Resurrected

I'm getting better day by day after that shock. I did my jugging exercice in 10:25:714 min. (almost 2.4 KM and I should do that in less than 13 min.) which is my best time so far. IQAS assessment was received today and my degree is now equal to Canadian bachelor degree which is usu. done in 4 years here. I started Canadian Forces online application right after that and then went to their recruiting centre to hand it in. I was told that I had to add a few different documents and then my application will be started. Although IQAS was my main concern for this position but I know there's no guarantee that I get the career. Interviews, tests and checks are ahead of me and I have to pass them all successfully. But I think it's also easier now to apply for a M. Sc. degree in any school.
I try to make everything ready and hand them in tomorrow. Then I have to start making myself ready for the interviews.
Those motherfuckers haven't sent my Record of Emplyment yet so my application for EI hasn't been started. I'll give them a call the coming Mon. and I have to stick to what I got.
(Photo: An officer gave me a CD which describes the opportunities with the Navy. That' s the cover of that disk)

Amir Amiri

I was being dragged down in to my confusion last Sat. night while received a call from Ali G. He told me that had parked in front of the building and asked me to come out. " I have a surprise for you " he said. I put my cloths on and got out. It was freezing. He had bought a brand new Acura, a 2006 model for more than $30,000. I don't remember the model but it has a huge engine and a beautiful interior design. He finally did that after he have had problems with his old Mercedes and his old Ford truck was impounded.
Anyway he told me about a live performance of Amir Amiri in Beat Niq. I had heard the guy before but never listened to him.
We got in and after a few min. they started. That was him playing the santir, an Oriental girl, playing violin and another Oriental girl, originally from Vietnam whom I saw her in Heritage Festival last Aug. with a big stringed instrument which I can't recall the name. Amir and the violinist performed a few beautiful duets. They have had several times practice together but they didn't seem very tuned with the Vietnamese one. That was their first time she was playing with them. We spent 2 hours in there, from 09:00 to 11:00 PM and that was really good. It's the first time that a Persian musical instrument harmonizes with a Western and Oriental one and that was a very unique and amazing experience for me. Amir has been living in Canada for almost 10 years and music is his career. He's a very cool guy with a sense of humor and the few girls over there liked him very much just they like every musician! That reminded me of Jack Black in School of Rock saying " You might be the ugliest guy on the planet but when you're in a band you'll be the most popular guy in the school " Amir is not ugly but music is among the things that attracts girls very quick and easy. They worship musicians. I have been doing different hard sports for more than 15 years and have never been the centre of attention as much as a new music player is! Good for them!
(Photo: Amir with his Oriental violinist friend. This picture is not from the night we were enjoying their performance. There was a girl, one of his freinds[!] who took several photos with a kind of advanced digital camera, using no flash that night but I didn't have my camera with me. May be next time. I hope to see her and ask her how she did that)

Strange Name for Strange Movie

I watched Tenacious D: in the Pick of Destiny last night while temperature was down to -33˚ C! and it was not only that. The damn wind made it almost -41˚ C and it was so slippery that you could easily do ice skating in the streets and everywhere but nothing stops this people from their ordinary life. Nothing at all. I even saw people who were driving their bike. That's unbelievable! and that's obviously Caucasian people most of the time and some others as well.
Anyway that was totally different from what I was expecting but good though. It was I guess too much of explicitness and oddness. I was a little disappointed especially at the end because I was expecting more but it suddenly ended in hour and half. It's pretty short movie compare to the ones you usually watch these days.
If you like Rock music and also comedy go catch the story of two desperate man who're trying to pay off their rent by playing music while that's not what you see at the end.
(Photo: Jack Black, right and Kyle Gass in a scene of Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny)

Collapsed!

