Another Friday

Hello folks out there in bloggo land! Well the past few days have flown by and what have i done? I have gotten some leads on a few prospects and i am looking into them. A good ol pal of mine has checked on some ESL jobs in Toronto and would help me find a place if i was to go there. Of course the Captain tells me i should go up North instead, why would ya wanna be in Toronto? Well dum dum i survived Tokyo didnt i? Its best parts and its WORST lemmie tell ya. He also criticized me for my youthfulness...like who doesnt wanna feel young, saying some dont take me seriously, but on my behalf, some of those people...well...suck. To blow my own horn, i think some people deep deep down inside get a little jealous, why? Because they are not free, free to basically do what they want. Tied down, not that being tied down is a bad thing, but it can be distracting in many ways, it is to me. And hey...opinions are like having an ass, everybody has one. Now if i wanted to go to Toronto and work, there is nothing holding me back from going. Sure i miss family and the dogs if i went, but Toronto is not like going across the world to live in Japan. As for other people, i think they get a little scared when someone with enthusiasm comes in, they get protective of their spot so to speak, they dont wanna lose what they got to some newcomer who shows up to work 40 minutes early and is willing to stay till eons after they are finished their shift to make sure everything is ok. When you give a little extra, people notice, or in some cases try not to notice. Some people cannot get out of their own way, so they criticize you or ridicule you, talk down to you to make you feel small, so that you perhaps will get discouraged and maybe go away, see that is called protecting your spot. Like one day this guy tried to give me advice on teaching and did it right in front of the boss, well it was more like criticism in front of the boss and i was getting very visiably pissed off. What was this guy doing? He was protecting his spot, he knew the boss was there and was trying to play the hero, instead he was making an ass of himself. It was his way of secretly saying, hey you are starting to make inroads here, now i am going to protect my spot. It is like we talked about in Sociology, the concept of the Glass Ceiling, what is the glass ceiling again? Lets review....

The term glass ceiling refers to situations where the advancement of a person within the hierarchy of an organization is limited.
This situation is referred to as a "ceiling" as there is a limitation blocking upward advancement, and "glass" (transparent) because the limitation is not immediately apparent and is normally an unwritten and unofficial policy. The "glass ceiling" is distinguished from formal barriers to advancement, such as education or experience requirements.
There is something else known as the glass cliff which is a situation wherein someone has been promoted into a risky, difficult job where the chances of failure are higher.
Dad always said, "It all comes out in the wash" That is good advice and in this case, i think it is very true advice.

Well how is everything else? I went to Gordie Howe Day in Kentville and it was fun, i got to meet Mr Hockey and he had a Don Cherry impersonator with him and he was an absolute riot! Should have seen the ugly yellow jacket he was wearing. Mr Hockey was the guest of honor at last nights Axemen Dinner and i guess some 500 people were there. I was also at Acadia som two days in a row, the second day i had to take the bus and yes i think Canada should adopt the bullet train from Japan, if i could take one thing and put it in the Valley, that is what it would be. Stop stop stop and wait wait wait everywhere! Jeesh! The meal hall lady was on the bus too, i still remember her chasing me almost all the way to Tower "ONE BANaNA!" Plus while i was having ice cream TROLL came up to me and started chatting...yes it was quite the day, visited all the landmarks though, The Vil, the Market, Billy Bobs...if you dont visit one of those, then you have not really visited Wolfville! I got some information that i wanted from the School of Education located over at Seminary House. Another interesting tidbt isaw was that Tower was getting new glass and i heard some info that it may be re-opening cause Cutten House is full of mold...wouldnt that be interesting?
This weekend is Buddy Blair's annual Canada Day BBQ and i am heading over there Saturday around 4ish. Should be fun times. Or drunken times at least. And for those criticizing me, i like the odd drink, i like beer...deal with it! I am not an alkie, maybe some of you drive me to drink! LOL!
Me and Mom watched the Dukes of Hazzard II: The Beginnning the other day...not the greatest movie ever ill tell ya.
People should check me out on Facebook, just look up Robert Hawley, i have posted lots of pics there and stuff. Lots of videos. Lots and lots and lots of stuff. I love it cause i like catching up with people i have not seen in eons on there.
Anways folks, gotta go downtown in the metropolis of Middleton..have a good one!

All This Is That...

"To unpathed waters...undreamed shores."
-William Shakepeare

Hey friends and non-friends alike, i am headed up at Acadia shortly. Why? Well let ya know soon enough. It is a nice day here, had time to relax, take life in a bit...let my allergies act up...no grass in Japan, no pollen...it was a nice feelin. Last night went for a drive with a friend and went down past Annapolis Royal and Upper Clemons, it was nice. Nice to just drive Ma's car up to aboot 110 and just drive. Last night i re-arranged my room, let the demons out of it and that felt good as well. I should give a shout out to a friend back in Japan who emailed me yesterday to see if i had made it home safe, when the others left me to rot, there was this one friend from the beginning that was there for me and was willing to do what it took to ensure my freedom. To help save me from misery, this friend took a hell of a risk and has my eternal friendship. This friend is also escaping the stupidity and hopefully we will meet again one day face to face because i owe this friend one. Yeah this friend is ok in my book and somedays, my book can be awfully thin. We achieved thru escape, we dont have to put up with anymore BS and like i said, i am happy now to be free. Poorer in the pocket? Yeah...richer in the soul? Hell yeah! So the rest of everyone, take it easy..chill out and when the smoke clears i will let you know what i am up to and what the hell happened. It has been a hell of a season, one of highs and lows, of good times and losses, but in the end i remember the good stuff and the losses were not that big a deal now that i have had time to reflect on them. Sometimes i am the master of my own misery and sometimes i have help from others to make more misery. But i am here standing, they are not. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do..Right now i am glad to be here, home of the Valley, home of my great alma mater and free as hell to achieve what i want.

