It's getting serious. Today I closed my bank account. It's a sad feeling. So final.

When I left London I kept my English account because it's free and they send me statements to Austria for free and the account has indeed been very convenient for my almost annual visits.

Here it would be free too (as long as I'm student which they would grant me without much proof) and even the credit card would be free (which was the reason why I considered keeping it too) - but the chances of returning are simply too uncertain. Although I liked the idea of keeping the account, in the end I decided against it. It just wouldn't have made sense.

It's weird how hard it is to give up things that are so essential to a regular life like bank account and bank card. Now I only have my cash left (and my credit card from home) - as if I were merely a visitor..

When I booked my flight back I sometimes wondered what I'd spend all that time with after I finished work. Haha. Reality is so different. Even without job there's so much to do, so much around - and I've not even left Edmonton, and not even done anything touristy yet. I wonder where all the time went..

Well, I slowly wrapped up work at the institute - and yesterday I finally delivered my final report to the boss. So that's it there. It's done.

Besides Clemens asked me whether I'd like to teach two of his classes on Austrian culture while he's on a conference. Landeskunde. Upper Austria and Tyrol. I listened to the class and thought - that's general facts, I can do that. So I agreed. But gee, that was SOOO much work. I basically lost the whole week - Tuesday, half of Wednesday (class was at 1pm), Thursday and half of Friday (second class: 1pm). Maybe I'm simply slow, maybe just unexperienced, maybe a little to perfectionist too. Oh well, it was an experience..

And now, I don't think I'll do much touristy stuff my last days either. I plan to go out tonight, maybe have a BBQ tomorrow afternoon. Then I have to write an application for a job in Austria. Get stuff done here (return university books, cancel the bank account etc) and see how on earth I can put all my stuff in my suitcases and make them weigh less than 46kg.

And of course I want to spend some time with some people..

This was a very turbulent week. Especially Monday night till Tuesday afternoon was tiring. As I said back then: "Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong." Tuesday noon, half a day later than expected (I spare you the details of the moving episode) I finally had all my stuff at Laryn's. One hour before I had planned to depart for a one and a half day trip to Calgary with Anya. I was already kind of tired but as it was my last chance..

But - I thought - before leaving I have to fix something else: "When I had booked my flight home I was told I'd receive a confirmation e-mail within a couple of days. Now it's been two weeks already. I should call and ask what's the matter."

So I called Air Canada. After explaining the lady what had happened she repeated my flight details: "Edmonton - Frankfurt."
"No Edmonton, Frankfurt and then Linz."
"I have you booked to Frankfurt only."
All protests that I had booked a flight to Linz and that I could prove it by forwarding with my original e-ticket that I had an open return to Linz (and not Frankfurt) were in vain. In fact I got really mad at that lady because she stubbornly and monotonously repeated: "I have booked you to Frankfurt only. Contact your travel agency."

I have no idea how Air Canada works. I mean, every bank keeps records of its customers' transactions. So wouldn't an Air Line have a record of my bookings and changes? Shouldn't they be able to see: this customer had originally an open return to Linz, so yes there must be a mistake? Apparently not.

Anyway, so I wrote an e-mail to my travel agency in Austria. But as it was already 2pm here (i.e. 9pm in Austria) I knew I'd receive answer only during the night or morning the day after. But my mood to travel was finally gone completely.

Well the next morning I had received a very nice e-mail by my travel agency that that they contacted Air Canada in Vienna and I just had to call to book the extra flight. Great! So I called Air Canada. And the lady I spoke to this time was incredibly nice and apologised and of course they'd immediately book my flight from Frankfurt to Linz.

But by the time of calling I had already come up with an additional idea: as Air Canada had screwed up my flight and caused me all these troubles I should ask them whether they can give me a flight one week later. See, time here looked so terribly limited that it would be just great to have a week more time. But only if they don't charge me their 180 Dollar fee for changes again.

And again the lady was incredibly nice. Of course that's possible! I had not received a confirmation, the flight had not been entirely booked through, therefore, changes could be made without paying the fee again. I was jubilant!

