started working on re-designing/re-engineering my portfolio

Just started re-designing and re-developing my personal portfolio atwww.johannmontfort.com. The idea is to use MVC+EF+Silverlight+RIA Services+LINQ amongst others.

At the moment I am battling with EF since its the first time I am using it. Its not as easy as LINQ2SQL to use, however its nice to learn a new ORM which I beleive in .NET 4.0 will be much more stable and fun to work with.

So yeah created my database using SQL Server 2008, and now the fun part started with creating the model. Still in early stages though.

Moving to Brussels

I had been wondering and tinkering to move to Brussels since last year.  It was always my wish to work in the centre of Europe.  However, in Feb last year, I got the contract with Microsoft, so I decided to hold on to my plans for a later date.

So after my contract with Microsoft finished, I decided to take some time off and start searching for a job in Bruxelles.  I admit it was not easy since my French is still in its early stages, and I am not fluent at all.  So it had to be either an English or an International company.

Last April, I got a call from Neil, who is the head of IT at Enhesa, and he told me that they saw my CV and that they were interested in having me over for an interview.  I said sure, when do you want to interview me?  He told me, can you make it next week?  I was shocked but I accepted that and after an initial interview, I was offered the job.  No need to say I was really exicted and happy, although the thought of leaving Ireland after 3 years, and moving to an “unknown” territory scared me a bit.  But its not the first time I have done this.  First moving to Australia, which was quite hard because of the diversity of cultures, and then Ireland.  However I accepted the challenge to move here, and so far, I do not regret it.

Its been already a month and a half now in Brussels.

Things I like are:-

Public transport:-  This is the first thing that really struck me here.  Its quite cheap compared to the rest of Europe, especially Ireland!  And the network is so vast it covers the whole of Brussels.  If you are going to stay in Brussels, you don’t really need a car.  Even to get to the airport, it takes like 15-20minutes from Central Station.

Belgian Food and Beer and Beer and Beer and Beer:-  One of the things the Belgians do very well is the cuisine and their beers.   I have heard that they have around 350 different beers produced here.  Till now I have managed to try at least 10, and they are really really nice.  Even the cuisine is very exquisite.  When you come to Belgium, you have to try the moules and the frittes!  I admit, the moules are not one of the things I really like, however I tried them and they are really tasty.  And the frittes…………..no comment, you really have to try them! Ah and what about the chocolates?  OMG, they are amazing.  You cannot come here without devouring a box of Belgian chocs.  And there are lots of shops that sell them, especially near the Grand Place.

Way of Life:- The Belgians, and the large expat community, seem to enjoy their time fully, sitting outside of bars and cafe’s sipping some nice beer or wine, especially in these hot months of summer.  I say hot months, since from when I arrived here in the beginning of June, the weather was very kind, sometimes even unsupportable with the heat and high temperatures, sometimes even in the low thirties.  Its something different from what I experienced in Ireland, where everybody goes to the pub and drinks, drinks, drinks.  I compare it a lot to the way of life back home in Malta.

Language:- As I said before, my French is not good at all at the moment, (i am planning to take some classes), however I have always managed with my English.  Even here in Brussels, since there is a huge expat community, English is accepted everywhere, unless you need to work with French or Dutch speaking clients.  However, having said that, knowing some French in the French part, and some Flemish in the Flemish part is always helpful and quite nice to have. If you show the Belgians that you are making an effort to speak the language, they appreciate that a lot, and I find it they will warm to you more.  But this is everywhere in the world I guess.

Cost of Living:- Compared to most European cities, the cost of living in Belgium is quite low.  Renting can be quite affordable, depending which are you are renting in.  An average, good restaurant will total an average of 30-35euros per person, public transport is quite affordable, a trip for a whole hour if bought in advance will cost you something like 1.10euros, and you can take anything from the tram, to the bus, to the metro since they are owned by the same company.

Things I do not like :-

Housing:- Before I came here, I was of the idea that renting here in Brussels is cheaper than in Ireland.  But it depends on which part of Brussels you are renting.  Since most of the Xpats live in the Ixelles and Etterbeek area, where the European institutions are set up, renting here is quite expensive.  For a 1 bedroom flat, moderately sized, you expect to pay between 800-1000.  I also noticed that flats here are in the majority quite old, with some being renovated now.  I did not find lots of newly built developments around Brussels.  Here you also pay for the “charges”, which include the lift, common area and water.  On a positive thing, there are lots of flats empty, so its a buyer’s market.  You can find a flat easily within a week.

