*Visited the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival, Mountain View Obon Festival, and the Computer History Museum for the first time.
*Ate at Shanghai Garden Restaurant in Cupertino, CA for the first time.
*Updated my reading wish list.
*Consolidated my job search queries to reduce duplicate search results and to save time job searching.
*Cleaned the house.
*Microwaved vegetables for dinner for the first time.
*Washed my car at a self-serve car wash for the first time.
*Purchased a pair of hiking socks from REI.
*Ate a ice cream sandwich at Cream and drank a Jarritos both for the first time.
*Finished reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
*Completed the Excel online classes from Accountemps.
*Hiked at Castle Rock Regional Park for the first time.
*Celebrated my mom's birthday.
*Finished watching Suisei No Gargantia and Hataraku Maou Sama anime series.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
What Happened?
Blogger's note: Today's blog is posted at both Innovating Common Knowledge and Finding Raymond Mar blogs. The Q&A blog entry is written with limited editing for grammar and content.
The question is straightforward. What happened? I want to discuss and explore the answers. I'm currently unemployed and looking for a job. I had past success such that I was on my way to living a good life. I had a job, a car, friends, and some money in the bank. Somehow, I failed to reach the next level in my life. Let's find out what happened, why, how did I screw up, when, and where.
Let's set up the discussion. Start with the year 2007.
The beginning of 2007 was great. I worked at Cisco, purchased my own new car, and started my orthodontic treatment. The exception was my grandfather passed away. The wind was blowing behind my back. Everything went well. Nothing stopped me.
I lost control of my life starting in the summer of 2007. I didn't know what I was doing. I regained control on my life starting on Sat Oct 4, 2008 at Los Altos, CA, when I realized I must grow up. My new life started.
I lost my job in Nov 2008 because of the real estate bubble and financial crisis. I went back to college to earn an AA degree in Accounting. I graduated in Mar 2011. I finished college in Jun 2011. I'm currently looking for a job.
So, what happened?
I took life for granted. I failed to earn my successes. I say at least 90% of my successes before Nov 2008 were luck and timing. It seems life caught up with me currently living with no luck and bad timing.
Most of the way I lived in the past caught up with me. I'm currently correcting the mistakes and learning from them. I'm breaking bad habits and bad lessons. I have been self-discovering and finding who I am. One lesson I learned is always meet new people and make new friends. The people I know in my life can help me when I have a problem. I was taught to do everything by myself. Wrong. To be successful, I need people to help me. In other words, nobody can live being alone.
You worked at Cisco, you owned your car, and you had some money in the bank, all in 2007. How come you didn't move out of your parent's house?
I believed in living life for the long run. I was saving money to buy at house since July 1998. The housing market continued to get more expensive. Then the dot-com bubble burst in March 2000. I had been saving money throughout my jobs with no thought of moving out.
What's the honest reason you stayed at home with your parents?
I wasn't a mature adult. I acted, behaved, and thought of as a naive person. I was immature. I was weak, a coward, and lacked wisdom for being an adult.
What about living life in the long run?
That was a bad life lesson I learned. Life is short. I must live a life experiencing new experiences, seeking new adventures, and innovating my life continuously. Live the moment.
Do you think your life is different if you moved out when you had the opportunity?
Absolutely yes. I believed I could have been a mature and responsible adult.
What do you think your life was terrible from the middle of 2007 to that day when you realized you must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.
I hated the world. I hated my life because life was not the way I wanted to be. I either failed or took too long to adjust to a new career, new work environment, new commute, new co-workers, new responsibilities, and new obligations. I didn't want to change. I wanted to keep my old life.
The most disappointing part was I continued to be naive or an immature adult.
If you had a life mulligan, when do you use it?
August 1992, my first semester at San Jose State. I wanted to re-do my college years. I failed to live a good college life making new friends, joining clubs and extra activities, and doing new things. I failed to seek new adventures and experience new experiences. I should have worked part-time throughout my college career. And I didn't discover the real Raymond Mar.
