13 mai 2007
Are you linked In?
I recently subscribed to an on-line application named LinkedIn on one of my friends advice. This free platform is made to help the people to create and keep in touch with their both personnal and business network. But it's definitely more business oriented.
By adding people to your contacts, you have access through them to their networks. Meaning for example
than you can reach somebody you don't know thanks to one of your colleague because they know each other. Since you're not supposed to have contacts you don't trust, it brings up some garantee within the network.
As well, by filling in my professional experience, the software find out some of my former colleagues both in Spain and Canada. So I could send them an invitation for them to be part of my network.
By looking for information on the web about LinkedIn, I found this article on a french blog. It's pushing hard but it's interesting. Many people wrote comments about the article with various point of view.
For me, this is simply a way of keeping track of people I worked with in both profesionnal or studying context. Of course, I had good experience with those people and that's why their part of my network.
21 mars 2007
Being helpful
Giving your blood? It's up to you. You'll probably struggle against yourself, whereas selfish would probably simply skip the information.
I've done it today for the first time. I had free time, a nurse came to me while I was having a coffee at the cafeteria. I tried to find out some excuses that could have convinced her I wasn't the guy she was looking for. It didn't work too much...
Because a friend of mine decided to go give some blood, and because I sometimes act like a sheep, I went there as well.
I remembered something my grandmother told me when I was a child. My grandfather had having a hemorragy and survived thanks to people that had given their blood. The week after, she gave her blood as well and tried to convince her boys (my uncles and my father) to do it also. They did not go. Because of that story, I felt more concerned about going to give my blood.
After answering a few questions and having a quick interview with a doctor, they pinched me. Duration was around 5 minutes for half a liter of blood. After that, they offered me a free meal. Because I didn't have lunch, I ate like a pig (in terms of quantity of course). I didn't have any sensation of weakness.
They were expecting 200 givers and until 2 PM only 60 had shown up. By the way, they're lacking blood. So If you feel like enjoying a free meal and having a clear conscience, you know what you have to do.
16 août 2006
A loving Dodge
On the left the New Zealand flag, which is obviously an english spoken country.
I should have choosed the US flag because of this article's content but people never look american flag just as a flag so I decide to postpone the moment I will paste an American Flag.
I should because this week end, to go to Niagara Falls, I rent an American Car (the uppercase C of
car isn't a mystake...). I asked to the car rental company for a full size car. At the begining, I was expecting a Chevrolet Impala which already is a big one. But finally, I got a Dodge Magnum.
The dodge Magnum is not a car but a boat. It's huge and impressive. The first time I went on it, I was really impressed. I even wonder if I would be able to drive such a car. Eventually, of course YES!
Here are some photos of the monster. I know it can sound like strange and unsane to take pictures of a car and feeling like showing them on a blog but it was a so good experience for me that I need to talk about and to share some photos. Just to be able to say: I drove a 250 horsepower car when I was 26.
To give you an idea of the dimension, this is like a BMW 730i but the break version. It's overall length is about 198 inches which in meters gives a bit more than 5 meters.
I loved it! The consumption was about 10 liters for 100 km but in here the gas liter cost is almost 1 $.
I made 600 kms in the week end, so I paid 60 dollars. In euro, the exchange give the following amount:41 €.
Not too excessive finally.
31 juillet 2006
Home sweet home
By
living in Canada now and for a couple of months, I decided to write
part of the new articles in english and in spanish. Each time I will
write an article in one of this language, I will paste a flag from a
country where the language used for writting the article is spoken. I
think we will reach the conclusion that both of this languages are
widely spreaded on a global basis and they both can be useful. It will
also permit me to improve my level and yours too, of course. First flag
choosed is the south African one. English is the offical idiom
overthere.
Now I have to speak about the accomodation I finally
found. I live in an house which is part of a quiet neighborhood. The house owner is a
colombian women. In this house, 2 other people are already living in. A
man, about 40 years old, engineer and currently working in a cimentery.
A girl, about 22 years old. Actually, I got the contact thanks to her
because I knew her in the hotel I was living in Mississauga just after
arriving.
They all are Colombian people and feel like living their whole life here.
This
melting pot permits me to speak english during the work and spanish at home. I
can speak a few french at work because one of my partner is a french
girl.
What else? Oh yes, the accomodation: a nice room with
access to the laundry, internet wireless, a fridge, a barbecue and so
on, well furnished and good atmosphear with easy going people.
Finally, I get want I wanted to. It sounds good no?