A Seven-hour Hike in Bob Creek

I've lost the number of times that I've been to Bob Creek to reach Thrift Peak! It must have been 6 or 7, including yesterday's trip. I set my clock for 05:15 because the times that I had set it for 03:30 or even 04:30, it was extremely difficult to get out of the bed and then continue to the trailhead! There were a couple of times that I left the city and then drove back after an hour or more driving! Crazy and stupid!
This time was not easy as well but I got myself out of the bed and left around 05:35 and headed south to Highway #22. The beauty of Alberta is undisputable. I had to make a stop every time I found something interesting to take a picture and of course I stopped for a cup of coffee, this time in Okotoks. I then started the hike at exactly 09:18. It means from the time I left home, to the moment that I geared up and headed up the trail it took almost 03:45 hours, which should not take more than 02:15, normally! 
The weather was nice at the beginning and there was no one in the area, as it's usually is the case but I noticed something different this time: Cows! Lots and lots of them everywhere! There're many ranches nearby but I had never seen the cattle on the trail and scattered everywhere. That caused some problem because they stand and stare at you and sometime jump and run erratically! 

People mostly don't see the beauty of the small things around

The clouds moved in after more than 2 hours that I was on the trail and then, again, I realized that I had gone the wrong! I had gone up a very tall cliff which it appeared that I had to go around it but I think the problem was with this path that I was following, saved in my handheld GPS. I took a few pictures from there and this in fact was as far as I had gone last year! So basically no progress in a year. I thought perhaps if I simply followed the trail, instead of following the GPS track, it might take me to the damn lookout but the rain started and I was, again tired, so I headed down.
More cows were on the trail and generally in the area when I got down. The funny part was when I was trying to sneak pass a calf and its mom(!), it looks like that the calf was interested in me(!) because it started following me. The mom who was protecting the baby started coming toward me! This was no good! At the moment I thought to myself: People are afraid of Bears and Cougars in the mountains, I have to be worried about cattle! I, fortunately, was close to a inclined area with lots of tree. I just ran down. There was no way that the cow could reach me! It would have hit the trees or rolled the hill! There were more cattle on the way which i had to go around them. At one point a whole herd started running! It was quite a scene! 
The rain stopped and the sun helped me to have a drier boots and pants! It had happened from crossing the stream and going to the wet areas to avoid the damn staring cows! I reached the vehicle at almost 16:20, after 7 freaking hours. That how long it should have taken to reach the summit, had I followed the right path! May be another time! 
I stopped at Longview Jerky Shop on my way back and bought a small package despite the fact that I eat meat (any kind) not more than once a week. I will share with Mom and Brother as I want them to try it. I did it just to support a local business and that's what we all have to do when we go to this small towns. Overall it was a very joyful day and despite the fact that I did not reach the summit, I enjoyed it very much. 

(Photo, top: this small herd of cattle was still standing in the middle of the trail and staring at me, making sure I am no harm! I had to go to the threes to avoid them and appear in behind. They still looked very uncomfortable!)

My Salvation Army Story

Employers reimburse some of the employees' expenses, if they are legitimate. Education and safety gear are some of them. This story is about what I made up and sold to our so-called Safety Manager and my supervisor about the safety boots I had purchased and it shows how naive these people are. I did it mainly because as I've said this before most of the Canadians feel jealous when they see a foreigner, particularly someone like me from that specific part of the world, purchases valuable and quality merchandise.

I went to a branch of Red Wings and picked a pair of safety boots for a little over $300. My main goal was and still is to use the boots mainly for hiking, not for work! The guy in the store recommended another pair but because that was very heavy I picked the one I thought would be more comfortable although now I think I need to change this to a bigger size that it feels too tight! Why did I not do that in the first place? The answer is very easy: I become a lazy fool from time to time! 

With that said, I put the box in a tote with a big Salvation Army written at each side. This was given to me by my Mom and I did not ask her where she had obtained it from. I showed it to my so-called supervisor and as soon as he sees that he smiles and I think he believes that I had purchased it from a Salvation Army store! I decide to play along and rake that to the Safety Manager and tell him that I had purchased it from a Salvation Army store. He looks at the boots which obviously had never been worn and confirms that! I tell him that the guy who purchased it got into an incident, becomes injured and permanently disable as a result of them. He then sells the boots to the store to cover part of hi expense despite the fact that he is covered by insurance! The boots which are normally over $400 are sold for a little over $300! The idiot buys it, despite the fact that the receipt says Red Wings Shoes clearly on the top! He then approves it, I take it to our manager and he approves it as well. I then send the Expense Report and simply wait for reimbursement and will enjoy the boots in one of the upcoming hikes soon! 

I used another pair of Red Wings boots in a beautiful hike to the summit of Maze Mountain with my buddy Stout a few years ago but I'm not in the same state of mind and shape these days. I'm older and mentally shattered but I will try to do as many hikes as I can this summer and not only compensate for the losses but also bank more. 

