Kai In Quotations

Some months ago, shortly after becoming one of they luckily recently re-hireds, I got sent a message on Facebook regarding some of my unemployment posts and the guest blog that I managed to snag on my good friend Dale Vaughn's Stop Surviving Website. I was requested an interview and I sat down one afternoon with a young journalist, Bryan Weismiller to give him my point of view on the bigger picture of being unemployed and finding work in an unspecified field. I promised him that if he did not manage to get the draft published after he had written the article that I would accredit him on my blog. Though readership is not particularly high on this site, it is as they say in the media, any publicity is better than no publicity! With that being said, enjoy.

Working to Live
By Bryan Weismiller

Recessions shouldn’t be depressing for young Canadians who’ve been impacted by the recent economic downturn. Young adults need to put their jobs in perspective to deal with being unemployed.

It could’ve been shoveling mud in South America that taught Kai Hochhausen to see the bigger picture. Working as a 25-year-old at an international recruiting agency, Hochhausen was laid off when the recession hit.

“It was a really big operation that just got slashed. I mean there’s nothing you can do about it,” says Hochhausen. “Looking at the numbers, I can totally understand.”

Hochhausen’s ability to disassociate himself from his work shows a high level of maturity. Travelling around the world has broaden his perspective and it helped him handle being unemployed. His travel resume includes stops in 32 countries across 4 continents.

“I’ve been so many places and dealt with so many people. I take that back and use it in real life,” explains Hochhausen.

In 2005, Hochhausen was travelling through Central America when Hurricane Stan tore through the region. He was in Antigua, Guatemala when violent weather conditions triggered a large mudslide. Many of the local homes were buried beneath a layer of mud and rocks.

Hochhausen, while studying Spanish, was part of a relief effort that worked to clean up the area. His main job was shoveling debris away from the local’s lean-to shelters. He recalls being shocked at how homes were constructed from five pieces of tin.

“You think- this is what people live in? Holy crap.”

The economic downturn affects everyone in different ways. However, its effects are particularly damaging to young people because of how they value their jobs. According to Isha Sharma, a Mount Royal University sociology professor, young people are more likely to take being fired personally.

“You are what you do these days,” says Sharma. “You base your identity on the kind of work that you do. Being fired really questions your identity. It maybe says that you’re not doing a good job.”

It’s clear that young people are particularly hurt by losing their jobs. It’s a dangerous reality, especially because young workers are amongst the affected by the economic downturn.

Statistics Canada recently reported significant employment losses for Canadian workers between the ages of 15 to 24. From October 8, 2008 to October 8, 2009, employment fell 10.5% for males and 6.9% amongst females.

There was also a 24.8% decrease in employment for workers making less than $10 an hour. Conversely, employment increased for workers who made more than $40 an hour.

If young Canadians continue to be affected by the recession then they need to learn how to cope with it. Life experiences develop the maturity that is needed to deal with unemployment.

“You eventually realize that your work is a part of you, but it’s not all about you,” says Isha Sharma. “You get a broader perspective and realize that there are other people who don’t have a job either. So you tend to blame yourself less and try to understand the larger implications of not having a job.”

Kai Hochhausen is currently 26-years-old and he now works in sales for a large auto-wrecker chain. He’s slightly older then Statistics Canada’s definition of a young worker. However, his perspective on employment makes him a good example for other young adults:

“I’m not only a sales manager. I’m an amateur photographer. I like to write. I like to play sports. I’m not my job. I work, so I can do what I love to do.”

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The Basics

There seems to be a great deal of negative connotations around spending money these days. Though the Canadian government has recently declared the worst of the recession over, it seems to be that people are still very cautiously spending their money. Companies are still undergoing layoffs and many unemployeds can still not find work. Kai’s cultural topic of the week is:

CONSUMERISM

I was once at a family reunion where everyone had to give a little speech about who they are, what they do, what they believe, and demonstrate a special skill. My skill turned out to be wearing a Calgary Flames Jersey, putting on a cowboy hat and shot-gunning a beer. Glacier fresh-tasting Kokanee, it’s the beer out here. My uncle, on the other hand, spoke of the downward sloping demand curve – the basis for understanding economics.

Consumerism is not a new concept but the fear of it is. Economic principles and cultural norms suggest that we can stimulate the economy by spending, but what happens when there is no money to spend on an individual level?

The recession took its toll on many countries, companies, families and individuals. Those who made it out unscathed should consider themselves lucky. I have been in my current job now for about 9 months and the company is doing well by most standards but there will obviously be obstacles as no business is truly recession-proof, as I became merely one of the many statistics to be unemployed in the last two years.

I’m beginning to sound very textbook and uninteresting, so let me just simplify it for myself and for everyone reading…

When you have very little money, it’s simple: you should not be spending. Buy what you need at that’s it. In fact (to over-OVER-simplify) this is what caused the entire recession in the first place (along with other complicated refinancing plans and poor decisions by financial institutions and international bodies).

There seems to be this general understanding and acceptance of people who live outside their financial means and it needs to stop.

