Last Day

Well, after around 2 weeks since we were given the news, the final day at Freescale arrived quite quickly. No one has done anything useful at work in this period of course, and that's not surprising really.

On Tuesday most of the day was taken up with a party in the clubhouse, and coming in today was little more than a convenient way of getting everyone in to agree on the evening's party venues. Or so I thought. The morning was largely taken up with a hurried exchange of linked-in requests. I take most of the credit/blame for this, as I have been steadily adding my French colleagues to my list since I arrived, but it's not really taken off here as it seems to in the UK. People sat up and took notice though when I explained that linked-in is the sole reason I ended up in France - that's were my name was plucked from. Not its finest recommendation, but there you go, and enough to encourage a good number of others to join up.

The same goes for Facebook, only more so. Only one person I know at Freescale has signed up. They have some work to do over here it seems. I don't think there is any other site they use, it's just that they're not really interested. Given the way that Arnaud spams everyone, this is surprising, at least in his case, but then he'd need victims, wouldn't he....

Anyway, the most important events of the say were as usual based around food. A long and extended breakfast in the garden started things rolling, with coffee and croissants in the morning sun. It's a shame we got sacked at this time of year, because this was only the second chance we'd had to do this, and it makes a welcome change to eating indoors.

Next up was lunch, and again, we ate outdoors. Plenty of vino around too for this, and and the last meal was every bit as good as the first. I am really going to miss this canteen. I finished, as I had started, with fish, and yes, that is red wine. If the French can, then so can I. The atmosphere was really chilled with lots of banter going on, and people who hadn't eaten with us came and joined us for a period to say goodbye to colleagues, or simply join in with the humour - Madame La Guillotine figured largely of course.

Eventually, we trudged back upstairs to fulfill our remaining task - collect 4 signatures signifying handover of appropriate bits of kit. This was an odd bit of red tape that I think the French are famous for, but of which I've had little experience. We even had to get the return of our PCs acknowledged! It was easy enough, and everyone who's signature was required was in the appointed place at the appointed time. Security is managed by a third party, so I couldn't escape with my pass card as a souvenir, as I did at Symbian and SEMC. In fact I never saw a Freescale mug to steal in the whole time I was here either, and I've had one of those away from every company I've worked for. I didn't even get a pen!

Our final act on work premises was to sabotage the boss's office. He had left his door open, and then disappeared for the afternoon - foolish boy. We packed his office with just about anything we could find that wasn't nailed down: cupboards, CRTs, plants, boxes, shredders, fax machines, fans, lamps. It took us about an hour in total, and we really crammed it in, so he'll have a devil of a job clearing it out with hardly any staff left to help. We then covered his window in sundry photos we'd taken since Tuesday. The effect was quite pleasing, and we all felt very satisfied as we had a final handshake with each other before filing off home.

The evening went thus:

First stop - all meet at the De Danu Irish pub, to get leathered and eat some food - in that order. The mood was fantastic and we were all screeming like little school girls for most of the time here. I expect brownie points from the owner for dragging 30 odd people here, as opposed to just me and Peter for the football games.

Second stop - a salsa bar. ie a bar with salsa music and people dancing like they knew what they were doing. This does not include me. Luckily it didn't include quite a few others either, so we drank large quantities of mojito and let the others get on with it. I ended up chatting to quite a few locals in here too, not entirely unaware that they were probablt just using me to practice their English. My French is certainly not up to nightclub standard yet.

Third top - some nightclub. Very tacky Euro music (you know the kind), and very expensive drinks but a fine way to finish off. Only one fight seen, between two red faced youths which tickled me no end - usual handbags at 10 paces, so nothing serious. Those of us still going were here until after 5AM, and it was still going strong when we left. Tomorrow was going to be a big recovery day.

What's Your Point?

This evening I found myself watching a game of footy on the TV with my lodger. It's very rare for me and the lodger to be in at the same time, so, since he had a beer, I thought I'd join him, just to be social. I opened a bottle of wine, and, as you do, immediately opened the kitchen cupboard to drop the cork into the bin. He started laughing....

Demob Happy

Well this week Freescale announced the death of their Cellular Products Division. Contractors are out next week, and the permanent software development staff will endure a "period of consultation" before being axed around October. The chip manufacturing plant will be de-commissioned in 2011.