Pollution & Traffic:- I noticed here that the air seems heavier to breathe compared to Dublin, where there is lots of greenery. Even traffic can be very heavy at times, and I must say that you must be very careful when crossing a zebra crossing, even if the light says green!  Always look 2 times before you cross the street!  On a positive side, only Brussels central is heavy on traffic, when you start driving outside the city centre, then its much better.

So all in all I think it was quite a positive start to my stay here in Brussels.  How long will I stay here?  I have no idea yet, I have a permanent IT job in the city centre which I really like, and so, at the moment, it feels like I will stay here for long.

IT Contracting in the Credit Crunch

As many IT contractors agree, this is a tough time to be an IT Contractor, especially here in Ireland and in the UK. I have been contracting for the last three and a half years, 6 months in Sydney Australia and 3 years here in Dublin.
Until last year, contracting here was quite good. I used to be in a contract and be inundated with calls from agents about new contract prospects. Even the pay was very good. However everything turned upside down from last January, when my contract with Microsoft ended. I knew that the recession was bad, but not as bad as I thought. I am getting calls less frequently, and normally it’s more a call to “touch base” rather than concrete offers. In the last 2 months, I have not even been put forward for an interview, let alone a job offer.

I had the wrong idea that companies would go for contractors in this recession, since in the long run, they cost less than permanent staff for the same expertise level. However it seems like companies are more prone to hire permanent staff, and re-skill them to match the company’s expectations. Another thing that I have noticed is that companies are also searching for multi skilled IT staff, since let’s face it, it’s a buyer’s market. Companies can choose from a plethora of IT senior developers at the moment. Some companies also have the fear that when the business picks up again, it will be hard to recruit again.

Will this recession last long?

I have no idea, however, hopefully, I am expecting that by May or June, things start to get back on track. The housing market in the UK is already feeling some upturn in the prices. The US financial rescue plan may help the global economy get back to its feet. The European Leaders are also helping the economy by agreeing a £12b financial crisis rescue package.
Will this help the credit crunch and revive back the trust in financial markets? Let’s hope it does and things will start getting back to normal.

What I am doing in this downturn?

Re-Skilling: Since I have a lot of free time at the moment, I am looking at new skills, especially Microsoft skills, such as the new MVC Framework and the Data Entity Framework. I want to also see what new features SQL Server 2008 has an how to leverage from these new features. I am also finding time to read some technical articles and to also see technical videos and how-tos. I am also building some small web apps that I have been planning for a long time but never had the chance to dig into.
Keeping Positive:- Although it’s quite hard, I am trying to be as positive as I can be. Every cloud has a silver lining they say, and I believe that things work in a cycle. In the .Com bubble between 1995 and 2001, the new Internet sector and related fields saw a big boom in IT skilled persons and also the salaries rose significantly. Then there was a slowdown in 2002, and another boom in 2006, when the market was revived again. I just hope that the next upturn does not take another 3 years to materialize.
On the LookOut:- I believe that as jobs dry up, and the markets get worse, it’s time to keep a look on every possible opportunity that may arise. I also think that in two or three years time, there will be a big mobility of workers, where nobody will call home just one country, but Europe will be your home, with the countries becoming like cities. Long commuting for work will be the norm.

Working with Microsoft

It all started in the middle of February 2008.  I got a call from an agent that Microsoft Ireland had an opening for a software developer for a 4 month contract.  So I submitted my cv and got an interview.

The interview process was quite tough.  I had an hour face to face chat with the interviewer and then a technical test on the whiteboard.  Everything went well and 3 days later I got a call that I was to start the following Monday.  Obviously I was really excited and thrilled by the opportunity that stood before me.

I started working with Microsoft on a prototype for a localization website for the live.spaces.com suite of products.  The localizers could visually see what their translations looked like from the website.  Once this prototype was accepted, I started working on the real product itself, and created the new database design and also a migration script to move all the data in the new database.  My contract was extended 2 times, and I spent 10 months in all at Microsoft.

It was also a very critical project, so an agile methodology was applied.  Releases were between 4-5 weeks and very tight deadlines.