(Photo: One of a few Red Wings boots which are made for hiking. I cannot tell whether this one is also a safety boot or not but when I asked the fella in the shop the other day he didn't know anything about it. The previous one was tried once, as far as I remember and was not too bad. I will have to see how this one will work after I change it with a bigger size)

The Future of London Drugs

I bought my first computer from London Drugs  back in 2002. Something very fancy for over $2500. I was a Sony desktop with all the accessories which I sold to a fella in 2006 or 2007. This was the London Drugs at the corner of 36 St., and 32 Ave., NE. I continued shopping from the other branches, mostly the one in Downtown on 8th St. That one is now closed and turned to a filthy toilet full of flies and rats: Dollar Store! Why? Two reasons: A Canadian Tire was just open across the street. Canadians, mostly are broke. So they don't go for good quality products. They go for shit!  

There still is a Canadian Tire in this town where I live. However, they moved to a smaller building now. I think it was probably hard for them to pay the lease in comparison to the money they made. That's only my assumption. I wonder if they have enough customers in this new location. Most of the shelves are not complete and there're not much merchandise. The place does not see enough customers and the staff don't stay long simply because they can't afford their lives on that wage. You barely see any (East) Indian in the store. They mostly are hired by Wal-Toilet-Mart or The Real Canadian Superasshole. Some at McDonald's and other fast food joints. My assumption is that they think communication skills are lacking. What else would it be? However there was a mid-age tall (East) Indian fella in the Downtown location and an old ugly, obnoxious, hostile, nasty woman in the old location of this branch! There were a number of good staff in the old location but They're all gone. The future of this retailer is now at stake. When life becomes hard, people rush to filthy toilets such as above to get what they need. Not many think of chocolate bars, fancy biscuits and exotic beverages. We'll see. 

(Photo: The candy bar section with all the discount tags in a London Drugs store)

A Purchase of a Vehicle, Finally

I finally purchased a vehicle after nearly 6 years of postponing it for different reasons. This, however, hasn't been without a loss which I still have the opportunity to compensate for it. I had two deposits at two different dealers, stupid(!), and one has refused to refund me! Not entirely. I haven't gone in to discuss it with them, and there's a chance they're reading it now but the worst case scenario is I will use the deposit as a credit to buy something. The problem with this purchase, mainly was insurance and although I've picked it up, it neither has insurance, nor registration(!) but I have time for those. 
This vehicle looks good and from what I've read about it, is reliable. This is my fourth car in the past 24 years or so and my third brand new vehicle that I've ever purchased. All from the same brand. My goal, first was to purchase a Tesla 3 but I cancelled that due to the high cost. Haters could start their business although I cannot understand why someone would despise another individual who has just purchased a new vehicle, without any history of hostility and resentment! ! It will be a little bit expensive to maintain and repair this vehicle but I have some good maintenance deals, not great, as part of my purchase which should help. Rather than that there's nothing special about this purchase or the vehicle but the fact that someone helped me to get it ready who was a very nice person and then no pressure for getting extra features or services. I, however, cannot disclose the name of the dealership or the model of the car as it would be advertisement. All I can say is the car is from the same brand that is seen in the picture. I'm not going to review the vehicle, unlike the previous one which I had a few posts for it, and I will not have any advise as how to have a smooth purchase like I did, as people normally don't listen (Or perhaps I shall say read!) or if they do they will do whatever they want. What I can say is I just gave the dealership a cheque (I imply didn't want to pay any interest!) and will not have to worry about anything but the insurance and maintenance, partially, for the next whatever years which I will drive this vehicle. I have kept my old vehicle because it still runs and I have two pairs of almost new winter tires on it and have no plan for selling it yet. Not until the next insurance renewal day, at least. 

(Photo: A model of Toyota in a showroom in Nagasaki. These are common types in Japan due to low fuel consumption and ability to maneuver on the streets, which could at time be narrow. I haven't seen anything quite like this anywhere in North America unless it's imported as used and of course the steering wheel is on the right)

I'm European!

Disclaimer: This post in no way has any intention to look down on people who had a hard life before coming to Canada, look down on them or ridicule of any way. It only is about a natural reaction of an individual during a casual conversation. Please stay calm and understanding.

Sometime I feel really bad for the people who made their ways all their way to Canada in pursue of their dream: Getting out of extreme poverty, have something to eat, being able to sleep at night without the dear of being bombed, etc. Canada, for sure, provides that, although not as pleasant as it used to be but still for a guy who comes from Afghanistan, Cuba, Sudan, Dominican, The Philippines and all sorts of devastated or drug-infested countries, going to Toilet Donald's for a Hamburger or buying a bag of rice for Nasty-Toilet-Mart is as pleasant and sweet as staying at a 5-star hotel in Manhattan! Lot's not forget that, as I've mentioned earlier in a separate post, this is what Canadians like: They like to see the foreigners struggling and be beneath them. That's hoe they feel good about themselves. 

With that said, I used to go to Lina's Italian Market on Centre St., regularly. This is a small specialty supermarket with the majority Italian imported products. Merchandises such as Pasta, Tomato Sauce, Olives, Cured Meat, Vegetables, Candy Bar and similar. They also have a bakery and small cafe. You can get food, beverages and deserts. The quality is not bad but not top of the line either. I don't want to talk about the prices because with the price of everything going up, fuel, wages, etc., you can expect them to make a 12" Pizza for $8. I used to there for Olives, Eggs and occasionally other stuff. Now I barely go there and I only get Olives. Everything else is simply not worth paying by me anymore! 

