The Challenges of Work

My first temp position confirmed 2 things for me:
1. The most tiring thing about working, is when you have no work to do. After so many months "on the beach" back home, you would think I'd be used to...
2. My hopes of finding a consulting career here is non existent.

I'm posted out at SAP Canada one day - on the front desk, mind you. I got taught how to reject those poor people who call in wanting to submit their resumes (aka, me) and was shown where the resumes are filed - in the wastepaper basket. Now there was the motivation I needed!

And besides that, in four hours of sitting on reception at SAP Canada, my achievements were: answering 4 phone calls and sticking labels on boxes to be shipped.

When my Temp Agent said he's start "me out easy", I guess he wasn't kidding.

The Most Amazing Thing about Vancouver...

... is the fact that the beautiful surrounds of water, backdropped by snow peaked mountains is visible from from the city!

After a dreary weekend, I got really excited yesterday waking up to a blue sky. I made the most of it an visited Lighthouse Park where I did a short trek to the lighthouse overlooking the city on the other shore. On the way back, I took a different route and found myself amongst thse huge moss covered trees and dark ferns. It was nice and peaceful, but peaceful enough to be somewhat eery... I was lost between amazement and panic - about being in the forest by myself.

Talk about keen, I went up Grouse Mountain (scenic lookout and snow fields close to the city) the same day. I was admiring the Vancouver city skyline and orange sunset reflections of the water as I was going up the skyride to the peak when I turned to looked up-mountain and saw everything covered in white!

So one hour I was tramping through leaves in a forest and the next hour I was falling over the most amazing powder snow. At the peak, I saw a small frozen
pond equipped with ice-skaters, two black bears, and an amazing site of Vancouver city at dusk.

Last week I rollerbladed for 1.5 hours in the rain on the Seawall Promenade of Stanley Park. I was unimpressed with the weather change and came out of the park frozen. Nice park though, and contrary to my expectations, it was very different to Centennial Park back home! Think cedar forest, surrounding
shoreline, views, pools, beaches...

I also watched a hockey game - it was totally cool, 3rd row seats from the front, inbetween the two goals! Alwin, Matt and Jules - I was thinking of u guys!

I've enjoyed exploring on my own lately, something rare in Sydney, but probably something I need to get used to this year. I'm trying to keep my social skills from rusting though, and Trang has been great in getting me involved with all her UBC friends - most are Europena, Asian and Mexican. I have met 3 Canadians though! =P I've been out with them a few times, and we even threw a huge dinner party at out place one time though too which was a lot a fun. I also have Aussie friends - Ben (ex-IBMer) and his gf Rachel! We meet at the library some days for coffee while we bitch about job hunting and recruitment execs. Don't laugh - the library is cool (unlike the uni ones which are only good for sleeping)... I get free internet, central heating (brr..) and it is the only asthetically pleasing building in the whole of downtown... it's modeled like the Roman Colleseum.

Thats the exciting stuff. There are uneventful and dreary days from the weather where I find solace sleeping in, shopping, cooking and eating. Oh dear! I have
signed up for a Temp agency, not sure if I will hear from them (Rachel and I think they are a bit of a joke), but with only 3 weeks to go before my move up to Lake Louise, I'm not fussed.

Anyways, about time you bludgers get back to work. Another essay next time!

An Achievement

... after many near successful attempts, I have finally succeeded in missing a plane. I blame the Miami traffic... couldn't be my fault! It was sheer luck that they could put me on a later flight - I had to wait 6 hours at the airport though!

LA and Miami was great, I spent about a week and a half there, ate heaps, shopped (hmm.. only a little), caught up with family and hung out with friends. My time in Miami and Orlando very much reminded my of my Tampa days and my last visit to the sun-drenched city.

Since Monday, I have traded the stifling humidity for the brisk chill of Vancouver. I must say, I was really glad to have detoured to the States before hitting Canada. Mainly to see my cousins and attend the wedding, secondly to make the start of my year away easier. I really expected that after the fun and games, I would be all alone in a strange city, having to look for my own home, work and friends. Some say, keep your expectations low and you will be pleasantly surprised. I really believe that.

My uni friend Trang, bused it all the way to the airport to pick me up.. she is such a sweety... she knew that I would really appreciate a familiar face to greet me and I did. She then took me out to dinner at a place called Wildfire, very much like the one in Sydney only cosier (I also live above a Shark Bar, just as dodgey as the Sydney counterpart, I hear) and we kicked off with a
really nice meal and cocktails. Food and alcohol is so cheap here, and plenty of variety. I can see trouble. So much for spending the next 50 weeks losing the weight gained from the last 2 weeks!

Anyways, I had very little time to be emotional or grateful, Trang had me settled straight away in the YWCA which is downtown in a fab location and great
facilities. The day after I arrived, I trekked around the coastline of UBC (Uni of British Columbia), and met some people at a birthday. Today we went to Burnaby Mountain Park to get a birdseye view of Vancouver and also visited SFU (Simon Fraser Uni). Weather for the last 3 days has been fantastic (surprisingly!). Amongst all this, I have also explored the city on my own, trying to orientate myself and just enjoying the fact that I have finally made it here after all the talk!

There is one thing I don't like here though - the seagulls. Think ugly Sydney ones... Vancouver ones are 2x as big and 5x as ugly. Hmm.. other than that, I know I will enjoy my time here.

Like all great plans, I don't know what I will be doing in the next month. Might give Temp Agencies a call, might fly to San Fran ("The City"), or might do some volunteer work.

I do know what I will be doing tonight though - going to see a Hypnotist! Still a little dubious, but we'll see...

Be good!=)

My First Honeymoon

I've lost track of time here... although I haven't done much, there has been so many people and lots of running around, it hasn't hit me that I won't be
home for a while.. which means it is still all a bit of a holiday.

LA was bad (except catching up with Cuz, that was good!)... I have a 10-things-I-hate-about-LA list, but Miami has been pretty good. Reminds me of the good
old Tampa days.. lots of water, palm trees etc etc. The wedding was sooo pretty, thinking about career change to event organising again.. Helen - I have ideas for your wedding already! =P

Also went clubbing at OPIUM - apparently the best club on Miami's South Beach (where all the Barbies and Kens hang out in skimpy clothes and funky cars). It was the best club I have ever seen, and will def be hard to beat. Most of it was outdoors... Chinese Garden feel, with large chinese lanterns hanging high, soft drapes and unlimited lounge areas that seperate all the different dance floors and bar areas. Maybe I would also pursue the bar owner career that I was thinking of in Turkey...

At the moment I am at my cousins house in Miami, most guests have left now (abt 95% of guests had flown in) and there is only the newlyweds, two guys from HK and me left.. we will prob hang out in Orlando for the honeymoon... and then I head off to the land of "good-looking Canadian borders"! Milli - I will keep you updated *wink*

I haven't started missing home yet, I have a feeling that will hit when the fun and games is over and I leave to look for a home and a job. I'll fill you in on the sob story then!=)

Thanks Lil for the Australian Idol update.. I had bets on Cosima too! =(

The rest of you - keep the updates coming... just so I feel loved!