I was certainly joking when I mentioned Fall in one of the previous posts. The weather is remarkably stable here for months. Moreover, the third heat wave of this year has reached us and frankly it is just a little bit too hot outside.
Aug 29, 2007
Aug 28, 2007
RFE
The good news is that after only three months they started working on it, the bad news is self-evident :) For the curious among you the notification looks as follows:
*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***
The last processing action taken on your case
Receipt Number: SRCxxx
Application Type: I140 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR ALIEN WORKER
Current Status: We mailed you a notice requesting additional evidence.
*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***
The last processing action taken on your case
Receipt Number: SRCxxx
Application Type: I140 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR ALIEN WORKER
Current Status: We mailed you a notice requesting additional evidence.
On August 28, 2007, we mailed a notice requesting additional evidence and/or information in this case. Please follow the instructions on the notice to submit the evidence and/or information requested. This case will be held in suspense until we either receive the evidence or the opportunity to submit it expires. Once you submit the information and/or evidence requested, you will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something further from you. If you move while this case is pending, call customer service.
Aug 27, 2007
DIY Google
The term grid has been a buzzword for quite a while. I used to think that it was merely about re-branding of the usual clustering/group communications concepts (e.g. think JGroups) and carried little sense from the technical point of view. Well, it turns out that was my misunderstanding probably resulting from all the marketing garbage.
Recently I barely scratched the surface of this new paradigm by looking at a few products such as Hadoop and GridGain. Computational grid frameworks seem to follow a common pattern and definitely introduce a new way (I believe for many of us) to structure extremely scalable algorithms. There are also complimentary data grid technologies such as GigaSpaces enabling distributed caching of enormous amounts of data.
Most people expect that multi-threading will be in more demand soon as a result of the evolution of multi-core CPUs but this area is understood well enough. Those of us interested in middleware and distributed systems will also need to familiarize ourselves with the nascent grid technologies in order to capitalize on the potentially juicy employment opportunities.
Recently I barely scratched the surface of this new paradigm by looking at a few products such as Hadoop and GridGain. Computational grid frameworks seem to follow a common pattern and definitely introduce a new way (I believe for many of us) to structure extremely scalable algorithms. There are also complimentary data grid technologies such as GigaSpaces enabling distributed caching of enormous amounts of data.
Most people expect that multi-threading will be in more demand soon as a result of the evolution of multi-core CPUs but this area is understood well enough. Those of us interested in middleware and distributed systems will also need to familiarize ourselves with the nascent grid technologies in order to capitalize on the potentially juicy employment opportunities.
Aug 24, 2007
The GC trade-off
For each and every newly-minted H1 holder the most burning question is whether to go for a GC or money and interesting projects. In my experience, this is pretty much always a binary choice because even a very good bodyshop not only cuts off a sizable chunk of your pie but also works with more or less outsourcing-style projects (nobody in his right mind outsources his core competence and the core product). I am hardly alone in my preference for real engineering which in our line of business leads to such exciting fields as multi-threading or networking as opposed to boring and tedious web applications, Hibernate mappings and such. The latter are predominant in the bodyshop world.
Scarcely anybody comes here without a bodyshop (e.g. I was told just two people were hired by Ask this year directly from the country I am originally from). As a result, each and every of us starts from a salary which is at best 30% (personally I know more people who started from 50%) lower than the average for their qualification is. Not to mention the lack of choice in respect of projects and even geographical area. The typical reasoning behind such arrangements is "You buckle down and sit tight - we provide you with a GC" (subject to unpredictable mood swings in the USCIS). They could be honest - I know a company that completed GC processing even for people who had to leave the country during the dotcom bust.
The alternative is a visa transfer (google for AC-21 if you need details) to a direct employer after two or three months here in the US. The good news is that if you are a seasoned professional you are virtually guaranteed 120K (from what I hear on both coasts by the way) and quite interesting job in a company looking good on your CV. The obvious downside is that such an employer will care much less about your GC perspectives up to the point of a mass layoff a day before your application approval. They might have pretty rigid and formal processes or too many H1 folks to pay personalized attention. They could be more susceptible to economical downturns.
To a certain extent this dilemma is artificial - there are nice direct employers and nasty bodyshops under the Sun. I would hesitate to provide meaningful generic guidelines on judging them. Playing games (e.g. more than 3 months before your LC is filed or NOT filing I-140 and I-485 concurrently) immediately disqualifies a bodyshop but I doubt normal people get there in the first place. Evaluating a direct employer in our age of M&A and increasingly unpredictable economy challenges even professional business people.
