Okay, by popular request, here's the story of the bad date. I should clarify that neither of us actually called it a date, but I think that's what it was meant to be. I met this Indian guy, who has lived in Canada for 12 years, at a social function for people new to the city. We were chatting away and he asked what things I'd seen in Vancouver so I told him and we discussed how there was lots more I still need to see and do. He asked "What are you doing this weekend? I'll show you around the city!". And I thought, okay, that might be fun to spend a day sight-seeing and making a new friend. We agreed on Saturday so I kept it free and he rang at 11:30 am Sat and suggested meeting at 4, and said he'd call between 3 and 4 to arrange where to meet. So I was ready to go from about 3:30 but he didn't call till 4:30 and he was still at home and he said he'd be at mine in half an hour. He arrived at 5:45 and I wasn't thrilled about this but I realise not everyone is as punctual as I am, so I tried to relax and not be annoyed! He asked me "So what do you want to do?" and I'm thinking 'I thought you were going to play tour guide!'. He wanted to show me a lagoon in Stanley Park but his sense of direction was hopeless and in the end I steered us toward it from memory from glancing at a map. The weather was cold and drizzly and the raccoon he wanted to show me was not there. So we got on a bus then the SkyTrain to go to Science World. We get there and its closed (it's about 7pm by now). So his next idea is to catch a ferry to North Vancouver. On the ferry he asks me questions like "Does New Zealand have trains?", "Does everyone have a pet sheep when they're growing up?", "Do you guys eat lamb for dinner like every night?", and tells me when I don't pronounce words "correctly". We catch the ferry across to North Van and everything's closed and it's cold and miserable so we come right back on the next ferry. Earlier he had offered to make a bbq dinner but after we get off the ferry we're both really hungry and he can't be bothered cooking any more so we decide to have some Thai in town, which I locate for us. After dinner, which was yummy but so spicy my nose was running and my eyes were watering (which would normally be embarassing on a first date, but by this stage I don't really care what he thinks), he asked what I wanted to do next and I'd had enough so I said "Look, I'm tired and I'm going home". So we said goodbye and that was that. I think that was one LAME guided tour!!! Oh and I paid for my own dinner, which I didn't mind, but I also paid for 3 transit tickets while he used his monthly pass. The day was such a write-off that I bought some chocolate biscuits on my way home and they turned out to be the best part of the day. My first foray back into the dating scene in a while and certainly hasn't made me excited about it!
Anyway, on to other things! Today was a really busy day at work! People were piling things on me - copy this, fax that, courier this to Switzerland URGENTLY, file that, transfer calls, order a special kind of stationery thingamyjig that no one know the name for, and somehow always know where everyone is even though no one ever tells me when they're going somewhere! I only managed to squeeze in 15 mins for lunch even though I'm meant to take an hour. It's good to be busy but it really cut into my net-surfing time, ha ha!
I was thinking today, as I have on many other days but I don't think I've commented on it here yet, that it is noticeable how many crazy people there are in this city. Some of them are high on drugs or drunk or who knows what, but you can pretty much guarantee that you'll come across at least one person a day who is ranting and raving in the middle of a busy street. The other day I was waiting to cross the road around midday and this guy was so angry and yelling at a passerby, "F*** you! I'll kill you! You'll kill me! Then we'll all be f***ing DEAD!!!!" (I'm not quite sure the logic follows in that tirade but I think you'll get the point). Sometimes someone who looks quite normal and well-dressed will be walking along the street then they'll start yelling at no-one in particular about random stuff. I think those ones are on a particular type of drug but I don't know what. There are people begging at almost every intersection in the downtown area, while smartly dressed business people go about their day. People go through rubbish bins all the time. People sleeping in doorways is a common sight. I was about to cross at West Georgia and Burrard (a busy intersection) on my way home from work on Monday and had to pass a guy urinating right there on the sidewalk in full view of commuters. It's all just part of life here in Vancouver.
I found out on Monday that I didn't get that job I was waiting to hear about, the one where I thought the interview had gone really well. No explanation was given and I didn't have the heart to ask. I've applied for one more permanent role this week that sounds interesting, but if I don't get that one, I'm going to have to come up with a new strategy because I can't face months of temping. My brain cells are dying from lack of use. I have to remind myself that I didn't come here for the money, I came for the experience. But temp wages reduce the range of the experiences I can have. My friend in Ottawa doesn't think being on a work visa is a big issue there as it seems that all the travellers come to Vancouver looking for work. So maybe I'll look at moving elsewhere, or heading home a bit earlier than planned. There are a lot of things I miss about Wellington but I also know that I haven't been here long enough to have established equivalent 'favourite' things and places here yet.
I missed the All Blacks game against South Africa on the weekend, but I definitely plan to watch the Bledisloe Cup this weekend!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Don't fall asleep at your desk
Day Two on the job wasn't much better, and I fell asleep at my desk! Which is not a good thing when there are three employees in the office behind you, separated only by a glass wall! I didn't fall properly asleep, just nodded off because I was so bored, and the movement as I slumped forward pushed my hand (holding the mouse) against the phone, giving me a fright and jolting me awake! Won't let that happen again! Luckily no one saw!
Today, my first day in sole charge of reception, was better as I was given a project to work on. The project being to update the HR files, which are a shambles, and create a new employee orientation program. So I spent the day working on that, which is reasonably interesting and should keep me awake for a couple of days at least, ha ha!
