He must be very good at something

I've never dated a Canadian woman. Not that I didn't want to! Most of Canadian women despise people like me. So do the Canadian men. Not that it bothers me much! A date, technically, must be considered a relationship of, I would say, several months to a few years. I went out with a French Canadian woman once and that was it. Only once! He was playing the game of text messages and I didn't like it. Never called her or messaged her after that! There were some others that I don't even want to mention them or I have and they are not considered a date either.

When this woman approached me, I was not sure what her intention was and still I'm not but I don't think these visits, talks or text messages lead to anything, remotely close to dating but we'll see. 

I was invited to have a non-alcoholic (of course!) beverage to their place and we talked about a few different things in presence of another friend (of hers). His little boy whom I had seen before was not home and she said that he was spending the day with a family friend. 

We're talking and the boy comes back with the guy. She says that she used to date him but it didn't work. However the two are quiet close, despite the fact that he is not his father. Here is a short guy, balding with a belly which is the first thing you see, in jeans and T-shirt. They hug and the I'm introduced to him. We shake hands and the guy sits. That's the time I realize I should get the hell out of there because the conversation no is focused on how they spent their day and stuff like. Something that I had no role in. In the meantime to women goes: What should I make? We have some chicken. This definitely was a warning that I had overstayed my welcome. I thought to myself: They're going to have dinner and to appreciate the guy taking care of the child, he's going to spend the night and they probably are seeing if they can get back together. What the hell am I doing here?! I say goodbye and egress! 

I always wondered what women see in a man which leads to have relationship. So on my way out I saw the guys vehicle. Cars have always been a sign of the situation of a person, perhaps not completely but can tell you something about them. This guy, like many people drive an SUV and it's a big. It looks a good one but not top of the line or anything luxury. The woman is not gorgeous but not ugly either. I think she can be called beautiful easily and has a lovely smile. I don't know her much because we are not dating we just visited a couple of time but she's tall. Taller than the fat and short guy! So here's the question, again: What does she see in him? Money? Kindness? Charm? Kind to the little kid? Or as Sheldon (from The Big Bang Theory!) says " He must be very good at coitus! ". I didn't know what to do when the woman approach me and now seeing the guy, I think I would not want to be in between two people who have used some time together and one of them has a child who likes the other. I bought the little present for the kid once before this meeting in order to make him happy and show that I understand that she has a kid and it's okay with me but it seems that would not go anywhere considering the relationship built between the two. 

(Photo: I have used the picture of a bowl of dates, since this is what this post is all about!)

The Afghans of The Soviet Union in Canada

Afghanistan has gone through the same things that Iran has, in the past 50 years, only harsher. Or perhaps with the new conflict in the region I should say that what has happened to Iran is more intense. Doesn't matter. Both the countries were transitioning from traditional religious societies to modern ones. That was the issue. The societies were not ready. It was soon. There was lots of resistance. Without going into what happened in Iran, I'll try to say what I know about Afghanistan. While Iran was trying to follow Western values, Afghans were redirected towards the former Soviet Union. The resistance resulted in the Afghan Government seeking assistance from the Soviets. They poured into the country from the north to fight what, at the time, was called Mujahedeen, who were in fact guerrilla fighters backed by Pakistan (SIS), the US (CIA), UAE and some other countries. Many Afghans fought against the so-called holey warriors or the Mujahedeen or I would like to call them the fundamentalist Islamist fighters. Many had the opportunity to live in the Soviet Union after the war ended or even while it was going on. 

The Soviet Army eventually left the country in little more than 9 years in 1989. 

If the Afghans thought it was the beginning of a new era of peace and prosperity, they were dead wrong! The country fell into chaos and entered a long civil war which ended when the Taliban, the successors of the Mujahedeen, only more frantic(!), took power for the second time after the Americans withdrew in 2021. 

The question which I had never had the chance to ask is: Why did the Afghans have to leave Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and what were the circumstances under which they did so? 