It was also interesting that I could use all the latest software from Microsoft, even before they were released to the public.  Microsoft also offers its employees a nurturing environment where they can be most productive.

Another interesting thing that I noticed at Microsoft is that you have personal freedom at work.  Nobody tells you what to wear, or what time you got in or you got out.  As long as the work is done, and deadlines are met, no questions asked.  I think Microsoft provides a great example to other corporations of what a productive work environment can be like.

I was also impressed by the amount of highly skilled people working there.  Chatting with technical people is like referencing a human encyclopedia.  My manager once told me that we only employ “exceptional people” and he was damn right!

So I must say that working with one of the “Best Companies To Work For” in Ireland, was an amazing experience, and something that I really wish I could experience once again in my career.

Thanks MICROSOFT!

Amazing Krakow

I had heard a lot about this city, however after visiting, I can say that it really is a nice and beautiful city.

We arrived in Krakow on Friday, a very sunny and hot day compared to Dublin standards.  It was around 31C.  After settling in the hotel, we went for a walk around the city.  I could see that its quite an old city.

The main square is the second largest in Europe, and one can find lots of things in this square, such as shops, markets, street entertainers and nice bars.  You can also meet the picturesque horses and cabins.

One of the main attractions in Krakow is the Wawel (castle), which is a majestic location.  Its a burial

place for previous kings of Poland.  It was quite a walk to get there, but it was utterly worth it.

And if you are in Krakow, you have to taste their range of beers.  I tried the Zwyiec dark, which I could compare to a Guinness.

On our last day there, we got a mini van to Wieliczka to

visit the very famous Salt Mines.  Initially, I thought that it would just be some small dungeons with some salt attached to it, or some salt conservation unit.  How wrong was I!  Its literally a small village underground, completely built out of salt.

Its amazing how all this could be dug.  And we only went down 3 levels, the guide said that there were more levels underground, which were not accessible to the tourists!  There were statues and carvings made entirely of salt, and the most impressive was a whole church made out of salt, which status of the holy Mary, Jesus Christ, and obviously Pope John Paul II.

Microsoft Mix Essentials Dublin 2008

On Friday, the 23rd of May 2008, I attended the Microsoft MIX Conference (http://www.microsoft.com/ireland/mix08/default.html), held here in Dublin, at the Cineworld, Parnell Street, in the heart of Dublin City. It was a very successful event, with excellent speakers which kept their audience engaged for the whole day.
First up was Lou Carbone, founder and CEO of Experience Engeneering, and author of “Clued In”. Lou’s presentation was on how everything we produce should give our customers the experience they expect. He also stated that you should give a “memorable” experience to your customers, so that they can come back time and time again. His presentation was full of interesting short clips, which stress the importance of user experience.
Lou was followed by Remy Pairault, a Microsoft Technical Evangelist. His speech was focused on the Windows Live platform, and what it can offer to the developers and their customers. He focused on the Live Passport Authentication method, and also how to incorporate instant messaging into your website.
After lunch, Chad Hower, which is an MVP, gave an introduction to Silverlight 2, and the potential there is in this fairly new Microsoft technology. Silverlight 2 can do much more than streaming videos. Developers can now deploy .NET applications into the browser on multiple platforms easily through the browser.

Martha Rotter, a Microsoft Developer in Ireland continued where Chad left, giving more information on Silverlight 2 and Deep Zoom. She also showed some hands on examples on how to integrate Expression Design Studio and Visual Studio to build cutting-edge applications. Another interesting feature of her talk was the Hard Rock cafe memorabilia website (http://memorabilia.hardrock.com/), and how this website uses Deep Zoom to perfection.

Chad Hower finished off the day, with a presentation on the ASP.NET MVC Framework. He showed some samples on how the new ASP.NET MVC Framework can help web developers make a better experience in their website for their customers.

It was a really interesting day, and I look forward to another event of this sort.

Lilljanata

Ilbierah fis-7:45pm t’hawnhekk intfajt nara il loghba Lille – Utd, kif naghmel kull darba li jkun hemm ic Champions League.

