Absurdities?

Inaugural absurdities post!

Train to Berlin

I recently travelled from Zurich to Berlin in order to gather with the family. As ever I was planning a little last minute, just over a week in advance. Having caught the anti-flights eco-friendly bug, I wanted to take a train, but previous experience night train-ing to Vienna/Berlin had put me off (poor sleep in the reclining couch compartments) - so I was looking to buy a day train ticket there and back. A single Zurich -> Berlin was a little eye-watering at ~200 CHF, which absurdly is roughly the same price as a 4-day-in-a-month interrail pass (which amongst other things affords much greater flexibility). Now I have a spare day of travel - daytrip to Mulhouse?

Extended email chain

In my job hunt, one application I made was to an entry level AI-adjacent software engineer job (which I should have decent credentials for) in the UK at a large finance firm. I sent off the initial application at the end of September. Having written it off due to lack of response (maybe 30% of jobs you apply to never even get back - already filled vacancy etc.), I was pleasantly surprised to hear back in early November from an internal recruiter looking to set up an initial call. However this turned into a week long 10+ email chain where they kept on rescheduling our meeting time (they also had the unusual approach these days of trying to arrange a time to make a phone call, rather than scheduling a zoom/google meets calendar event). Finally they apologised and said that they had regrettably filled the vacancy, and to keep my eyes open for future positions! Hiring works in mysterious ways…