Businesses like that usually have difficulty finding employees but this one has never seen any problem of that sort. The store is usually busy during the weekend but during the week the traffic is not that heavy. I was there once and I asked a fella about an Olive Oil bottle. I'm usually very hesitant when it comes to purchasing cooking oil and with all sort of fraud with Olive Oil (they mixed it with much cheaper oils such as Peanut Oil) I really don't want to be tricked. He was trying to be helpful with his broken English. When I asked him if he was Italian. He said he was European! He later clarified he was from Albania! 

The funny thing about these poor refugees who claim they're from Europe, is really sad. There're parts of Europe that there's nothing and honestly I don't know how people live. Countries such as Albania and Bulgaria are the worst, particularly the latter! It has been warned to avoid. The other countries of their vicinity are not much better off. They're basically toilets! No offence but that's what they really are! Moldova, claims to be a country! It's probably just a few farmlands and a number of cows and that is all. Romania, Hungry, you name it. They're just happy that they're called European! 

(Photo: Lina's Italian Market offers a variety of cheeses. I usually stay away from them, not that they are bad or anything. They just contain too much fat. I've tried their Ricotta a couple of times, though and it was good)

Good but not Enough

Not much has been going on since I started this new position less than a month ago. I might have a few posts about that later but for now, there's nothing. Go to work. Come home. Do home chores. Exercise a little bit, if not too tired and again the same the next day and the days after!
What I wanted to write is what I saw in a nearby Sobeys today. I had seen that before but didn't have time to write about it: A Health Canada warning. This is really good but not enough. The warning label is placed on a pack of pastry and we all know how pastries and baked items are made here in Canada: Loaded with sugar and preservatives! I used to buy this stuff but I don't and it's not just because of the health concerns! It's the price too! The fact is if the pack is consumed within a family and gradually, in little pieces, it's not that bad but when I buy it, I eat them all and quickly! The question is can or should a government order to stop making a product or alter it in a way that it is healthier? My answer is yes. The same way that a government can ban consumption of certain drugs or criminalize prostitution, they shall be able to order a sort of food to be either stop or increase.

(Photo: Pastry pack in a Sobeys supermarket in Alberta. I think this one is sold for $7.99, if I'm not mistaken)

The Geniuses of Hideous-Mart (Wal-Mart!)

Some people are naturally born with lots of talent and are a genius. Where do you think, in Canada, you can see them? Engineering firms, trade schools, universities, government agencies and departments? No. You find them in Wal-Mart or as it actually has to be called Hideous-Mart! Don't worry, it's not difficult to find them in there! They either have navy blue or yellow vests with a big Wal-Mart written on their back, or easier to find, they're wandering around with shopping carts overflowing with junk food! Cookies, potato and corn Chips, Ice Cream, frozen Pizza (or Pitza! I think that's how it shall be written in English! We're not writing in Italian!), flavoured Yogurt, you name it! 

If you want to consider me amongst them, you're wrong. I'm not saying that I'm a genius or anything like that but I'm not so dumb to spend my money or much money for that matter in Wal-Mart. I was there tp buy a sort of less harmful salad dressing and when I realized they didn't have it, got the hell out!

(Photo: Taken from a nearby Hideous-Mart, this is proof who works and who does shopping at this place!) 

Lie and Sell Garbage, Live Better!

Hideous-Mart is without a doubt one of the biggest thieves in the world: Cheap, low quality stuff, anti-union and staff, you name it. That's what Hideous-Mart is actually about. I have to go to a branch from time to time for a very limited number of items. Vegetables, Fruits, Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Cheese all are out of question! You get the worst from this retailer. There are a few items that I get from them rarely. One of them was, as no longer, this big piece of Chocolate Bar called Waterbridge. It used to be CAN $5.95 for different flavours. A few months back the thieves increased the price to CAN $6.97 or something in that range. I went just for that item to a store nearby and I saw the price had been jacked up to CAN $8.98 and I didn't buy and I will never buy it! 

Situations like this is very easy to control if people are together: Simply boycott the product. Either the retailer or the manufacturer has to adjust the price! The solution for the retailer might be to stop carrying them and replacing them with something cheaper. That would work because people go there for cheap stuff. The manufacturers use different approaches: Some like McDonald's decrease the size of the product for the same price and it mostly works. Some use lower quality ingredients. That might work too. It's difficult to call people to boycott a product here in Canada but I know the new Buy Canadian trend is on. Unfortunately it does not work for many products. I'm not sure about Chocolate Bars and Candies!

(Photo: The 400 g Waterbridge Chocolate Bar on the shelf in a store. This one is black chocolate with fruits and nuts but I doubt it is even dark. Dark chocolate means less sugar and more Cocoa. Some manufacturers use food colouring to make it darker. I'm not certain about this one)

23 Years now

This past Nov. 29 was the end of the twenty-third year of my life in Canada. It's been mostly downhill and I barely achieved my goals but I live! I believe most of the people who came to this country as a legal immigrant, years after I did, are in much better shape. I know two issues led to my fall:

1) Lack of care about the future. 