Going back to college to earn your AA degree in Accounting partially fulfilled the mulligan.
It did. I was happy. The AA degree was part of the reason going back to college. The other part was correcting my mistakes and reliving my life in my 20s. I met new friends, I created memories in and out of the classroom, and I met my current girlfriend. I tried new things. Going back to school was a satisfactory chapter in my life.
How's life being a grown up?
Life is great. I'm wiser, smarter, and stronger. I don't hate the world. I consider myself lucky I realized I must grow up. I know people older than me who are still immature. I have a friendly and attractive personality.
I'm currently catching up with my life, and I'm not done. I'm experiencing new experiences and went on adventures I should have done in my 20s. I have the most friends ever and I have a girlfriend. I have new hobbies such as hiking, ballroom dancing, and playing Mahjong. I expand my interests such as classical jazz and movie classics.
How do you convince yourself, eventually, everything is going to be okay?
I continue to live my life. I continue to learn from my mistakes. I continue to live a better life. Never stop learning.
Trust what I do today for tomorrow. Steve Jobs said it best when it comes to connecting the dots. Jobs said, "You can’t connect the dots looking forward . . . trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” The future is unknown. I know I continue to grow up, learn something new, and find new adventures. And because the future is unknown, live life in the present. Create memories today.
Trust what I do today, and with my past life, they give me a bright, successful, and happy future.
The question is straightforward. What happened? I want to discuss and explore the answers. I'm currently unemployed and looking for a job. I had past success such that I was on my way to living a good life. I had a job, a car, friends, and some money in the bank. Somehow, I failed to reach the next level in my life. Let's find out what happened, why, how did I screw up, when, and where.
Let's set up the discussion. Start with the year 2007.
The beginning of 2007 was great. I worked at Cisco, purchased my own new car, and started my orthodontic treatment. The exception was my grandfather passed away. The wind was blowing behind my back. Everything went well. Nothing stopped me.
I lost control of my life starting in the summer of 2007. I didn't know what I was doing. I regained control on my life starting on Sat Oct 4, 2008 at Los Altos, CA, when I realized I must grow up. My new life started.
I lost my job in Nov 2008 because of the real estate bubble and financial crisis. I went back to college to earn an AA degree in Accounting. I graduated in Mar 2011. I finished college in Jun 2011. I'm currently looking for a job.
So, what happened?
I took life for granted. I failed to earn my successes. I say at least 90% of my successes before Nov 2008 were luck and timing. It seems life caught up with me currently living with no luck and bad timing.
Most of the way I lived in the past caught up with me. I'm currently correcting the mistakes and learning from them. I'm breaking bad habits and bad lessons. I have been self-discovering and finding who I am. One lesson I learned is always meet new people and make new friends. The people I know in my life can help me when I have a problem. I was taught to do everything by myself. Wrong. To be successful, I need people to help me. In other words, nobody can live being alone.
You worked at Cisco, you owned your car, and you had some money in the bank, all in 2007. How come you didn't move out of your parent's house?
I believed in living life for the long run. I was saving money to buy at house since July 1998. The housing market continued to get more expensive. Then the dot-com bubble burst in March 2000. I had been saving money throughout my jobs with no thought of moving out.
What's the honest reason you stayed at home with your parents?
I wasn't a mature adult. I acted, behaved, and thought of as a naive person. I was immature. I was weak, a coward, and lacked wisdom for being an adult.
What about living life in the long run?
That was a bad life lesson I learned. Life is short. I must live a life experiencing new experiences, seeking new adventures, and innovating my life continuously. Live the moment.
Do you think your life is different if you moved out when you had the opportunity?
Absolutely yes. I believed I could have been a mature and responsible adult.
What do you think your life was terrible from the middle of 2007 to that day when you realized you must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008.
