Liars are as smart as Industrialists!

When someone migrates to a new country, after the age of 25 or so, as I did, their character has already been shaped, there're many things in them that will barely forgotten or given up. With that in mind, there was this popular expression within the young, when I was there (probably forgotten now because every generation brings something new!, it would literally go: Liars are as smart as industrialists! If I wanted to elaborate on it, I'd say that it means at times liars can achieve something, if they're truly good at what they do(!), which it could be considered as significant as an industrialist's (entrepreneurs) achievement!   
With that in mind I had an interview this past Fri. and it did not go so badly although it would totally be depend on the other candidates who would most likely be interviewed Mon. and if any more, the other days of this week. The interviewers were an Oriental and East Indian (without specifying their genders!) and took about 35 minutes. I was able to bring smiles to their faces few times which is a good sign. They were both young, I could easily say, but I can't even reveal the age range because I don't want to blow my cover at any cost. But why was the industrialist saying was mention here? Because I made a totally fake resume and was able to selling well! 
If it works out, I'll be okay. Not a damn, dirty field job, short drive, not much traffic in the area, quite stable industry, learning opportunities and alright salary, I'd assume. In the meantime I'm still waiting for the result of the test and possibly an interview for that Government job which I'm also hopeful a as well. 

(Photo: Henry Ford is considered one of the greatest industrialists in the history. Musk, who is one of the greatest of the current era, I believe, has borrowed Ford's method of naming, for his vehicles. Ford's model T was a great work at his time. So is Musk's Model 3 for this time)

Chana Masala (Chickpea, Indian Style)

The only cuisine, in general, which I enjoy as much as I do Iranian (as long as I go easy on it because it has a quite amount of carbohydrate in different shapes and lots of meat), is Indian (or as it would be said in North America, East Indian!). Some foods of some countries I never touch again after I tried them one because there's no nutrition, no creativity, no effort and no taste. I never waste a Penny on many but I don't wanna mention even one as some people take offence. Regular food that these days you can find them in every country, as long as they're made good, I eat or I make myself: Pasta, Pizza, Hamburger, Pork Chop, Stake, you name it, in moderation of course and 99% only if I or someone whom I trust has made it!  
With that said, making Indian dishes are not tough but in order to make them right, you need lots of different spices and herbs and someone who constantly cooks Indian, buys them. I can't! Rather than not being sanitary, which is their problem and I can simply avoid, unlike Iranians, and this is the part that I like a lot, they barely eat raw vegetables and fruits. I have tried a few dishes of them and the result was not bad but I did something funny last week, which I'd like to write it here. I had Mom over for lunch so I said I'm going to impress her with some good Indian food: Chana Masala. Iranians eat legumes and beans but not as much as Indians and it's usually an ingredient. For Example the excellent Herbs Stew which is called Ghormeh Sabzi uses Kidney Beans. Chickpea (or Chana as it's called in Hindi) is used in different kind of Aash (thick Iranian soup) and Ab-Goosht (Iranian Beef Soup), Back to the story what I did was I bought a pack of mixed herbs/spices (Shan brand) and decided to make Chickpea, Indian Style. I usually follow the recipe carefully. 

This post cannot be completed without a picture of scrumptious Ghormeh Sabzi. It's recipe is available in thousands in the web but it's not easy to make it. 

Not this time, although it's extremely easy: Sock 1 cup Chickpea for 3 to 4 hours, pour them in a pot (I use pressure cooker), add 8 cups of water and the content of the pack and simply cook. I didn't read what they have recommended for the amount of the spices and added the whole pack! The result was unbearable! It was so hot that you would cough immediately after a teaspoon! I didn't realize that until the next day I went to the box and read that only three teaspoons were needed! I was under the impression that since Indians like their food very spicy, that's how it is! 
Now I've bought another pack and will make it right! 

(Photo, top: Chana Masala spices mix pack, Shan brand. Most of the Indians mix them items themsleves, it is healthier and probably less expensive, as well)

Canada Burning, Mississippi Burning

This past weekend was really bad. It was hot but not unbearable. It was smokey, really bad. I had started jogging almost 2 weeks before now that I'm out of work. It was a good start because I'm home all day and mostly seated. That is why this past weekend was a torture. A thick, heavy smoke blanket was covering the entire region, until the eyes could see. 

Then yesterday's thunderstorm cleaned everything and became the beautiful Alberta that it is, most of the time. Unfortunately and as everyone knows, most of Canada has been burning this summer as a result of Global Warming. But this is different from Mississippi Burning. It's a movie from late 80's and one of the finest. Despite its sad story which has deep roots in American racism, all of the actors and actresses deliver a fantastic and unforgettable performance, directing is good, the music and cinematography is perfect and a everything is built on a strong screenplay. 

