Freetaste: fresh samplings of ideas

Some JPA application questions

andrew — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:06:03 +0000

According to WordPress, my blog post about tips on landing a World Bank job as a JPA has been one of my most popular for 2011. So here is another attempt to share more information by means of answering some questions I got by email. With the email sender’s permission and request for anonymity (thus the [...]

Freetaste blog: 2011 in review

andrew — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:55:52 +0000

WordPress.com generated this stats for my blog. It is pretty neat. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 9,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to [...]

Happy New Year!

andrew — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:24:04 +0000

Hello 2012! I am now on a bus stop in Delaware, more than halfway through my journey from New York Penn Station to Washington DC. I spent Christmas and New Year’s with a friend in New Jersey. It’s great to be back in New York, this time to experience the city in it’s Christmasy glory. [...]

Several ways you can help Sendong disaster victims if you’re outside the Philippines

andrew — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:46:47 +0000

Updated*. You’ve read the news, seen photos, and watched videos of the disaster as a result of tropical storm ‘Sendon’ (international name: Washi) that trampled southern Philippines. Local relief efforts have begun and you want to help. But you are outside the country; one of the millions of Filipinos in diaspora or perhaps a foreigner who simply has a [...]

World Bank JPA vacancy 4

andrew — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:10:02 +0000

The Water Anchor of the World Bank seeks not one, but two JPAs. For more information about the position,download and peruse the terms of reference. Deadline of application is on 2 January 2012, 5 p.m. EST. Good luck!

Bangkok’s last dry fortress

andrew — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:06:23 +0000

Many news reports now portray Bangkok to be submerged in flood. However, the business district and shopping areas remain dry. The question is, for how long? These photos were taken near the National Stadium and the MBK shopping mall. They show roads that remain passable and some establishments which have built dikes and stacked sand [...]

Bangkok’s business district is still dry, but until when?

andrew — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:32:25 +0000

This is the view from my hotel in Sathorn, Bangkok's central business district. As of my arrival to Bangkok the other night, the roads between Sathorn and the airport are still dry and passable. But until when can it hold its fort? The government predicts that water will be drained in 11 days. It is trying to spare the to keep the business going. One German expat I met yesterday said it's only a matter of time before the flood reaches the commercial district. He showed me a photo of a boat in front of his office building; he now works from home. He managed to drive through 30 centimeters of water to attend from his home to Sathorn to attend a meeting. As we finished our meeting yesterday, he said he is unsure if he can make it to the second day of our meeting today. Ironically (or fittingly), I am here in Bangkok to attend a meeting on evaluation and monitoring of climate change adaptation interventions in Southeast Asia by SEA Change. We are searching for answers on how to determine the "success" of climate adaptation projects or when can you say a city is prepared for a disaster. Bangkok will give us the answers in the coming days.

World Bank JPA vacancy 3

andrew — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:37:01 +0000

Here is a new JPA opening. I would apply for this Communications Assistant position had I not been employed right now. Or maybe I just like a position with the word ‘Communications’ in it. Click here to download a copy of the TOR. Good luck to all applicants. And remember to brush up on some [...]

Got elected as Communications head of JPAs at the World Bank

andrew — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:54:43 +0000

This might be old news (the election was last week), and non-news to many. A new set of Junior Professional Associate Organizing Committee (JPAOC) was elected, and I’ll be heading the Communications sub-committee. Offhand, one of my goals is to identify and bridge any communication gap between JPAs and the organization we’re working in (i.e., [...]

Attending a writing workshop with Pulitzer winners

andrew — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:06:48 +0000

The day was filled with a collection of literary powerhouse. Out of the seven writers, four are winners of the Pulitzer. One of them, Gene Weingarten, has two. While they eke out their living by writing, it was not true for that one day. This time they had to talk the walk. I booked my [...]