My other responsibilities include unlocking the office, making coffee, answering phones, forwarding emails, collecting and distributing mail, posting mail, ordering stationery, and various other bits and pieces. It feels a bit strange going back to such a junior position! I'm glad I don't have to make individual coffees, just get the machine started in the morning.
I finally made a return trip to IKEA on the weekend as I needed to exchange a couple of the items from my last expedition there. I ended up walking along the highway from the SkyTrain station both there and back and while unpleasant, it wasn't as scary as last time, as I knew I would eventually get there! It was faster than waiting for the bus. So now I actually have a quilt cover on my bed and matching sheets! Hooray!
The weather has been very un-summer-like, overcast and rainy most days, with the occasional glimpse of sunshine in the late afternoon. This morning was positively chilly and I wore my winter coat to work and wished I had hat, gloves and scarf too! Turns out that week of sunshine I wrote about a while back was the only whole week of sunshine so far this "summer". I'm sure it's going to turn fabulously fantastic soon, right? Pleeeeease??
Went for a walk after dinner tonight, along Stanley Park seawall. It seemed like half the population was at the beach because everyone was so excited that the sun was making a brief appearance at last!
Nothing much else to report. Went on a date on Saturday and it was a disaster, but I'm sure you're not interested in hearing about that ;-)
Bring on the sunshine!
Today, my first day in sole charge of reception, was better as I was given a project to work on. The project being to update the HR files, which are a shambles, and create a new employee orientation program. So I spent the day working on that, which is reasonably interesting and should keep me awake for a couple of days at least, ha ha!
My other responsibilities include unlocking the office, making coffee, answering phones, forwarding emails, collecting and distributing mail, posting mail, ordering stationery, and various other bits and pieces. It feels a bit strange going back to such a junior position! I'm glad I don't have to make individual coffees, just get the machine started in the morning.
I finally made a return trip to IKEA on the weekend as I needed to exchange a couple of the items from my last expedition there. I ended up walking along the highway from the SkyTrain station both there and back and while unpleasant, it wasn't as scary as last time, as I knew I would eventually get there! It was faster than waiting for the bus. So now I actually have a quilt cover on my bed and matching sheets! Hooray!
The weather has been very un-summer-like, overcast and rainy most days, with the occasional glimpse of sunshine in the late afternoon. This morning was positively chilly and I wore my winter coat to work and wished I had hat, gloves and scarf too! Turns out that week of sunshine I wrote about a while back was the only whole week of sunshine so far this "summer". I'm sure it's going to turn fabulously fantastic soon, right? Pleeeeease??
Went for a walk after dinner tonight, along Stanley Park seawall. It seemed like half the population was at the beach because everyone was so excited that the sun was making a brief appearance at last!
Nothing much else to report. Went on a date on Saturday and it was a disaster, but I'm sure you're not interested in hearing about that ;-)
Bring on the sunshine!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go!
Day one at my first temp placement: quite possibly the most boring day of my life. I checked my nails at least 78 times (what for, I'm not sure exactly) for want of anything better to do. I sat next to the outgoing office manager as she "showed me the ropes". This involved many long silences as we wracked our brains trying to think of something to talk about next. Turns out - and she wasn't even remotely apologetic in telling me this - she spents a lot of time surfing the net to fill in time, because there really isn't a lot for her to do! Everyone has direct lines so I only had to answer the phone a handful of times the whole day. She told me about how she's clinically depressed and married for the third time and showed me the box of band-aids she keeps in a drawer to dress her fingers several times a day because they crack and bleed - ewwwwww! (Not from overuse, I must point out). She's leaving of her own volition, however I have been told that she wasn't a very good fit for the role, and they want someone a little more proactive. But I had to be respectful and just follow her guidance today, as she finishes up tomorrow. They had a farewell lunch for her so I made myself scarce and took my lunch to the library and ate it on the steps there. Highlight of my day: the walk home!
I had another guy chat to me today after using the opening line "I hope this doesn't offend you?" while indicating the joint he'd just produced. Is a joint just an excuse to start a conversation?? We were sitting on the library steps, me about 3 steps up, and he proceeded to chat to me the whole time I ate my lunch. He's a construction worker nearby, originally from central Spain. Now I know how much he earns (more than me!) and that he's getting a $2 raise next month and that he doesn't really like getting dirty but hey it's a job, right? He left saying, "Maybe I'll see you here again tomorrow?". Hmmmm.... we'll see.
I hardly slept a wink last night as I was kept awake by the most infuriating noises of mice scrabbling around my room. Just when you start to drift off, you hear a rustle right next to your bed, and suddenly you're wide awake again. I don't pay this much rent to share my room with a bunch of free-loading rodents!!!! So annoying! Although I suppose my sleeplessness could be partly attributed to having gone out for a couple of drinks with a group of people new in town (lots of fun!), and then making spaghetti for dinner at 10:30 at night! I can now confirm for you that birds start the dawn chorus around 3:15, the sun is fully up by 4:15, and there is one type of bird that makes an unholy racket and makes you wish you had a rifle! (this from a girl who's never held a gun in her life and during daylight hours has no desire to).
So that was Day One. Only a month left (approximately). The grass is always greener, eh?
