A Temporary Job

With the economy being f**ed up and not many jobs available, people, including me, these day try to hang on whatever they find. The Hope is back to the country and he told me about this safety related job that one of his friends has recently gotten. I went to the website and filled out an online application form. A person from the company called me shortly after the application was submitted and invited me to an information session. 

So I woke up with lots of hope in the morning and drove to a small town near the city. There were as many as maybe 20 people there, mostly Caucasians, an Aboriginal fat girl, a Black guy, who later we realized how dumb he was through the stupid question he asked(!), a couple of stinking East Indians, maybe three because there was a third one who were whispering with them, a few Caucasian girls including one with a tattoo on her back above ass which I saw when she bent over when sitting in the front row! 

The instructor showed a video clip first and said a few things about the job. It turns out to be the project that I used to work on before I got kicked out! K. M. A., the asshole from the engineering school days, work on that project as well but from the client side and he had told me that the project would end in July. So it appears that these guys were looking for a few people to take care of safety things in the last month of the project! I always wanted to see the project with my supervisor, the asshole jerk, not letting me go there and found that it was a good opportunity. 

He continued the session with a few questions from people. There were two disgusting East Indians in the front rows that started with: I'm an engineer and shit like that but he shut them up by saying that he was an engineer too and had been with the company since 1987! Disgusting! These East Indians here in the country, majority of them that I've seen, 99% I'd say, they just want to show off! Coming from a country which there's no clean running water, no 24 hour electricity and other infrastructure, these stinking pieces of shit, think being an engineer is a fucking big deal!

Anyways the guy, the instructor, explained a little bit more about the project and the job and indicated that if there was anyone who was afraid of height, anyone with blood pressure problem, hearing and vision aid and a few other health problems, he or she might reconsider joining. He also added that the job had been defined for a period of 5 weeks only without any chance of coming back to the city! The wage for this job is $15 per hour, he said. I looked at the form that they had given me and I realized that there were a few certificates that they required and I don't have. I also realized that looking at the date that the he had given as the starting day for training, I might not have enough time to register and pass the courses they wanted but stayed in the room. When his explanation was finished, a number of fellas left, clearly due to the issues they had. I thought to myself that if I successfully pass the certificates, training and medical examinations and start the job, how would that impact my EI? I guess it would be discontinued after I notify them that I got a job and what the hell would I do after 5 weeks? 

I went home and my decision was to decline the job. I checked my e-mail then and realized that I had been been selected to send my documents for a job that I had applied. According to the e-mail, a possible interview would be set up for Jul-18 which is the day that I would be at the site, if I was accepted. The job, with a provincial government in the country, is a part-time or on call but the wage is not bad it's a provincial government job which could be helpful with any further job later, although nothing is clear now. In the meantime when I called The Hope, he indicated that he thinks or his buddy who does this job now thinks that having the job, would not affect IE. I think I've made my decision. 

Short Trip to David Thompson Highway

I first thought of going to David Thompson Highway area last year when I read about Abraham Lake bubbles in winter. Never got a chance until just past weekend especially due to unemployment. This motherfucker unemployed situation kills you. I hope no one ever sees him or herself in such situation. Nevertheless I talk to The Chef and we actually aimed for Red Rock Coulee near Medicine Hat but then I checked the weather and realized that would be rainy so we switched to Cline River and the area above. The Chef wanted to make some Kebab and asked me to join him for some shopping in a Safeway. While in there I told him to use the Lamb he had purchased when we went to Red Deer Lake Meats a few weeks ago. He agreed but he said he also liked some Chicken Kebab so he got a pack of Drumsticks and a few ingredients for marinating from Safeway.

I told him whether he wanted any help and he said he would have been fine! OK! Good luck with marinating a big piece of frozen Lamb and a pack of Drumsticks!

I set up the alarm for 05:00. My plan was to be at his place by 05:45 and go for a breakfast together and then hit Highway QE II. The damn alarm didn't go off for whatever damn reason and I woke up by myself at around 06:00! Dressed, jumped to the car a drove to The Chef's. I was hoping to have our breakfast in Airdrie but the GPS directed us to Highway # 22 instead so before leaving the city we had our breakfast in an A&W. I have to say here that A&W's coffee has recently been excellent, the last three times that I have tried in the past 2 month.

We then drove to Cochrane and from there to Sandre and further north to Rocky Mountain House and then west on Highway # 11. This is a very beautiful area and you see Abraham Lake shortly, maybe only half an hour after leaving Rocky Mountain House. It is an man-made lake and for whatever reason has incredible colour.

