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Monday, September 11th, 2006
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10:30 pm - On Respect, and a change in the seasons
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In the last two weeks my life has suddenly been –once more—drastically altered. Since July I had been working at The Chai, and for the most part this was a constructive experience for me. I had quite a lot more responsibility then I had a previous jobs, this made me feel like I was being challenged (I really like feeling challenged I have realized), I also had access to wonderful free food, and I was able to face and dissipate some of my subconscious racial profiling which plagues my mind. Although the job did completely decimate my social life for most of the summer, on the whole I found it a constructive and worthwhile experience. But alas, life is all about change isn’t it?
I had know from the start that the manager of East is East had some issues, especially with guys. I took the job expecting this, and wishing to somehow change her views through my actions. This I did with flying colors (or so I thought). I worked hard and well, I was reliable, and I learned very fast. For anyone who knows me, my interactions with the opposite sex are so respectful when it comes to their personal space that I’m sure it seems unnervingly asexual. So, this being said, I imagined that the manager would end up having a fairly good impression of me, especially when I heard that she said “Nick makes my life so much easier”.
This may have been true at first, but over the last month I had apparently developed some kind of stigma. Now I have dealt with a lot of crappy ass managers in the past with weird mood swings and unfair opinions of their employees, and this would not normally have bother me so much, but this was a different situation.
Over the summer I had worked along side only one other –much more experienced employee— person in the restaurant. There were times when we were so busy that we would not stop moving. This is not because the restaurant was overly busy, but because we were understaffed and it was an extremely stressful job for only two people. Nonetheless I chugged along through summer with Rebecca at my side sometimes dealing with some unimaginably stupid shit. I had felt like I had earned my stripes, like I was an important part of the restaurant, like I was doing a good job., and I was treated like this for the most part.
This all changed in the last two weeks though, because of two different events. The first was that my good friend Kass –who I have known for 5 years and has stuck with me through the seven levels of teenage hell – was having a going away party, and I arranged to leave early (which means 10:00, not so early), this was relatively ok, but I did feel a little shit beginning to build. The next weekend I –god for bid—took Friday off because I had a concert (Of Montreal) I had bought a ticket for two months ago, and I’m not sure, but I think this is what tipped the bought.
It seemed that Our Royal Majesty (my manager) did not take kindly to people not putting their 8 dollar an hour job at the front of their priorities, and the next day came in I began to experience something that did not amuse me, it is called resentment. I started hearing from the employees that she had begun to continuously badmouth me. Saying that I should “start working harder” or “shape up” or else something along those lines.
This would not usually bother so much as it did this, but there was something deeply different about this situation: I HAD BEEN WORKING MY FUCKING ASS OFF FOR TWO MONTHS AND SHE HAS THE ODASSITY TO PULL THIS SHIT!
In that weekend I felt more anger then I had felt in ages, I was drunk with anger, I could hardly concentrate at time. I have never felt so under appreciated in my life!
Do you know what I did? I called her and said “Hi, I quit” and she was like “why?” and I said “because I like to feel respected at a job, I do not feel respected, so you can take me off the schedule because I’m not coming in any more, bye” and hung up.
….It was awesome.
Now I am at school, I’m learning all the time, suddenly I have a social life again, I just saw the Dalai Lama, and my peace of mind continues to develop. So life is good right now, and that’s all I have to say…
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| Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
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3:48 pm - Fun time at the fireworks...
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| Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006
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12:07 pm
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| Saturday, July 22nd, 2006
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12:06 am - I am now officially a picture poster!!
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| Thursday, July 13th, 2006
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11:44 am
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I was just reading some conservative blog websites and puking all over my self when I realized that I don't have enough knowledge of GOOD political blogging websites.
Does anyone know of any good political blogging websites that are the least delusional? I most likely want to find something more on the left side of the political spectrum, as I am decidedly more left the right, but I do not want some crazy left wing blog either (sometimes they can be worse then the crazy conservatives).
If anybody can help me that would be great.
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(4 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, June 30th, 2006
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10:39 am
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So I just put the song I recorded in Montreal with Cory on my space:
myspace.com/nickvalleemusic
You should check it out. it's pretty good for writing it in a day and recording it on the same one. It feels very strange listening to my self...but It's kind of cool at the same time.
Listen to it and tell me what you think...
I have an interview at Soup etc. on Broadway today at 12:00
Going to critical mass later
later later I'm going to The Wink, which will be awesome I'm sure.
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Monday, June 26th, 2006
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6:21 pm
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| Sunday, June 11th, 2006
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5:51 pm
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I spent the last weekend in Quebec city.
