what a day

Let me start with Tuesday. After work I rushed home (bumping into Wen Chean on the way - she was just leaving the gym) to make chocolate brownies. I was already really hungry but didn't start to eat dinner (edamame and miso soup) until I put the first batch of brownies into the oven. Having made brownies using this "best-ever" recipe (see previous post) a few times, I now have a few ideas to improve the recipe. 1) add 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence to enhance the smell and flavour; 2) baking time should be 40 mins (45mins was a little too much - starting to get a little dry); 3) the ratio of dark chocolate and milk chocolate could be adjusted to personal taste. About the dark/milk chocolate issue, personally I love dark chocolate (honestly I eat dark chocolate exclusively - you'd never see me eating anything with less than 60% cocoa), but I understand it could a bit too bitter for people who prefer milk chocolate.

Anyway after I finish baking the brownies, I took a shower, packed my bag for the next day and went to bed at around 11pm. On Wednesday morning I got up at 5am. Why? Because I had to catch the 0700 train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. I got to the office 15 minutes before the pre-arranged 10am time. I was the only candidate there to take the e-tray assessment that particular day so it was nice not to have any disturbance. I had just about enough time to read through all the e-mails, attachments and select the appropriate replies. Then I wrote the e-mail (as the written assessment), although 50 mins was just about enough. In the end I didn't have much time to make notes (for the subsequent interview).

Between the assessment on the computer and the interviews I was whisked away to a fancy lunch with an associate. She was incredibly nice and throughout lunch I discovered that we had quite a lot in common (including a common friend!); she studied Japanese (at Oxford though) and she did the IB diploma at a boarding school in Hertfordshire.

After lunch it was the e-tray interview. I was interviewed about the e-mail I composed in the written assessment. The interviewer happened to be a Chinese lady from HK who shared the same surname as me. The interview was obviously carried out in English, but I guess I was clear in the explanation and justification of my written piece so she didn't really ask me that many questions. We had some time left before the partner arrived so we just chatted about Japan and HK. Then the partner arrived, after I introduced myself and talked about university and part-time jobs and internship, he asked me only a couple of competency questions, the rest of the time was him talking about his career so far. He asked me "why Osaka" and I told him about my past experience in Kansai and how I like the people from Kansai. I guess that pleased him 'cause he's actually from Hirakata (大阪府枚方市)! At the end of the interview he walked me out of the building and we had a very short conversation in Japanese about Osaka.

I left the office at around 3.40pm and didn't know what to do next. I had planned to meet Piotr in Tower Hill at 6pm so I still had plenty of time. I didn't want to go anywhere on the Tube 'cause I'm afraid someone would call my mobile and there wouldn't be any reception. Yesterday was really sunny and unusually warm so I decided to walk from Chancery Lane to Tower Hill. On the way, about 40 mins after I left Chancery Lane, I got a call from the first interviewer and she told me that I'd been successful - in Cantonese! It was really noisy on the street but I managed to pick up words such as "congratulations" etc...but afterwards I kept thinking whether I was making things up in my mind or not. (When I got home at midnight I saw the e-mail in the inbox.)

Yesterday was a really long day. I got up at 5am and didn't get home till midnight. Adrenaline really kept me going. I had two dinner dates and was talking basically the entire day. When I got onto the train at 9.40pm and sat down in my seat, I was still a little bit jittery, but then half an hour into the journey I suddenly felt really exhausted and fell asleep (most people were asleep). So many things happened, and I really couldn't believe how a person's life can be changed in just one day. I guess I'll be flat-hunting in June and rejoin the Londoners.