Fear and loathing in wherever

So it's election time again and that means everybody's getting fired up for voting for whichever figurehead they think will fulfill their priorities. I consider myself a relatively politically aware person - someone who reads about political issues and controversies more than once every four years. But of course it's election season and that means it's time to be bombarded with politically-related crap from every single direction. (Editor's note - yes, I am trying to get a job/internship working on a website covering the election)

What really bothers me is this - when I try to have a leveled conversation about the two candidates I usually get a reaction like this - "HOW CAN YOU NOT VOTE FOR (insert candidate's name here) ARE YOU CRAZY!??!?! DO YOU NOT REALIZE WHAT IS AT STAKE?!?!?!"

Yes, the president is somewhat important. Yes the country has begun to hit the shits as of late. Yes the last president wasn't that great. My question is, is the presidential election really the most important thing going on right now? In my opinion, not at all. The economy is probably the most important issue right now, followed closely by numerous social developments of which the president has little to no impact. Additionally, I don't think you can blame Bush, Clinton, Older Bush, or any other president for the current state of the economy. Presidents did not force banks to issue bad loans or make people accrue incredible amounts of debt.

Thus, I really can't stand when people I barely ever talk to inform me of how important it is that I vote. Of course I'm glad that I live in a country that perpetuates my right to vote. I find that channeling that sentiment solely into the presidential race is unbelievably idiotic. How about a video of celebrities telling me to vote in my city/state elections? These legislators usually have a far more dramatic impact on my day of life/quality of living than the president. Does the president help get your trash picked up? Nope, that's a city/district rep. Why not release irritating ads decrying how important these elections are?

I have innumerable theories as to why this is - none of them are important. My main point is that while the presidency may be an important, relevant position, it's no more important than state and local elections. Thus releasing idiotic videos about voting in the presidential elections is, to me, just plain ignorant. It's focusing energy on an election that most people are already aware of while disregarding elections that have a greater impact on daily life.

That being said, I'll probably vote for Obama ... mostly to avoid Palin.

The suspense is killing me.

So I didn't get that last job. I tried not to get my hopes up, but I did, and was summarily crushed by the disappointment that I knew was inevitable. I guess I'm back to square one job search wise, which is perhaps scarier now than when I started. As one of my co-workers here would say, it is what it is.

Or so I thought. That was until I got a call at 130 am from time.com. I had applied to an internship there about a week or so ago that I had more or less forgotten about. Now I have a phone interview with them scheduled for sometime later this week. It's not a job persay, but a paid internship through sometime in December. It is, however, a paid position with gd time.com at their offices in nyc helping out with the election. Not too shabby.

Again, I'm attempting not to get excited about this, but I'm sure I will (I already have). It is however cool to think that in 10 days I could be living temporarily in nyc and doing this internship. I'm sure my chances are still slim, but who knows.

I'm not good with gigantic swings in fortune. They mess with my head something awful. A few hours ago I was very seriously worried about the near future. Now I'm wondering if I should pack some of my stuff up just in case. I really hope I find out much sooner than later because I know I'm going to worry myself sick about this stuff over the next week or so. Therefore, if any of you who read this blog (basically Fineman) end up talking to me, please excuse my manic nature.

Timing is everything.

While discussing job prospects, or lack thereof, with a coworker yesterday, he came up with an excellent point - this may be the single worst time since the Great Depression to try to look for a job. My attitude with this stuff (the market/general economy) is generally of the wait and see variety, but even I think it's looking pretty bad. I feel like the media tends to make it out a little bigger than it actually is sometimes, but when Bernanke and Paulson start warning of the end times, I get worried. Interestingly enough this economic downturn may be the final thrust Obama needs to win the office of the presidency. It's interesting to think that we'll look back about the last month and the next two as maybe some of the most extraodrinary times of our lives.

Anyways, back to trying to find a job. I have sent out something like 15 job applications. Until last night, I had not received anything more than an automated response thanking me for my interest. Two nights ago while perusing mediabisrto.com I stumbled across and interest job posting. It was from an investment company that was looking for non-traditional banking and finance people. The posting was quite quirky and light-hearted, piquing my interest. Having been pretty frustrated up til then/now, I decided to do something semi-ridiculous. It seemed as though they were looking for people who think "outside the box" as they say. Well, I figured I would produce an outside the box app.

The first thing that popped into my head was a college essay I remembered hearing about when applying to universities. It was by a medicore student who was trying to get into some schools beyond his reach. It asked him some generic question like "what is your greatest talent?" He then went on a diatribe about how he was master of all creation and such, but in a very tongue-in-cheek way. I figured my best shot at getting someone's attention at this place would be something similar. So...I decided to write a cover letter in rhyming couplets. I have pasted the cover letter below for your enjoyment. It's ridiculous. And what's more, the rhyming couplets aren't even as ridiculous as the ending.