My supervisor asked me to leave everything and kicked me out of the job last Fri. It was almost 11 o’clock and I simply handed my card and logged off and left. That was a shock to me because I didn't expect that. I always wanted to leave them and was looking for a new position. I wanted to leave them desperate but they jumped over me and kicked me out. That was my own fault. I started fighting them right from the beginning and said to me: “They desperately need you and they have to follow your lead” But that was not that. They considered my criticizing as nagging and I should have known that I can’t make a change in a short period of time and also I can’t turn a donkey to a horse.
I have been in so bad situation ever since. I can’t eat properly and sleep enough. I decided to go back home and I still have that plan in my mind. All I’m doing is waiting for my record of employment, so I can complete my EI application and receive a few hundred bucks from the Federal Government, do more job searching and renew my Iranian passport. I’m also waiting for IQAS reply to my education assessment request that I need for the Navy job application. When I went to the gym last night I noticed that my weigh is dropped to 187.1 Lb! I lost almost 5 Lb in less than 2 days! I really felt weak when I was lifting and pushing weights but I have to go back to normal life. I feel a bit better now. That was a good lesson for me. Now I know how to behave in my next position. Here are a few tips for new job seekers in North America, especially the ones from a different work culture:
- The American way of life which is being followed both in Canada and of course the US doesn't care about the waste and expenses. If they are manufacturing or producing something and that costs $10 while could be $5 try not to clear the mess. Just leave it there and let the stream take you. Efficiency and productivity are the facts that you only read them in the textbooks and you have to leave them there. No one here needs that. So try not to suggest or recommend anything. They don’t like changes even if that leads to a more efficient and productive workplace. “ I don’t care ” is their favorite quote and you hear that everyday. What brings this society to the top is first of all the poor refugees and immigrants who work hard for $10 to $15 an hour and then almost unlimited resources they have. Modern slavery keeps Canada alive, people who used to earn not more than a buck a month come to this part of the world and work hard for that much I just mentioned and are happy. That’s what keeps the cogwheel running here.
- Never ever apply for a position that you are overqualified for. Otherwise you have to waste your time with sheep and cows who never understand a thing and you’ll suffer a lot.
- You should understand that these people don’t like immigrants in general, especially if you’re originally from a country like Iran as I am. They don’t care if you are fluent, shaved, educated or well-dressed and polite. They look down on you and consider you all the same. There were people in the company who didn't answer back when I say hello to them. You could figure out the rest yourself. Anyhow that was a good experience and I learnt a lot both in technical and behavioral terms.

Organic Foods

One out of many concerns here regarding food, one is what really farmers, companies and restaurants do to bring the food to your table. For that reason there are a few organic food stores in the town which claim they sale non-processed food, the food is literally natural with no chemicals added to it.
I was to one of these stores for the second time, this time to purchase something. When I stepped in the store a tiny cute Canadian girl caught my eye and I started asking questions about organic food. She answered all the questions and explained everything to me willingly. The food in those stores is really expensive compare to what you get in a regular supermarket. I wanted to try them and see the difference. Actually some of them are tasty but for someone like me who eats a lot and earn a little, it’s not a good idea to do his or her grocery shopping in such a store. Look at what I got today from that store, Planet Organic:

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna – 0.21 Kg - $6.50
Multi grain Green Onion cake - $2.49 (Just a small round thin piece of bread like a pita)
Semi Sweet Dark Chocolate Chip – 0.21 Kg – $4.09
…

As you see most of these foods are snacks not real meals and you see how expensive they are. It’s plain to me that someone’s weekly spending on food goes double or even triple if he or she wants to have a diet based on organic food. So my guess is people go to such store off and on just to satisfy themselves that they have at least a few organic meals in a week. May be I talk to people next time in the store and ask about their ideas.

