Am pretty damn sure that the filling on my back wisdom tooth is loose, it feels awkward, the gum around it is a bit swollen, and it's tender in general.
BUT WHY NOW??
when I have great travel insurance while down under, no issues.
but when I have the job, on contract, with no dental, suddenly... Issues!
ah well, at least I have the job, but also, this is the kind of thing that needs to be settled ASAP, and christmas, no official dentist, BAH.
I'll phone a couple of places and ask nicely to be 'fit in somewhere' in the next day or two hopefully, because, well, I view this as kind of a timely issue - I mean, what if it falls out?
Just hoping that they don't force the issue and ask to remove the tooth, as it is a wisdom tooth I'm not sure how much THAT will cost/hurt... I'm just hoping they can replace the filling, though that will probably involve both needles and drilling. Not to mention the price tag involved.
Eugh. Why now.
Ah well, in other news, job is going well, have been given a fair degree of power, so that's good - responsibility, people to phone, people who phone me, the ability to walk around on site and have people stop me to ask burning questions about holes in the floor, or ceiling arrangements, or missing structural beams... lol. Good times, stressful occasionally, and in the new year I really REALLY need to get some more hobbies in the evening, because I find myself staying late because there's just not much reason not to? Not like crazy late, just an extra hour here and there, but still. HOBBIES!
perhaps some form of contact sport... kendo?
- effing teeth!
-
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sharl_tn- December 16th, 22:09
- And his name is STEVE.
-
- sharl_tn
- November 17th, 11:12
But seriously folks, for a $50 'donation' and the fact that he's already neutered and has all his shots so I just have to feed and take care of him, can you honestly say no? What with walking through the somewhat depressing halls where 100s of cats are waiting to leave, can you really just walk in and out and do nothing?
So I made the fatal mistake of going to the Humane Society 'just to look' on Saturday last - and through no fault of my own ended up walking out to catch the streetcar with cat food in my bag, litter in my left hand, and a curious cardboard box not unlike a girl guide cookie box with breathing holes in the sides in my right.
plus I was getting paid on monday, so go figure. 1st weekend, move in... 2nd weekend, paint... 3rd weekend, cat. Who know's what this weekend will hold!Either way, his name is Steve. [which was also fateful because I had been saying for the last while that I wanted a cat and that I would name it 'Steve', and on the cage it was already his name!] He's a total witches cat - shorthaired, black, yellow eyes... 6months old, really playful/friendly and generally awesome all round!
Very happy with him and his adorableness - will be sure to post some pictures of him and the new apartment when I get internet at home (tonight, yes!) and my camera together.
- So.. Jump right in!
-
- sharl_tn
- November 5th, 18:07
You know, one nice thing about coming back somewhere, and joining into a job where I requested and was assured of a particular type of role (contract admin) is that, well, you get to start working immediately. In all the jobs I've had over the last 8 or so years, I have always hated the so what do i do now period (lasting in some cases upwards of a month), in which they haven't really got much work they'll trust you with, they don't know what you can do, and you spend a lot of time doing nothing so as to not appear too annoying....
And this job, of course, has had a bit of that, but really, I've spent 8 hours in the last week ON SITE, I just finished organizing all of the outstanding questions (to continue indefinitely, yay organizing?), and I really am beginning to feel that I can actually Help this team/project... not that they need.... well they sort of do... but yeah. Oh architects, when will you learn that organizing is not the devil's work!
Okay, so I'm a lot biased on that one, what with the being a type a organized freak who writes down more lists than is probably 'normal'...
but yeah. I WILL be slowly creating a sense of ORDER!!! (evil laugh here?)
In other news, the apartment is looking good, found out that I don't have to ask to paint it, so I may actually do that this weekend... So ADULT! my own place, that I get to PAINT!! actual colours! It'll be a lot more cozy when it has colour, and I've really got to get some different light bulbs since I'm not paying for electricity yet anyways, I may as well not use the flouro-lights that make my apartment look like a hospital! of course, the whiteish primer colour doesn't help.
Other than that, life is busy, and I'm still settling in, but it should be good... I always find moving a bit jarring, and I certainly didn't give myself time to settle in physically or psychically so I've been feeling a bit stressed, but it'll all be ok. At least I can scam internet! Toronto was never my first choice, now or when I was here last time, but I think the work I'll be doing will be challenging/interesting, and there's still parts of this city that I should get to know before dismissing it entirely.... I will however, be keeping a close eye on the employment situation in Boston in the next year or two.... ;)
anyways, I should go home before I end up working again.... Save it for tomorrow, however nice it would be to go home with all these RFI's (requests for information) in a sensible order, recorded and ready to rock!
