Maslow's Hierarchy of (Whistler) Needs

Back in 1996 when I was in Grade 10, I learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. A psychologist named Abraham Maslow came up with a list that identifies the basic human's needs. His list starts with basic needs like food and shelter, and then lists what he feels is required for someone to reach his ultimate goal of Self Actualisation.

Maslow's list has numerous levels. Once a category is achieved, the person can feel confident about moving on to the next level. A person's needs are listed in ascending order, starting at the most basic.

I think Maslow had some things right, and his model can be related to life in Whistler.

For people newly arriving in Whistler, the most basic need is a place to stay; the second need is a ski pass; the next need is a way to make money. In my opinion, Whistler has an ultimate goal, like Maslow's Self Actualization. I don't know what that goal is yet, but for most people it definitely requires a ski pass!

So, here I am thinking about what I'll do about a ski pass. I have a few options.

Most businesses in Whistler are a member of the Chambre of Commerce. Employees of these businesses are eligible for a Spirt Pass, which is a full pass offered at a discounted rate. The rate this year is about $1200. This is the same price as a Midweek Pass than anyone can buy, while the regular price of a full pass is $1879. A single day lift-ticket is $89.

My prospective employer is based in Vancouver, so is not part of the Whistler Chambre of Commerce. Even if it was, I'm not in a position to fork over $1200 for a ski pass. There are ways to get on that Spirit Pass list of course, so a dedicated rider could easily find himself with one if he knew people. He'd still have to pay the $1200 though.

There are options for people who want to ride but don't want a pass, like a collection of five tickets for $350ish, with discounted rates once you use those five days. Obviously there are downsides to this. The main one is only riding five days a year, while living in the land of plenty.

So, I'm considering forgoing a pass this year. It sounds like a bad idea, but the hurdles in front of me seem too high, especially the $1200 one. I am open to the idea of moving down to Vancouver if a job opportunity arises there, so maybe a pass would be a waste of money if I ended leaving town.

I am considering working as much as I can this winter, and going to the gym and running while everyone else is snowboarding. I have some lofty running goals I'd like to hit in the next few years, and a regimented gym schedule would help me accomplish them.

Also, I'm not sure what kind of volume I'll have in the working department, since the economy is unstable. In a weak economy, ski vacations are likely one of the first things to be sacrificed. If people stay away from Whistler, their dollars will stay away from me.

If there's a lot of work, then there will be lots of money to be made and no time to ride. If there is not too much work, then there will be lots of time to ride but fewer dollars to spend on it.

Jon's Whistler Experience version 2.0 is different than the original. I'm not as focused on winter riding, and more focused on addressing different financial responsibilities I have.

Many of my friends are not buying passes this year. Some are planning on working so much that a pass doesn't make sense; some are planning on accessing terrain on their snowmobiles; and others are buying the packs of five tickets. So, if I don't buy a pass, I won't be the only one not on the mountain.

So, Maslow. Is a ski pass really necessary for Self Actualisation in Whistler? We'll see!

Projection e-mail

Kevin is my housemate. He has lots of things in the house, and I barely have anything. Kevin's been in Whistler for sixteen years or so, and has had lots of time to collect things for the house.

The house came with pots pans, knives, forks, dishes, and all that kind of stuff...Kevin didn't bring those. But Kevin did bring some really fun and interesting things, including

• a dartboard and extra darts
• a professional grade juicer
  
• a dog
• a laptop
  
• a coffee maker
• a home theatre system, including speakers and projector

Kevin lets me use everything. The projector is a really good Sony one, and Kevin was happy to tell me that his projector is better than one showing Canuck games in one of the local pubs.

The projector sits on a stack of empty Rubbermaid storage bins, because we don't have a wall unit yet. The projector is hooked up to this computer, the DVD player, and a PS2 video game console. Why would you hook a projector up to a computer?

So I can check my email on the wall, looking at webpages that are almost nine feet long and six feet wide! No similarities to a downy chick unfortunately.



We have a wireless mouse, which makes it easy to lounge on the couch while doing internet things.

There are some downsides to the projector though. The picture isn't back-lit so it doesn't look that great in the day, and the lightbulb in the projector costs $500 so when it blows, you're suddenly broke.

Kevin is a really friendly guy, so even if he didn't bring all these useful things into the house, he'd still be a good housemate. But since he does supply these things, it makes him even better!

Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day. I went to the Whistler ceremony that was held near the firehall.

It was much more well attended than I thought. I figured there would be only few people there, but was surprised to see a few hundred. I got there on time, so I got a good place to stand. Many people trickled in later, and had to stand very far away.



There was a program that we followed, including readings of Flander's Fields in both English and French, and some songs by a Whistler Children's Choir. At 11am there was a very loud cannon, and then two helicopters did a low flyby. There was an American veteran from Vietnam there, but nobody from WWII.



Many wreaths were placed at the cenotaph, and it was touching to see people place their poppies at its base once the ceremony was over. There were misty eyes and a few tears in the crowd.

In the last year I have watched many documentaries about WWII, and have read a number of books that deal with the subject of war. This Remembrance Day was the most significant for me, since I now have a greater understanding of what it represents. I was happy to be part of today's ceremony.

Library Deception II

I've had a lot of fun thinking about my trickery and fraudulent activities at the library, and had planned on keeping the details to myself and my faithful readers.

