New thingy

Just registered on this site - its pretty cool. Check it out if you like (only Mac users, thanks! ;-)

Another odd one...

Well, I've gone and done it this time. I've managed to somehow become the thing I absolutely hate. I am now a telemarketer. Let me start at the beginning.... I got a call from Anne, one of my agents from before I went to Australia, this morning. While we had a great chat and she's confident she'll be able to find me work fairly quickly - I'm desperate for funds. So, rather than actually whore myself out (still an option under consideration) I'm thinking - yep, time to cruise those classifieds for something that pays quick. I sent off my application for my pension funds from Australia, that kind of thing first - but then I started to get my ass in gear. Found this one place that is just like 2 blocks from where I live (which would be fine on a nice day, but considering the freakin' blizzard that seems to have hit eez no so close now mang) and they say in the ad, Interview Today, Start Tomorrow! Hey, methinks this is good. Went for the 4pm cattle call interview where I had about 30 seconds to explain what I did in my last job. Well, that was the first interview. Huh. Asked me back for another interview at 5pm. Ok. Didn't really say what it was for, so I thought, what the hell, I gots nuffink betta to do. 5pm I now watch the video they set up on the matter of "How to Sell the Globe and Mail by subscription". Oh. My. Gawd. I can't believe that I'm doing this. Sean (the kinda spunky manager doing the interviews) asks us to read a section of the script that he's given us. (Shades of hearing the Telstra people doing the same spiel day in and day out at Dun & Bradstreet comes shattering through my mind as I'm reading this moronic script, "Good evening, my name is _________ ringing from The Globe and Mail Newspaper. Is this the __________residence? Great! Have you had a chance to read the Globe and Mail recently? " barf.) The only thing good about it is Sean - tres cute. Anyway, got through that one - and I'm thinking to myself - I'm doing this for HOW much (little) money? Sat down at the phones and did a little bit of phone work before they come over and ask me if I'm ok with it - and when did I want to start? Um, I say - Tonight? they ask - Ok, I say. What the hell just happened? Damn good thing I get paid for this.

What an interesting... um... day?

Had one good thing happen today. Andrea rang me from Scotland and a full hour and a half conversation ensued. Thank goodness for ₤3 left on a phone card! We got cut off near the end of our convo, and it simply wasn't enough, so I rang her back and said goodbye's. I think we really have found some extreme form of bonding between her living overseas and mine having just come back. Wish I'd had someone to help show me the ropes and to explain how things work when you're away when I was. Oh well... Kinda babbling today - applied for so many jobs I don't think I'll have any chance of actually getting. Michelle, bless her heart, has forwarded my resume to one of the recruiters in her agency that I'm meant to ring tomorrow. I'll get on that by noon. Still have heaps of work to do to get a job and money is getting tight. Guess I'm going to have to end up doing one of those stupid telemarketing jobs to make some cash. One funny thing I saw today online: Which Living Dead Doll Are You? Here's my result:
You are Siren. You are quiet, shy and tend to be
slightly naive. Kay, I'm going to get jerk chicken for dinner. Starving. This having no money is shite.

A short one

Going to keep this short - had an interesting day, nothing all that special. Got up at 9 (I know, I know, I shouldn't get in the habit of sleeping in!) and started in on the bathroom getting these disgusting tiles off the wall, and then had to spackle and fill the shit it did to the wall. Went shopping (got the new issue of Shonen Jump!!!!!!) and then went to Winners to use my gift certificates from my parents. Did REALLY well actually - I got two DKNY shirts (one grey, one white), a Chaps Ralph Lauren ribbed t-shirt, a new Buffalo belt and a REALLY great Katherine Hamnett striped shirt in dark grey and almost a sapphire like colour. Its SO ace! Going to Woody's with Randy and some of his mates tonight. Will be good to meet some new people - get some new blood so to speak (not the Anne Rice kind, just the fresh face kind). My mate Mark () started his own livejournal today as well. I'm so glad he did - I find its sometimes really a good way to just release whatever has been on your mind, into the world - just let it out there and off it goes. (and now having broadband again doesn't hurt either!) For now - keep yourself interested with this for a while:

