Waiting

Having to wait without being able to influence anything makes me stressed out. I know it shouldn’t, because there is nothing I can do, but that’s just my personality. I’ve been tense for about two weeks now because I’m waiting to hear back from a potential employer.

For those who haven’t heard the full story, I applied to one position at this company and went for an interview (which went very well), but didn’t get that position. The person who interviewed me passed my materials to her two colleagues in the same department, however. Next, I went in for what I thought was a single interview for one of the other two open positions in the same department and they had me interview for both. For an hour and a half, I was interviewed by three people, then another person, then another two people. (Each position served a group of editors.) Considering the fact that it was a marathon interview session, I think I did decently well.

That was two weeks ago and I got more and more stressed because I just wanted to know either way. Yesterday afternoon, a different editor called me last minute to ask if I could come in again this afternoon for yet another interview and a proofreading test. She also wanted my references. This was the one editor who was not around the day of the marathon interviewing. Obviously, I said yes, but I really just need this whole thing to be over so I can relax. It’s going to suck at this point if they don’t pick me for one of the positions. I’ve met with 8 people in this department! I guess that’s life though.

Think happy thoughts for me at 1:00. I’m nervous about the proofreading test because I don’t have a lot of experience proofreading.

Review: Zocalo

I finally went to Zocalo on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. They serve Mexican food. I can't attest to its authenticness, but it is probably more authentic than chains like Anna's and Qdoba. Due to the closeness of the tables and the general cheery din of the waiters, upbeat music, and other patrons' conversations, it would be better for a dinner with friends than a romantic date. The candles on the table are nice though. If you can, get a seat near the floor to ceiling window that faces Commonwealth. It's great for people watching and makes you feel a bit more private.

The food was a bit pricey for what is was (it cost $6.50 for chips and guacamole!), but the service was quick and non-intrusive. Although the restaurant was busy, everything came out promptly. The waiters didn't ignore you, and they also didn't constantly ask you how you were doing. Instead, they seemed to know exactly when you were finished and promptly took the plates away without a long wait.

I got the carnitas. The meat was a bit dry, but it was still tasty. The portions here are not the oversized as they are in many places. If I liked black beans, it would have been the perfect size to eat all of it and not feel hungry or overfull. For dessert, I tried flan. Since I've never had it before, I can't say whether or not it was done well. It was, however, sweet and satisfying. I'm not sure if I'll get it again because the texture made me think of eating a vanilla flavored omelet, but I think that is a quality of flan in general and not this particular flan. Jason got the chocolate souffle, which I recommend if you like very rich and dense chocolaty flavor. My favorite aspect of the meal was the Mango Sangria. It was sweet, not too potent, and came with a delightful cinnamon stick stirrer. You couldn't taste the cinnamon, but it made the sangria smell great.

If you have some extra money, it's worth a visit. The service outshines the food, but the atmosphere is fun and the many flavors of sangria are worth sampling.