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pyatAs mentioned, I had a job interview at Research in Motion today, for the position of Content Writer for one of their internal training departments. Even if they were to offer me the job, it is extremely unlikely I would accept it, given that it would require nearly 200 kms of commuting every day. Granted, it's all easy highway driving, but I'd be unlikely to entertain the idea of doing that sort of commute again without some serious increase in pay.
Still, it is Research in Motion, Canada's equivalent of working for Google or somesuch, and just month ago I'd have snapped at a job there. So I took the day off my new job at CCI and motored up to Kitchener-Waterloo. Specifically, Waterloo, the smaller of the two conjoined cities.
I like visiting Waterloo. Half the city was built in 1890, and the other half was built yesterday. It's home to Laurier University (where Canadian math nerds come from) and several dozen high-tech and engineering firms, as well as enormous breweries. It's like Silicon Valley with socialized healthcare and an Oktoberfest parade.
EDIT: Actually, the nerds come from U of Waterloo, which is nearby.
I left during rush hour and arrived two hours early. The drive up was surprisingly smooth - no serious traffic to contend with. If I had to commute there, I could, and it would actually require less time than my current commute on the train. I spent about 90 minutes ambling around downtown Waterloo, taking pictures of things that interested me. Even the people in Waterloo tend to be interesting to look at. There were lots of fashionable professional women in exciting hats and boots and tiny Asian university girls with bright-red pigtails. There were also lots of doughy (or perhaps yeasty) brewery execs, but they weren't as interesting.
These are some of the things I saw.
The Ominously Named "Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics". Motto: "The Place Where Supervillains Just Happen!"
The Ominously Named "Mars Land Centre".
The Ominously Named "Centre for International Governance Innovation". I think the AntiChrist works here!
The Omin... okay, okay, so it's not Ominous at all. This is something called "Space Time Square." It sells books with pictures of Einstein on them, and tickets to the Perimeter Institute.
This was in the display window of a toy store. It IS Ominous. "Can't sleep, mom, or Charley McCarthy will eat me!"
Just a random sidestreet / alley. Gives you an idea of the mix of building styles.
This structure has a steampunk beer clock in it. No, really.
Not in Waterloo. On the way back, I passed through Cambridge, which has an enormous, empty and ruined hotel in it, built into the side of a hill. It was once a famous spa, a destination for important people from throughout the Empire. It's been partially restored... but not this part.
It was very foggy out today!
Still, it is Research in Motion, Canada's equivalent of working for Google or somesuch, and just month ago I'd have snapped at a job there. So I took the day off my new job at CCI and motored up to Kitchener-Waterloo. Specifically, Waterloo, the smaller of the two conjoined cities.
I like visiting Waterloo. Half the city was built in 1890, and the other half was built yesterday. It's home to Laurier University (where Canadian math nerds come from) and several dozen high-tech and engineering firms, as well as enormous breweries. It's like Silicon Valley with socialized healthcare and an Oktoberfest parade.
EDIT: Actually, the nerds come from U of Waterloo, which is nearby.
I left during rush hour and arrived two hours early. The drive up was surprisingly smooth - no serious traffic to contend with. If I had to commute there, I could, and it would actually require less time than my current commute on the train. I spent about 90 minutes ambling around downtown Waterloo, taking pictures of things that interested me. Even the people in Waterloo tend to be interesting to look at. There were lots of fashionable professional women in exciting hats and boots and tiny Asian university girls with bright-red pigtails. There were also lots of doughy (or perhaps yeasty) brewery execs, but they weren't as interesting.
These are some of the things I saw.
The Ominously Named "Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics". Motto: "The Place Where Supervillains Just Happen!"
The Ominously Named "Mars Land Centre".
The Ominously Named "Centre for International Governance Innovation". I think the AntiChrist works here!
The Omin... okay, okay, so it's not Ominous at all. This is something called "Space Time Square." It sells books with pictures of Einstein on them, and tickets to the Perimeter Institute.
This was in the display window of a toy store. It IS Ominous. "Can't sleep, mom, or Charley McCarthy will eat me!"
Just a random sidestreet / alley. Gives you an idea of the mix of building styles.
This structure has a steampunk beer clock in it. No, really.
Not in Waterloo. On the way back, I passed through Cambridge, which has an enormous, empty and ruined hotel in it, built into the side of a hill. It was once a famous spa, a destination for important people from throughout the Empire. It's been partially restored... but not this part.
It was very foggy out today!
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Date: 2008-01-08 03:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-09 01:38 am (UTC)