Revisiting the past

Today I spent seeing people who I haven't seen in ages and really missed. Did my email at iklick - an upscale version of an internet cafe, which was cool - got caught up on a bit of stuff that I'd meant to do, and didn't get the chance to previously. Think I saw Mary there (formerly of Meric) but didn't want to say hi - was too odd to even think about it. Went for lunch with Genevieve, the coolest chick from Alberta I've ever met. A veggie, listens to good tunes, quasi-goth (but far too nice to pull off the attitude). Gen and I used to work together at ECCC last year before I went to Australia, and it was really nice to catch up with her and see where life has brought us. Went to meet her at the ECCC offices, and MAN what a blast from the past. I took the subway and bus up to my old neighbourhood at Yonge and Eglinton - crap, that was very strange. Noticing the little things that have changed, and the rest that SO hasn't changed. Went to Swiss Chalet for lunch - had my favourite - Chicken Club Wrap (and um, could you please bring me the bottle of Tabasco sauce?) while Gen had a veggie burger which she tells me is actually pretty good. After lunch I stopped at my friend Karen's place where I used to live on Eglinton. Ended up spending all day there and evening for that matter. Went out to Gabby's for chicken wings (MORE hot sauce thanks!) and after many hours spent chatting, catching up, smoking and drinking tea she brought me home just in time to return the movie Adam and I hired last night - Underworld for those interested. Was actually a pretty good movie if you could follow the plot. Its quite stylish and the acting is a bit, well, over the top - but what do you expect for a movie about vampires and werewolves? I think it needs the DVD extended version, or at least with extra features to explain the whole thing, but I think I got it sorted in the end. On another note, Peter and I seem to keep playing telephone tag. First he calls, then I call, then he calls, then I call - and tonight again, I missed his call. I SO want to hang out soon - miss him a lot. Since I got back from Australia I, naturally, want my best friend round lots, but just had to go bugger off to Cuba for a week (jealous, much?) and I haven't had the chance to see him. For the record, his birthday is today, January 8th (same as Elvis!) and I can't have asked for a better friend over the years. It ain't been all roses, there's been some thorns along the way, but the rosey bits would never have been so appreciated had we not had to work for them. Happy Birthday matey, and here's to many more.

Macworld rocks! (literally this time)

iLife '04

This, for me, is the biggest pain in the ass that my obsessive/compulsively disordered self will have to deal with for the next several weeks 'til I decide what to do with my iBook. I simply MUST have the new iMovie, iPhoto and dammit - Garageband. I'm not that fussed with iDVD, cause I reckon that to make it work any worthwhile, I'll have to get a desktop Mac anyway (anyone wanna sell me an eMac cheap? With Superdrive? I can make some kickass photo DVD's that way! :-) but I'm REALLY wanting Garageband. Not that I'm so musically inclined that I'd be able to actually play any instruments, but I'm SO thinking I could make some seriously kickass electronic tracks for my own needs. And then to be able to chuck them on my iPod (more on that in a sec) or even post them to the web for me mates to download - fuckin' amazing. I'm SO glad I'm on the side of the good. Its kinda like the Lord of the Hubs: Fellowship of the Mac (with Steve Jobs as Gandalf - quick to anger, but pretty awesome in the end). Does that make Bill Gates, Sauron? (shit, I hate when I digress).

Damn. They "almost" had it right. Its a freakin' cool tool.

I'd buy one today if I could (shipping in Feb). A credit card sized, 4GB harddrive iPod, with new colours (I'm thinking if they made a black one, I'd have one as soon as they're on the market - as it is, I'll have to settle for silver). Fully touchscreen, but with buttons on the wheel.

One problem. The price. Its only $50US less than a 15GB full size model. Hmmmm... Let's see, nearly 4 times the capacity - but a wee bit bigger and its brother only comes in white. Hard choice. I still want one.

So why do I love Apple? Cause they make the fucking coolest tools ever. They're so untool like that they're beyond anything Microsoft could hope to come up with.