I hated the world. I hated my life because life was not the way I wanted to be. I either failed or took too long to adjust to a new career, new work environment, new commute, new co-workers, new responsibilities, and new obligations. I didn't want to change. I wanted to keep my old life.
The most disappointing part was I continued to be naive or an immature adult.
If you had a life mulligan, when do you use it?
August 1992, my first semester at San Jose State. I wanted to re-do my college years. I failed to live a good college life making new friends, joining clubs and extra activities, and doing new things. I failed to seek new adventures and experience new experiences. I should have worked part-time throughout my college career. And I didn't discover the real Raymond Mar.
Going back to college to earn your AA degree in Accounting partially fulfilled the mulligan.
It did. I was happy. The AA degree was part of the reason going back to college. The other part was correcting my mistakes and reliving my life in my 20s. I met new friends, I created memories in and out of the classroom, and I met my current girlfriend. I tried new things. Going back to school was a satisfactory chapter in my life.
How's life being a grown up?
Life is great. I'm wiser, smarter, and stronger. I don't hate the world. I consider myself lucky I realized I must grow up. I know people older than me who are still immature. I have a friendly and attractive personality.
I'm currently catching up with my life, and I'm not done. I'm experiencing new experiences and went on adventures I should have done in my 20s. I have the most friends ever and I have a girlfriend. I have new hobbies such as hiking, ballroom dancing, and playing Mahjong. I expand my interests such as classical jazz and movie classics.
How do you convince yourself, eventually, everything is going to be okay?
I continue to live my life. I continue to learn from my mistakes. I continue to live a better life. Never stop learning.
Trust what I do today for tomorrow. Steve Jobs said it best when it comes to connecting the dots. Jobs said, "You can’t connect the dots looking forward . . . trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” The future is unknown. I know I continue to grow up, learn something new, and find new adventures. And because the future is unknown, live life in the present. Create memories today.
Trust what I do today, and with my past life, they give me a bright, successful, and happy future.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Positives Sat June 29-Fri July 12, 2013
*Caught up with D. Gray Man manga.
*Ate at Maria Maria and Shanghai Garden restaurants for the first time.
*Attended a wedding engagement party in Woodside, CA.
*Sold all my items I wanted to sell on eBay.
*Anime marathon. Catching up with Space Brothers.
*Fourth Of July. One of my uncle's family visited.
*Showered with Old Spice High Endurance Pure Sport body wash for the first time.
*Read the visual novel Planetarium.
*Ate Special K Protein cereal for the first time.
*Ate at Maria Maria and Shanghai Garden restaurants for the first time.
*Attended a wedding engagement party in Woodside, CA.
*Sold all my items I wanted to sell on eBay.
*Anime marathon. Catching up with Space Brothers.
*Fourth Of July. One of my uncle's family visited.
*Showered with Old Spice High Endurance Pure Sport body wash for the first time.
*Read the visual novel Planetarium.
*Ate Special K Protein cereal for the first time.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Positives Wed June 12-Fri June 28, 2013
*Finished editing and uploaded Fanime 2013 cosplay pics.
*Installed Windows 7 for my cousin's laptop.
*Cleaned the house.
*Ate cinnamon and butter on toast.
*Finished reading The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.
*Used Backyard Brick Oven cooking spice for the first time.
*Installed Windows 7 for my cousin's laptop.
*Cleaned the house.
*Ate cinnamon and butter on toast.
*Finished reading The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.
*Used Backyard Brick Oven cooking spice for the first time.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Quiz: Pop Culture
I read an article on the San Francisco Bay Area pop culture that inspired me to blog today's quiz. Good luck!
