| Big Andy's profileBig AndyPhotosBlogLists |  Tools  Help |
|
April 29 New photos - Red Center and TasiTwo new albums added. The first if from Lizzie's trip into the red center to see Ularu (Ayer's Rock) amoung other attractions. It really is stunning countryside, though I have stripped down Lizzie's photo collection to limit the amount of red rock on screen ;) I love the picture of Liz with the little joey in arms.
The second is from a short trip Liz and I took to Tasmania. The pictures speak for themselves. The place is amazing. We arrived in Hobart and spent the night in a quaint little hotel down by the dock side. In the morning we headed up the east coast to the Fraycinet National Park peninsula. On the way we popped into the Meadowbank Estate winnery (http://www.meadowbankwines.com.au/) for a quick tasting and a bite of lunch. After spending about 40 minutes tasting each of their delicous wines we sat down for an amazing meal and another glass of perfectly matched wine. Trust me on this: if you are ever in Tasmania make sure a visit to the Meadowbank Estate is high on your list if you're a wine lover. We left the place very sated and a little lighter in the pocket after purchasing a box of wine and a bit each - but such good wine should not be left on the shelf!
Check out the pictures of Fraycinet. They are easily distingishable from the later pictures of cradle mountian. The west of Tasmania, where Cradle Mountain resides, receives more than ten times the rain of the east coast, where Fraycinet lies. I'll leave it up to the viewer to work out which is which :P
This was probabably the best, maybe the only, organised holiday that either Liz or myself have been on. We actually booked everything in advance. Takes some of the fun out of things, but does save time when it such a short trip. We managed to squease in a morning in a canoe in Oyster bay and a walk across the mountain (read as big hill =) to wineglass bay. We stayed a rather unstylish, but nice enough, 70s decor apartment down by the bay.
Next it was off across the country to Cradle Mountain. Looking at the map we thought it about a four hour drive - Wrong! Try about 7 hours of up and down winding valley b roads. Once it got dark we were forced to drive at around 30 Kph due to allow us to dodge all the wildlife on the road. Seriously, around every corner we'd have to dodge around a possum, a wallaby or a wombat. We even saw some of the smaller cousins of the tasmanian devil!
The next morning we work and ... it was raining. Does it a lot over there apparently. Reminded me of the UK! The mountain was amazing and a really good hike. The last 40 minutes of the climb was great fun, spent scrabling over rocks, though coming down was a little more tricky.
Well, that's all for me. It's Sunday evening. I'm about to relax infront of a movie. Good night all,
Andy March 19 Even more photos!This time from Liz and my trip down the Great Ocean road in Victoria. A truely stunning stretch of ocean road.
Check out the Wombats!!!! March 01 New Photos addedFrom my time with Liz when we took a week out before I started work to enjoy what the royal national forest had to offer. The Royal National Forest is just to the south of Sydney, litterally about a hour and a half drive. It's absolutely gorgous place for somewhere so close to a major city. I wrote all about the place when I went, it's just taken me a while to get the photo's up. Needless to say, I haven't included any photos from the noodie beach ;) Pictures soon - promise.As discussed with people at home - I'm going to 'promise' to get pictures from my last two road trips on the blog. The wombats are particularly cool.
Back to work for me now. Lots to do and the jet lag is setting in! Trip homeRealising I haven't posted for ... well, for months, I thought I'd just give a big thanks to everyone that pulled themselves out of their pit over the last two weekends to come see me while I was home in the UK and also to my family up north for feeding and housing me for a week. It was lovely to see you all and, while I was happy to find myself back in warmer climates, it was a sad moment getting back on the plane and leaving both friends and family behind.
Thanks everyone!
Now for something completely different...