2) Unsuccessful Marriage which was my fault, without a doubt! 

I was going to write the plan I had for this anniversary before getting to the details of the two above factors but It was late. I realized I really had no plan! What could I do? With the price of everything so high and then being just by myself, what can one person do to have fun in winter? Go to a bar? Get a massage? Invite friends over for a little party? Everything cost me and it costs dearly! I'm not a bar guy. I'm not much of a drinker. I get massages from time to time. So it wouldn't have been something special, although massage is always good. I don't have many friends and they either wouldn't come or couldn't come, if I had a party, let alone the fact that I never had said about the time I came to Canada, to anyone!
I eventually ended up doing nothing! I also thought if I was travelling overseas crossing the big two ponds  in Jun. and Oct., considering |the weak Canadian dollar (CAN $1 = US $0.69 = €0.65 = ¥104.6), I might as well start saving! For example I went to Lina's, where I usually buy some groceries and I skipped the eggs! Yes! I decided not to buy the most basic and probably the least expensive source of animal protein because I had to purchase a sweater before that and that was a sweater probably after more than 15 years or so but because I had to pay $150 for that, I didn't think I deserved eggs! I also have a big fine: Unregistered vehicle. I have to pay that as well. I will probably buy it when I have the next pay!Long story short: I'm a loser! Don't be a careless and lazy person (not physically) and be careful in your relationships and you won't end up like me. 

(Photo: Lina's is an Italian grocery store with four locations in Calgary. They have everything from bakery to Pizza, packed food to produce. This is their cheese refrigerator. I don't eat these types of cheese as they have lots of fat and cholesterol but that's me. If you're into cheese, this place is where you want to be)

My Miso Soup

I wasted some money and spent some on my recent trip to Japan. I paid nearly $70 for my phone service which I should say that it was only internet as the Government of Japan does not allow foreigners who come to Japan as a visitor to have a phone, while I only used 25% of my allowable data! While I only ate once in the entire time I was there and that was a small breakfast, I might have saved a lot but my Shinkansen tickets were nearly $1000! I didn't stay in 4-star or higher hotels, although one of them claims to be, all of the hotels I stayed at were 3-star and that was quite an expense.
I did not buy much as a souvenir or perhaps I should write basically nothing but a few small items but those caused a bit of a nuisance. You must do most of your shopping in the last two days of your trip, as I wrote earlier to avoid hauling too much around, particularly if you're traveling to the end of the country like I did! 
One of the things I bought was a box or container of Miso paste for about $3 or so to make the soup. It's nearly 750 g and you can imagine that a lump with that weight, especially when it is at one corner of a bag, a backpack or sack, is not something easy to move around!  
I made the soup last week eventually and it was not too bad. It only had two issues: 1) One of the ingredients, a taste enhancer was missing! 2) I'm not sure if the Tofu was the best.
Then I compared it with the soup I had nearly one year ago when a colleague took us to this Japanese restaurant in southern Edmonton. That tasted better! Either because they knew how to make it and this was my first time and missing an ingredient or I have no idea! 

(Photo: My Miso Soup. I bought the spoon from Japan as well. It works like a scoop more than a spoon!)

Out after 10 Years (3): Lack of Good Planning

I always plan all the details of my trips well in advance and execute them precisely. It started to fail nearly two years ago when I went to Las Vegas with Alphonse to do the hike of Boundary Peak! I've written about my failure so there's no need to humiliate myself! Then just a month ago I even missed my flight and didn't even go to the destination. I think one of the reasons is the amount of time I spend driving. It really tires me out. 
For this trip though I started planning two month ago but today it was proved that it was not working well! I needed to get JR Pass for my travel between different cities, so went to a train station. I was told there that I needed to go to Shinjuku Station which is only 10-15 minutes walk. So I said why would I pay ¥150? I can walk. So I went there and I was told I had to purchase online! I went back to the hotel, purchased the pass, transferred the information to my phone in a PDF file format and walked back. I was told that they needed the reservation number which I had not saved! I tried to retrieve that from my phone, but I couldn't and I walked back to the hotel! I wrote the reservation number on a piece of paper and walked back to the office. I got lucky that the number was closed but I had booked my return ticket for today while my departure ticket was for tomorrow! The girl was very nice and corrected it!
I walked back to the hotel and decided to go to Imperial Palace after a little eat. It was there that I was proven to be a horrible planner for this trip! The Imperial Palace is not an amusement park that everyone can go inside easily. There're morning and afternoon tours at certain hours and you need to provide an Identification card. So, again, I went back all the way to the hotel but by train and I paid!

You can have an advanced Sony camera by paying ¥445770. It is only CAN $4195!

I then decided to use my last trip of the day by going shopping in a major chain electronic store in Shinjuku named Yodobashi Camera. I find myself in the store almost at the desired time despite the fact that the GPS in the phone, again, was not very helpful! For people of Canada who first saw Future Shop and then Best Buy, they shall see this store to understand what a real electronic store is: This is a store in 8 floor and you can find everything in there! Just don't forget that you need good amount of money. I wanted to buy a Casio wristwatch and I did. It was again lack of a good communication but I got it! Too bad that I had purchased a laptop and a handset before the trip. Otherwise it was a good place to buy those! I'm going to get ready for sleep as tomorrow I will have a trip outside the city of Tokyo and I'm very tired.