The Chef here has made three skewers ready. We even didn't have to blow air with something like a fan. The wind barbecued our meal for us!

The Chef was not in the mode of any hiking and in fact couldn't even climb up a short pile of dirt so we only took a few photos and enjoyed the scenery. Then we walked by the lake for a few minutes until he said we would have to find a spot to assemble or fire so he would make the Kebabs.

We pulled at the side of the road shortly before the trail-head of Pinto Lake looked for a good spot. He wanted to build a stone fire pit but I just found one on the top of a short rock, close to our car and showed it to him. He had purchased a big bag of Charcoal so he started making the fire and then putting the pieces of marinated meat on the three long skewers he had brought. In the meantime I realized that he had brought a bottle of favorite drink, Absolute Vodka and a big jar or 7-Up! I knew he would not have the lunch without an alcoholic beverage but when he poured me a small cup and drank it I didn't feel good in my stomach at all! He said that had happened because my Stomach was empty. He was right! We had our breakfast around 07:15 and it was almost 13:30 or so. I chewed and swallowed a piece of bread and a few branches of Cilantro to calm my stomach. It helped a bit.

The first set of Chicken Kebabs didn't come out well. The outside, the skins were burnt but the inside was raw but the Lamb was excellent. The Chef had marinated them in a mixture of Yogurt, Parsley, Onion, Garlic, Salt, Pepper and Olive Oil and maybe a few other things. For the second set of Chickens he scratched the surface of the Drumsticks and before putting them on the fire. I guess we each had at least three long skewers of Kebab! I was about to explode and suggested to go the the shore of the lake. We both had Vodka as well but I guess The Chef had too much because he started acting drunk! We collected everything and put them in the truck before walking toward the lake's shore which was not probably more than 20 min. walk but he couldn't do that easily.

On the way back I first thought there were people going to my vehicle and then when got closer I saw two trucks approaching. Looked carefully and realized one was RCMP and was sure the other one was from the Park Rangers. I was right! Damn! I saw one officer looking through binoculars! I don't know whether he was looking for something or it was just a random check on the people. For a moment I thought we'd be screwed because if he had tested us for alcohol or found the Vodka bottle, we would have been both in the world of shit! I put the camera in and went back toward The Chef and told him not to go to the car! He first didn't get what I was talking about because he was drunk! I explained to him again and directed him to a corner. I told him to wait there for me to bring the camera. " We're not going anywhere" I said! He saw me chewing a gum ( I had taken it out when I went to the car) and asked me why I had not brought him one to help him to snap out of his drunkenness!

I ran toward the car because it was a proof that I was not drunk so the police would leave me alone! Luckily both of the trucks left after a minutes and I sighed!

We saw this cub and its mother grazing beside Highway # 93 shortly after leaving Saskatchewan Crossing. Unfortunately I didn't have my telephoto zoom lens on me and I was in rush to get them before they're gone so the picture is not good. The strange thing was that they paid no attention to a few cars that were there and watching them. No reaction at all!

We then decided to leave because it was getting late. meanwhile The Chef, still under the influence of alcohol said that he had lost his cellphone! We looked for it and we found it. He put it in the door's compartment and then in less than 1 minutes again he said that he had lost it! I couldn't fucking believe it! I saw the damn phone slid to the door's pocket but it was not there! I pulled over and The Chef started looking everywhere! In the glove box, under the mat, under the seat, you name it! And then he got really paranoid! He started looking at side of the road in between the wildflowers and grass(!) although I totally do not deny that! When you're drunk, you do everything! So I thought he had thrown the damn thing out of the window! We didn't find it and then he asked me to try his number! What happened: No network coverage! He was disappointed then and asked me to drive. A few kilometers down we reached a campground, I think it was Kootenay Plains and there was a pay phone. He asked me to try the number again! I knew if there was no coverage it means the phone would not ring but tried it. No result. We continued on Highway # 11 towards south until we reached Saskatchewan Crossing and stopped for a break. I checked my phone and noticed that all of the bars are showing. I dialed The Chef's number and the ring was heard! The telephone was there somewhere! I thought it was in one of hi pockets and he had not noticed that because of being drunk and all but when we listened a little better we realized that the telephone is heard from the door pocket! Unbelievable! We had checked that compartment and everywhere else but had not found it! It was a relief for him considering he had lost his glasses as well! This is what happens when you drink too much! 

