Tuesday, September 09, 2003

Well, yes sir, I'd love to buy some paperclips...

I am back in Toronto and last week was very, very boring. I didn't get any jobs, which maybe isn't a surprise since it was a four day week (or not, who knows). However, this gave me more than enough time to spend reading (a good thing) while my gran constantly queried me about food. I kid you not, she came down one evening just before 11 pm to ask if I wanted anything to eat! She tries to cook me elaborate breakfasts each morning, instead of my toast or cereal. Funny thing is, or ironic thing, when I do eat, it's always meat! And as you all know, I am not a big meat eater at all-however, I feel that I can't really complain...

Dinners out with Fran and Vanessa saved me from a meat overload and death by boredom. And then on Saturday I went down to the Cabbagetown Festival. On my way, I happened upon a parade of Christians (it turns out that Chinese Christian Canadians say no to redefining marriage...). I managed to miss all of the events, so I just wandered down parliament street and people watched. There was a lady pushing a very overweight dog (Pekinese I think) in a child's stroller. And I had no idea how bizarre it looks when parrots eat things. Sunday my aunt and cousin, Alannah who's 5, came over and I got to play an elaborate game of restaurant where all you can eat is food from McDonald's.

Come Monday morning, I had a one day temp assignment (it has now managed to last until at least tomorrow so far). And, the guy is a prick. Possibly this isn't helped by the dental work he had done yesterday, but he was annoying to begin with. He asked about my accent, I said I had been living in Scotland. He said that he had been to Scotland, didn't like it, and didn't know why they bothered. To exist apparently. He is a big NDP supporter (lefty political group, for all you non Canadians) and so that has made his conversations interesting, but he also believes that everyone is stupid and EVERYTHING annoys this man.

Plus, the job is stupid, I have no idea why I am there. All I do is type out his emails while he dictates. Oh, and I check them and read them out to him too. I have also edited two documents-I print out things someone else has done before, he edits, I retype. And I do a lot of sitting around, while he talks on the phone, stares into space, wanders randomly out of the room. I thought maybe he couldn't type, but he did today while looking up things to do with his diner's club account, and I found out that he used to do computer programming... I can't figure out why I am paid to do things he can do himself. Except that he is the chairperson of the company-maybe I'm paid to make him feel more important? By sitting there uselessly until he wants me to type him an email??? Today I hit a new low, however, when I was sent out to buy a box of 100 paperclips. And reminded not to forget to bring him the receipt. Possibly the only good point is that I haven't yet been asked to make the coffee. Today he pointed out that over half of all people you meet are below average... I don't think I was meant to take that personally.

Tomorrow is only a half day, thank god, since I have an interview with another agency in the afternoon. The one I am with now is ok, but the pay isn't great and I keep being assigned one day jobs-I would rather do something slightly longer-even a week would be preferable. Ah, the life of a temp.

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