From time to time I get criticized for driving and older vehicle because it’s not as pretty or as fast as something only a couple years old. Driving newer/financed vehicles often can have as many if not more costs than driving an older vehicle that once all the balance sheet is laid out. Increased insurance payments coupled versus do-it-yourself maintenance projects can often leave you on a similar playing field. Obviously you don’t plan for emergencies and this is why you need to have a safe-hold. It’s not that I can’t afford to drive a nicer vehicle, it’s just that by driving a reasonable older vehicle I allow for other luxuries in my life: photographic equipment, snowboarding, international vacations, motorcycle, eating out, etc…

Financial advisors suggest keeping on hand at all times a minimum of three months salary in liquidable savings in order to safeguard any sort of job loss or accidental costs that may occur. Sounds pretty reasonable to me…

The easiest way? There is no clear cut method but savings have to be in your spending budget. You can easily budget fun, travel, luxury items and other big tickets into your spending but the most important key is to pay yourself first. If you can’t save money, don’t buy anything else. Just slow the spending. Buy essentials. No, a $2500 purse on sale for $1500 is not an essential item…

When it comes down to it, you are going to be the only one affected by your good or poor spending habits, so if you can either live with the consequences of living in debt or stretching yourself so far that you can literally not afford to splurge or you can just think a little.

Spending money is not rocket science, it is simple economics.

YOUR HOMOS

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUTTA MA MOOOOOOUUUUTH?! - Chris Tucker to Jackie Chan, Rush Hour

This will be a short one - like a refresher course cause it's been a while. This week's cultural topic is:

HOMONYMS

What's with people these days not knowing how to spell the words they are trying to write? English teachers are rolling over in their graves trying to figure out why it is such a big issue with kids (in particular) knowing how to use simple homonyms.

I would like to highlight the three most simply corrected spelling errors in commonly used English language - and I'm NOT trying to be a dictionary here...I just can't take it anymore!

You're/Your/ur
You're = you are. Your=possessive. Therefore, YOUR so cool is not correct. You're NOT cool if you're thinking that you're and your are the same. You're can be possessive as in you are possessive and have possessions but your not possessive cause that doesn't make sense. You're=U R does not equal Your=ur. .

To/Too/Two - I see two people messaging to each other using the wrong to/too/two all too often.

Their/There/They're. They're=they are. There=a place. Their=like your=possessive. They're going to meet us there with their friends. THERE, see the difference?

Shorthand - somewhat acceptable in t9 phone texting and even then is stupid in my books - books whose dictionaries don't even include shorthand! Ur buddies might think you're def pretty tight cuz ur party last nite was the sickest. Talk 2 u L8r! DUH

No, I'm not angry - It's grammar and grammar is simple if you follow the rules. Remember: Ain't NOBODY touch a black man's radio!


PS I really like this photo - From Zoo Lights 2009, Calgary, AB

Guest Blogger

If you check in more frequently here than I do, you'll remember my good friend, Dale Vaughn. As I mentioned, he's written a short how-to guide for those "just surviving" and I had the great honour of being selected as one of his first guest bloggers.

It's a little different from the way I usually blog post, so it was a lot of fun and you might even be able to learn something.

Check it out. Let me know what you think.

http://startlivingfortoday.com/Stop_Surviving,_Start_Living_by_Dale_Vaughn/Living_For_Today/Entries/2009/9/6_Opening_doors.html

Great book, great motivation and a great way to see things in a little different light.

Howdy Y'all

Nothing makes me happier than to know I am making difference. Unfortunately, these days I am not doing that. Being an unemployed part of society is really draining. This week’s cultural topic is:

COUNTRY MUSIC

This is also a game: guess how many country music titles are blatantly incorporated.

It seems every summer I get a little bit more into country music. I’m worried that eventually it will take over my main repertoire of music, but for now it’ll stay number two. Why? One magical event happens every year that increases exposure. This event is the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth aka the Calgary Stampede. Cal-GRY. Calgary turns country. Cow-town. Despite growing up with most of my friends in the city, they, like me, have become pretty countrified too.

My interest in country music is relatively recent. I grew up with the likes of Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn blasting from the kitchen, and rock music constantly on the radio. My brother liked this kind of music but fell into a crowd that also liked rap (for some reason). Myself, I was always a rock kid – strayed off (for some reason) into ska and punk for a brief period, but came back to my senses and went back to the classics like the Stones, Zepplin and the later glam rock of Guns n Roses or Def Leppard.

The fundamentals of rock and country music are the same. Based on Blues patterns or 1-4-5 progressions, appreciation came easily once regular attendance at Cowboys nightclub’s 25c draft Thursdays in University made it impossible to avoid. We resisted at first, of course, but wearing cowboy hats (last count for me 8) to the bar and teaching hot girls to two step became fun. I ain’t as good as I once was, but the line dance set is still the highlight of my night, whether I’m stone sober or after ten rounds of Jose Quervo.

After I bought my first country album (not that I have all that many), I bought Led Zepplin III to counter act my potential fallacy. You see, though both of my parents are from Alberta, it was somehow looked down upon. My dad nearly kicked me out of the house when he heard Toby Keith coming from my computer....but after reasoning we agreed to disagree despite classic blues riffs existing in all country and rock.

I’m becoming worried because all I’ve been learning lately on the guitar are country songs and though they are catchy and easy to play, I’m not learning any new chords. It’s not tough, but someone’s gotta do it. Live country music is good too. They can put on a show just as well as any rocker – the only difference is that cowboy hats are allowed.

In other news, I recently had a photo of mine discovered on Flickr which was shortlisted, then approved for inclusion in an online guide of Calgary. It’s not great publicity and I will not anytime soon be making photography my main objective in life, but it’s pretty neat to be recognized for work, even if it is only for exposure. Everyone wants to be kind of a big deal – like playboys of the southwestern world.

Calgary Geese – Schmap Calgary Guide

What does taking photos have to do with country music and being unemployed? Not much. But no matter what, you can make a difference in the world no matter how small. So let’s get rowdy and give somebody a great big howdy. Trust me, the chicks dig it.