This morning though, I just couldn't keep it in. I was at a pancake breakfast for Jack, a friend who's running for council. The purpose of this breakfast was to give the public a chance to meet Jack and talk municipal politics. Dennis picked me up, and we arrived when things were in full swing.

We sat at a table populated by people we knew, so the conversation was lively. My friend Renae brought up the library, so I began to explain my rather exciting covert operations there.

When I finished the story, I'm pretty sure I heard crickets chirping and I definitely saw a prairie ball rolling by the table.

After a few long seconds of silence, the conversation turned to my boring and humdrum library activities, and then into who wanted to canvass door-to-door with Jack later? I answered that because I'm a bit burned out of canvassing, I wasn't interested. Renae countered with "Well, hanging out at the library all day, or canvassing. Tough choice..."

So, maybe I'll make another foray into politics, but I'm holding out at the moment because Project Library is meeting with so much success! Today, less than twenty-four hours after my initial three selections were shelved, they've all been borrowed!

I had to replenish the shelf, and I did so with John Irving's The World According to Garp (Owen Meany wasn't available), Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe, and The Wildfire Season by Stratford's own Andrew Pyper.

I think I need to lay low for awhile, and wait until any potential heat cools off before I spike the shelves again. It will give me some time to think of, and possibly read, new titles worthy of my risk.

With great power comes great responsibility! The people of Whistler will read what I slyly shelve, so it must be good!

Library Deception

I spend a lot of time at the library. I am usually there soon after it opens in the morning, to reserve some computer time in this busy season of resumes and research. Once the mountain opens, I figure the library won't be as busy as people will likely have jobs and want to spend time on the hill.

The library is about a year old, and when I left town two years ago, it was just a hole in the ground and a drawing posted nearby. It's nice to see and use the new facility.

The library was supposed to cost $9 million, but ended up costing $15 million. That's quite a lot! It's caused some dissent in the village, but it's worth it because libraries are great and this one is too.

It was built to be environmentally friendly, and among other green features, has a grass roof that insulates the building. There's also lots of stone work and wood work, making the library fit in with the rest of the village's ski-town architecture.

I'm quite familiar with the library now, and can recognize other people that, like me, spend most of every day there. Another thing I recognize are the books on the first shelf you see when you walk in.



This shelf contains Staff Picks on the top, and New Fiction on the lower levels. New Non-Fiction is found on the opposite side.

You'll notice that on the Staff Picks section, staff members choose books that they enjoy, and put their removable nametag on the jacket. If someone wants to borrow that particular book, they take the nametag off the book, putting the tag in the small, handy box in the middle of the shelf, and take the book to the desk.

I've noticed in my numerous trips past this shelf that there is a high turnover of these recommended books. I've often thought about what I would put on the Staff Picks shelf if I worked at the library.

Then today, look what I found!



Three of my favourite books, all on the Staff Picks shelf! How excellent...three library staff have unknowingly chosen to promote my favourite books!

Either that, or a stealth library patron has scoured the library for good book under the guise of an interested reader, and craftily inserted them among the other Staff Picks. This wily fox would have affixed random names to the chosen books, making them look like legitimate recommendations.

It should be noted that less than two hours after the above picture was taken, Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma was absent from the shelf, presumably borrowed.

Success!

My room, and snow.

The office snow-pools have wrapped up, and I wager that very few people thought the snow would fall this early.

We've got snow in the Village, and it stayed around all day. In the past I've participated in snow pools, where you put money in the pot and guess what day the first snow will fall in the Village, and stays all day. That day would have been today.

I woke up and looked out my window, as I heard some people making noise. I sure was surprised to see snow blanketing the parking lot! It continued to snow all day, and snowplows have been busy clearing various parking lots, sidewalks, and roads in town.

Here are some pictures I've taken recently.



This is my front door. I live in a collection of old condos that were built in the 70s I'd guess. That's my window you can see, on the second floor. There are about 50 condos in the project, and mine is the middle one in a line of five. We share walls with people to our left and our right.

I live very close to Creekside. I'll be walking to the Creekside lifts when winter comes. I estimate it'll take me about ten minutes or so.



Here's what I found when I looked out the window this morning.







Here are some shots of my room. I'm the only one in it now, and someone else will move in on Dec 1st. I'll have to share my room at that point, but it'll be worth saving $300 in rent.

I will get my duvet from Stratford, and some proper bedding. Right now I'm sleeping in my sleeping bag, and using a black t-shirt as a pillow case.



The house came with couches, and my housemate Kevin brought this dog. Her name is Ani (after the singer Ani DeFranco) and she's old and out of shape. I had to dive after her this morning so she didn't get off the porch. She had lunged out the door when I left, but I was able to force her back inside.

Kevin brought a lot of electronics to the house, and the house came with dishes and pans, so there's nothing I need.

Things are good here, but I'm looking forward to becoming gainfully employed!

Nobody cares about the important things anymore.

It's unfortunate really.

I saw this sign in two Budget Car Rental windows, one in downtown Vancouver, and one in Richmond just past the airport.

I bet there are thousands more all over Canada, telling everyone that Mr. Hybrid is available. Is he available for a meeting or lunch? Or is he recently single after a messy divorce?