Work and Relaxation

Work throughout the week was fine, I had:

• Learnt to drive on the right hand side of the road after safety training (Thanks Ron!)
• Learnt more of washed, local weeds, vermicompost and sod (KBG)
• Learnt of other agri-machines (3 wheeled fertilizer, seeder, etc)
• Learnt how to use, maintain and replace a Stihl handheld weed-eater (Thanks Angela!)
• Done a research proposal for soil comparison

Saturday night was fine as well. Aissa, Rustam and I went out to the Cat and Fiddle Pub which was one of the pubs lining a street near Hess. Here, Aissa had a Caesar (a cocktail created and primarily consumed in Canada. It typically contains vodka, Clamato (a proprietary blend of tomato juice and clam broth), hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and is served with ice in a large, celery salt-rimmed glass, typically garnished with a stalk of celery and wedge of lime. From Wikipedia) while Rustam and I shared a pitcher of Canadian (a light lager). Aissa ordered deep-fried pickles too while telling me that we are to save trying poutine for Ottawa.

We shared drinking games, talked about WWII and history education in schools as well as Canada in general.

All in all: AWESOME week!

Greenhorizons Group of Farms Ltd.

First day of work was awesome: I followed Peter Rauwerda, my PIC to the various sod-sites around Hamilton, Ancaster and Fletcher.

Once there, I learnt about the local pests (Japanese beetle larvae and leatherjackets) and viewed first-hand the $400,000 machine called the Autostacker cut sod from the soil and rolled it into carpet-like forms before stacking them onto pallets. It was a great piece of equipment.

The Autostacker - a $ 400 000 behemoth

Leatherjacket: Larvae of the crane fly

Everyone at work was nice. Let me name a few: Judy, Peter, Lori, Paul, Margaret, Tracy, Sandra, Christine, Helen and Steve (Co-owner). Also, as I didn't know that there wasn't any lunch places nearby, I didn't bring my own lunch, so Paul (Advertising) took me to Frankie's Diner where lunch was on the company! Yay!

Cut-and-rolled sod on pallets

Note: I may not post daily of my experiences at work as there are a lot! So I shall update them at proper intervals as I do not have the time to update everyday. My daily schedule IS packed!

Laziness Set In

I don't feel any jet-lag, though I do feel a bit lazy today - so here's a short update :)

Walked to Wal-mart to buy groceries and utensils . Walked back. Journey took 15 minutes each way. Had McDonalds for lunch (Big Xtra).

Prepared for first day of work.

City-wide Tour of Hamilton!

Three people came to see me on this fine Saturday morning: Rustam (LCVP CR), Aissa (LCP) and Koram(? Alumnus). They came around noon and we went for a Canadian breakfast(?). I had two strips of back bacon, 2 pancakes with maple syrup and 2 wieners (sausages). Koram paid for my first meal in Canada (Thanks!) An almunus of AIESEC McMaster, he is now lecturing at McMaster University, his alma mater.

We then headed out to Webster Falls which was a quick hike. I was told that in the winter, when the waterfall froze, people would go waterfall climbing (O.O) but there has to be a sufficient volume of frozen water first.

Hamilton is a beautiful town with a lot of small, quaint houses with no fences around them. I really can't imagine that back in Malaysia. The change I felt the most was in the climate: although the sun was beating down mercilessly, the cold winds kept things under 25°C on most days. I barely broke a sweat.

Next destination was Marks' where I bought my OSHA approved safety boots. At CAD 101.69 (incl tax), this was a steal. It was pretty comfortable too. Next on the list was Limeridge Mall (the largest mall in Hamilton) where I got my Chatr wireless mobile number although I might be considering CityFido in the future. The mobile plans here are a far cry from those available in Malaysia. I actually miss DiGi! People here prefer the monthly unlimited plans. The system here is pretty much a cafeteria-plan system where you choose a basic service and then choose your add-ons which are priced separately.

Teatime was greeted with free Gelatio (courtesy of Rustam - Thanks!) and we proceeded to buy my daily bus tickets before heading back.

