Caprice

I finally bought a used car last Sat. and registered and bought insurance for it today. It's parked by the house now. It all happened with the help of my great friend, Hojam. The car is a 1986 silver Chevrolet Caprice obviously by GM. Hojam told me about a website called usedcalgary.com and I found a few cars for me in there. I e-mailed two owners, a Mercedes and that Chevrolet. Just a few days before we go to see the car, Hojam called me and said he had received a message from Resurrect indicating that he would be here Fri.!! I didn't know I'm this much unlucky.
Anyhow I met them both in Marlborough Mall and we went to see the car somewhere in 20th Ave. NW. Hojam, as is an expert in cars, tested it and confirmed. We, then, set an appointment for around 02:30 PM at Hojam's place as I didn't have any cash or cheques on me. When I tried to get the money from an ATM, the answer was negative because the ATMs usually just provide $20 bills. Resurrect started a nasty dispute over that, using his anger and coarse language as usual! I simply said: That's non of your business which drove him really mad and asked Hojam to drive him home! We went home and saw that the guy and his gf are waiting for us with the car. Fortunately Hojam had that much money for the car in cash. We paid him and everybody was happy, except Resurrect of course!
I also drove it to gym today. The car is in good condition but needs a few work and cleaning.
By the way I have invented two more nicknames for the angry guy: Reza the Microbe (as he's so dirty), and Late Abdolreza (as he has changed his name from Abdolreza to Ray Abdolreza in his passport)!

One Win Away form the Western Finals

That was a very nice game tonight in San Jose and I was a bit more patient during the game! Prob. because the Oilers had control over the Sharks. They played better and had the first goal and amazing penalty killings. I didn't watch the last period though! Eventually they won 6-3. The next game will be played in Edmonton this Wed. and the Oilers would be faced the Ducks in the Western Conference Finals if they beat the Sharks.

Nice and Ugly Downtown

Downtown has two different sides: The poor and the rich. And I think you see that in every North American city although I just have been to Calgary's and Toronto's So far. Here in Calgary you see fantastic shops with luxury merchandises, pretty women with handsome guys sitting in the bars and cafes and enjoying their time. You also see skyscrapers, banks, engineering and insurance companies. But you also see homeless people, street prostitutes and crack smokers. And that’s the part I don’t like. I’m not saying that I don’t like that people because I believe that this is not what they want. They must have had something happened to them to led them to such a miserable life. 7th Ave. and 8th St. SW is a juncture that I don’t like and is usu. busy in Downtown. There’s LRT station and a Mac’s convenience store and McDonald's, a few bus stops around and some oriental and other kinds of stores. So it’s always crowded. Today I was waiting for the train when I got back from a clinic because of the injury I had yesterday at gym and a poor, old, dirty woman asked me for change. I was on the platform and first I said no and she just left but then I felt really bad for poor woman and called her and asked how much she needs. She mentioned something like 5 bucks and I handed her $3. When she extended her arm to get the coins from me while sucking to a straw of a paper cup of prob. just water, I saw her dirty hands filled with a few dimes, pennies and nickels. The poor old woman hasn’t had a bath for prob. weeks and when she saw money she thanked a lot. Even now when I remember her I can’t stop my head turning left and right and there’s a lump in my throat and my eyes are filled with tears. No one wants to live like that and I promise myself not ever buying and wearing fancy dresses. I promise myself to always remember these people and try to help the ones who deserve.
(Photo: The pathway along Bow River where people jug, bike or skate while just a few blocks away you see homeless and poor ones)

Cultural Discrepancies (4): Calmness

May be calmness is not related to culture but I guess the way people live and behave could be a factor here. People here are very calm. That’s a great thing in a society but yesterday there was news in Calgary Herald indicating that violence booming with economy. Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko says Alberta’s growth may be part of the problem. I haven’t seen any violence in the public places and what’s mentioned is related to domestic violence. I give you an example. This is what I experienced yesterday:
I was in the Bay in my neighborhood yesterday afternoon and was looking around checking the merchandise and price tags. When you go to a big store like that and see all the nice cloths and everything, you’re tempted to buy something for you. But I resisted and didn’t! The reason I was there is I wanted to buy something for Mom as today is Mother’s Day and also Farzin. But didn’t. I’m goin’ to buy something today.
Anyway I was roaming around and noticed that two young Canadian handsome boys (I’m not gay!), definitely high school kids, are walking around fast and remove the cloths away form the models, revealing their tits! I couldn’t resist and I caught up with them and told the guy: You should see a psychologist! The guy replied back: Yes! I think I need that. I said: I had the same problem and it’s a bad habit. But I used to do that to real women! (I was just kidding!) he said: That’s why we’re in the mall!
If anything like that happens in Iran, there's no doubt that a fight breaks out immediately!
(Photo: Flag of Alberta one of the Prairie provinces of Canada)

Resurrected Oilers

It seemed like the Oilers are more confident to beat the Sharks after they won Wed.’s game in the 3rd OT. But San Jose is a very tough team. And they proved it. They were ahead in the first period with a 2-1 lead. Edmonton’s defense men were hundred percent guilty on the second goal and I said to me: Oh God! I can’t watch this game! They’re gonna lose! And I went to bed as I was and still am very tired today (I write later the reason why I got exhausted)
But I couldn’t sleep and got back and started watching the third period and the Oilers accepted another goal! It was 3-1 San Jose and I didn’t see any possibility that the Oilers can get back. So I turned off the TV and went to read the news on the net. (I wonder what would happen to the team, if the fans did the same!). Then after a few min. I checked the game through the net and that was tied 3-3 at the end of the 2nd period. Then I told me: Let’s get back to the rink! Those guys haven’t given up and they’re not going to, just like game three.
And that was true I watched the whole third period and those guys were all marvelous. Edmonton was resurrected and beat the shit of the Sharks, a great victory with the score of 6-3. The arena went crazy and people were all cheering. Even I couldn’t sit on the chair after one of the beautiful goals. The Sharks even changed their goalie but that didn’t help them much. The series is tied 2-2 and the next game is on Sun. in San Jose.
(Photo: Edmonton players celebrate their 6-3 victory over the Sharks in Rexall Centre, Edmonton. The black guy in the centre, Georges Laraque, is among a few black people in NHL [Actually I haven't seen anyone else so far]. He got a major in last game and was kicked out)

Flashback (8): Burglary

This short story goes back to the days I used to live in The Brave’s house. I’ve called him a few times lately but seems like he’s not back to the city. Here it is:
Once I got back home and noticed he’s not home but someone was in his bedroom which was being used as a small office by him, upstairs. There was a giant Caucasian man with a coverall on. I don’t remember exactly what I asked him as that’s a long time ago but he said something like he works for Shaw Cable and was there to fix the things. I guess I asked him to wait for the owner and he got disappeared immediately. When The Brave was home he said he had never asked anyone to come over to fix something! That guy must have been a burglar. The main door was not locked most of the time and anyone could go and come easily. I saved him a few hundred bucks that day.