(Photo: I barely resist something like that but I've been recently very careful with my food. This is a bowl of organic blackberry frozen yogurt. Looks very yummy)

BC in Deep Shit

News of storms that hit B. C. was all over the TV and papers a few days ago and I thought that was it. But people are still suffering from the consequence after I guess after 4 days. The power lines were cut in places and people have no electricity and also the whole province lack clean drinking water. I called my cousin last Fri. but no one answered. I left a message and haven't received a call back. I think they are frustrated and furious because they have to boil water before consume it, even when they brush their teeth. So I understand their situation and let them be. May be I call them when it's all over.
Scenes of people line up at the stores' doors to buy bottled water were shown on TV today but it was also said that each person is limited to only 2 packs!
B. C. people are always happy that they are away from harsh arctic cold of Canada but they never knew that this damn climate change, a result of global warming, would hit them so bad that they have to live with no water to drink and no power to do a damn thing. One sad fact is all of the stoves here are electric-powered so you can't even cook! The damn storm threw them back to Stone Ages!
Hope everything is alright soon.
(

Gout

I was diagnosed with Gout almost 4 years ago and this is one fucking awful disease. If you are not aware of it, eating rich foods like cheese, steak, liver, in another word most kinds of red meat and alcoholic beverages are the cause. I didn't use to drink on that time but may be I used to have too much meat and cheese. This fucking disease attacks you on the joint and it's so painful that makes you immobile. It always attacks me on my left toe and my goodness! I can't even put my shoe on!
I remember when it hit me the first time four years ago, Keiv P. drove me to a Downtown clinic and the piece of crap got disappeared after that! That's the person whom I used to call a friend! I had to walk to the nearby bus stop while limping and take the bus home after examination! I asked that stupid animal to stop calling me after he called several times and I didn't pick. I rather not to hang out with human-like useless filthy craps like that.
Anyway the doctor prescribed a medicine that removes the pain and explained that diet I had to and still have to follow.
Gout attacked me 3 days ago again and I tried to ignore it. I even went to gym and did all my exercises including running (That's how a tough guy acts!) but it I was defeated finally last night! I woke up at about 03:00 AM and couldn't go back to sleep for almost 1.5 hour. Then I was completely useless at work today, continuously under severe pain. Gordon offered me some Deer Sausage made by a friend or colleague of him. He had told me that he goes Deer hunting off and on. Deer meat is very rich and that's exactly what I should avoid! It was also very spicy and made my body itchy but I couldn't resist and had some while brought the rest home. That's so tasty. It reminded me of the small piece of Moose Andrew gave me a few years ago. That was actually very tiny piece and I don't even remember the taste but what I remember and know is that the meat of all these mammals are very rich. I don't know how Inuit people eat that shit every day and most of the time raw! May be that's the harsh condition of North make them able to have such a rich food. Nevertheless they are really tough people. I'm not even close to them! After all these Canadians are kind of strange mostly. Some of them are helpful and friendly and some are just scums.
I was struggling with pain all day long and did mostly nothing and then left early for a doctor. First I went to a 24-hour clinic in Downtown, 8th & 8th Clinic, where I was diagnosed first time almost 4 years ago. There was nowhere to park the damn car. I didn't have change for the fucking meter and the local parking are so expensive, $6 for the first hour and $3 for every half an hour after that! You imagine how much you pay after sitting hours in the clinic. So I left for another doctor's office at 17th Ave. and 14th St., SW, where there's a higher chance of finding free parking. I parked and walked to the clinic while still was in pain. What I found was shocking, a sign at the door: We have moved to ... !
Frustrated and in pain, I left for another walk-in clinic in 17th but a few blocks away, close to 40 something St. Fortunately I saw a doctor after more than an hour waiting and he prescribed the same medicine. I'm feeling a little better now and hopefully go back to normal life again tomorrow. But I'm telling you it's as bad as tooth ache and be very careful with your food. A pharmacists I talked to, the other night told me that the disease is genetic, meaning has been transferred to me by my ancestors! But I know no one with a such horrible history of illness in my entire family. Nasser my cousin who's 8 years older me with a big belly and a lot heavier than me of course and has never done a single sport in his life, has never complained about that. Who knows?
(Photo: This photo shows me my buddy Andrew with one of his trophies. I kind of changed this picture on the face as I am not sure if he is OK with his image being posted. May be he sees it and get in touch!)

