So I knew today would be one of the big key days of my quick return to Canada...
I had NO idea it was going to be this memorable!
So the big event of the 2nd
My job interview with
PARKS ALBERTA...So it was a Tyrrell style interview workshop (actually to be fair I'm pretty sure the museum borrowed the format from these guys...) in which you interview one on one, but also than have a day long seminar style group interview testing various interpretive qualities.
I had to be at the interview (on the OTHER side of town) by 9 am. So for the first time this trip I went to bed before midnight so I could in theory get some sleep.
5:30am: Things don't go according to plan. Of course being a little stressed about the interview I had a somewhat restless sleep... Making it truly unrestful my dad gets sick waking up mom who than at this early hour decides to do dishes?!?
The loud rattling and clanging wake me up sufficently to allow my mind to worry, and thus I'm effectively awake here on in...
8:30am: I arrive a good half hour early before the interview starts. At the exact same time as the interviewers in fact. So I appear ubber keen which is good.
8:55am: The interview process begins with me being both the first one on one interview of 2008. Hoping that means I cast the shadow others had to surpass.
My goal, though there are many parks to choose from, I REALLY want the job at:
Dinosaur Provincial ParkOverall I'm content with my performance at the workshop. Not happy or estatic, but also not angry or depressed by.
The only area I feel I nailed in the top 10% was the drama portion. Here we had to assume a 3 character's and sing as ourselves. Definately had among the most diverse character voices.
The program scripting went alright though I only got 3/4 done mine in the 30 min provided (I'm the slowest handwriter in the universe!). My 2 minute presentation went alright (over time, but as again I was the FIRST to go the timer didn't notice or warn me, and it so I stretched my talk thinking I'd sped through it too fast...). The only part I bombed was the natural history test, but as it was mostly on Rockie Mountain stuff I wasn't too bummed (that and 75% of us didn't know the stuff).
My big hope is that I managed to get in a few words towards the end with the head man of DPP himself, and I got a good vibe from it.
Basically it's over PHEW! Now I have to play the waiting game... which sucks... I'm going to play Hungry Hungry Hippos instead!
So after this Amber showed up to hang-out, and we decided to goto the
Loose Moose Improve Comedy Show.
It was only my third time there, and the first in years since they moved locations. The show had been entertaining in the way improv is. When the second last act comes along, and it's time for ambush someone from the audience...
Now it should be pointed out I've been up for 15-16 hours on 5 hours sleep, and had my nerves shot royal throughout the day...
The hostess actress Rebecca Northan jumps up into the audience in search of a victim. Now you'll note her name has a link here. Earlier in the show she had an improv related punishment of having to tell the audience why she was NOT famous. So despite having some parts in movies and TV including 2 episodes of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, we the audience hadn't done our part she informed us.
Anyways she jumps up onto the steps, and I make the mistake of making eye contact... oops. I can tell instantly I'm the target, though she takes her time to grab me and haul me down on stage...
Oh and she looked more like this. In that she was a French Clown with the nose, and whacky French accent.
The sketch I get plugged into is me and this clown after 5 years of marriage. Now I'm not going to claim I was brilliant, but despite their best efforts they didn't embrass or dumbfound me to the point of looking, well dumb :P
After trying to turn me into a bad husband by ambush I turned it around by acting like one (in a very silly me way) she suddenly left the house leaving with me and our "son"... Who was a puppet! Junior was doomed from the start LOL
I already guessed Jrs. rough routine of being ubber brat so I stepped it up a notch by making me look like the BAD one. Giving it beer when it started crying, and pretending I thought everything it said was a line from TV.
Even when wife returned and found out about the beer, and accused me of previously giving the baby bad things I kept up the not fighting the way they wanted me to by applogizing "again" for these supposed past deeds which surprised the heck out of them.
So in the end how did I get embrassed and take away a weird experience. Well it wasn't too bad. Just really funny and surreal. Especially in my state of mind at the time.
So she'd wanted kisses throughout the sketch, and I only gave her pecks on the check to which she started setting up my downfall with "5 years of marriage and you call that a kiss!". So at the end she ambushed me with the desire for a GOOD kiss. Thank the Lords of Kobal I know how to stage kiss!
So a good fake out of just pressing lips together with a lot of suggestive body and head movements the crowd went estatic as the lights dimmed. A very sincere thank you from Rebecca during the applause (I think more for keeping the sketch moving and not stagnating than anything else), and a bow to the crowd I returned to my chair.
Though I wasn't in top form (I thought of several hilarious things could have done after the fact) I did keep this ambush sketch going for at least 5 mins without losing my cool or rythm. I didn't steal the show apart from once or twice (the baby beer was the audiences fav of my stuff), but I sure did surprise people.
In fact I had 5 people after the show come up congragulate me, and once ask "were you actually a member of the audience?!?".
So I now wrap up this ubber long day (at 20 hours awake now). Been a long long ride.
I hear back from Alb Parks later in the month so keep you posted.
Yet despite the interview being the important event of the day... somehow having to kiss a French Clown takes the moment of the day...
Oh and now I'm probably in trouble... Don't tell Rhonwyn PLEASE ;p
So I visited and explored Melbourne Australia for a few days which was awesome and fun. If I do NOT get to a post on this 
Met back up with the girl 
So with a far prettier picture, again met up with 
After over a week of communications break down caused by long weekends, time zone differences, and non returned emails (on their part) I learned that I did not get a job at Dinosaur 
Within three days of returning to New Zealand I was back in the classroom with kids again. The good news I'll be a true teacher in under 2 months. The bad news its going to be an insanely hectic and busy marathon to the end.
However after watching The Lost World in the background of packing I couldn't help but laugh now that I've noticed this. JP2 has at least 7 good silent stare moments. Not only does stop the flow of the movie, but it eats up precious time to make Spielberg movies seem longer.
So now whenever I see wide eyed starring towards off camera I can't help but chuckle and crack some Rifftrax lines.