Two days later I got an email from one of their HR people asking me to fill out another form and produce a writing sample. Needless to say, I am absolutely thrilled. I still have almost not expectations of getting a job, but just receiving human contact is a minor victory. For anyone interested, the job is as a generalist associate with D.E. Shaw and Corp. I'll save you the time of wikipediaing it and tell you - it's an investment firm/hedge fund. Indeed during our "once in a century" economic crisis, my best job lead is with an investment firm.

Please enjoy the ridiculousness of the cover letter below. It won't show up here, but I footnoted the part about the Rhodes/Fulbright scholars to their wikipedia page. Thought that would give them a laugh.

"Greetings,

My name is Jason, please find my resume attached for consideration;

I am in search for a job and am applying to your esteemed corporation.

I am a 24-year-old graduate of journalism and international relations;

Currently working and living in Shanghai for the duration.

While searching Mediabistro the other day;

I stumbled upon a job opening for “competitive” pay.

But this job posting wasn’t like the rest;

It had some zing, some pep, ‘twas one of the best.

I’m a hard worker, eager and young;

Just a kid looking to learn and have fun.

While I’m not a Rhodes, Marshall, or Fulbright Scholar;¹

I can promise I’m bright as a silver dollar.

My interests include economics, sports and politics;

And just occasionally I dabble in ethics.

I’m a thinker, a lover, a laugher and a fighter;

But more than any of those I’m really just a writer.

I have experience and education amongst the best;

References and clips provided on request.

Perhaps I’m barking up the wrong tree;

If so, I apologize for idling thee.

Thanks again and I wish you the best of luck;

And if I’m not in consideration, well…..f*#k.

Sincerely,

Jason

P.S. My resume is not in rhyming verse. I promise.

Ever get that "whoa, I'm in China" feeling? Yea me neither.

I'm extremely surprised at how fast the newness of living in Shanghai has worn off. I used to ride in cabs and stare out the window in wide-eyed amazement at the shops, the neon lights, and the myriad of Chinese characters of which I probably understand two. Now I just listen to music and play solitare on my ipod.

Having dinner with a friend from work on Friday night, he asked me if I ever had to remind myself that I live in MFing China. This was an interesting question considering he's lived here for a few years and I've been here only a few months. We both agreed that sometimes you really have to take a step back and remind yourself where you are. It's like walking into a Chinese restaurant. By the end of dinner, you're not still thinking "Whoa, everything here is Chinese!" It just is.

On a completely separate issue, China is far more relaxed than I expected it to be. The best example of this is probably drugs. Before I came to China I was led to believe that there is a zero tolerance policy against pretty much every drug. Now I'm sure if you traffic stuff heavily, you can get busted and go to jail for a long, long time, and even maybe be put to death. On the smaller level though, nobody cares. People smoke weed at social events and do rails in clubs. It almost seems like there's a policy of "don't be fucking stupid about it" and then it's OK. That idea seems to permeate a lot of things here. Prostitution is the same. There is a street - Tongren Rd. - that is known in Shanghai for having ladies of the evening. This is a generally accepted thing. Fake dvds too. They're everywhere and they're insanely cheap. On top of that, they're so pervasive that it's nearly impossible to find non-fake DVDs...not that you would really want to. These fuckers are like a dollar a piece!!!

Anyways, I'm entering the home stretch of my little adventure here. I have about a month to go until I'm back in the US, at which point I'll be living with my parents and desperately trying to get a job. This of course leaves open the possibility that I won't find a thing and end up 42 yrs old, living in my parents' house and referring to myself as "a big kid." This prospect is terrifying, so I expect I'll be feverishly looking for employment. I'd like to take this opportunity to tell everyone that if you do talk to me during this period, I will inevitably begin bitching about my job search and the state of American employment. Be forewarned.

Job hunting from the other side of the Earth

The four of you who read this blog probably know that I've been applying to jobs pretty consistently over the last three or four weeks. You also probably know that I have not only been thus far unsuccessful - I've been incredibly, amazingly, gut-wrenchingly, Tom Brady 2008 season unsuccessful.

I guess I fooled myself into believing I was more talented and/or useful than I actually am. I certainly thought that after getting a masters in IR that my resume would be well rounded. You can make a fine argument that it is. Like most applicants, the only real hole in my resume is experience. Most decent jobs seem to require 3-5 years of "experience."

Now, if you'll allow me to bitch for a while. Where is this wealth of people with 3-5 years of experience?? Am I unaware of a sudden population boom in 1980 that has resulted in a plethora of 28 yr old people who have been working since they graduated college? Additionally, unless you're a place that legitimately gets a ton of apps for their jobs (like the UN, which can consider itself not a part of this rant), write me an effing email back to tell me that they at least read my resume. I'm pretty sure at this point it's either hitting a spam filter or circulated around the office for amusement.

