Random Thoughts by Ktownbuddha

So the devil won out and I went to Holguin this weekend.  It was my first real trip to Holguin.  We fly in and out of there all the time but all we see is the airport and the hotel.  My planning for this trip sucked and I forgot my camera so unfortunately I don't have any pics.  One of the guys did and if I can get a copy I will post them. We got there around 5 and went and hung out at the airport with a couple of the expats who were flying out.  For this portion of the evening I played DD.  The others drank at an expedited rate.  One of the guys who was just finishing his 6th week, and still has 1 more to go, tied into the cerveza pretty hard.  I think he had about 5 which might not be a lot for some of us, but for him it was a lot. He then proceeded to pass around a bottle of rum in the parking lot of the airport.  Needless to say he got the worst of it. As we were driving from the airport to the hotel, you could hear the alcohol hitting his blood stream.  He was hammered.  W

So I haven't posted since I left Cuba.  Excuse me for my rudeness but I was a tad busy when I was home.  After having spent 6 weeks in Cuba I had lots of friends to catch up with, and a cat who needed some attention.  Plus I needed some sleep.  The trip home was a little rough on my system and it took me a few days to recover. I may have mentioned to some of you that I was escorting two Cubans to Canada for training.  They were from my department and the training was much needed and I was looking forward to seeing the rewards of their time there.  Well much to my surprise only one of them made it back.  The other one decided he didn't want to come back and defected.  Good times.  We are now down another key employee and its going to be even harder to accomplish what we need to over the next little while. Anyhow the Movember madness party was a success as most of us have little recollection over what happened. That's what happens when you start drinking at 5pm and don

Most of you are still probably a sleep as I write and post this.  Today is Remembrance Day in Canada.  Some of us probably hardly think about it.  I've honoured and or celebrated this day in my own way since University.  It was always a holiday so you have the freedom to do what you want.  Now I could get all philosophical about the use of the word freedom and how it relates to this day but I won't. Not today anyways. Post university I have had to work on this day even in Canada.  It may have been a holiday but I had work to do.  For some reason the weather on this day was always grey and gloomy.  Some years when I could, I would golf.  The weather wasn't great for golf but it was nice to be alone with your thoughts on this day.  I think the grayness and the wetness that would be part of it made it more enjoyable. So what's the point of this post?  Today is a truly Canadian holiday.  It is ours.  It was created by us for us.  It doesn't set out to honour the Mon

Ok so I have been trying to take as much rum as possible back to Canada on my return trips.  The thing is I don't want to keep wrapping the bottles in my clothes and stuff because that means I have to bring the clothes back down here with me and as space and weight are at a premium I'd rather not. So what to do?  Well I asked the other expats and they weren't much use.  So I started thinking.  I was looking around for things I could pack it with and then either recycle or discard once I was in Canada.  Well I swear it came to me in a dream.  We have to drink bottled water while we are here or else we get sick.  So we have a ton of empty plastic water bottles around.  So my idea was centered around wrapping the empty water bottles around the rum bottles and taping it together with duct tape.  So that was 3 or 4 weeks ago that I thought of it, and yesterday I gave it the dry run.  Turns out you need 12 empty water bottles to secure a bottle of rum.  It looks pretty secure a

Ok so the hurricane was a big to do about nothing.  I really wasn't worried, and as it turned out I was right.  Yeah it rained pretty hard on Friday morning.  I'm not sure when it started but sometime before 6ish.  It stopped by noon.  As the City was still on Hurricane Alert from the Cuban National Defense we weren't allowed to go to work.  That was probably a good thing as the river that we cross to get to work was almost up to the bridge. So what did we do instead?  Well we played crib for hours upon hours, and drank copious amounts of beer.  Were we supposed to work?  Yeah we were, but you can't really work when you are watching storm updates on CNN and hearing news about a plane crash. That's right I said plane crash.  Not sure if you saw but a plane went down between Santiago de Cuba and Havana on Thursday night before the hurricane was even a factor.  68 people on board, all dead.  Thankfully no Canadians, but 28 foreigners.  The plane is a French version o

