For the record: I still have a job. This may not make sense for some people, but others who read it will immediate know what I mean. I went for an interview in San Diego last week for a small (read 3 people) company that produces niche market HPLCs, crazy instruments that do cool chemistry. I ultimately rejected the offer they gave me, so I'm staying at my current job. This didn't, however, deter me from getting to see San Diego on someone else's dime!
First off, I kind of feel bad for the small company, considering they flew me there, put me in a nice hotel with a view of the ocean, and fed me, but so goes business.
I didn't get to do much in San Diego, considering I didn't have a car. So no SeaWorld, no zoo, you get the idea.... I did get to see the beach and now can say that I have touched 3 of the world's 5 oceans, and I don't believe I will get to the Antarctic or Arctic Ocean. San Diego is absolutely gorgeous. It was slightly cold, like 65 degrees, but it is absolutely gorgeous. According to people that have lived there, it is the 3rd most moderate place, climate-wise, in the world. I would have no problems moving there. In fact, I think it got but onto places I may want to move to, eventually if I ever get out of the DC area.
The position I was interviewing for gave me a compensation that was oceans apart from what I wanted, so obviously I wasn't going to take it. I didn't tell the boss that, so he decided to take me to dinner, to I guess entice me to come work from him and his 2 other people. He took me to Hane, a sushi restaurant. He was Japanese, so I could only assume that he knew what he was doing. Yup... he knew what he was doing.
I tend to not want to piss people off by rejecting food offerings so, I asked no questions of what we were eating and he just kept ordering from the sushi chef. I definitely tried some stuff that I generally wouldn't. Sea urchin being one of them. The texture of sea urchin is WEIRD! It's creamy and soft, and the first taste is good, tastes like the sea with a certain smokiness to it. Then there's the after taste, which stays with you, and I don't find enjoyable to the least. Then there was a litany of other things, fluke, octopus, fatty tuna, raw shrimp... it was fucking amazing. Probably the best sushi I've had...ever. He also informed me that Boston is the only place in the US where you can get unfrozen tuna. Not that I would know the difference, but interesting.
The bill came out to be $200, I feel bad for rejecting him after a $200 meal. This isn't the first time I've rejected someone after they bought me large and expensive amount of sushi... I think I might be a sushi cocktease.
The one thing that was reinforced to me at dinner is: If you can't handle alcohol, don't drink so much. As a golden rule, I will have 1 drink with anyone that is, can be, or will be my boss. The 1 drink is symbolic, it means I accept your generosity, but you will never see the real me. This guy, on the other hand, had 4 beers, and went on about how hiring a new person would allow him to go back to Japan since the sales in Japan dropped from $6 million to just over $5 million. Not something to tell a potential employee. So, the lesson of this story is: don't drink if you can't handle it.
All in all San Diego, for 3 days, was cool and I wish I could go back. The only thing that sucks is coast to coast travel in 3 days time, it messes with your sleep cycle.
First off, I kind of feel bad for the small company, considering they flew me there, put me in a nice hotel with a view of the ocean, and fed me, but so goes business.
I didn't get to do much in San Diego, considering I didn't have a car. So no SeaWorld, no zoo, you get the idea.... I did get to see the beach and now can say that I have touched 3 of the world's 5 oceans, and I don't believe I will get to the Antarctic or Arctic Ocean. San Diego is absolutely gorgeous. It was slightly cold, like 65 degrees, but it is absolutely gorgeous. According to people that have lived there, it is the 3rd most moderate place, climate-wise, in the world. I would have no problems moving there. In fact, I think it got but onto places I may want to move to, eventually if I ever get out of the DC area.
The position I was interviewing for gave me a compensation that was oceans apart from what I wanted, so obviously I wasn't going to take it. I didn't tell the boss that, so he decided to take me to dinner, to I guess entice me to come work from him and his 2 other people. He took me to Hane, a sushi restaurant. He was Japanese, so I could only assume that he knew what he was doing. Yup... he knew what he was doing.
I tend to not want to piss people off by rejecting food offerings so, I asked no questions of what we were eating and he just kept ordering from the sushi chef. I definitely tried some stuff that I generally wouldn't. Sea urchin being one of them. The texture of sea urchin is WEIRD! It's creamy and soft, and the first taste is good, tastes like the sea with a certain smokiness to it. Then there's the after taste, which stays with you, and I don't find enjoyable to the least. Then there was a litany of other things, fluke, octopus, fatty tuna, raw shrimp... it was fucking amazing. Probably the best sushi I've had...ever. He also informed me that Boston is the only place in the US where you can get unfrozen tuna. Not that I would know the difference, but interesting.
The bill came out to be $200, I feel bad for rejecting him after a $200 meal. This isn't the first time I've rejected someone after they bought me large and expensive amount of sushi... I think I might be a sushi cocktease.
The one thing that was reinforced to me at dinner is: If you can't handle alcohol, don't drink so much. As a golden rule, I will have 1 drink with anyone that is, can be, or will be my boss. The 1 drink is symbolic, it means I accept your generosity, but you will never see the real me. This guy, on the other hand, had 4 beers, and went on about how hiring a new person would allow him to go back to Japan since the sales in Japan dropped from $6 million to just over $5 million. Not something to tell a potential employee. So, the lesson of this story is: don't drink if you can't handle it.
All in all San Diego, for 3 days, was cool and I wish I could go back. The only thing that sucks is coast to coast travel in 3 days time, it messes with your sleep cycle.
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