Saskatchewan Again

I had my second trip to Saskatoon last Thu. night. This time it was for a quality coordinator position with a mining company called Cameco, the exact same position I applied for almost 2 years ago in the exact same area: North of province of Saskatchewan where one of the biggest uranium ores of the world is located. This trip was a bit different. As I have started a job in the airport almost 2 weeks ago, what I did is I started my job, I finish it, I board the plane. I didn’t have to pay for the cab or the parking because I have a parking pass. And the same scenario again: I landed in Calgary International Airport, I got my baggage, I put it in my locker, changed, started the job!
Saskatoon just had its worst blizzard in last 50 years one day before my trip! So when I got there I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. Roads were so slippery and bumpy, full of snow and ice that not every car could drive around easily. I stayed in Radisson Hotel, a nice place in downtown at level 18! I still regret I didn’t have my camera on me. And in the morning I went to Cameco for my interview. That was completely different from what I had last time with Cogema and also different from what I was expecting in terms of questions. There were two guys, one young man of their HR department who simply read the questions from a paper and was writing down whatever he wanted and a mid-aged man who then introduced himself as the superintendent of quality department who mostly was just listening and noting down. Here’re a few questions they asked and my answers to them:

* Are you aware of safety in nuclear facilities and processes? (What a dumb question! Of course I am not!)
* Do you think documentation only makes bureaucracy a problem for the projects and have no advantages? (No absolutely not. It helps a lot for different reasons)

I really can’t recall anymore!

Anyhow that’s what happened and I unfortunately don’t feel good about that but may be the other candidates are not as good as me and I get the job. I think there’s something wrong with my interview-passing capabilities. Because I get good interviews but never pass them! It’s a permanent position with a week-on week-off rotation service and the salary is something around $66,000 as the HR guy said. I’ll wait ‘cause I already received a phone call from that fucking foam plant indicated I won’t be invited for the second interview and my job with a communication company is in jeopardy because of postponing the interview. I’ll write about that later.

(Photo: A scanned photo of Saskatchewan paper, The Phoenix Star, shows the severity of the blizzard in that province and its city, Saskatoon)

Real Canadian Winter

It got really cold yesterday and it’s going to be like this for a few days or more. But this is only happening to the west of the country, from B. C. to Manitoba. Eastern Canada is not affected at all. I guess I’m lucky that I saw the beautiful Stanley Park of Vancouver before it was hit by a few storms and looses as many as thousands of its threes. B. C. people have faced sever downpour, winds and snow storms which has been mentioned previously. Today I just had a short walk to the nearby McDonald's for a breakfast in the morning and then to Chinook Centre and God! that was so harsh. Not even one single person was seen in the streets because of the wind and cold. The temperature dropped down to -20 ˚C and the wind chill helps to go to -32 ˚C at the moment.
Just to add that lack of snow and cold in its traditional Canadian way, has made some people of the east frustrated. While many people are enjoying the warm weather in golf courses, the other are just waiting for cold to go to their favorite sports, ski, snow board and back yard hockey. Ottawa Canal which is the path of a winter skating festival is not frozen and cold enough to be considered safe for skaters. It should be at least 10 days with temperature less than -15 ˚C in the city. The whole apartment has been shaking like a cradle right from the morning! Although it’s a little late but I might go out for photography in a few min.! I didn’t have much exercise today in the gym and also yesterday but I’m tired as lack of work out for a whole week which I’ll write about that later.

(Photo: I took this photo from the inside of my bedroom in last week of Nov.06. Temperature dropped down to -40 ˚C considering wind Chill)

Give Someone Shit

I really feel bad about what I did to Reza the Stingy (Chos khor) a few days ago. I actually used up my entire patience for him. I really got fed up with all stupid behavior and gave him shit. He didn’t say much. I just wonder how the hell a stupid moron like that lives a married life!? He doesn’t even know how to make a cup of tea properly. He’s dirty and a real moron. Once we got home and the PC was off. He asked me if it is off or not?! I told him: “You tell me. You’re electrical engineer!” I told him whatever I could. I said how stupid it is to follow a damn religion which sends people thousands of years back to Stone Age. I said he does not even have a proper post-secondary education! I said he’s a village boy and doesn’t know much about city life! And more. But now I don’t feel good about that. Although he’s an asshole and retarded but he’s a nice and decent guy and he didn’t say back much. I used everything I know about him to ruin him. I even mentioned his escape from Toronto a few years ago.
After all he was my guest and my cousin recommended him but his stinginess, religious behavior, being filthy and knowing nothing about life pissed me off and I gave him shit.
But it's good to mention that the first time I heard this phrase or whatever it is, was when I used to live at The Brave’s. Ali Abadani’s room in there was right below mine and one night I was trying to sleep and he was on the phone, talking to his Mom in strong Southern Iranian accent. I couldn’t sleep and I had a big fight with him. Actually he didn’t say much back. The day after when I got home, The Brave asked me: “Did you give Ali shit last night?” I didn’t know what that means exactly at the time and I think I didn’t answer, but got a clue of what he was trying to say. Ali Abadani and The Brave were close at the time. Like friends. That was before their fight which led to Ali’s departure. All I said is how loud he was and didn’t let me sleep!