1. Which 1980s action TV show did my brother and I watch religiously and play with their toys?
a. The Dukes Of Hazzard
b. The A-Team
c. Knight Rider
d. T.J. Hooker
2. Which of the following TV series did my girlfriend introduce me? I watched at least one season of each series. (Choose two.)
a. Band Of Brothers
b. The Big Band Theory
c. Blue Bloods
d. Breaking Bad
e. Burn Notice
3. Name the artist I purchased my first CD?
a. Mariah Carey
b. Celine Dion
c. Michael Jackson
d. Billy Joel
4. Name the band I watched live at AT&T Park in July 2010?
a. Paul McCartney
b. Steve Miller Band
c. Bruce Springsteen
d. U2
5. How many times did I watch Titanic in total?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 5
6. Identify the year I did the following:
a. First time I watched a movie at a drive-thru?
b. First time I watched a movie out of California?
c. First time I watched a 3D movie?
d. First time I watched a movie outdoors?
e. First time I watched Batman Begins?
7. What is my favorite ballet?
a. Coppelia
b. Swan Lake
c. The Nutcracker
8. What anime series did I watch in the USA that made me become an anime fan?
a. Starblazers
b. Robotech
c. Sailor Moon
d. Noozles
9. My parents took me to see a movie while I was sick. If I wasn't sick, I could have attended a birthday party. Name the movie.
a. E.T.
b. Tron
c. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
d. The Secret Of Nimh
10. I saw Star Wars episodes 4, 5, or 6 in the movie theaters?
a. True
b. False
11. Bonus: How many AFI's Top 100 Films from their 1997 list did I watch? (+/-5 range)
1. Which 1980s action TV show did my brother and I watch religiously and play with their toys?
a. The Dukes Of Hazzard
b. The A-Team
c. Knight Rider
d. T.J. Hooker
2. Which of the following TV series did my girlfriend introduce me? I watched at least one season of each series. (Choose two.)
a. Band Of Brothers
b. The Big Band Theory
c. Blue Bloods
d. Breaking Bad
e. Burn Notice
3. Name the artist I purchased my first CD?
a. Mariah Carey
b. Celine Dion
c. Michael Jackson
d. Billy Joel
4. Name the band I watched live at AT&T Park in July 2010?
a. Paul McCartney
b. Steve Miller Band
c. Bruce Springsteen
d. U2
5. How many times did I watch Titanic in total?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 5
6. Identify the year I did the following:
a. First time I watched a movie at a drive-thru?
b. First time I watched a movie out of California?
c. First time I watched a 3D movie?
d. First time I watched a movie outdoors?
e. First time I watched Batman Begins?
7. What is my favorite ballet?
a. Coppelia
b. Swan Lake
c. The Nutcracker
8. What anime series did I watch in the USA that made me become an anime fan?
a. Starblazers
b. Robotech
c. Sailor Moon
d. Noozles
9. My parents took me to see a movie while I was sick. If I wasn't sick, I could have attended a birthday party. Name the movie.
a. E.T.
b. Tron
c. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
d. The Secret Of Nimh
10. I saw Star Wars episodes 4, 5, or 6 in the movie theaters?
a. True
b. False
11. Bonus: How many AFI's Top 100 Films from their 1997 list did I watch? (+/-5 range)
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Positives Thur May 30-Tues June 11, 2013
*Spring cleaned the entire house.
*Ate a Roti Bun at Honeyberry for the first time.
*Finished watching Saki Episode A Achiga Hen.
*Anime marathon and mini marathon to catch up for the Spring season.
*Visited the Union Street Festival in San Francisco. I rode a MUNI bus for the first time.
*New places I ate dinner were Spice Kit Restaurant and Margarita's.
*Auto repairs. I got new brake pads and resurfaced brake rotors. I also got new freon for my A/C and changed my cabin air filter.
*Watched Star Trek: Into Darkness movie.
*Purchased Stand By Me on DVD.
*Ate a Roti Bun at Honeyberry for the first time.
*Finished watching Saki Episode A Achiga Hen.
*Anime marathon and mini marathon to catch up for the Spring season.
*Visited the Union Street Festival in San Francisco. I rode a MUNI bus for the first time.
*New places I ate dinner were Spice Kit Restaurant and Margarita's.
*Auto repairs. I got new brake pads and resurfaced brake rotors. I also got new freon for my A/C and changed my cabin air filter.
