Feeling a bit worn out

Woofing is tiring. It'd be really nice to get some paid work, at least something indoors. Getting a place to live and a job would allow me to build up a social life here which is the only thing I really feel I lack at the moment. Woofing means my status is always somewhat transient, it's a bit like backpacking but you meet fewer people.

I think mentally I wasn't in a good place when I first got here, I didn't adjust very well to life on the road at first, and I definitely had to eat some humble pie and face the reality of what my employment situation would be like. I knew this before I came but I think the reality took a while to sink in.

I think at the moment my attitude is I really don't give a fuck if I get work here or not, I've done almost everything I wanted to do in BC and if I get a job that's great, but I don't want to piss away the rest of my money trying to find work here. The time spent not earning money is the only thing that concerns me, only because of the cost of living is so high here.

I'd much rather spend it seeing California and Mexico. That's how I feel about the whole thing now anyway. I think I care less and less about having to go back to Australia, if I did I'm sure I'd have enough money left over to move to Melbourne and I know enough people there I'm sure I could get design work (would actually have a chance at finding work instead of battling against this Canadians before foreigners headache).

The way I see it now is woofing allows me to stretch my money further and gives me the flexibility to move around, and that's good enough for me at this stage.

Will be interesting to see where I end up in 3 months time. I think in retrospect a job placement would have been really good when I arrived. It would have given me the stability and peace of mind I needed when I first arrived, it also would have saved me some cash even if it cost an extra $500 through the agency.

5 Things I learned from Commando (1985)

1. If you are Arnie bullets bounce off/miraculously miss you
2. Jumping shirtless through glass windows or smashing them with bare fists never results in any cuts or gashes
3. All bad guys have handlebar moustaches and have terrible aim
4. Machine guns have infinite bullets, handguns run out of ammo just in time for fistycuffs
5.The most effective way not to be seen is to run around with no shirt on wearing body paint firing a machine gun wildly

Things I've done so far

1. Worked on an organic vineyard
2. Went to a Canadian rodeo
3. Stayed in a log cabin near a lake, saw mounted animals
4. Drove a tractor, lawn mower, and ATV
5. Saw Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Kelowna
6. Saw a bear in the wild
7. Went to a bar where you throw the peanut shells on the ground
8. Hitch hiked to San Francisco
more to come later

Currently woofing on a vineyard

Interesting and good experience, but I need to figure out what I'm doing next :)

6 Annoying things about Canada

1. Probably the only continent that doesn't use the far superior metric system. Oh and measurements vary too (US vs Canadian gallon) and they sometimes decide to use metric just for kicks. There are also 2 differnt kinds of pints. Make up your fucking mind Canada, either use metric or don't.
2. Many people here don't 'get' dry/sarcastic humor or irony.
3. They have their own 'special' paper system (I think the people who came up with it were a bit special). Hey let's ignore the beautiful ISO 216 based on the fibonnaci sequence the rest of the world uses and implement parochial archaic measurement systems.
4. The hidden cost of everything, no wonder people hate advertisers. Coffee is 1.60 + gst + pst + tip = 2.10 = Fucking bullshit.
5. Tipping, it's bullshit plain and simple. Tipping means more attractive employees (particularly attractive females) will get earn more money, additionally it also means employers can weasel out of paying people a proper wage and results in passive aggressive behaviour when you don't tip (or don't tip much). Personally I think it's kind of retarded to let customers evaluate wait staff on their service and pay them accordingly.
6. High cost of living, comically low wages. Minimum wage in Vancouver (one of the most expensive cities in the world) is 8.00 an hour. How the fuck does the government and more importantly the people allow this to be so?

Feeling a bit foolish

well well well...
Not really getting any response to my job applications, pretty disheartening given I've applied for so many. I've tried varying my application and targeting it more specifically to each advertisement, so we'll see if that brings any results.
Anyway Canadian clothing stores have a pretty shitty range and I'm finding it hard to buy interview clothes that don't look completely ridiculous, let's just say the clothes here tend to be ill fitting, baggy and conservative. Might try another mall tomorrow to get a decent shirt and a pair of pants, belt and shoes.
Once I get that sorted I really need to start canvassing for jobs to get some money coming in, the other alternative at least for the short term is wwoofing.
To be honest it's a bit frustrating just how retarded the job situation and recruitment process is here, there have definitely been moments where I felt like chucking it all in and going home to Australia.

Rockies

Just got back from the rockies, it may in fact be the most beautiful place in the world, at least what I have seen.
Currently at the Samesun on Granville st, it's kind of shit but was cheap after the moose tour. Think I might check into something quieter in a day or two, maybe after I get my SIN number and Canadian Sim card in town I might go to the HI in Jericho Beach for a bit of quiet and apply for share houses and jobs.
All in all having a good time, weird moving around so much though.