So much has happened since I last blogged.

First thing that happened, was first day back to work. For a long time prior to Dec 31, there had been talks of the company I work for being sold, or merged, something happening to it. Basically I work for a company called Nettest, who is a subsidiary of a parent company called GN. Since we are in the communication/telecom/optical area, basically we were hit with the same thing happening everywhere, cutbacks.

So Dec 31, GN announces our company has been sold to a Danish Investor company. So effective immediately, we have a new owner, and they subsequently decide, that they will only continue to run operations out of Copenhagen (HQ) and Utica (in the States somewhere, I have no idea). So that means they have decided Toronto is no longer in their future. So then what does that mean for Toronto office and me? Well, two options, sold to another company, or closed down. Needless to say things have not been happy at work, and it has been a tough time. I don’t really know what that means for me as a student, but I can only come up with a couple possibilities.

So anyways, the last week meant not much productive work happening at work, but I must say there has been an increase of people everyday and evening in the game room. We play a couple games of snooker and ping pong every night before we leave.
I think this really helps me get a better view of the working world. The first two summers I worked I gained so much about the politics of working and the business world. But this one tops a lot. Seeing my co-workers going through this time is really reassuring sometimes, but sad others. Everyday is kind of sad because they are all scared of being laid off. And everyone is talking about this possibility. And if they do, many of them will not get much compensation because of the time they have worked there. But what good is that they still have high spirits and they don’t seem too depressed. But it’s life, and you take things as they come. Can’t do much about what is happening.

So there are some potential buyers, one of them being four “management” people from the Toronto office. That’d be the VP (highest guy there), COO, head of R&D, and head of Sales. I think this is really a surprise for me. I mean they are the closest to the operations in Toronto, they know what’s happening, and the prospects here. But I really admire them taking this on, or at least trying. I mean before they were just employees, not much on the line. But now they make this proposal to buy the company (with Investors most likely) to become owners, essentially putting their lives at risk. I mean if the company succeeds or fails, it comes down to them who are responsible. It’s such a big risk at this point. Starting a company is not as high a risk, because you probably don’t have as much invested. But this operation has about 86 people working there, tons of equipment, basically very high risk with so many employees.

Okay, so other stuff. I stopped by a dinner for a friend of mine who went to Japan to work. He came back for the holidays to visit, so I stopped by to see him for just half an hour. He hasn’t changed much. But the best line I heard in a long time. So we’re going through his digital camera, and his pictures. One of the guys looks over his shoulder at a picture, it’s of this girl, a portrait. So he goes “is that one of your hot Japanese girl-friends?”. So my friend goes, “Yo guy, that’s my sister!” hahahaa, that was too funny. Oh man, I was laughing non-stop.

I just finished reading this book I bought before Christmas. It’s called “Amazon Extreme” by Colin Angus. It’s basically a diary of Colin, and his journey with two others down the Amazon river. This was a great book, bought it at a book sale for $2.50. It was amazing the experience they went through and that they survived. Many people had attempted the same journey but had either failed, or did not last to make it out of the Amazon (if you know what I mean). Now this isn’t a Christian book, and I do not think they are Christian (at least I do not get that impression from the book), but it was amazing they survived and the things they went through. Events like that are very life changing, and such a big risk and task to make. Book made me feel like I should be doing something like that, living life to it’s fullest right?

Okay, I’ll try to write again tomorrow.