I am inclined to think that the key is your stress tolerance. I know a guy who left my present company abandoning his GC process although he could expect the card in a year. We are talking about exciting startups, stocks and certainly more than 120K but he will be in the queue behind this summer's stampede caused by all the EBGC categories being current (and startups are not really known for their long lives so I admire his audacity bordering recklessness). My strategy has always been "GC uber alles" but occasionally I am green with envy. If my name check goes awry I can be stranded for years in a less than optimally paid position working on mediocre projects.
The conclusion - make sure you know your priorities and follow your dreams. Remember that although a transfer is psychologically easier to do before you get your LC it is not a big deal to abandon your LC. Otherwise, scrutinize your bodyshop and its management once you are here. Your GC (read years and tens of thousands) will depend mostly on their trustworthiness so "caveat emptor". And one more thing - not all bodyshops are born equal so even a transfer to another consulting company could make sense if your initial choice turns out to be a mistake.
Scarcely anybody comes here without a bodyshop (e.g. I was told just two people were hired by Ask this year directly from the country I am originally from). As a result, each and every of us starts from a salary which is at best 30% (personally I know more people who started from 50%) lower than the average for their qualification is. Not to mention the lack of choice in respect of projects and even geographical area. The typical reasoning behind such arrangements is "You buckle down and sit tight - we provide you with a GC" (subject to unpredictable mood swings in the USCIS). They could be honest - I know a company that completed GC processing even for people who had to leave the country during the dotcom bust.
The alternative is a visa transfer (google for AC-21 if you need details) to a direct employer after two or three months here in the US. The good news is that if you are a seasoned professional you are virtually guaranteed 120K (from what I hear on both coasts by the way) and quite interesting job in a company looking good on your CV. The obvious downside is that such an employer will care much less about your GC perspectives up to the point of a mass layoff a day before your application approval. They might have pretty rigid and formal processes or too many H1 folks to pay personalized attention. They could be more susceptible to economical downturns.
To a certain extent this dilemma is artificial - there are nice direct employers and nasty bodyshops under the Sun. I would hesitate to provide meaningful generic guidelines on judging them. Playing games (e.g. more than 3 months before your LC is filed or NOT filing I-140 and I-485 concurrently) immediately disqualifies a bodyshop but I doubt normal people get there in the first place. Evaluating a direct employer in our age of M&A and increasingly unpredictable economy challenges even professional business people.
I am inclined to think that the key is your stress tolerance. I know a guy who left my present company abandoning his GC process although he could expect the card in a year. We are talking about exciting startups, stocks and certainly more than 120K but he will be in the queue behind this summer's stampede caused by all the EBGC categories being current (and startups are not really known for their long lives so I admire his audacity bordering recklessness). My strategy has always been "GC uber alles" but occasionally I am green with envy. If my name check goes awry I can be stranded for years in a less than optimally paid position working on mediocre projects.
The conclusion - make sure you know your priorities and follow your dreams. Remember that although a transfer is psychologically easier to do before you get your LC it is not a big deal to abandon your LC. Otherwise, scrutinize your bodyshop and its management once you are here. Your GC (read years and tens of thousands) will depend mostly on their trustworthiness so "caveat emptor". And one more thing - not all bodyshops are born equal so even a transfer to another consulting company could make sense if your initial choice turns out to be a mistake.
Aug 22, 2007
Visa bulleten and real estate market
From the moment you file your AOS application you acquire a new monthly interest known to the concerned public as visa bulletin and processing times report. Everyone knows that its content correlates with his subjective reality at best occasionally (FBI name check seems to be the dreaded culprit capable of hanging your application for years) but it gives hope and consolation. So far it looks like one's I-140 is likely to be processed in half a year while I-485 will take half a year. I would expect those times to be severely affected by the recent surge in applications for those filing from now on but the impact on the previously filed applications might be less acute.
We used to believe that EB2 virtually guaranteed relatively fast processing. With all the recent volatility in the USCIS highlighted by a month of all the categories being current we may be facing tougher times. The surge in applications filed will hardly help the chronically overloaded Service and the precedent of uncurrent EB2 for non-Asians is quite disturbing.
Now for the real estate. The bubble is becoming the story of the year. There is definitely potential to eclipse the dot-com crisis because of all the foreclosures predicted. Americans are perversely dependent on their houses in more ways than one would expect (hint: think equity) and normal people can suffer as a result of indiscriminate lending rampage morons and Wall St indulged. According to some people recession is looming on the horizon if the situation is as serious as they believe - market correction happens :) Clearly, economical troubles lead to decreased employment and we might be at the high point of the current cycle. If stuff hits the fan some people will be forced to move to less popular destinations while others won't find new projects and leave the country. I heard horror stories from witnesses of the previous recession so let's hope for the better.