(Photo, top: Shinjuku is considered one of the main entertainment cities within the city of Tokyo. Drinking, eating, karaoke, girls, you name it but I think I'm too old for all. I just passed through to do my shopping. I haven't even tried a restaurant, café or bar!)

Some Dog Sh*t Merchandise

They say a picture speaks a thousand words. I went to this East Indian store yesterday because I thought everyone else would be closed on Canada Day and saw some crazy things and decided to share it here to see how sick minded some people are. Not to mention that later I checked and almost everyone was open until 04:00 or perhaps even after that! So here are the valuable merchandise from some really geniuses who have stolen the world's biggest markets:

1) Some sort of chips with KFC logo on the bag and perhaps the (fake) taste! I didn't check the price. There was actually no tag but I think it would've been good to see how much a fraud would make when committing logo infringement and buying himself a criminal record? Is it worth it?!

2) This one is really something! First of all There's no place for soup in East Indian cuisine and eating culture! So I really don't know what this guy was trying to say! Secondly corn has no place in Indian subcontinent cuisine as well! And then why the hell there's a picture of a mustache man with sunglasses on a bag of dry soup?! And then why did you have to use some Oriental alphabet?! Is that Japanese, Mandarin or what? It certainly isn't Korean. They use lots of circles, globes and spheres! And finally " I love Desi "?! Really? After all that crap now you love Desi?! 

Do you like to see more of this freak show? I can send you the address. It'll be quiet entertaining and one other feature of this glorious journey would be seeing extremely hideous and repulsive women! Enjoy! 

Online Orders

I'm not a fan of online shopping. I like to go to a store and see the item I'm buying and compare it to the similar merchandises. Besides waiting has always been painful for me, especially for something that I can buy in five minutes! 
With that said, there was one thing that I was not able to buy from the stores and had to order it, recently: A mobile phone. One might say that phones can be purchased easily from different stores. Not this one. I was looking for another Blackberry! I ordered it in the afternoon of 01.Jan. with the hope that I can get it by the end of the week. Not that I needed it. Just don't like the wait. Beside the website, Best Buy's says " It usually takes 1 to 2 business day ". When did I receive it? 18.Jan.! 
That is why I'm not a fan of online shopping: Waiting. And now if there's a problem with it, or anything else, I have to send it back and the same story. But why did I buy that phone, one might ask. My old phone, the current one, also a Blackberry was purchased in the 4th quarter of 2019. New phones are all expensive. So, I told myself that I shall get something that I have tried and reasonably priced: I think I paid a little over $500 for it. Besides, I'm hoping to get a SIM Card for that when I have an out-of-country trip this year, wherever it might be. 

(Photo: A picture of my new Blackberry by my old Blackberry! There has been changes)

Baked Goods in Canada

Canada is amongst the top 10 producers of wheat and most likely other grains and oil seeds in the world but unfortunately I've had some of the worst breads, in terms of both taste and health-risks in the country. First of all, if you buy bread here, you contribute to world pollution and garbage accumulation because bread here is always kept in plastic bags. Imagine how many millions bags have so far been produced and added to the landfills across the country. Second, the amount of chemicals and preservatives added to each loaf of bread is baffling. They not only add those to increase the shelf life but also to preserve the shape and alter the taste! In addition to what has already been indicated, most of the bread produced here, as well as the baked good is made out of White Flour which is generally considered harmful to the body: Pasta, Biscuits, Pizza crust, you name it. I remember Pizza Hut in 17th Ave., SW, Calgary had Whole Wheat Crust a few years ago but due to the stupidity and ignorance of the majority of the customers, they discontinued that! 

Other baked good, including energy bars, Granola bars, Muffins, etc. are all as disgusting as the above: Either loaded with sugar and preservatives or dip-fried in on oil basin which is used over and over in day. For all the above reasons I barely buy any baked good from any stores, anywhere. I started baking my flat bread last summer and in order to make it a little bit easier, I recently have bought a mixer. I know can make everything easier including my granola bar.  It certainly might not seem easy and affordable to many but no good thing is. Just consider McDonald's: When I was in Nisku for a course in the first week of Dec., I went to a local McDonald's for a breakfast and tried their $4 deal: A Sausage McMuffin, a medium Coffee. Apart from the fact that the sandwich is very harmful, it looked so shrunk that I doubt anyone would feel full after eating this breakfast! So here you're paying $4 for a breakfast which is neither healthy nor filling. Why don't you make something at home, before leaving for work? Wake up a bit earlier, have your breakfast before leaving and save money by not buying junk food and save time but not staying in line. Also by skipping these fast food joints you save the country to be exposed to thousands of foreign workers whom their existence here is just for making the multi-million dollar companies richer and your life harder. One aspect of that is more demand for housing which has driven the rent and mortgage high. Think about it.

(Photo, top: The granola bar came out really good with its golden surface, left: My new Cuisinart mixer)

Update: There is a recall for Granola Bars in Canada. 

