Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Divorced or Separated

It's kind of confusing some of English words and phrases. I was talking to Bonny today to finding a way to have her as I've recently noticed that she is not with her boyfriend anymore. She told me that her husband is back. They were separated and they are together again. It helped me to understand what the difference is between Divorced and Separated.
You and your spouse are separated when you don't live together anymore but haven't filed a divorce. So what men and women do is they sleep with whoever they want and it's like a break and variety for them. They can get together again and live like they were never split.
But when the couple are divorced it means they are legally broke up and settled down everything. Andrew and his ex-wife's case is an example of divorced couple. He gained his daughter's custody and owes his ex a lot of money. They are both free now! I don't know about Jan but Andrew has a girlfriend now, Michele.

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Flashback (3): Olives

Living together, I mean, with Resurrect, has both bad sides and good sides but whatever it is, it will be over soon because he's going back home. So may be I move out before we get to the deadline which is July the first. I've already talked to my Uzbek friend, The Principal, about his basement. Actually he offered me that. He got a nice big house in south Calgary, in a neighborhood called Queensland or something like that. We only have to agree on the rent and I'll be moving there. He's a great guy and told me that because we were friends it was hard for him to talk about the rent. But have to persuade Resurrect before I do and I don't know what his reaction would be. Last time I talked to him he said he needs 2 weeks notice in advance!
Anyway I was gonna write about one of many funny things that happened a few months ago. He usually goes to Arabs' stores to buy grocery as most of them are his customers. Once he bought a big jar of olive for about $15. The olives looked like they were rotten but he said they were good. He usually eats old food so that didn't bother him. One day after he bought that I came home and saw the jar on the floor of the kitchen where we usually put garbage bags. So I thought he believed that the olives were not edible any more and put them there. Therefore what I did was I threw it out! There's a big trash bin close to the house and I threw it in there!
When he came home, he looked for the jar and didn't find it. Then he asked me if I had seen it and the answer was negative. I don't remember what exactly happened but he went to the bin and took it out! It's a big and tall bin and a person is hardly able to climb up to get in to it. When he came back he was so angry, washed the jar and put it back to his fridge! I was trying to make an excuse but he didn't believe it and said that he didn't wanna talk about that!

Thursday, April 14, 2005

What Have I Done to My Life!!??

I went to my friend's home to help him with the invitation letter for his mother-in-law. W. W., who is called The Principal, as he used to be, is an Uzbek from Afghanistan. He, his wife and his five sons live in a beautiful big house with a large backyard and huge garage for three cars.
He acts like a king at home. Sits on the sofa and orders: Do this, bring that, go that way. Be here and so on. And all his sons and of course his wife just listen and obey. The only thing he doesn't have is a crown. He got five really handsome sons, from age 10 or 11 to 20 something. Just by seeing his life I told me: What have I done to my life?! Many years I was struggling to migrate to Canada. Then I came over and now I'm fighting to get a real career. And then what? Nothing! A big goose egg! No wife, No kid, No career, not even a girlfriend! What the hell am I really doing?!
At least he has his family and his house, although he has to work years to pay it off. I guess that's about $250 K. I think he's gonna go home and sees if he can sell part of his properties in there (if there's anything left) and help his house.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Panel Interview

I attended a panel interview in Black Cat today. They called me and asked me to be there. I rented a KIA from Budget and drove all the way to Edmonton again. But this interview costs me more than $550. I bought a suit, a shirt, tie and shoe from Moorse and the car and gas costs almost $70, may be more.
I should mention here that I'm lucky to be alive now and writing this! As I hate lengthy driving I almost fell sleep for a sec. when I was half a way or less! I suddenly opened my eyes and ... Damn! I'm driving! God! I should have flown!
Four people were in the interview, the Indian guy who has a Ph. D. in Material Science, the Canadian guy who currently holds the position and two other Canadian guys from manufacturing. One prob. the manager and the other one CNC supervisor. (I, then, found out that most of the processes are done by CNC in there). I also was told that there are only two guys left for this position among all who applied. So my chance is 50%.
The interview went well and I guess I answered well to all questions. These are some of the questions they asked:


  • Do you measure the parts yourself or the operator does that? (In the workshop)
  • Tell us a little bit about a typical workday in Takestan as a Quality Engineer.
  • Why should we hire you?
  • Why did you chose Edmonton for employment?
  • What would be the course you like to take?
  • Do you think you should spend your time on the floor or in the office?
And here are my answers to the questions:
  • QC measures the parts. If there are many of them, sampling methods are used, if not 100% inspection is performed. (I think they didn't like my answer 'cause it's not what Lean manufacturing system or TQM says)
  • In Takestan I usu. give everybody's job list the day before. So tomorrow what I usu. do is I am present everywhere in the plant to make sure that everything is being done properly and on time. I assist them and guide them.
  • I have enough experience to handle this job. I'm well educated and I believe that I manage this job very well. I'm energetic and I devote myself to my job.
After that I had a plant tour after the interview. Sean take me and explained the processes. It's an organized small plant with a few machines and few employees. They run the business based on Lean Manufacturing concept. The whole plant is not very bigger than one of Takestan's workshop! All they manufacture is edge blades for earth machines like grader, dozer, excavator and other vehicles like that.
Claudine, the lady in HR accepted me in her office after the tour and asked me about the salary. I told her that I would be OK with company's standard and then she asked if I'm in Edmonton in the next few days and I said now but I'd be right there, if they need me.