I had another guy chat to me today after using the opening line "I hope this doesn't offend you?" while indicating the joint he'd just produced. Is a joint just an excuse to start a conversation?? We were sitting on the library steps, me about 3 steps up, and he proceeded to chat to me the whole time I ate my lunch. He's a construction worker nearby, originally from central Spain. Now I know how much he earns (more than me!) and that he's getting a $2 raise next month and that he doesn't really like getting dirty but hey it's a job, right? He left saying, "Maybe I'll see you here again tomorrow?". Hmmmm.... we'll see.
I hardly slept a wink last night as I was kept awake by the most infuriating noises of mice scrabbling around my room. Just when you start to drift off, you hear a rustle right next to your bed, and suddenly you're wide awake again. I don't pay this much rent to share my room with a bunch of free-loading rodents!!!! So annoying! Although I suppose my sleeplessness could be partly attributed to having gone out for a couple of drinks with a group of people new in town (lots of fun!), and then making spaghetti for dinner at 10:30 at night! I can now confirm for you that birds start the dawn chorus around 3:15, the sun is fully up by 4:15, and there is one type of bird that makes an unholy racket and makes you wish you had a rifle! (this from a girl who's never held a gun in her life and during daylight hours has no desire to).
So that was Day One. Only a month left (approximately). The grass is always greener, eh?
Monday, June 11, 2007
Juggling jobs!
This afternoon the temp agency called and they have a role for me, starting Thursday! The pay's okay, not amazing, but not too bad. It's reception for a company that manufactures drugs to treat cancer, which could be interesting! I don't even have to interview for it - I just have to turn up. I said I needed to talk to the other place first because the woman at the place that I was keen on from Friday had said to call her if I got any offers. I called her and she said she'd see what she could do. A little while later I got a rather formal email saying that her bosses wanted her to interview some more people and she couldn't promise I'd get a second interview and therefore it would be in my best interest to accept this other job and good luck with my new role! I was rather deflated, to say the least, at that response.
So I called the temp agency back and asked some more questions and it turns out they really don't know how long the role could go for - their receptionist has left and they need someone to fill in while they look at reorganising the role. So it could be 2 weeks or 2 years! They can't promise anything. On that basis, I emailed the other woman back and said that I had neglected to mention that it was a temporary role that I was being offered, that might only last a fortnight, and therefore I would like to still be considered and to hear from her when she's conducted some further interviews. To which she replied: "That's great! Will keep in touch." Which was encouraging!
A separate issue is that I don't feel comfortable taking on a job without having met the people or seen the workplace. What if it's a total dump and the people are really awful! I called the temp agency back again, and said the other job couldn't give me any guarantees so therefore I was interested in the temp job on offer, but that I'd like to go to the office and meet the people before committing to the job. She told me this is not usually encouraged but she'd see what she can do. I should hear tomorrow if I can pop in to meet them.
So it looks like I managed to juggle things reasonably well - I'm still in the running for the job I'm keen on, and will have some temp work in the meantime. Phew.
Positions applied for: 24. Interviews: 3. Job offers: ONE, at last!
So I called the temp agency back and asked some more questions and it turns out they really don't know how long the role could go for - their receptionist has left and they need someone to fill in while they look at reorganising the role. So it could be 2 weeks or 2 years! They can't promise anything. On that basis, I emailed the other woman back and said that I had neglected to mention that it was a temporary role that I was being offered, that might only last a fortnight, and therefore I would like to still be considered and to hear from her when she's conducted some further interviews. To which she replied: "That's great! Will keep in touch." Which was encouraging!
A separate issue is that I don't feel comfortable taking on a job without having met the people or seen the workplace. What if it's a total dump and the people are really awful! I called the temp agency back again, and said the other job couldn't give me any guarantees so therefore I was interested in the temp job on offer, but that I'd like to go to the office and meet the people before committing to the job. She told me this is not usually encouraged but she'd see what she can do. I should hear tomorrow if I can pop in to meet them.
So it looks like I managed to juggle things reasonably well - I'm still in the running for the job I'm keen on, and will have some temp work in the meantime. Phew.
Positions applied for: 24. Interviews: 3. Job offers: ONE, at last!
Progress?
Want to hear how Friday's interviews went? Well, I set off early for the first one and it took me a full 1.5 hours to get there - walk, train, bus, walk. I had applied for two positions with the organisation and they seemed to like me but it turns out the pay was less than I thought and the hours are longish: 9-10 hour shifts. I've decided it's not going to be worth it to spend 3 hours a day commuting for that job.
However, my afternoon interview, which was within easy walking distance, was more promising. It was in a very nice downtown office with a company that does the 'Private' part of Public-Private Partnerships - i.e. they are an investor, developer and operator of public infrastructure such as hospitals, universities, courts, roads etc. The job is senior administrative assistant and part of the job description mentioned putting together presentations and running AV equipment. And I thought, why don't I show them I know those things? So the day before, I whipped up a PowerPoint presentation about why the job appealed to me and about my relevant knowledge, skills and experience. They have a website so I decided to use their company logo and colours for my slide templates. I emailed my friend Jiana who is a graphic designer in NZ and she did a fantastic job of putting together a template with the colours exactly matched and the logo just right, and emailed it back to me within a couple of hours! Thanks Jiana!! So I took my laptop along and asked the woman who interviewed me if I could show her the presentation and she was happy for me to do so. It was only about 6 slides long and I included some photos from previous projects and they were useful for generating discussion.