It started with me driving down there on friday night with friends from the program. Julie(a girl from Edmonton) navigated us through probably one of the most overtly dangerous drives I had experienced in a long time (ex. going at 110 KM through dense fog, and passing very large trucks on two lane roads), nonetheless we got to our destination: Unvisersity of Lavalle. I ended up seeing my friend Sasha from school the moment I stepped in to the place, which was a little strange considering I`m so far away from home. We then checked into our dorm rooms, which at Lavalle are fairly gloomy. Apres that we began to drink like fishes...and that`s basically when my story ends. The only other thing I have to say is that it`s amazing what you will agreeably dance to when ridiculously intoxicated, and that experiencing the morning after, always makes being ridiculously intoxicated not so worth it...yay dry heaving!!!
Once I had miraculously recovered on Saturday morning we all went out for breakfast at Touti Fruiti`s, which was a magical place with piles of fruit and rediculously friendly staff. The lady who served us was probably one of the nicest people I had ever met. After breakfest I walked around the city with Ben(I will be posting pictures of all these people when I get home) in pouring rain. Did anyone know how beautiful Quebec City is???? I had no idea, it`s such an amazing city, I was trés impressed avec the place.
That evening, because I had been so sick from the night before, I decided to not drink, but I still decided to go out (well, I kind of had no choice, I was sharing a room and there was one key)and watch all my friends get rediculously drunk, like....tro drunk! I cannot express how immensely disturbing it was to regard human beings injesting that much alcohol, especialy in such a sober state.
Anouther incredibly bizarre thing (if not some what unnerving) is experiencing a very large packed, chochi club completely sober...I felt both amazed and sick at the same time. In my professional opinion, I would say that night clubs are one of the most fascinating human instatutuions that exist. There is such an intense blend of technology, and raw natural stupidity. I had reasantly began to absolutely detest night clubs and other related things, but I have began to be more interested in them then anything else. This is also reflexive of my general attitude toward all things in the world these days. My general attitude toward life for, oh i don't know, the last 15 years has been fairly negative. Even when I was young I had always criticized what I had seen around more, if it wasn't main stream education it was the human races nack for destroying nature, if it wasn`t our world's governments general contempt for democracy and liberal thought, it was people`s neverending quest to fulfill some sort of out of sight goal that they`re ego has set out for them. Anyway, redardless of what it was, or is for that matter, I am always generally critical of the human society, to an extent that I sometimes feel separate from everybody else on this earth. I don`t know if it some form of extreme idealism, or just extreme anger, but I know that it has to stop, because if it doesn`t I wil be an incredibly misurable person until the day I die...
So, I`m going to try accepting things from now on instead of rejecting them. My radical yet reactionary attitude is just going to either make me either go insane or go postal...
On a lighter note! I enjoyed Quebec and I have one more week of French Camp! I'm looking forward to coming home...
As usual, excuse my spelling, it`s horrible when I`m free writing...
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(6 comments | comment on this)
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| Saturday, June 3rd, 2006
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4:58 pm
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Well, I`m havin a great time here. I find it hard to actually talk too much about what is actually happening. I tend get bored with regurgitating information like that.
I like to talk more about how I`m feeling.
Intensive social atmospheres always have a strong, long lasting affect on the way I see my self and others. My emotions are so intense in the first place, but when I am subject to an environment they become extremely explosive at times. I will go into deep deep lows, and high highs, revolations, and mental defeats. Sometimes I will become rediculously insecure, at other times I will feel at peace with the world around me.
The most important thing about these five weeks is perhaps not learning French, but learning one more important lesson about how to be a better person, a person that I am more confortable being. One of the most important steps in this lessons is acceptance of many many things, mostly imperfection.
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(3 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, May 24th, 2006
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4:14 pm
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Well, Jonquiere has been an insanely interesting experience so far. My French has improved 10 fold (conversational) and my ability to detect people`s presence has improved 20 fold (if they catch you speaking English you will be expelled after five warnings).
I have been thinking a lot about the place I situate my self when a social network develops. I have realized that I am very much a drifter when I am faced with a situation where I have to deal with many many people in a small amount of time, like school.
My pattern usually consists of getting people to think I`m cool and then moving on to a new group of people. Once they are also convinced, I will once more move to a new group of people. This has two affects: One, I don`t really making any close friends because I am too busy drifting, and Two, sometimes people are kind of confused about why I have stopped hanging out with them as much and they take it the wrong way and then ignore me. It`s not that I`m bored of them, I just have a problem with making friends.
This might explain the way I usually socialize at home (a lot of acquaintences and then one or two friends that I hang on for deal life to, but eventually, these good friends also turn to acquaintences...).
I don`t really know if there is a solution, or if it is just the way I am. Maybe I should try to concsiously focus on one group for a longer period of time.
Life`s weird ya know that? Well, you probably do. You probably also know how beautiful it is in it absolute bizarre-ness....
It`s been raining an cold here....getitng better today though.
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| Monday, May 15th, 2006
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11:20 am - Bonjour tout les monde, je suis dans Janquire
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Although I did not receive the level of enthusiasm I was wishing for at the knowledge of my return, I will still post because I like writing what I`m doing, and at least of few people are reading my journal. That`s all that matters really.