- Toronto: "where there are trees standing in the water" (or in today's case, Condo Towers)
-
- sharl_tn
- November 3rd, 14:49
So it's been quite a while since I've updated this journal, but I figured since I'm going to be in one place for a spell, it might be a good idea to start updating again. Mainly because I find that after the fact I want to look back, and then I realize that I either was too lazy or too busy to leave a trail!
But ah well. So, the last time I updated was in May, huh.
Since then I spent a few more months on Windeward Bound, worked as a watchleader on a cadet trip which was awesome, became a better climber and got great at fixing stuff... took an open water diving course on the great barrier reef so now I have my scuba license, and enjoyed my time in Australia.
For pictures of all this, try these galleries:
Great Barrier Reef Shots
Windeward Bound Album 1
Windeward Bound Album 2
But where am I now?
I left Australia at the end of September, visited New Zealand briefly, then Vancouver (where I had an awesome time with Penny/Jessie and Andrew), and then back to Ontario to build a portfolio, and start applying to jobs.
Started applying to Boston, which, as many of you know is my first choice of places to live in all the world (which is saying something)... but the economy has not been kind to architectural offices in the US, so jobs were scarce, and I didn't have time to look for months in the few jobs that may come up... (I hadn't been paid in 8 months, and had been living/travelling in Australia in that time... I just didn't have 4 months to search)
So I started applying elsewhere: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and even Yellowknife....
And just to see, I applied back at where I used to work in Toronto.
And then things started ramping up. I had 2 interviews on the same day in Toronto, got 2 offers of employment the next day... spent 2 days negotiating and ruminating... then accepted the job.
A week after the interview I'm in toronto touring places to live (about 15-20 in two days! whew!), then suddenly I'm signing a lease, buying dishes, emptying the storage unit, and making trips up and down an elevator with my dad and trying to defy physics by slamming a couch through a doorway and a tiny hall!
So, right now, exactly 2 weeks after I was here for an interview, I'm sitting at my desk on my second day of work. I just bought a hard hat and some safety boots (because I had to borrow a pair when I went to site yesterday (ON MY 1st DAY)), I'm trying to sort out a couple of construction queries on a project that is due for completion next summer, having broken ground last june.
Dizzy Days.... and as usual in my life, when it rains it pours. I have been insanely lucky these last few years, and I'm every so thankful - we'll see how the next few go, but for now I'll be working, trying to get registered sooner rather than later, and settling back into Toronto.
And hopefully I'll remember to post from time to time on how it goes ^^
LATER EDIT.... you know, it occurs to me that I write these as if a group of people reads them, when in reality, it's probably only me an a select few others. A VERY select few. lol, the narcissism of the internet...
- And days go by...
-
- sharl_tn
- May 19th, 13:27
Busy couple of weeks lately:
4 hard-core days off (involving much sleeping, movie watching and down time)
2 days spent in an 'Elements of Shipboard Safety' course, where I learned how to fight fires using various fire extinguishers and fire blankets...
and also spent a while in a pool wearing a SOLAS life jacket, dragged others around in the water, climbed in and out of life rafts, and jumped from the 3m board all while fully clothed... (my navy work shirt is now a kind of purple colour from all the clorine!).
2 days sailing, doing the day sail thing, one where it was raining the other sunny...
and 6 days doing maintenance... Sanding, sanding, sanding and sanding, and then putting wood varnish on, learning how to splice and then splicing clips onto new harnesses... and cleaning.
Joined a community orchestra... was lucky enough to call on the day of a practice, and be told that yes, the organizer (a horn player) had a spare violin that I could borrow while I'm here. So yeah - awesome?! I'm playing 1st violin again, which I haven't really done since highschool (8 years or so?), but the music level is similar to the high school orchestra, so it should be okay, though I will have to get used to touching my nose while shifting into the stratosphere... And though the rehersals are on mondays, the concerts (june21, sept6) are on sundays, so I may not even get to play in them... But I'm not too concerned about that one, I wouldn't have a thing to wear anyway. But we'll see!
I have noticed that the time is starting to fly - it's already mid/late may, which means I've been on board for nearly 3 months, and I'm sure the last 3 will go just as quick. There's supposed to be a few more voyages before I leave in September, so that should be good fun!
- Let the Day Sails begin!!
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- sharl_tn
- April 24th, 19:07
So now the boat is locked into a bit of a routine, a three hour day sail with lunch on thursdays, fridays, saturdays and sundays, days off on monday/tuesday and maintenence on wednesday...