Check this out: http://graffitiresearchlab.com/?page_id=76#video How cool is that! Though I'm wondering how long before someone gets taken to court when some unexpecting office worker gets blinded! October 30 Paint BallingWhat have I been up to? Working - a lot! ;) But I've also found the time to get out and have some fun. Money is still a little tight, but I've been allowing myself one big blow out 'expensive' bit of fun each month. Two months ago it was an expensive meal in one of the posh restaurants in the city. The restaurant is at the top of a big tower and the dinning area actually rotates, giving amazing views of Sydney. However, the food was pretty bland so I won't be going back. I think you paid for the view more than the food. This months blow out was much more exciting: paint ball! A work colleague, Ray, organised about 20 people from work to head out last weekend to a paint balling centre outside of Sydney. Being an Aussie paint balling centre they had to do things a little bigger and better than their UK counterpart. Rather than just getting kitting out with your standard paint ball gun they had a choice of guns. Not two, not three, but four different guns to choose from. The first came with the price of the day, the second, for a small upgrade fee upgraded you from a gun that shot 1-2 rounds a second, with an accuracy of about 8 meters, to one capable of 7 rounds a second and an accuracy of 15 meters. Gun number three took those figures up to 15 rounds a second and 25 meters. The forth a final gun spewed out 30 rounds a second, accurate to 40 meters! Now remember, we are talking about paint ball guns here, not high-end military ordinance! Most people chose the second gun, while a few, my self included of course (remember this was my once a month blow out after all!), upgraded to weapon number 3. And what a difference it made. You could easily tell which gun your opponent had. They main thing being just how much more accurate the 'Ions' where. They even come with a rifled barrel! That was Sunday. Monday saw me almost unable to walk A whole day of running around like a nutter, ducking, diving and squatting had destroyed my thighs and by Monday morning my body was keen to point this out to me. Add to that the fact I was covered in large round bruises: 32 of the buggers to be exact. Some of them already turning an interesting colour... well, let me just say that there were a lot of people limiting around in the office that day and that rest of the week was quite quiet. That's not to say I was an easy target on Sunday. I took down more than my fair share of the evil infidel tag-team. No, most my war wounds came from a single 'game' and another 'insident'. The 'game' was more of a cunning plan by the organisers to waste paint. What you do is get the organiser, Ray, to choose a couple of people, myself included. Then you make them put their guns down and stand in a row facing across a wide open field. Then you get everyone else, all fifteen of them, to stand across the field, 90 degrees to the first row and a little distance a way. I bet you can guess where this going! Finally, you shout 'Run'. The aim of the game being to shoot the hell out of the good players at short range while they run, unarmed, across a wide open field. Ouch! I somehow found myself on the gun facing side of the pack at the start and get absolutely pummelled. Double Ouch! This weekend was much quieter, as will the next couple until I get paid again. Next month we're thinking of either karting or maybe a spot of caving. Not sure yet. We'll have to see what everyone is up for. October 09 Trailer release.September 26 Game updateLame lame lam lame - that's me - ain't been updating this'ere beauty for a while - appologies to those that care.
So, just a quick update as I find myself doing this update from work once again. I've passed my three month probation period, which is a good thing, though their official one is 6 months. They're chuffed with me and my work though, so no worries there. I've not got my documents sent over from the UK by the untimely legends that are Claire & Ralph and once my old boss sorts out chasing my reference and job description I be well on my way to sorting out my working visa - and about time too, another couple of months and I'll be unemployable by TeamBondi on my current visa.
Hooked up with Dave Morgan on the weekend. He was out in Oz for a couple of weeks with work. So we met up on the beach, then in to Bondi for food and drinks. The next day I headed out with a sore head to pick him up from his hotel and pop down to manly for a spot of diving. Nice easy walkin' off the FairLight beach. Absolutely gorgeous day. The summer is certianly starting here now. It's been great this week. Looking forward to more weekends lazying on the beach and popping in for a quick dive. I was really surprised by how cheap it is to hire the scuba kit over here - just fifty bucks and that was with two large tanks! Mind you, on the weekend I only got to use a single tank as my pressure gauge failed when I swapped tanks, cutting my second dive short before it had even begun. Shame, but if it's going to fail I'd rather it fail while I'm safe and sound on dry land!
Oh, the first teaser from TeamBondi is out:
It really is nothing more than a teaser, if that, but more will be coming soon. The game is really starting to take shape now with lots of the cool effects you'd expect from a NexGen game.
Right, that's enough of that - I've got code to write and meeting to stop me doing it!
