"Magical Blog"

This post is dedicated to George, Olivia and Elly.

Tonight after work Olivia and George and myself sat down to watch a film. We decided on "Easy A" and if you haven't watched it it's formatted in like a video blog. For some reason George asked me if I had a blog; I learned from Olive Pendergast's mistake and confessed that yes I do have one. Before I knew it "Easy A" was forgotten and they were reading my blog-start to finish. George was jealous that he hadn't made it yet so implored me to write this so he could read about himself. So this is really for George Mann, the slurring* English man who lives down my hall.

Before we started the film Olivia (who has just moved into our section coz we're all awesome and is Elly's new roomie) was locked out. We thought at first she was confusing her keys, then that she wasn't  holding the door handle just right (her door it turns out is quite temperamental) but we couldn't open it no matter how many different angels the handle was held-or how hard George ran into the door. We took shelter in George's room listening to Ben Howard until Security Ben came down the hall and saved the day letting us in with his master key. (There you go Olivia, you just need to get a master key and all your problems will be solved.)

They now want me to write about our awesome day yesterday. Sadly, George doesn't make this entry as he was too cool to hang with us. But anyway, after work Olivia, Elly and I went to Becky's for a movie night; it was Iron Man, and the recording cut out just as Jedediah was about to attack Pepper-talk about a cliff-hanger. Once we were all tucked up in bed someone checked aurorawatch which is the website every looks at to see the likelihood of the Northern Lights appearing that night. Yeah. (George's input right there.) It was 91% so we all leap up, chucked jackets and boots on and went out to have a looksie. We could just see the faint green glow from them and got so excited that we started to hike up Wawa. We don't know exactly how tall it is but it's steep and we (numpdies we are) decided to go up the black run. It was quite icy underfoot and thankfully we didn't slide all the way back down. It took probably half an hour to reach the top and by that time the clouds had blown over and we couldn't see the lights anymore. So we sat on the chair that was conveniently perched at the lift and ate chocolate somewhere in the degree of minus teens. Going back down was quicker but scarier as the moon was covered and it felt like your feet were going to slip out from under you and you'd barrel down to the bottom. So Becky, Axel and Olivia got out plastic bags that Axel randomly had in his pockets and slid down on them. Elly and I walked down like goobers.

In the morning we girls jumped on the gondola and caught the bus into Banff. After breakfast at Toulooloo's we traversed the 10km out of Banff to Norquay in yet another bus. There was quite a crew from work there; Security Matt, Rob, Alan, Alex, Ally, Elly, Olivia, Rachel, Becky, Elena and I. We shredded for a while and then headed to tubing where the guys throwing us down the tracks guessed we were work. When we asked why they said it was because we were a large group-it was like being a homeschooler all over again.

Once we left Norquay and reached Banff we checked into our hotel and blobbed until eight. Dinner at Chili's, more hotel blobbing and then clubbing summed up the night. Getting to bed at half two with a half six wake up with a full days work ahead wasn't so exciting but we managed.

And that brings you to Olivia being locked out.

Thanks goes to George's Toronto's Maple Leafs hat which I wore while writing this; and his broad music genre playlist.

*I caught up with George one morning last week while out boarding on Wolverine park and as we were conversing on the way up the lift the subject of accents came up. He joined the club of people who think we say our I's and E's funny and I retaliated by saying his accent sounds slow and mumbling. He laughed and agreed, saying he's been told that he talks really slowly and people fall asleep before he finishes his sentences. (Ohk, I added that last part-but it's a good description!) It's safe to say George will never be a rapper.

George is buggin me to finish so he can read this so I'll stop typing now. Hope this was everything you thought it would be George.

This is The Hat.

More Oddities

This is another post full of catch-up information.

On the 23rd of January I went with some workmates on my first trip to another resort-Lake Louise. It was all our day off so Olivia, Michelle, Sarah and I caught the morning bus from Banff to Lake Louise. With working at the resort I'm at we get to ride there for free and as it's not even an hour trip it was well worth it; bluebird day and a little sprinkling of powder. Woop-woop! It was one of those days where you know that you have improved since first arriving in Canada and I got a complement that made my day; Sarah said I was quite good. (I'm not but it's far lovelier to hear that then that you're terrible and should quit, am I right?) That evening at Trappers was a themed party - Thrift Shop Formal. It was interesting to see how people interpreted that title..some wore horrid old style bridesmaid dress types and others wore a mash-up of tragic clothing articles that probably should have been binned not op-shopped. But it was a good night and entertaining seeing everyones outfits.

This is me at Lake Louise with one of the cool ice sculptures.

With Housekeeping we've been pooling all the tips we find which makes things a lot fairer in this unfair world. The money has been going into the piggy bank but the food, alcohol and other random articles that get left behind get divvied at the end of every day. We've also had the occasional day when Alan the Maintenance man buys us hot chocolates from the hotel cafe, Java Lift and we all sit around in a room (check out, not stay over) and have us a little break. Generally someones found food so we crack that out too. I can't tell you the amount of times we've had these raging parties.. ;) (You might be interested to know that the most common tips are small change, alcohol and three bananas. Honestly, we've found a three banana tip an uncanny amount of times. But we likes it. Free bananas! Who wouldn't love that right?) Anyway, the other Friday we divided the money, finally managed to organise a cover for the late house person shift and went into Banff for our Christmas Work dinner. (Yes, our Christmas work do was in late January but that's how we roll..) It was really fun to get out all together and have a chill meal. And the fact that we were using our tips to pay was the best part - no dipping into our thin pay checks!