"By learning you will teach;by teaching you will understand."
-Latin Proverb

Were truer words ever spoken? And what did i miss most besides family? I missed friends, i missed Acadia sports, my dogs, driving, Kraft Dinner, Canadian Beer, and i missed one hell of an EPJH Reunion at Big Leagues in Cole HArbour! I wont miss the next one that is for dam sure! And right now there is someone close to me whom is a bit of a lost soul, dont quit my friend...my good little buddy winners never quit and quitters never win...if i can pass anything on to you, it would be my enthusiasm for getting on with it, a good point that others tried to take away from me. I can sum up everything I've learned about life my little buddy... it goes on. There was a line in the latest ROCKY movie where Sly says "The older i get, the more things i gotta give up, thats life..all i am asking you to do is whats right." Heed that advice dude... Anyways folks i am off to shower and get on with the day.
Robb

You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone...

"If you can imagine it,You can achieve it.If you can dream it,You can become it"
- William Arthur Ward

Hey bloggeronies! What is a happening with Old Man Robert Reid Hawley? Well i have now been home four days and well life is taking some getting used to..slow pace of life, country living etc etc.. do i miss Japan? Well i miss the fast pace of life, the less i talk about my former employers for right now, the better off i feel. Remember kiddies if you cant say anything nice....
What did i like about Japan?
1) The record stores! Disk Union and Book Off are the best places to go if looking for tunes, Virgin Record stores are expensive. DiskUnion had lots of rare stuff.
2) Old school greasy spoons! The Sunny Diner in Kita-Senju was awesome! Old school burgers and fries! There was a bar on the same street and they were so decorated like the 50s.
3) The train. I always took the Tobu Line and it got me to work hella fast. I wish Canada had bullet trains.
4) You could drink in the streets! The feeling of getting a Budwiser at 3:00 in the morning and being able to open that puppy up outside? Awesome!
5) The sites! Ueno Zoo, Tokyo Tower...it seemed that everyday off was an adventure, always something new.
6) Internet Cafes, i belonged to two- one in Soka and another in Kita-Senju. Soka is cheaper and is called, Internet and Comics. Plus in Soka you can drink Coke or SLushies FREE!
7) Service- Everywhere i went, in stores, restaurants i was always greeted by smiles
8) Toy Stores! There is a toy store in Ueno that is like 8 stores and had all the latest NECA and McFarlene stuff!
9) Hard Rock Cafe- At Ueno Station...expensive as hell, but it was the first HRC that i ever went to.
10) Students- About 90% of the students were very sweet, nice people and i never will forget them.

What did i not like? Another blog...another time bloggeronies
Well last night i went to my Buddy Blairs...his expression was priceless! We watched Rocky Balboa and we are gonna get together again to watch Smokey and The Bandit 3 (Our favorite movie to make fun of...again another blog for another time!)
Well tomorrow i am headed up to Acadia, my alma mater. To do what? Well shhhhhhhhhh...but i have a few options in from of me and i want to explore them all.
Anyways i am going to eat, walk me doggies and head out for awhile, i hear Tims calling me name...later gators!

Now What?

"To perceive is to suffer."- Aristotle

Hey bloggeronies...

I arrived back in good ol NS tonight at 12:40...why did it end? I will tell everyone the whole truth someday when i am good and ready. Many already know the truth. May thoughts entwine and minds combine...but how do i feel? A wide range of emotions. Part of me is really happy, part of me is really mad. Part of me does not trust. If someone does not have your back or believe in you, so then what is the point? Wash your hands of the situation? Please? It makes you look like crap and bush league- made you look amateur and inferior. Emotions sometime cause us to become angry at a situation, like this one. Our mind causes us to become angry with others and release our despair. What am i to do? Well i could go back to Acadia this year and take some courses and then go and take education in 2008-09. I could go to Fort Kent like i wanted to a few years ago and then there is the University of Washington in Seattle near my sisters. The sky is the limit for me. Right now i wanna be near home and enjoy some of this freshValley weather, mow the grass, walk the dogs. I am not dead, rather i am alive and well ad when i get rested up and me mind cleared a bit more, then i will be back on the warpath so to speak. It was an experience whether good nor bad and it is something i can add to my resume. Dad used to say, "You gotta get experience to have experience." So some 6-7 months later, i have some experience. So peeps dont listen to second rate rumors, you wanna know about stuff, then come and find me and we can discuss. I got alot of positives out of my experience, but in the end i was just another piece of meat, someone whos ass filled a seat and when the chips were down was left to fend for himself. I survived because i am a survivor. I can take a negative and turn it into a positive. And i will be back on my feet before you know it, right now i am suffering from burn out and well, jetlag. It is like my beloved Dad always said..."Son, stick your hand in a pail of water and tell me what you have when you take it back out." I would reply, "Nothing" So that is how i feel about the situation. I wasted my time when i could have been doing something else....now the loss will be someone else's gain.
Nite Bloggeronies
Robb