A different sort of Skype chat

I’ve only ever really used Skype to chat to Nick. I have an account set up with my work details included in it so that, if necessary, I can hold calls with international clients occasionally, but Skype for me has nearly always been about talking nonsense on our weekly catch ups.

            That is, until today. I was Skyping with Singapore, as standard, but this time it was for a third round interview for a company that I am hoping I’ll be able to secure a job with before my move in the New Year.

            Everyone I’ve spoken to has told me that there’s no chance of getting a job signed off until you’re in town and ready to work, but these conversations are progressing nicely and a pretty quickly, so I am fairly confident that, all going well and pending some further consideration, I’ll be able to get myself set up with something ahead of time.

            Fingers, toes, everything is crossed that this Skype chat with a difference will pan out well for me – for now, that’s only hope and positive email chasing that will decide whether I’ve got a lot more work to do over the next few months. 

The job hunt continues

With a couple of quiet days, the job hunt has been back at the top of my list of things to get done, and the applications, random emails and LinkedIn stalking has been ramping up accordingly.

            During this week I had a second round interview with a large US based company, lined up a phone interview with a Singapore based company and have started discussions with a London office who are looking to open their Singapore presence in the New Year.

            I’m definitely not powering on through the applications as quickly as I would like to be, but with a couple of options hopefully progressing and starting to take shape, I am still hopeful that I will be able to get something sorted before the big move – no matter how negative some people are about my chances of getting anything signed off before I've made it through the airport and am ready to get started!

Picture perfect

There are a handful of things that I will miss the most when I move to Singapore – my family, my friends, a handful of my favourite haunts in London, and Emsworth.

Missing the view of the sea and the town that I’ve lived in forever and that I’ll be leaving for months on end might seem like a ridiculous thing to worry about, but I really do think it’ll be a bit of a struggle to walk away from.

I know people leave their hometowns all the time, and that they all survive, but there’s something about leaving my particular little corner of the world that makes me ridiculously sad. It’s a very special place!

          Thankfully, I have a very talented friend called Ben who is going to help lessen the pain by painting a series of three small pictures of home for me to pack up in my suitcase and take with me. They will be the first thing that I have bought to add to the little world that myself and Nick will be setting up in the other side of the world, and I am glad that my first addition to our home will be a reminder of the world that I will be running back to as soon as possible.

            Singapore, I’m crazily excited to meet you, but I’m also going to be heartbroken to be leaving so much behind.

There's no place like home!

Having signed off on a letter of intent, and bartered as much as possible on the price, Nick today sent me a video of the little flat that will be ready and waiting for me when I move out to Singapore in a couple of months time!

            Somewhere close to Little India, and in walking distance from a number of the guys I already know out there, our flat looks like it’s going to be pretty much perfect. There’s a kitchen with a tiny oven, a dining area for entertaining, space for an L-shaped sofa which will roll out into a sofa bed for when friends come to stay, with a bedroom joining onto the bathroom, and a balcony with table and chairs for breakfast and brunch’s in the sun. What more could you want? There’s even a pool and a gym one floor down – gone are the days (like this morning) of waking up in the dark, being almost too cold to get out of bed, and then having to trudge through the rain and the wind to get to the pool pre-work.

I think it’s going to be just about ok!