Why do I hate Apple? Cause now I have to upgrade my iBook to be able to use Garageband. And even though its time to upgrade my original 5GB iPod, I'm TORN - absoluted GUTTED about which one to get. But hold on, if I wait until the summer, I can see what Macworld New York will have and I'll want that TOO....

Damn this OCD.

The (re)birth of cool

Today was an eventful one, of sorts. Didn't get to bed till REALLY late last night cause I just was too up to sleep (bit stoned from the dude next door cooking till midnight, and having put Adam's ever so DIFFICULT Ikea bed together) so I ended up doing email till nearly 3am at the dodgy internet cafe. Thankfully, in my absence, the availability of internet access in Toronto has greatly improved. Hopefully, though, once I've got my broadband connected (as of Thursday!) I won't ever have to see the blacklit (yep, black lighting to make the gaming posters for Diablo II and Starcraft far more appealing) walls, nor hear the sounds of Need For Speed:Underground blaring full blast ever again. Anyway, I got up and showered quick as can be, got my coffee at Starbucks (keep forgetting there's a Timothy's right round the corner - FAR better coffee) and a paper and settled in to wait for the new appliances to arrive. Got tired of waiting and went out to internet again (did I mention that I'm a complete net junkie) and applied for some work while seeing the real-time updates for Macworld SF 2004 (update on that coming next). Just got my lunch and tucked in back at home when Bad Boy (the furniture shop) rang to tell me that the delivery dudes were around the corner and would I get the elevator for them. I did - and after much tooing and froing (the elevator never was emptied of all the CRAP people had put in there and was meant to be collected today prior to the delivery. But the guys soldiered on, got the dishwasher, stove and fridge in, laffing all the way as I managed to somehow get the antique freight elevator to the third floor. Got all the crap in - and before they would take the old one away I had to clear out all the rotting nastiness left in the dodgy one painted like a cow. Got us all downstairs, closed the doors and went to bring the lift back to the third floor. Or so you'd think. Pulled the chain that was meant to take me up - nothing. Closed the gates again to make sure that the safety hadn't been tripped. No go. Rang the super to get him to extricate me from the hundred year old deathtrap I was now about to start calling my frigid home - along with all the other nastiness in the elevator. Thankfully it was cold enough that nothing was starting to smell, but the super was simply NOT going to answer his phone. Asshole. Panic started to settle in - and my instincts took over. Rattled against the door to the outside (the first of three to actually get THROUGH the door to the outer world. Shit, fuck, damn - I'm getting STUCK in here! Well, I suddenly went all intelligent, found the place where the door was catching - opened the other three doors and got my freezing ass outta there. Don't know if I broke anything as I slammed the freakin' doors down, but hell, I don't CARE. Got back upstairs and after finally getting to eat my lunch (which having been sitting in the flat for two hours was less than terribly appetizing) and set up the appliances. Now I have a place to keep things, um, cold. Or hot. Or clean. Bliss.

Dirty Deeds

Well, its done. I'm moved. I'm living at the new flat now and well, its done. Still having a hard time realizing that I now live back in Toronto. Dad and I got all my stuff into the minivan in one load and got back to the city just in time for Adam to leave to return his moving van. Its awfully strange to be back here, and even though I had my serious doubts about it all, I'm quite happy now to have moved. The flat is looking heaps better now that its a bit cleaner, my room is now set up, the living area is functional (although we don't have working cable television yet). We still have to put the kitchen in, but the appliances are being delivered on Tuesday (sometime between 9 and 5 - I only hope that we either a)have internet access at home by then or b) they don't arrive between noon and 2 when I'm going to be watching the Macworld Keynote at the internet cafe I now find myself in. Adam and I got pretty pissed on Corona's yesterday before his mate Greg and his girlfriend Patty came to visit. Greg's quite the hottie, who if not for being straight would SO have to worry about my grabbing his bod at every turn! Anyway, we got the disco ball up and running, and ended the evening by watching about an hour of The Karate Kid before heading to sleep. Observations: one of my neighbours has a SERIOUS issue with "cooking the Buddha" as Adam puts it - so much so that the smell of it wafting into the flat at 10am was enough to wake us both from a dead sleep. Another observation: I can hear EVERYTHING that my neighbours do - which in turn means that they can hear me as well. This does NOT bode well for entertaining anyone if noise is an issue. Today brought a trip to IKEA, and a few new things - lamps for my room, a new shower curtain, some casters for the television stand, a mirror for the bathroom so we can actually shave when necessary. Still have to get a powerbar for my room and have to head to the chemist to get some shampoo and stuff like that. I kind of like setting up a new place, but this one has SO much more work to do as well. On top of trying to find work tomorrow I'll have to wash some of the floors and try to get them clean. By the time I walked from the bathroom to my room my feet were dirty again already! Oh well, such is the experience, n'est-ce pas?

