Culture shock

I have completed four weeks at CLAC. This period of time has simply flown by me. I certainly feel that I have a grip on what happens in the office and for the most part, know who does what. Though I'm nowhere near taking on a union local of my own, I do feel confident that the decision to join CLAC is right.

In addition, the education path I began in May last year has proven to be useful. The Human Resources and Labour Relations path is the one for me. The affirmation I find in the course application to my job is truly remarkable.

What I wonder is, can my current, overwhelming, and inexplicable culture shock to work be the sum total of my decisions since November 2003? The obvious answer is yes. What really boggles my mind is that the entirety of those decisions is truly showing now. My compounded journey wraps up in the reason why I haven't been able to articulate the current pulse of my life. I feel a little sorry for sincere inquiries about my changes of late. I don't have a simple response. Much like that of when one returns from a trip, I simply can't say "Yeah, work is good." Maybe I don't want to have a simple answer. I am in a mental state of culture shock. I feel my work life is asynchronous to my person. Eventually, they'll mesh into one synchronized being. For now, we'll all have to live with the idiosyncracies of them, if you don't mind.

*Note some student nerdyness insight here...
Drawing on my current course learnings, I figure that I'm a radical-pluralist... what's the cause of this conflict (radical theory)? And at the same time... how do I 'lead through the middle' (pluralist)?
- That one's for you, A.

The Academy Awards are upon us. Last year, Angelo and I watched them from a hotel room in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. That was something. Because of the time difference, we had to get up at 6:30 am to catch the live broadcast in Los Angeles 13 hours behind our timezone. We set the alarm and got up, watched the show in our budget room, but it was nice because it was equipped with satellite TV.

This year should be something, especially because Billy Crystal has stepped aside and Chris Rock is stepping in to host. I'm looking forward to that. I truly enjoy Billy as the emcee, but Chris Rock will bust up the scene by picking on movie stars who take themselves a little too seriously.

Here are my Oscar predictions for who will win this year:

Best Picture: The Aviator
*This movie is sooo Oscar. Plus it's a movie about Hollywood - they can do no wrong by Oscar.

Best Director: Martin Scorcese - The Aviator
*It's Marty's turn. He will get it.

Best Actor: Jamie Foxx - Ray
*Fantastic.

Best Actress: Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
*She is the best trash I've ever seen.

Best Supporting Actor: Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
*Always a nominee, never a winner. It's about time and 'Scrap' is the character to claim it.

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
*The most superb depiction of Katherine Hepburn, comparable to... Kate alone.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways
*My favourite movie this year. I truly don't know if I'll ever drink Merlot again. Thanks, Miles.

Best Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind
*It's Charlie Kaufman's first nomination and it should be his first win. The most inventive and amusing and confusing movie I have seen in recent years. Totally worth the scattershot concept and completely tight in terms of continuity. This film is an authentic 21st century love story.

It is important to note that I've seen all of the Best Picture nominees except for Finding Neverland (it just looks so teary-eyed and I don't often feel like intentionally going to a flick to cry). Now, who do I want to win? That is somewhat different than who I believe will win.

Best Picture: Sideways
Best Director: Martin Scorcese - The Aviator
Best Actor: Jamie Foxx - Ray
Best Actress: Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Haden Church - Sideways
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Best Adapted Screenplay: This one's a tie between Sideways and The Motorcycle Diaries
Best Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind

The nominees in the acting categories are notable.
- I love that Don Cheadle is in the Best Actor category. Cheadle has won my heart many times over for his less-than-idyllic roles to date, specifically as Buck Swope (Boogie Nights), Montel the cop (Traffic), and Mouse (Devil in a Blue Dress).

- Kate Winslet is nominate for a fourth time and will be least likely to win in the Best Actress category. Her ability to choose roles about interesting, passionate women is second to none.

- Johnny Depp makes the Best Actor category for the second year straight. It's like he's become the next Sean Penn. Now that Penn has an Oscar, it's time to nominate Depp (but not give it to him) just to see what happens. At least Depp shows up.

- Alan Alda makes the cut and pulls off a bastard of a role. Hawkeye Pierce always steals the show.

- Virginia Madsen is/was the B-movie queen and here she is... legit and beautiful as ever. Who would have thought she could pull herself up from Fire with Fire?

- Natalie Portman makes her Oscar debut. A personal favourite of ours since the flick, Beautiful Girls. Who couldn't love a girl named Marty?

So yeah, I'm finding it harder and harder to post these days. Now, I should let you know that it's not because I don't have anything to say. That is far from true. Really, I have this list of things to blog about. By the time I get to them, I'll be wondering "Where does this go?" and "Why did I think this was interesting?" But, isn't that the beauty of the blog? To blab without consequence (but be open to discussion), be real, and be spontaneous.

