.com
so ummm enjoy!
So this is where we start.
In some recent discussions surrounding the pros and cons of the cultural practice of tipping and how it seems to have invaded every customer/provider relationship in our marketplace, I suggested that maybe what I would start doing was to chronicle every time I came across a "tip cup" and didn't - as I have never done - actually put money in said cup.
I thought that would be pretty funny.
Buy a coffee. Take a picture of the little cup with the desperate plea for change. Then walk away.
I'm thinking now that in addition to doing this I will also keep track of every time I spend money in a tip-worthy (as deemed by the owner of whatever establishment I'm visiting) fashion. The lady who cuts my hair expects a tip, so I generally will provide her with one. The kid who throws newspapers at my door also expects some kind of bonus at Christmas but I have a feeling that he'll be calling me Scrooge for a long time.
Anyways. I'm not totally sure how I'm going to do this but I will do what I can to keep track of how I spend money in situations where a tip is expected and whether or not I actually provide such a bonus. Maybe someday I'll have some fancy tally of how much I've spent this year and what percentage of that has gone to tipping.
Maybe.
Probably not.