So far I've done two daysails, and though it's nice to be in a bit of a routine, I will admit I am very very tired by the end of the whole thing - wake up, clean, buy fresh bread, sell a few tickets, organize the merchandise, climb up the mast, get the gaskets off the sails (tie-y bits that keep the sails stored nicely on the yards), move the boat back to boarding position (remove mooring lines, replace mooring lines), set up the gangplank, board passengers, remove the gangplank, take the mooring lines off, drive the wheel, help prepare chicken sandwiches and salad, set the sails, serve lunch, get people harnessed if they want to try climbing, brace the yards (turn the sails to match the wind, basically rotating the entire yards to the side), adjust sails, cut cheese/watermelon and lay out the cheese platter, brace the yards again, answer questions and remain generally aimicable, get the mooring lines ready to throw, strike (take down) the sails one at a time, dock the boat and set up the mooring lines, get the gangplank, get rid of passengers, remove the gangplank, move the boat (remove mooring lines, replace mooring lines), put away the sails (triangles first, take them down, flake them and tie them up, and then the squares, climb up, crawl out on the yards, fold up the sail, roll the sail onto the yards, tie up the gaskets), then scrub the deck down, clean up, etc...
And I'm knackered with four deck hands sharing the work, next week and every alternate work thereafter, it will be just myself and one other...
Which reminds me, if anyone's interested we're hiring!?
Nah, it's all good, but hell, it's like hanging out at a gym all day for four days a week.
On that note, back to the ship for my hard-earned dinner!
- quick entry from the internet cafe
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- sharl_tn
- April 18th, 12:26
Boat is finally off the slips!!!!
From April 1 - April 16 the boat was out of the water, and myself and the other crew spent our days from 830am until sunset, through easter weekend every day, chipping rust off of it, pressure hosing the sides, and painting and painting and PAINTING! from epoxy to metallics to anti-foul to high glass for the anchor chain, and varnish and deck polish for the exposed wood, the whole bottom of the boat was done over and over again, while the engine was overhauled and taken apart and then put back together again.
Ah, finally a couple of days off...
Did a day-sail wedding the day we got off the slips, so it was dress uniforms and serving caviar while wearing a rigging harness and setting sails for me! Still having a good time, the good moments are far outweighing the tedious days of mantenance and cleaning, so I'll stay for a bit longer with the hopes that I'll get to know the business of sailing a square-rig a bit better.
Made it out onto the flemish horse yesterday which was terrifying, hanging on a rig 3 metres from the safety of the mast on a bit of rope and then being expected to tie up sails while I'm there.... but I'm getting better at balancing on the yards, (considering a few weeks ago I was scared at being 1/2 a metre from the mast), so it's all good.
Tiring, but good.
A few pictures from the slips are available Here.
- One Month in -
-
- sharl_tn
- March 30th, 14:59
So what have I been doing for the last month?
To keep it short, I've been eating, sleeping, scrubbing, polishing, dusting, fixing, climbing, fearing for my life, enjoying sunshine and beautiful vistas, waitresing, taking care of an annoying cat, furling sails, hauling on ropes, dropping anchor, coiling muddy chain, driving by marine compass, keeping two hour anchor watches and four to six hour sailing watches, spewing my guts out, wearing the same uniform for days, adjusting harnesses, learning knots, and vacuuming.
To expand a bit on that, I've somehow managed to survive the first month aboard the Windeward Bound, and in that time I have completed three voyages, from Melbourne to Hobart with radio/tv stars, around the channels around Hobart with high school students, and into protected waters at Port Davey and Recherche Bay. I have scrubbed the boat from stem to stearn, made bed, served four course dinners, and climbed up and down the masts, and more increasingly out onto the various yards to furl and unfurl sails. Mostly it's been fun, great exercise and a hell of a challenge, on its best days, I see amazing landscapes and wildlive (fish, doliphins, seals, jellies etc), the sun is shining, and we're on a fast beam or downwind... on it's worst days, I'm re-polishing the brass or dusting the cabins again after missing a spot the first time... or I'm hanging over the side being ill.
On the seasickness thing though, I'm recovering faster, on the last voyage I had only 5 minutes of feeling unwell before stepping back up on the wheel and steering at 3 am in a 2 meter swell while the paying customers slept...
so it's all good. The voyages were fun and amazing, and now I'm looking forward to settling down a bit for the winter. We did a day-sail charter yesterday, only a 3 hour voyage with 60 rotary club people, so we get to sleep at night and then wake up, clean, sail, clean and then clock off for the evening.