And then we were looking on flights. The nicest one went via Vienna, not Frankfurt. So the lady said: "I have to check whether your ticket allows changing the route. Shall I do that for you?"
"Oh yes. That would be great. Thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
A couple of minutes in the line and she was back: "Your original ticket was issued last May. Tickets are only valid for one year."
So I explained to her that I had called Air Canada earlier this year and that the agent had told me that's not a problem and that I had been surprised too. (So now that is finally the explanation why every single of my colleagues had to book their return flight within a year and only I didn't have to: only because their agent messed it up!)

"I can't decide that. I have to contact a superior." Holy Crap! So suddenly I was not only in a position of having no flight from Frankfurt to Linz. Suddenly I was in a a position of having no flight at all anymore!

Another anxious 10 minutes in the line. Then the lady was back. Not at all friendly anymore. A bit grumpily she explained that the agent back then had made a mistake and that that's very unusual and she will issue me a ticket but there will be a note made that no changes whatsoever would be allowed to this ticket anymore. I had the feeling that Air Canada blamed me, as if I would be some cunning guy who talked their innocent agents into things they actually were not permitted to grant.

But anyway - in the end everything worked out fine for me, I got exactly what I wanted. So, my dear friends and family, as a result of all this you have to wait one week and one day longer for me. I will leave Edmonton on Friday 28 September (so I can have a last farewell with the German Club Thursday night) and arrive in Linz on Saturday 29 September in the morning..

See you soon!

PS: I've heard numerous people complaining about how badly Air Canada sucks. I on the other hand can just say: Thank you, Air Canada, for sucking so well!

I had an excellent weekend.

On Saturday I was playing soccer for 2 1/2 hours which was great - although the state of my fitness is very sad, which is not very surprising given that last time I played was about half a year ago and I also went running only for two or three times since then. But it was sooo much fun!

Later I went to Remedy a nice café close to my place because one of my friends/acquaintances had a little photo exhibition there. Leif, who had birthday came out too. Well, and there I met a bunch of people whom I know from the Garneau Pub (my second living room ;) where we ended up and I got completely hammered. After they closed we continued to a house party and I returned home maybe at 4 or 4:30.

Sunday noon I fought my little hangover with a shower, coffee, food and lots of water - which fortunately worked very well because at 5 I went playing soccer again (despite my legs being sore from the day before) and we played until about 8:30. Yeah!

Besides that I packed all my stuff. For the last months two of Leifs friends moved in our apartment because they will move to Edmonton and have been looking for jobs here. Until the beginning of September they actually thought that I'd move out by the end of August so they could have my room. So in the end I decided that for my last days I could move in with my friend Laryn who has offered me to do so already earlier in the summer. Which I'll be doing today evening.

Actually that's a very good test to see whether I'll be able to bring all my stuff home. It's amazing how much the belongings increase over a year. I came with a suit case and a backpack and now there's a whole mountain. But I'm cautiously optimistic. It will be tough but it's not hopeless in terms of fitting everything into the bags. About the weight I'm not sure yet. I'll borrow a scale today and test it..

And I have to admit right now I'm very unhappy to leave. I wish I had looked for jobs earlier in the summer and actually right now I do keep my eyes open because I wouldn't mind staying here for another year. But I suppose it's too late now. I should have made up my mind earlier. But I still don't really know what I want..

A couple of hours ago they left - and now I've already met the freshly arrived Austrian fellow.

And: Just now, just half an hour ago, I've finalised my own return flight.

I'll be leaving here Thursday September 20 afternoon and arrive in Linz Friday 21 afternoon.

That's it. It's set. I'm really leaving Edmonton. What a weird thought.

One last time I'm saying farewell before I'll be saying farewell myself: tomorrow Kinga and Matthias will be leaving - at the same time one of their successors will arrive, the second one will be here by next week. And so I'll meet the third generation of doctoral fellows. Weird.

I forgot to tell: the day before yesterday I went out for dinner with Laryn (to a place on Whyte Ave called Dadeo which is a New Orleans style diner and it was very, very good). Along with the bill we got a fortune cookie and my message read:

"An airplane ride is soon in your future
sending you to fun!"

See you soon, my fun people!

45min away from the weekend and tomorrow morning I'll be leaving for another weekend trip. Camping! W000T!

Die letzten Stunden in Mexiko - in gut 11 Stunden hebt das Flugzeug ab.. (Und so ich fleissig genug bin, gibt's hier bald mehr Text und Fotos..)

Alles ist bestens - Woche 2 ist nun angebrochen.. Bis spaeter!