Author Topic: Chat thread :)  (Read 18733 times)

Hannaadi88

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #15 on: May 12, 2014, 06:07:53 pm »
Well I guess I'll make an awkward reply as well and butt in on the conversation :') You guys all sound so cool, I can't wait to get to know you!

All of this wedding planning sounds dreamy. I'm in no rush to marry, myself, but in my society the common marriage age is getting lower and lower since you're not allowed to touch until you're married. Not everyone observes that, of course, but I do know people who married at 19/20...and yet, never been to a wedding before. This cherry blossom theme sounds so beautiful <3

Bringing up a whole new topic, but I feel like I've got to get this off my chest. I have my first ever job interview tomorrow and I'm super nervous. It's a temporary position as a sales person for a major publisher's stand at our annual book week fair. I'm curious- what was your first job like? How did your first interview go, if you had one?

Weisel

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #16 on: May 12, 2014, 06:39:42 pm »
I figure this is a good time for me to throw in some of my own experiences since I've had quite a few jobs considering my age. Only two of them had a formal interview before I was hired, which was a bit stressful... I'm actually pretty good at interviews since I've done a lot of academic competitions in high school that required that skill, plus I smile a lot when I'm nervous, so it's hard for anyone else to tell that I'm internally freaking out. But what I've found for really stressful situations that make me sick with nerves, doing something right before that is easy and fun for you helps! Right before my jury in December (where I had to play my euphonium in front of four music professors who know more about my instrument than I ever will and they decide if I get to stay in the music program at the university), I hula hooped outside the room for the ten minutes before I had to go inside. Usually playing in front of anyone makes me panic enough that I can't breathe and sometimes start crying, but I totally nailed it that time. All the professors scoring me were surprised by how well I did and my teacher was super happy with me. I don't know what would make you mentally chill out like hula hooping does for me, but it's the general concept that matters. Also the breathe in for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, exhale for eight seconds trick works really well, too, if you're getting really anxious.

My very first job was at a bakery my English teacher's family ran and I happened to get that job when he asked my friend if she'd be interested in working for them. My very first day of work was my interview itself and involved selling baked goods at a farmers' market. I had to pick up on doing fast mental math which scared me a lot at first, but I got the hang of it! That was one of my favorite jobs, but my first job with a larger company that required a formal interview was at Target. It was a reliable way to get income, but I personally got tired of it pretty fast. My fourth job was my favorite, which was baking treats for a coffee shop. I got to schedule my own hours just as long as it was when the place was closed and I got everything done. Since I was working two other jobs with set hours then, there were a lot of 2AM baking sessions. That's the only job I was really sad to quit.

Yuneyn

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2014, 02:32:00 am »
@Weisel Oh that's nice, I'm sure the wedding will be amazing^^ Don't be nervous :)
And just like Sshion said, I'm sure you're not annoying. Besides not many people really know each other here, so I feel like it's always interesting to read about everyone. And you've had so many experiences, feel free to talk^^

@Hannaadi88 Good luck for your interview!! I hope you get the job!
My first job was an internship I did during my first year of college (not counting the baby sitting I did throughout high school)... There was just a short phone interview, because it did not require any skills. It was a one-month internship "to discover life in a company", so they had me do some inventory work... basically counting screws the whole day. But the colleagues were a lot of fun, so it was not too boring.

After that I had other internships in my field of work (IT), but I guess I was never too stressed about that. Since I don't really like what I'm doing I guess I'm just like "meh... whatever, let's get it over with", because I don't really care about the job itself, I just want a random job. If I had to interview for something I really want I'd totally be nervous XDXD. (It's actually a wonder, because I totally suck at lying but somehow I always come up as very motivated and interested during interviews - people say it to me afterwards - I have no idea how it's possible)

Anyway, I have to get going, have a great day everyone!
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There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold.”

