Well I learned that working from 7am-3pm means a very very long 5.5 hour morning! I now know to buy 4 things for working in the fish house- very thick socks, very strong lotion, a snack and a water bottle. When we arrive @ 7am we take about 100 pounds of fish and thaw them in cold water, put on gloves and then sort through every fish and check that they are good enough for the animals and then put them in buckets according to size. This is quite a challenge when you are barely conscious.
Needless to say, all three interns were a bit slow at fish sorting this morning-I dropped about half of the fish I sorter on the floor because they are so slippery. After this we assemble food buckets for each marine mammal in the aquarium for the entire day. Then we clean. a lot.
This is why I need lotion, my hands are sooo dry from scrubbing everything that comes into the room and then the entire room itself (its stainless steel and concrete) twice a day. Doing all this (and other random things I've forgotten) takes about 5 hours, and you often forget to eat/drink because it's so busy and hectic in the kitchen- so I will have to buy a water bottle tonight so I don't pass out tomorrow. We also have some pretty intense combination combat/rubber boots that definitely need to be matched with thick socks, but on the plus side you can literally kick a brick wall and not feel a thing!
Hmmm, one last thing I can remember- we did sea otter enrichment, which was really fun. We dropped frozen toys into their enclosures and watched the otters try to get food out etc. The otters are adorable and surprisingly strong. They're about the size of Zoey and they look like giant teddy bears, it's really hard not to pet them!
All and all, a great second day!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Work
Today was my first day at Vancouver Aquarium! It went really well, very hectic and busy- but everyone was incredbily nice. We got very dorky uniforms that consist of boardshorts, navy shirts that say 'intern', a Vancouver aquarium baseball cap, and water sandals called Keens.
After I changed we got a tour of the entire facility we'll be working in and met all the animals. Then I got to 'pet' Imaq the beluga for a while and feed him, which was amazing. For the next couple weeks I have grunt work- fish house duty from 7am to 3pm for at least 3 weeks. But after that we get to start going to training sessions w/ the trainer and eventually even training ourselves.
I'm really excited for the rest of the summer, especially because a baby whale is due at the aquarium any day any now! Now I just have to find a young, hip and cool group of friends to hang out with on the weekends.
After I changed we got a tour of the entire facility we'll be working in and met all the animals. Then I got to 'pet' Imaq the beluga for a while and feed him, which was amazing. For the next couple weeks I have grunt work- fish house duty from 7am to 3pm for at least 3 weeks. But after that we get to start going to training sessions w/ the trainer and eventually even training ourselves.
I'm really excited for the rest of the summer, especially because a baby whale is due at the aquarium any day any now! Now I just have to find a young, hip and cool group of friends to hang out with on the weekends.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
I went to visit my new home (for two months anyways) and the area is amazing! The apartment building I'm in is kind of Dundee-esque. It is literally in the middle of a little park plaza area where there are lots of different flowers and trees and bench areas, even some pretty little water statues etc. About 3 blocks from this is a dog park and kids' playground which are both really nicely maintained and designed. I'll definitely be visiting the dog park when I get homesick. (see previous blog for evidence of absurd abundance of dogs everywhere). And my fave part: the beach is a mere 6 blocks away- it took me about 10 minutes to walk there. The 'city' part of Vancouver- shopping, buildings, business- is also about 10 minutes away the other direction, which is good news for grocery shopping.
If you are bored and care to google maps (I know the only people who will do this are my grandparents and Meredith if she's really bored @ work) I live here:
1185 Haro StreetVancouver, BCV6E 1E3
I spent about 4 hours walking around the little park/beach/seafront area and I'll try to post some pictures soon. It seems pretty safe, so I may start jogging there in the mornings- there were about a million runners there all day long.