This is a sort of movie that has not been seen many in recent years. If you looked at the cast, you'd realized that most of them are amongst the top stars, and now retired:

1) Gene Hackman

2) William Dafoe

3) Frances McDormand 

4) Stephen Tobolowsky (the healing man in one of Seinfeld episode, one of the most hilarious ones, in fact)

5) R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket, Se7ven)

6) Brad Durif (Coco's Nest)

7) Micheal Rooker (JFK) 

and many more who I'm not many familiar with.

Gene Hackman and William Dafoe in a scene of the movie

Now this is a different United States and although racism is not at that level it used to be in the 60's, when the story of this movie happens and it's based on a true series of events, it's claimed there's still racism. My trip to the US, mostly have been to small towns and rural areas as I mostly went for hiking but unless you lived in an environment you'd never realized what really is going in there. 

(Photo, top: Amazing clouds few minutes after the yesterday's thunderstorm)

The Island of Dr. Moreau, a Traumatizing Experience!

I don't know what made me to watch The Island of Dr. Moreau, despite all the negative reviews I had just read. I think one of the reasons was that it was shown once on IRIB many years ago and I missed it at the time. I think my friends were talking about that and it was the time I heard the name for the first time. It was not very common to see American movies on IRIB, unless the government could you it for its propaganda purposes, which was most of the case the reason why showed one! I think I've written about the version(!) of Southern Comfort which was shown on one of the IRIB channels, many years ago. It was shown under a new made up(!) title of The Operation Lagoon! It's not uncommon for other countries to change the name of a movie to something more suitable as it's not always easy to translate it literally but changing the plot is not very common. Most of the countries don't even dob the movie. IRIB always does as it's wouldn't be easy for people to enjoy, I think, although I watched Titanic in a small , but alright movie theater in Damascus in English, with Arabic subtitles, of course (I don't speak Arabic, I just happen to be there at the time the movie had just been released. It was like that even before the IRIB. Dobbing has always been part of showing foreign movies in the country. 
Then if you look at the cast, you'd find it quite impressing: Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, Davis Thewlis (I've watched his performance in Seven Years in Tibet) and Firuza Balk. I've never been a big fan of Brando and never watched Godfather or other major old movies, from the time he was very young. Kilmer's fame, to me, has come mostly from Top Gun, the movie that I never care about(!) and found it only an American stupid propaganda and Balk was in American History X. She had a small role and it was okay. Firuza, by the name is a Persian name which is a sort of very beautiful blue precious stone. 
And then we get to this point that the movie is based on a H. G. Wales book. So what could go wrong?!
For me, almost everything! It was so horrific at times that I wished I had not started the damn movie. So many scenes with freaks, deformed faces and body, blood and gore, you name it!
Both Brando and Kilmer have no major roles in the film. Brando, in his last years, already suffering from obesity, gives a few speeches and then his character gets butchered! Kilmer, probably in his first years of acting, although would've not made any changes, in my opinion, doesn't have a significant performance either. The movie mainly revolves around the character of David Thewlis which delivers somewhat acceptable performance but after a few minutes, you'll realize what the fate of him and pretty much others would be! The only thing you don't know you'd get is lots of growling, shooting, killing and other awful scenes! And they hang poor Firuza, simply probably, because her dad's favorite, spoiler alert!  
Not recommended and sort of the movie that I'll not watch again. If I want to be very generous I'd give it 1.5 out of 5.

(Photo: Actor Ron Perlman plays the role of a blind spiritual leader to the group of genetically modified[!] creatures in the movie. He survives the riot/fire fight or whatever you might call it, of the end) 

E. E. (Exhausting Exam!)

You're probably familiar with acronym A. A. It stands for Alcoholic Anonymous, in case you didn't know. Not that I ever had to participate but I think in a society such as Canada, it's a necessity! I don't know the detail of this meeting but I think a few people who suffer from alcohol addiction are brought together, without having to expose their identity (that's why it is called anonymous) and this meeting, is supposed to help them to overcome this issue.  The only time I somehow got involved, indirectly, was the time that I worked as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer, in another city of another province and controlling the parked vehicles was part of our job. To be exact, tagging them or if it was necessary, have them towed. 
Despite the low wage, it was quite satisfying job! I even remember that I had a person's vehicle towed in Christmas Eve, once! I owed a lot on my credit cards those years, perhaps over $700 and although I was married, my wife did not work. I once noticed a vehicle, I think it was a Mercedes, parked in an RCMP designated spot. I was almost over with the ticket when an old lady approached me and asked me to stop. She indicated that the owner of the vehicle was in the A. A. Meeting in the RCMP detachment. I don't remember if I cancelled the ticket or not but she was quite upset. Perhaps she expected us to know where the driver was, considering we were Law Enforcement Officers! 
I even got an interview for a position as a Jail Guard in that detachment once but it didn't go anywhere. The wage was much higher and there was room for advancement but now I think if I had spent all those years on something more up my alley, I would not have been sitting at home now! 
With that story in mind, we get to this new acronym that I just came up with today: E. E.! It stands for Exhausting Examination! I applied for a  job back in, I think it was May. This week I received a message regarding an examination. There was enough time for the exam but I was told it would not take more than 1 to 2 hours! It took a whole lot longer than that, may be 8! This was exhausting! The bad thing was I had a slight headache after that! I never get headaches! Maybe one or twice in my entire life as a result of a cold. I realized it had nothing to do with the exam! It was the damn air from all wildfires! 
Now all I have to do is to wait for the headache to go away, maybe tomorrow and then wait for the result of the exam., perhaps the next week.