We stopped a few more times for photography on the way home including two times to catch Bears! I really don't know what drives Bears to go to the sides of highways but I saw two beside Highway # 1 in two separate days, both after passing Revelestoke but once a Grizzly and once a Black Bear like the one we saw on Highway # 93. I guess it was almost 22:30 that I dropped The Chef at his place and went home. Overall Davis Thompson Highway offers a variety of activities from camping and hiking, to fishing and scrambling and has great scenery. I hope I can go there at least twice once in summer for hiking and scrambling and once in winter for photography.
(Photo, top: Mt. Michener is named after one of the Governor Generals of Canada. Abraham lake and a bend in Highway # 11 are also can be seen)

Amazing Determination

I didn't watch the NBA Finals this year. I like watching what I like on a big screen and in a quiet environment, not where people yell and cheer unless it's an arena or wherever the game is played. I didn't have the chance to either go to Oakland or Cleveland. I just followed the results through the web. This is not a news-site but sometimes I like to write about the things I like and they teach me lessons. What LeBron James has done is by all means amazing and magnificent.  

He first started his career with Cleveland, the city which is about 50 minutes from his birthplace. After a few disappointing years he decided to leave the club. He joined his buddy Wade in Miami where the due worked together with Bosh and won 2 NBA championship titles in the total 4 years they played there. LeBron's departure from Cleveland at time caused a public outrage! Fans wrote banners and burnt his jersey! Crazy! Simply crazy! I don't remember ever any player had been treated like that! I bet there has been other players who left their team at their prime in the history of NBA. That is their choice and the club's decision. I guess people of Cleveland and generally his fans in the states had so much hope in hope to bring them the cup. So when he lost to the Spurs in his last year with Miami he decided to go back and bring the people's dream to reality. 

This year he finally proved that he keeps his promise. After falling 1-3 to the Warriors, I personally saw no chance for the Cavaliers. It reminded me of the loss of Miami 2 seasons ago. They never were able to get themselves together and they lost. This year was different. The comeback was strong and shocking and they beat the so-proud Warriors in Oakland in game 7. Amazing and incredible! 

(Photo: It is estimated that nearly 1 million took part in Cleveland Cavalier's championship parade in Cleveland, Ohio)

Damn F**ing Hypocrites

These people in West, mostly American and the British and as well Canadians are mostly hypocrites. Here's one example: I was in a local supermarket, I guess it was a Co-op when I was this chicken with a label on it reading: Certified Humane. Raised and Handled.

There's this new concern within the people of Canada about the meat they eat. They wonder whether the animal is treated fairly before it is killed and at the same time it is slaughtered. They expect the farmers treat their product like, maybe human beings! I don't know.

I personally don't think that even humans are being treated fairly here in this society or almost anywhere else for that matter but now you have let Muslims in and you let them whatever they want to do. Do you know who they kill animals? Do you have slightest idea that here under your noses Muslims put a very sharp knife to a chicken's, sheep's or cow's throat and slit it?! The blood splashes everywhere and they let the animal suffer because in this way, I quote, they believe the animal's meat is blessed and potable! I'm sure you didn't have an idea. Go watch Not Without My Daughter and there's a scene in the movie about this although there are many untrue parts. This movie is banned in the country which it is targeting but an audience thinks if that's what they do to animal, if that's how a man treats his wife, then the rest must be true as well. 

Nevertheless I guess you need to get a f**ing life. Instead of being sensitive toward small things like this look at the big picture and look from outside of the circle. You have destroyed the entire planet by cutting millions of trees here in Canada only and turning them to houses which are easily destroyed!! You create millions of tons of garbage every day in Canada by using plastic bags and all other non-recyclable packaging! Now you're concerned about chickens!!? You are emitting billions of tons of green house gases to the atmosphere every day by encouraging people to by big SUVs, trucks and other vehicles instead of providing a reliable, fast and affordable public transportation system! I can go on and on. 

(Photo: This is the packaged chicken I saw in a supermarket. The label indicate that this chicken was treated well before it became a ready-to-cook packaged meat!)

Lost in the Woods!

We headed to Sheep River Provincial Park to hike/scramble Mount. Burns last weekend. This still is considered Kananaskis Country but the approach is from the Town of Turner Valley and of course from there you would have to take 546 to west. The only reason I picked that trip was first that it is considered a long hike and a moderate scramble and then it was planned to be started early compare to the other scheduled trips.

