Well, I have done every aspect of driving, and my grandfather says that I am over 80% in every aspect. He says I'm competent enough to drive, even if I should keep practicing, and that I'm pretty much ready for my test. There's a biker's reunion in New Liskeard, the largest nearby town, which is an annual celebration that pulls in tourists. We're kind of avoiding that, so we'll keep practicing in the smaller towns and then get a little more practice in New Liskeard after that blows out, after which, we're going to see if I can get tested before I have to go back. If not, it's possible that I can get ahold of a car, or even get a few driving lessons, and get familiarized with Guelph and then tested there before I head out to college.
Of course, even though I'm familiar with Guelph, I am not familiar with it from the perspective of a driver. I don't know how fast one perspective translates to the other.
I sorted out my best photos and got them on the computer over here. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to upload photos on this connection. I tried to send three photos of the chipmunk to my mom, and I crashed gmail three times. Every time, I'd try to go somewhere else, which would work, but for awhile, I couldn't go to Google. I thought I'd crashed the entire site! The company that has more power than mostg countries, brought down by someone trying to upload three photos on dial-up.
I just remembered the other day why the Malians called me "Elephant". The obvious assumption is that it's because I'm big, right? Well, I'm sure there was an element to that, but before anyone started calling me that casually, they asked me if it would be okay to call me "Elephant" and they gave an explanation for it. They said they likened me to an elephant because I'm quiet, and because I laugh.
Okay, quiet I can kind of see. But are elephants known to laugh? I guess they figure that some forms of trumpeting are laughter.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Watching TV
Recently, I saw two bears as I was driving along. It's my best natural sighting since I've come up here.
Have you ever noticed that the acronym for Lair of the Gryphon is LotG, and the acronym for Lord of the Rings is LotR? Almost the same.
With driving, I have more difficulty doing the regular, straight parking, than I do with parallel parking. Kind of weird, since parallel parking seems to be what most people complain about, and regular parking has got to be one of the easiest. I can do it, but apparently I keep going on sort of an angle. Maybe it's because I'm on one side of the vehicle, instead of the middle, and it throws my perception. That was a bit difficult for me when I was just learning how to turn, but I got it down. I think I've been at this for longer than a standard set of driving lessons. I wonder if this is something that I don't have an aptitude for, or if I'm just more prepared than most beginners.
Recently, I watched a film adaptation of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. It was pretty good. My idea of the book was that it was really conceptual, that each character represented a component necessary to tell the story, and it didn't bother to flush out unnecessary individuality. The movie was really literal in it's translation to film, quoting the book word-for-word and it didn't seem to leave anything out, somehow. I felt like I got to know the characters better through the film, and for me it was almost an explanation of the book. I guess the filmmaker had a better understanding of the book than I did, if it came out that way.
Apparently the film was more popular in India than in the States, even though it was made primarily for an American audience. That's kind of neat, since the story was written by an American, and the adaptation was done by an American. If you can write about another culture and be more popular with the people of that culture than of you own, it shows that you really managed to capture their way of thinking, which is good. I felt that the book used India because it made a good place for it's story, but it wasn't really about India. The film seemed very much to be about India.
I've watched a number of films since I've been up here. I've never really been much of a movie-goer. Even having basic TV up here is a novelty for me.
Have you ever noticed that the acronym for Lair of the Gryphon is LotG, and the acronym for Lord of the Rings is LotR? Almost the same.
With driving, I have more difficulty doing the regular, straight parking, than I do with parallel parking. Kind of weird, since parallel parking seems to be what most people complain about, and regular parking has got to be one of the easiest. I can do it, but apparently I keep going on sort of an angle. Maybe it's because I'm on one side of the vehicle, instead of the middle, and it throws my perception. That was a bit difficult for me when I was just learning how to turn, but I got it down. I think I've been at this for longer than a standard set of driving lessons. I wonder if this is something that I don't have an aptitude for, or if I'm just more prepared than most beginners.
Recently, I watched a film adaptation of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. It was pretty good. My idea of the book was that it was really conceptual, that each character represented a component necessary to tell the story, and it didn't bother to flush out unnecessary individuality. The movie was really literal in it's translation to film, quoting the book word-for-word and it didn't seem to leave anything out, somehow. I felt like I got to know the characters better through the film, and for me it was almost an explanation of the book. I guess the filmmaker had a better understanding of the book than I did, if it came out that way.
