and even more exploring
saw my dad off to toronto on thursday, which was kind of a strange experience. on the one hand we had definitely had enough of each other, but on the other hand i kind of miss him. now i'm left to my own devices.
so i've actually gotten a lot done in the past couple of days.
[1] i had a pseudo job interview with the test prep company that i worked for in vancouver, and they'll take me on here. because i was hired in such a hurry in vancouver, i got the abridged version of training, and so they'll do the real thing for me here. which is fine, because i'll get paid for it, and it might be useful. they're also making me take a diagnostic test to prove that i know my stuff well enough to teach the subject areas that i claim i can (general and organic chemistry). but the subject breakdown on the actual exam lumps general chemistry with physics (which i like enough, but am seriously out of practice with), and puts organic chemistry with biology (ick). since it's been a while, i'm studying up on the general chemistry, and maybe i'll do a crash course in physics and biology while i'm at it. i think i also have to do a diagnostic in verbal reasoning, which will be interesting.
[2] i have been exploring the city, specifically the parts that aren't downtown. i checked out westboro on friday, which is sort of a chichi, upper-middle-class part of town. there's sort of an antique row (a la main street), and then a fantastic thrift store where i bought laidler & meiser's physical chemistry for one freaking dollar, and several blocks of high end bakeries. i checked out the bakeries, collected business cards, and am getting the resume all shined up and ready.
i also found a decent consignment store, kind of like front before they expanded. despite my somewhat dire financial situation, i couldn't turn down a graphic polka dot printed jersey dress from tristan & america, for $32. i figure i can use it for teaching, and go out to dinner in it, so it really is quite a versatile piece and therefore a necessary purchase. heh.
[3] went to old ottawa today, which is more antiques and consignment stores. there's a phase 2 there, but it's pricey and not all that good. however, i did pick up a button down shirt for $15 at a consignment store across the street, so that's good. also, i found a fancy cake shop that looks interesting. i wandered to what appeared to be the end of the shopping district, only to be informed later that had i gone two stores down, i would have found an industrial kitchen supply store. oh well. i guess i'll save that for another day.
observations about ottawa
[1] there are lots of goth kids, mostly centred around the downtown core. i'm not sure whether there were the same number/proportion of goth kids in vancouver and i just happened to not hang out in goth-friendly areas (where would that be, anyway? the area around the lotus hotel?) or whether there just weren't that many goths. there is a goth store in the rideau centre, similar to hot topic in bellis fair.
[2] there are a lot of hippies here. and i'm saying this as someone who comes from vancouver, home of hemp-underwear-wearing, granola-eating, pot-smoking, tree-hugging hippies. i can't find a single store that does artisan bread (like terra breads or pan chancho) but i can point out a dozen that do spelt flour whole wheat half rye organic everything bread. there are several vegan restaurants, flyers for the raw food movement...
it's kind of strange because i am used to being the environmental, socially-conscious, tree-hugging west-coast hippie. i buy fair-trade coffee, recycle as much as possible, and try not to shop at wal-mart. then i get here and one of my roommates is a vegan wannabe yoga instructor who works for a union, protests wars, receives activist flyers, and buys organic everything. suddenly i'm the flaky materialistic one. which is fine by me, just kind of strange.
first day of school tomorrow, and i am nervous. i saw a commercial for gordon ramsay's kitchen nightmares the other day, and almost shat my pants.
also, i keep seeing and hearing the word "fabulous" everywhere.
EDIT: my roommate is so fucking high right now and therefore is a good source of entertainment. as long as he doesn't burn the house down making his fricking "tofu scramble".
so i've actually gotten a lot done in the past couple of days.
[1] i had a pseudo job interview with the test prep company that i worked for in vancouver, and they'll take me on here. because i was hired in such a hurry in vancouver, i got the abridged version of training, and so they'll do the real thing for me here. which is fine, because i'll get paid for it, and it might be useful. they're also making me take a diagnostic test to prove that i know my stuff well enough to teach the subject areas that i claim i can (general and organic chemistry). but the subject breakdown on the actual exam lumps general chemistry with physics (which i like enough, but am seriously out of practice with), and puts organic chemistry with biology (ick). since it's been a while, i'm studying up on the general chemistry, and maybe i'll do a crash course in physics and biology while i'm at it. i think i also have to do a diagnostic in verbal reasoning, which will be interesting.
[2] i have been exploring the city, specifically the parts that aren't downtown. i checked out westboro on friday, which is sort of a chichi, upper-middle-class part of town. there's sort of an antique row (a la main street), and then a fantastic thrift store where i bought laidler & meiser's physical chemistry for one freaking dollar, and several blocks of high end bakeries. i checked out the bakeries, collected business cards, and am getting the resume all shined up and ready.
i also found a decent consignment store, kind of like front before they expanded. despite my somewhat dire financial situation, i couldn't turn down a graphic polka dot printed jersey dress from tristan & america, for $32. i figure i can use it for teaching, and go out to dinner in it, so it really is quite a versatile piece and therefore a necessary purchase. heh.
[3] went to old ottawa today, which is more antiques and consignment stores. there's a phase 2 there, but it's pricey and not all that good. however, i did pick up a button down shirt for $15 at a consignment store across the street, so that's good. also, i found a fancy cake shop that looks interesting. i wandered to what appeared to be the end of the shopping district, only to be informed later that had i gone two stores down, i would have found an industrial kitchen supply store. oh well. i guess i'll save that for another day.
observations about ottawa
[1] there are lots of goth kids, mostly centred around the downtown core. i'm not sure whether there were the same number/proportion of goth kids in vancouver and i just happened to not hang out in goth-friendly areas (where would that be, anyway? the area around the lotus hotel?) or whether there just weren't that many goths. there is a goth store in the rideau centre, similar to hot topic in bellis fair.
[2] there are a lot of hippies here. and i'm saying this as someone who comes from vancouver, home of hemp-underwear-wearing, granola-eating, pot-smoking, tree-hugging hippies. i can't find a single store that does artisan bread (like terra breads or pan chancho) but i can point out a dozen that do spelt flour whole wheat half rye organic everything bread. there are several vegan restaurants, flyers for the raw food movement...
it's kind of strange because i am used to being the environmental, socially-conscious, tree-hugging west-coast hippie. i buy fair-trade coffee, recycle as much as possible, and try not to shop at wal-mart. then i get here and one of my roommates is a vegan wannabe yoga instructor who works for a union, protests wars, receives activist flyers, and buys organic everything. suddenly i'm the flaky materialistic one. which is fine by me, just kind of strange.
first day of school tomorrow, and i am nervous. i saw a commercial for gordon ramsay's kitchen nightmares the other day, and almost shat my pants.
also, i keep seeing and hearing the word "fabulous" everywhere.
EDIT: my roommate is so fucking high right now and therefore is a good source of entertainment. as long as he doesn't burn the house down making his fricking "tofu scramble".