Leslie's adventure

       在Banff最後一天最後一站的旅程遇到了一個勇敢的女孩,Charlotte。 
      那天天氣很熱，離開班夫國家公園前往卡加立之前，我們把在明信片出現的Vermillion Lakes 當作最後一站，在那裡，遇見了這位騎著腳踏車的女孩，車上給司很多，車頭還貼著bighorn sheep(大角羚羊)的圖片，她似乎在問路人有沒有看見羚羊？我主動上前去跟她聊天，原來她是來自比利時的女孩，從溫哥華惠斯勒一路騎車騎到洛磯山脈！一個人，帶著比利時的腳踏車，足足騎了五個星期！真是個瘋狂又勇敢的女孩啊！

 
這趟回到溫哥華花了一整個下午到Stanley Park the seawall慢慢騎腳踏車一圈，有別於前幾次租腳踏車，這次直接從住處扛了腳踏車上公車，沒有了租還車的限制，慢慢看慢慢晃的時間更充裕了。這段慢慢的路程，我不僅遇到了尊重大自然的攝影師、在覓食的浣熊一家、在海灘上休息的人們，還看見了生命的韌性。

    　加拿大的最後一站是Calgary，所以回程要先從卡加利搭國內線到溫哥華轉香港航空經過香港回台北，所以我的最後一天都在交通工具的交換上度過。國內線的選擇另外討論，來繼續香港航空的經驗下集吧！    
　　香港航空的回程，我選搭的是HX81 12:10從溫哥華出發，隔天16:50抵達香港，再搭HX282 17:50班機轉回台北，一個小時的轉機時間有點驚驚，我從卡加利抵達溫哥華機場的時候是上午九點，有三個小時的時間領行李重掛，算是悠閒。如同前面提到的，回程台灣沒有簽證的問題，所以前一天可以直接在網路上預辦登機，到了機場直接排到已預辦登機的櫃台辦理。剛好遇到香港航空溫哥華的實習地勤，所有的流程都非常確實，行李的重量也算得非常準確，回程我們各掛兩個23公斤的托運行李，有一點點超重，為了安全無法通融，只好拿出來塞在手提行李了；手提行李7公斤搭乘了這麼多家公司，這是首次被要求要秤重量，為了飛行安全與櫃子的承重量，這一點算是很合理的要求。不過我那老舊的筆電就大概3.5公斤了，加上相機、電池等給司，很容易破7公斤啊！還好地勤人員跟我們解說，電腦不用計算在手提行李的７公斤，我們才安全過關。因為到香港的轉機時間非常短，直掛回台北的行李還被貼上了Hot transfer的標籤，還是頭一遭呢！覺得很有趣，在上運輸帶以前還拍照留念。　　　　

        暑假夏天的機票總是貴桑桑，這次回加總算在一堆破四萬的機票中找到了可以負擔得起的新航線-----香港航空。今年六月底開始，香港航空天天往返香港溫哥華，台北經由香港轉機票價也是夏天中最優惠的三萬初，當然不用考慮趕快訂下去！本來很害怕會不會是廉價航空的等級，沒想到一切都很順利。去程早上八點多桃機出發抵達香港，三個小時的轉機時間可以去吃一下機場內的翠華茶餐廳，再到登機門轉機時間綽綽有餘。內部空間大小跟一般經濟艙沒有甚麼太大的差異， 飛往溫哥華的A330班機很妙，座位椅背上沒有螢幕，令人納悶時幾個小時的飛行時間豈不是很難熬？沒想到起飛穩定後，空服員開始憑著登機證登記發放iPad。沒錯！就是一人一台iPad！可以用ipad看各式的電影，這一檔電影都滿新滿好看的。降落以前空服員會再來收回。雖然不能固定在椅背上，但坐累了可以拿著ipad到後面去邊站著伸展邊繼續看電影，好像也很不錯！

        　　我認知中的內褲只有三種: 阿嬤大內褲、一般人穿的中低腰褲，和性感的象徵丁字褲。在內衣店打工之後才知道，啊！原來屁股也有一百種選擇！
按照屁股的包覆程度還可以細分成纏在一起像的蚯蚓g-string、thongs，還有包覆1/3讓屁股看起來在微笑的cheekies、brazilians，再包得更多的hipsters、hiphuggers，再來還有bikini跟boyshort！

學著自然而然
    在加拿大住久了明顯可以感受到人們是多麼尊重大自然，夏天的時候上班，同事會因為天氣正好嚷嚷：「今天真不該上班，這種天氣要在海邊啊！」聽起來好像是抱怨生活的一種偷懶，其實不然，加拿大人真的很順應自然環境。溫哥華是一個多雨的城市，秋冬雪不多唯獨一直下雨；春天的時候還會有冰雹、細雨綿綿，一直到了五六月，夏天正式開始，才會有連續晴朗的好天氣。也正因為天氣如此，所以有許多的活動都集中在晝長夜短的夏季，造成了許多有趣的現象。在Richmond地區，有一塊很大的戶外空地，他們稱之為night market，只有夏天才有，但因為夏天天黑得晚，八九點的夜市一點都沒有夜的感覺，反而像是一場大型的園遊會。

Conversation Bubble

Leslie: Sir, I need help. I’m locked at the garbage dump.