Ok, so I'm getting ready for my first experience with a tropical storm or hurricane.  We still aren't sure how strong it will be when it gets here.  It is heading north between Haiti and Cuba.  Seeing as how we live on the eastern end of the island, we are preparing for a bunch of rain.  I loaded my room up with 60 liters of bottled water that should last me for several weeks.  I'm only supposed to be here for another week or so, so that should be plenty. I have a bunch of granola bars on hand as well.  So yeah we aren't expecting much in the way of winds, but we are expecting a large amount of rain. Over lunch today I was told that if it rains hard enough, for long enough, we can't cross the bridge to get to the plant, and therefore don't have to work.  I'm kind of hoping that happens so that we can play cards and drink beer all day tomorrow. So fingers crossed.  Oh we use this website to monitor storms. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+sh

So I see that the Premiere of BC has stepped down.  This is not a post saying he was either good or bad.  This is a post about the stupidity of people who think they know what they are talking about.  All over facebook people are happy to see this happen.  Why do you ask?  I say it is primarily to do with the HST, and partially that people hate all politicians. Let's address the later group first.  If you are happy he is gone, then you must think that his replacement will be better.  But will he or she?  If you hate the Liberals and want to see them fail, then you are hoping that the NDP gets in.  Based on this logic you like what the NDP stands for.  Let's take a look at the previous NDP reign.  Taxes were higher, the provincial debt and deficit were higher, and unemployment was higher.  So if that's what you want then by all means vote NDP.  That is your right as ignorant as I may think it is. Now then for those that hate the HST.  Yeah yeah yeah, we all hate paying m

Well, this isn't really about Cuba, but more about some of the stress being away from home can cause. Last week my current roommate took a new job in Calgary. While it's a good career move for her, it threw me into panic mode. I had already discussed the likelihood that she may take this job with a few people, but I had been lulled into a false sense of security that she wasn't going to go. So yeah, I was a little shocked and then worried about what to do about Stewie when she confirmed that she was. After waiting patiently a few days I received confirmation that the new roommate would accept my offer and is moving in. Now all is all settled and I can breathe again. We will see how the little man handles the change. He will be losing his buddy and a caregiver he knows, to be replaced by somebody new. Time will tell how it will work out. Again on an unrelated topic, I have decided to go to Vegas for Christmas. I found a great deal; $500 all in, NY NY, leaving from Kelowna on

So today I went to my first Emulation Party.  They have these every quarter to celebrate the production and employee's contributions to the company.  They give out a bunch of awards to a ton of staff.  They must give out 60 certificates.  They clap to a strange rhythm and play techno throughout the whole thing. When they play the anthem of the revolution the whole place goes strangely quiet.  Nobody sings along to it, but they all stand there dead still.  Very strange. I have attached a few pics of the party.  It starts at 10am and seems to go all day.

So as per usual I got over served on Friday night.  It had been a long and stressful week and I wanted to blow of some steam.  Well I did.  I definitely drank too much rum and paid the price for it on Saturday. Sunday I wanted to get out of Moa.  Clear the head and refresh myself for the week ahead.  Most of the usual crew was either busy with work or out of the country, but me and Yisel made the trip to Cayo Seitia (sp???).  This is the natural game reserve created by Raul Castro.  The top party official used to come there to shoot wild game.  They had transported in around 10 different species of animals from Africa.  We saw a Zebra, Buffalo, Long Horn Cow's, Antelope, Ostriches, and Camels.  The only one we couldn't find was the camel.  This is indispite of being lost for over an hour.  The roads are marked with names, but they don't give you a map.  Go figure.  So we had to backtrack to the main road to get out.  Next time I go I'm taking a good pair of binoculars

Its been a hectic couple of weeks.  I'm looking forward to this weekend and having most of my deadline work done.  We did hit the beach on Sunday even with though it was raining.  It was nice to get out of town, and it was nice to be doing the driving as opposed to getting bounced around.  I don't think I've shown you a picture of the car I'm driving so I have included one for you.  One of the guys wanted a picture of me driving through this patch of grass in the middle of the road.  He thought it was hilarious.