Montreal was great. It was good to see Cory and Logan, they`re such nice people, and it sucks that they to not live in Van. This disappointment may be remedied some time under a year because I think I will be transferring to perhaps Concordia or Mcgill (yes, I may be moving to Montreal). The 10 days I spent there will for sure have a lasting impression on my mind. It just felt like home to me. My dad wasn`t supprised.
This weekend was pretty low key, we watched a lot of movies and played music.
One thing was different about this weekend, it was marked with a truly significant event; I wrote a song in the span of 3 hours and recorded it the next day with Cory.
So two things happens,(1)I finished a song AND did it in record time, and (2) I actually recorded it. This is the first time that I have recorded evidence that I can actually play, and finish a song. Truly momentous.
Does anyone know that best way to upload music onto the internet? I`m utterly hopeless with these things, and I`de like to share my song with everybody.
I arrived a Jonquire yesterday, and man is this going to be intense.
I live in residence, I feel like a frat boy. I also feel like an exchange student, for the first time I know what it`s like to feel strangely out of place in a school situation.
Sadly I am not a Japanese exchange student, I am just a boring Anglo-Phone.
This is going to be an interesting couple weeks...
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(10 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, May 12th, 2006
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10:31 am
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Well, my livejournal personna is once more complete now that I have a deep and thoughtful picture of me, although I admit it lacks a caption taken from some song.
Went to see Pony Up! last night (http://www.myspace.com/iheartponyup), and they were cute. We hung out with Persia's friend LP, he's a cool guy.
I love how I have spent more nights in this city going to shows then not, that says something about the music scene here: It's booming, and cheap.
Persia's leaving today to go back to Van, I'm staying for anouther two days and then I take a but up to Jonquire where I attempt to get speak French for five weeks straight....dear god....that's going to be difficult.
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(3 comments | comment on this)
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| Thursday, May 11th, 2006
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11:42 am - The Second Coming.
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After months of going underground, I am once more a livejournal.
Recap of the last few months:
-Dominated by school (with good results)
-Lots of embarrassing situations with imatures (mentally) and lesbians
-New friends for new reasons
-coming toghether with old friends for news reasons
-dumbing old friends for new reasons
-working at a coffee shop, which has turned me into a coffee fiend
I am now in Montreal with Persia staying at Cory's and I love this city. I intend to come back for much later on for longer.
In about three days I will be going up to Jonquire (or Bumfuck nowhere Quebec, depending on how you pronounce it) to learn friench at the financial expense of the government. Rock on.
For everyone that I have talked to in ages....what's up?
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(7 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, December 19th, 2005
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6:33 pm - A follow up to my last post.
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| Friday, December 16th, 2005
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11:09 pm - The Election
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| Thursday, December 15th, 2005
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12:20 am
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So, Ziggy's little shpeal has made me decide not to destroy my journal. There are people here that are far away that I would like to know about, which I know I will not e-mail (because I'm lame). So I'm going to keep my journal.
Instead I made a very drastic reduction in my friends list. I now only have about a quarter of the friends I once had. I may have accidently deleted someone who I actaully want to read about, so if you notice that I have taken you off, and am actually my friend, tell me, and I will probably add you back. I'll probably be flattered that you read my journal. However, if your someone I don't know, although I may find you interesting, I don't know you, and I probably never will.
This journal is REALLY friends only now. Like only my real friends, and perhaps a few desired aqaintences.
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(7 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, December 14th, 2005
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5:02 pm
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Hey everybody,
The age of livejournal has come to a close for me. I wil be erasing this in a day or two.
So, if anybody would like to keep in touch er somethin', you can e-mail me, or call me. Anyway, my e-mail is in my info.
see yall later.
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(6 comments | comment on this)
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| Thursday, December 1st, 2005
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10:46 am
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*mumble mumble mumble* REVELUSION!!!!! DE FRANCAIS!!!!!!!!!!!! REVELUSION!!!! *mumble mumble mumble*
My life has been been completely filled up to the brim with groups of violent poor people.
There is nothing else....only DEATH FAMINE AIDS CHILD SOLDIERS SUICIDE BOMBERS AND ZIONISTS!!
VIVA LA REVOLUSION!!! VIVA LA FRANCE!!!
OH GOD, I'm tired.
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Thursday, November 17th, 2005
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10:05 am
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I find it actually quite rediculous that I have only reasantly started listening to Death Cab, because it's the kind of music that I would think I would have been listening to for years...If that makes sense...Their really great by the way, I'm kind of bummed I missed them in concert.
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(comment on this)
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9:11 am
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Well, I AM sick now, I was really sick yesterday, it's a little better now. Term paper due today on Voltaire, had to write the rest of it high on tylonol and ready to puke. I'm going to proof read it now and I'm scared of what I'm going to find.
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(comment on this)
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thenic's journal