We used to believe that EB2 virtually guaranteed relatively fast processing. With all the recent volatility in the USCIS highlighted by a month of all the categories being current we may be facing tougher times. The surge in applications filed will hardly help the chronically overloaded Service and the precedent of uncurrent EB2 for non-Asians is quite disturbing.
Now for the real estate. The bubble is becoming the story of the year. There is definitely potential to eclipse the dot-com crisis because of all the foreclosures predicted. Americans are perversely dependent on their houses in more ways than one would expect (hint: think equity) and normal people can suffer as a result of indiscriminate lending rampage morons and Wall St indulged. According to some people recession is looming on the horizon if the situation is as serious as they believe - market correction happens :) Clearly, economical troubles lead to decreased employment and we might be at the high point of the current cycle. If stuff hits the fan some people will be forced to move to less popular destinations while others won't find new projects and leave the country. I heard horror stories from witnesses of the previous recession so let's hope for the better.
Aug 12, 2007
The Banks of the Sacramento
I assume many people enjoyed reading Jack London in their adulthood (I did and to me he and Mr O. Henry were more quintessentially American than even Mark Twain). The images of the Golden Rush and larger-than-life protagonists seemed so alluring but distant, especially from places like the Evil Empire. The good news is that for an SFBA resident many legendary places are within a 2-hour drive, be it garages in Palo Alto, El Dorado County or the capital of our republic.
The other Sunday we went to the latter for half a day. It was a little nice joy ride with a few colleagues (not each of them had been to Sacramento before despite years spent in the area, they say it is typical here in the US where many state capitals are quite smallish towns located in relatively remote corners).
The first striking thing is that the area is so rustic along the river. Boundless fields and orchards are abundant. One can barely believe his eyes - one thing is to know that fact that CA is a significant agricultural state and another to actually observe it so close to the Bay Area.
The city itself is nice and clean but somewhat lacks in the sightseeing department. Due to self-evident historical circumstances one cannot expect European-style historic marvels or even a half-decent art museum. This is one of very few things I am missing here. Old Sacramento is not particularly impressive. It was certainly a mistake to allow parking inside of it - the view is hopelessly spoiled by cars and one cannot truly imagine himself back in 1865.
On the other hand I thoroughly enjoyed visiting California State Capitol. The edifice itself feels like a museum. Instead of a wall it is surrounded with a park known for its orange trees and squirrels. Every second tree turns out to be magnolia although they do not carry any semblance to each other. It was Sunday but the building was open to visitors - must be something about the people's right to see their representatives.
As you might imagine, the most popular place inside is the governor's office. Each and everyone takes a picture of himself next to the doors with immense letters above them (go Arni, go! :) - as a matter of fact, it still feels funny to know that Mr Schwarzenegger is our "Governator", one hell of a state indeed). Looking at portraits of previous governors I was surprised (sounds totally stupid, but somehow I was) by the fact that The Gipper was a governor of CA.
As you might imagine, the most popular place inside is the governor's office. Each and everyone takes a picture of himself next to the doors with immense letters above them (go Arni, go! :) - as a matter of fact, it still feels funny to know that Mr Schwarzenegger is our "Governator", one hell of a state indeed). Looking at portraits of previous governors I was surprised (sounds totally stupid, but somehow I was) by the fact that The Gipper was a governor of CA.
Aug 8, 2007
To BEA or not to BEA, that's the question
Yesterday I really used Google Streets for the first time. It turns out to be pretty convenient to look for a particular building after Google Maps show its approximate location. And the BEA office stands in one hell of a location – next to the Transamerica Pyramid with a terrific view of Telegraph Hill. Close to BART too. From what I heard most of their core engineering stuff is based in that building – from the telco team all the way to the WLS one.
Well, four interviewers in three hours seem impressive .. at first glance. Although the first three guys were engineers we mostly chatted about Parlay, telco middleware and so on. Turns out most of them are from
One technical question was asked though – to implement on the white board a thread-safe counter (from MIN to MAX) with two operations (naturally, increment/decrement). Fresh from my studies I was drawing something semaphore-like based on a reentrant lock and two conditions but was politely ask to stick to plain old Java :)
I had a discussion with the hiring manager (did his GC with BEA after an H1 transfer that annulled his previous GC attempt) concerning my GC situation. Frankly, I am surprised they are unwilling to hire me as an H1 consultant, after all pretty much everyone does it out there. I mean surely enough they are BEA but there must be some exceptions, especially if it is not the money which is a real show-stopper and not everyone from jNetX is on the market yet :) If he decides they can accept a full-time person only I am in trouble.