The next two weeks, I've got 2 days off and then the boat is 'up on the slips', so out of the water, with the crew working 12 hour days to clean up the hull and perform massive maintenance. Then it's days sails 4 days a week, cleaning for 1.5 days more, and then 1.5 days off.
This should be good for me, because with less crew ( down to about 4 + captain ), I get to learn/do more. So far, I know bits and pieces, I'm getting a hang for what ropes do what, but realistically I only know what about 50 % of them do, and I"m still learning how to get my balance right on the yards (held up by only your stomach, tip-toes and luck, as you need both hands to tie knots), but I'm getting there. Definatly enjoy it more as I know how to do more!
Anyways, here's some tidbits for your enjoyment:
Photos (with some from Port Davey now) here
Video footage from Hamish and Andy's voyage here (and I'll try to embed it as well below)
Bottom line is, I think I'll stay for now. Am signed up for a Marine firefighting and Sea Evacuation course in May, so I should at least hang around to play in liferafts in a swimming pool. :)
- PHOTOS!!
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- sharl_tn
- March 14th, 16:06
Finally got some photos up:
Have a look at them hereThe computer I was using was crazy slow, so they're a bit out of order, but these are shots from the last two voyages, Melbourne, Hobart
and inbetweens.
Also, went to see the Watchmen, and it was awesome. Really Really Awesome. Which, was of course, a wonderful birthday present to myself.
- 2 weeks of craziness
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- sharl_tn
- March 12th, 20:35
So I finally found an internet cafe!
Which also means that I finally walked within 2 blocks of the boat!
On Saturday (it's Thursday night now), I will have been on board the Windward Bound for two weeks, and honestly it feels like 2 days...It's been pretty 'full on', so much so that I haven't really gotten the shakes from lack of internet until now, when I'm thinking - how long have I been on? There's no timer here, ah well, let's just do the journal thing and get it over with so I can go to bed (it's like 8:30pm and I'm thinking of bed... definiatly been up on late watches lately)
Basically, to explain what's been going on, for a voyage, first we wait for the weather/food/fuel to load/clear, then board passengers, get them safety trained (lifejackets and climbing practice) and then watches start and we're off.
Watches... Oh watches, probably the only part that I'm really having trouble getting used to, the crew and the passengers that are working as crew are divided into 'watches', then they work 4 hours on, 8 hours off basically all day and night.
Watch schedule is as follows:
8am-12pm
12pm-4pm
4-6pm
6-8pm
8pm-12am
12-4am
4-8amSo, with meals and 'cleaning stations' (the boat is cleaned every morning: decks scrubbed, salt rinsed off varnish, brash polished, kitchen and bedrooms cleaned, toilets cleaned, etc), and sleeping, when you're on a voyage, you're pretty much watching for other boats or checking the 'bilges' to make sure we're not sinking, putting up sails or pulling ropes, or you're eating, or you're sleeping.
Not exactly a pleasure cruise, but when you're on watch there's plenty of time to soak up the sun, watch the scenery/wildlife (doliphins mainly), and hang out.... But other than that I've been reduced to catching 2-5 hours of sleep when I can, working, eating then trying again.SOOOOO TIRED somedays, usually when I do the 4-8 watch, which, luckily has only happened twice now.
But yeah, I'm starting to get a sense for what ropes are attached to what pins, where things go, what to hold onto when the boat is moving, and what not to do when the boat is busy... I've been climbing up a few times both on the dock and at sea, which is neat, but it's not really like rock climbing where you can rely on your harness if you get tired... You are wearing one, and you're clipped on to safety lines, but the safety lines are metal (so there's no give if you fall), and spaced at odd and sometimes somewhat long distances (so if you fall, you will probably get hurt, but not die), basically, the rule of thumb is: 'Well, it'd be stupid not to hold on'
But anyways, as mentioned I finally found an internet cafe, and I have some time off this weekend, so I'll get some photos up so you can get an idea of what I'm up to when I am climbing!
In general it's hard work, my muscles are always sending me strongly worded letters, and I'm often tired (and slightly cranky, esp when I've just been woken up for watch), but also, I've seen some really amazing things, and as I get more confident climbing and locating the right ropes, it's becoming really fun/interesting.
I do hate having to be constantly corrected/taught, (it's been a long time since I've started a job where I've literally known almost nothing), but I get over it and remind myself that in the grand scheme, I'm sailing on a Tall Ship, the weather is beautiful, and I know more every day.That's all for now, as mentioned I do have some time off this week, so I'll fill you in a bit more and get some pictures up.
