Ethan's 3rd Birthday and Job Searching cont...

Hi. Trying to keep the string of posting every couple of weeks going. Just a matter of discipline, as with most tasks, except this involves writing, so I shouldn't view it as a task really, and I don't. Sometimes I just don't have much to say. Sometimes.

My Mom came to visit for Ethan's birthday. Little guy had a party at his school last Friday with a "Speederman" cake. (that's how he pronounces Spiderman... with a little French accent, very cute, but yes, I will teach him the "correct" way soon Chuck). Then Friday night he had a party at our house with Sara's Mom and her friends, and then Saturday morning he had a party with all his little friends at a local indoor playground. I think it was a little much for him as he got a little testy, and neither he nor his equally-moody father were in the best of moods come Saturday post-party. It was a great weekend though, really nice to have my Mom here. Great that we're so close that she can pop over for a weekend and vice versa. Can't believe our little boy is 3! Photos:












Had that second interview with the bank/securities company, went really well, heard back today that the third and fourth interview will probably be Thursday or Friday of this week with the head of the legal department and then the CEO. The job isn't really an executive job, but I'll be basically the right hand on all internal communications for the board meetings, etc. and so interacting with all the execs, so I guess that's why they want to meet with me. The job is actually very interesting, and I really hope I get it. It involves writing and editing, and I'm interested in the content, so that helps.

The personality tests I've taken the last couple of months during my job searching basically told me I should be doing one thing in my life with my motivations and my skill set, and that is creating/writing. Out of hundreds of occupations, job tasks, the two things it recommended I pursue - international activities and writing, so maybe I should finally be honest with myself and listen. I am also really interested in economics and finance, even though i don't have the skills at present, I have the motivation, and this company/position would fit all the criteria I'm looking for, so I'm really hopeful this one works out.

I had applied for two other positions, one as a Counselor at a local high school here, but I didn't get a call back for an interview because of my lack of experience. I also interviewed for at an Asset Mgmt company focusing on Real Estate research, but I didn't get past the first round of interviews because of my age and my major. They're very personal here in interviews in that they will ask you for your age, how many kids you have, etc., and this guy was looking for someone in their mid-20's ideally with a Masters in Econ. Not me, but I thought I could make up for it with my passion for Real Estate, which I will always have, but I think it will just be a hobby, as an investment vehicle, if we get to the point hopefully where we can invest. Prices are going up here quickly, so we'll try to get in even on a small level before it gets too nuts and rates go up too much.

The Giants of Dendermonde 9.14.06

No, it's not my attempt at a Roald Dahl-ish title. A couple of weeks ago, we went out to this Flemish town about 40 mins outside Brussels, invited by a colleague, Chiara, from Sara's work. Chiara and her husband Peter and their daughter live in a Flemish town called Dendermonde, about 40 mins outside Brussels, and the town has this "procession of giants" on the last Thursday of August. It dates back to the 13th Century I think they said. See photos.

This is one of hundreds of festivals across Belgium. The Belgians LOVE their festivals. I think almost every little town/city has at least one a year. All these towns are autonomous places with their own history, completely separate from Brussels... really cool, really gives you a sense of place I think. This is the type of stuff that really separates Europe for me. You can recreate the food, the language, the art, the architecture even, but this kind of thing, a procession that dates back 800 years with generations and generations of a town having participated, that can't be recreated. It's cool for us and especially for the kids to be around, but then again, will we/they ever really feel like they're at home, like they belong in a place with such a long history that isn't like their history at all. That's one thing I worry about, in part because I always have to have something to be neurotic about. I know what you're thinking, and no, I donÂ’t know how Sara lives with me. Good thing I got her when she was young and my neuroses were charmingÂ… or something. Actually it was probably all the booze. Saw me through wine-cooler-colored glasses.





















This guy was like a goose shephard, the Pied Piper of Geese or something. He and one Border Collie had these geese completely in line. I think it blew Ethan's mind, this whole thing, with the giants and the geese, and everything really. His eyes were so wide open and his mouth agape the entire time. There was one part where all these older people were doing this impromptu stage type thing, drinking and singing and arguing, and Chiara told us that they were actually really drinking, and you could tell that a lot of them were trashed. We're talking about 60 and 70 year olds and maybe older stumbling through town, in front of everybody, shitfaced. Fantastic.

Also some photos from a couple of weekends ago in the Woluwe park on a beautiful sunny Sunday after having our neighbor, Sandra, and her kids, Alix and Maxim, over for lunch. Sandra is Dutch, but she lived in LA for 10+ years, so it's cool to have someone here who knows LA, though she doesn't have a particularly high opinion of it. When I first met her and found out she used to live in LA, I said, "Cool, nice place, huh?", and she responds "Oh god, no, AWFUL. Couldn't stand it." What do you say to that? One of many introductions to the notorious European bluntness. You get used to it, but at first coming from the US where people are generally positive and wait until you leave the room to say something negative, it takes a little getting used to. I actually like the direct route most of the time, but sometimes it really throws you off if you're not expecting it.

Also in photos are Soren and his kids. Soren is the Danish guy from down the street who let us use his and his wife's house in the South of France back in May. He's an attorney for the European Commission, and he was telling me about being at the WTO summit in St. Petersburg back in July, handling the entry negotiations with Russia. Must be fascinating work.







Speaking of work, I had a preliminary interview with a bank/securities clearinghouse today, waiting to hear back about a second interview. They told me to be prepared for 3-4 more interviews plus a test as well. I'd heard of the grueling bank hiring process, but this will be my first experience with it. Wish me luck!