Friday, April 08, 2005

Motherf**kers!

I got so angry today. I called damn CH4 and told them I'd be there to get the offer letter and contract before I start my work, this Mon. but they said (after a few phone calls) that they have a meeting on Tue. and they'd call me!
The young pretty girl, Lorene, is the one who usually talks to me and that bitch told me that I could start my job. Now she says they have interviewed another person and they'll give me a call after Tue. Meeting!
So I guess there's a little hope for getting this job now. But Black Cat called me and set a panel Interview for Mon. at 14:00. God! I have to drive all the way up there again and buy a suit too 'cause I just have one and can't wear it twice. Moores is a good choice I guess. I'm gonna buy it Sat. or Sun.
My cousin, N. S., my friend M. M., the very polite and nice guy whom I just met once and Resurrect are the people whom I consulted them and they helped me a lot.

Witness

One of Neverland's security guards testified today that he saw Michael Jackson having oral sex with a young boy. He says he was walking around the ranch one night and saw Jackson and the boy having shower together and then the boy was caressed and kissed by Jackson and finlay the 46-year-old singer performed oral sex. He said he left after noticing that.
It happened in late 1992 or early 1993 and no charges were laid against him on that time as millions of dollars was given to the boy who never helped police in the investigation.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Dynetek and Guardian

The first thing I did today is I went to Dynetek for the interview. The position is a Quality Assurance Coordinator but the company is looking for someone with high qualification in quality, for example Six Sigma, CQE, APQP and FMEA. It's less than 10 min. drive from home! A fantastic building, a gorgeous receptionist and amazing decoration is the fist thing come to attention. A mid-aged guy (Sounds Polish) came for the interview. He's the QC Manager and used to work for Nortel for years and has started here 3 years ago. U see ... A guy with a long background in telecommunication holds a QC management position in a company that manufactures CNG and hydrogen fuel tanks! And this fat body asked if I had any experience in automotive industry. He asked a few more questions and two out of six quality concepts he named, I was totally in the dark about but did well about the other ones. I guess there's not a good chance of getting this position and I didn't like the guy at the beginning. He was unfriendly and so ... I don't know... disappointing! The only good thing about this position is it's close to home.
In the afternoon I went to Guardian, close to Deerfoot Mall for a Quality Control Inspector position interview. There was a little oriental lady, probably from f**king Cambodia or another shity country like that with a funny accent. She told me she has mentioned to the agency that she needs someone who has background in Electronics. But she liked my resume. That was a small workshop with oriental cute chicks mostly, in clean uniforms. everything was organized and tidy. The whole interview took 10 min.

Monday, April 04, 2005

Stettler and Diversfield

I got up early morning and drove to Stettler a small town in the east of Red Deer. I went there for an interview. CH4 Compression Services Ltd. is a recently born company and needs a Quality Control Supervisor. It was right in front of a Wal-Mart but I didn't know that first and when I asked people in McDonald's and Wal-Mart they looked at me with their mouth open wide and eyes open shut!
So I called them and found them myself: Right in front of Wal-Mart building, across the street. There were four people in the room where we all sat and talked. It was a very casual interview. There were nobody from HR who takes notes. The president of the company, a young pretty, blond, blue-eyed girl in pair of jeans, prob. not older than 25, another mid-age guy who I don't know where he is from, just introduced himself and finally another young girl with the same feature but not as pretty as the first one. Not even close! She's the one who runs the quality right now and they want someone to help her.
They want me there and asked me about my wage expectation and I told them that I would call them tomorrow.
When I left Red Deer, took highway 11 to the east and just minutes after driving fog came down and it was really difficult to see ahead. I really could not see more than a few meters in front of me and had to slow down. That was the first time I drove in such a weather and I was a little bit scared. There were also farms everywhere in the way to stettler like anywhere else in Alberta and also a petrochemical in Joffre before I got to highway 12 because that how I drove to Stettler after I left highway 11. I didn't take my camera but the best pictures can be taken it's spring and summer is there.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Michael Jackson Is Being Screwed Up!

Is this all a scenario to make him more popular and famous or he's being screwed really bad? Last time he dangled his infant from a hotel balcony in Germany and made news for magazines, papers, TV channel, etc and no charges put against him. This time seems it's serious, I hope! This is the story:

If you remember accusations put on Michael Jackson almost a year and half ago and for a reason unknown his trail has been postponed till now. He has been to the court in Santa Maria, CA. several times since Jan. and he’s been charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy. It’s said that he used to give kids alcohol in pop cans and show them porn magazines in his ranch, Neverland in CA. A boy’s fingerprint has been found on the magazines. If the allegations are proved, he’ll be sentenced to prison for at least 21 years. Regardless of all this charges against him, the 46-year-old pop singer still has his fans and they all gather outside the court, holding posters and banners to support him. A flight attendant has recently testified that Jackson consumed alcohol in soda cans during his flights. We’ll wait and see what happens to him.
(Photo: Aerial view of Michael Jackson's ranch, Neverland in California. Where is really the ranch!?)

Friday, April 01, 2005

Got Hit By Another One!

I had another message in my phone from Dynetek Industries Ltd. regarding the job I applied last week as a Quality Assurance Coordinator. This is the same position as Black Cat offers but this is in Calgary and close to home. So basically I got four opportunities and three interviews. The last one is the best and I have to get of them! Unfortunately I have a bad cold which started yesterday and I don't spend time to get ready for the interviews. The interview is set for Tue. at 09:00 AM.