On another note I'm quickly realizing the perils of being alone (aka currently friendless) in a new city:
1. You spend more money because you don't have human company to distract you (ie movies, coffee)
2. People think you are weird because you overhear their conversations and inadvertently laugh out loud
3. People think you are weird because you make funny faces at their babies to get them to laugh when you're bored but then the parents see you and think you're going to kidnap their kid or something
4. People think you are weird because you are blogging alone in a coffee shop on a Saturday night
5. You are willing to talk to old falafel shop owners even when they are really weird because they're amusing
5. You actually watch the NBA playoff games all the way through, get really involved and secretly resent the 12 year old next to you rooting for the Lakers, especially when Carmelo Anthony fouls out with 37.1 seconds left in a 3-point game. (h8u Kobe)
6. You watch Behind Enemy Lines and miss Action Movie Thursday at Pomona
7. You have a lot of fun doing whatever you please and not caring about what anyone else wants to do
If you are bored and care to google maps (I know the only people who will do this are my grandparents and Meredith if she's really bored @ work) I live here:
1185 Haro StreetVancouver, BCV6E 1E3
I spent about 4 hours walking around the little park/beach/seafront area and I'll try to post some pictures soon. It seems pretty safe, so I may start jogging there in the mornings- there were about a million runners there all day long.
On another note I'm quickly realizing the perils of being alone (aka currently friendless) in a new city:
1. You spend more money because you don't have human company to distract you (ie movies, coffee)
2. People think you are weird because you overhear their conversations and inadvertently laugh out loud
3. People think you are weird because you make funny faces at their babies to get them to laugh when you're bored but then the parents see you and think you're going to kidnap their kid or something
4. People think you are weird because you are blogging alone in a coffee shop on a Saturday night
5. You are willing to talk to old falafel shop owners even when they are really weird because they're amusing
5. You actually watch the NBA playoff games all the way through, get really involved and secretly resent the 12 year old next to you rooting for the Lakers, especially when Carmelo Anthony fouls out with 37.1 seconds left in a 3-point game. (h8u Kobe)
6. You watch Behind Enemy Lines and miss Action Movie Thursday at Pomona
7. You have a lot of fun doing whatever you please and not caring about what anyone else wants to do
Vancouver: Beginnings
Well I arrived in Vancouver with an interesting start. I got off the plane in a HUGE airport complete with ponds and a waterfall between the escalators, which seems promising. Then I got to customs and foolishly decided to tell the truth. I was then informed of a competition clause in the working laws of beautiful Canada. Apparently even an unpaid internship can be taking away a job from a Canadian…so the customs girl told me I had to get a work visa. After freaking out for about 2 minutes she then decided to tell me that it was okay because I was a US citizen and could apply for one at the point of entry. Aka I didn’t have to go all the way back home that night.
After waiting 20 minutes for my bag because the baggage cart was broken I finally headed to ‘intense customs for bad people who can’t make it through normal people customs’. The guy working there asked for proof of my internship. Oops no I don’t have a printed letter, it is on my computer only. Oops my computer is out of battery because I let it die on the airplane because I was at a really good part of “Behind Enemy Lines.” Um well my charger is a replacement charger so it kind of freezes my computer when I plug it in……Sooo….10 awkward minutes later when my computer started the guy glanced at it said ‘OK, oh thanks, you’re fine, bye good luck w/ your internship’. Then I got out of there quick because why let them change their minds? (By the way those 10 minutes were passed by him searching my bag…w/ all my underwear thrown in on top because I packed it at the last minute…oh yea and my mint tea from CHRISTIAN, thanks for almost getting me arrested, which he thought was drugs for like 30 seconds until he smelled it. )
So work visa free I entered Canada land! I could smell the ocean as soon as I stepped outside, because the airport is on a little island off of Vancouver. My airport shuttle came right away and took me to the airport- and here I am! All in all after a brief bump, the summer is off to a great start!
Day 1:
I checked out of my hotel and went out to adventure in Canada-land. At 64 degrees and sunny I was pretty pumped to explore. I walked around for about 2 hours people watching and have made a list of things I like about Canada:
1.EVERYONE has a cute dog. Really, everyone it was disgusting. Sabelow, you would have hated the joy the puppies were bringing to everyone around.
2.There are lots of trees
3.People are terrible drivers but they yield to pedestrians
4.Ocean! Beaches!
5.Really good little walking trails
6.Lots of coffee places
7.Lots of different accents
8.People care about soccer
9.Great taste in music: when I was put on hold over the phone TLC ‘waterfalls’ was played. I have also heard RENT, Natural Woman, Death Cab, Sea of Love, Simon and Garfunkel, etc
After contemplating these niceities I realized @ 3pm that I had not eaten in 20 hours. So I walked some more and looked for food. I chose falafels for 4.25, what a deal. The guy proceeded to tell me he was going to go make me fresh falafels so I sat and watched the Toronto v New England soccer match for 15 minutes. The Revolution lost to Toronto for the first time ever. Big ouch on Memorial Day weekend, eh?