Laters all. August 14 The return to CairnsSo, it's been a while since I updated my blog. A little and a lot have happened since then. A lot in that I've been working my arse off. 14-16 hour days and weekends have been the norm as opposed to the exception. The little would be how much I've been living! Life has fallen into a routine of get up, go to work, come home, cook, go to bed - then repeat. Some may (and have) call me mad for doing it. Unfortunatly, we had a project milestone right in the middle of the two week holiday I had booked off in August for when my son Nathen comes over, plus the work I was doing was the basis for a lot of other peoples work i.e. they couldn't really get going until I had most of my work done. Because of this I felt a obliged to get some hours in before my holiday started.
But enough of that - you don't want to hear about that! Right now I'm sitting in the damn same net cafe I sat in four months ago in Cairns up by the Great Barrier Reef. The sun is shining and the weather is sweet once more! Nathen arrived last weekend (the 4th) and it's been so good to see him. It's still winter over here so while we've had some glorious days of blue skys and sun in Sydney, we've also had a couple with cloud and rain - not that it matters: we've been having a great time! We've been body boarding on Bondi beach with Liz, getting knocked about and half drowned by huge ways (don't tell his mum!), we've taken the ferry past the opera house and Sydney bridge to Manly beach for surf lessons and we've been cooking some great food out of my new cook book (a present from Nathen).
Fearing that Nathen was less than impressed by the glorious Sydney winter (20 degrees?) I was hoping to book us on a flight up to the Northern Territories so we could get some sun and see some aboriginals, mangroves, crocs and the like. Unfortunatly, flights up the NT cost a fortune as it requires two flights. Instead I've brought the young fella up to Cairns. We've staying in the same hostel (Tropic Days) and they've been great. Can't sing their praise enough. I rang up Michelle at reception before Nathen arrived and arranged our accomodation and a three days safari up to the Tablelands (rainforest, water falls, etc) and the Undara Lava Tubes. The great thing about this trip is that he'll be in the outback, sleeping under the stars, for this birthday on the 14th. How cool would that be for your 13th birthday!
We arrived in Cairns last Thursday. The weather was patchy, but warm. Straight to Tropic days for some kip. Up 6:20 to ensure we're on time for our first excursion: diving and snorkling on the reef! I love that reef - it's beautiful - and it was great to be back in the water after 4 months without a dive. Nathen did some snorkling, but the best part for him was that I had him booked in for an intro dive! 30 minutes under water with an instructor. Strangely enough the boy loved it and who can blame him - diving by itself is a great experience, but then to be in the reef when you finally stop and look around - wow!
On the way back in from the reef Nathen was obviously very excited about his dive and when I told him that I had originally planned to put him on a dive course, but not wanting to risk him taking to the diving and thinking that a safari was a more Austalian thing to do in Oz, had booked us both on the Safari instead. Well, Nathen's eyes lit up: dive course! Wow! Could we? To make matters worse the dive instructor Nathen went down with comes over an informs me that Nath is one of the best intro dives he's even had - like a fish to water! And I knew Warren, the instructor, for the last time I was up here, so I took him at his word.
When we got back to tropic days we found out that there was a chance that the safari would be cancelled. Turns out that they needed at least four people for the trip and they only had three so far... Well, this changes things! OK - can we cancel the safari? Because I don't want to wait until Monday only to find out that it's canceled and then be left with one very disapointed young lad, with nothing to do on his birthday. Just to complicate matters a little, when they ring up the safari company they've managed to find that forth person :( Mouth piece of the phone covered we quickly desided that young Nath had come done with some horrid bug and wouldn't be able to make it, could we cancel? Not sure - they'll have to get back to us. That was friday evening. Returned from our evening meal and still no answer :/
Satruday... what did we do Saturday... oh yer. Well, Friday was spent under the water looking at all the lovely fish. Saturday was spent above the water doing a spot of deep sea fishing. Personally, I've got a couple of issues with the whole fishing on the reef, the two big ones being the damange the ancor does to the reef (dive boats use fixed mooring points) and also the fish a too beautiful and under threat. But... just this once - and only for Nathen's sake! Can't complain it was a great day. I caught a huge golden trivelly (photo to follow) and another 3 fish, which I put back. Nathen caught a small sea perch: a beatiful red fish. I felt better for returning the other fish, but didn't like seeing people pulling out the coral trout and honey comb cod. They are amazing looking fish and beautiful to watch under water - a real treat to watch. Ho hum...