Bhala loghba nahseb kienet dominate ghal hafna hinijiet mil Utd, fej kellhom bosta opportunitajiet ta skor specjalment Ronaldo, Larsonn, Giggs u Rooney. U meta dahal Saha flok Ronaldo, li jien ma qbiltx ma din is sostituzzjoni ghax Ron kien qed jilghab loghba tajba hafna, kompla jizdied il potenzjal fl-attakk. Il lille, taqta lil Bodmer u lil dak in Nigerjan, ma kellhom xej specjali u nahseb il gowler taghhom Sylva kien l-eroj meta zammhom ghal hafna hin fil loghba.

Il gowls
Fuq il gowls hemm hafna polemiki. Il gowl tal-Lille li gie mhassar, jekk kien ikun hemm 100 referee, 60 minnhom kienu jikkonvalidawh u 40 le. Kienet purament decizjoni ta split second. Ir replays urew li kien hemm imbuttatura fuq Vidic, pero naraw hafna minn dawn ukoll, u hafna drabi il gowls jigu konvalidati. Pero il lajnsmen kien f’pozizzjoni tajba u dehrlu li jahssar il gowl. Fuq il gowl tal-Utd, nahseb kien gust li thalla. Kif qal Ray Houghton fuq il kummentarju tal-NTL, it-tim li qed jattakka jigi favorit f’daw is-sitwazzjonijiet. Fl-opinjoni tieghi, la Lille ma talbux it-tisfira tar-referee, ghalinqas hekk deher, Giggs kellu kull dritt li jaghtih mil ewwel.

Sigurta
Kif wiehed seta jara, is-sigurta kienet fjakka hafna u nirringrazzjaw l-Alla li ma nqalax xi massakru iehor tipo Heysel. Kif wiehed seta jara minn fuq it-tv, kien hemm mument li is-supporters tal-Utd kienu ippakkjati qishom ‘sardines’. Ma tistax tigini f’halqi il kelma Maltija. Biex tkompli taxxaq, il puluzija sprejaw il gass tad-dmugh u iktar iggravaw is-sitwazzjoni. Dan sahansitra affettwa lil Van Der Saar li moment minnhom kien anke deher li seta jinbidel meta Kusack bed ail warming up. Is supporters inglizi maghrufin ghal huliganizmu taghhom, pero xi hag hekk zgur li tirribellahom iktar! Skond kif qalu ir-rapporti, dan gara ghax infethu il gates tas-sezzjoni fej kien hemm is supporters tar-red devils, u dan iggrava is-sitwazzjoni. Nahseb jekk ma jkunx hemm penalizzazzjoni kbira, il UEFA tkun qed timxi ‘2 ways 2 measures’. Biex ma nghidux ukoll li wara il gowl ta Giggs, bdew jintefaw ‘missili’ gol grawnd u mument minnhom kien se jbati minnha Gary Neville.

Farsa
Biex ikomplu ikabbru il farsa tejatrali, il plejers tal-Lille iddecidew li huma ikbar mir-referee u war ail gowl ta Giggs dehrlu li se jabbandunaw il grawnd. Skond ic-cermen tal-Lille, hemm ligi fi Franza li jekk il-plejers jew il kowc jidrilhom li kien hemm decizjoni harxa maghhom, jistaw johrogu mil grawnd, biex ir-referee jigi sostitwit mir-raba ufficjal. Jekk veru tezisti din il ligi, veru ligi tal-gungla.

Nahseb din il partita se tibqa miftakra aktar ghal affarjiet li graw fuq l-istands u l-kummidji Lilljaniti milli ghar-rebha meritata tal-Utd.

Nahdem Dublin

Kien ezattament it-12 ta Marzu tas-sena 2006 meta illandjajt hawn go Dublin, fuq flight minn Sydney, li waqfet ukoll l-Ingilterra, biex nibda din l-avventura hawnhekk, wara sitt xhur gol Awstralja.

Mil airport qbadt il kowc direttament ghac-centru ta Dublin, u nista nghid li l-ewwel impressjoni ma tantx kienet xi wahda brillanti. Hlief affarijiet grizi u bricks orangjo ma bdejtx nara! Wara li kont imdorri f’dak il bini ferm sabih ta Sydney, b’dawk l-iskjajskrejpers li kwazi ma jispiccaw qatt, bdejt inhossni qisni gejt go pajjiz tat-tielet dinja.

Imma nsomma, din l-entrata suppost fuq ix-xoghol hawn, allura ha nikkoncentra naqra fuqu.