*Watched Star Trek: Into Darkness movie.
*Purchased Stand By Me on DVD.
Friday, June 7, 2013
What Is Your Short Term Goal?
Blogger's note: The Q&A blog entry is written with limited editing for grammar and content.
What's the answer to your question? I want consistency in my life. The entire 2013 has been inconsistent. It's frustrating. I'm unhappy. I have been struggling to live a consistent normal life.
Consistency is important to live a good life. I wrote a blog that consistency, control, choices, and being proactive are the four keys to life a good life. I have been lacking consistency. I want it back.
Here's the link to my blog: The Three C's And A P: Choices, Consistency, Control, Proactive
Another way to answer the question is I'm catching up. I'm significantly catching up in my life. It's time to cross out the items in my to-do list that was supposed to be accomplished months ago.
What are you doing to live a consistent life? I'm being more proactive. I'm focusing to accomplish my goal and my list of tasks. At the same time, I do my best to help out in the house including washing dishes, laundry, and cooking. I plan ahead for the next 24-48 hours and I plan ahead for the weekend. Having the short-term goal is making all of these easier.
What are the results so far? The results are immediate. The first result was big. I cleaned the entire house including vacuuming and mopping the floors. I was recovering from allergies I experienced in the middle of May. I started cleaning the house after Memorial Day. The house is much easier to breath. I plan to clean the house every three weeks because the house gets dirty easily. It's prevention to avoid allergies and getting sick.
The last weekend of May I watched eight episodes of anime to catch up on the Spring 2013 season. That was huge. I fell behind many episodes in various series.
I started going back to the gym on the first week of June. I got my breaks repaired, added more freon to my car's A/C, and replaced my cabin air filter. I went to my dentist appointment for my regular checkup. I'm selling DVDs on half.com priced to sell. I resume reading books and writing blogs.
How do you feel so far? Stress free, being professional. Life is good. I live life with a personality. I'm not making little mistakes anymore. I made too many in April and May. I feel my life is going back up instead of going nowhere. I feel accomplished.
When did you start working on the short term goal? I started on Tue May 28, the day after Memorial Day and after Fanime Con 2013.
How long do you need to succeed? I like to accomplish my goal in 3-4 weeks. I accept finishing the first week of July after Fourth Of July.
What inspired you to create the consistent life goal? I was inspired on Thur May 23 when I realized I needed to clean the entire house. The house was dirty and dusty. I realized my allergies I suffered starting in mid May was the result of my dirty and dusty house. I devoted time to clean the house. I might as well devote additional days and weeks to take a break, relax, and recuperate. I have a fresh mind when my life begins with consistency.
What about job searching? I thought of changes to my job search; for example, consolidating searching for analyst positions. I used to search for business analyst, research analyst, data analyst, etc. When I resume job searching, I search for all analyst positions. I consider bringing back searching for accounting jobs.
I have been receiving inquires about positions that match my job skills for the past 10 days.
You don't believe in goals, at least short term goals. Obviously, your biggest goals at the moment are getting a job and moving out. This is my opportunity to really reset, refocus, and free my mind. When I'm ready and settling in to a consistent life, I'm ready to job hunt with a new mind refreshed and renewed.
How much do you think you spend? The biggest expense is gas because some of what I'm doing is outside the house. Dentist and auto repairs were costs already budgeted before the short-term goal was established.
I do my best to save money, take advantage of sales should I need to purchase anything, and avoid splurging which I'm very good at.
Is this the 2007 summer sabbatical that failed? Absolutely not. I'm going to earn my consistent life. I'm not going to take this opportunity for granted. I'm not going to repeat what happened in 2007.
This is like getting back to Winter 2009 after you lost your job at Cisco. Definitely yes. I remember the beginning of 2009 was like a blessing in disguise after my contact was terminated. It was a period when I need to grow up and find the real Raymond Mar. I needed a life time out. I was confused, lost, and I didn't know what to do.