(and apologies as usual for typos and spelling errors, I don't have time to check it with the timer running)
- Survived that one!
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- sharl_tn
- March 9th, 11:43
Have arrived in Hobart safe and sound!
(this will have to be brief, I don't have long on this computer)
Voyage highlights include:
Climbing the mast on a beautiful sunny day with minimal swell...
Watching doliphins play in the green glowing surf the boat creates at four in the morning...
Sailing into Hobart to be met by hundreds of people on the dock, an escort of boats and television cameras...
Hanging out with 'Hamish and Andy' and the 'people's crew'....
Lowlights include:
Finding out that in 7 metre swells in the middle of a squal, that yes, I can get seasick....
holding on for dear life in my bunk in the bow as we battled our way through the aforementioned squall... (loosing our compass to the waves)
working watches round the clock...
In a nutshell, the television show had to make it to Hobart for the Sunday recording of 'Rove', so we had no choice than to risk a crossing of the bass(?) strait (between Australia and Tasmania) during not too ideal conditions... Most of the people on board spent the first couple days huddled on the deck in the rain, or spewing over the side, but in the end, the sun came out, Tasmania came into view and the dolphins and seals and albatrosses guided us into Hobart. So, though I was having scared out of my mind thoughts of calling this whole 'crewing for 6 months thing' off during the storm, I think I'll continue to 'give it a go' for now.
Next voyages - Tuesday March 10 to Thursday March 12 - sail training voyage with some teenagers and two teachers
**then I get 3 days off and can write a bit more**
And have time to wish myself a happy 27th Birthday on Friday the 13th,
and then a 10 day trip to Port Davey and Recherche Bay.
Will update with more when I can, but you can see a whole lot about the voyage here:
Hamish and Andy's website
- Very Quick Update - Running away to sea
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- sharl_tn
- March 2nd, 14:27
Left New Zealand yesterday in the pouring rain, arrived in Melbourne where it's dryer than dry and arrived to the yacht club where I boarded the 'Windward Bound'.
Last night was mostly getting to know the crew, trying to get all my things sorted, and being generally amused by the bunks - I'm in a room with three other girls, and the four beds are piled on top of each other (like 2 bunch beds slammed into an 'L' shape so that the levels alternate in direction, but hung off the walls?) in a space about as big as my bedroom in Wellington was (not huge), with ceilings at about 2.2m.
Pretty comfortable, but that was parked, we'll see how it goes when I'm out to sea :/
As far as today goes, it's getting ready for tomorrow's voyage. The ship has been chartered to take Hamish and Andy (of 'Rove' and I'm told some other show's fame) across to Hobart. They will be filming on the voyage, and there will be a helicopter following us across. Today was mostly prepping for that, getting the beds ready for the 'guests' and their technicians and film crew, and getting all of the actual crew's stuff stowed and tied down, getting me fitted for my uniform/shoes etc, and me reading the 'Standing Orders' manual for most of the day... (I'm still working on getting through this).
Other than that, not much else to update, Melbourne harbour is packed with yachts and dinghys and there's a speedboat championship race today, so we got to see them go out (and the film helicopters to catch the action)... It hasn't really been like 'being transported back in time' in that aspect, in that there's million dollar speed boats on one side and helicopters taking off on the other of the historical wooden boat I'm aboard... But it's still neat. The crew are all really nice (about 12 permanent and voyage on board), and then we'll have 30 people on board for the crossing tomorrow, so that should be interesting.
I'll take pictures when I can, and hopefuly get to spend longer online in Hobart, which will be a few days from now, so I'll know A) whether I get seasick by then and B) whether this was an amazing idea or a crazy one...
Till then
- Let's Go, Challo, Ikimashou, Allons-y, Andiamo!
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- sharl_tn
- February 11th, 13:02
Have y'ever been to sea, me boys?
I have to admit, for the last week or so I've been trying to think of a good metaphor for how my life seems to work.
Is it like a safe cracker, spinning and spinning the dial until it just 'SNAP's into place?
Is it a choose your own adventure book?
Is it like Career's and I keep pulling 'Opportunity Knocks' cards from the deck?
I've had to make so many insane choices over the last few years:
Should I go to Alberta or Boston? New Zealand or India? Toronto or stay home? Yellowknife or Toronto? New Zealand or Australia? Ireland or England? Stay in New Zealand and work or go to Australia and sail aboard a tall ship?