Mela wara tlett gimghat relax, pubs u hrug, irnexxieli insib xoghol, u rringrazzjajt naqra lil Alla ghax kont kwazi spiccajt broke. Li kieku ma sibtx xoghol sal-gimgha ta wara kien ikolli ninzel lura Malta, ghax il pjan kien ta xahar cans biex insib xoghol.

Anyway, l-ewwel xoghol li sibt kien ma kumpanija jismha Clearscape. Din il kumpanija kienet fic-centru, ghal minn jaf xi haga dwar Dublin, hdej ‘Marrion Square’. Sibt kuntratt ta 5 gimghat, veru ftit pero kien bizzejjed biex nibda ndawwar naqra ir-rota hux hekk. Kien kuntratt interessanti, fuq website ghad-dipartiment tat Turizmu.

Wara dan il kuntratt inzilt ghal gimgha Malta, kienet l-ewwel darba Malta wara 8 xhur. U meta ergajt tlajt, hdimt kuntratt iehor ta xahar u nofs, din id darba ma X-Communications. Kumpanija f’post centrali hafna, hdej Grafton Street. Kuntratt iehor interessanti, pero ic cucata li spicca f’Awwissu u ma kellhomx bzonn iktar is-servizzi tieghi, ghax il progetti li kont fuqhom spiccajthom, u ma kellhomx xoghol iktar ghalija. Dik xi kultant il problema li tkun kuntrattur hawnhekk. Terga Awwissu wiehed mil aghar xhur biex issib xoghol, ghax hafna progetti ma jibdewx qabel Settembru.

Insomma gebbed minn haw u gebbed minn hemm, irnexxieli insib 6 xhur kuntratt ma wahda mil ikbar kumpaniji li jezistu fl-Irlanda, Enterprise Ireland. Hdimt go kumpanija kbira u multinazzjonali u id-differenza hassejtha nghid il verita. Trid toqod hafna attent x’sistemi tahdem fuqhom ghax taffettwa hafna nies. Progetti enormi li zball zghir ifisser miljuni tal-liri. Pero kienet ukoll interessanti u tallimt hafna.

Issa l-kuntratt jiskadi fl-ahhar ta dan ix xahar u ddecidejt li ma nestendihx, ghax nixtieq nahdem fuq teknlogiji moderni, u xoghol iktar dinamiku. Naraw ximiss insomma………..

Vertigo to Finland

First of all, I am no expert in music and what I am going to write here is just my opinion.

This year, I saw the Malta Song streamed on di-ve.com from Dublin, where I am living at the moment. I do not know if its my connection or di-ve in general, but streaming was really bad. Sometimes Ruslana seemed like my grandmother dancing on the stage. But at least the sound was not that bad.

Also this was the first time I heard the songs. In my opinion, there should have been at least 10 songs to choose from, not just only 6 and a lot of bla bla bla. I would have wished to have seen more music and less talk. I also think that the interviews on stage where out of place and it would have been more appropriate to have some sort of a presentation in the form of a video, sort of the ones shown on Xarabank. I think it would have been more entertaining that way. Anyway, its just my opinion.

So, to the songs. I have to say that I was not one of those 30 thousand plus who voted for Olivia. Not that I thought her song was not good. But personally I preferred Trilogy’s song. If I had to give my placings, they would have been 1. Trilogy, 2. Klinsmann and 3.Kevin Borg.

Obviously this is just a matter of opinion and taste. However I must admit that if there was a singer who really merited to go to Finland was Olivia. Coming second on three occasions and trying again is not an easy option. I can imagine what went through her mind before singing the song. “Will it be fourth time luck?” However, I think that we will not make it through the qualifying stages this time around. I hope that I am proved wrong, and that the Eurovision in May 2008 will be staged at Ta’ Qali. But I have my doubts.

A singer that really impressed me in the Maltasong, and that I think has a very bright future if he keeps his legs to the ground is Klinsmann. I admit it was the first time that I heard him sing, and he did very well, considering he is still 16 years. His band reminded me of my favourite band, Green Day. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years, he can represent Malta in the Euro contest.

So as they say, see you in Finland in May.

Blogging Again

Well, after almost a year from my one and only posting, I decided to try and start blogging again, whenever I have some free time. I got hooked again on this blogging thing after seeing some very interesting blogs by others written on .NET. So I will try to write some hopefully interesting things that are happening in my life. Hope this will turn into an interesting one.

Cheers for now

J