Back at tropic days, having attempted to filet a fish with a bread knife!, they informed me that the safari had been canceled! Magic fantatic 'cept we'd also found out that there was no space with any of the dive operators to start the course on Sunday - oh shit! As they say, be carefull what you wish for! Fffarrrrrck! Fours days in Cairns with a young lad, over his birthday, and not a thing planned. Oh dear.
So as you can imagine yesterday, Sunday, was... busy! Woke up eary and got on the phone to the dive centres - laying it on thick! But no joy.No dive centres in Cairns had any space until Monday. So we look into moving our flights. The flights originally cost 149 each way for each person. To put our flights back two days the price goes up to ... 450! Only 3x the original price. Searched around and managed to get both flights changed for 460. Running out of cash fast! Before booking the flights I check with the dive centre that they still have space for Monday and could they pencil us in: no problem. Flights booked we pop in to the dive centre to confirm for Monday. 'How old is he?', '12' I say - 'Oh - that's too young to do the course, we can't take him.' - 'You have got to be @#$@#% kidding me!'. I'd told them how old he was from the get go - and Warren, Nathen's instructor, knew how old he was when he was telling me to get him on a course.
Luckily... the chap didn't know what he was talking about and when the boss got back it was all cleared up. All Nathen had to do was pass the dive medical, which he did. So that's where he is now - on his first day to becoming a junior open water diver!
Back to Syndey on Friday night now. Saturday we're off with Liz to see Cirdu du Solai - can't wait! Then Nathen flys home on Sunday :(
Oh well.
Signing off .... June 13 Work work work and a camperJust a quick blog blat - no updates recently as I've been expecting the delivery of a laptop for the last week or two. We now have broadband in the flat, just nothing to plug into it! Really frustrating - but can't complain as the laptops (two different sources) will be very cheap when they arrive. One's from a friends office - out of date kit. The other promises to be a top notch Dell. But neither are either till they turn up!
So appologies to all if I've not been around on the email circuit recently. Must say a big thanks to Claire and Greenie for my lovely birthday song - I picked it up too late to give you guys a bell back but it put a big smile on my face to hear you guys - still got the message saved in case I feel a little home sick ;)
Hopefully, should have a laptop soon. If not then I'll have to bite the bullet and sit in a net cafe for a while and catch up on emails. I've kinda been ignoring email hoping I'd be able to do it from the comfort of my own home. Ho ho hum.
Final point before a quick sign off... I'm the surprised owner of a white camper van! Surprised because I didn't really have any intention of buying a vehicle while I was out here. Camper van... well a friend of Lizzie's bought it 6 months ago for several grand and has spent several more on it since, but is unexpectantly heading back to the uk to become a doctor. She did want to give it to Lizzie, but she's already got one, so instead I got it - for a song. I'm sure it'll come in handy in the summer, especially when Nathen's over!
See ya!
May 26 Birthday part IIIAnd finally - thanks to all for the texts and emails wishing me a happy birthday. I'm now going to head out and enjoy it! :D
Oh and... for those that have asked: the game will be released on the PS3 and the PC.
Laters all! Happy Birthday Me - part IIJust thought I'd break today’s blog into two parts as it's been a while since I've posted.
So this second part... yer erm... 'bout work n' that.
Well, I'm just on my way home from work and few beers after work with my new co-workers. Little bit tipsy but otherwise in good spirits and of sound mind ;)
Monday, first day on the job. Rock up for 9 am after getting out of bed at 7 - body is seriously not used to this. Though maybe after the camping it should have been - something different though when you've only got a few layers of thin fabric between you and nature to when you're rapped all cozy like with your lady with the prospect of a day in the office ahead. Oh bugger; I seem to have gone and got myself a job. Still, on the bright side it is casual clothing and it is a job as a games programmer!
The first day I felt a little intimidated by all the new terms and technical 3D gaming stuff. Lots of people talking about 'we've got a problem with rk - it's running a bit slow' and I'm thinking 'rk' what the f@#$ is rk? Everyone seemed nice enough and I made a conscious effort to get in peoples faces and introduce myself (geeks can be a little shy sometimes!). Turns out I’m on the ‘Game Play’ team, its responsible for coding most of the actual game and hooking all the other parts (AI, animation, physics, etc) together. Spent most of the first day pulling down the latest release and trying to get it to compile, needing plenty of help of Reece, my new boss. Left feel a little ... overawed?