(Photo: I still have one exam left and that will be in late Sep. I'm not going to shit jobs before I write this exam and pass it. If I can't find something good for the next while then I will have to grab whatever I can)

At Dusk and at Dawn

I don't know how much you're into movies but does the title of this post remind you of a movie of the 90's? If you don't remember it or you're not a movie fan, it's From Dusk till Down. This, honestly, is a stupid movie rather than the first part. Two criminals are running away from law and in the first part of the movie (which I'm not going to narrate that here) everything is great: The story, the acting, direction, you name it.  Then it turns to a stupid story of vampires that attack these criminals and everyone else where they are! That's where the movie turns to shit! I always hated movies about vampires, zombies and these sort of nonsense that has a huge market in North America! There's not a year passing by without a movie made in that genre! 

Now going back to my post, this is not about something that happens from dusk until down. This, mainly takes place at dusk and down and only in spring and summer. These birds, I think they're Robins, start singing very loudly as soon as the sun is about to go down or come up! If you're someone who is sensitive toward the lowest noise, like I am, you might here that in your neighbourhood. Why they do that, I have no idea but at times it gets a bit annoying and I wish I could trow a rock at them! 

(Photo: A Robin is sitting on a fence)

You've Got nothing to Lose

I don't remember if I've quoted my former buddy " Kamikaze " or not but when it came to job application he always encouraged me to apply for everything that I thought I might have a chance. It was his idea because he believed that we have nothing to lose. I don't agree completely. At times a firm posts a position which might not fit you completely and you have a small chance. You apply for that and you won't get it. If there is a position later which you find a much closer match, you might not have the chance anymore because you've sent a resume and it's been already rejected. Sending an altered resume would certainly change nothing. 
With that in mind I applied for a position which while I believed I could do it, it was in an industry that I had never work in and sounded it would be a bit complicated. An East Indian fella contacted me and we had a conversation. He insisted that it was not an interview. Okay! I then was expecting him or someone else to call me and invite me to " an interview ". Hasn't happened yet and I don't think it will happen because our talk took place last Tue. It would've been a good position: Not too far from home. A fair amount of daily commute (in comparison to the horrible daily drive to that shit job!), permanent position (at least that's what they said!), good industry with a few known customers which I know would pay well for the goods and would keep asking for more.  It's not going to happen.

(Photo: Kamikaze were the Japanese pilots who made suicidal attacks, using their planes, to the enemy targets. It has nothing to do with my former buddy who live in Toronto but we don't associate any more. His first name just rhymes with this term, somehow! It's a nickname I've given to him. Has no meaning! Interestingly the subject of this post matches the act of Kamikaze pilots! They believed they had nothing to lose because they were sacrificing for their motherland, something that they were very proud of) 

Never Put off Tomorrow What You Can Do Today

There was this lady whose desk was next to me at work. She was always nice. There were other too but this one was different. Never thought of asking her out because first of all there was another one who showed me the signs, gave me her number and we never went out! Secondly after that bad experience I thought I should forget about women at work, although that's the only place that I might have a chance! 

Once I went to work after a long time and she goes " I haven't seen you for a long time ". I was trying to not to misread the message! We had a short conversation and that was it. Then I thought I should ask her out, mainly because there was a long weekend and when I asked her what she was going to do she didn't say anything like " going to this place with my boyfriend " or " taking the kids to that place ". I still didn't ask her out because at work there are always other people and you cannot do that, especially if they're all women. 

I then decided to go one afternoon and ask her out once and forever! I made an excuse for myself every time I was going to do that and postpone it to the next week. Then it came the week that I was going to do that and that was the day I got laid off! 

I still can call her but I don't know how she would react because I only have her work number! That's why I haven't done it yet! I'm determined to do it this Fri. There'll be an update for that!

(Photo: Lack of confidence contributes a lot to postponing a date request, usually but in my case the problem was the situation we mostly were in. I strongly thought that asking in front of the others was impossible)