Finally, one week later, here are the pictures from my birthday:


Our table in Khazana, an east Indian restaurant downtown. I very much liked the atmosphere and the food but I'm definitely the wrong person for buffets: I ate so much that I could barely move anymore. Monday was the first days in weeks (weekends excluded) that I had only coffee and cereals for breakfast but no bread. And apart from two pieces of cake at our little institute celebration I did not have any food until the evening. I guess those 20 bucks paid off indeed...

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On the left is Anya, whom I met via Eric. She's Albertan and studies sociology. This term we're walking to university together three times a week (at least when I manage to get up in time). In between us is Anya's flatmate and good friend who is studying psychology. (And no, my hand is not on her knee or anywhere else it shouldn't be!)


One time I abstained from always taking two pictures to be sure and that's the result: Blurred. But you'll definitely see these three again. Left: Bari, president of the German club, middle: Claire, president of the Scandinavian club, and right: Per, he's from Sweden and as mentioned doing his PhD on history of Belarus.


Matthias, Clemens and on the right: Mike is Canadian, has a PhD in Anthropology and is working for Edmonton police. He used to be together with one of the previous fellows at our institute and drops by from time to time.


Left of Kinga and Iwona is Bernhard, who's from Austria and doing his PhD here. We met in Winspear Centre at a reception following the performance of the "Boni Pueri" boys choir from the Czech Republic (one of the institute events).


On the right: Susan, Bernhard's girlfriend who was with him at that event. She' from Chile and doing a PhD as well (something medical I don't remember in detail). Next to her is Maria, an exchange student from Sweden. I first saw her at the Scandinavian club but she's also at many of the parties of the internationals. On the left: Shad who's from India and doing a PhD in engineering. We met at a trip to Fort Edmonton Park organised by the international centre.


That was after the dinner when we had a couple of drinks in Garneau Pub just across my place. Left: Rickard from Sweden who is doing a PhD in business and usually present at both the Scandinavian and the Faculty Club. Right: Leif, my flatmate who is music student and from Alberta.


Left: Amy Lynn, a friend of Kinga; middle: Eric; right: Allan, his friend and team mate at Polonia Soccer Club.

Suiting to today's colourful event (which I will most likely attend as yesterday was very good but thank goodness not too long and not too intoxicating - photos should definitely be following as well):

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

Haha, I love tests, they always make one feel so good! :-) Anyway, the colour displayed actually exactly matches the one of my green T-Shirt, is that some kind of sign?

Oh dear! I can already see the direction in which this weekend is developping..

Yesterday the usual Thursday, and seriously, Thursday has become the most important day of the week for socialising (weekends included!). First there's the German and Scandinavian clubs in Power Plant from 4pm (but I usually go there 5:30 or 6), eventuelly part of the people move to Hudsons on Campus - where on Thursdays also friends of Eric (whom I know) and also many of the internationals meet. (Mainly because you get half a pint of beer - shitty beer but still - for a Loonie, i.e. 1 Dollar.) So it's so much fun because i know so many people! Well and suddenly it's 2am again..

Today is, as mentioned, the Carnival party of the German and Scandinavian clubs. I can't imagine it can beat their Christmas party but still I'm looking forward to that. And I've been scraping together all crumbs of creativity to come up with some sort of a costume. (Which is of course still a secret but I hope to show you some pictures later.)

And tomorrow there's the Semáforos Party. I still haven't decided whether I will go, I guess it depends on how today develops. By the way I did some further studies on that kind of party yesterday. Some Canadiens have attended similar events, only that in those so called Red-Green parties you have to decide for either of the two colours; there is no yellow in between! Tough. Black/White- pardon Red/Green-thinking a la Americana? And of course the French wouldn't be French if they didn't have their own version, which of course is the naughtiest of them. All singles - irrespectively of whether they are looking or not - have to wear green. Yellow is reserved for those who do have a partner but say: well, maybe not the right one. Adultery for dummies?

As to the balance of colours: A Canadian guy said that at those parties he attended it was always that guys would wear green but girls would always chose yellow/orange or red - because otherwise they would be considered sluts. How stupid is that? Anyway thank goodness there's the Frenchies and the Latin Lovers again - as found out yesterday there will a reasonable amount of green..

And apart from those events, there'd still be the Faculty Club and a farewell party for one of Eric's friends today, as well as a Beerfest tomorrow from 4pm - but I think I can do without those! Oh dear! Anyway. I wish you all a nice weekend!