I declined my opportunity to interview for the overseas position. I did some research into the company and became aware of a variety of criticisms made against the company. The two biggest turnoffs:
1) the company attempts to profiteer off its employees
2) the company has a 70% turnover rate in staff every year

Now my list of options is smaller again, but I continue to hope for a way out of my current job. All I know is I’m bored and I’ve considered becoming a temporary States or Europe traveling vagrant if I could make it work. Seriously, I’m getting that desperate.

The more serious options for my life include getting a Master’s Degree or perhaps applying for the JET Programme. If I go for a master’s, currently I’m considering an MBA program in order to have a degree I _can_ use and even combine it with my other natural interests such as music, computers, the internet, or my passion for Japan and other international cultures.

If you don’t know anything about JET, it’s a programme run by the Japanese government where international people come to the country and teach English or other languages to students in a classroom setting. The pay isn’t bad and I’ve heard people generally have a good time. I could end up in a small fishing village, but I also read statements saying that makes it easier to pick up the Japanese language because you have to use it more often. The main bummer about JET is I’ll have to wait to September to apply for the 2007 program.

The big upcoming crisis point in my life is August 1 because I need to know where I’m going to live after I pay my rent in September. The rental authorities want to know by then, and I have no idea. Looking at the calendar, I suppose I should start figuring it out. Eight weeks from now I could actually be vagrant. Awesome!

Anyway. Oh, in case you’re wondering, I didn’t call the girl yet, but I will do it later today.

Categories: Life, Work

I’ve made a few slight mods to the site including the titles of the categories–yup, they’re in English. I love other languages, but I figure it’ll make life easier for 99% of my viewers if they know what my category titles mean.

I’ve also upgraded to a slightly newer version of the theme I’ve been using (Ocadia), but you shouldn’t see much of a difference. I thought about going to a completely new theme, but this one still works for me.

I’m gonna go watch some Copa Mundial (World Cup)! The final game is today.

Categories: The Site

Alright, so tonight was the night to go clubbing down in Denver w/ the girls from work. I’ve never _really_ been clubbing before. I’ve been to a couple clubs, but they were lame; therefore, tonight was the night to actually figure it out. Believe it or not, I danced. Oh yeah, baby. It’s easy to dance when you’ve got people to dance with. Friends rock.

After a while, the dance floor started getting hot. Steaming hot. So to give things a chance to cool down inside, I decided I’d head up to the roof and stand in the rain. I stood on the balcony overlooking some Cowboy bar and the nearby house where they’re filming Real World: Denver. Whilst I stared at the dark night sky and the rain fell upon me, a gorgeous gal walked up and stood beside me.

“I’m so bummed I don’t get to be on Real World!” she said jokingly.

“Yeah, totally, I wanted to be on it, too, but they must be somewhere else tonight,” I replied.

We continued to banter back and forth discussing jobs and school and other things. We even exchanged names. She’s Heidi, I’m “Cal.” After this, I pulled out the big question that every guy hopes he can ask a girl and have a pleasant response.

“So I never usually do this, but can I have your phone number?” I asked her as the rain dripped off my spiked-up hair and I reached for my cell phone.

As her fingers twirled her hair, she said, “Yeah, sure,” and smiled innocently in my direction.

Woooo! Well, Heidi from Georgia, I’ll call you tomorrow!

Categories: Life

Originally, I had a rant typed here, but instead here’s my…

30 Second Manifesto
I want to hold a woman’s hand. Not just any woman. When I run a finger up and down the back of her hand, she needs to know it means more than a self-serving compliment or a chance to get laid. When she sweeps the long-gray hair off her face, we’ll look in each other’s eyes and know love without using words.

Work shouldn’t be draining and it shouldn’t be taxing. I want to live each day like a warrior or a soccer player or a Guatemalan coffee farmer. Each day matters, each minute matters, and life is lived not just for self. Life should be lived for the benefit of family, friends, community, country, and world.

To everything there is a reason and a purpose, and my eyes must look upon the evils as well as the good around me. God has not allowed this world to fall apart — hope exists for those with the heart to embrace it. Desperation will tear you apart if you don’t smite it with the truth of the situation. No matter how things are, there’s more to it than you or I can see.

Categories: Life

When it comes to a choice to sleep or to stay awake and do something I love, I’d much rather stay awake. Even with a choice between sleeping and mindlessly distracting myself, I much prefer mindless distraction. Today (or, rather, last night and this morning), I’ve been doing work on various websites (not much on this one… I hope to set it up using a different template at some point), listening to music, watching Firefly, and rented and watched two movies (two second review: Firewall w/ Harrison Ford isn’t bad for an action movie, though it’s predictable; Jackie Chan’s New Police Story has a horrible plot, but good action).

The album I’m listening to is “The Sufferer and the Witness” from Rise Against. It’s punk of the best sort with raw & raging vocals, accessible melodies, and energetic riffs. It’s a bit political just in time for The Day of Independence, but I haven’t figured out its motivation yet. If you want to listen, currently it’s album #5 on the AOL Full CD Listening Party (gotta be using Windows for this to work and it might want you to install a plugin).
Here’s some lyrics for the song I’m listening to at the moment and loving. Take care!

Artist: Rise Against
Album: The Sufferer & The Witness
Song: Worth Dying For

Lyrics:

Set me off like dynamite strapped tight around my waist
We are the ones in competition but claim this ain’t no race(Let’s go!)

Take a breath and explode like bullets
Tearing through the wind
Cut me up with a razor blade
Then try to separate the skin
Now when the
White flames are burning flags
We found a world worth dying for yeah

Categories: Life