Under Fire

Canada's Environment Minister, Rona Ambrose, who is elected to the House of Commons from Alberta has been under fire by opposition parties and foreign countries, both, recently. NDP, the Liberals and two other parties are saying that her plan to reduce greenhouse emissions - which goes all the way to year 2050 - is useless and an immediate and quicker plan should be put in place.
On the other hand in recent UN meeting in Nairobi, Canada is was accused of not committing to Kyoto Treaty, the one that has been signed by Jean Chretien.
As a Canadian citizen I don't see any way that reducing greenhouse gases is possible. What makes Carbon Dioxide? The main source is vehicle and there are millions of them in Canada. Do people here give up their cars? No way! It's impossible to live without a car here. Many families got more than two! The Government and the North American way of life urges you to have a car and they force you to have a bigger and newer every day. They give you loan and credit and make it possible for you to by a car which costs thousands of dollars with as low as a few hundred dollars a month. Beside that the public transportation system is so awful you automatically get turned away from it! Old buses which are slow and make you wait minutes in the cold, with short hour services that don't take you wherever you want. Shopping is almost impossible without a car and you need to shop at least once a week. And then there are seeing a doctor and other medical and health needs, having a hair cut, visiting people and many other activities which turn to misery if you take public transit! One more thing is the size of the cities. They are so wide that taking a bus or train is just waste of fucking time. For example compare the way I go to work:

1. 
   
   I wake up at 06:30 AM.


2. 
   
   I dress up and get out.


3. 
   
   If it's snowy and cold, I wipe up the car and let it running for a few min. If not just ignite the car.


4. 
   
   I drive to work.


5. 
   
   I'm at work at 07:00 AM!

Loot at the way I use public transit to get to work, if I have to:

The only route that takes me somewhere close to the plant is route 433 and that leaves at 06:17 AM from a C-train station, the closest to my work place:

1. 
   
   I have to wake up at 05:30 AM.


2. 
   
   I have to walk to C-train station which takes at least 20 min.


3. 
   
   I have to get the train and be very careful and fast enough in order not to miss the 06:00 AM train.


4. 
   
   I have to be at the bus station any time before 06:17 AM.


5. 
   
   I ride the bus.


6. 
   
   I have to get off at the closest station to the plant.


7. 
   
   I have to walk to the plant.


8. 
   
   I prob. would be there around 06:35 to 06:40 AM.

As you see in the second scenario I have to wake up 1 hour earlier and be there 20 min. early while I don't get paid for that. So what does a smart person do? Does he or she rides a bus and train or drives?

There's a chance to ride a bike probably in Apr. or after but it's a long time until then. The winter has just started. We got 5 months to go! And sometimes it's not even possible to do that with damn scattered showers and hail storms we have here every summer.

(Photo: Rona Ambrose, MP from Alberta and the Minister of Environment)

Remembrance Day

Last Sat,. Nov.11 was the Remembrance Day and for that we were off today. It was actually a statutory holiday for everyone because when a holiday hits weekend,  the very next day is the day that everyone is entitled to have off.
I didn't know that even schools are closed and there's no class. So when I went to U of C to find the wrestling coach whom had been introduced to me a few days ago by a young Canadian girl, I only found his office. I went there to see if I can join them for exercises, although I have been away from wrestling for years. I should try that again soon.
CBC had a program about a Canadian soldier's and his family life after he lost both legs in his mission to Afghanistan. This is what I immediately send to CBC as part of their Your Turn program which let the listeners send their feedback to them, although I know they never publicize it:

What we watched tonight on The National is just part of the pain that Canadian soldiers who have been sent to Afghanistan, are through. If this country is going to lose more young individuals, the ones who are supposed to build this nation's future and if a few more billion is going to be spent on such a useless mission, there's nothing that I can add.
If you're going to wake up and open your eyes to the truth, that's again the time I don't have to say a thing because that's the time you understand that sending them out there is the biggest mistake that one nation has ever done in the entire history of mankind.
And finally If you believe in free speech, let Canadian people hear my voice. May be they wake up from hibernation and do something in that regard instead of being worried about Christmas, their SUVs, NHL, their wine and dine and their night and dawn.