These are the Afghan-Soviets that I used to know more than 20 years ago when I first came to Canada:

1) Gholam (meaning servant!): The name Gholam is popular within some Muslim communities. It shows their dedication to the Prophet's family. Gholam usually comes with a second name, not a middle name as it is not common in those countries, such as Gholam Hossein, meaning the servant of  Hossein who was the Prophet's grandson. Gholam was, and I believe still is(!), from the northeastern part of the country and from Tajik ethnicity. He was a shepherd until he was called to the army and became a Radioman. He got wounded during a firefight and was sent to the Soviet Union for treatment due to the severity of his injuries. He stayed there until he came to Canada under the circumstances that I'm not aware of but mostly likely through UNCHR. He went to his village after the Taliban was ousted by the Americans a few years ago but I don't think he would dare going there again! 

Aziz (As is!): Aziz was sort of an intelligent fella amongst the others. They used to get together and drink and Aziz was the one who always complained about his own drinking(!) but he was also the one who used to say that Afghans should do this or that! He was once asked why he, as a Muslim, drank and if it was not forbidden in the religion to drink alcoholic beverages, his response was: The backward Islam says so! I was smart enough to not to start a fight with him! One funny thing about Aziz (or a someone is a dear, if you translate it!) was his little stockroom. He had purchased a number of appliances and had shoved them in a little warehouse for the time his wife comes to Canada! The poor guy never understood that most of appliances and tools go through newer designs and models every couple of years or so! Something I never bothered to explain to him! 

Limping Larry (Courtesy of Seinfeld!): This guy used to be an officer in the Afghan National Army, resisting against the Islamist fundamentalist who blew the country to way before it used to be! He looked like he was in his early to mid-forties as far as I remember. He had lost a limb in the war and for that he was limping, wearing a prostatic leg. I, again, never asked him his story. This is what the other Afghans told me. I think he received a sort of disability from the Government of Canada because all I know he was doing was delivering newspaper (at that time newspapers were still in circulation, no even the blogs are not!) He eventually left one day. I was told he had gone to Montreal. If you can't speak the language and can't work, does it matter what part of Canada you live?! I think Quebec has somehow different laws but it should not have been a problem! 

The Qari (Arabic for someone who reads the Quran very well): Qari was a fat and lazy guy. I didn't know much about him. I saw him once in the yard laying down on a mattress! Quiet normal for an Afghan guy to do things like that! 

Mohammad of the God (I think i have written about him!): This guy was honestly the scariest. However, in order to know these guys with all these Islamic names and apparently culture, it's interesting to know that once I saw him at French Maid in Downtown Calgary, playing pool with one of the strippers! This was a good hangout for Afghans(!) and I was introduced to it by them! They were all hanging out there, drinking, playing pool and chasing the strippers or the local hookers! It's been many years that the club is closed and I haven't even been there to see what has been established instead. Here's the funny things about many of these people who call themselves Muslim! True hypocrites! 

The Principal: This was an older guy compare to all the other. He had a family of 6, including him and his wife, I guess he used to be a principal and had a business of his own at the side. So in comparison to all the other Afghans, he was in a higher class. You could sense that when he was talking to the other Afghans. he had Uzbek ethnicity and he always had a smirk on his face when talking to the other fella countrymen but when we were talking history and politics he condemn the Afghan Civil War between different ideas and ethnic groups. He even travelled to New York City with his wife and visited a friend. I still haven't been to New York City after all these years of living in Canada!. I shared part of his basement with his eldest son for a few months, one of a few major stupid mistakes I made in the first years of my life in Canada but if you hang on to the past, you die a little every day. He sustained a serious injury at work and loss the use of one of his hands. I saw him brooming the front of a business many years ago, a practice common in those countries(!) I didn't stop to say hi but I might go to see him. I think he was running an Afghan restaurant somewhere close to Franklin Station.

Married to a Soviet: There was this short, fat and bald Afghan who had a Soviet wife and a little pretty girl. They called him Khan, if I remember correctly. I remember is that the woman was in the process of leaving him, yet would ask him to do this or that or take him here and there! She would sit in the backseat as a sign of separation and contempt, probably(!) and the poor guy would go here or there probably with the hope to have her back! I also remember he used to sell Hot Dogs in Downtown Calgary, near the bars and clubs and this was his second job, maybe. Many Afghans had a delivery of some sort of second job. 

(Picture: A Soviet soldier taking Mujahedeen POWs out of a Mil helicopter. I don't know why his Avtomat Kalashnikov does not have a magazine!)