Ah Cuba.  You never cease to amaze me.  So as part of one of the audits performed here some people were sanctioned and or lost their job.  Now then a few weekends ago a bunch of them were arrested and are being charged for something or other.  These poor people were just doing their jobs.  At the time we were spending $500 million on capital projects to expand production.  The project was suspended in 2008 due to the downturn in the economy.  As a result the government was looking for a scape goat and has found it in these employees.  The charges are totally without merit.  These people are good people and didn't do anything wrong.  However in Cuba I don't think that means very much. Last night was a bit of a gong.  Usually Friday nights are poker nights, but we were down a bunch of people so instead we sat in the bar and had a few beers before dinner.  After dinner one of the contractors bought a bottle of rum.  Next thing we know, the lights are off and we had turned the res

It really was great to be home.  I tried to see as many people as possible and to relax as much as possible.  I could have had a month and I would have wanted more time.  As it was I felt very rushed the last week.  I will have to have a better plan for next time. I did end up getting my bike bag, and I now have the nicest bike in Cuba.  lol.  I haven't had a chance to ride it yet, but I'm hoping to give it a go tonight. I just sat through 3 hours of defensive driving videos (all in spanish) only to find out that the vehicle I'm driving is too dirty to drive.  I need to get it washed before I can take my tour of town.  I will hopefully have that all sorted out for this afternoon. Anyhow life in Cuba shall be interesting.  I am getting used to it, but I need to get the freedom of driving.  That will help a lot. Ciao

As I write this I'm less than 46 hours from landing in Kelowna.  I'm quite excited to be spending some well deserved time at home.  I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, eating food that doesn't make me sick, and playing with Stewie.  Yes I miss all my friends but those are the 3 things highest on my list. I think the Cuban's are just as excited to see me leave, as they have never worked so hard or been more accountable for what they do.  Even though at times I have felt unproductive, I feel like I've made some progress that should help them and the Company in the future.  The next trip in will be a doozie.  I'm here for 6 weeks and will need to have pretty much everything done and ready for year-end. So for those of you living in Kelowna, hopefully I see you over the next few weeks.  For the rest of you, it sucks to be you!!!!

This weekend started off on an interesting note.  On Friday morning, all of the expats received an email that our boss was having a bbq for us on Friday night.  We all thought something was up. Our boss isn't a very social creature and never communicates about things other than work.  Upon our arrival he was a gracious hot running around making sure we had beer, or whatever we wanted.  The food was amazing.  One of the expats had found a good meat sluppy and we had NY strip steaks, and a wonderfully smoked pork tenderloin.  We also had this very foreign invention, called a salad.  Not only that but we had salad dressing!!!!!!!  Needless to say we were all excited and ate to our hearts content.  Finally one of the other expats asked when the other shoe was going to drop.  Much to our surprise the boss said that it was just a bbq and nothing more.  So we continued to trade stories and then soon enough it was time make our way to poker. By this point the crew had thinned out to 4 pe

A little bit of background first.  Travelling to Cuba requires that we bring a ton of stuff.  Clothes, food, and other necessities.  So we are always flying with the maximum amount of weight allowed, and paying all the extra baggage and weight fees.  On my next trip in I need to bring a 3rd bag.  That will be my bike.  The cost of that alone is $275 ($225 for the extra bag, and a $50 bike fee).  The other two bags will both be over the weight limit and will cost $200 ($100 per bag).  So all in I'm due to pay $475, of which $425 would be covered if I upgraded from economy to business class as they are allowed to bring 3 bags each weighing a maximum of 70lbs. So I had our travel agent cost out the difference between economy and business to see if it would be cheaper to upgrade.  Low and behold the cost difference to upgrade was only $183.  Perfect I thought.  All I need to do was get approval and away we go, the Company would save $242.  Unfortunatley the Company has a policy that

What a week.  Yes our bar is still closed, although there are rumours that it will re-open this week.  The 2nd week was a lot better than the first.  Things are starting to come along.  Small improvements are being made and things are starting to settle down. I went out and bought some buckets so that I can fill them up clean myself.  Water pressure has hit an all time low.  We aren't sure what is going on, but its at the top of our to fix list, which means the bottom of the Company's. Based upon my desire to get out of Moa for a bit, I arranged an overnight trip for a few of us to head to Guadalavaca, and more specifically the resort Rio de Oro.  It's a 3 hr drive each way over some nasty roads but it was worth it.   We did run out of beer on the way there, but that was probably a good thing.  We were greeted with a bottle of champage at reception and quickly proceeded to polish that off.  Next we were off to the pool.  It was supposed to close about 30mins after we got

