I be Moving, Again!

Big news! Sometime next month I'll be moving to Banff, Alberta for an unknown period of time. I announced it on my Facebook and on Twitter earlier, but here's a bit more info.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Banff, it's a resort town located within Banff National Park in Canada's Rocky Mountains. The service population is largely transient, like other resort towns in Canada, with a large number of Aussies and Kiwis on work visas.

I'll be there a little more long term, at least a full year. I've decided to take a gap year and work at the Gap (HAH), which has hired me on as the new logistics manager. Basically that means I'll be in charge of receiving shipments, keeping a clean and organized stockroom, and getting new merchandise onto the sales floor. Behind the scenes stuff.

Suffice to say, I'm stoked!

Banff will be an interesting change of pace for me, as it's a much smaller town than Victoria or Kelowna. I'm talking less than 8000 people. That, and it's located inside the national park. I have to get special permission from the federal government to live there. It's serious business.

Anyway, just wanted to keep people updated!

photos by MarilynJane, afagen, and letsgoeverywhere

Happy Canada Day!

It's Canada Day! Happy birthday to my favourite country, the true north strong and free. I'll be spending much of the day in downtown Victoria, watching the live music, sampling all the food, and then settling down for the evening fireworks. A great way to end my holiday weekend at home.


That's all I've got for this post. I may or may not have a Music Monday for you tomorrow, as I'll be on the road most of the day. One might appear in the evening, possibly a sample of the roadtrip soundtrack. Wish me safe travels!

photo by BrittneyBush

Done Done Done

So I've finished all my courses and papers and exams now. In just under two months the University of British Columbia will hand me my very expensive piece of paper, proclaiming to the world that I have been transformed from Jordan Rockerbie to the new and improved Jordan Rockerbie, B.A.

Uhm, now what?

Well, I've got no real answers to that one. According to CanadianBusiness.com I'm a part of the lucky generation with the least job prospects and highest unemployment rate in Canada since 1976 when someone decided to start making statistics on it. Hurrah?

So I'm staying at the slightly above minimum wage retail job that I've had for five years and looking for other things to fill the gap. And not the income gap, but the experience gap. I'm also a part of the generation that has seen the highest ever Masters programme enrolment (and will therefore likely have the most student debt of any generation). So in order to get ahead, I have the joy of trying to network my way into volunteer or unpaid positions in my actual field of study. Again, hurrah.

So, uh, let's just say that the future holds absolutely no certainty at this point. For me and all the other graduates in the last few years. Canada, I hope you have some sort of plan up your sleeves to deal with us before everyone with an education up and leaves. Aieah.

National Day in Singapore, Video

There's only so much I can convey with words. Here's a video of the finale, which i did not see from my vantage point across the bay. Apparently the fireworks were actually in sync with the sing along! So watch the video below and pretend you're in the Lion City.

video by 154media

National Day in Singapore

I was lucky enough to be in Singapore as the country celebrated 46 years of independence. It's still quite a young country, and that youthful enthusiasm showed on August 9th.
I started the day off watching the culmination of a week-long NUS "Rag and Flag" event, which saw each faculty put together floats and performances. Now, when I say performance, I mean they had choreographed dances and show gymnastics. People were being thrown into the air and flipping. Human pyramids were being assembled. Everyone seems to know hip-hop.

When the Rag and Flag was finished, the National Day Parade began, and was streamed live to our screen across the bay. It started with an extremely corny, scripted demonstration of Singapore's military, and slowly became a military parade, and then, well, I'm not sure what it became next.
"Parade" might be the wrong word to describe the events that happened that night. The only thing I can compare it to is the opening ceremonies of any Olympic games. They had actors and actresses, sing alongs, performers, costumes, and a story line with set acts!

Of course, at the finish of the parade/performance/whatever there was a massive fireworks display and light show. It was like nothing I have ever seen before, as the fireworks are set off in the bay among all the towering glass buildings as well as from the tops of the buildings themselves. Factor in the reflection from the water and the glass and you've got quite the rad display.
All in all, a very different form of celebration than I partook in for Canada Day.

first and third photos by Randy-Tan, second photo by Shutter wide shut