Security: Pardon? Can you speak loudly?

Leslie: I am locked at the refuse area with the garbage truck!

Security: Oh, how could it happen?

Leslie: It never happens before. The door just locked up automatically as soon as I came out.

Security: Ok, don’t panic. Which area are you in?

Leslie: I’m an employee of La Senza. I don’t know what section you name this place. But I’m at the one close to GARAGE and GUESS.

Security: Got it. Just hold on there, will be there around 20 minutes, ok?

Leslie: (20 minutes? I’m freezing.) Sure, thank you.

Conversation Bubble

Leslie: May I help you, sir? What are you shopping for today?

Customer: I like this bra, but I’m not sure about my girl’s size.

Leslie: Ok, compare with me, is she bigger or smaller?

(Customer stepped back a bit)

Customer: Hmm, she’s bigger than you. But I can’t tell how many sizes bigger. You know what, you should put up several mannequins for customers to touch. I absolutely know the size if I can feel it!

Leslie: Oh, I will pass your suggestion to the management team. At the mean time, do you have her picture with you? Maybe we can figure it out.

Customer: Sure, look, she’s hot, huh? (showing me her girlfriend’s photo in a swimsuit )

Leslie: Yeah, she looks gorgeous. How about getting a 34C? Just a rough idea, I can’t tell the exact cup size by photo. But she can always return or exchange within 30 days in any of our stores.

Customer: Sounds great! I’ll take that. May I have me a new one?

Conversation Bubble

Leslie: The sally took three drawers of panties. That sucks! We have to make up for the loss. I wish we did catch the shoplifter.

Amanda: Well, I’d rather to work overtime to make a report to the head quarter than chasing after the sally. How would you know if she has a weapon? It doesn’t worth risking for underwear. Plus, we can’t accuse a customer of stealing.

Leslie: Even if we witnessed it?

Amanda: Definitely. It’s against company policy to accuse a customer of stealing or to suspect an individual.

Leslie: Wow, I’m impressed by the importance of the human rights even for criminals. Isn’t there anything we can do to reduce losses in this case?

Amanda: It’s the responsibility of all associates to practice prevention techniques by using customer service skills. What we can do is to create an opportunity for them to place back the merchandise.

Leslie: That’s interesting.

 

Facebook Status

I was surprised by the conversation between my colleagues today. There were five people working in the backroom for stocking the new products. As soon as Berle came in in the morning, she told us she had “a lot of sex” last night so she couldn’t even walk well!! What an embarrassing subject! And nobody was pissed off or walked away when she brought this topic in! They started to talk about their sexual life in public! This is a whole new thing to me. In Taiwan, we don’t usually mention it to others, maybe to close friends only. But here, it’s like a common conversation, and they even make laugh of it. It can be jokes and an ice-breaking theme. It was not an “evil” or embarrassing thing at all. I think they see it in a healthier way, talking about it like talking about what they had for dinner. So normal! Back to Taiwan, my conversations with my coworkers are always around our jobs! We never go anything further. Does it mean we work harder? Or we live under a high pressure that we even don’t enjoy sex?

 

Lara:Well, I have lots to tell. Come to my backroom now. XD

Facebook Status

What does “terminated” mean? Jessica approached me after the visit of the district manager and told me “I got terminated” with red eyes. I didn’t know how to react at the moment cuz I didn’t get the point LOL. But then she started to pack up her belongings and gave me a hug. Damn, I just realized what situation it was. And the decision was made so fast, just like getting struck by the lightning. Nobody knew what would happen in advance. We thought it was just a routine check up before the headquarter’s visit, there’s only me and a new girl left in the store after Jessica’s gone! No management team at all! Is that Canadian lay off style?

AL: Terminated meant getting fired. Some prefer different words to make their decision sounded nicer. But often that just makes the one who tells the news feel better, not the other way around.

Leslie: Oh, so what should I say next time?

AL: "So long Jessica, you just got fired.” XD

你也可以這樣玩：溫哥華無褲日!
    昨天晚上突然收到Facebook的邀請通知，今天下午在commercial broadway skytrain station有脫褲子搭skytrain的活動。遊戲規則很無厘頭，大家要一起裝互相不認識、互相不知道對方在做甚麼上車，然後等車門一關，就開始若無其事的脫褲子並收進包包，還要一副正常搭捷運的樣子！哈哈哈哈！實在太吸引人了！光看到說明，我就笑到噴飯了！怎麼能錯過呢？