On the upside, my friend/psuedo boss at the SBR is going to sit down with the Shanghai Bureau Chief of Reuters. I'm very happy for him and hope he gets it. However, for this post, let us ask the question of how he got this meeting? ... He knew a guy who knew a guy. That's life and it doesnt really tend to bother me except for one thing - I hate asking people for favors job wise. It makes me feel like Oliver Twist begging to someone infintely bigger and wiser, hoping that they aren't going to smack you and take away your remaining gruel.

I guess, as they say, it's always darkest before the dawn and you're always one app away from getting a job. But what bothers me most is that I haven't even gotten a rejection letter. I have been deemed not qualified enough to receive a message saying "we don't want you for this job." After spending 6 years and more money than I'll make before im 35 on higher education, it's infuriating, terrifying, frustrating, etc. It's pretty much every emotion that is not positive.

Fortunately I can still fall back on my degree in ........COMMUNICATIONS?!?!?!

(Simpson's quote....anybody??)

Edit - http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2008/Sep/05/jobless_rate_jumps_to_5_year_high_of_6_1_percent.html

That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!

(Another Simpson's quote....anybody?!?!)

Should I stay or should I go?

Weirdly enough, I've been here for roughly half the time I'm scheduled for. In that time i've settled into a pretty good rhythm here. I'm generally surprised at how easy it is to become accustomed to a relatively strange place. The relative cheapness of certain things (taxis, food, etc.) and the large expat population make it pretty easy living. I wouldn't say I've fallen in love with the place, but I also have almost entirely positive things to say about it.

One of the most common questions that expats ask each other is "how long have you been here?" The answer, im finding out, tells you a lot. For someone like me, it's almost slightly embarrasing to say two months. Most people are between 1-4 years with a large amount saying anywhere from 5 to 20 years. These people usually follow that up by saying, "I only planned on stayin for a year, and 7 years later here I am." To me, that's a slightly scary thought - like Shanghai made it easy to stay. Like I said before, life here tends to be quite easy and fun and it seems like often times people come here and don't have any better options, and therefore stay.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. After I tell people I've been here two months they almost invariably ask me "do you think you'll stay?" I really havent had a good answer for this because each day I seem to reach a new conclusion. Some days i feel like I could stay here for a year or two and have fun with it and probably help my resume. Other days, I look foward to heading stateside and finding a job and maybe even heading back to Australia. These are all nice options ot have but it makes for a very confusing feeling. I don't want to stay just because I have nothing better to do. I also don't want to leave without any real prospects, which have been few and far between.

I will almost without a doubt come back to the US for November and December. Even if I am offered a job in Asia, I'd probably make my start date in January. My guess is, I'll probably leave Shanghai in November and not come back. But, like I said, that seems to be the statement right before someone says "and now it's 7 years later."

We're talkin soooftbaallll

This weekend I enjoyed my first games of softball in Shanghai. I was introduced to a couple guys by a friend at work who needed people for their team. I must say it was quite a nice time. Our team is made up of about half American and half Canadians. While softball is important to them, it would seem drinking is priority one. I met them at Oscar's Pub, which is sponsoring our team, at about 9 15 Sunday morning. In addition to having a small bus that got us to the game, they had a large cooler of beer ready to go.

The field was a little ways away but was quite nice. It's a well-organized league, and we got in two games on Sunday. There were few highlights apart from us losing both games (one close, on embarrassing). I actually hadn't played softball since senior year of college, so I was pretty happy that the rust wasn't too intense. They have me playing shortstop but I have no idea why. Anyways, it was a good mix up softball, bullshitting, and drinking. Also, one guy one our team dislocated his shoulder diving for a ball. Good times all around.

The people on my team are almost all older. I'm the youngest person and most people seem to be in their mid late 30s. While that kind of put me off at first, I soon realized most of these people are quite, shall we say, young at heart. One guy, in particular, is called Canada. He's 42 and acts like he's a 16 year-old on meth. Everyone is just fun, nice, and doesn't tend to throw up too much bullshit.

The interesting thing about this league is that there is quite the mix of teams. Some teams are mostly westerners but other teams are groups of expats from all over the place. The second team we played on Sunday was entirely from Japan. The expat population here is interesting. It's relatively tightly knit, as there just arent that many foreigners in the city. I must say though, everyone is extremely nice and happy to meet new people. I guess living here makes meeting people that you tend to already have things in common with a special occasion. It makes for a fun atmosphere. In the US, I tended to stay within basic social circles. Making attempts to meet people and broaden horizons almost seemed taboo. Here, it's pretty much a social free-for-all.