My first week of work is gone

5 days of work are almost pretty much gone. Right now, 4:45pm, Amazon is starting to get silent, with many offices already dark with people discussing non-work-related things (although I did hear some people from my team passing by and saying that they had a meeting - I wasn't informed of this meeting, so I'm assuming it is not with me).

What is going on with me besides trying to learn everything, understand the project I'm involved and, perhaps, start giving some ideas? Well, not too much, to tell you the truth. This morning my car arrived... Last evening I went to see a condo that I really liked in a region I liked, but there were some issues about it that I will address below. First I'll talk about my experience visiting the place.

I didn't have a car yesterday, because I returned the rental car on Wednesday evening (and got my first bus back to town - very easy process, you only need to access the Trip Planner, tell the addresses and time you want to leave or arrive and it's done!), so I got the bus. Well, the bus that I got actually didn't leave me that close to the apartment, but at least it left me above it so I only had to go down. After getting confused more than once (you don't quite get lost, it's just that the streets sometimes stop making sense becaue they end and start due to the hills), I got to the condo (it is basically a building made by a private person, with 4 apartments) just when the renter was leaving with the previous prospect.

While seeing the condos (there were two, one that belonged to the seller and another that belonged to his friend), I found out that the guy was Israeli and Jewish. We talked a little and, after finding out that I got there by bus, he asked if I wanted to join him for dinner and then he would take me home with his car. So we went to this very interesting Mediterrenean place and had a nice chat for a long time and then he dropped me by my apartment. I arrived at the condo at 6:30 pm, and back to my apartment at almost 9 pm!

Anyway, I did like the condo, especially the one that belonged to him. However, comparing to the apartments I've seen before, I have some concerns: 1) price: it is difficult to really compare two apartments that have different features, but this was around $500 more expensive than a "psychologically similar" one that I've visited in Bellevue; 2) maintenance: it does not have a 24h maintenance system as most apartments have; 3) quality of the cupboards & equipment: although they were alright, they really have this "designed by a common guy" feel and quality. Most apartments I've looked have a little bit more detailed and well-kept cabinets and doors.

What I liked about it: 1) friendly owner: I don't really have to explain this; 2) good location: Queen Ann is a very nice place, not too "happening", but close enough to "city life" with nice restaurants and such; 3) Huge kitchen: for an apartment, of course; 4) Nice view: especially from the deck on top; 5) Cool deck on top for relaxing and entertaining; 6) Free parking for 2 cars: 1 with a closed garage and another outside; 7) Lots of storage space: even with a storage area in the garage.

Decisions... Decisions... They are always what reminds you that you are alive.

There are a couple of other things that I could write, like the expensive restaurant that I've been to on Wednesday that played Bossa Nova and had Caninha 51 (a type of cachaça/pinga) - but I didn't ask if the bartender could make me a caipirinha... I was to overwhealmed with the price of the stuff. But it was good, don't get me wrong! Anyway, I'll leave it here and go back to working. I'm feeling guilty that today I almost didn't work, because I was waiting for my car in the morning, then I went to a "all-hands" event, with everybody from a particular subgroup of Amazon, especifically software developers, and heard my boss's boss's boss's boss talk (that was wearing bermuda shorts, T-shirt and a sweater, just for the record), then I had a lunch meeting until 2pm, then another meeting until around 4pm, and only then I went back to my studies...