The last post

I took over the Virtual Soapbox for my travels but I'd now rather see it return to it's original purpose - a place for myself and a few other angry young men to post occasionally re their reflections on the state of the world and whatnot.

I'll be in one place for awhile and I don't think blog entries about me shovelling snow and catching the #4 bus down Whyte Ave are particularly interesting.

over and out

MG

28

TWENTY EIGHT -
by Tim Rogers (of You Am I)
from the album 'What Rhymes With Cars And Girls'

A heaven's to Betsy now we're 28 and what is there to do?
We hardly even talk no more but to you I'll be true
Tell me that you feel the same even though I knew
Everything that you say right before it came from you
Art house movies and flat renovations
Newspaper politic and dinner reservations, oh
And Monday's a wine appreciation course
Talk about the drugs that you just wont touch no more

What a breeze just help me off my knees

Yeah, you met her during happy hour drinks and you kissed her on the cheek
You dreamt she sang like Sandy Denny and smoked like a malle tree
But now you're talking invitations and seating plans and marquees
It sounds real good in Italian but it scares to the teeth
And where're we gonna hide the keys

And you fold your arms behind your back like and old man
And you say you hate that guy but you sure understand him oh
And she's creasing at the mouth just like her old lady
Her sister's picking the names for the babies, oh

What a breeze just help me off my knees

do do do do

Now we're 28 and what is there to do?
We hardly even talk no more but to you I'll be true
To you I'll be true
To you I'll be true
To you I'll be true

Cut!

It's my birthday tomorrow. It's taken me exactly 28 years to finally stumble across a possible social use for myself. It seems I'm talented at extracting money from other people *if*, and only if, it's for bona fide good cause (I was fired from a sales job once because I just didn't care). I've been canvasing for UNICEF at Alberta university and I made a lot of money for them this week. My bright, bubbly supervisor kept trying to make me extravert more to pull people in but she eventually realised I can get people interested in my own way. It's challenging convincing people to part with their money for a cause that's purely in the abstract for them as privileged white westerners. I kinda like it though despite all the constant people contact. It's a good job for me right now while I spend time considering my next move and volunteering at the community radio station.

It's interesting comparing this job with the job i'm struggleing with for extra cash. - selling subscriptions to the local newspaper door to door. It's the perfect job for my musician housemate. He does this 3 hours per day and makes enough money to support his lifestyle and has plenty of time to do his music. It's commision-based but pays remarkably well. I find it tough. It's not as interesting as canvassing for UNICEF because there's not much you can say about a newspaper. Either people want it or they don't. I cringe when I hear the stock phrases 'sorry, I don't read', or 'sorry, I only read the Sun (i.e the crap tabliod rag).' It's also extraordinarily cold trudging the frozen streets at night. So cold infact that my supervior picked me up half-way through my shift last night and warmed me up in the van with a hot chocolate and heat pumped up 100%. Torwards the end I was having trouble spitting out my words 'cause my jaw was tightening up. I'm chalking this one up as character-building!

The good thing about a booming economy is not only the abundence of jobs but opportunties to do other cool things. I did something else I probably wouldn't have done back home - a 3 day acting course. I answered an ad in the paper for a course run by a veteran film director from California. I was skeptical at first and gingerly found a spot at the back of the room on friday night. Even a couple of hours in I was looking to ditch it because the guy came across as a typical hollywood smart-ass with cheesy politically-incorrect jokes flying about. My attitude completely changed over the course of the weekend though as we got into it. It turns out this guy is the only real film director who actually travels around and sussinctly teaches real practical acting skills for the camera.

So it was all highly technical. I've got a new appreciation for film and TV actors. It's bloody complicated memorising lines quickly and being in the exact spots on the floor at the exact time the camera passes over, *and* acting in a natural and non-wooden manner at the same time. Apparently even many experienced actors totally bomb out auditions because they read lines to the camera with very little expression. I had a really great time doing this. I'll probably never use these skills again but the lady who organised the course said I have 'natural comedic timing.'

MG

Halloween

Last night we celebrated Halloween with a get-together/cookup. People were surprised that Australians don't really do anything for Halloween. As my Dad is Canadian, I vaguely recall one year when I was a small child, dressing up to trick-or-treat at the house of one of his work colleagues. We knocked on the front door and our targets were perplexed to find two spooky looking kids and my Dad on their front porch jabbering on about candy. They had no idea what Halloween was!

It was a fantastic atmosphere last night. We carved pumpkins and cooked up a huge feast that pleased the punters. I chatted with some interesting people and had a really great time. I feel very at home here already. We had our first house group meeting this morning to sort out issues and establish systems. Our rent is ridiculously cheap and as long as we're not wasteing too much on food/utilities, everything should be fine.

I'm really keen to get working now. I had my training for Unicef yesterday. I was able to suss out the oranisation a bit more and a few of my concerns were alleviated. The organisation I'm working directly for is an umbrella group that fundraises for many different charaties. They began only a few years ago after some Greenpeace canvasers realised that too much money was being wasted through Greenpeace's direct fundraising methods. I was pleased to see that the philosophy of the organisation is strongly against 'hasseling' people for money. It is person-to-person work but not about a hard sell. I have further training this coming thursday and then start work proper on Monday. I'm trying to get some construction work too 'cause I'd like to work solidly all winter.

My goodness it's cold here. Staying warm is a logistical nightmare. I've realised I need to by a proper pair of winter boots. The gloves I bought are next to useless as well. My big coat is fantastic though as are my standard issue long johns. I have months of this ahead of me and it's only going to get colder. Well if my ancestors could do it, year in year out, I'm damn well going to stick it out.

MG