The interview seemed to go really well. I was reasonably relaxed and we got along well. The woman said that the previous interviewees hadn't even looked up their website, let along knew anything about their projects, a couple of which I discussed with her (it pays to do your homework!!). There are some great perks with the job, like the fact that the standard amount of annual leave in Canada is 2 weeks, but because one of the bosses is Australian, they all get 4 weeks! They socialise together a lot and have Pilates classes once a week that they all attend (funnily enough, on Fridays just like I was doing back at home!). I'm pretty hopeful of getting a second interview and she told me that if I get another offer in the meantime, to give them a call and they'll see if they could speed things up for me at their end.
We did have a discussion about how their one concern would be about me being on a working visa. I am getting really tired of hearing that - it seems like any kind of professional roles are out of reach of those of us on a visa. Travellers with degrees and several years professional experience are working in cafes, shops, bars etc because that's all they can get here. And yet the cost of living is so high that you end up just scraping by and not saving anything. If I miss out on this job because of being on a visa, I'm going to think seriously about heading home sooner rather than later and just trying to get a couple of months temp work in the meantime. I don't think I have any unrealistic expectations about getting a dream job or anything, and I've already simplified my resume and targetted admin-type roles. So, we'll see what happens.
It rained all weekend so I didn't do a whole lot. I went out for a 'rain walk' on Saturday morning and was surprised how many other people were out walking and running in the rain. But i guess if you don't like rain, you won't like Vancouver because it gets so much of it. People are just used to it.
Last night I caught a bus across the city and met up with Kylie and her roommates. We went to a movie and then back to their place for a roast chicken dinner - yum!! They are all Aussie girls and I had to put up with a bit of stick for being a Kiwi! All their rooms looked just like mine - bare apart from a bed, computer, maybe one piece of furniture, and a suitcase in the corner spilling its contents onto the floor. Ah, the travelling life, eh?
Positions applied for: still 23. Interviews: 3. Job offers: 0.
However, my afternoon interview, which was within easy walking distance, was more promising. It was in a very nice downtown office with a company that does the 'Private' part of Public-Private Partnerships - i.e. they are an investor, developer and operator of public infrastructure such as hospitals, universities, courts, roads etc. The job is senior administrative assistant and part of the job description mentioned putting together presentations and running AV equipment. And I thought, why don't I show them I know those things? So the day before, I whipped up a PowerPoint presentation about why the job appealed to me and about my relevant knowledge, skills and experience. They have a website so I decided to use their company logo and colours for my slide templates. I emailed my friend Jiana who is a graphic designer in NZ and she did a fantastic job of putting together a template with the colours exactly matched and the logo just right, and emailed it back to me within a couple of hours! Thanks Jiana!! So I took my laptop along and asked the woman who interviewed me if I could show her the presentation and she was happy for me to do so. It was only about 6 slides long and I included some photos from previous projects and they were useful for generating discussion.
The interview seemed to go really well. I was reasonably relaxed and we got along well. The woman said that the previous interviewees hadn't even looked up their website, let along knew anything about their projects, a couple of which I discussed with her (it pays to do your homework!!). There are some great perks with the job, like the fact that the standard amount of annual leave in Canada is 2 weeks, but because one of the bosses is Australian, they all get 4 weeks! They socialise together a lot and have Pilates classes once a week that they all attend (funnily enough, on Fridays just like I was doing back at home!). I'm pretty hopeful of getting a second interview and she told me that if I get another offer in the meantime, to give them a call and they'll see if they could speed things up for me at their end.
We did have a discussion about how their one concern would be about me being on a working visa. I am getting really tired of hearing that - it seems like any kind of professional roles are out of reach of those of us on a visa. Travellers with degrees and several years professional experience are working in cafes, shops, bars etc because that's all they can get here. And yet the cost of living is so high that you end up just scraping by and not saving anything. If I miss out on this job because of being on a visa, I'm going to think seriously about heading home sooner rather than later and just trying to get a couple of months temp work in the meantime. I don't think I have any unrealistic expectations about getting a dream job or anything, and I've already simplified my resume and targetted admin-type roles. So, we'll see what happens.
It rained all weekend so I didn't do a whole lot. I went out for a 'rain walk' on Saturday morning and was surprised how many other people were out walking and running in the rain. But i guess if you don't like rain, you won't like Vancouver because it gets so much of it. People are just used to it.
Last night I caught a bus across the city and met up with Kylie and her roommates. We went to a movie and then back to their place for a roast chicken dinner - yum!! They are all Aussie girls and I had to put up with a bit of stick for being a Kiwi! All their rooms looked just like mine - bare apart from a bed, computer, maybe one piece of furniture, and a suitcase in the corner spilling its contents onto the floor. Ah, the travelling life, eh?
Positions applied for: still 23. Interviews: 3. Job offers: 0.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
An adventure of the urban kind
Enough already about vigorous outdoor activity in beautiful natural settings. Today's adventure was of an altogether different nature: an expedition into the concrete jungle.