My second trip to another resort was to Big White back in British Columbia on the 4th-6th of February.  I went with my rookie Jess and some workmates, Becky, Adam and Elly. To sum the trip up quickly it involved getting on the coach after work at 17:30, a 7 hour trip (with a half hour break in the middle), some sleep in a hostel, riding for two days, getting back on the coach and arriving back in Banff at 2. We didn't get into our beds in the hostel until 3 and with having to get up at 6 for the bus at 7 so we could get back up the mountain for work at 9..I don't think I need to tell you just how tired we were/how long that shift felt. Anyway. It was so cold while we were at Big White! We had to stop every couple of hours to go and warm up as we were literally chilled to the core. I have never had to use toe or hand warmers but we used them both days. And I have never been quiet so sick as I was nearly the whole trip. I've never been able to shake my cold since moving here but I'd had the flu the week before and still wasn't quite over it. But the first day of boarding when I was in the washroom getting ready I got pins and needles in both of my lower arms, then lost feeling in them, my hands clawed up, I felt like I was going to pass out and vomit and my hearing went all cloudy. I freaked out a little and just cried out to God asking Him for help and I gradually gained normalness. I still went out boarding but I called it a day in the mid afternoon and went to bed for two hours before heading out for some dinner and giant jenga. That evening I managed to finally purchase some flu medicine and after taking those I've finally shook the flu but this cold is still hanging around. The second day of boarding (armed with my flu pills) was a lot better and I did my first tree run. That was probably the highlight of my day.

Left to right: me, Elly, Adam and Becky at Big White.

On the 11th of February Becky and I did a First Aid course so I am now qualified up to Level C CPR..so you're safe in my hands..for the next three years.

I've just been on my third trip out and this one was to Panorama on the 13th of February with Reneé and Azarlia. It's about a 2 and a half bus journey and as it was only a day trip and we had to be back by 17:00 for the last gondola we didn't get too long to ride but it was still a good time. I was offered a job there too and decided to turn it down for my current job so I was interested to see what I had refused. Pano has some long runs, like you have to catch three long chair lifts to get to the top and it's an age before you make it back to the bottom. There was heaps of pow as they had just had a dumping so that was fun and also horrible as it had been so long since we'd ridden in powder we'd forgotten you had to ride differently. But once we adjusted our riding style we were sweet.

Reneé and I at Panorama.

And that's about it. I'm off to another resort tomorrow for Becky's birthday. I'll let you know how Norquay goes soon(ish).

For A Realist I'm Pretty Pessimistic

Just as a heads up, you probably won't want to read this entry-it's all complaints and negative thoughts.

I'd been warned that there would be a time where I got tired of being here and would wish to be home but I'd shrugged it off and thought that couldn't possibly happen in my dream land Canada but: that time has come. Gone are my plans to extend my visa for another year and gone is my enthusiasm to be here. I think it's partly to do with coming out of what they call the "honeymoon phase" and constantly being in various stages of sickness but it's mostly because I really don't enjoy my job and I spend all my time working at that job and hardly ever boarding. I tried really hard at the start to overlook all the downs and try keep the positives in focus but there are precious few positives left.

In New Zealand there is the good old She'll Be Right attitude, where we fix something with number 8 wire and duct tape and just get the job done. Here though the She'll Be Right attitude is completely different. Nothing gets fixed or ordered on time and no one cares how that can effect your job/the guests stay. And it seems like there is no use of those good old qualities Initiative and Common Sense.

When we arrived we were told that we were here to have a good time; after all it's a working holiday right? Wrong. For housekeepers anyway. We are the only department on hill that doesn't get ride breaks or shifts that give us time to board so consequently we only get to ride on our days off. And seeing as we work in the hotel and when the snow is good more people come we only get one day a week (sometimes even up to every eight/nine days) off. It's all very disheartening when everyone is talking about how they've boarded every day of the week and are really improved and you haven't improved much at all because you're stuck indoors nine to four thirty-ish working. Take it from me: housekeeping is the worst career ever. I would never have chosen to work in housekeeping back home full time as I really detest it yet here I am doing just that; it's starting to look like I came to Canada to clean rooms when I was meant to come to board. And more and more I feel like I'll need a long holiday as soon as this "working holiday"is over; it's wearing me out (mentally and physically).

It's just gotten on top of me this past week and needless to say I haven't been in the best frame of mind. I just feel like giving up and going home but each time I think that I remind myself there's snow outside and I'll eventually get out there and enjoy it. Little by little though that reminder is losing it's weight.

I've had friends ask me about the possibility of changing departments but the other supervisors don't want to touch a housekeeper-it's like we've got the plague or something. That makes trying for anything new extremely difficult. Also seeing as we are at our full capacity staff-wise there are precious little jobs going.

It's also hard as after a none-stop busy time since opening in mid-November we started to drop in bookings for a few weeks in mid-January and they told us that our hours were going to drop to three working days a week as a result. I was the only one thrilled to hear it as it meant four days to board a week. By the time they implemented it though our bookings were heading back up so we only had that wonderful freedom for about a week. The brief taste I got of what we really came for (in case you hadn't realised, I'm talking about boarding) has made this second dry patch far harder to take.

So in short, I'm starting to dislike Canada. Never thought I'd say that but there it is.

(I first posted this on the 17th and looking back on it it's quite negative so I'll try end this on a better note.) It's not all bad; some days are good, don't get me wrong. Everyone's in a good mood, all the work gets done smoothly and at the end of the day you actually find yourself liking life and enjoying your work and the team you're with. It would be nice though if there were more of those sorts of days.