Unlike at SEMC, there is no other site that will continue the work, no one to hand over too, no customer to support. Nothing. The end. The atmosphere at work is therefore one of resignation, and pretty anarchic. Even the bosses have gone nuts. I was trying to finish something off earlier in the week, and one of the line leads was in my seat when I returned from a break. He asked me what I was doing there in the kind of tone he might use if I'd been found in the women's toilets (and could I come back after he had finished chatting!)?

Anyway, the job market here isn't so hot for S60 work it seems. No surprise there, as I personally thing it's doomed anyway (S60 that is), but this week some of Freescale's previous victims dragged us out for another picnic, as they had found no work yet and were bored. We happily accepted, as we were bored too. It was also sunny, which has been an all too rare event in April. So more pizzas by the lake near work and more "working in France".

Something New

Well time may be running out here now, as there are less than two weeks to go and then everything depends on finding new work, in a market flooded with Freescale cast offs. Net result? - got to make the most of what's on offer now.

So today I let Peter talk me into climbing. Yes, as someone who's petrified of heights, I went climbing. I went once before in Marple, and it's not as mad or dangerous as I thought it would be. In the Marple indoor centre I went to the practice wall, and after a brief induction, then climbed straight to the top on my first attempt. Feeling more than a bit flushed with pride as I absailed down, I was greeted with a new rule - you are only allowed to use one set of coloured pegs. ie red. Or green. Or blue, etc. You are not to use any and everything that you can see. I thought that first ascent had seemed a little easy.

Anyway, here in Toulouse, I tried to do it propery. I used only the correct colours, and started with a 4b, which is pretty easy really, given how things progress, and did another 4b, then another. I also tried a 5, but by now I was rembering just what it is about climbing that makes it difficult. It's bloody hard work! Gravity is older and wiser and very much top dog. For the untrained/unskilled there seem to be two problems: (1) you're not likely to be using your legs enough, or getting the balance right, and this is going to lead to you using your arms too much (2) your arms are not likely to be strong enough, mainly for gripping rather than outright lifting, but that too occasionaly, and it can be hard on the forearms. I enjoyed it though, and will definitely go again. There is something quite attractive about clambering up things, especially when you are not responsible for getting yourself down again, and generally it's only the threat of immediate death that puts me off the idea of outdoor climbing in general; but indoor climbing, or sport climbing as Peter calls it, is safe enough. Even if you tumble off the wall, you don't fall any distance, because the ropes are effectively anchored above you and the slack is taken up by your buddy.

I also got quite a kick out of watching some of the experts do it. There were people clambering about under overhangs and leaping from pillar to post to complete some of the harder routes. I doubt they'd be so cavalier without a rope mind you, but being completely unattached to the wall for brief periods does look bloody spectacular. There was one wall that was actually a ceiling, and yes, people were expected to 'climb' the ceiling ie to crawl along an upside down floor. I've seen people do this in the Climbing World Championships, so I know it happens, though no one here was trying it today. That really does look spooky, and no doubt takes a lot of strength too, as well as good technique. It will be a while no doubt before I have a crack at that.

There will be more of this.

Le Fin?

Last night just before I set off for my French lesson, my agent phoned and told me I was sacked. All contractors are sacked, and we have until the end of April. So much for a 12 month recession busting contract then, huh? This news was then broken to me and Peter again this morning in English in the boss's office - nice touch I have to say. We then got sacked again in French along with everyone else an hour later. By this time I had been asking around for the French word for sacked (virer or licencier), and it didn't dawn on those I'd asked until they heard the news themselves. Duh!

I'm a bit unsure of where this leaves me now. Other than being 20 grand out of pocket for missing out on the SEMC loyalty bonus that is. That is quite gutting to be honest, as I am not flush with cash, and things are going to get quite hairy if I don't find something soon. I'll be staying in Toulouse for May while I try for a role at Airbus or Thales, and perhaps some others, as I don't think there's anything in the UK at the moment. My lodgings here are cheap (thank god I didn't rent!) so moving back to Manchester immediately won't save me much money.

At least the local bakeries will be able to take the rest of the year off, such will be the demand for croissants. Two thirds of the staff here are contractors, which also puts the remaining staff in some peril, as all their projects are now screwed. It probably means the end of Freescale in Toulouse according to the more pessimistic, but I doubt the US owners give a shit. Incompetant bastards.