I knew that I was going to experience some weird things living in Cuba.  I knew that there were going to be food and supply shortages at various times.  However, last night was a little strange.  One of the government owned companies that supplies our Company with food, transportation and other services has been having difficulties in paying its suppliers.  This Company supplies not only us, but 2 other mining companies in the city.  However we are the only one that has a foreign investor with the other two being 100% government owned. Also as the other two mining companies aren't performing that well, they aren't paying their bills from the supply company.  So basically the only source of cash for the supply company is us. So how does this really effect me?  As part of our motel complex, there is a restaurant and a very small bar.  So a few of us had planned on meeting in the bar and chatting.  So weren't we surprised to find out that the bar was closing.  Buddy had just

Best line I've heard all week, "Things in Cuba are heavy, you need to leave them at the airport on your way out."  This is the statement that pretty much sums up how the ex-pats look at have girlfriends down here, and wives back home.  So basically I was told this so that in case I ever run into them in Canada with their wives, I don't find it awkward. Also down here young doesn't mean a thing.  These older guys are late 40's to late 60's and they are all dating women who are younger than 25.  Some of them have been dating these women since the girls were 20.  I don't know about you, but I find that troubling.  I guess the legal age down here is 16 and the way they look at it, that's ok.  The funny thing is that there are two of us here that are much younger.  Me at 32 and another guy at 30.  We both find this troubling.  The 30yr old has been here for 2 years in January and hasn't had a girlfriend since he has been here.  He does go on dates

Alright, most of us get a computer to use for work purposes.  We are meant to use it for work purposes and that's about it.  We aren't supposed to use it for personal purposes.  We all sign various agreements to that effect when we start our jobs. Now then, what are some of the things you shouldn't put on your work computer?  Well personal financial information would be one.  Perhaps correspondence and love letters to girlfriends.  Maybe pictures of said people.  How about pornography?  Today I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing the computer files from my predecessor.  I found all of the above and this was after somebody had already deleted most of the pictures.  I found his prior tax returns, his love letters, pictures of his very young girlfriend, and pretty much anything else you can think of. So yeah, that was my day.  I didn't want to see most of the stuff but unfortunately in order to sort it all out somebody had to.

So here I am back in beautiful Moa, Cuba.  No major mishaps really.  I ran into a contractor who is doing work for the company and she tagged along with my driver and I this morning to make the trip from Holguin to Moa.  It was nice.  She speaks Spanish so she could talk to the driver and I could zone out.  It was nice.  Stopped and picked up some fruit along the way which should make for a more enjoyable week as well. So the only real eventful part of my journey was that there was a surprise guest sitting in first class.  I didn't see the individual in the airport as we waited to board, but I'm sure he saw me.  As I passed through the cabin to board, low and behold it what do I see, the guy I'm replacing.  He didn't look at me, but boy was I shocked.  He knew I was flying back in on that flight, and I guess he must have been headed to Holguin to see his friends and stuff and take a bit of a vacation.  We didn't talk or make eye contact even though I'm sure he

I know, I know, its been awhile.  I didn't have internet for a few days in Moa, and last week I was in Toronto and wasn't in the writing mood.  This week I finished my last two days in Fort Sask.  I didn't mind my time there, but it is nice to say good bye and move onto what I really signed up for. I tried to convey my concern to the people at home about living there.  The job will have its challenges, but overall I think it will be the easy part.  Living there will be hard.  I will try and do a better job of taking pictures this time around.  People kept asking me about it so I will see what I can do. I'm currently sitting in the Edmonton airport waiting for my flight back to Kelowna.  I have a ton to do over the next 3 days to get ready to leave.  Its only a month, but still.

This is the market in Moa.  Its only around on Saturday, and really its the only means to buy fruit and produce in the city.  I went to the other stores and while they have some canned goods, they don't have fresh produce. Take notice of the color of the dirt on the ground.  That is the color of the soil around the city, and its what contains the nickel and cobalt that our mine mines.  This stuff is all over town and stains things like you'd never believe.

Here is a pic of the road from Holguin to Moa.  The driver had stopped to go and get his fruit again so I took the chance to take a few pics.  This is the good section of the road.