Our group reached the trail-head at 09:00 and we started the trip almost 10 minutes after that. This was a really fucked up group. All walking like fucking grandmas and stopping every now and then for a fucking break.

Their first problem which was almost the most important one was getting in to the forest and destroying the shrubs and other plants, as the fucking idiots call it bushwhacking(!) instead of taking a trial. I could adopt myself to that. The good thing was we got out of the forest in a open ridge-like area after I guess almost 1 hour. We basically hiked on long ridges and went over two false summits after that which was not bad but these wimps were all behind me with at least half an hour distance! I eventually reached a scrambling area which looked a little problematic from distance first but that was not very bad when I got closer. I still needed caution and full attention there. I put my helmet on and saw the guys below shouting my name and asking me to wait. So I sat on a rock and told them that I was waiting for them there. There, although they had GPS and the track, became a little difficult for us to figure how to continue particularly because we had passed two summits or false summits and we were on the third one, but not on the top and must have continued to the last. One of the guys went up to see if there was any sign to show where the trail was going. Two others including the team lead, went to another corner to check that. This silly moron came down after almost 10 minutes and said that he was not sure whether the trial was heading that way but an old man, said his old GPS was showing the trail going that way.

I saw these two Deer in deep dense forest when I was going down the first descend. Didn't think it was worth taking the telephoto lens out as I have taken several Deer shots. If that had been the Moose we saw in the morning, it would have been a different story. Would have taken a photo for sure

We all headed up one after another and it appeared that it was the way. That was where the team lead decided to divert us all. A storm was on the way and he though we would have been in danger, if we had continued to the summit (main picture), particularly by lightning but I think if those silly, lazy, wimps had not wasted so much time on the way and also if they have had guts(!), we would have been able to get ourselves to the summit and come back safely in one piece, all of us hopefully. Although I realized a piece of shit had difficulty even there! That's why I hate large group with beginners getting mixed in!

I started heading back down and one silly, wimp was somehow walking down parallel to me and when I went down and reached him, he sat and started eating a fucking sandwich! So I said to me: Fuck it! and headed down. The guys seemed to be either stuck or whatever because I didn't see them for a long time, maybe 20 minutes or so. I finally reached where the forests starts, or if you are going up, it ends. I wanted to wait for them there and even waited for 10 to 15 minutes but there was no sign of them. I then started going down from between the trees and through the forest thinking that I would be fine reaching the trail and parking lot but I was wrong! I wen down for awhile, I don't even remember how long it took and I guess I even hit the trail and that was when I thought I should go further down to reach the parking lot but that was a mistake! I kept going without seeing any sign of the main trail or the parking lot and suddenly I heard the river, or the creek because in every map that I have looked at, there's no sign of what was there!

I filled up my little 500 ml bottle after drinking two of it as I had not drunk water for the past 3 hours, maybe and told me just following the stream would definitely get me to the campground that we parked beside it. Again a mistake. I just realized after maybe 10 minutes that I was going to the wrong direction! The cliffs all around the stream where steep, covered with moss and therefore very hard to climb on or walk down. For a minute I freaked out and I thought I'd never get out of there! I tried the fucking phone but there was no signal! I actually tried 911 a few times but the call didn't go through! I thought I should get help before it gets dark! At this point I decided to go up the clips and hills to first, see if I can get a signal and 2nd maybe I can find the trail. The first attempt failed. I couldn't get a signal but the climb had an advantage: I found that instead of getting close to the campground, I was getting away from it! I looked up and saw the third summit of Mount. Burns and that was apparently a different angle! I realized that despite the fact that I can see the mountain, it seemed that I had gotten around it, meaning that I was going the wrong direction! At that point I could go all the way up to reach the top and continue but that seemed very challenging because the bend of the creek that I had passed, had taken me to a very tall cliff which going up it, would require energy that I did not have at that time! Beside it seemed it would have been much easier just to follow the creek to the opposite direction (east) and find a spot that going up the cliff is easier and that is what I did by using my phone's compass. So when I entered the forested area, I learnt, that instead of going east, I went west and that was why I got away from the campground.

The cliffs around the creek have nice and interesting shapes such as this one. This was taken when I had found my way to east but still was at least an hour away from the campground I found. 