Elanra

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #18 on: May 13, 2014, 08:50:54 am »
My first job was as an intern at a hotel since at that time, I was in a vocational school for Hotel Management and Tourism. It was obligatory as part of the education program so there weren't any interviews. Despite having scored very high on my end-of-year average grade and securing a position at one of the best 5 star hotels in the area, my mother wanted me to pick the school's practice hotel for its proximity to my house. That was a mistake though because that job was (and still is) the worst working experience of my life, so it's a really bad memory for me.
Then I worked for two separate companies as an assistant manager / secretary; answering phones, booking flights and making reservations, greeting clients, making sure my bosses' schedules ran smoothly and such. My ability to speak, understand and write in English to a degree not common where I live, has been kind of an edge in helping me get jobs I really needed. I had interviews for both jobs and although I was nervous both times, I tried to remain calm and collected and not fidget around too much when the bosses were talking to me. The anxiety hits its highest right before you are called in to the office for the interview and I usually try to focus on the things that motivated me to look for a job. I usually promise myself a small treat before interviews on the condition that it goes well, like buying a book I've really wanted to get, or buying myself a piece of clothing or just.. taking my family out for a dinner.
I am working for an advertising agency as a writer right now and my interview for that job was pretty mild and unintimidating. Maybe it's because it was the kind of job I really wanted since it involves writing, so I tried my hardest to be honest without being too humble and insecure about my skills and abilities and I was told to start right away, like, the very next day. I haven't disappointed anyone yet.

It's been over two years since then and now I am working freelance for the agency after a move and am currently looking for a second job. I have actually been getting in and out of several interviews for the past month. You need to be respectful, alert and appear confident. You need to make them feel they need you as much as you need the job. The last two interviews I've been to didn't work out for me because I found out things about the companies that I could not work with so one of my suggestions would be to prepare your questions before you go. Because as they ask you questions, you also should ask them your own. You never know what you might learn regarding what's expected of you, what're the conditions they might not mention on their on volition. You should also read up on the company you are interviewing. Go through their website if they have one or try to get some information through people you know who might have knowledge about them. Because they will ask you things like 'why us?' or 'what about our company attracts you for your pursuit of success?' or 'how did you find out about us?'. And about taming your anxiety, the breathing exercise honestly helps but if it doesn't, maybe take a book with you to the interview and read on your way to the place or while waiting instead of constantly thinking about the interview itself and fueling your anxiety. Be prepared as much as possible but don't obsess over it. That's pretty much it ^^ 
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Ahiku

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #19 on: May 13, 2014, 12:07:00 pm »
Quote
My ability to speak, understand and write in English to a degree not common where I live, has been kind of an edge in helping me get jobs I really needed.

The first time I’ve read one of your fanfictions I had the feeling you’re a native English speaker.  How did you learn English so well? Did you learn it autodidactically? You’ve written that you love reading a lot, so I guess that helped a lot, since it affords insight into foreign languages and cultures. Or have you ever lived in the States expect for the time you stayed with thesexymaid? ^^

@Hannaadi88 I also wish you good luck. ^^ I can understand that you’re probably really nervous.

My first job interview was after finishing my graphic design job training. Although I should rather say it wasn’t a real job, it was an internship. We had to intern with a graphic design related company to graduate, after finishing our complementary work. Mine was illustrating some of Christian Morgenstern’s poems and then I had to print the book. 2 weeks of internship were obligatory, but I stayed 3 month in an animation studio. The interview was not that bad… the only thing was that they didn’t want me for just 3, but 6 month. There was no way to stay that long, because they didn’t pay their threshold workers and I just had 3 month left until my orphan’s pension expired. I had to find a “real” job afterwards for a living. 

The internship was not that cool. I really loved animation films, especially Ghibli movies… so it was like a dream to work there… But it was just an illusion. In the end I was their general servant and replaced some of their workers when they had their summer vacation. I rendered scenes, wrote reports, assisted the cutter guy… I was the director’s assistant’s assistant… And I learned nearly nothing about animations. ^^° The best thing was, that they started to have shootings with kids for a show (an animated and real kids show)… So I was set-runner, babysitter, prop master…and a dummy for the cameraman when he prepared his shots, because he couldn’t use the kids, they were just 4-5 years old. So they always told me what I had to do and I crawled on my knees across the greenbox and when one of the kids started to cry I had to do the hand shot… ( they just filmed my hand while I held a brush… ^^° The producers said it was ok since I have small hands… <_<) But the best thing were the two weeks I had to take care of a frog because they needed him (his name was Olaf) for another shoot. First they refused to give me money to buy flies for him, so I had to catch flies outdoors with a Tupperware container. God that was so awkward. <_<° After three days the other producer feared that the frog might die, because I didn’t catch enough flies, so I was allowed to go and buy some. The best thing happened when I called the pet store beforehand…

Me: Do you sell flies?
Shop: Uh, yeah. For what kind of animal do you need them?
Me: For a pretty hungry frog.
Shop: Ah, yeah, we have some day flies.
Me: No, I need huge flies. Pretty huge flies!
Animation guys: O__O Frog? Flies? HUGE? WTF?
Me: o.o Yeah. I have to go now. But I’ll come back together with them.