Don't give up on me - I'm here, just ruminating. I swear, it'll be interesting.

For the time being, read this article.

In addition to learning a new job, I've begun another AU course - Intro to Industrial Relations. It is not much of a departure from what I'm learning at work, which is good and bad. Good because it helps my understanding of work, facilitates decent discussion on relevant issues, and quickens the pace of my study. Bad because I don't get to leave work-head and, of course the obvious, it's personal time-suck. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying the fresh course and the contents to date.

With regards to work, specifically the study of work (industrial relations) and work culture, here is an interesting quote from the text:

"Theory, then, is not unrelated to the real world: theory and practice cannot be separated. Our actions - and the way we explain or excuse them -are based upon theoretical appraisals of situations, even if we are not aware of them, and so reflect a combination of theory and experience. How people perceive a workplace practice depends upon the views they have of society, their personal experiences, and their values."

I know the above quote isn't mind-boggling, in fact, it is very basic. But, in the same way that it rings true with regards to the conflict-management of various employment relationships, it captures the spirit in which I pontificate (yes, I admit I speak in this fashion) about dreams, values, and subsequent life-altering actions. And why, when one person doesn't find validation in the execution of those dreams and decisions it isn't because the origin of their ideas are wrong. It's because they are based on personal values, which perpetuates the need to deliberately do one's life dreams and/or goals.

So, will the study of Industrial Relations be my solution to the quest of this blog? Hmmm... another post, another time.

I gotta say, what I experienced today was a first. I visited an industrial factory and supported the lead union representative in directing and successfully completing a final offer vote and subsequent strike vote. It's not every day that you get to experience that!? Although, I shouldn't speak so soon, should I?

I had flashes of Norma Rae and On the Waterfront float through my mind, not because of their similarities, rather because the environment was so alien and bizarre. Of course, my mind immediately defaults to familiar movie scenarios, which makes for dynamic and tense scenes in my mind, while I smile and appear together on the outside.

Though I don't have much information about today's scenario to divulge (simply because I'm only beginning to grasp the large task ahead of me in this new career endeavour), I can confidently say that each day is interesting. The work is rarely routine, constantly changes and brings me to the end of the day, in my wee civicwagon, with a lot to digest. For the most part, I like that.

I'm new - which is new - and that's what I know so far.

One final entry about N'awlins...

When we decided to tour New Orleans, Magazine Street was not high on the list. In fact, it wasn't on the list of things to do at all. It turned out to be a surprise adventure as a result of a brief glance at a thick city brochure. Magazine Street delighted my tendency to dive into vintage fashion. The amount of stellar vintage clothing stores, funky independent boutiques, and thematic antique shops that dominate Magazine Street is stunning. We explored the street, which borders the Garden District and parallels St. Charles St., over two different day trips and did not see half of it.

My final highlight would have to be the St. Charles Streetcar. This terrific green machine connected the edge of the French Quarter to the Garden District and beyond. The cars have wooden benches that have adjustable backs that can either face forward, like that of a typical bus, or be pushed so that a party of four can face one another. The fixtures in the streetcars are brass and the push-up windows have pull-down blinds in case the sun is in your eyes. Though it is an obvious tourist attraction, it is still frequented by the locals and makes for a bizarre cultural dynamic since shutters are snapping and newspaper crosswords are being completed synchronously.

You know, getting tickets to the concert of the biggest band in the world is tough. Though my confidence to attain tickets was admittedly overzealous, I cannot believe that I do not have a set of tickets to the two Vancouver U2 concerts in April. I was rip-roaring to go, with sidekicks all over the place. Altogether, eight of us were in a queue at some point, whether it be via phone, ticket-wicket-lottery, or online; and none of us left with a charge on our credit card. Unreal.

U2 is big. What frustrates me is why does everyone else have to know they're so damn cool? Okay, like Bono said, U2 is a corporation - a globally recognized brand. So, what did I expect? I expected a hell of a lot of people to sleep in, that's what.

Well, I get in there somehow. This is the concert tour to attend. I saw them twice before. I caught the ZooTV tour and All That You Can't Leave Behind. They just get better, more energetic, and more dynamic as time goes by. So, I've gotta get in there - snarling, crying, begging, teeth-baring, and with utter resolve to check this one off the list.

My sister, Deanna, has recently begun a blog. It's addictive, you know!
Her blog is titled Life with Ella. Yep, the Ella that accompanied me to my first day of work. Dee's blog is a glimpse into a-day-in-the-life as a new mom. Be sure to keep an eye on LWE, since there is a promise of regular picture posts. Hurrah!