Be My Baby

There's been a gap mainly because I went back to Manchester for the Easter holiday to tickle some free food off mother. I initialy thought this would be a 4 day weekend due to the Good Friday & Easter Sunday bank holidays, but oddly the French only have the latter as a public holiday. It is nominally a Catholic country, and even though officially secular, I was surprised at this. So surprised in fact that I booked my flight for mid-Friday without checking. Sod it, the boss is away, and as I'm paid daily rather than hourly, so it will work out better for me. I also had to return on Sunday, as my carrier of choice this time was BMI Baby. Direct flights from Toulouse to Manchester at last, and for the price of a tin of beans. They weren't half bad either; fuck loads better than either EasyJet or RyanAir if that first encounter was anything to go by. The one snag is that there aren't that many slots in either direction, but they are certainly good enough for weekends back in Manc, as mid-Friday 'til late Sunday evening is perfect. The weather in Manchester was better than in Toulouse too, as currently Toulouse is going through April showers. I'm told these will last for, well, until midnight 30th April, when they will suddenly stop and summer will officially start. Can't wait.


PS. I recommend any international travel should be conducted on Easter Sunday if you get the chance. It's dead, yet everything works (services, shops, taxis etc) and it was probably the most pleasant flight experience I've ever had. Probably best not include Greece in that though. I had a really bad time there once at Easter.

Growing Pains

I played footy again today, for the fourth time since I joined Freescale, and also the fourth time in about 8 years. Something funny has happened to my feet in that time - they seem to have grown! My trainers are now so tight that my toes went black after being cramped up for so long. This isn't supposed to happen after you turn 30 surely, or even 20 (a very long time ago)? I know that noses and ears keep going, but that's a cartilage rather than a bone issue. Oh hum; I'll be shopping again next weekend then.

There's also a snap of the suicide by football in a box thing they call "jorky ball". This picture is of a kids game, but trust me, 4 adults in that box is plenty, given that it's only 2 adults wide in the first place.

I stuck to the 4 a side on the larger pitch and am happy to report that I finished as top scorer today, with about 12 goals, including the winner. No injuries to report yet, but a night's sleep needs to pass before that can be confirmed.

I can run quite well again now, almost back to my old self, and I am now outlasting quite a few of the "youngsters". By the time I get sacked, I'll probably be the fittest there, as long as I can avoid the bane of my sporting life, the twisted ankle. I strap them both up before playing, but this only goes some way to keeping them in good repair. Not lunging for silly tackles and other people avoiding doing the same to me is what really makes the difference. The games within work are quite good natured, but someone has now registered for a local tournament. Well they can count me out of that, as it will be full of wanna be pros with axes to grind....

The Morning After

I felt surprisingly good when I woke today, although it took me a little time to get my bearings as I hadn't made it back home and had stayed over at a nearby friend's (thanks). This was also going to be a busy day, as I had to get a crown fitted accross Manchester (the prep work was done on Monday) before scooting off to Blackpool to meet up with 4 SEMC friends (Dave, Ian, Ray & Stuart) for another mini party. The crown was fitted without too much fuss, although it took about 10 minutes longer than was scheduled, which took ten minutes out of my travel time, and pushed it ever deeper into the Manchester rush hour. As it happens my only mode of transport in Manchester is now a motorbike, so rush hours don't cause quite the problem they do in a car, and, grateful that the weather was very good for this time of year, I still made it to the appointed hotel in Blackpool for 6PM. I even had time for a shower before meeting the others.

We got a taxi into the main drag and ambled around a couple of bars, taking in the first half of the football before getting bored of it. We also passed the Antiques Roadshow caravan on the way to the large amusement arcade near the North Pier. God knows what they think they will find in Blackpool other than those funny little dunking ducks that you attach to the side of a glass. I think we spent about an hour in that arcade too, basically warming ourselves up by shooting, driving, kicking and thumping anything that flashed. Best ask Stuart who won the driving games, as I'm too modest to say.

It's still off season though, and most bars were empty as we reached them, but it did start to pick up towards normal pub closing time, and there was a late night clubby type place that was happy to sell us flaming sambucas and every other spirit they sold for a totally ludicrously cheap price. In Toulouse, one pint of Guinness (actually 0.5 l) is six euros. Here you could buy a barrel for that. We had a bloody good time all in all, especially having reached that bar, and predictably I can't remember much after this picture was taken, and as I haven't had time to catch up with the others yet, that's were it ends!