I decided to make an afternoon of going to the Swedish home furnishings superstore IKEA, to get some new bedding. Although I rented my room as furnished and that usually includes bed linen, I was provided with a rather annoying set of mismatched sheets that are too small for the bed. So I set off on the SkyTrain for the IKEA store in Coquitlam. I had gotten directions from the IKEA website as to which station to get off at and then the bus number to take. Well, I got off at the right station, but after finding the right bus stop I discovered the bus I needed doesn't go past that station any more, according to the timetable that a bus driver found for me. A bit stumped, as there didn't appear to be anything else of interest nearby, I thought 'Oh well, at least I've taken the train someplace new. If I head back now my train ticket will be valid for the return journey so I might as well go back.' So I crossed over to the other side of the station, jumped on the next train heading back, and as we pulled away I looked out the window and saw the IKEA store just a short distance away! Laughing at myself, I got off at the next stop, crossed to the other side of that station, and went back again! It looked to be only about 5 minutes walk away.
Well. Exiting the station I joined an 8-lane highway on a narrow strip of sidewalk right next to the traffic lanes, and I'm thinking, yeah this is not really pedestrian-friendly, but it'll be my little urban adventure, so I set off unpeturbed (seeing as I have an interest in assessing the quality of provisions for pedestrians). About 100m more and I'm walking across some kind of major interchange, traffic under me, traffic next to me, exits, on-ramps, and trucks rushing past with big blasts of air blowing my hair in all directions. The fact that there was one (just one) other pedestrian, a woman a short distance ahead, gave me courage and I continued along behind her. She walked quickly though and I had to run a couple of times to catch the same pedestrian signals (where they existed). I felt a little like Alice following the white rabbit, a little like Bill Bryson when he tried to get to K mart in the vehicle-dominated town of Waynesboro, a little like Uncle Travelling Matt from Fraggle Rock, and a little like an idiot. But still enjoying the challenge. To get to IKEA, I had to head away from it, cross several roads, come to a dead-end where the footpath simply stopped, double back and then make my way through an industrial area with no sidewalks at all, just gravel and puddles. Every now and then I would get a glimpse of the blue and yellow oasis of IKEA but actually getting to it was the hard part. Oh yeah, to make it all that much more fun, it had started to rain.
Are you getting the message yet that people are simply not supposed to walk to IKEA? Finally I reached the store and even then it was unwelcoming for pedestrians. I seemed to be at the 'back-side' and I had to cross another road with no pedestrian crossing and go through a carpark to reach the entrance. Then it was straight to their cafe for a restorative piece of chocolate cake! I think I earned it! What I had thought would be a 5 min walk turned into a 20 min exhaust fume-filled drama.
After traipsing through several departments, deliberately going the opposite direction to the arrows on the floor (I am a rebellious pedestrian, aren't I?), I made it to the bedding area and was overwhelmed with choice. I finally chose a quilt (duvet) cover and inner, a mattress protector (to put some distance between me and the old mattress), and sheets, all for just over $100.
Then I felt the need to leave a.s.a.p. before getting distracted by all sorts of cool stuff they have there. Just to reinforce the 'pedestrians are not welcome here' theme, all the exit signs read "Exit to parking lots". Where do people exit who might want to walk or take transit?
Anyway, I had spied a bus stop near the entry and rather than battle my way back through the traffic, I thought I'd give that a go. I sat down and a voice said, "I hope this doesn't offend you?" and I look up to see a man in a fluoro orange hat in a wheelchair with a fluoro orange flag, indicating the joint he was smoking. I said it didn't bother me so then we started a conversation about the medicinal use of marijuana, including different ways to take it (I didn't know you could get capsules??). Turns out he was building a log home about 30 years ago and as he felled the very last tree he needed, it landed on him and crushed his legs and he's been in the wheelchair, in pain, ever since. He was very cheerful though and we also talked about how there's no point in getting upset about things you can't change. He changed careers and now runs a business sharpening things - knives etc. He gave me his business card and said if I ever needed anything at all, to give him a call. It was a pleasant, if somewhat bizarre encounter, as we waited for the bus which was about half an hour later than the posted schedule said. And you know, I should have just walked back, because we got stuck in rush hour traffic that crawled along.
When I paid my bus fare I forgot that they have an integrated system where you use the same ticket for buses and trains, and I'd only paid for one section, when I should have paid for two. I realised this on the bus, but when I joined the throng of people exiting the bus and pouring into the SkyTrain station, I forgot and got straight on the train. Then I remembered again as I read the notice about an instant $150 fine for fare-dodgers or people with inadequate fares. In all the trips I have taken on the SkyTrain, today was the first day I've seen the transit police out checking tickets. Lots of them. Today. So I was sitting there slightly nervous the whole way back. I suppose I could have gotten off and bought another ticket but it seemed like too much hassle to give up my seat and drag my two big IKEA bags off the train and then wait for the next one, plus part of me wanted to see if I could get away with it! And I did ;-)
That's not quite the end of the story. I made it home and opened all the bags to check everything fitted before washing and drying it all so that I could have an actual proper set of bed linen to sleep in tonight. Well, I managed to buy two fitted sheets, instead of one flat and one fitted! Ha ha, silly me! And I decided the quilt cover I picked out actually looks rather hideous so that's got to go back too.
Here I am with my still-mismatched sheets, holding the fluoro orange business card of my new friend Clarence.
Almost forgot about the job situation! Pat the temp agency woman finally called back to tell me I didn't get the position I interviewed for last week even though they liked me because they had to go with someone from an agency they have a contract with. So why didn't Pat or the woman who interviewed me think about that before, huh? I know she didn't make this up because she'd previously explained that the client usually uses another agency. I actually don't mind, because if they'd offered it to me I would have been in a tricky situation because I have two interviews on Friday and I'm really keen on one of those positions.
