LexArrow - it’s in your mind…

Here’s what happened to me in the last 7 months (not ordered chronologically). Me and Cori decided to get married. The religious ceremony will take place on August 21, 2010 (you can’t imagine how hard it is to find an available restaurant for a wedding party in Pitesti). The civil ceremony will happen as soon as we buy a flat (an endeavor which should finish by the end of this month), so we will be probably officially married around October 15 this year. I found out that my CNP – Personal Numeric Code (something like Social Security number in the US), which should be unique it is actually not. Fortunately, after 2 months of wandering around several Romanian State Institutions I found out my number is correct and the other person who had it must change it. This is not over though, as my CNP appears with the other person’s name in a credit database and has to be erased. This will take around one month (they told me 15 days, but coming from a State Institution, I know better). I have been on my best-ever holiday in Turkey this summer. My server project got very complex and is now on hold until we buy the house and get married. I need time, peace and quiet to really think this project through. I passed PMI audit for CAPM exam, which I have to take until the end of May next year. Overall, it has been a good period but very though sometimes. Cheers!

For those of you who were wondering why I didn’t post anything in a loooong time (if there are any ), the answer is simple: the Internet is not free (as in speech). Why? Because every time I find something interesting to write about, I start thinking about the future consequences of my posts could have upon me and I simply give up writing. Why? Because everything I put on the www can be viewed by someone. The search engines suck up every information you put out there. I googled my name and the only thing I didn’t find about me is my foot size. And don’t even get me started with social media! Facebook sells your personal information and your account is not fully deleted even if you’re dead… Who’s fault is it? Definitely mine. I knew these risks since I started fiddling with the Internet and it was the choice I made, a necessary evil to stay connected. Everything can be hacked, cracked, indexed…It’s a matter of “When? not of “If?”. Even your wireless network can be hacked in 10 minutes (yes, even if you put mac access filtering). The things above are just the tip of the iceberg. Stay connected! MuHaHaHa!!!

Yesterday after a conversation I suddenly realized 3 weeks passed since I got hired. Time really flies… I don’t have time to get bored as project assignments and eLearning trainings fly. Everything flies… I promised myself I would for once start working at a normal pace but it seems I don’t know how to do that. I’m always pushing the limits some way or another, hoping the dots will connect in the future.

I once thought leapfrogging was possible, and it is…if form matters over substance for you. Unfortunately there’s no magic trick to become the best. Working a lot and working smartly…that’s the only way to the top. Or at least in all my years of searching, I haven’t found anything better.

As a general state, I am tired, but happy. Things seem to get on the right track and I am again able to see a few steps ahead, meaning my long shot detailed planning mind is coming back to papa

Yup, I got a new job! I’ve been searching for 4 months for a job I see me doing at least for the next 3-4 years. I was also one step away from going to either India or Belgium, but I had a “gut feeling” doubled by a bit of help and I didn’t leave. I don’t regret the decision, on the contrary, things turned out so well that even if I tried to put them together myself I couldn’t have done a better job. And I got by with a little help from my friends… Besides the new job, I moved in with Cori in Bucharest so my personal life also got an “upgrade”

I forgot to say where I work now: Deloitte Consulting Bucharest

I got to share this. Adi managed to climb Mont Blanc. And if this is not a “deed”, then the fact that he did it with only 68 euros (67.53 to be exact) is a “deed” indeed .

I’ve come to a conclusion that was cornering my mind for quite a while. It doesn’t matter what software I use as long as it leads me to the expected result with the less stress possible. I may be an Open Source/Linux fan, but I’m more a fan of meeting my goals. The event that filled the cup was a document I’m translating that didn’t open properly in Openoffice.org 3 and Office 2007 still has annoying bugs in Linux.

For the past year I’ve been hearing way too many times the word “leadership”. I think that’s why a little question popped in my mind: “What would be the traits of the person that has as subordinates other leaders?”. My wild guess is soft skills come into play more often here, along with increased awareness.

This links to something I have written about in the past on the Blogger account (that I have deleted in the mean time). More precisely, about the “state of grace” which the presenter in the next video calls “flow”. The video explains scientifically, but clearly, some of the things I felt but cannot put my finger on. Watching the presentation kept me on a constant “A-ha! So that’s what it was!”. If you like knowing more about creativity creative flow, I recommend watching the video below. Just click on “Player 7″ or “Player 8″ and an embedded movie will appear.

I just have no clear idea why. Windows (btw I downgraded after 1 year from Vista to XP) does everything I need and still I am gradually moving to Linux (Ubuntu). For the last 2 years I spent countless sleepless nights figuring out Linux from clicking around the desktop to automated server scripts. It had both positive and negative impacts on my life. My communication skills decreased…my analytical and creative ones increased. A new door opened for me, the one of choice, challenging the status quo and thus I discovered a new perspective to look upon things, everything, not just IT. I guess I like feeling like an underdog rising up in the ranks, I like the elegance and the intelligent solutions it provides. I like the community vibe. I like the power it gives me, both creative and destructive like a Roman Emperor in the Colosseum. Thumb’s up: wireless works, video enhancements work, server combo works. Thumb’s down display crashes, programs don’t compile, server fails. You may notice in this allegoric description I didn’t say anything about Linux being free…just didn’t cross my mind in the beginning. I like it’s simplicity and logic. It took me a while to discover, but it’s a lot more straightforward and intuitive than Windows.

And to think laziness also had an important role in this…Yeah that’s right I was too lazy to learn learn by heart what I should have learned for school and I found Linux as an excuse

The experience has shown me there’s no feasible way to use both operating systems and I think this is another reason pushing me away from the blue screen of death.

P.S. I know the blog theme is butt ugly and I promise I will change it. Just didn’t find a nice template yet

Dana published an interesting article on innovation in Romania. It’s an easy walk-through the concept of innovation in Dracula’s country, from premises to law and policy, blended with a lot of figures and comparative charts. It also covers a niche that lacks info, especially in Romania. If your interested about innovation in general and its current status in Romania, her article will be a great read.