Songs

Song lyrics that have captured a piece of me. Tongue-tied and twisted are all my memories, celebrating a fantasy come true. Packin' all my bags, I'm finally on the move. And I'm leavin' today, I'm livin' it, I'm leavin' it To change. - Cruz, Christina Aguilera It's one thing to ask why did we break up, Have you ever wondered why it is we fall in love, Can you tell me do you know what it is you're lookin' for Why do we need? Can you tell me why I care? How is it that we heed that voice that says I want you there. Thanks you've been fuel for thought, now I'm more lonely than before But that's okay I've just went and made another fucking love song. - Lovesong, Amiel Dreaming of so much ugliness, waking up to all this beautiful blue. Dreaming with so much ugliness, waking up to all this beautiful blue Beautiful you. - Beautiful Blue, Holly McNarland I'm a hazard to myself, Don't let me get me. - Don't let me get me, Pink I just wanna feel real love, Feel the home that I live in. Cause I got too much life running through my veins, Goin' to waste. I don't wanna die, but I ain't keen on livin' either. - Feel, Robbie Williams I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter I had to fall to lose it all But in the end it doesn't even matter... things aren't the way they were before You wouldn't even recognize me anymore Not that you knew me back then But it all comes back to me in the end. - In the End, Linkin Park Wake me up inside Wake me up inside Call my name and save me from the dark Bid my blood to run before i come undone Save me from the nothing I've become. - Bring Me to Life, Evanescence What if I'm not ready to play the "what if" game? what if we're all takers? I'm losing my face - Losing My Face, Holly McNarland I'm like a bird, I only wanna fly away. I don't know where my soul is, I don't know where my home is. - I'm Like a Bird, Nelly Furtado Oh my god, Becky... - Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-a-lot There's nothing to do but believe, Just Believe. Just Breathe. - Breathe, Tafelpopmusik Don't go chasing waterfalls, Please stick to the rivers and lakes that you're used to. I know that you 're gonna have it your way or nothing at all, but I think you're moving too fast. - Waterfalls, TLC What I am is too far in and can't be found. - Never Mind, Jann Arden All I ever really wanted was to fly I'm pissed off with gravity. Won't you let me go? I need to fly. And I'd like to know, do you believe? will you believe? Did you ever believe in me? - Do You Believe, Joydrop I'm sure these songs taken in the all together really make me out like some kind of crazy person with deep seated issues. They all at one time or another "spoke" to me, either at a low or a high point in m y life. In any event, I'm just putting it out there.

Tattoo Ambitions

I was doing some research on tattoo designs for a while in Australia, trying to decide if I should get another one done or not. Seems the three I've got already have a quasi-religious point of view on them - ancient ones at that - Celtic, and Christian to this point (no, the cross on my arm is not a Nazi symbol - it was distorted and used by them, just as the swastika was - its a cross that was used during the Crusades.... gee, maybe I'd best not talk about it anymore... not like those Crusaders were much better....) Anyway, I'm digressing here. What I was saying is that I was doing some research and was trying to think of something cool to do - found some designs online, but nothing really caught my eye. Until. I am in AWE of this work. I WANT it. I NEED it. I MUST HAVE IT. I have decided that among my other goals this year (a later post to come - not resolutions, just goal setting - I can't do the five year plan - that's just a bit too naff for my taste - but I need some goals of some sort) I want to get the cross completed. I have left it alone waiting for the right inspiration, the right je ne sais quoi to smack me over the head. I have found it. Now I just need to find the artist that can take the inspiration and spirit of the work and customize it for what I've got already. Can't wait. Must have new tattoo as soon as possible. Addicted. Arrggghhh... drool......