Well, those are things you expect when you gonna work for an animation studio. ^^°

Okay… that was quite off topic…XDDD Sorry. But when I think about it…everything sounds really funny. But back then it wasn’t funny at all. It was nothing but annoying.

So my first real job was a call center job. Horrible, horrible… I worked for Vodafone and it was the biggest **** ever. I’ll never work for a telecommunication company again. People yelled at me all day long. I could understand them, I would also be pissed when my internet’s gone all day long, but they want pretty cheap stuff, so they get a pretty cheap connection.
Ah and I had to work for the elderly people phone tariff hotline then. That was really stupid. ^^° Try to explain a 75 year old grandma that she should take the SIM card out of her modem to test it in her mobile phone… There were even younger people who called and asked: “My modem doesn’t work. Why?” and I tried to help them at least ten minutes until I desperately asked if it was plugged in the wall. ^^° It wasn’t.
Ah, btw… The interview for this job was pretty easy, just a little bit EDP stuff, and then they tested if I’m able to talk to other people on the phone. That was it.
But the job was horrible, so I searched another one after half a year.

And that’s my current job… the job interview was horrifying. XD Because it was a two-day test marathon: Common knowledge, make of cars, geography, routes of German highways, several interviews, one of those interviews in English, Math, German, English, computer tests, logical reasoning… Luckily I could skip some of the tests, because I was somehow able to convince them of my abilities. ^^°

BTW: Something else… I dreamed of Elanra and thesexymaid last night… A strange guy put some boxes in a transporter and you were hiding in some of them to escape the government for whatever reason. (I just knew you were in some of the boxes, I didn’t see you…) and after a complete change of scene some random people and I searched for Elanra who was lost in labyrinth of bathroom stalls…  ^^° Weird.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2014, 02:10:52 pm by Ahiku »

Ahiku

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #20 on: May 13, 2014, 03:34:37 pm »
Awww... another btw!
It's not possible to change those...extremly ugly smileys. It's just possible when you upgrade the forum and pay for it monthly. X'D This is torture, forum guys! It's not even possible to disable or hide them. *hits every of those stinky yellow things in the face*

Elanra

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #21 on: May 13, 2014, 08:50:23 pm »
The first time I’ve read one of your fanfictions I had the feeling you’re a native English speaker.  How did you learn English so well? Did you learn it autodidactically? You’ve written that you love reading a lot, so I guess that helped a lot, since it affords insight into foreign languages and cultures. Or have you ever lived in the States expect for the time you stayed with thesexymaid? ^^

Most of it was autodidactical admittedly. I've always been fascinated in the language ever since I realized what it truly meant to learn a second language in 7th grade (we started learning English in the 6th grade back then, now students start as early as first grade) when I was listening to a song on the radio in my mother's car and I understood the lyrics. I was so blown away by the realization that learning English wasn't just something to help me get a better job in the future, it opened up the entire world to me. I could travel, I could immerse myself in other cultures, I could appreciate the beauty of songs, movies, books in their original language when their intended spirit and meaning was not lost in translation. I started borrowing English short stories and intermediate level novels from the school libraries and tried to read them with a dictionary beside me. I have maybe half a dozen dictionaries nearly falling apart in boxes because I never allowed myself to be too lazy to skip a word I didn't know when reading. I looked up every single one of them and it made me feel so proud if I could remember them later on while writing or speaking to someone. I started watching shows and movies in their original language with Turkish subtitles until I didn't need them anymore. By highschool, I was way ahead of the class in English and my heart was already stolen by creative writing. I had a teacher when I was 18 who was.. almost like a father to me... He was the first person to ever read some of my poems and short stories and he encouraged me so much, I probably wouldn't have been the person I am today if it wasn't for him. He also pushed me to take the British Language and Literature exam for the Cambridge University that my school at the time co-executed with Cambridge and even though I scored high enough to earn a scholarship, I wasn't able to go because of family reasons ;A;

My love for the language only grew in time. It still grows everyday. Every new book I read, every new word I learn, puns, jokes, phrases, slang terms.. they all fascinate me and excite me so much. I was never the kind of person to feel ashamed to ask what something meant nor was I embarrassed at making mistakes. I wanted to be corrected and to be taught new stuff. Forgetting a word really upsets me though and I literally can't sleep at night unless I remember the exact word I am thinking of. That's also why Thesaurus.com is one of my most used bookmarks xD