Finally Ordered a Vehicle

I went to a dealer yesterday and I ordered a vehicle after nearly 4 years! It was an interesting experience but I feel that I was deceived. My intention was to get either of these cars but in Hybrid model:

1) Camry

2) Prius

3) Land Cruiser

You know how these salespersons play. This guys, whom I had met before and didn't know, takes me to a very nice vehicle which a Sold sign on it and then later tells me it was available for almost $61,000! I wouldn't pay that much for a vehicle or I'd gone for a Tesla Model 3. Then he indicates that Hybrid Land Cruiser would not be delivered until 2026 and there has been so many orders for that now! I do not believe that. He barely says anything about Camry and I don't insists because I know that is one of the other tricks of them. 

Here is the mistake I made: We agree to order a Prius for a total of nearly $47,000 and I don't know why I signed the paper! I then go to their financing guy and pay $500 down payment! While I know I can cancel the order any time without any reason, I am hoping(!) here are my mistakes:

1) I didn't get a copy of the paper I signed!

2) I didn't check the Toyota Canada website for the actual price of the car!

Toyota Land Cruiser played a major role in Iran-Iraq War in the 80's. Here an American Tow missile is installed on an IRGC Land Cruiser. All the industrialized countries benefited from this war which is considered the longest one in the 20th century. Selling everything to the both sides of the war and selling the things that the two countries were not able to sell because they had to focus on war. Even the neighbouring poor and desperate countries benefited a lot: Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey, tiny shitty small countries at the south side of Persian Gulf, you name it. Everyone benefited and was a winner but the two country. 

If you go to Toyota Canada, you'll see that you can get a 2024 Prius for $41,000! And of course you would add tax and other applicable fees which would not go to $47,000! So I need to talk to the guy about it.

Their financing fella told me that he would contact me in a month or two. That means that they either have the car somewhere in their lot or it's being shipped to them! I can't really say what they have their mind and what trick they're trying to pull but there must be something! I'm going to wait but will contact the guy this week to ask him about the big amount difference.

(Photo, top: A Prius Prime in a Toyota dealer in Alberta. Looks really good)

The Week-long Course

Just came back home after a miserable week in a hotel, near a training center. The course was not bad and learnt plenty but the living condition was awful, except for a ting bit. Stayed in the same hotel and despite the fact that it's generally quite and clean, the damn mattress was killing me! The first first four days had difficulty sleeping which certainly affected my learning abilities. Adding to that is the garbage food all around. Fortunately for a few times I managed to find a nearby Safeway and get fruits and better food. Breakfast was mostly eliminated, completely. We had a couple of day going to the lab and that was were I learnt a lot and for it, I appreciate the institute. The instructor this time was a young East Asian fella who was very nice, polite, patient and helpful. Although he was not as knowledgeable as it is expected but I believe he did his best. BigHead felt less stressful and showed more confidence and I pulled my revenge on him but he didn't seem to be bothered a lot! He said that he had used his car service which is as convenient as I would have picked him up! On the way back he did the same thing and I went for a bit of shopping after telling him I was going to Edmonton! 
This class also had much brighter students. The majority of them had long overseas experience and education in the subject and they were there just to be re-certified. My employer does not want us to be certified nationally. This course was just learning purposes and being able to be certified internally so we can do the tests. However I do not know who would sign the reports because we would technically be allowed to do that.

We also tried to food businesses in the nearby neighbourhoods for the first time and the experiences were not so great: Edo Japan, which has been the worst fast-food joint that I've ever set foot on, at the same level of McDonald's and Fat Burger which is not as bad but still full of trans fats, sugar and all other harmful substances for your body. The funny thing is the second fast-food joint asks you to tip the staff simply because they walk 7 steps to put a small plate of food on your table! You can refer to the full review of my experiences with these two joints in Google Maps, near the training center. 

Another good part of the trip, in addition to what I learnt and I would like to stress that it was a good learning experience, was the ability to shop near YEG. There're lots of nice stores and it was very convenient for me to by what I wanted on my way back home. It's recommended to see the place called Premium Outlet Collection when you're in the region. 

(Photo: A Fat Burger meal. It's a Mushroom hamburger, I think and Sweet Potato Fries with an awful dip! I think I added a shake, which did not taste anything but sugar and the total cost was nearly $27 and some change, approximately! Adding tip! And taxes, of course!)

Return of the Jedi

I said it in an earlier post that I had met The Chef after more than a year. We talked for a hike, although I knew he would not, most likely, be able to continue to the top, based on the previous experiences but agreed to go this past Thu. I wanted to finished the damn Thrift Peak. This would've been the 4th attempt but then thought to myself that despite the fact that The Chef will accompany me and it would not be a boring 230 Km (~ 140 miles), it would not be a good thing for my old vehicle which, now, has almost 167,000 Km on it! The Chef as a company would have had other benefits! You can laugh by the way he acts and we would have shared the cost of the trip. Then I tried to rent a damn car but nothing was available. I tried 2 rental companies and stopped there. Then I realized that there was smoke in the air and used it as excuse to cancel the trip! The Chef didn't like the idea but I was able to convince him to not to take the trip while I promised that we would, instead, have Fish! 