My Journey Home (Part 2)

Okay, so there I was in Sydney, trying to just get on a freakin' plane for Tokyo. Made it to Tokyo finally, managed to sleep quite a bit on the plane, even though it wasn't as comfortable as I would have like (Japan Airlines, for future reference has VERY small seats) and I had a seat next to a drunken Irishman (aren't they all? Just teasing) who didn't get the hint that talking throughout the flight was certainly not most welcome. Anyway, watched a few movies, slept, ate etc. Got through Narita Airport procedures pretty quickly (one of the benefits of arriving as the first flight in the morning. Took the shuttlebus to the hotel where I was informed that since I was going to be flying out the following day, the arrangement for my room was that I was going to have to pay ¥16,000 to stay the night! I only had ¥35,000 total and I still had yet to do all my Christmas shopping! Told the very shocked desk clerk that I most certainly was NOT going to be paying, that JAL stuffed up and they were going to cover it. After much to-ing and fro-ing, I finally got my room (and a nice one at that) and settled in for a bit. A note on Japanese television - WOW!! Morning telly in Japan is STRANGE! I was SO hoping to come across some interest anime program, but all I got was MegaMan - something I could have watched at home! Anyway, got my ass into Tokyo on the train for some shopping and stuff. Went to the Apple Store in Ginza (WOW again, that's all I have to say on that) and found some excellent bargains on gifts for Christmas (kokeshi dolls for Mum, traditional paper fan for Dad, Tokyo Giants ballcap for Karl, car magazines for Peter, some things to send back to me matey's in Australia, some nifty little things to send to Marie Louise in London and a nice metal Buddha for myself). I went back to the buddhist temple Sensoji, the same one I went to on my way to Australia - and did some shopping there as well. Went to Akihabara to see the manga shops, check out the new gadgets (PSX from Sony was already sold out everywhere I went, and it hadn't even come out yet!) and got some nifty little things (MechaGodzilla figure, Akira figure stuff like that). Had ramen noodles in my favourite little ramen shop in Asakusa and stuffed myself while I was at it. Never before in my life have I had noodles as good as these handmade ones in Tokyo. So, now I've had a 12 hour delay getting to Japan, finally got settled, got my shopping done and was ready to head back to the hotel for my final night's sleep before heading home to Toronto. For those who don't know, the subway system in Tokyo is enormous, confusing, and consists of three different companies for which a separate ticket is required for each one. Best just to get a day pass that covers all of them and then there's no need to worry about how to get to where you want to go. The trains run on time, efficiently and calmly - even in rush hour. Well, that's about to change. See, bad things come in three's and I got my second that day. The train stopped suddenly at the station, the doors open, people get off, others get on, the doors close and the power shuts off. Of course, I'm looking stupidly confused by this, and even more so as I screw up my face in mock understanding of the announcement coming over the PA system, presumably that there is a delay on the train. Several people pull out their mobiles, and start chatting away, so I'm assuming there's going to be quite the delay. Not to worry, I have nowhere else I need to be. About 20 minutes later after much running back and forth of the clearly excited train personnel, another announcement causing many groans and moans comes on, and we get off the train. Well, I reckon I'm only one stop from where I need to be, guess I'll just walk it. Ended up talking to some Japanese girl in english (of course) about where the station was (she asked me, mind, as though I should know these things?) and tells me that there was apparently a suicide as someone jumped off the platform into the train as it was pulling into the station. Huh. Strange things happen I guess. Next day, no dramas as I get on the plane, get my seat (with an empty one next to me thankfully), made it through Chicago chatting away to a VERY bubbly girl from Burlington. Plane leaves, plane lands, customs is a breeze, one bag comes on the conveyor - the other one not to be found. So, my parents are waiting in the arrivals lounge to greet me and I'm being hassled by the baggage claim people about filling in stupid forms to find my bag. And no, it couldn't be the one that has my non-essentials in it - nope, its the one with my toiletries, my clothes and even my laptop charger. Guess I needed that third thing to happen, huh. They found it finally, lost in Chicago (thanks American Airlines for the continuing commitment to customer service!) Five days later I got it delivered. So I managed to lug over 39 kilos of stuff from Melbourne, to Sydney, to Tokyo to Chicago without a "real" hitch - and finally in Chicago they lose it. On a flight of 25 people, only lasting an hour. Efficiency reigns. Anyway, that's the saga of my journey home. The new journey is starting - and I'm not sure I'm ready for a new one yet. Some time to relax would be good, but I'm not going to get it - that would be far too easy.