I've been very lucky to keep coming up travel, to have opportunities that appear and hard, but ultimatly enjoyable decisions to make.
I've enjoyed my time in New Zealand, in Ireland, in Rome, in Boston, Europe, India, the Arctic, 'our Nations Capital' (ottawa) and elsewhere, and what better to cap it off with then the chance to run off aboard a tall ship in the south (SOUTH) Pacific for 6 months.
I was offered a position as a deck hand aboard the 'Windward Bound' based out of Hobart, it's a six month spot, volunteer, but food and board is free, gear is provided and training is included... I will meet the boat in Melbourne on the 28th of this month, and then immediatly start crewing on a voyage back to Hobart... then for the next few months I'll be very busy with it being summer, with day trips in the harbour and larger charter and voyages around Tasmania and southern Australia.
Creepily enough, you can view the ship on Google's streetview:
Click Here to See
I'm not sure the exact schedule at this point but I've been told that the boat has been used as a charter for rich people, sail training vessel for youth, movie/television prop and many other hires. The crew is of mixed nationality, and I was told that part of the reason they chose me was because 'Canadian's have been good workers for them in the past'.
But anyways. I have given my notice to my job here, booked my ticket to melbourne, and now it's two weeks of scrambling to get ready (i need to get contacts, figure out what to do with my excess stuff, sell/donate some of the crap in my room, find a new tenant for my flat, etc. etc. etc.), and then I'm off to sail the sea in a tall ship!!
Which has been a goal of mine for a few years now, probably ever since Boston where I started racing in yachts and saw some of the tall ships in the harbour and thought, wouldn't that be an awesome challenge?
In six months I'm aiming to come back to Canada (possibly via wellington to pick up my stuff, and then via Vancouver to check in on Jessie's spawn and certainly via Cambridge/Toronto if any of my possé is still hanging around), but I shall be sure to keep this updated when I can on how this goes. In six months (so around september), I will sure be fitter, sea-worthy and a bit more crazy then I already am, but certainly ready to come back to the land of the North for a while.
And big kudos goes out to anyone who's been involved in getting me sailing over the past while!
This is, perhaps, the inevitable result.
I am nervous, the concept of being out on the open ocean in a boat like this is exciting/nerve inspiring, and I'm sure my muscles will be sending me strongly worded letters for the next little while, but I'm up for an experiential challenge and I think I'll be better off for it.
Either way, here begins the last few weeks on land, and then I'm off!
Let's Go, Challo, Ikimashou, Allons-y, Andiamo!
- Idle thoughts as the Internship begins (officially)
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- sharl_tn
- January 15th, 13:35
I keep intending to post and entry, but then when I go to do it, there's either too much I want to say, or it's such idle wondering that I hesitate to broadcast it, but all the while I've been wanting to write.
I've been meaning to write about my family christmas bonanza in New Zealand, which was awesome, but would take way to long to go through, so I'll just post a link to the photos here.
And I haven't really updated on how life in wellington or the job is going in a while, or new years resolutions, or the various idle thoughts that have been going on, so I'll just sum up the upper levels....
Job continues to be interesting, the only nagging thought is how long is takes to actually become an architect, and how much still there is to learn (at my fastest calculation, I could be an architect in about 2 years, which after 6 years of study and coming up on a year since finishing that makes me wonder if I really understood that it would be a decade long pursuit...! In grade 11 it seemed like such a neat choice). Either way, I'm still happy with the profession as a choice, and so long as I can keep dodging the 'recession' bullet, perhaps I will be fully licensed before I'm 30 (a nice goal, really, and one I'm hoping to stick to). I am now an official Ontario Association of Architects Intern Architect - the degree has been certified and I've paid my dues, but the real question is, WHERE I'll be licensed, a concept that seems to change daily in my mind...
The current top 4 in the 'Hmmm Where should I end up' list are:
1. Boston, Mass., USA
2. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
3. Dublin, Ireland
4. Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
I know, Yellowknife shouldn't even be on there, but for some reason it keeps popping up in my mind with fond memories. (Could be snow-fever, I seem to be missing winter surprisingly........ I think it's mainly because I enjoy wearing layers, and summer doesn't allow for much of that... ha ha.. I know, complaining about having 2 summers in a year, I should just suck it up)
But anyways!
Other than that, the rest of the quick access areas on the top of brain are filled mostly with, 'What will I have for dinner tonight', 'Geez my arms/knees/back/shoulders/neck are killing me after that climb last night', 'Boy I hope the weather stays nice for the weekend when I start my hard-core dinghy sailing', 'Hmm, I wonder if I should look into that flight back to Canada for the summer visit some day soon, and I need to decide when/where to stop on the way/where to end up: wellington.auckland.vancouver.toronto...toronto.sanfran/losangeles.auckland.bris bane/sydney/darwin/????'
and so on.