(Photo: World War I veteran Lloyd Clemett from Ontario, born 1899 is amongst three Canadian soldiers who are still alive. State funeral has been suggested by some for these three veterans but is not approved yet. That kind of honor is only subjected to high ranked authorities in the country like the Prime Minister and Governor General)

Extreme Sickness

I didn't want to write about this because this is not something that someone wants to keeps it in his or her mind as part of his life's memoirs but I think better to write it as this is the most unpleasant thing that ever has happened.
I was really sick for a few days and that was so bad which prevented me to go to work on last Wed. and Thu. It was kind of food poisoning I guess. The physician I saw thinks it's the chicken I had but I think that was the fish we had because almost the same thing happened to Hodani. The only difference is he only lost one day of work and that's because he had much less than me. My Goodness! that was the worst sickness I've ever had: Gassy stomach, diarrhea and weekness. When I weigh myself yesterday in the gym, which was the first day since last Tue. I was about 191.8 Lb! I guess I lost about 3 Lb! That's because I almost had nothing for 3 days, compare to what I usu. eat!
Anyway I'm getting healed very slowly and get back to normal life. The strange thing is we had that fish on Sat. evening but the sickness started being felt serious on Tue. evening! The bactria or whatever it was, was kind of inactive for 2 days! I gave stool, urine and blood tests but haven't received anything from the doctor yet.

Trouble with the Car, Again!

I still am not sure it was a mistake selling my brand new tiny lovely Toyota Echo or not. I went for a coffee in the early morning of last Sat. when I left McDonald’s lounge and sat in the car I had no doubt I could start the car and go back home. The big gas-eater 8 cylinder Chevy performed perfect all week long when the temp. dropped to -16 ˚C. So I turned the key and the engine started groaning! I was surprised. I tried a few more times and nothing happened! Then simply left the car in the parking lot and walked home. Then I came again in few min. and gave it another shot: Zip!
I noticed its choke light comes up. I ran back home to check what it is. I only found that the cars which lack fuel injector, use a choke which if driven with a light on, would seriously damages the engine. Choke is used to enrich the fuel mixture by reducing the flow of air to the carburetor.
I asked me: " How in the hell am I going to work tomorrow? ", " What if I ride my bike? ", " Damn! The rear tire is as smooth as a hockey rink! ", " How about bus and train? Then I started studying different routes that might take me to work. Routes 10, 47, 403, 433 they all take me somewhat close to work but I have to wake up early and walk and change and damn! That’s gonna be a misery! In the mean time the car was sitting in the parking lot. If someone reported on that, my car would get towed and I would be fined but fortunately no one usually pays attention to an old car in a busy McDonald’s parking lot in a cold Sun. afternoon. I decided to check on route 433 which would get me close enough to the plant. So I walked to C-train station, caught the train, got of at Erlton-Stampede and then checked 433’s stop. I had to be there at 06:17 AM to be able to catch the bus!
Then I called Keiv to see if he’s home and I headed to his place. We talked for a while and watched a hilarious serial part that he had downloaded it and then had our dinner. At the end he gave me a ride home. He had bought a 2006 Honda Civic Coupe in last June and I should say it’s a beautiful car. The interior design is very catchy and unique compare to all the other cars I’ve ever been to. But the engine is pretty small for such a big body, only 1.8 L. which is as small as my sold tiny Toyota Echo's.
Anyway when he dropped me at the door, I went where I left the car in the morning and it was still there! I thought I have to pay to get it towed to the mechanic shop nearby anyway so let’s try that again. I got in, sat, inserted the key and turned it. The engine got ignited! That's crazy. Same thing again today in the morning: Just one try and that was it. I should see if any repair to choke is needed. And eventually I have to buy another car because this is not reliable at all.