So that's the rather long story of my urban adventure. I hope you enjoyed it :-)
Positions applied for: still 23. Interviews: still 1. Job offers: still 0.
I decided to make an afternoon of going to the Swedish home furnishings superstore IKEA, to get some new bedding. Although I rented my room as furnished and that usually includes bed linen, I was provided with a rather annoying set of mismatched sheets that are too small for the bed. So I set off on the SkyTrain for the IKEA store in Coquitlam. I had gotten directions from the IKEA website as to which station to get off at and then the bus number to take. Well, I got off at the right station, but after finding the right bus stop I discovered the bus I needed doesn't go past that station any more, according to the timetable that a bus driver found for me. A bit stumped, as there didn't appear to be anything else of interest nearby, I thought 'Oh well, at least I've taken the train someplace new. If I head back now my train ticket will be valid for the return journey so I might as well go back.' So I crossed over to the other side of the station, jumped on the next train heading back, and as we pulled away I looked out the window and saw the IKEA store just a short distance away! Laughing at myself, I got off at the next stop, crossed to the other side of that station, and went back again! It looked to be only about 5 minutes walk away.
Well. Exiting the station I joined an 8-lane highway on a narrow strip of sidewalk right next to the traffic lanes, and I'm thinking, yeah this is not really pedestrian-friendly, but it'll be my little urban adventure, so I set off unpeturbed (seeing as I have an interest in assessing the quality of provisions for pedestrians). About 100m more and I'm walking across some kind of major interchange, traffic under me, traffic next to me, exits, on-ramps, and trucks rushing past with big blasts of air blowing my hair in all directions. The fact that there was one (just one) other pedestrian, a woman a short distance ahead, gave me courage and I continued along behind her. She walked quickly though and I had to run a couple of times to catch the same pedestrian signals (where they existed). I felt a little like Alice following the white rabbit, a little like Bill Bryson when he tried to get to K mart in the vehicle-dominated town of Waynesboro, a little like Uncle Travelling Matt from Fraggle Rock, and a little like an idiot. But still enjoying the challenge. To get to IKEA, I had to head away from it, cross several roads, come to a dead-end where the footpath simply stopped, double back and then make my way through an industrial area with no sidewalks at all, just gravel and puddles. Every now and then I would get a glimpse of the blue and yellow oasis of IKEA but actually getting to it was the hard part. Oh yeah, to make it all that much more fun, it had started to rain.
Are you getting the message yet that people are simply not supposed to walk to IKEA? Finally I reached the store and even then it was unwelcoming for pedestrians. I seemed to be at the 'back-side' and I had to cross another road with no pedestrian crossing and go through a carpark to reach the entrance. Then it was straight to their cafe for a restorative piece of chocolate cake! I think I earned it! What I had thought would be a 5 min walk turned into a 20 min exhaust fume-filled drama.
After traipsing through several departments, deliberately going the opposite direction to the arrows on the floor (I am a rebellious pedestrian, aren't I?), I made it to the bedding area and was overwhelmed with choice. I finally chose a quilt (duvet) cover and inner, a mattress protector (to put some distance between me and the old mattress), and sheets, all for just over $100.
Then I felt the need to leave a.s.a.p. before getting distracted by all sorts of cool stuff they have there. Just to reinforce the 'pedestrians are not welcome here' theme, all the exit signs read "Exit to parking lots". Where do people exit who might want to walk or take transit?
Anyway, I had spied a bus stop near the entry and rather than battle my way back through the traffic, I thought I'd give that a go. I sat down and a voice said, "I hope this doesn't offend you?" and I look up to see a man in a fluoro orange hat in a wheelchair with a fluoro orange flag, indicating the joint he was smoking. I said it didn't bother me so then we started a conversation about the medicinal use of marijuana, including different ways to take it (I didn't know you could get capsules??). Turns out he was building a log home about 30 years ago and as he felled the very last tree he needed, it landed on him and crushed his legs and he's been in the wheelchair, in pain, ever since. He was very cheerful though and we also talked about how there's no point in getting upset about things you can't change. He changed careers and now runs a business sharpening things - knives etc. He gave me his business card and said if I ever needed anything at all, to give him a call. It was a pleasant, if somewhat bizarre encounter, as we waited for the bus which was about half an hour later than the posted schedule said. And you know, I should have just walked back, because we got stuck in rush hour traffic that crawled along.
When I paid my bus fare I forgot that they have an integrated system where you use the same ticket for buses and trains, and I'd only paid for one section, when I should have paid for two. I realised this on the bus, but when I joined the throng of people exiting the bus and pouring into the SkyTrain station, I forgot and got straight on the train. Then I remembered again as I read the notice about an instant $150 fine for fare-dodgers or people with inadequate fares. In all the trips I have taken on the SkyTrain, today was the first day I've seen the transit police out checking tickets. Lots of them. Today. So I was sitting there slightly nervous the whole way back. I suppose I could have gotten off and bought another ticket but it seemed like too much hassle to give up my seat and drag my two big IKEA bags off the train and then wait for the next one, plus part of me wanted to see if I could get away with it! And I did ;-)
That's not quite the end of the story. I made it home and opened all the bags to check everything fitted before washing and drying it all so that I could have an actual proper set of bed linen to sleep in tonight. Well, I managed to buy two fitted sheets, instead of one flat and one fitted! Ha ha, silly me! And I decided the quilt cover I picked out actually looks rather hideous so that's got to go back too.