Also, have started writing for fun again, mostly in journal form (Krisak's writer's craft journals anyone? yup, I still keep a randomness writing journal), so I may start posting some of those blurbs/flists/whatever you may call them.
erin out
- occasionally, on her lunch breaks, she likes to write letters to parliament...
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- sharl_tn
- December 2nd, 2008
So, for those of you who live under rocks, don't follow politics or aren't Canadian, Canada's opposition parties are banding together in an attempt to overthrow the current prime minister and form a new government. No, not with guns blazing, midnight assassinations, etc... but by politely asking the Governor General.
You can read all about it here:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/01/coalition-talks.html
Anyways, occasionally I fell so annoyed/shocked/worried about Canada that I write letters to MPs.... Well actually I've done it once before, when Jean Chrétien was considering involving Canada in the Iraq war. I wrote a strongly worded letter asking that we continue to be known as a country that helps not attacks others, and I can only assume that hundreds of others did to, because a few days later he announced that we weren't going. We would go to Afghanistan, with the more legitimate conflict, etc. etc...
Well today I wrote to Stephan Dion, with a CC'd to Jack Layton.
(Making sure not to mention that I voted Green in the last election)
Why moan and complain when you can at last email the representatives in politics?
At least you tried.
BTW, you can get any current MP's address here.
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Monsieur Dion,My name is Erin Corcoran, and I am a Canadian, currently living abroad, but who voted in Ontario in the recent election. I have been following the news that you have formed a coalition with the NDPs and the Bloc in order to over-throw the current Harper government with great interest and some concern.
Though I did not and have never supported the conservatives in the past, I have come to respect the fact that they have been able to steer the country fairly well through the last few years, even despite the recent economic downturn.
I am a great supporter of the idea of minority government, where one party needs to work with the other parties in order to govern. However, if this minority is not allowed to even try to function, the whole process is defeated, and the average Canadian’s issues are ignored in the face of political maneuvering.
Though your new government would be a joining of two parties, I am very worried that there is more in it for the Liberals and the NDP than for Canada. You will get to be Prime Minister, the NDP will hold positions in cabinet, and the true business of running the country will be pushed aside for another few crucial months at a time when action dearly needs to be taken regarding the economy.
I do not fully agree with the conservative’s current plan for the economy, but I also don’t believe that bail-out deals have worked elsewhere. The $30 Billion you are offering will involve a loan, in an economic situation that was caused by gratuitous debt creation. Canada needs a new solution, and it needs the efforts of all of its political parties WORKING TOGETHER to get there.
I respect you as a public figure, and I believe your election promise to examine possible solutions for the economy was a good one. Canada needs a solution for Canada, and throwing money at floundering industries, such as automotive sectors is not a real solution, it is a stop-gap that has no sustainable future. A bailout is not the answer, innovative new thinking is: New industries, Green industries, Canadian products for Canadians made by Canadians, etc.
In summary, I have voiced my concerns, and I urge you to behave in a manner that befits the Liberal party and Canada. Now is not the time to invent new ways to dissolve governments, it is the time to be mature, form a coalition with the whole of parliament, and work together to find new solutions for the economic issues facing the country. As a leader, I believe that you will gain more respect in playing the higher role, by creating a strategy for all the parties to work successfully in the current minority, than by usurping the current and elected Prime Minister.
I pray you will deeply consider this decision and reflect upon the relative advantages to the careers of MPs versus the needs of Canadians.
Thank you for your time,
Erin Corcoran
- And this is why I love cities!
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- sharl_tn
- November 16th, 2008
The best part about living in cities is the infinite possibility of randomness,
the fact that you can walk the same street four times in a day, and have different things pop up...
Or that you can start walking and then run into a parade.
And at first you're thinking, 'why would there be a parade? was there some holiday that I wasn't told about?'
And then you see the elves appraoching from the street beyond and you realize, that even though the sun is shining, even though it's about 20 degrees, and even though they are selling ICE CREAM at regularly spaced intervals along the parade route, that this parade is, without a doubt the 'Santa Claus Parade'. It's that time in November, kids, and Erin, for the second time in three years has accidentally stumbled upon the Santa Claus Parade.
((the last time was the nighttime parade in Cambridge when trying to get back to the greyhound station when all the buses were re-routed))
And once again, she isn't carrying a camera.
