Mind frazzling

So this week, I managed to have a brain exploding moment. As seems to be the recurring pattern here, I made a video about it! Here it is:

I'm not a person who gets stressed or depressed. I always think that my problems are somewhat insignificant to those of others and am able to just shrug it off and move on. I dunno what really happened here though. I think it's because my job was just "getting on top of me" momentarily. I'm told this can happen from time to time and the easiest way to avoid it, and I quote, "Don't let it get on top of you". Yeah, cheers for that!

But anyway, it's all okay now! I'm currently finishing off my induction which seems like it's lasted forever. I just can't wait to actually get into work! But see, even once I have started my actual placement (rather than the training), I will still have not only PDS (the external apprenticeship peoples) work, but also my Uni work to do! I have been told that I can relate a lot of what I will be doing in my day to day job to the PDS stuff which is sort of the point but it's still quite a, with lack of a better word, mind fuck.

I've been just trying to keep my mind off this sort of stuff by taking walks etc. and it has been helping quite a lot!

But Anyway! On to some slightly less work-orientated speechness. I've made very little progress with my Phoenix project. Did I tell you about that? I dunno if I did. Well it's basically just a poster I am working on for a YouTuber using his logo and filling it with comments from his videos. Sounds stalkerish? Thought so.

I have also decided to take up a language. I am trying my hand at French but still don't like the whole "this is feminine" "this is masculine" bullshit. It's a fecking apple. So I am starting to lean more to German or maybe Spanish/Italian. I've become very decisive as you may have noticed.

Apart from this, not really done a lot else this week. I made a new video today which I have appropriately named: "The Walking Vlog".

But yeah, until next time!

Update

I fell that I have been somewhat neglecting this blog somewhat, so I plan on doing a weekly update on a Sunday if I can, or the Monday if not.

But anyway, first things first. I have began to Vlog! So yes, if you enjoy reading my blogs then it might be worth heading over to: http://youtube.com/KaosVlog and subscribing. Not a lot on there at the moment but I intend to fill it with many a shenanigan.

Now that's now out the way, I can start with the actual blog. Lately, I haven't really been sleeping that well. It's not affecting me too badly, like I do have energy and stuff during the days but I keep having these "Half-Dreams" where I am actually awake but still think I am asleep so keep myself awake because of that. It's annoying and I kind of want it to stop. Does anybody have any tips on sleeping well or anything? Would appreciate it if you did!

Work has been okay. I am still in training and still working in Paddington at the moment but it has only recently sunk in that this is it. This is my life now. Yes, fair enough I don't have to be there but if I want to have a successful career, then this is my life from now on. I have to get up at 7. Leave at 7:30. Get to work at 8:30 - 9 and remain there till 5. I think it's just the sudden change, you know? I have been such a lazy bastard for so long as a student, laying around doing nothing but work on the odd occasion that having this full-time job which I am slowly learning is becoming harder by the minute, it's a real shock to the system.

But yeah, I keep learning all this new work that I will need to be doing. Not only do I have my "normal day job" but I also have the work for PDS, the people who run my apprenticeship, to do as well as the work I have to do for my degree (uni work). I mean, I knew that it was not going to be a walk over when I started but I didn't think it would be this much. It's not exactly not manageable but it's just a shock, like I said earlier.

Anyway, moving on! Two weekends ago I went down for another YouTube meet up in Somerset and this is where my vlogging experience began. It was to meet up with Sara Parker, Nathan Wills and a handful of other YouTubers. Here is my video of it:

I apologise for the amateur nature of it. It was my first one. Was a lot of fun and a great day!

I also last weekend went to the 84th GameOn LAN and was one of the best LANs I have been to so far. I did make a video for this but it is more game footage than anything. You can find it here:

 

Was also, a really great weekend and a break from work.

This week, I got sent to Milton Keynes by work (yeah yeah, I realise the irony of the situation when I was bitching about how much work I had to do) to visit the Open University. I may or may not be doing a vlog about this, I do have some footage but yeah, not sure. We were put up in The Hilton Hotel next to the uni and let me tell you, it was lush! Such a nice room :D.

But anyway, I apologise for the long blog but like I said, I hope to be doing more regular blogs from now on!

Starting to sink in & The Meet

So I've been at work now for just over a month and it really is starting to hit me that this is it. Up everyday at 7am. Work until 5ish. Come home around 6:30 - 7. This is it. Due to this past month, it has really helped me appreciate my weekends a lot better, but sadly I still am not doing much with my time!

Although, saying that I did go to London last Saturday and meet a BUNCH of amazing people including: Cory Williams, Kate Elliot, Sara Parker, Nathan Wills and a bunch of other YouTubers and non-Youtubers alike at a meet up for Cory & Kate as they have come over from America.

Cory Williams' Epic Man Hug

The start of the meet

Sara Parker

Was a truly amazing day and met some amazing people.

I haven't really been doing a lot lately though apart from that, although I did make a poster inspired by The Hunger Games which I will be sending out to Kate (One of the YouTubers).
I would link it in but apparently, it's huge and will not be accepted by the server.. Hmm.. Ah well, I will attempt to get it into another blog post.