This small apples, called September Ruby are planted next to the community orchard I have mentioned. They are a bit sour and I'm going to try them in a jam(!) to see how they tatste

I went to his place yesterday, to pick him up and as soon as he sat next to me I realized he was drunk! We went to a nearby The Real Canadian Superasshole(!) because that's where you can get good and fresh fish and bought two medium size Salmons. I don't know kind they were but I told him that was too much. He insisted it was not! We got some vegetables and headed to the cashier where he realized that he had forgotten Lemon. I paid for the stuff and when he returned with a couple of Lemons, I tried to make him understand the he only had to pay for them and the bottle of Olive Oil that he had insisted to buy! He paid for those and while we were leaving, he grabbed the shopping cart of a women who was behind me and rolled it out until the woman, who already had her shopping inside told him about it! I couldn't stop laughing! I reminded him that it happened because he was drunk! He said that he only had had one glass of Red Wine at noon! I know what he means by " only one glass "! It must have been the whole bottle. 

Before heading home I stop by this Community Orchard that I had discovered last week and we picked some apples to make jam. The Chef was thirsty and when I told him to try an apple, he liked it. The apples are good but because no one takes care of them, they're not excellent. Besides they don't look like the apples you see in the stores because there's no fertilizer and no pesticide. That's probably why people leave them there to rot! 

At home we sat for a chat and fortunately there was no alcohol or the whole event would turn to disaster, as it has happened before, several times. He wanted to buy alcohol but I told him that I would, them, not be able to drive him home! I don't have any issue with alcohol as long as it's consumed moderately. My issue is The Chef that always turn to a monster after a few drinks! 

At this point it was almost 21:30 and we just wanted to start cooking! The Chef started chopping and cutting the vegetables. He is usually excellent but years of drinking alcohol has done serious damage to his brain! At one point he forgot why he had cut all the tomatoes! Then he cut 5 Jalapenos despite the fact that I told him it would make it too hot to be tolerable. He made two types of Salmons: One in the oven and one in the pan. We finished the latter and divide the first between us for later. It was as good as every time he makes anything with this difference that it was so spicy that I was sweating like a pig while The Chef was eating like it was candy! This was the story of Return of the Jedi! Needless to say that our Jedi here is Lord Chef! 

(Photo: This is not Fish& Chips! Different types of fish is enjoyed differently in different parts of the old country. Here, in Canada I have had Fish & Chips a couple of times but this is completely different: Fried fish, not dip fried, with home made flat/pita whole wheat bread, which I had made the day before and of course you squeeze fresh lime or lemon on it)

(South) Korean low-quality Garbage in Canada

Canada and the US import lots of trash every year. Billions of dollars. From China, mostly and then some other countries. Lots of (South) Korean low-quality, nasty, disgusting garbage as well. Although some think that they're a bit better than Chinese. They in fact are. If we give 20 out of 100 to the quality of a Chinese product, the (South) Korean might get 35! Not much better! However the Canadians and American have fallen so low that now they're buying (South) Korean appliances and vehicles! 

It's not limited to these two countries. I know Iran is the same but what's difference over there is Iranian have to, mostly! Why? A few reasons. (South) Korea buys (or used to buy) lots of crude from Iran and in exchange they want to rid of the garbage they make. So they sell vehicles and appliances to Iran. Iranians then think it's so cool and prestigious to drive (South) Korean garbage vehicles because 1) They don't believe in themselves and then 2) They don't have enough money (mostly) to purchase better brands! 

The funny thing that most of stupid Iranians don't know is that Iran started assembling and partially manufacturing vehicles way before (South) Koreans but because the government of Iran didn't want to kiss Americans' ass, they didn't let them develop their programs and instead provided technology to piece of shit, nasty, ass-kissers, the (South) Koreans! 

Going back to North American market, there're lots of disgusting (South) Korean garbage here: From the piece of crap Hyundai to Killed in Action (KIA). Funny thing is, and it's a separate post later, perhaps, that now (South) Korans uses British accent to advertise their nasty garbage!!!! Can you believe this? A woman with strong British accent advertises the nasty (South) Koran trash of KIA or in fact Killed in Action! How pathetic is that? Then there's Hyundai which is the number one favorite of (East) Indians! Why because similar to Iran, in a way, people in India cannot afford better brands and have to resort to (South) Korean garbage. Examples of that would The Newlywed and my new buddy at work whom will be called The Pine Tree here (don't ask why!). Newlywed had an old Nissan SUV and a couple of years ago or so, when we were still in touch (we're not anymore, not that anyone gives a damn, including me because I'm the one who didn't want to!) he told me he had bought a Hyundai SUV! When I asked him why he did that, he said his brother had recommended it! Obviously!

Then The Pine Tree, Who only has been in Canada for about a year, said one day that he had a new car. Guess what it is? A Hyundai SUV! And now what has happened to end after about six month! The car is sitting in a garage with a limited height which a normal tow truck cannot get there! He has been wondering how to get the vehicle out and to the dealership to have it fix! Well done (South) Korean industry! Well done! You deserve all the praise in the world. I guess when people start copying other countries, eventually they derail and that's what happens: They deliver garbage! The other funny thing is most of the (South) Koreans I've seen here, don't drive vehicles of made in their own country or originated there! There was this (South) Korean guy working with us as a part-time fella and eventually got out and got a better position. He purchased a used Mercedes the minute he got his hands on some money! There was another one who I met on one of the two projects that I've been working on for about a year and he was driving an Acura! 