Apparently the film was more popular in India than in the States, even though it was made primarily for an American audience. That's kind of neat, since the story was written by an American, and the adaptation was done by an American. If you can write about another culture and be more popular with the people of that culture than of you own, it shows that you really managed to capture their way of thinking, which is good. I felt that the book used India because it made a good place for it's story, but it wasn't really about India. The film seemed very much to be about India.
I've watched a number of films since I've been up here. I've never really been much of a movie-goer. Even having basic TV up here is a novelty for me.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Invitation to College Orientation
I got an email from the college inviting me to an orientation day before the start of school. Originally, it was scheduled for the 11th of this month, which was too bad for me, because it was exactly smack-dab in the middle of my time up here. I had to, unfortunately, make the decision that it wasn't feasible to attend. However, apparently they changed the date, and now orientation is being held on August 28th. I'll be home well before that.
They also sent me a list of places in the area where students might live during their time at college. Many of these places are cheaper than residence, although not by a great deal, so it's something to consider. There are certainly enough places looking for student tenants to ease my nerves to a point.
Driving's coming along. I'm doing parallel parking now, and it's the last thing to learn. I've done everything, and now it's only a question of refinement. My grandfather has tentatively estimated that in a week or two I might be ready for my exam.
My brother's looking into a youth program. Same one I did, before Katimavik. The one at the employment centre. The program has really grown since I took it. I'm jealous. It is now a four month program, whereas it was only for one month when I took it. Also, it guarantees a placement in the workforce. The program actually pays the wages of the student during their "trial period" Whether or not they count the work placement trial period as part of the program in their four month statement, I don't know. When I took it, they gave a two week reimbursement for four weeks of wages to anyone that hired you, but they didn't guarantee work at the end.
No matter what way you slice it, it's at least double the length it used to be, and it guarantees a foot in the door at graduation. If it's four months in class, that's longer than a CWY or Katimavik rotation, and if it's two months in class and two on the field, that's still two rotations of the length of my Thunder Bay rotation. Not bad at all.
They also sent me a list of places in the area where students might live during their time at college. Many of these places are cheaper than residence, although not by a great deal, so it's something to consider. There are certainly enough places looking for student tenants to ease my nerves to a point.
Driving's coming along. I'm doing parallel parking now, and it's the last thing to learn. I've done everything, and now it's only a question of refinement. My grandfather has tentatively estimated that in a week or two I might be ready for my exam.
My brother's looking into a youth program. Same one I did, before Katimavik. The one at the employment centre. The program has really grown since I took it. I'm jealous. It is now a four month program, whereas it was only for one month when I took it. Also, it guarantees a placement in the workforce. The program actually pays the wages of the student during their "trial period" Whether or not they count the work placement trial period as part of the program in their four month statement, I don't know. When I took it, they gave a two week reimbursement for four weeks of wages to anyone that hired you, but they didn't guarantee work at the end.
No matter what way you slice it, it's at least double the length it used to be, and it guarantees a foot in the door at graduation. If it's four months in class, that's longer than a CWY or Katimavik rotation, and if it's two months in class and two on the field, that's still two rotations of the length of my Thunder Bay rotation. Not bad at all.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
New Follower on LotG
I messaged Residence again and asked if being waitlisted meant that they were currently full and my acceptance depended on enough people cancelling that a place would open for me. They said that yes, that's what it meant, but that they received approximately eight cancellations per day, and that most of their cancellations will come on the 15th of this month. Given my position as #33 on the waitlist, that would mean that a position would be open in about five days, should their estimate hold true. Now, it hasn't worked that way, because I heard that I was #33 seven days ago. But the 15th is in three days. I'll give them another week before I start devising a plan B.
I have a new subscriber on this blog. Her name is M E, and she's only subscribed here. I don't think I know her, but I can't get too close a shot of her thumbnail image (I'm assuming she's a "she" because there's something in the thumbnail that looks like long hair). Her reluctance to go by a full name, semi-obscured image, sudden appearance, the fact that she's only subscribed to me, and the way her name spells out the word "me" all give her an eery quality. Of course, if you're cool, I don't mean to come off as critical, M E!
I found a friend online, on a website and under alias. We identified each other based on certain clues, and it turns out really to be him. Been a weird few days on the Internet. As I typed that, I received an email from the Project Leader in Chisasibi, my third rotation placement from Katimavik.
