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!

Two days in..

So I have now started my apprenticeship and I have finished my second day. Basically, it's a 7am start or so where I then have to travel into Paddington (leaving the house around 7:30) and getting there around 9ish.

I managed to fudge up twice on the first day when, even though my dad had told me that Earls Court wasn't having trains to Paddington till the 22nd August, and I knew this fact, I asked at my local station and they told me to go to Earls Court to get to Paddington. It was early and I had forgotten that this was the fact. I then got to Earls Court station and was told to get back onto the train that I had effectively just got off (just going the other way) and go to Hammersmith.

Once I got to Paddington station, it is under a 5 minute walk to get to the main Visa building in Sheldon Square. As I come out of the platform, there is a sign saying "OI, TOSSPOT, THIS WAY TO WORK!" (I may be para-phrasing). I chose to completely ignore this and go on a journey ending up at a NHS building about a mile out of my way. Luckily, I didn't start till 9:45 that day and got there at 9:40. Go me.

Anyway, the actual days have so far just really consisted of introductions and the like. Nothing too interesting and the highlight of my job as an apprentice so far have both been meeting the other apprentices and the commute to work. It's a good hour 'n forty five minutes to get there give or take and I basically just sit down the entire time and read my book. I am currently reading "The Hunger Games". Don't know if you've heard of it but it's definitely one to read. Post apocalyptic world where minors are set to fight to the death. Google it. It's good.



But anyway, there really hasn't been that much to talk about except from the fact that on the first day we were given company laptops which I found very trusting of Visa. I mean, I'm not saying we are untrustworthy but; wasn't expecting that on the first day. But yeah, not much to say really, not going too badly at the moment.

Oh, also, they are paying for our travel and lunch for the time being which is shveet..

Shopping and Money

Today, I decided to hell with it (as the pre-paid card still had not turned up) and went shopping for some clothes. I went up to Kingston (see below picture) which is about a 40 minute trip from my house and ended up buying a new polo, some trousers and a shirt for work. Not the best of shopping trips if I do say so myself! I also bought some hair dye; Dark Brown. Decided I wanted to re-dye my hair (although last time it was black. It is naturally dirty-blonde). I am going to go out again tomorrow to Hounslow (15 minutes or so) to get some more stuff.

Kingston-Upon-Thames

Anyway, When I returned, I found an e-mail stating that my travel arrangements have been made for the first day (Great, first day). They said that they need some photo-id to do the other four weeks which I don't quite understand but okay! Anyway, they also said that they will be sending the pre-paid card to me next week. Sorry, but how is this helpful in anyway shape or form? Okay, yes. It is helpful as it's a free £200 and yes, I should be grateful that I am getting it anyway but seriously, I start on Monday, why would they send me a card to get clothes for a job the week I start the job. I'm not going to have time to go and get anything till the following Saturday so I will have to buy enough stuff for next week (which is pretty much all of it!). Hopefully, I can use the £200 on other things as well and it's not just situated to clothes. I can't imagine it is. As long as I have clothes and it gets used, all is well I suppose.

Off to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes tonight which I have been looking forward to for ages! If you live under a rock, then here is a trailer of it. Will write about how it was either by editting this blog tomorrow or I will shove it in the next one!

Team Fortress 2

As I haven't started yet, there isn't really a lot to report on the apprenticeship although I was suppose to be being sent a pre-paid railcard for a month so I can travel to and from Paddington station for free as well as a £200 pre-paid Visa card so I can buy some work clothes. If this has not come by Saturday, I will just have to go and buy my own clothes really.

I have been putting a lot of my attention into GameGrin this week. Oh yeah, the name of GameOn has changed to GameGrin. Don't ask. It can be found here: http://gamegrin.com. But yeah, I have been posting a lot of news as well as writing a blog post on Team Fortress 2.

Team Fortress 2 Classes

Speaking of Team Fortress 2, I have also been playing this a lot the past week and this week. If you don't know what Team Fortress 2 is, here is a quick breakdown. It's a team-based first person shooter. There are two teams, Red and Blue. There are eight different types of gametypes ranging from Deathmatches, Capture points and Capture the Flag. There are nine different type of class: Scout, Soldier, Heavy, Sniper, Spy, Engineer, Medic, Demoman and Pyro. They all have specific play styles and weaponry. It is Free to Play now.
Well yeah, I have been playing this a lot this week and going to be trying to get some gameplay footage in tonight as we have a GameGrin game. Should be fun!

Will try and actually do some more stuff in the next few days, might go out shopping but go the scenic route and take some pictures. That way I will actually have something to blog about!

Not much news

Not a lot has changed since the last blog really. I'm now under two weeks away from starting though. I think I have decided (that makes total sense) that I will be remaining at home for the first 5 weeks or so. This is for a few reasons:

1. I will be starting off in Paddington. This is, as I mentioned before, a half an hour trip from my current location in Middlesex but a two and a half hour (or so) trip from where I will be living in Basingstoke.
2. For the first month, I will not have any money. I will not get paid until the first month's salary comes through!
3. Hopefully - I haven't really heard much about the other apprentices moving but hopefully some of them will be doing the same as me and then I can hunker up with them.

So yeah; as far as life in general goes, it's pretty laid back at the moment. Not really doing a lot except from watching Lost & Breaking Bad counting down the days till I start. My money is starting to run thin as well as I will not be getting paid this month because I left my Lifeguarding job in June (my NPLQ (lifeguarding qualification) ran out then). Been getting out occasionally but not as much as I would like too. Sadly, as my money is running out I can't really afford to go out THAT much.

HTC Desire HD

I did, however, buy a new phone. I can't remember if I mentioned it or not but when I was on holiday in Zante, my stuff got stolen on the first night which included my phone. Well, the insurance money had recently come in so I jumped on the chance of getting rid of my temporary phone (LG Cookie) and upgraded to a HTC Desire HD and let me tell you now, I love it! So much faster than my previous phone, HTC Wildfire. I will be going out in the next couple of days to do a shop for some new clothes both for work and "play?" with the remainder of the insurance PLUS I get a £200 clothing allowance from Visa themselves which is good.

Anyway, that's all that is really going on at the moment and will hopefully get another blog up in the next couple of days with some more interesting updates!