Here are the pictures of my room.  I wanted to take pictures of a bunch of stuff but apparently its frowned upon.  People think if you are taking pictures that you are a spy.  I will get some more next time and slowly add more.

So I've have been debating with myself about whether or not I should filter myself here.  There is one story that I believe is border line life changing.  If it had happened in another situation in another place given the same circumstances I would have had more options.  In this situation it was my first day in Cuba working with a different culture of people. Everything here is different.  From the fact that our immune system can't handle their drinking water (apparently our water in Canada is too clean and makes us sick, where as for the Cuban's its fine), to the recycled ass wipe that is harder to find that an honest politician, to the lack of soap in the bathrooms,  inventory tags on furniture, to the 27 min lunch breaks.  Its just plain different. The people are very nice, and very welcoming.  They don't believe that anybody is better than anybody else and that everybody is equal.  Not only in life but in the work place as well.  Those of you who know me, know

So I get through customs everything goes smoothly.  My work visa pretty much takes care of everything and presto change oh I'm picking up my bag.  At this point I make a rookie mistake.  I was so excited to find my driver and get going that I forgot to get cash.  Oh well they will take credit cards at the hotel and may even have a money exchange there.  So in my excitement I go outside and read all the signs and nothing.  Nobody is there. So one of the government officials asks me what am I looking for and I tell her I'm looking for my driver to go to Moa as I work for Sherritt.  She quickly locates the gentleman and I'm on my way again. Now then this guy doesn't speak any english, and well my spanish performs much better after a few beverages.  So I'm literally just following this guy and have no clue where I'm going or even what hotel I'm staying at as the travel arranger said that the driver would take care of me.  Uh yuh.  So we start driving and the r

I finally got internet set-up in my room.  It's hard being without communication to the outside world.  I've been to Cuba before for vacation (Varadero) but this is a whole new ball game.  So I left my motel in Fort Sask at 5:30am on Saturday morning.  Drove to the airport which takes about 45mins.  While I'm sitting in the Chili's having breakfast, up walks a bunch of guys in suits.  Next thing I know the restaurant is full of the BC Lions catching the early morning flight back to Vancouver.  They seem like nice enough guys so I started talking to a few of them.  I even met Casey Printers (QB but a DB).  So I finish up say my farewells and make my way to my gate area. Now then its festival season in Edmonton.  This means that there is crap going on every day for 6 weeks.  Capex, Indy, Heritage Days etc, and concerts every night.  So I'm sitting there waiting for my flight and who happens to walk bye, Kardinall Offishall.  For those who don't know me, I love my

Its the night before I see Cuba for the first time for work.  Tomorrow I will be flying to Toronto and then onto Holguin, Cuba.  Its the Company's policy that you don't drive at night, therefore I need to over night in Holguin before I drive to Moa on Sunday. I'm quite interested to see what Moa looks like.  I've heard lots of stories and different people's ideas but until I see if for myself I really won't know. So what's the plan for this blog?  Well I will use it as a means to keep you up to date and show the occasional picture or 2.  I'm only in Cuba for a week this trip, and then off to Toronto for a week of training. I will keep you all updated, and I'm in the process of developing a calender widget to show where I am and when.

Ok so I'm coming into my last couple of weeks in Fort Sask.  I have strangely enjoyed my time here.  It has been nice to be able to focus just on work and learning Spanish.  The Spanish needs a lot of work but at least I'm trying.  Work seems pretty good. The people are very nice and friendly.  Perhaps not as social as I'm used to but that's ok.  I have managed to cram a lot in, but in the same breath I haven't been that busy.  Its been hard to get people's time to pick up the things that I need to from them.  Summer vacations don't help either. So I have a pretty good idea of my schedule of going into Cuba.  I will post it on here and keep it updated for people. Today was vaccination day.  I have three different rounds of shots to do over the next month or so.  Today's round included Typhoid,  Rabies, and the Measles/Mumps/Rubella combo.  Oh and throw a TB test on top of that.  So not long after the shots the reactions started.  Had to take the rest