I want to work with them so badly (telco, networking, multithreading, decent QA) but making a visa transfer being already in AOS (in a pretty good company) is sheer madness. I would work Saturdays and ask for a noticeable salary decrease just to join them as a consultant. I might ask my present employer to let me go and pay for my GC process completion (I would shell out 50K annually without a second thought) but something tells me things are more complicated out there. Anyway, I promised to return in a year with a GC if this deal does not come through this time :)
An obvious conclusion – jNetX is stunningly cool [on the world scale] and the only reason to leave it is going abroad [to join a competitor]. And you financial folks in London - I am green with envy in respect of your employer-independent visas :)
Aug 5, 2007
Autumn is coming?
Today was the first really cloudy day since April or so. It was marvelous outside - about 70 degrees is much better than the typical summer 85. I find going out under the blazing sun quite unpleasant so a few miles I rode on the nearest trail have been the most pleasant since April. Those of you coming this autumn - plan to buy a bike among the first things, some of the most spectacular views of our valley can be seen from places better accessible on a bike.
Speaking of summer temperatures, it looks like nights are pretty similar across the Bay Area but days are noticeably different. A rule of thumb - on the same day in SF it is about 70, in San Jose 80 and here in the East Bay 90. Another unusual fact of our local geography is that the Berkeley Hills shield our area from the clouds. It is visually stunning to observe it from a BART train - typical SF fog covers the area up to Berkeley but as soon as the train moves out of the tunnel you are back to the world of sunshine.
An unexpected observation from my life in the area - a few months of virtually always clear days make you dream about seeing a rain or at least substantial cloudiness. Which may remain a dream for at least 4 or 5 summer months.
Speaking of summer temperatures, it looks like nights are pretty similar across the Bay Area but days are noticeably different. A rule of thumb - on the same day in SF it is about 70, in San Jose 80 and here in the East Bay 90. Another unusual fact of our local geography is that the Berkeley Hills shield our area from the clouds. It is visually stunning to observe it from a BART train - typical SF fog covers the area up to Berkeley but as soon as the train moves out of the tunnel you are back to the world of sunshine.
An unexpected observation from my life in the area - a few months of virtually always clear days make you dream about seeing a rain or at least substantial cloudiness. Which may remain a dream for at least 4 or 5 summer months.
Aug 4, 2007
BEA
This week I have been approached by a recruiter from BEA. She found my ostensibly dormant CV on Dice. Now for the punch line - they are looking for a senior software engineer to join the team working on the Network Gatekeeper (essentially, a glorified ParlayX framework featuring a typical panoply of protocols from SIP to MM7). I was excited to say the least.
The pinnacle of my career in the previous life was a 3-year stint in jNetX where we developed a JAIN SLEE-based service delivery platform. Although BEA chose to implement a less complex SIP Servlet paradigm for their application server together BEA WebLogic SIP Server and BEA WebLogic Network Gatekeeper comprise a stunningly close analogue to the platform I used to work on. Curiously enough (and judging from my LinkedIn contacts), it looks like many key people from the former Sun telco team moved on to BEA so here we have a kind of deja vu again.
Once upon a time I was trying to get BEA interested in my experience. Back then it was about the SIP Server team but the conversation did not go far mostly because two years ago I was not in the US. This time I am just about 30 miles from their office and after a 20-minute call the hiring manager invited me for a technical interview.
Now for the sad part. From what I've heard so far they are not really into hiring H1 contractors because of such organizational impediments as separate budgets for full-time folks and contractors. Which potentially puts in jeopardy my GC process. The AOS status came relatively quickly and painlessly to me but things seem to be changing to the worse in the USCIS so a visa transfer would be a highly desperate move.
I believe the interview (seemingly taking a whole day) will show - after all, even here there are only few people with the relevant experience. If I fit the position well I hope we will manage to make a deal one way or another. If I show insufficient prowess - well, judging from the last two years they periodically have vacancies in the telco team and nothing prevents me from tryig again once I have got my GC. So I am enjoying the fourth reading of the concurrency bible and lesser volumes on networking and the stuff. If nothing else, I would like to uphold the image of a jNetX alumnus :)
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