Then 2 old Turkish?/Armenian? guys who worked there started talking to me. First they asked me if I was Mexican. I professed my American-ness and they seemed happy… I said I was really liking Vancouver and they said “Well Vancouver likes you too. We like the Americans here.” Uh thanks… Then I had to tell them what had happened in the game and then they asked me what my background was… I said I was from the Midwest and had 2 brothers. They cleared up that they meant ethnicity. Aha, now I see why they were guessing Mexican, they were confused because every white person in this wilderness is blonde and pale. I said Greek and Irish (I like to hide the fact that I am descended from the evil German empire when I can) which seemed another right answer. Then I was admonished that I should speak Greek and that I should tell my father that he hadn’t been strict enough and that he should have made me go to Greek school because it’s a good language. Um. After declaring that I had a pretty name and that I had to come back throughtout the whole summer to see them and that they would give me a free falafel when I came back tomorrow, I left.
Well, Vancouver sure is hospitable... And that falafel was pretty good.
After waiting 20 minutes for my bag because the baggage cart was broken I finally headed to ‘intense customs for bad people who can’t make it through normal people customs’. The guy working there asked for proof of my internship. Oops no I don’t have a printed letter, it is on my computer only. Oops my computer is out of battery because I let it die on the airplane because I was at a really good part of “Behind Enemy Lines.” Um well my charger is a replacement charger so it kind of freezes my computer when I plug it in……Sooo….10 awkward minutes later when my computer started the guy glanced at it said ‘OK, oh thanks, you’re fine, bye good luck w/ your internship’. Then I got out of there quick because why let them change their minds? (By the way those 10 minutes were passed by him searching my bag…w/ all my underwear thrown in on top because I packed it at the last minute…oh yea and my mint tea from CHRISTIAN, thanks for almost getting me arrested, which he thought was drugs for like 30 seconds until he smelled it. )
So work visa free I entered Canada land! I could smell the ocean as soon as I stepped outside, because the airport is on a little island off of Vancouver. My airport shuttle came right away and took me to the airport- and here I am! All in all after a brief bump, the summer is off to a great start!
Day 1:
I checked out of my hotel and went out to adventure in Canada-land. At 64 degrees and sunny I was pretty pumped to explore. I walked around for about 2 hours people watching and have made a list of things I like about Canada:
1.EVERYONE has a cute dog. Really, everyone it was disgusting. Sabelow, you would have hated the joy the puppies were bringing to everyone around.
2.There are lots of trees
3.People are terrible drivers but they yield to pedestrians
4.Ocean! Beaches!
5.Really good little walking trails
6.Lots of coffee places
7.Lots of different accents
8.People care about soccer
9.Great taste in music: when I was put on hold over the phone TLC ‘waterfalls’ was played. I have also heard RENT, Natural Woman, Death Cab, Sea of Love, Simon and Garfunkel, etc
After contemplating these niceities I realized @ 3pm that I had not eaten in 20 hours. So I walked some more and looked for food. I chose falafels for 4.25, what a deal. The guy proceeded to tell me he was going to go make me fresh falafels so I sat and watched the Toronto v New England soccer match for 15 minutes. The Revolution lost to Toronto for the first time ever. Big ouch on Memorial Day weekend, eh?
Then 2 old Turkish?/Armenian? guys who worked there started talking to me. First they asked me if I was Mexican. I professed my American-ness and they seemed happy… I said I was really liking Vancouver and they said “Well Vancouver likes you too. We like the Americans here.” Uh thanks… Then I had to tell them what had happened in the game and then they asked me what my background was… I said I was from the Midwest and had 2 brothers. They cleared up that they meant ethnicity. Aha, now I see why they were guessing Mexican, they were confused because every white person in this wilderness is blonde and pale. I said Greek and Irish (I like to hide the fact that I am descended from the evil German empire when I can) which seemed another right answer. Then I was admonished that I should speak Greek and that I should tell my father that he hadn’t been strict enough and that he should have made me go to Greek school because it’s a good language. Um. After declaring that I had a pretty name and that I had to come back throughtout the whole summer to see them and that they would give me a free falafel when I came back tomorrow, I left.
Well, Vancouver sure is hospitable... And that falafel was pretty good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)