An Interview After A Long Time

I was invited for an interview for the first time in 2007 and after a long time of stagnancy, last week. There’s a company called Vitafoam in Foothills Industrial Area which also has other branch in the other cities and as the name suggests is involved in the production of foam for mostly furniture industry. I found 3 positions as Production Supervisor in Job Bank. The reason is they run two shifts and one of their supervisors; an Indian guy has left to see his sick Mom so they are desperately looking for people. The good thing is the plant manager has just started 3 weeks ago. So basically he doesn’t know much about the industry and it’s easier to work with him. I don’t know my chances because I was asked a few question which I guess I screwed them up! But the good thing is that he learnt I have more than 4 years of experience in Canada, a certificate from a Canadian school and flexibility to join the company.

Reza the Stingy (In Persian: Reza Chos-khor)

Ali Goole (Ali, the fast) a cousin of mine who's a physician and has recently arrived in Los Angeles and is goin’ to start his school in USC told me a few weeks ago, online, that a friend of his called Reza is coming to the city I’m currently reside in and asked me to help him in case he needs anything.
The guy called me a few weeks ago and asked about different things. Then he moved in with me and is a roommate of mine now. He’s married and is waiting for his wife to come. The guy is an electrical engineer but not a wise one. He’s religious and kind of slow. He got his degree from one of government schools that you are supposed to work for them in return after you're graduated. What happened today morning is really funny. He was in the kitchen, washing the dishes I guess and his mobile phone rang. He rushed to the room and picked up. First he said Aloe!, in a way we say in Persian which it’s actually French. Then he probably heard someone speaking English and said Hello! He suddenly got very polite and disciplined. I heard that he was saying something about Fri. and he happily ended the call. Then turned his face to me and said: “That’s an interview”. He was very excited and also quite nervous. He didn't know what to do and was very likely day dreaming about a big job which conveys thousands of dollars to his account every months. Then he turned the PC on and started checking his e-mails to find out about the company offering the position. The idiot didn't even ask the name of the caller, the company or the opening! May be the lady said that but he didn't get it. After a few minutes of anxious searching I put my hand on his shoulder and said: “Just come down my friend. You have the address. Go there, see the company and then search in the internet” He accepted and got dressed and left while was very happy and hopeful. I asked him why he preferred Fri. over today for the interview and he said that he had to make himself ready and also he’s usually more relaxed and ready in the morning! Today’s interview was supposed to be started at 15:00.
Anyhow he left and I was doing my own stuff until the time my telephone rang. I picked up and that was him, the Chos-khor or the Stingy. He barely could help laughing. He said that phone call was from CO-OP supermarket in Downtown, at 11th Ave. and 11th St., very likely for a cashier position or something like that. I know how he felt after seeing the big building but what the hell? He has already started a job as a security guard just because he doesn't want to spend the money he brought to Canada. Now, is that a problem with working as a cashier or shelf-person in a supermarket? You’re getting dollars asshole! Isn't that fucking what you’re here for? There are too many stories about Reza Chos-khor who has been living with me since the last week of Dec. but I would like to finish this shit by just mentioning that he once lived in Toronto for a few months in probably 2004 and didn't last long obviously and went back home, got his previous job, married and is here again full of hope!

More on Ali A.

I’ve already written about Ali A. which points at his fight with my friend and former landlord D. H. The night before, I was at Hodani’s, and friend of him, an interesting guy who’s a sailor and is seeking asylum here in Canada told us a shocking story about his roommates which led to Ali A.’s. That guy whom I call him here Has, came once to my place with the other guys as he was interested in being my roommate but I rejected him as he's very demanding.
Anyhow the guy complained a lot about his roommate’s young son and his friends. He said that the guy is a major drug dealer in the city and based on the characteristic he was describing, I figured out that the friend of his roommate is Ali A. He said that he was just released from the jail because of possession of gun and violence. He threatened his wife (very likely to be a Black girl) with a gun and the girl reported on him and they threw him in a jail. Has also said that Ali A. had sent about $150,000 to the US, to his family and once his father was screaming at him asking how he got that much money and what he does here.
Ali A.’s family flee from Iran shortly after the war started in Sep. of 80 and Iraqi troops invaded Khoozestan province. He’s originally from Abadan, one of the very civilized and beautiful cities of Iran in Pahlavi era which was completely destroyed amongst the rest of the country during Iran-Iraq war and Islamic Republic reign. I know that people change in a period of 5 years but never predicted such a story for someone like Ali A. Last time I met him accidentally was the day I wrote my citizenship test. He was with a black girl as usual and I didn’t notice anything unusual.

(Photo: That might not be a good photo to post specially in the first day of the year but I'm just trying to picture the devastation caused by Iraqi criminals directed by Saddam and the pain the people of Khoozestan went through. Saddam got hanged a few days ago while never answered to the crimes he committed to the people of Iran and Kuwait. I may write about that later)