Calgary
Not much to report today but I may as well drone on while I have access to the net here at my aunt's. It's fun!
Long day at the Stampede today - 7am start. We're getting close to opening day and there's still heaps to set up. Our work team's a fine-tuned machine. There's Cole our hard-drinking bean-pole of a supervisor who's working his 9th Stampede in a row. He doesn't stuff around at all. Then there's Aaron the chemical engineering student from somewhere in eastern Canada with the 'Beavis and Butthead' kinda drawl and razor-sharp wit. Big 'Scuba' Steve the ice-hockey player is a real workhorse. The heavy Coke fridges I have to psych myself up into an almost Zen-like trance to lift, he tosses around like play things! There's heaps of lifting in this job and I'm sure I'm working muscles I didn't even know I had.
So the carnys who man the amusement rides started showing up today. And what a sketchy looking bunch! We've received orders to keep everything locked away because last year a bunch of them broke into a drinks fridge. The police found case loads of beer in a carny's trailor, right on Stampede grounds. I saw a bunch of young carns drinking away in their trailor at 3pm this afternoon...
Canadians really are a class act. We had this compulsory orientation session the other day for all temporary staff. It was really comprehensive with two enthusiastic presenters and a multimedia tour and video show on a big screen. They even had an improv comedy duo do a skit to highlight dos and don't for Stampede staff during the festival. I remarked to someone outside how good they were and asked whether they're popular in Canada. He replied 'nah, that's just some guy from one of the kitchens, and I don't know who the other guy is...' Far out, I swear they'd be a good warm-up for Lano and Woodley or the Umbilical Brothers back home.
I'm only beginning to realise how massive the Calgary Stampede really is. My aunt who I'm staying with is a church pastor and she's been telling me how for much of the population it's a really debauched couple of weeks (she's none to impressed with this side of the festival). Divorce rates spike after the Stampede apparantly. People are known to go to lunch at 1pm, have a few drinks and not come back. On the more family-friendly side, each morning there's going to be free pancake breakfasts all over the city. It's a traditional display of 'western hospitality.'
Calgary really is a fascinating place to be in right now because it's a city in transition. I mentioned in previous posts how hot the economy is but how there's literally no accomodation left. Whole famililies are arriving to take up great job opportunites but then turn around and drive right back to where they're from because otherwise they'd be homeless in Calgary. People are making so much $$ here it's ridiculous - those working in oil and gas especially. Also, property speculators are making a killing. House prices have shot up dramatically in the last year. Mix the optimistic populous with the awesome summer weather and the approaching stampede and this place is a hotbed of activity.
I had a chance to get out of town last weekend. I went up to Lake Louise to see the beautiful view of the lake. I think it's regarded as one of the most stunning spots on the planet. You've probably seen pictures of it somewhere. Distractions from tourists aside, staring out at that view you really feel at peace and forget the problems of the world. But then you feel the hot sun beating down and wonder how global warming is wasteing away the big glacier in front of you...!
MG
Long day at the Stampede today - 7am start. We're getting close to opening day and there's still heaps to set up. Our work team's a fine-tuned machine. There's Cole our hard-drinking bean-pole of a supervisor who's working his 9th Stampede in a row. He doesn't stuff around at all. Then there's Aaron the chemical engineering student from somewhere in eastern Canada with the 'Beavis and Butthead' kinda drawl and razor-sharp wit. Big 'Scuba' Steve the ice-hockey player is a real workhorse. The heavy Coke fridges I have to psych myself up into an almost Zen-like trance to lift, he tosses around like play things! There's heaps of lifting in this job and I'm sure I'm working muscles I didn't even know I had.
So the carnys who man the amusement rides started showing up today. And what a sketchy looking bunch! We've received orders to keep everything locked away because last year a bunch of them broke into a drinks fridge. The police found case loads of beer in a carny's trailor, right on Stampede grounds. I saw a bunch of young carns drinking away in their trailor at 3pm this afternoon...
Canadians really are a class act. We had this compulsory orientation session the other day for all temporary staff. It was really comprehensive with two enthusiastic presenters and a multimedia tour and video show on a big screen. They even had an improv comedy duo do a skit to highlight dos and don't for Stampede staff during the festival. I remarked to someone outside how good they were and asked whether they're popular in Canada. He replied 'nah, that's just some guy from one of the kitchens, and I don't know who the other guy is...' Far out, I swear they'd be a good warm-up for Lano and Woodley or the Umbilical Brothers back home.
I'm only beginning to realise how massive the Calgary Stampede really is. My aunt who I'm staying with is a church pastor and she's been telling me how for much of the population it's a really debauched couple of weeks (she's none to impressed with this side of the festival). Divorce rates spike after the Stampede apparantly. People are known to go to lunch at 1pm, have a few drinks and not come back. On the more family-friendly side, each morning there's going to be free pancake breakfasts all over the city. It's a traditional display of 'western hospitality.'
Calgary really is a fascinating place to be in right now because it's a city in transition. I mentioned in previous posts how hot the economy is but how there's literally no accomodation left. Whole famililies are arriving to take up great job opportunites but then turn around and drive right back to where they're from because otherwise they'd be homeless in Calgary. People are making so much $$ here it's ridiculous - those working in oil and gas especially. Also, property speculators are making a killing. House prices have shot up dramatically in the last year. Mix the optimistic populous with the awesome summer weather and the approaching stampede and this place is a hotbed of activity.
I had a chance to get out of town last weekend. I went up to Lake Louise to see the beautiful view of the lake. I think it's regarded as one of the most stunning spots on the planet. You've probably seen pictures of it somewhere. Distractions from tourists aside, staring out at that view you really feel at peace and forget the problems of the world. But then you feel the hot sun beating down and wonder how global warming is wasteing away the big glacier in front of you...!
MG
posted by Matt G at 6:20 PM
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