google, boston

i finished my interview with google today. and no, it didn't go well, because my brain is basically asleep this morning. or maybe i'm dual personalitied, because when i am in conversation mode i eel much more apt than when i begin to be technical. i'm fine technically when i'm in my own office, but not on the spot. where taco bell's motto is "think outside the bun" mine is "make it a double double, animal style."

it suffices to say that the problems are always interesting, even if i don't come up with good answers. right away. or even after a minute of silent staring at the board, which is actually what i did. but the google headquarters in boston are just as nice as i imagined them. and alot of what you read on interviews with google blog posts on the net - the printed nametag, the naked juice. i didn't see a big screen of current google searches. i did see a larger presence of colorful bouncy balls than i expected.

i always admire interviewers, because they are smart and focused but also know how to get through an interview, even if the interviewee was not doing well. the two guys i talked with were very friendly, although during long pauses every mark they made on their papers (it couldn't have been copying something i wrote because i wasn't writing) seemed to me like a comment on my unresponsiveness. i know that you're supposed to think out loud. i WAS thinking outloud - there was nothing going through my head.

the head of recruitment person was super friendly. he made my rejection almost fun. so in the end it was definitely not a bad experience, though a relatively large disappointment. it helps that i'm from the area so i feel comfortable leaving, but still.

either way this weekend felt like i was moving back, whereas before it still felt like a visit. i guess it's all the actual moving from one apartment to another we did on sunday. so now all i have to do is find an apartment.