Weird Food (3)

 I personally believe until there's an effective judicial and punitive system exists, crime rates go up but I believe, at the same time, that the government has to provide opportunities for the people so they don't turn to criminal, not that it's the only factor. One cannot say because there're not opportunities for them, meaning specifically customized for them(!), they should resort to everything to make money although this is basically the concept that criminals adhere to! It's like that the Afghan guy I knew nearly 22 years ago. He had left Russia, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and came to Canada. The questions I never asked him or many other Afghan fellas who just had left Russia and came to Canada at that time was why did that take them 10 years to leave the former Soviet Union (considering the dissolution took place in 1991 and they were in Canada in 2000-2001) and how were they able to get to Canada and avoid being sent back to Afghanistan? This should be the subject of another post. However, the issue is that I no longer see any of those guys. 20 years have passed through the years that I knew many of those guys and I have no idea where they are now. The last one of them was seen last in late 2015, 11 years ago(!) but the point of bringing up Afghans to this point is their mentality and their expectations from the Government of Canada after living in the Soviet Union for years. For those who are not familiar with the former Soviet system, I will explain what I know:

People did not have a lot under the Soviet system but at the same time they did not have to worry about job loss, mortgage, insurance, healthcare and all today's worries. Many Afghans who served the Afghan National Army fighting against the US, Pakistan and UAE-backed Mujaheddin (not to be mistaken with the Taliban, although some later become one) were given the chance to leave Afghanistan and live in the former Soviet Union either after the war or during it. I will write about some I used to know in a different post as I said earlier but one of them, named Aziz (or perhaps As is, in English!) told me if the Government of Canada paid him, he would go back to school! This is the Soviet-era mentality that people are told what to do and they do it. Many of those Afghans had attended different schools in the Soviet Union, free of charge and they thought Canada was the same! One more word before going to the main subject: If powerful companies can do whatever they want and no strong judicial system cab protect the poor and abused, companies such as The Real Canadian Superasshole become a monster! With that in mind, I'll go to the main story:

When you go to a location of The Real Canadian Superasshole, all you see is false advertisement, fraud, overpricing and everything in that category. I understand that a good portion of what is displayed in a supermarket goes to waste and for that a business, to stay competitive and running, has to add the losses to the price of other items but acts like this is not acceptable. Look at the above picture:

1) Why do we get fresh Atlantic Salmon here in Alberta?! The distance between a major distribution center in the Province of Alberta and a main source of Atlantic Salmon is more than 4,400 Km (~ 2700 miles) while the Canadian Pacific Ocean ports are only 1000 Km (~670 miles) away! I bet the Lowblow guys have a nonsensical answer for this! 

2) Are the businesses not obligated to show the weight of a packed product on the label? Why is this important piece of information missing?! If you tell the store, they throw the box on a scale, tell you how heavy it is and ask you if they want it. If you file a formal complaint, they submit an insincere apology and offer you a $15 gift Card! 

3) Lack of responsibility and concern about the environment and true greed is seen in this product as well. A small product which adds another piece to the landfill because The Real Canadian Superasshole likes to make a 50% profit on a piece of fish, if not more!

(Photo: Saw this jewel during a tour last summer in a Superasshole location) 

Country Hills Toyota: Avoid at all Cost

I would like to expose one of the worst businesses in the Calgary area with the hope to protect consumers: Country Hills Toyota. I've had so many businesses with this so-called dealership but have been able to avoid them for the past year or so after I experienced lots of poor service, bad customer service, overpriced items, you name it. The thing about this dealership is the location. This is the only Toyota shop that serves northern Calgary and the nearby towns. The service charges are atrocious and the waiting time and appointments are the worst. I must add that the other dealerships are not much better than this but Country Hills Toyota goes for the price. Here are some examples of how I experienced different services of them:

1. I was there for a simple Oil Change once. I used to go there for Oil Change frequently. I don't anymore. The waiting time is incredibly long. Oil Change is the simplest thing that everyone can do: There's a drain on the bottom. Drain the old oil. Contain for later recycling. Put whatever(!) back on, add fresh oil and make sure it is enough. That is all. The entire process takes about 15 minutes or so. The important thing is just to make sure the old and dirty old is completely out. They keep you waiting for sometimes hours to intensify their operation(!) and make it worth the big bucks they charge you. Once I waited there for over three hours. They were so ashamed and embarrassed that they didn't charge me for that! 