Day two saw more of the same. Latter moved on to a set of tasked that Reece had set up to help me get to grips with the different systems in the game. Basically, I had to write my own game entity. An entity being something tangible in the game. For those of you reading with a programming back ground it was like a hello world app, but for gaming - more of a hello game. By lunch time I was deep in code and reveling in it. Oh how I'd missed it. Like a pig in shit! Suddenly I was a lot more confident: sure I didn't know much about games programming and all this talk about rk and other such stuff, but then did I know anything about swaps, options or boot strapping a yield curve when I started my previous job?
Now it's Friday and I've learned a lot this week. With this company there sure ain't no time for slacking - the pressure is always going to be on. But the people are cool: it's a very young, vibrant and dynamic crowd of developers, artists, designers and animators - many fresh out of uni. But the thing I like most about this job is that it looks like it's going to be a challenge and, yer, it scares me a little. But you know what? I like that...
Birthday weekend ahead. Another challenging week to follow. Next week I start work for real: I’ve got to start designing and coding an events system to control and handle all the events in the game, plus provide a user interface so that the designers can actually design these events. I can’t say much more than that as I’m under a strict confidentiality agreement and the internet it not the most subtle place to break it! Looks like the schedule on all this is going to be tight as well – it’s not like they are giving me any time to find my feet. I suppose I am coming in as a senior games programmer so they expect me to be ready to do real work pretty quickly. It’s going to be a challenge and I’m going to love it;) I'll keep you posted!
On and rk, by the way, is reverse kinetics - you position the players hand where you need it and use rk to work out where the rest of the play needs to be for the hand to be there. It uses a skeleton with 83 bones for a human player to work it all out. Cool hey.
Happy Birthday me!Phew, well, woow, that's week one of the new job over and what's more it's my birthday!!!!! 31 years young ;)
I haven't updated my blog for a while as things have been pretty busy. I'd been making the most of the two weeks off I had before starting the new job this past Monday. By last week my 'man flu' was starting to be under control. By this I mean I had a combination of three different hardcore decongestants that, in combination, meant that my head didn't feel like it was going to explode continually. Because of this Liz and I managed to get out on Sunday to the Royal National Park just south of Sydney. It was a beautiful day but unfortunately, true to form as ever, it took us quite a while to get organized, out the door and to the park. Still, we got to spend an hour or two roving around in the forest, up in the high country. It was so tranquil.
Bolstered by our afternoon in nature we promised ourselves we'd get out for some camping the very next day. We had been planning on getting away up north over our synchronized two weeks off, but because of money & weather concerns it never panned out (no point spending a fortune traveling north if the weather is no better there than here), so instead a week in the national park sounded perfect. We didn't need to be back in Sydney till Friday for Barry's birthday.
Unfortunately the weather ruined us. We woke up when our alarm went off early Monday morning. Keen campers. Unfortunately, on opening the blinds we were greeted with overcast sky and rain. Not weather indicative of packing and jumping in the car for a spot of camping. Ho hum. Thought this bloody Australia was supposed to be sunny - ok so yer it's winter, but still... :(
Tuesday though... Tuesday was looking up. Not many clouds and no rain, plus the temperature was up a little. This could be good. A quick check of the weather forecast showed fine weather ahead until the weekend. Only problem was, unlike yesterday when we'd been all pumped to go and were up at the crack of dawn, today we though we weren't going anywhere and so had slept in till 11. So no time to loose! I'm up and out to buy supplies: gas camping stove (no open fires in the park), thermos flask (gotta have coffee for the breaks when you're hiking), torch batteries, food and drink. We'd inherited a tent from Nelly & Anita when they left. Liz stays as home to cook up some banana bread and start packing.
3pm was us in the car and setting off: 1 hour later than our Sunday foray. Darn and Blast it! Yup - four hours it took us to buy some stuff and chuck it all in the back of the car. Arse. 4pm and we're at the park. We'd just enough time to go for a mouch down the deserted beach and set up camp before it got dark.