Alright so its been a week.  I have worked 5 days now.  I was very nervous to start this job.  If you had asked me how I felt about the job over this extra long weekend, I'd have said still nervous.  Today things seemed to click.  I understand the role, I understand the main system, and I feel comfortable with a few more employees. Don't get me wrong, I still have lots to learn and lots to get under control. First of all I hate living the lie that I'm Manager, Finance and Projects, instead of what I'm really doing which is learning everything I can to take over the role in Cuba.  People keep asking me where I'm living, when I'm moving here, etc.  I hate having to lie to them but hopefully they understand when the time comes to tell them.  I'm sure they think its fishy that this new guy comes in and is supposed to do one thing, but is asking millions of questions about one thing in particular being Cuba.  Secondly there is a lack of staff available for me t

It’s the night before I move to Fort Saskatchewan for two months, and then start working in Cuba on a rotational basis.   Needless to say, I’m nervous.   Not sure if I am stressed or if it’s just nervousness.   I haven’t worked in a true corporate environment for a few years.   That is one part.   The other is I still haven’t found a long term solution for my cat.   Those of you, who know me, know I love my cat.   I didn’t go and get him on a whim and he is a big part of my life.   I have somebody lined up to look after him and my place for the month of July but that person may be moving out of the country as well.   When I first started looking at the idea of taking this job this person hadn’t really started thinking about this.   So I will find out in the next few weeks if she is going and if she is, I’m literally kind of screwed.   I have no idea what I will do.   That I think is the biggest worry for me.   I love my cat.   What do I do with him if she goes?   I have a few people

I make mistakes just like everybody else. I miss type words all the time. I’m much more susceptible to it while instant messaging. I tend to type phonetically just as I’d pronounce something as if I were chatting in person. I do try and make sure that when I post a status update or anything else like that; that I check to make sure it’s spelled correctly. Why do I do that? Well I’m not an uneducated moron and don’t want people to have anymore of a reason to think that than they already to do. Why the rant? A person on my friend list on msn has a status update and has misspelled a word forever. It looks so fricking stupid and annoying. This person is already a moron and this just furthers confirms that thought.

I hate waiting.   They say good things come to those who wait.   Big fucking deal.   I don’t mind waiting a little bit.   I don’t try and cut lines or get angry or anything like that.   In fact I find it funny when people do lose their minds over really small things.   On few days ago I was picking up a few items at the grocery store and low and behold an old lady (70 +) cuts in front of me.   Now I could make a big deal of it, but what’s the point?   It cost me maybe 1 min of my day.   Obviously she was more important than me, and needed that 1 min more than I.   I find that kind of behaviour to be pretty ignorant.   Should I call her on her shit?   Thoughts? Currently I’m waiting on some big news.   I’ve been waiting on it for over a month.   I should hear some more news this week, but I won’t have the final say for probably a month.   Don’t worry, its not bad news, its great news.   Or I hope it is.

It’s a funny thing and is often taken for granted. Very few people actually seek out the truth. We take it a face value that if enough people say something that it must be true. People no longer challenge pre-conceived notions to determine if they are in fact true. This is fine as long as the people spreading the “Truth” are objective, impartial and in fact have actually researched whether or not it is the “Truth”. Take the media for example. There are thousands of examples of US media propagating something so many times. The logic being that if they repeat it enough, people will believe it and it will become the “truth”. I think this is a truly sad state of affairs. Smear campaigns are organized and people take pride in bring people or ideas down based on nothing more than repetition and not facts. How do we get back to the good old days of making sure you have the proof before you spout your mouth or put pen to paper? This is exacerbated given current technology a

This is a post I started writing in my head on the way back from watching the Olympics. My travel companion was sleeping, and I didn't feel like listening to music, so I started formulating this in my head. Now then when my travel companion woke up, this post kind of got muddled in my head. So lets see what comes of this. And to those who care, this is a PG post until further notice. I believe we have 3 forms of thinking when we are doing or accomplishing something. Basically 3 states. They are Frantic, Hesitation and Natural. Ok first the frantic. This is when we press for something and are basically trying to hard. Case in point the Canadian men's hockey team when the played the US. Another example comes down to relationships. Sometimes people like the idea of something so much that they force it in their mind. Kind of like putting the round peg into a square hole. You may achieve some level of success when you are in this state of thinking, but really it is ineffi