My Journey Home (Part 1)

I guess that a lot of people have been wondering what the hell has happened to me since I left Melbourne - and to be honest, I feel a little shitty that I haven't really kept in touch that much (mind you its only been 2 and a half weeks) but I find that its been really hard to try and adjust to being here, back in Canada, again. Talk about a complete 180 from where I was sitting a month ago.Its cold here, snow flies intermittently and I'm living with my parents - couldn't be different if I'd tried!Anyway, I got to Sydney and immediately hated the thought of having to stay there very long (thankfully the hostel was nice, and the roommates I had were really decent blokes from London - father and his two sons, no partiers there!) The weather was crap, I felt like crap - depressed, miserable, anxious about leaving and wanting to get on the way already. Spent way too much money just trying to kill time - picked up a few interesting things though - more manga to feed my current obsession and a few odds and ends. Didn't even want to talk to anyone really - so I read a book and smoked instead - The Three Pillars of Zen. I'm planning on attending a one day introduction to Zen at the Toronto Zen Centre at the end of January - I'm really looking forward to it.Felt kinda bad that I didn't talk to Robert or Liz, but I just couldn't face having to say goodbye even once more to anyone. I SO needed to be able to say hello to someone, anyone that I knew, and know that this time I wasn't going to be leaving for a while. After saying bye to Kat, Melissa, Ant, Becky (oh my god!), Allie, Mark, Michelle, Monkey, and everyone else I fell in love with I didn't think I could cope with it again.Anyway, after lugging my shit round to the airport, a 12 hour delay and a complete hassle getting accomodation in Tokyo as a result (yep, they stuffed up my flight so badly that there was no way I'd get my hostel reservation for the next night so JAL gave me a free room at their hotel near the airport). Talked with a few cool Canadian guys waiting for the plane (including this TOTAL spunk from Vancouver, man he REALLY did it for me!).Anyway, gotta have dinner and start the Lord of the Rings Festival (extended versions of both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers!)

HPN

Well, its a new freakin' year. 2004. No big deal. I have always had great difficulty in completely being able to celebrate the start of a "new year". I've always been able to see that every month, every day, every hour, every second; is technically 365 days from that very same moment a year ago. So what makes this particular day any more different? Well, I guess for some its that time for new year resolutions (not for me, I'd rather start something when I feel moved to, not when the calendar says I should), and for others its just a time to get together with friends and the like. Me, I'd rather get together when I am motivated to, and after a few weeks of this kind of "holiday cheer" is just about as much as I can take. If I can make any kind of concession to a "new year" of sorts, its that it makes for a convenient time to reflect on the past year, the lessons learned (and not learned), as well as those people we've influenced or been influenced by. I'm not going to go into that at the moment, once I finish doing the reflecting, I'll know what to write! :-) But to all those of you who do celebrate it, Happy New Year to you! By the way, for those who want to know, I spent the night with my parents doing a Lord of the Rings movie marathon - extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring, and normal released version of The Two Towers. Had a sip of champagne at Midnight and went to bed round 2. I was invited to Andrea's place in the Shwa but since my mum asked me to spend it with them I felt not so much obligated as accepting that this is what they wanted to do. So that was it. HNY.