Day1: 9am the next morning and we're up - the sky is clear blue; the sun still low and it's looking like it's going to be a beautiful day. We'd discussed our plans for today the previous night but all was thrown in to chaos because Lizzie had been freezing all night in the tent and couldn't face another without further insulation. Personally I couldn't see the problem; I'd done my bit to keep her warm and I'd been fine all night. Still... gotta keep the lady happy. So, we jumped on the ferry over to the other side of the bay and civilization. 2.5 hours till the ferry was heading back. Spent the time in a outdoorsy kinda shop, buying half of it in the process - they had this sale on ya see. Up to 60% off. Neither Liz nor I can resist a good bargain...
1.5 hours later and a whole lot lighter in the wallet, Liz and I emerged. Two 3.5 season sleeping bags (down to $207 for $545 each), one pair of walking boats for me (less than half price), one wind proof jumper for liz (a snip at 40 bucks down from 95) and an assortment of other odds and ends. Fully laden, we headed back to the ferry, safe in the knowledge that a cozy night was assured this evening.
Spent the afternoon - almost three by the time we got back! Why oh why could we not seem to get into the park until it was almost getting dark (sunset was 5:30) - spent the afternoon on a coastal walk, which was OK - nothing amazing.
Camp in the evening was great - cooking, food, wine and may of the local wildlife popping over to say hello. We even had a wallaby. I'll post photos up soon.
Day 2: Having set the alarm we're up by 7:30 - it's another glorious day. We've got our morning ritual down to a T. I'm on breakkie duty while Liz sorts out the sarnies for the day. Still, it's 10 before we're in the car and our of the site. But we're getting better! Spent the day on a beautiful 20K circular walk down to the coast through literal rainforest (that’s right, it was literally rainforest!). Frequent coffee and banana bread breaks to admire the view. This was my favorite day. The rainforest was amazing. Big fern trees, vines everywhere. The 'path' was more of a concept than a marked route. Planning on taking Nathen on this walk when he comes out. Reckon he'll love it too. Even got to swim in the sea at the half way point and then doze on a patch of grass before panicking we weren't going to make it back before dark, but being too sedated to rush!
Day3: Another early start and a pack up of the tent. During breakfast I was mugged by a gang of kookaburras. That's right: mugged. They're not as daft as they look. No, they're clever little bugger a little like the velocer raptors in Jurassic Park. They plan and they plot! There I was minding my own business and enjoying my fried breakfast, when a Kookaburra flies up onto the corner of the table. Liz and I, so shocked by this, turn to stare. On of his accomplices takes this opportunity to swoop down out of the near by tree and come in, from the other end of the table, to snatch one of my sausages right off my plate. 'Bloody hell' Liz and I say as we look first at my plate, sans one sausage, that at the culprit flying into the distance. At this moment kookaburra number 1 seizes his chance and also swoops across to pinch my last remaining sausage. Why the f@#$@#... Plotting and planning I tell thee!
We'd thought about going for a mouch around the rainforest more inland, or maybe hiring some bikes and going for a cycle. In the end we plumped for heading down the 1 hour 'hard' walk to the only nudy beach in the park and then heading back inland for an afternoon of kayaking! Well, what can I say - the beach was beautiful and once we had the place to ourselves we couldn't resist a quick dip, then another. Spent the day there by ourselves. Terrific.
All in all it was an amazing few days out in the wilds, just a shame we never got to go kayaking down the river. Still, that leaves something for another day...
May 09 Employment at lastGot me a job. I got myself a job! Woo Who! That's right folks, you can stop being quite so jealous of me and my travels because I am no longer a beach bum - I'm back in the rat race, or at least I will be in two weeks time. Apparently I have family coming over to stay for the next two weeks so I won't be able to start work till after then. Honest governor, nudge nudge, wink wink.
Soooo.... as what you may ask? As a games programmer!!!!!! That's right - as of a week on Monday I'll be working for Team Bondi writing games. As yet no real idea what part of the game I'll be working on. When asked I said I'd like to work in the core engine, but we'll have to wait and see.
Apart from that life in Sydney is good. Unfortunately, I currently suffering from a man flu and have been for about a week. It's a bit of a pain as Liz is also off for the next two weeks and we want to get out and about and do things. Ho hum. Think I'm at the tail end of it now anyway - or may it's just the large amount of drugs I've taken to stop my head from feeling like it wanted to explode.
