| So Friday I decided to head out on a
| |
| | manage to take advantage of their full 2
|
| kayaking weekend with my friend Leslie.
| |
| | weeks of vacation since they can't get
|
| This was the first time in about 8 years
| |
| | away from work. I was talking to a client
|
| that I went camping again, and I had a
| |
| | recently who works for a major
|
| ball sleeping under the stars. A fabulous
| |
| | international retailer. I asked her why
|
| weekend in nature makes you think about
| |
| | she doesn't work from home since she
|
| life a little bit, so here are a few
| |
| | receives all her documents electronically
|
| snapshots of what's been going through my
| |
| | from head office anyways. She said the
|
| head in the last few days. In particular,
| |
| | head office people just don't trust
|
| I have been thinking about our lifestyles
| |
| | people working from home, so she
|
| in the city and some of the stark
| |
| | continues to spend 2.5 hours a day in
|
| contrasts with the experiences of this
| |
| | traffic (on a good day, way more during a
|
| weekend. City snapshot number 1: Thursday
| |
| | snowstorm...) Country snapshot number 1:
|
| night I linked up with a friend of mine
| |
| | After getting out of rush hour traffic my
|
| who works for a big international bank in
| |
| | friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the drive
|
| finance. He was telling me how his
| |
| | into Eastern Ontario, particularly once
|
| employer was sending around a survey to
| |
| | we headed north of Belleville into the
|
| find out what tasks people were spending
| |
| | rolling hills, past tiny country towns
|
| time on at work, all for the purpose of
| |
| | and provincial parks. Saturday morning we
|
| efficiency and downsizing the workforce.
| |
| | were woken up by the mooing sounds of
|
| In his employee newsletter he read that
| |
| | cows who were announcing day break. The
|
| his company was proud that the annual
| |
| | sounds of crickets and cicadas filled the
|
| turnover rate among employees is now
| |
| | air in the campground. Country snapshot
|
| below 30% (!), and this was a big story
| |
| | number 2: The facilities at the Equinox
|
| in the newsletter. We were wondering why
| |
| | river rafting camp are extremely basic.
|
| a turnover of almost 1/3 of the entire
| |
| | We realize that we can get by on 2
|
| staff in a year would be considered a
| |
| | toilets in tiny plywood cubicles and 4
|
| good thing, considering the recruitment,
| |
| | co-ed shower stalls that are located in a
|
| training and outplacement costs as well
| |
| | wooden shed. We sleep in a tent on a mat,
|
| as the disruptions caused by a constantly
| |
| | I forgot my pillow and I borrow Leslie's
|
| fluctuating workforce. But on a few days
| |
| | mini-pillow. There is no Internet, no
|
| of the year his company gives away free
| |
| | cell phones, no appointments, no fancy
|
| icecream cones to their employees....
| |
| | clothes, no make-up. Country snapshop
|
| City snapshot number 2: Leslie and I left
| |
| | number 3: Evening in the campground.
|
| to go on our kayaking excursion at 3 pm
| |
| | About 60 city folks are letting out their
|
| Friday. We left in mid-town, just north
| |
| | inner child, they are partying, shouting,
|
| of the 401, Toronto's major cross-town
| |
| | playing music, having fun. That's what it
|
| highway. It took us about an hour and a
| |
| | looks like when city people let loose.
|
| half, to get to Toronto's eastern
| |
| | The next night is a lot quieter, after a
|
| suburbs, from about Pickering onwards we
| |
| | full day of paddling the rafters and
|
| were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic
| |
| | kayakers are tired and Saturday night was
|
| until I had enough and headed northwards
| |
| | a much tamer affair. Country snapshot
|
| to a local road where at least we were
| |
| | number 4: I am doing my interview with
|
| moving in between being stopped at red
| |
| | Krista, the spunky young intern at
|
| lights. City snapshot number 3: At the
| |
| | Equinox' river camp. I ask her if it
|
| outdoor adventure camp I actually talked
| |
| | would be possible to borrow one of the
|
| to another weekend traveller who told me
| |
| | bicycles that were leaning against the
|
| that he worked for many years for a major
| |
| | shed. "Sure", she says, "just help
|
| international paper manufacturer until he
| |
| | yourself, my bike is the silver-coloured
|
| got unceremoniously laid off a few years
| |
| | one. Just grab it whenever you feel like
|
| ago. He had been living and working in
| |
| | it". You don't see this easy-going
|
| Toronto's east end. After his lay-off he
| |
| | generosity in the city. Country snapshot
|
| finally found a job in Toronto's west end
| |
| | number 5: During the interview, Krista
|
| and he ended up commuting probably about
| |
| | tells me that a number of her rafting
|
| 2 hours in rush hour traffic on a daily
| |
| | kayaking guide colleagues are living in
|
| basis between his house in the east end
| |
| | tents, in a tree house or in a
|
| to his new workplace in Toronto's west
| |
| | cobbled-together shack during the summer.
|
| end. He figures there is no point in
| |
| | During the winter they go off to teach
|
| moving since he doesnt' know when he's
| |
| | English as a Second Language, study
|
| going to get laid off again and where his
| |
| | theatre, teach skiing or plant trees and
|
| next job might be. City snapshot number
| |
| | do horticulture in the spring. Krista
|
| 4: This same person told me that one of
| |
| | mentions a key phrase several times:
|
| the travellers in his group was trying to
| |
| | "It's amazing how little you need to
|
| use her cell phone in the middle of the
| |
| | live." And this morcel of wisdom is
|
| wilderness on Calumet Island in the
| |
| | coming from a 25-year old woman! The
|
| Ottawa River. She even tried to get up on
| |
| | guides are young adults that co-exist
|
| a picnic table and lifted the cell phone
| |
| | without a lot of structure, very few
|
| up in the air to try to get better
| |
| | rules, and they are just having fun doing
|
| reception. He found it rather ridiculous
| |
| | sports they love and interacting with the
|
| that someone would need to make a cell
| |
| | clients. And somehow they manage to feed
|
| phone call during an 2-day weekend outing
| |
| | the clients and safely get them down the
|
| into nature. I guess we need to be wired
| |
| | river. Everybody, the guides and the
|
| all the time these days. City snapshot
| |
| | clients, feels like a kid again.....
|
| number 5: Life is speeding up all around
| |
| | Makes you think, doesn't it?
|
| us. To meet a friend for coffee you now
| |
| | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web
|
| need at least 3 weeks notice and set up
| |
| | portal for unconventional travel &
|
| an appointment. People work on the
| |
| | cross-cultural connections. Check out our
|
| weekend, according to official
| |
| | FREE ebooks about travel.
|
| statistics, many Canadians don't even
| |
| |
|