Jack Was Here!

Hodani called me last Sat. afternoon and asked whether or not I was busy that night. I told him that I was goin’ to gym but we might get together for a nice dinner after that. I went to Talisman and I first ran 5 laps and then did power cycle for 30 min. I burnt 306 Cal. in that short time which is good.
We then got to a CO-OP and got 5 big pieces of Steelhead trout. Hodani was looking for a complete fish with fins, head and everything but neither Safeway nor CO-OP had one. That’s probably because it was kind of late, almost 07:30 PM in a Sat. night. We, after that, got to its liquor store. I was against beer as it’s fattening and we thought it’s better to try something else. I got a 750 ml bottle of Jack Daniels and we headed home.
We tried it at the beginning while Hodani was preparing the fish in his magnificent style. I added some diet Coke and it tasted pleasant. But as I’m a beer guy and am used to gulp down everything at once, the way I drink a glass of Whiskey doesn’t give me the same joy. May be I should keep working on it to get its pleasure. Regardless of all, the percentage of alcohol is high. It’s 40% but not as high as the Vodka Hodani got last time and I didn’t even touch it while was sitting in my fridge for more than 2 weeks.
Anyhow we had the fish with pita and the booze and it tasted great but 5 big pieces was too much for us. So I left 2 for the day after. By the time we finished the meal we both were drunk and Hodani was more drunk than me. He lied down on the small sofa with his head down from the side! That was so funny but I enjoyed a lot because I was not as drunk as him. He might have had more than me or his meal was less, I could say.
I escorted him to the C-train station while he was still affected. We were discussing about the DVD I bought for Hojam and he never paid me and I was making an story for him to sell but he said: “ You’re trying to trick me because I’m drunk! ” I left him in the station and went to sleep. But I don’t know what went wrong and woke up during the night a few times and had to drink water. Then I opened the bottle of diet Coke which was left and I had some and my goodness! that was the time that damn stomach ache started and I couldn’t sleep after that. That was almost 05:30 AM.
Yes Jack was here but seems we didn’t respect him enough or treat him well and he punished me! I don’t know if the same thing happed to Hodani. I will ask him.

(Photo: Jack Daniel's TV commercial is one of my all time favorites. I wish I could save it! Really. This barrels resemble the commercial)

The Greatest News Ever

It’s about 06:35 and because of kind of stomach ache I woke up around 05:30 and couldn’t sleep since. I went to my PC and had a look at news. Then I read one of the greatest news I ever heard: Saddam and 2 others including his half-brother are sentenced to death by Iraqi high court.
I never forget a day in Sep. of 80 that I just began school and news of war was everywhere. Although hundreds of thousands of innocent people got killed, were made refugees, wounded and tortured mentally or physically, I don’t know why we kids never felt something really fearful in the early days of war. I remember we used to hang out in the streets when there was a blackout, talking about Iraqis' air strikes and walking around with flashlights. That’s probably why many young Iranians volunteered: fearless as a sign of youth. But it should be mentioned that many of them, later, not in the early days of war, went to fight against Iraqis for another reasons. That was because of mostly being brainwashed and the benefits that the regime would give them.
But none of them matter anymore. The war is over and Iran and Iraq are both ruined, Iraq wouldn’t get back to peace in near future and Iranians will suffer more because of their own mistake of keeping the current regime. That’s another story which might be told later. Cheer everyone! That's a good news.
(Photo: Former US attorny general Ramsey Clark, one of Saddam's lawyers is ejected from the court before the verdict is delivered for whatever reason. I don't know what's this fucking shit? Why the fuck a fucking American lawyer defends a fucking murderer!? That's prob. another sign of democracy, invented and supported by generous Americans!)