Delving in No.6 fanned the feeble flames of my shy attempts at creative writing into an all-out wildfire. I have never written so much in my life nor have I ever been as happy in my writing as I am now. I am still nowhere near half as good as I want to be but the kind of inspiration and nagging need to write; to continue the story No.6 makes me feel was something I've never felt in my life before and it truly changed my life. It's because I got confidence in my writing I dared to apply for a job at an advertisement agency for a position in writing alone; something I'd have never done pre-No.6, and I got the job. ^^

And again, it's thanks to No.6 I found my favorite written piece in the world. I have read so much... so many books ever since I was as young as six... Nearly two years after the anime ended, thesexymaid wrote a fanfiction named The Fall and I've honestly.. never.. read anything as beautiful in my life before. I've probably read it twenty times since it was posted and can recite some lines from it by heart now and even just thinking about it makes my heart beat faster. I am absolutely in love with the astonishing mystic and that.. near poetic excellence of her piece and I will likely never get over it. It was perfect... just simply.. perfect. She reminded me one more time just why the English language is so beautiful, why No.6 with its characters is nothing like we have seen before, why I am the kind of person that lives for love and why it's the one thing worth living.. and dying for. Since it was such a personal piece for me...  it'll always be unequally special to me.

So, yes, thesexymaid has a huge part in improving my English because even though I have always been ridiculously passionate about it, I was never using it THIS actively in the past before. I think, write, even dream in English now and after spending six months with her in the states without speaking a word of Turkish, I feel she has given me a priceless experience that I'll always be grateful for for the rest of my life. I've been to the states before but it was only for two weeks on 2012, it was nothing like what she did for me. She changed my life just as much as No.6 did by making it possible for me to meet her ^^


BTW: Something else… I dreamed of Elanra and thesexymaid last night… A strange guy put some boxes in a transporter and you were hiding in some of them to escape the government for whatever reason. (I just knew you were in some of the boxes, I didn’t see you…) and after a complete change of scene some random people and I searched for Elanra who was lost in labyrinth of bathroom stalls…  ^^° Weird.

Ohmygod! I do want to escape my government but in boxes in a transporter?!? AND GDI THESEXYMAID YOU LEFT ME BEHIND AND I GOT LOST. I hope you found me Ahiku because I am sure she was too busy shooting down or slitting the throats of whoever was chasing us while I was wandering in a bathroom trying to find my way out :/
« Last Edit: May 13, 2014, 09:00:06 pm by Elanra »
~Absence is a house so vast
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nezushi

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #22 on: May 14, 2014, 04:23:47 am »
i hope i'm not intruding by joining in on this chat hahah i just joined the forum today. you all seem like such interesting people! and the fact that you all like no.6 just makes me happy.

Ahiku

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #23 on: May 14, 2014, 06:22:39 am »
Thanks for your detailed answer, Elanra. It was really, really interesting. I totally like the image of those old used dictionaries – it’s like a witness of your hard work, fascination and curiosity. Admittedly I have to say that I always hated it to look up words and I didn’t understand the importance of the English language when I was still a young student. I started to learn the language when I was 10 years old, but it never awakened my interest completely during my school career, although I chose English to be one of my intensive courses and started to like it a bit more then. When I started to study I needed it, because a lot of specialist literature is in English and it always came in handy when I wanted to read scanlations or subtitled animes…

But yes, it’s not only useful, it is beautiful as well. Although, the same applies to other languages. :3

Sometimes I regret my laziness when I was younger, especially when it comes to talking. I always die a thousand deaths when I have to take English calls at work. Writing is way easier and it gives you more time to think about everything you want to say. But now I also want to learn it better. ^^

Thanks to No. 6.

This series is so special. I guess it helped so many people… Thanks to it I found my creativity again which was lost in a monotonous rut of work and nothing but regret concerning bygone times.

By the way, “The Fall” is really beautiful. (Q_Q) Thanks for your recommendation. I totally understand why you like it so much. Even if thesexymaid is pissed now.

@nezushi: Welcome! X3 I hope you’ll like it here.