I have a new subscriber on this blog. Her name is M E, and she's only subscribed here. I don't think I know her, but I can't get too close a shot of her thumbnail image (I'm assuming she's a "she" because there's something in the thumbnail that looks like long hair). Her reluctance to go by a full name, semi-obscured image, sudden appearance, the fact that she's only subscribed to me, and the way her name spells out the word "me" all give her an eery quality. Of course, if you're cool, I don't mean to come off as critical, M E!
I found a friend online, on a website and under alias. We identified each other based on certain clues, and it turns out really to be him. Been a weird few days on the Internet. As I typed that, I received an email from the Project Leader in Chisasibi, my third rotation placement from Katimavik.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
Well, today I found out that MISTER T sent me a DIRECT TWEET on Twitter! Whaaaaaaaaat?! He hasn't made a Tweet in three years! I didn't think he was still active! How is he aware of me, and why did he send me what he did? I know that the account I'm signed up with is the actual Mister T, and not a fake, but maybe it's still a spam bot that somehow got into his account and is now sending his followers direct tweets. Still, what he sent me was relevant to his interests, and relevant to something I referenced about him over Twitter. I think a Direct Tweet might be the Twitter equivalent of a Private Message, so I won't go into detail here. My privacy policy is in effect, even for a celebrity.
I started following him after his inactivity was well established, and he's lost a lot of subscribers in those three years. I'm thinking that being a new subscriber during this time and having made a reference to him could have pulled in more attention than it normally would... somehow. I know that's the kind of thing that basically any site nowadays does... except, Twitter is really simple and for the most part doesn't have functions like that. It might have one, I don't know. But if it does, I'm not aware of it. I guess I got lucky, and Mister T just remembered he had a Twitter account and see what kind of activity he'd had since he left.
I noticed that if I get my college diploma in social service work, I'm eligible to apply at the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (kind of a cumbersome name, if you ask me). I wondered, what kind of organization is that? So I looked it up and found their website. Here it is: http://www.ocswssw.org/en/about.htm
After some looking through it, I still don't know what it is. It's a fairly sizeable website. It defines itself as a "regulatory body". It defines Social Work and Social Service Work. It outlines the credentials needed to become a member. But... Is it an actual college? Do you take courses there? How long are they? What would the tuition be? Where is there campus located?
Looks like you... just apply, and they make you a member. What I would get out of it would be the privilege of saying that I'm a Registered Social Service Worker by the Government of Ontario. I guess the implication is that, should I just graduate with my diploma, I would be a person with a Social Service Worker diploma, and if I got a job as a Social Service Worker, I would still just be a person with a job in that field. But if I was a registered Social Service Worker, then even if I went back to being a machine operator, I would be a Social Service Worker doing a machine operating job. Sounds like a scam. Any credential that you can just buy isn't really a credential.
I started following him after his inactivity was well established, and he's lost a lot of subscribers in those three years. I'm thinking that being a new subscriber during this time and having made a reference to him could have pulled in more attention than it normally would... somehow. I know that's the kind of thing that basically any site nowadays does... except, Twitter is really simple and for the most part doesn't have functions like that. It might have one, I don't know. But if it does, I'm not aware of it. I guess I got lucky, and Mister T just remembered he had a Twitter account and see what kind of activity he'd had since he left.
I noticed that if I get my college diploma in social service work, I'm eligible to apply at the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (kind of a cumbersome name, if you ask me). I wondered, what kind of organization is that? So I looked it up and found their website. Here it is: http://www.ocswssw.org/en/about.htm
After some looking through it, I still don't know what it is. It's a fairly sizeable website. It defines itself as a "regulatory body". It defines Social Work and Social Service Work. It outlines the credentials needed to become a member. But... Is it an actual college? Do you take courses there? How long are they? What would the tuition be? Where is there campus located?