I started walking beside the creek, the same direction as water's and checking both sides for humans and sign of any trail. I even shouted as load as I could a few times! No response but what I once got from a bird! At one point at the left side of a creek (north) I saw a sign of trail but nothing more. I kept going until I saw footsteps and that was one I realized I was getting somewhere. Finally at one point I thought I had seen a trail going up the hill to the same side we headed to the mountain in the morning. I followed that but it faded after a few meters! I felt recharged after drinking enough water and walking beside the creek so I put one Date in my month, the first thing I had in 9 hours(!), and headed further up. I finally able to see the trail after a few minutes. I followed the trail to east until I reached a sign! I had accomplished a big part, it seemed. I had gotten myself out of the dense forest! I took the trail further east until I reached a three-way. Instead of going straight, I took the left turn where I saw a group of people around a small fire and a few tents. It was almost 19:00 I guess at the time. I explained to them that I had gotten separated from my group and was looking for the main road. They first offered me food and drink and even a place to spend the night but I needed to go. So the only think I got from them was direction. The direction they game took me to a different campground different from we had parked in the morning which meant that I had taken a different approach to the main road, 546. Now although not many days have passed I don't clearly remember whether where I landed, was closer to the the city or further!

There there was another challenge: How the hell am I going to get home?! I saw tow trucks parked beside the road and checking my compass I realized they were parked at the same direction that I would have to take to go back to the city. After a few steps I saw people emerging from the sides of the road and a few of them, young fellas where walking on the guards of a bridge! I approached and started telling them my story to them, young Caucasian guys in their early 20's all. They seemed suspicious at first but then we all hopped in their pick up truck and headed east. It appeared that I was lucky. They were from Okotoks and were going there at the moment! They were nice enough to go all to the back and give me the front seat! I guess it took us about an hour to reach Okotoks and there they gave me a taxi telephone number and took it to Somerset Station.

I had parked in Fish Creek. So got there and headed north on my car after that. I guess it was almost 21:20 or so when I finally got home! What a day!

The trip to Mount. Burns is a very recommended one. Sheep River Provincial Park is a very beautiful place especially in June. I saw a male Moose walking in between the trees in the morning when we were going to the trail-head but I we didn't stop for that. I also saw a couple of Deer in the forest and a few more on our drive back to Okotoks. The hike/scramble itself is a very good exercise but if you're not comfortable around rocks and near cliffs and also if you're not experienced and equipped enough, forget about it. We had a stupid piece of crap in the group who had put gaiters on!! Who the fuck needs gaiters when there's no snow! Another nut-job put a pair of mitts that usually put on when it's -10 C or below! That was probably my last time with those silly wimps. Whether I go to that  mountain or not? I don't think so. Maybe! I don't know! There were two things that I regretted in this trip: First not being able to reach the summit of course. Second not taking photo of the tiny beautiful flowers grown beside the trail to the main road after I met with the campers. However I think those flowers might be the same as the ones I saw in The Quarry almost 4 years ago! At the end of the day I realized the guys had contacted the local RCMP because a Constable contacted my family and when he realized that I was fine, they probably closed the file. 

(Photo, top: This is as far as we went. From this point it looks like it would have been at least another hour or so to reach the summit)

A Good Interview Does Not Always Brings You A Job

I finally got the response from that giant company that I had interview with back in late May: Zip! I believe that I provided good answers and I also believe I would have been able to present me much better, had they met me personally but that was a conference call between me here and the manager down somewhere in the US. In her e-mail the HR lady explained to me briefly that they had selected someone from one of their affiliate companies there. 

I check the main website of the company right after that and realized there were many positions in my field but in different industries and all in the US. I applied for one and I'm going to apply for more in the coming days. This is going beyond crazy now. It's been 8 months now that I'm out of work and passing or no passing interviews, I haven't been able to get anything!
In my opinion there are two possibilities usually:
1) The candidate who asks for less salary is selected in many cases.
2) There always might be a candidate who is more competent than you. In this case this person whom they say is selected from a US affiliate company, has most likely more experience in North America. For that reason they have more trust in him. He is considered a more competent person that me.
I had the same scenario back in 2013 shortly after the flood. This is is third anniversary coincidentally! I had two good interviews for two positions with the same company! One through a recruiter and the other one directly with the HR and the manager of the department.  None of them led to employment! The bastards of the recruiting company never even contacted me! They never provided a feedback. I guess I contacted the HR lady and she said that someone else had been selected! I don't know whether I would have been laid off by now or not, had I been hired by them back in 2013 because I heard they threw a bunch out but that would have been good to have in my resume working for a company which its revenue in 2015 was more than $20 Billion!