All in all, it was a great day and I really did appreciate the company :)

Flight of the Bungle-be - Part II

Brussels was a brisk 21°C when I got off the plane. I miss free Wi-Fi: there was none at the airport. The security check here was standard although I did have to remove my belt to pass through the scanner. So I bungled about again, removing my accessories and digital items to be put on a tray.

Over here I had a layover of 2 hours and since my baggage was checked through, I had a little spare time to roam around and stretch my legs. Nothing much for this leg of the journey: 1 more in-flight movie and I mostly slept on the plane. Upon reaching Toronto though, it was a different matter altogether.

Once I touched down at Pearson International Airport, Toronto, I had to proceed to Immigration to collect my Work Permit. After waiting in line for 75 minutes, I showed the officer my Letter of Introduction (gained through the IEC Application) and the officer asked me a few standard questions before issuing me an open work permit, allowing me to work for any employer within the 6 months I'm in Canada. Did I mention that I have a multiple entry visa as well?

I was greeted by two AIESECers in the area: Emily (from AIESEC York) and Kristina (from AIESEC McGill). They were an extremely jolly bunch and I felt welcomed in this strange land. My contact, Aissa (from AIESEC McMaster), was sick so she had enlisted the two girls' help to receive me at the airport.

The trip to Hamilton only took 45 minutes and upon reaching, my contact there greeted me although both the girls and I had to keep our distance from her. I got a Canadian towel as my welcoming present :)

Aissa gave me a little tour of Hamilton before settling me in at the Mohawk Student Residence. We also went to CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) to open a Chequing Account at a strip mall with a Shopper's Drugmart, Subway, Tim Horton's and Wal-mart nearby.

Flight of the Bungle-be - Part I

The MAS flight was pretty much OK. Service was great, in-flight meal was also better than expected though my luggage could not be checked through by MAS to its final destination. Instead, I had to check out and re-check in again my luggage at Chennai and boy, there were a lot of security checks at that airport.

Luckily, I was assisted by the ground crew for Jet Airways once I was in Chennai. She took care of all the necessary procedures for me as I waited at the transit waiting area. A word of advice: never wear accessories (esp. metal ones) if you could help it. At every security checkpoint, you have to take them out (including any digital devices with you) and put them on the tray.

Chennai International Airport, India

I had at the time: a ring, a bracelet (FusionExcel), my cellphone (Ideos X5), an iPod Touch, my laptop and my necklace (@.@). Imagine me bungling about at every security checkpoint. Why did I say this airport had a lot of security checks? The check mentioned earlier was to enter the waiting area. There was another one before we boarded the plane! This one was even better: we had to take off our shoes for scanning.

After boarding the plane to Brussels, I was surprised with the in-flight entertainment: there were a lot of movies on-board. Since I had not watched a flick recently, I went all out and watched 3 movies over the entire flight with a little shut-eye in between. The meals served and the service itself was excellent as well.

After 10 hours, we touched down at Brussels, Belgium.

Off I Go! (and a sad farewell)

Left for KL Sentral at 6.15 am by cab and took the KLIA Express (RM 35.00). It was worth the price since Boey checked in her luggage and got her boarding pass at KL Sentral itself (no long lines). I was a little unfortunate as my flight was at 9.50pm and couldn't check my luggage until 9.30 am at KLIA. The Express only took 30 minutes.

After sending off Boey to Taiwan at 9.00am :( , I was left to my own devices until 1.30 pm at which I checked into the Airside Transit Hotel (RM 160.00 for 6 hours). International travellers: Make sure you get enough sleep or risk missing your connecting flight if you have to make several transits to reach your destination. I had to make 2 transits: at Chennai, India and Brussels, Belgium.

Lounge at KLIA Airside Transit Hotel

Bedroom - Superior

I purchased my flights through orbitz.com via a very handy website: Hipmunk and my flight were with MAS (Malaysia) and Jet Airways (India).

The hotel is located in the satellite building where my boarding gate was also located. To access this satellite building, you need to take the Aerotrain (FOC) from the main building. Surprisingly, there was also a pocket jungle right in the middle of the building. Once reaching my room at the hotel, I hit the steam bath and sauna, making sure I fully utilize the RM 160.00 spent (T_T).

Aerotrain to the Satellite Building

KLIA Jungle Boardwalk

After dinner, I went to the waiting area for the first leg of the flight.