Yuneyn

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #24 on: May 14, 2014, 07:11:07 am »
Somehow I have the feeling that a lot of people who speak correct English had to learn it by themselves. In France the education is horrible when it comes to foreign languages, we start late and some teachers are just not good at all. I had one in college who regularly made mistakes while writing on the board and we had to correct him... XD

As for me, I remember wanting to understand the lyrics of the English songs I was listening to when I was younger. And with the beginning of the internet a little later, everything was in English, so if I wanted to find information about my passions I had to become better. I started watching movies and TV shows in English with English subs as soon as I got a DVD player, and it helped a lot. By the time I was in college, you could definitely see the difference between people who, like me, had practiced by themselves; and the ones who only stuck to the school lessons. Those could form sentences... with difficulty.

Now I know that I'm far from being bilingual, but I can't imagine my life without English. Internet, books, TV shows, music... it's all in English for me, and the animes I watch have to have English subs. French translations have pissed me off more than I can tell XD (like how Shion became Aster in the No.6 novel...) I talk to myself in English when I'm alone too^^ I was such a bad student, but English was the only subject I've always been good at, so it's important to me to keep getting better.

Anyway, sorry for rambling! I need to read "The Fall" too, I'll keep it in my tabs and read it when I'm back home tonight ;)

@nezushi Welcome!!! Feel free to join the conversations everywhere :)



“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand, there is no going back?
There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold.”

Elanra

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #25 on: May 14, 2014, 09:28:04 am »
@Yuneyn, oh god I talk to myself in English when I am alone too! It's so embarrassing to admit that for me! I am so happy I am not the only one xD
~Absence is a house so vast
that inside you will pass through its walls
and hang pictures on the air.

sshion

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #26 on: May 14, 2014, 09:46:45 am »
It's always great to be able to discuss and read how No. 6 has changed and/or affected everyone in different ways. I always try and encourage new friends and old to read No. 6, the novels were beyond beautiful and quite honestly unlike anything I've ever read before which is probably saying something because I like to read a lot too, it's great to hear that Elanra. It's a shame about the Cambridge thing, I've been there seeing as though I live in Wales and practically live in England too because of my family splitting, but the fact that you got a high enough score for a scholarship is amazing enough.

English was my favourite subject too, as well as Art ahah, I preferred English Language as a course to English Literature, though I blame the material that we had to work with in contrast to other classes. I took a break from English when attending college and studied more on art and game programming, but now hopefully when I go to university, I'll be able to take Creative Writing studies and it includes a bit of theatre too.. sighs because I'm so nervous, and that depends if I even make it to university or not. xD; the results and deadlines aren't long away now.

So.. I'm guessing not everyone here is English or American? Sorry I'm trying to scan through the forum before I'm hurried off to do chores. It's interesting to see just how much No. 6 has influenced others this much! Whisks away to do homework...
we only go so far.

Yuneyn

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #27 on: May 14, 2014, 11:17:36 am »
@Elanra, Do you also use English words when you're talking in your mother language? Sometimes the English words seem to fit much more to what I want to say so I use it in the middle of a sentence... But I don't really realize it... And then my friends and family usually make fun of me^^

@sshion, you're right, there's a lot of different nationalities here! Which I personally love, as I love learning about other countries. I'm from France btw, if you didn't get that, but I'm moving to Luxembourg at the end of the week.
“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand, there is no going back?
There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold.”

sshion

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #28 on: May 14, 2014, 03:51:09 pm »
Oh? I loved France when I went! I remember loving the scenery and the food was great too. I've been to Paris twice, but it'd be nice to visit France again, I really enjoyed it last time. And I had to google Luxembourg but wow *n* it looks gorgeous, lots of beautiful buildings and greenery, I hope the move goes okay for you.
we only go so far.

Elanra

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Re: Chat thread :)
« Reply #29 on: May 15, 2014, 12:10:28 pm »
@Elanra, Do you also use English words when you're talking in your mother language? Sometimes the English words seem to fit much more to what I want to say so I use it in the middle of a sentence... But I don't really realize it... And then my friends and family usually make fun of me^^

Yes, yes, yes I do. I am guilty. It's either because I legit can't remember the corresponding Turkish word to the English one I am remembering or, like you said, the English word is ten times more fitting than its Turkish translation. Either way, I too get teased by my family a lot about it xD
I don't mind though. Like I said, I've never felt embarrassment about using English whether I make a mistake or not. ^^
~Absence is a house so vast
that inside you will pass through its walls
and hang pictures on the air.