So yeah, there really isn't a lot to be said at the moment sadly, although I have decided to invest in a new camera when I get my first pay check which should be nice. Oh, and I am off to Somerset on Saturday for ANOTHER YouTube meet up with Sara and Nathan (and about two dozen others I believe!). Can't wait :3.

Commuting, Reinstalling and Revision

Not really been doing a lot at work so far other than learning the basics of how Visa operates so there really isn't that much to talk about on that front just yet. Just been doing a lot of commuting which I am starting to get use to and not mind that much. I find that it gives me a chance to wake up.

Where I previously worked as a Lifeguard, it was a five minute walk from my house so I would get up 10 minutes before I had to be there. Sure, that sounds great but I would just be knackered when I got into work! It really wasn't a good thing. But this, it takes me a good hour or so to get to work each day so just gives me time to get myself in order. I prefer going to Paddington or Basingstoke rather than Reading though. The train to Reading is just one train for an hour and get's very boring and makes me very tired (even when I am reading) whilst the other two are two trains at about half an hour each (Basingstoke is more like half hour, forty-five minutes).

I am currently reinstalling Windows as when I first built my computer I stupidly put Windows 32bit on it. Such a bad move. Anyway, I bought a new 2TB hard drive along with an official (upgrade) 64 bit Windows 7. First piece of software that isn't a game that I have ever bought I think. But yeah, I am doing all of this now as I have the GameOn LAN coming up in just over two weeks which I can't wait for!

Along with that, this Saturday I am heading into London, rain or shine to a YouTube meet. Now a lot of people may look down at this but I think that a lot of YouTubers are the most down to earth "celebrities" you can come across. So I am going up to meet SMPFilms (DudeLikeHELLA) and Katers17 (Katersoneseven) and I can't wait!

I got my exam on Wednesday also which I need to get 80% in so will probably drop another blog in on Wednesday evening as it will be a load of my mind!

Three-Day Weekend!

The Visa-Europle Five Party Model

So been at Visa for two weeks know and I have to say, the last week went pretty fast. We learnt quite a lot of stuff as well such as the 5 party model which is the transaction process from the Cardholder to us and beyond (see image). I know that it looks really confusing but it's really not, especially if you put it into a straight line.

Went down the pub a few days as well with the other apprentices which was good. But the thing I have learnt the most about this week is the appreciation of a three-day weekend. Before, it was just a day off school/college and I didn't really do anything with it. Now, I have a whole new perspective on it! Sound silly but yeah.

Also got my LAN ticket booked for 4 weeks time. Cannot wait for that. Apart from that, not a whole lot been going on in the past few days although I did work up in the Reading offices on Thursday I think it was. I also met up with Anca that day, a childhood friend that I don't get to see nearly enough of!

Anyway, that's about it. Back to watching Lost!

Training..

We started our first lot of training this week with multiple different people. I wasn't exactly ecstatic to find out that there will be an exam at the end of it with a pass mark of 80% but luckily it's open book (I get to use my notes & laptop) so it can't be that hard!

This week has been going much quicker than last as we are actually doing something and learning things that will benefit us in the future (when I refer to us and we, I mean the other apprentices and I) so I've been enjoying it much more. My Wi-Fi at the office is still not working sadly but I will be getting that fixed tomorrow - fingers crossed.

Today we had a two hour break so I decided to go and see the sites of Paddington. There isn't a lot to see. What I was actually trying to find was a Waterstones or something of the like as I was trying to pick up the final book in the trilogy of The Hunger Games. If you have read the past few blog posts, you may have seen that I have been reading them. I've also been reading them a tad too fast (for me). I managed to finish the second one in three days whilst pretty much only reading them whilst travelling. Anyway, I realised today that Paddington itself doesn't actually have that many sights to see. It is pretty much just restaurants. I did manage to find a place deserving a picture though.

I also managed to get a decent enough picture of the "gardens" just outside where I work in Sheldon Square so here is a picture of them too. (They are not really gardens, just grass on steps!)

Tomorrow I will be going to the Reading offices for the first time - this should be interesting judging by the fact that when I first went to Paddington, I ended up at a random NHS building..

First weekend

So it's been a week since I started working at Visa and so far, not a lot has happened. But that's sort of what is to be expected when starting any new job. The entire first week was pretty much just introductions (although on Friday we got to look around one of the data centres in Basingstoke which was pretty interesting).

Seeing as we are the first batch of apprentices ever in Visa, it's not a huge surprise that everybody wants to meet us. We have been joined at lunch most days by some quite high players within Visa and have been getting lunch paid for us every day this week. Along with that, they keep giving us free merchandise and free travel. It's like they are trying to bribe us to stay. I don't think we're going anywhere!

But yeah, I got my £200 pre-paid card through on Thursday and seeing as it's Saturday now, I think it's time to spend some of this. I could do with some new shirts. Speaking of shirts, my parents have gone away for a week and I have only just realised I don't know how to use the washing machine. I am going to be terrible at living alone!

Oh, that's another thing, I think I have decided that I will be looking for a place in Reading in the next few weeks. I am starting off for 6 months in "Business Ops". This is basically Customer Care. The banks will call us with a problem, we will be the first line of defence to try and fix it. There are three of us in that section and it should be quite good actually.

Anyway, time to go shop!