But ah well, the children were out in force, with strollers and puppies in tow, the sun was shining, and good cheer was had by all, with guest appearances from dora the explorer, pikachu, shrek, santa, and the creepiest ronald mcdonald I have ever seen on roller skates.
- Video Hello from New Zealand?
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- sharl_tn
- November 8th, 2008
So I own this sweet webcam, and I'm thinking - why have I never used it to record a video???
So I did. It's short and cheesy, but for anyone who's interested, below is a video "hi" from me in New Zealand.
In text based news, if you aren't an impulse clicker, I'm settling in well, keeping busy, sailing, working, climbing, eating, sleeping and doing a bit of travelling, but not too much to say except that the weather is fine, I'm looking forward to seeing my family at christams (and travelling around the north island with them), and life is pretty damn good.
((if the link doesn't work right away, please come back - youtube needs to process it sometimes))
- The new english dictionary...
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- sharl_tn
- October 24th, 2008
Recently aquired wordings:
NZspeak Canadaizienne
"spouting" "Eavestrough, Downspouts"
(also, "Gutters")
"hospital pass" "Delegating" (sarcastically)
"blue stick" "sticky-tack"
"should/could do" "should work" or "Alright, I can do it"
"vivid""Sharpie"
"budgie smugglers" "men's speedo"
- On Linguistics...
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- sharl_tn
- October 18th, 2008
I caught a bit of a documentary the other night on language and the brain, and it showed that humans center all their language learning on the side of the brain which matches their dominant hand... AND... that multi-lingual people stored different languages in different sections of this side... explaining that when sometimes people have brain injurys they revert to their native tongue (as it was backed up away from the damage)...
Anyways, so it had me thinking of my penchance for picking up accents, twists of phrase, and bits and pieces of other languages (I'll not be so bold as to say that I'm multi-lingual, or even bi-lingual (my french is TERRIBLE)), but if I were get hit in the head and loose my english, would all that I'd be left with be a pile of strange bits of other cultures??
And regarding english especially, I find myself with an annoying thesaurus in my head that bounces between Canadian/American/British/Irish/New Zealand terms and phrases and spellings... to the point that sometimes I guess using a term from another place and end up with blank stares in the wrong location...
With English, for example:
Exclamations, such as 'sweet' or 'awesome' or 'nice' could become 'chance' or 'fantastic' or 'choice'
Thanking, from 'Thanks' or 'Thank you' to 'Cheers', 'Ta', or 'No worries'
Answering a phone from, 'Hello' to 'Hey', "Hey-ya' or 'KiaOra' (not forgetting of course, 'Allo', 'Moshi Moshi' or 'Ne-how' that my brain occasionally thinks of when I pick up a reciever, though I would never use it aloud)
And sighs of exasperation, from 'seriously?', 'huh', 'aye-ya', 'ah cha'....
Or 'Let's Go' to 'Ike-Ma-Shou', 'Allons-y', 'Challo', 'C'mon' or 'andiamo'
I suppose the underlying question of all of this traveling, is that I'm carrying home linguistic souveniers that seem to pop up at the strangest times, usually when I'm thinking about things, or searching for the right word, I'll scan through the shrapnel of other cultures to find the most appropriate piece.
It's an odd sort of adaption that is probably not really useful for any purpose other than travelling, but I do enjoy it when its randomness pops up in my day to day.....
(Though most of my day to days in the last little while have had Canadian English being the odd one.... and usually architectural terminology)
- Stretch out and Get comfortable!
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- sharl_tn
- October 15th, 2008
My job has been extended into January!
I can get comfortable in Wellington for a while and make some cash!
(though now I really do have to get my ass in gear to start the ball rolling on my intern registration)
Coles Notes Updates for the last little while:
Last weekend, got to sail both days, two different boats AND helming opportunities!
Weather is finally getting warmer (18 degree sunny days the last few days)
it takes 30 minutes to walk to work down the hill in the morning, and and hour to walk back up (though I'm only done that once, thank god)
New camera rocks.
Had an 'offer' to publish my thesis from a german publisher...
(not as great as it sounds, they are more of a print on demand operation and less 'official' but it would get me an ISBN and worldwide amazon listings... probably going to wait on it until I have a chance to try thinking about real publishing)
And, with the weight of possibly having no job in a couple of weeks off my shoulders I can finally think like I'm going to be in wellington for a while. Which is awesome. Just awesome.
and poor poor elizabeth may... and stephan.... but I'm happy for another majority government, maybe they can make it seriously work this time.
