The holiday was officially over the minute the West Jet plane touched down in Vancouver - well for the most part anyway. It hit me on Monday that I was ready for a place to call home for a while, so I didn’t really waste much time when it came to settling in. I’m crashing with Elise’s brother Joe until I find a place of my own. I had the address and Joe told me where the key was so I arrived while he was at work and made myself at home. I had two missions: switch my cell number to a Vancouver number and find a gym. The latter wasn’t so important but most have seven day-trials, so while I’m not working I may as well make the most of all my free time.
Now I’ve already harped on about the cell (or wireless as they call it) industry in Canada. My experience on Tuesday only left me further puzzled as to how any companies survive. When I got my number in Ontario, the guy at the Rogers’ office said I would just need to duck into a store in Vancouver and get my number switched to a Vancouver number. Otherwise any calls made from my Ontario number are considered long distance. So I went into the store: “We don’t do that. You need to call *868,” said the woman. I tried that number. Nothing. I went back. “That’s not the right number. You need to call *611,” said one of the guys. This time I just got an automated service but couldn’t speak to anyone. “You need to press 0,” says the same guy. “Or there is another number you can call but that’s not free.” No thanks, I’ll keep with the free number. So pressing 0 doesn’t work but I find more menu options. I get an automated service that informs me I can’t change my number while I’m on the number that I want to change. I explain the situation to the guy in the store. “This is why you should have taken the other number before you ran off.” Thanks for the attitude. I try the number he gives me. It eventually leads to a person who says I can’t change the number while I’m on the number. The woman on the phone gives me another number so I find a payphone and dial that and get it changed. The operator confirms that my balance has carried over, and then I’m good to go. But then I can’t text. I check my balance. It’s $0. I ring back. Another operator changes it over. I still can’t text and ring back. (Each time I ring I have to go through heaps of menu options, then when it asks me to say something I just stay silent, it thinks there is a problem because it can’t hear me and puts me through to an operator) Another operator tells me to take my battery out and wait five minutes while he resets the network. I do that and wait 10 minutes. Still can’t text or receive texts. I ring back. The office is now closed.
To say is was one of the most frustrating experiences in the last few months is an understatement. But when I wake up in the morning, it’s all good. Finally. The next mission is to get them to fix my internet connection so I can use the free data I get with my plan. But I’ve had enough of Rogers for the moment.
Luckily the staff at the gym were lovely and it looks like I’ve found a place to work off all the pastries and ice cream devoured over the last two months. I stopped in at the supermarket and got some stuff for dinner and went back to the house to meet Joe. Any friends of Joe’s who haven’t heard from him (he says he is very slack in keeping in touch) rest assured he’s doing well.
Wednesday was a busy day. One day in and I’ve already got places to be. I had an appointment at the gym at 11 so toddled off to that before heading out to what I hope will be my new job. While I was in Ireland I saw an advertisement for a serving (waitressing) job at a place that serves high teas. It looked like such a great little place I figured I might as well apply. The owner has agreed to meet me on Thursday, but I want to know what I could be getting myself into so I went in for lunch.
The café is in Kerrisdale, about 5km from where I’m staying. I walked most of the way, then caught a bus, then walked a little bit more. The shopping area has a lot of cute homewares stores, bookshops, florists, and of course the usual Starbucks a few hundred metres from each other. The café was delicious and unfortunately made me want the job even more. So here’s hoping tomorrow goes well.
Now I’ve already harped on about the cell (or wireless as they call it) industry in Canada. My experience on Tuesday only left me further puzzled as to how any companies survive. When I got my number in Ontario, the guy at the Rogers’ office said I would just need to duck into a store in Vancouver and get my number switched to a Vancouver number. Otherwise any calls made from my Ontario number are considered long distance. So I went into the store: “We don’t do that. You need to call *868,” said the woman. I tried that number. Nothing. I went back. “That’s not the right number. You need to call *611,” said one of the guys. This time I just got an automated service but couldn’t speak to anyone. “You need to press 0,” says the same guy. “Or there is another number you can call but that’s not free.” No thanks, I’ll keep with the free number. So pressing 0 doesn’t work but I find more menu options. I get an automated service that informs me I can’t change my number while I’m on the number that I want to change. I explain the situation to the guy in the store. “This is why you should have taken the other number before you ran off.” Thanks for the attitude. I try the number he gives me. It eventually leads to a person who says I can’t change the number while I’m on the number. The woman on the phone gives me another number so I find a payphone and dial that and get it changed. The operator confirms that my balance has carried over, and then I’m good to go. But then I can’t text. I check my balance. It’s $0. I ring back. Another operator changes it over. I still can’t text and ring back. (Each time I ring I have to go through heaps of menu options, then when it asks me to say something I just stay silent, it thinks there is a problem because it can’t hear me and puts me through to an operator) Another operator tells me to take my battery out and wait five minutes while he resets the network. I do that and wait 10 minutes. Still can’t text or receive texts. I ring back. The office is now closed.
To say is was one of the most frustrating experiences in the last few months is an understatement. But when I wake up in the morning, it’s all good. Finally. The next mission is to get them to fix my internet connection so I can use the free data I get with my plan. But I’ve had enough of Rogers for the moment.
Luckily the staff at the gym were lovely and it looks like I’ve found a place to work off all the pastries and ice cream devoured over the last two months. I stopped in at the supermarket and got some stuff for dinner and went back to the house to meet Joe. Any friends of Joe’s who haven’t heard from him (he says he is very slack in keeping in touch) rest assured he’s doing well.
Wednesday was a busy day. One day in and I’ve already got places to be. I had an appointment at the gym at 11 so toddled off to that before heading out to what I hope will be my new job. While I was in Ireland I saw an advertisement for a serving (waitressing) job at a place that serves high teas. It looked like such a great little place I figured I might as well apply. The owner has agreed to meet me on Thursday, but I want to know what I could be getting myself into so I went in for lunch.
The café is in Kerrisdale, about 5km from where I’m staying. I walked most of the way, then caught a bus, then walked a little bit more. The shopping area has a lot of cute homewares stores, bookshops, florists, and of course the usual Starbucks a few hundred metres from each other. The café was delicious and unfortunately made me want the job even more. So here’s hoping tomorrow goes well.
Hey megs I thought you were trying to working at another establishment so you could surprise executives who looked over your cv...... Ted
ReplyDeleteUm yes you have a point Ted. But I decided to try something a bit more ladylike. And that was only ever my backup plan. Luckily things haven't got to that point.
ReplyDelete