Wowzers, I've been a busy man!
I'm currently undergoing my "Qualification Level 5" for the Steward trade within the Canadian Forces. It's been about a month and a half now that I've been training; speaking of my training, I'm now a certified "Emergency Medical Responder and Health Care Provider"!
The medical courses were extensive and exhausting; much focus and studying was required to understand all of the complex medical terminology, procedures and methods to save someone's life. I took a total of four different medical courses: Advanced Naval Combat First-Aid, Advanced Medical First Responder 2, Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support and Advanced Naval Combat Casualty Care.
I'm now confident to take are of anyone with almost any sort of injury, trauma or non-trauma, with the exception of any injury that will need surgery.
The primary focus was to provide the casualty with the utmost care and treatment that he/she could acquire before being shipped off to professional medical staff, like Paramedics.
Essentially, we are just one step below a professional Paramedic, I am only missing one six month course.
My favorite part of the course is grabbing the shock paddles off of the "Zoll" and giving my buddies a "SHOCKING" experience! It's a once-in-a-lifetime and electrifying experience!
Apart from all the medical training, we are also being trained to become Bar and Restaurant Supervisors, Event Planners and Accountants.
The skills that I am aquiring from these courses are will be absolutely helpful if/when I go work in the civilian world one day.
Medics, Supervisors, Event Planners and Accountants are universal skills that are required and used throughout our entire planet. There will always be a need for them.
Last weekend, an old friend of mine from Ottawa decided pay me a visit here on Vancouver Island. Sebastien Estrada! We go wayyyyyyy back! As far back as when I used to work at the "Real Canadian Superstore", Ottawa's largest grocery store.
We worked together for about 2 1/2 to 3 years, doing nothing but pushing shopping carts to the entrance of the store so that the annoying customers could pretend that they were shopping with one, but instead, sticking 1000$ worth of raw meat up their golf shirt... That's what I'm talkin' about!
Of course, we surely couldn't forget about Westboro's famous "Lysol Lady"! She carried her disinfectant friend (Lysol), absolutely everywhere she went, and without hesitation, sprayed it on every object that exists on our planet, including the cashiers! I guess you can never be too safe eh? I wonder if she spices up her meals with it too? "Lysol Linguine" ! Mmmm... Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about!
So, umm... Yeah! If you guys enjoy Minecraft, try out my server! www.diamondcraft.org
The server has 220 registered members, a fantastic community, TS3 server and we are currently working on a new website design that will incorporate more diverse communication and social tools between registered members. So, what do you have to lose? Give it a shot!
Seb and I, chilling by the ocean, Victoria, B.C.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention... The Canadians are taking over the world... The Canadian Goose that is! Maple syrup and Canadian Bacon anyone? NOMNOMNOM!
It's only been a month now since my return from Europe. Oh! How I miss the seductive taste of the freshly cooked and mouth-watering Perogies! It's okay though, I'll survive without them; actually, I can't really say that, because they're pretty much living within the 5lbs that they've gained on me.
Melted butter with mashed potatoes stuffed in a doughy-goodness, sprinkled with salt, cooked with savoury onions and served with a side of sour cream... How could you say "NO"?! (I see you drooling...)
It's pretty simple actually...
YOU CAN'T!
Anyways, moving away from the Perogie talk... Beautiful weather we're having here in Victoria, British Colombia. Yep, sunny every single day for the past 3 weeks...
Stop? Okay... Yeah, enough with the weather talk, maybe something a little bit more exciting to talk about...
I just purchased an electric toothbrush, but not just ANY electric toothbrush, a toothbrush with a technology so far advanced, that it lets me know by a bright-red indicating LED light if I'm brushing my teeth too aggresively. Yeah, so I guess you can say it's pretty useful, considering I always brush my teeth like there's no tomorrow; I have that bright red LED light now telling me, "It's okay Jordan, you can slow down... There's no danger, you WILL live to see the daylight of tomorrow!".
Las Vegas is seperated by two main districts; "The Old Vegas/Strip" which is a nostalgic 1960's feel of colourful and classic neon lights stunning your eyes in complete awe, as well as there is what's called the "New Vegas/Strip" which is the modern Vegas that you see today, with all the new and insane light systems as well as state-of-the-art and completely original architecture in almost every hotel and building.
Taking a stroll down Old Vegas is what they called the "Fremont St. experience", as it truly does feel as if you were sucked back in time to the 1960's.
As of today, I don't have any set plans yet. I'd like to see a show, which is what Vegas is truly known for, but I'm not sure what I want to see yet, or even along the lines of what I want to see. You can see the "Price is Right" live, which would certainly be an experience on it's on, as I watched the show growing up with my mother when I was a young child.
I do know one thing for sure, that it is the 4th of July, and I'm in Las Vegas; I can certainly imagine that there will be some wild fireworks and lightshows all around the city tonight, I'm really looking forward to it!
All of these photos were taken on Fremont St, which is known as the "Old Vegas".
So I'm back, but not in black, but I am tanned!
A five, almost six week Canadian naval tour to Panama and San Diego; it was quite the experience, especially being within a 2nd world country, where laws are more relaxed and the society, corrupt.
That's all over though now, and currently, I'm on my vacation time in the Mojave Desert; or to be more specific, Las Vegas, Neveda! I'll be here for Independance Day, then I'll be leaving here on the 6th to go to Europe.
So I'm staying at the Planet Hollywood Resort. Everything is 5 star, except for the fact that there are no fridges in the suite. To have one installed, it's 25$ a day. We said, "Screw that" and we took our own route to chill our drinks.
OLA!
It's humid, hot, tropical and muggy; It's Panama!
My ship is currently anchored at the port of "Balboa", within the finely engineered masterpiece: "The Panama Canal". Within view of my ship, we can see what is called "The Bridge of Americas". It is the only bridge in the world that seperates North America and South America from East to West, by having a canal that stretches out North to South, funny how sounds when you think about it.
At the moment, I'm in a hotel with my shipmate named "Brad Holt". We went out and about the city, indulged in the nightlife, shopped for some goods and mingled with the locals. It's been a very deserving break for both of us, considering we were out at sea for an exhausting 17 days, working absolutely everyday for about 15 hours or more a day, and no, weekends are not off.
Local beers are about 1.37$ here, and you can get a bucket of 8 beers delivered to your room, tip and all for about 12$ or so. A filet mignon steak is about 11$ at the finest restaurants here.
Panama City is very contrasting to your usual mainstream Canadian or American city. The laws, culture, food, people are all very different here; Panama is a 2nd world country.
What I'm trying to say, the law isn't as strict here, you can get away with a lot more in a country like Panama, not that I have, just saying.
My shipmate/friend Brad and I.
