That was not a very productive week again in terms of blogging - but I just didn't feel like writing and I didn't feel there was much to say either..

Today I'm very happy. Yesterday I posted the application for my work permit. Just now I've called Air Canada and it was no problem to extend the validity of my ticket until September (usually tickets are valid only one year so I was afraid I'd use my quite expensive ticket). So everything is settled now for the summer. Hurrah!

Here, by the way, the term is ending this week, and vacation is starting. Which also means that almost all of the exchange students are leaving these days which means my days look a bit like before Christmas - everyday another party. Today afternoon the last German Club "Stammtisch" will take place in Powerplant - I'm very much looking forward to that. One last time - I should take some photos..

Back to work..

Life is Good!

Seit Montag weiß ich es fix - ich werde bis Ende August hier sein.

Noch einmal drei Monate um die Zukunfstsplanung aufzuschieben?

Hoffentlich nicht..

Guten Morgen! Nach meiner Rückkehr gestern Abend wollte ich um 9 Uhr nur ein kurzes Rasterl machen, um mich danach mit Freunden zu treffen - tja, das Rasterl entwickelte sich zu einem 15-stündigen Schlaf.. Mhhhhh!

Speaking about a break - now I'm getting a twofold one.

Firstly, as Good Friday was a holiday, I'm enjoing a four days long weekend (btw. Good Friday is not a public holiday in Austria is it? I mean in terms of shops being closed.) I could feel on Thirsday and yesterday how much I needed these free days. I was so tired although I didn't really know why.

Secondly, I'm about to get out of Edmonton for a day. Leif's parents have invited me to come with him to their place, which is a farm in a village about an hour away. I'm excited to get out of Edmonton and see what's it like there..

We're leaving right now..

FROHE OSTERN!!

Finally I've visited the boss today, which I could and probably should have done already earlier. Anyway, the result is that in all likelihood my contract gets extended another 3 months, until end of August.

Of course I'm not unhappy as I was too unorganised to even send out applications for jobs yet, so I have three more months to do that while having work and getting paid (at this point I should add that since December I've been receiving the additional amount so I'm entirely satisfied in this respect). Additionally I don't mind seeing another summer here after all the snow and maybe having some opportunity to see more of the country.

Despite that, I'm not euphoric either. When I start a project I like to successfully conclude it. But in this case I know already now - and I told him so - that there is way too much material even for this extension. My estimate is, that I'll definitely get all the Voten during Joseph's time done, maybe even the corresponding Circulanden - although I'm not sure that can be finished. Kaunitz's last four years (the reigns of Leopold and Franz) will definitely be missing and so will be the complete literature research I was much looking forward to. In conclusion: I'll do my work, I'll get as far as I get, and then I leave it as it is. Not a very satisfying thought.

Well, maybe it's also that I'm not in the best mood today. I think I need a break..

Der hat sich für's erste bereits wieder erledigt: -8 Grad, alles ist weiß bezuckert und es schneit noch weiter. Tja, da müssen Capris, Shorts und Flip-Flops wohl wieder für ein paar Tage zurück in den Schrank..

That was a weak week in terms of blogging, I know.. And not that I had nothing at all to mention. But I'm in a bit a weird mood these days and don't want to even start with writing about it..

After another very good Thursday in Powerplant and Hudsons (moving back and forth from German Club to Scandinavian Club to exchange students to Canadian friends) I realised I still haven't shown you pictures of the German Club's T-Shirts which we received two weeks ago (For more pics click):

That's of course just a tiny part of the club. There are always lots of people at the Stammtisch and always new faces, so I have no idea how many member it has..

People in this picture:

Next to me is Jose - he's there almost every Thursday. I like him a lot, he's likeable and funny and we had good conversations. In terms of languages he's probably the most talented person I know. To various degrees he knows English (of course), Spanish, Tagalog (the language spoken at the Philippines where his parents come from), German, Norwegian, Hungarian, Polish, Gaelic (he's learning it with tapes at home just for fun!) - and maybe three others I've forgotten to mention. Crazy!

The two in the turquoise shirts next to him are Kate and Nick from Bavaria. I think she's from Munich, he's from Nuremberg. Oops, that has just reminded me that I still haven't shown you the Carnival photos either. His costume was quite nice. :-)

The girls behind them are Jillian (black) and Keely (green) - both very nice. Keely is the one who learned German in Switzerland. It's so cool. She also teaches her boyfriend (who actually doesn't speak German) expressions. For example after I had finished at the Austrian dinner he suddenly asked me: "Isch gua gsi?" Haha. Actually I met all of them today - Keely, her boyfriend, Jillian and a friend of her (maybe her boyfriend I'm not sure about that) - we all went climbing. I had lots of fun - especially because I hadn't been able to go for more than two weeks because I had played indoor soccer once and my knee had been badly bruised until this week.

The two guys behind Jose and me are the two Ty's, the girl (oh-oh I can't remember her name - will be updated as soon as I know) is friends with the brown haired Ty and from what I heard them talking yesterday it seems that from today she'll be forming a rock band with the blond Ty and some other people.

OK that's it for today...

Ehm.. just a very quick question: Today I used a online converter - actually to convert British Pound into Euro and US Dollar - and was surprised about the difference! I remember just some time ago (ok it may have been one, two, three years ago) one US Dollar equalled one Euro, the Euro being worth just a tiny bit more. And today's conversion showed 1€ = 1.32$ or 1$ = 0.76€ That's quite a difference now! What happened? Did I miss something? Anyway..

:-(
Mehr gibts dazu nicht zu sagen..