Another reason why you're buying (South) Korean stuff, only and only if you're a big loser! The story of their washing machines (I guess it was Samsung) which caught fire was all over the news! Do people ever learn? No! They keep doing the same stupid shit, they've been doing for years! 

(Photo: [South] Korean copy-technology leads to manufacturing tons of cheap garbage and Samsung washing machine is one of them. The pathetic Government of Canada doesn't have the balls to ban this product! When Mad Cow Disease was found in Canadian beef over 20 years ago, many countries banned the importation of this product. Japan and Taiwan was amongst many. They kept that for years. Taiwan just let Canadian beef in again after that long, a week ago! What's wrong with that? That's the only way the industrialist learn to increase their quality or decrease their price)

Ex Machina

If there's one movie that has freaked me out in the pat decade, that is Ex Machina! I do not watch horror movies the way Westerners do, though. That's part of their culture. They have Halloween which they celebrate that every year passionately and numerous horror movies have been made by Hollywood to keep the business going. Some good and some bad but I can't really judge because I haven't really seen many but what I can tell is the plot is most of the time the same: A person has turned to a Zombie and attacks other! 

If I wanted to name another movie, The Grudge certainly comes to mind. I watched it years ago with P. M. in this " discounted "(!) movie theater in NE Calgary which has been turned to a " discounted "(!) gymnasium now. Let me explain a little bit about these so-called " discounted " businesses in Canada (and perhaps it is the same in the US), before I get to the main point. This is for the people who have not lived in Canada ever. 

Canada is a semi-Capitalist country. It's not as bad as the US but generally it's run by the companies. Corporations control everything, most importantly the consumer price. You buy a pair of jeans from a retailer and if it's a brand name, you pay at least $60. If $35 or more was not profit, they wouldn't sell it to you. Now what happens to the people who have difficulty spending that much, say, they don't have? That's where the " discounted " business steps in. Dollarema is one of them. They copy the popular items and brands and they sell it for much cheaper price. That's how a majority of people live their life in Canada, or they would go partially hungry and dysfunctional! Some of these businesses have a suffix after their name, " for less "! It means you receive the same product/service with much lower quality and much lower price, of course. An example of would be " Fit for less "! It's a gymnasium that people go to to work out.

With that in mind we went to that theater in the notorious neighbourhood of the city, which by the way I didn't know about it (that was P. M.'s specialty!) and watched the movie which to this day freaks me out and can't watch it completely. I mean I have to skip scenes or it would be so uncomfortable. 

The Shining is another type of horrifying movie. It don't have much of stabbing and killing and other similar scenes that you usually see in the Zombie movies(!) but the combination of scenes and the theme with dialogue make it so intense.

Ex Machina is a completely different genre! It's in the new era of internet and apps and everything being controlled by them which is why make it so scary. You're in a house that everything is controlled by a " Smart System "and if that dies for any reason and there's no back up, you're dead too. This shows how fragile our daily life would be, if we carried on with this " app " and " online " thing. The movie has won an Academy Award for its screenplay. This probably is one of a few movies that they really deserved the award they got. The movie basically has three actors/actresses which are fine. The Venezuelan actor though, shines. Despite his looks, he's way away from the typical Latino actor. The Swedish lady is good in her role, although most of the conversation is between the Boss and the invited Employee. I've watched the movie twice and that's because I didn't get the story completely the first time and I will watch again to make sure I haven't missed anything, although it's not very likely. 

(Photo: The brilliant screenplay is the key to success for this movie. In this scene, the guest, the employee, suspects if he's a robot as well and cuts his arm! This was very unexpected and added intensity to the story)

A Bad Mistake

I have been wanting to buy a sport suit for a long time because everything I have now is old and almost shabby. I decided to go to a mall and buy from, possibly Sport Chek. Bad mistake! I went to Market Mall yesterday and it was a toilet! There's no other word to describe that filthy, chaos and disorder! There was barely anywhere to walk. People, in groups, were sitting at different spots and simply not doing anything but hanging out and it wasn't even cold! Many were shopping and not because they wanted things! It was because it was Boxing Day! One loser, on the radio said she just had purchased her entire wardrobe for the year today!! Can you believe a pathetic loser like that?! 
I immediately regret what I had done and decided to go the bathroom and get the hell out of there! Not a chance! There was a line up! So I said to myself: F*ck it and got out. Then I said I'm here and it's not too late why don't I take a walk and went to Glenmore Park. Much quieter and not crowded, although there were assholes there who were talking loudly as well(!) or maybe I'm too sensitive! That's why I like hiking and I shall start hiking solo again. 

(Photo: This maniac, whom is seen in Glenmore Reservoir was walking on the ice when a few people were on the trail, including me who took the picture. Unfortunately the ice seemed too thick and strong or we would have had fun!)