Here I am with my still-mismatched sheets, holding the fluoro orange business card of my new friend Clarence.
Almost forgot about the job situation! Pat the temp agency woman finally called back to tell me I didn't get the position I interviewed for last week even though they liked me because they had to go with someone from an agency they have a contract with. So why didn't Pat or the woman who interviewed me think about that before, huh? I know she didn't make this up because she'd previously explained that the client usually uses another agency. I actually don't mind, because if they'd offered it to me I would have been in a tricky situation because I have two interviews on Friday and I'm really keen on one of those positions.
So that's the rather long story of my urban adventure. I hope you enjoyed it :-)
Positions applied for: still 23. Interviews: still 1. Job offers: still 0.
Monday, June 4, 2007
High Falls
I've been hiking twice more since my last post, which makes it 4 hikes in 8 days! Pretty good going for someone who's not done much of it before! On Saturday I went with my new flattie Alexis, her brother and his girlfriend, and a friend of theirs. We did the High Falls Track, not far from the Chief I did earlier in the week, but with some quite different scenery. Check out this description from a website:
At one point we were climbing across steep piles of unstable rocks, from fist-sized to large boulders, which I suspect were "felsenmeer" (I learned this term today while reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods - he describes felsenmeer as "mile upon mile of jagged, oddly angled slabs of stone strewn about in wobbly piles...literally, "sea of rocks"). Here's a picture - see there's a man in the bottom left to give you an idea of scale. It doesn't really show it adequately, as I was peering over the edge looking back down at what we'd just climbed up, and most of it is out of view.
The falls were rather impressive as the snowmelt at this time of year meant lots of water and lots of noise! We did a loop and returned via a logging road that seemed to go on forever. It was so hot in the open that we rested in the shade of trees when we could. We all ran out of water and started fantasising about cold drinks! First stop on the journey home was at a service station for cold refreshments.
Heading back along the logging road. That's the Squamish Valley in the background. Not a bad view, eh?
It's a fantastic time of year to get out hiking because the weather is warm but there's still a lot of snow on the mountains to give that scenic backdrop. Today Lani, Maya and I went to Lynn Canyon Park (http://www.lynncanyonparkguide.bc.ca/) and crossed the famous suspension bridge there. The vegetation on our walk was amazingly lush and bright green!
Me on the suspension bridge today. There's a 50m drop down to a raging creek fed by snowmelt below!
"Creek" seems to have a different meaning here - some of the "creeks" I have seen have been pretty big and pretty fast flowing!
Even though things seemed hopeful with the temp assignment I interviewed for, the client contact keeps delaying her decision. I was meant to hear on Thursday if I got it, then it was Monday, then today, but I didn't hear anything today. However, in the meantime I've been asked to interview for two different jobs on Friday! Both are permanent roles and sound interesting. One appeals more than the other because it's closer and the money and hours are better, but I'll see what happens.
Positions applied for: 23. Interviews: 1. Job offers: still 0!
"I kept repeating to myself as I pulled myself along the High Falls trail, "someone must have really wanted to see this waterfall", because while the falls are quite impressive, the trail is possibly even more impressive. The High Falls Creek trail climbs, literally, straight up the cliffs lining the gorge below High Falls, then skirts the edge of the gorge for over a kilometer up to and past the falls. In several places, the trail actually scales near vertical rock faces with the assistance of some well placed ropes and chains. Once you get past the grunt of the hike, you'll be rewarded with a very impressive waterfall hurtling into a spectacular canyon, well over 100m deep, and in places, no more than 2m wide." http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/bc_waterfall.php?num=204&p=0
At one point we were climbing across steep piles of unstable rocks, from fist-sized to large boulders, which I suspect were "felsenmeer" (I learned this term today while reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods - he describes felsenmeer as "mile upon mile of jagged, oddly angled slabs of stone strewn about in wobbly piles...literally, "sea of rocks"). Here's a picture - see there's a man in the bottom left to give you an idea of scale. It doesn't really show it adequately, as I was peering over the edge looking back down at what we'd just climbed up, and most of it is out of view.
The falls were rather impressive as the snowmelt at this time of year meant lots of water and lots of noise! We did a loop and returned via a logging road that seemed to go on forever. It was so hot in the open that we rested in the shade of trees when we could. We all ran out of water and started fantasising about cold drinks! First stop on the journey home was at a service station for cold refreshments.
Heading back along the logging road. That's the Squamish Valley in the background. Not a bad view, eh?
It's a fantastic time of year to get out hiking because the weather is warm but there's still a lot of snow on the mountains to give that scenic backdrop. Today Lani, Maya and I went to Lynn Canyon Park (http://www.lynncanyonparkguide.bc.ca/) and crossed the famous suspension bridge there. The vegetation on our walk was amazingly lush and bright green!
Me on the suspension bridge today. There's a 50m drop down to a raging creek fed by snowmelt below!
"Creek" seems to have a different meaning here - some of the "creeks" I have seen have been pretty big and pretty fast flowing!
Even though things seemed hopeful with the temp assignment I interviewed for, the client contact keeps delaying her decision. I was meant to hear on Thursday if I got it, then it was Monday, then today, but I didn't hear anything today. However, in the meantime I've been asked to interview for two different jobs on Friday! Both are permanent roles and sound interesting. One appeals more than the other because it's closer and the money and hours are better, but I'll see what happens.