Looks like you... just apply, and they make you a member. What I would get out of it would be the privilege of saying that I'm a Registered Social Service Worker by the Government of Ontario. I guess the implication is that, should I just graduate with my diploma, I would be a person with a Social Service Worker diploma, and if I got a job as a Social Service Worker, I would still just be a person with a job in that field. But if I was a registered Social Service Worker, then even if I went back to being a machine operator, I would be a Social Service Worker doing a machine operating job. Sounds like a scam. Any credential that you can just buy isn't really a credential.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
9% of Canadians are Friendless
There was a study saying that 9% of Canadians have no friends. It got me thinking; what constitutes a friend? Could I be classified as friendless? I have 182 friends on Facebook. I've stayed in contact and have Skyped several times with a couple old friends from Katimavik, but I haven't interacted with them in the "real world" for like, two years, so do they still count? I make sure to get together with my old friends from high school after I've been away and if they're in town, but that's really occasional. I have neighbours and old work buddies that I'll stop and speak to, and I've been in most of their houses at one time or another just to hang out, but where does someone turn from being an "acquaintance" into a "friend"? I have an old employer from back when I was doing odd jobs that I now visit semi-regularly, and a couple of old employment counselors that I make sure to stay in touch with, but they're not really "typical" friends. In a similar vein, I'm pretty close to some of my family, but do they count? I don't have any friends that I'll call up and be like "Hey, what are you doing? I'm bored, wanna hang out?" Really, do I just have a wide net of close acquaintances?
I messaged the people at Residence to see what my chances were of getting a place there, since last year's payment deadline was about a week from now. Turns out I'm #33 on the waitlist. They said they will message me when they have a place for me. I have no idea how bad a person's chances are when they're #33, but I'm not loving that number. Looks like I should start coming up with a backup plan.
I got the phone number of a guy from Karadie. Hopefully, I'll now be able to confirm that my package made it's last leg from Bamako to Karadie. My host family didn't have a cell phone, but I'm sure if they got my package, the news will have spread throughout the village.
I messaged the people at Residence to see what my chances were of getting a place there, since last year's payment deadline was about a week from now. Turns out I'm #33 on the waitlist. They said they will message me when they have a place for me. I have no idea how bad a person's chances are when they're #33, but I'm not loving that number. Looks like I should start coming up with a backup plan.
I got the phone number of a guy from Karadie. Hopefully, I'll now be able to confirm that my package made it's last leg from Bamako to Karadie. My host family didn't have a cell phone, but I'm sure if they got my package, the news will have spread throughout the village.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Lead Pipe Problem
Okay, so my chipmunk friend now follows me out into the wilderness, and he will even beg at me from the other side of a closed window. That surprised me, because it means that he is able to recognize me by sight alone. I don't know much about chipmunks, but I had assumed that it relied on other senses, such as smell, moreso than sight. I know that I will sometimes scare birds off if I move suddenly on the other side of the glass, but even then, they are only sensing my presence to the point of noticing a sudden movement. This chipmunk moves beyond motion comprehension, and into personal comprehension.
In other news, it turns out that, as a follow-up to our plumbing problem back in Guelph, they checked the general condition of our pipe system to make sure there were no other impending issues. Turns out, there was a lead pipe, and further tests on our water confirm that there are traces of lead in it. This means that we are going to have to get that pipe replaced, and it further means that we have been subjected to lead poisoning!
Now, I get the impression that it's not that serious, and I guess I probably drank more dangerous water in Mali, but still. Apparently, if you run the tap for 30 seconds to two minutes, you get most of the lead out. Mom says she's already been doing that most of the time, just to get it cold. I haven't! And I drink tap water like crazy! The Guelph tap water is Nestle bottled water. They pull that stuff straight from our taps. It's one of Guelph's perks that you get commercial spring water straight from the tap. I chug that stuff down like nobodies business, and I don't wait for it to get cold, either. I'm probably full of lead by now.
In other news, it turns out that, as a follow-up to our plumbing problem back in Guelph, they checked the general condition of our pipe system to make sure there were no other impending issues. Turns out, there was a lead pipe, and further tests on our water confirm that there are traces of lead in it. This means that we are going to have to get that pipe replaced, and it further means that we have been subjected to lead poisoning!
Now, I get the impression that it's not that serious, and I guess I probably drank more dangerous water in Mali, but still. Apparently, if you run the tap for 30 seconds to two minutes, you get most of the lead out. Mom says she's already been doing that most of the time, just to get it cold. I haven't! And I drink tap water like crazy! The Guelph tap water is Nestle bottled water. They pull that stuff straight from our taps. It's one of Guelph's perks that you get commercial spring water straight from the tap. I chug that stuff down like nobodies business, and I don't wait for it to get cold, either. I'm probably full of lead by now.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Northern Dreams
Ever since I've come here, I've been having the most fascinating dreams. Must be the fresh Northern air, or something. They're all kind of borderline nightmare, but I always wake up feeling refreshed. I used to have some interest in dream interpretation, and these dreams are ripe for analysis. Here's an example.