2. You need to know that many of these businesses are just a source of employment. What I mean is that there're people who don't work the way they shall, due to lack of proper management and the ownership needs to compensate for the losses somehow. I was there one day early around 08:00 to have my oil changed. There were as many as, probably, 20 big lights were on! The amount of money that is saved by turning those lights off in a summer long day, is beyond the understanding of the people who manage the costs in these businesses.

3. I bought a 2025 Toyota ____ in Aug. of last year from a dealership in Calgary. The documents showed the vehicle had been made in July of that year and it was legitimate. I had given deposits to other dealerships in the area, including this place, Country Hills Toyota. I never received any calls or any updates about my order. I eventually got my deposit back. I had one counter with one of the ugly idiots from a village in ___! You'd be shocked to know about it: When I asked about the price of a Crown, he told me it was expensive! The Toyota I bought is a little less expensive than a Crown but I don't believe you should tell a potential customer that a car they're looking at is expensive to imply that they can't afford it unless you're a mindless, stupid, ignorant, dumb rube and that's what most if not all the salespersons in Country Hills Toyota are.

These guys are going to be alright because they cover a vast area in northern Calgary but I'm happy that I was able to cut my ties with them. I will go to other less fraudulent services in the town! 

(Photo: Country Hills Toyota showroom ceiling at almost 07:15 on a summer day. Imagine how much waste could be avoided here but the owner doesn't care. He adds all the extra cost to your bill. That's why I'm not paying $150 for a damn oil change service which literally doesn't take more than 20 min. from an unskilled labourer)

The Stinking Animals of the Barn

 There are a couple of women who come to the office usually in the last two days of the week, almost every week. They pretend they work but they laugh and talk more than they do! It gets worse when another one, who is usually quiet, when the other two are away, joins. 
Ha ha ha. Ho ho ho! Bela, bela, bela, Yap, yap, yap! 

Every 20 minutes. They never shut the f--k up. It makes the job very difficult by not being able to focus. Everyone knows nothing can be done about it. No one says anything! My solution is easy: When it becomes too much, I get the hell out and go to the other office! Spend a little time there and come back in 10 to 15 minutes, hoping their big mouths are closed! 
Something happened in an afternoon that shut these annoying, selfish, stupid, idiots up, a few days ago! One of the bosses was in the office, working! These brainless idiots became mice! Quiet. Coming and going without a peep! It showed how immature and stupid these women were. Laughing and not caring about anything and then quiet as a mute kid the minute the teacher walks in the class! Stupid and shameless. This is what I'm going to do: I've written down the date the manager was in the office and I will send these rubes a message about how pathetic they were on that day, when the time is right! 

In case someone wonders why I use the term Barn to introduce this stupid workplace, this term, surprisingly, was used first, by The Mumbling Guy and I appreciate it! It truly is what the word means! 

(Photo: The white roofed building, the barn, at William Pickton's Farm in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. This was the place that Pickton murdered his victim's, mostly women from Downtown East side Vancouver [East Hasting] and allegedly fed them to his pigs! I lived quite close to the far, for a short while before 2011 started and that was the time that he already had been under investigation but not much had yet been done. The farm later was turned into a set of disgusting apartment buildings, like many other places in Canada. The barn that I work in is not as dangerous as this one. However it could be very annoying and traumatizing because of some worse-than-pig, human-like animals as I described above!)

Weird Food (2)

 I bought some batter this past Dec., probably for the first time after 20 years! I just needed for my Turkey cooking to avoid dryness. It worked and I've used it only once after that. It's now too fatty and too strong for me! It's taste throws me out! It's been sitting in the refrigerator for nearly three months. I should perhaps give it to someone! 

With that in mind I was in a couple of supermarkets this past week and I saw a new scam: Olive Oil Butter!!!!!!!!!!!! Olive Oil, if not mixed with cheap oils, which most of the bottling companies do(!) a healthy fat but when you turn it to butter, meaning you process it, even if it is originally Olive Oil, which it is not, it becomes a health hazard! I don't really know who eats butter these days or how they eat it but while I'm not very surprised, I'm baffled by the level of dishonesty, lack of care and deceitfulness that these businesses use to empty the pocket of consumers while affecting their health. 

(Photo: The butter section of a supermarket shows different types of butter. From European style to Olive Oil, perhaps flavour and benefit[!]. The latter goes for CAN $5.99 and it weighs 454 g, not even 0.5 kg!)