Positions applied for: 23. Interviews: 1. Job offers: still 0!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Busy day!
Here's the view from today's lunch spot - ain't it pretty?
I was up early this morning to move my stuff into my new apartment (which was accomplished with two trips in the hot sun - thankfully it was only about 20mins walk between apartments) then it was on the SkyTrain out to where Lani lives. She picked me up and drove us to one of her favourite hiking spots where Lani, Maya and I joined Lani's friend and her 5 month old son, and we set off for a hike out to a beautiful picnic spot overlooking the picturesque settlement of Deep Cove. Lani's wee dog Finnigan accompanied us too and dutifully followed along close behind the humans.
Being a weekday, it was noticable that the Baby Brigade was out in force! I lost track of the number of mums with babies in carry packs (is there a special name for baby back packs?). It was nice to see and it seems like a great way to keep fit. I felt like I was cheating, just carrying my light day pack on my back! Today's hike was rather more 'horizontal' than Tuesday's climb, which was just as well because my leg muscles were still recovering from Tuesday!
So... the job situation. The interview on Wednesday with the temp agency went well and I passed all their tests with flying colours. I thought I had reasonable typing and computing skills but not having been tested before, I was a bit nervous beforehand! Taking the spelling test took me back to primary school days! I seem to have lucked into a good temp agency as the woman I met with is really nice and seems genuinely keen to place me in a position a.s.a.p. (I have heard a lot of stories about temp agencies that don't even contact people who send their resumes to them - in fact I've experienced that myself with one agency). She set me up with an interview on Thursday and told me to dress "very professional". I even put some makeup on for the occasion! The woman I met with was very friendly so I didn't feel too nervous. The role is admin assistant as part of a group of 7 admin staff who each support a group of 10 consultants - so it's a fairly large office, 95 staff in all in a rather flash downtown office. The company does HR consulting and this office mainly puts together pension plans for large organisations. The interview seemed to go well but it was hard to tell if I was what she was looking for. She had to interview a couple more people so I'll find out on Monday if I got it. Did I mention it pays reasonably well? Better than the crappy minimum wage supermarket job I applied for on Monday - I went back there the next day and asked to withdraw my application! Don't get me wrong, I've worked in supermarkets before which is why I thought it might be an okay job just to get some money coming in, but $8.75 an hour?? Before tax! 500g of cheese costs $9.oo. Plus tax. A litre of ice cream costs around $8.oo. And I was shocked to see the price of a kilo of rice: $5.00. When you add tax at the checkout and factor in the exchange rate, you realise it sure ain't cheap to live in this most livable of cities!
I was up early this morning to move my stuff into my new apartment (which was accomplished with two trips in the hot sun - thankfully it was only about 20mins walk between apartments) then it was on the SkyTrain out to where Lani lives. She picked me up and drove us to one of her favourite hiking spots where Lani, Maya and I joined Lani's friend and her 5 month old son, and we set off for a hike out to a beautiful picnic spot overlooking the picturesque settlement of Deep Cove. Lani's wee dog Finnigan accompanied us too and dutifully followed along close behind the humans.
Being a weekday, it was noticable that the Baby Brigade was out in force! I lost track of the number of mums with babies in carry packs (is there a special name for baby back packs?). It was nice to see and it seems like a great way to keep fit. I felt like I was cheating, just carrying my light day pack on my back! Today's hike was rather more 'horizontal' than Tuesday's climb, which was just as well because my leg muscles were still recovering from Tuesday!
So... the job situation. The interview on Wednesday with the temp agency went well and I passed all their tests with flying colours. I thought I had reasonable typing and computing skills but not having been tested before, I was a bit nervous beforehand! Taking the spelling test took me back to primary school days! I seem to have lucked into a good temp agency as the woman I met with is really nice and seems genuinely keen to place me in a position a.s.a.p. (I have heard a lot of stories about temp agencies that don't even contact people who send their resumes to them - in fact I've experienced that myself with one agency). She set me up with an interview on Thursday and told me to dress "very professional". I even put some makeup on for the occasion! The woman I met with was very friendly so I didn't feel too nervous. The role is admin assistant as part of a group of 7 admin staff who each support a group of 10 consultants - so it's a fairly large office, 95 staff in all in a rather flash downtown office. The company does HR consulting and this office mainly puts together pension plans for large organisations. The interview seemed to go well but it was hard to tell if I was what she was looking for. She had to interview a couple more people so I'll find out on Monday if I got it. Did I mention it pays reasonably well? Better than the crappy minimum wage supermarket job I applied for on Monday - I went back there the next day and asked to withdraw my application! Don't get me wrong, I've worked in supermarkets before which is why I thought it might be an okay job just to get some money coming in, but $8.75 an hour?? Before tax! 500g of cheese costs $9.oo. Plus tax. A litre of ice cream costs around $8.oo. And I was shocked to see the price of a kilo of rice: $5.00. When you add tax at the checkout and factor in the exchange rate, you realise it sure ain't cheap to live in this most livable of cities!
So I'll find out Monday about the role, and if I don't get that one, Pat (the temp agency lady) thinks she might have another couple of roles I could try for. In the meantime I'm continuing to apply for other jobs. Now I've "dumbed down" my resume and condensed it into one page, the application process is a lot faster!
Applications sent: 23. Interviews: 1. Job offers: 0.
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