I'm living in Mali, slightly outside of Karadie. One day, I walk into the village, and everyone is wearing armor. I walk a little further and find that everyone in the second half of the village is without armor. They tell me that the village has divided, and that the armored Malians are now my enemies. I tell them that the armored Malians greeted me normally and were acting as friendly as ever. The unarmored Malians tell me that this is "bad" and "wrong". They then tell me that it is time to go fishing. For some reason, Karadie is sitting next to a large body of water. I wade into the water and pull out a fish with my bare hands. They want me to kill it, so that they can prepare it. I don't know how to kill a fish, but I think that I will try to cut it's throat. However, I am nervous and my hand is shaking. When I strike down with the knife, I accidentally cut it's stomach open instead of it's throat. I try again and manage to cut it's throat. I walk away to avoid watching the fish die. After I leave the village, one of the villagers runs out to meet me and tells me that I had done an insufficient job at killing the fish and that they had had to kill it again after I'd left.
I've also dreamed about going into the Cree sweatlodge again, but losing my memory while inside, and then regaining consciousness some time afterward, and learning that I had gone on living and acting as normal after the ritual, but retaining no memory for some time.
I also dreamed that my Ways2Work group had a reunion, and we visited the cousin of an alumni, and he kept trying to sell me shoes even though I told him I wasn't interested.
I also had a dream that I was riding out of Karadie on an elephant. I was worried that I hadn't given them enough as a going-away present. The elephant I was riding hesitated to leave, but a female elephant held his trunk with hers and led him out. I decided, however, to jump off of the elephant and run back into the village. My host father, two host mothers, and the girl I was dating were all sitting in a circle, eating. I started pulling up skids with massive amounts of goods and leaving them near them. I reached out and touched one of them on the shoulder, but she recoiled, because my touch was as cold as ice. I kept saying that I "Wasn't done" and that I "Could still give more" and kept running and pulling up skids full of gifts. But they were all looking at me with worried expressions.
So yeah, dreams from all across my life, and I can't get over that Mali experience.
I'm living in Mali, slightly outside of Karadie. One day, I walk into the village, and everyone is wearing armor. I walk a little further and find that everyone in the second half of the village is without armor. They tell me that the village has divided, and that the armored Malians are now my enemies. I tell them that the armored Malians greeted me normally and were acting as friendly as ever. The unarmored Malians tell me that this is "bad" and "wrong". They then tell me that it is time to go fishing. For some reason, Karadie is sitting next to a large body of water. I wade into the water and pull out a fish with my bare hands. They want me to kill it, so that they can prepare it. I don't know how to kill a fish, but I think that I will try to cut it's throat. However, I am nervous and my hand is shaking. When I strike down with the knife, I accidentally cut it's stomach open instead of it's throat. I try again and manage to cut it's throat. I walk away to avoid watching the fish die. After I leave the village, one of the villagers runs out to meet me and tells me that I had done an insufficient job at killing the fish and that they had had to kill it again after I'd left.
I've also dreamed about going into the Cree sweatlodge again, but losing my memory while inside, and then regaining consciousness some time afterward, and learning that I had gone on living and acting as normal after the ritual, but retaining no memory for some time.
I also dreamed that my Ways2Work group had a reunion, and we visited the cousin of an alumni, and he kept trying to sell me shoes even though I told him I wasn't interested.
I also had a dream that I was riding out of Karadie on an elephant. I was worried that I hadn't given them enough as a going-away present. The elephant I was riding hesitated to leave, but a female elephant held his trunk with hers and led him out. I decided, however, to jump off of the elephant and run back into the village. My host father, two host mothers, and the girl I was dating were all sitting in a circle, eating. I started pulling up skids with massive amounts of goods and leaving them near them. I reached out and touched one of them on the shoulder, but she recoiled, because my touch was as cold as ice. I kept saying that I "Wasn't done" and that I "Could still give more" and kept running and pulling up skids full of gifts. But they were all looking at me with worried expressions.
So yeah, dreams from all across my life, and I can't get over that Mali experience.
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