Similarly, I need to find consistency. I need to fulfill my obligations I neglected for at least a month. I only had one interview so far this year. The break for job hunting can benefit me such that I can think of smarter and more efficient ways to job search, as mentioned earlier. I already thought of a couple ideas. I take advantage of being jobless to find my life consistency just like in 2009 finding Raymond Mar, who is now the grown up, wiser, stronger, and more mature Raymond Mar.
Like in 2009, you found new hobbies such as ballroom dancing and hiking. Is there anything new you want to do? Yes, I want to play more Mahjong. Yes, I already know the basics. The new part is I want to play with more people and have more opportunities. I met a person at Fanime Con who hosts Mahjong on Meetup. I used my old account and signed up for Mahjong Meetups in the Bay Area. This is a good opportunity to meet new people.
Another kinda new thing is I want to sell some personal items on eBay and half.com. I already have an account. I haven't sold online in years.
I want to catch up on D. Gray Man Japanese comic. It's going to be a first I'm caught up on a current comic series. I finished reading Fullmetal Alchemist, my only comic series I finished.
And I plan to visit the city of Pacifica and the Computer History Museum both for the first time.
What are you going to do after you succeed? I'm going back to job hunting with new perspectives, stronger focus, and changes to how I search for a job. I'm going to find time to take online training classes starting with basics Excel and Access. I want to learn salesforce.com and Oracle.
I continue reading books, working out at the gym, spend time with my girlfriend and my friends, taking care of the house, and, as always, finding new adventures and experiencing new experiences.
Do you have any advice for people in your similar situation? Enjoy life. Even unemployed people deserve time off or a vacation. Take a break, refocus, and come back with a new perspective and a refresh mind. The job market is improving very slowly at best. In my opinion, the job market continues to be tough for at least two years. Hundreds of people apply for open positions. That's my mindset, and its reality.
The bottom line is to find something you always wanted to do. Then do it. Take advantage of your unemployment. Find a week or two and go on vacation. The world is not going to end tomorrow.
Somehow, someway, everyone is going to pull through and survive the current tough economic conditions.
What's the answer to your question? I want consistency in my life. The entire 2013 has been inconsistent. It's frustrating. I'm unhappy. I have been struggling to live a consistent normal life.
Consistency is important to live a good life. I wrote a blog that consistency, control, choices, and being proactive are the four keys to life a good life. I have been lacking consistency. I want it back.
Here's the link to my blog: The Three C's And A P: Choices, Consistency, Control, Proactive
Another way to answer the question is I'm catching up. I'm significantly catching up in my life. It's time to cross out the items in my to-do list that was supposed to be accomplished months ago.
What are you doing to live a consistent life? I'm being more proactive. I'm focusing to accomplish my goal and my list of tasks. At the same time, I do my best to help out in the house including washing dishes, laundry, and cooking. I plan ahead for the next 24-48 hours and I plan ahead for the weekend. Having the short-term goal is making all of these easier.
What are the results so far? The results are immediate. The first result was big. I cleaned the entire house including vacuuming and mopping the floors. I was recovering from allergies I experienced in the middle of May. I started cleaning the house after Memorial Day. The house is much easier to breath. I plan to clean the house every three weeks because the house gets dirty easily. It's prevention to avoid allergies and getting sick.
The last weekend of May I watched eight episodes of anime to catch up on the Spring 2013 season. That was huge. I fell behind many episodes in various series.
I started going back to the gym on the first week of June. I got my breaks repaired, added more freon to my car's A/C, and replaced my cabin air filter. I went to my dentist appointment for my regular checkup. I'm selling DVDs on half.com priced to sell. I resume reading books and writing blogs.
How do you feel so far? Stress free, being professional. Life is good. I live life with a personality. I'm not making little mistakes anymore. I made too many in April and May. I feel my life is going back up instead of going nowhere. I feel accomplished.