Anyway - bye for now! May 02 Photos from SurfarisI've added some photos from the Surfaris to my album. Take a look if you like ;) Job updateBefore going surfing this morning (!) I rang Reese at Team Bondi - the main guy I've been dealing with at the game programming place - to basically explain that I realised that I'd cocked up the design test and that I should of done x, y and z. On the phone he was really cagey. I mean, it's a geek, so he's not the most talkative or people anyway, but while I was yabbering away he'd just say 'OK' and then at the end he said 'well thanks for that' - not very reasuring!
Some I'm thinking that I'm done for when about an hour later Teresa from Team Bondi rings up to get reference information of me!
So who knows, but it's looking good!!!!!!!! April 28 OopsHad my second interview this morning.
The first part, more chat and verbal questions, went really well - no real issues except for me still feeling like my maths/3D/Comp Sci. was a little on the week side.
The second part was a design test where they asked me to knock up a quick design of a simple system containing a collection of 'entities' that can read-only and writeable properties. Messaging, notifications and thread safety were needed in the design. They wanted class diagrams and simplied header files. Well, I think I may have cocked it up :( You only get an hour and, while I'm normally very good at such tests, I left feeling - no, knowing - that I could of done better. It's one of those situations where you rush through it knowing you only have limited time (and very aware that I hadn't finished the previous test) and then when you leave you think back to what you've done and mentally go 'doh!' on several design points.
Ho hum. What ever will be will be...
They'll let me know next week. April 27 One step closerJust had a phone call from Team Bondi - they want me back in for the second interview tomorrow at 9:30!!!!!!!!!!!
How excited am I!!!!!
 If second interviews are anything like they are in the UK then it's just to give the upper management a chance to make sure they are not hiring some complete wanker. So if I can just fool them into thinking I'm not one of those I should be onto a winner!
 Any how - off to do some shopping and then to spend an afternoon in the kitchen, cooking something nice up for the lady.
Yipppppppeeeee!!!!!!! April 26 How about becoming a games programmer?How about it? Well hell yer! Got three answer machine messages from some Theresa from 'Team Bondi' while I was away surfing last week. Got back in touch on Monday. It was regarding a C++ role I'd applied to over the net. Now, I apply to a fair amount of positions. Anything that takes my fancy. So I had little idea what the role was, but duely arranged an interview this morning.
10am after a meer 4 hours sleep I was waiting, suited and booted, outside the office in Sydney waiting for Theresa to come down and let me in. First off she comments that I didn't need to come all smart - casual is the dress of the day. Up we go into a very spacious office, which Theresa informs me they've just moved into. Still a lot of building work going on. Now at this point I'm still not even sure if this is some new agency via which I've applied or a potential employer. It is only when she sits me down and starts chatting about the interview's technical test and then a little about the company that I realise that this is an interview for one of those jobs I've applied for which I'd love to do but didn't hold up much hope of hearing back from: Team Bondi writes games!!!!! The last game they wrote was 'The Getwaway' : http://ps2.ign.com/objects/014/014483.html - no small title!
Sat down for the technical test and it wasn't bad - hard enough - it was more the quanitity of the questions then how hard they were - i didn't finish it! Still, there was also some more computer science type questions that I couldn't answer that well. Passed it though. Had a chat with one of the lead devs and they'll let me know by the end of the week if they want me back for a second interview.
The thing that really attracks me to this role, aside from the fact that games programming is the holy grail of programming - it the fact that they have a reasonably hard test and every programmer there has passed it. If I get this job it's going to be outside my comfort zone and I should be working with a good team of devs.
Actually quite excited about the prospect. Reckon if I don't get it it will be because of my lack of pure computer science knowledge; design patterns, complexity formulas, that kind of this. What this space though!
April 21 Surfing the wavesJust a quick check in with the old blog to let those of you who care know that I'm currently sat in a net cafe up in Byron Bay, having just completed a 5 day surf skool. Have to say surfing is way cool and the school had the added benifit that we also spent four nights camping out in national parks - beautiful forests and deserted white sandy beaches with crisp clean breaks.
I've just had my first shower in five days - boy did that feel good! - and all my clothes, bar the shorts I'm wearing, are in a washer due to the fact that they were damp and smelled of salt and camp fires.
About to head out into Byron for some food and drink with the group. Signing off for now cos this net ain't cheap!
Oh, and yes of course I was standing up and surfing...
|
|
|