When did you start working on the short term goal? I started on Tue May 28, the day after Memorial Day and after Fanime Con 2013.
How long do you need to succeed? I like to accomplish my goal in 3-4 weeks. I accept finishing the first week of July after Fourth Of July.
What inspired you to create the consistent life goal? I was inspired on Thur May 23 when I realized I needed to clean the entire house. The house was dirty and dusty. I realized my allergies I suffered starting in mid May was the result of my dirty and dusty house. I devoted time to clean the house. I might as well devote additional days and weeks to take a break, relax, and recuperate. I have a fresh mind when my life begins with consistency.
What about job searching? I thought of changes to my job search; for example, consolidating searching for analyst positions. I used to search for business analyst, research analyst, data analyst, etc. When I resume job searching, I search for all analyst positions. I consider bringing back searching for accounting jobs.
I have been receiving inquires about positions that match my job skills for the past 10 days.
You don't believe in goals, at least short term goals. Obviously, your biggest goals at the moment are getting a job and moving out. This is my opportunity to really reset, refocus, and free my mind. When I'm ready and settling in to a consistent life, I'm ready to job hunt with a new mind refreshed and renewed.
How much do you think you spend? The biggest expense is gas because some of what I'm doing is outside the house. Dentist and auto repairs were costs already budgeted before the short-term goal was established.
I do my best to save money, take advantage of sales should I need to purchase anything, and avoid splurging which I'm very good at.
Is this the 2007 summer sabbatical that failed? Absolutely not. I'm going to earn my consistent life. I'm not going to take this opportunity for granted. I'm not going to repeat what happened in 2007.
This is like getting back to Winter 2009 after you lost your job at Cisco. Definitely yes. I remember the beginning of 2009 was like a blessing in disguise after my contact was terminated. It was a period when I need to grow up and find the real Raymond Mar. I needed a life time out. I was confused, lost, and I didn't know what to do.
Similarly, I need to find consistency. I need to fulfill my obligations I neglected for at least a month. I only had one interview so far this year. The break for job hunting can benefit me such that I can think of smarter and more efficient ways to job search, as mentioned earlier. I already thought of a couple ideas. I take advantage of being jobless to find my life consistency just like in 2009 finding Raymond Mar, who is now the grown up, wiser, stronger, and more mature Raymond Mar.
Like in 2009, you found new hobbies such as ballroom dancing and hiking. Is there anything new you want to do? Yes, I want to play more Mahjong. Yes, I already know the basics. The new part is I want to play with more people and have more opportunities. I met a person at Fanime Con who hosts Mahjong on Meetup. I used my old account and signed up for Mahjong Meetups in the Bay Area. This is a good opportunity to meet new people.
Another kinda new thing is I want to sell some personal items on eBay and half.com. I already have an account. I haven't sold online in years.
I want to catch up on D. Gray Man Japanese comic. It's going to be a first I'm caught up on a current comic series. I finished reading Fullmetal Alchemist, my only comic series I finished.
And I plan to visit the city of Pacifica and the Computer History Museum both for the first time.
What are you going to do after you succeed? I'm going back to job hunting with new perspectives, stronger focus, and changes to how I search for a job. I'm going to find time to take online training classes starting with basics Excel and Access. I want to learn salesforce.com and Oracle.
I continue reading books, working out at the gym, spend time with my girlfriend and my friends, taking care of the house, and, as always, finding new adventures and experiencing new experiences.
Do you have any advice for people in your similar situation? Enjoy life. Even unemployed people deserve time off or a vacation. Take a break, refocus, and come back with a new perspective and a refresh mind. The job market is improving very slowly at best. In my opinion, the job market continues to be tough for at least two years. Hundreds of people apply for open positions. That's my mindset, and its reality.
The bottom line is to find something you always wanted to do. Then do it. Take advantage of your unemployment. Find a week or two and go on vacation. The world is not going to end tomorrow.
Somehow, someway, everyone is going to pull through and survive the current tough economic conditions.
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