Getting settled in Edmonton

In the first few days, there was a lot to discover and organize. My host David had everything planned out. We started with a short tour of the house, where I noticed a theme that runs throughout the entire house in the form of pictures and sculptures: cats. Apparently, he and his late wife were lovers of whiskers and had started giving each other items with this motif.

The location of the house is really great. It takes me about half an hour by bus to get to the university, although I still have to walk about 12 minutes to the bus stop in the cold, and there are good bus connections to Downtown (see below) and the West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping center in the city (I'll talk about that later in more detail ;)). It is also located right next to Mill Creek Ravine, a small stream that flows into a valley and then into the main river. The area around the river is dotted with beautiful hiking trails, where you can really forget that you're actually in the middle of the city. There is also an old railway line that runs through the area, although the tracks have been removed, so now you can stroll along the wide road above the paths. While walking, you will meet numerous dog owners who can give their pets some freedom to roam around there.

Edmonton is divided into two parts: the northern and southern parts of the North Saskatchewan River, where the university and my accommodation are located. The two parts were even separate cities for a long time, with only the northern part called Edmonton. It was only when a connecting bridge was created that the two parts merged. The northern center is characterized by huge skyscrapers in the downtown area, while life in the south revolves around an access road to the university called 'Whyte Avenue', where there are bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops.

The University of Alberta consists of a pretty large campus, which includes a huge hospital. The yellow building of the university sports facility (called the Butterdome), which has a climbing wall, a swimming pool, and an ice skating rink, is also located there. Ice skating is actually a national sport in Edmonton. One of Canada's best ice hockey teams, the Edmonton Oilers, plays here, and there are numerous public ice skating rinks in the city and in parks on frozen lakes. I might not be able to avoid stepping onto the skates after all.
I was particularly fascinated by the main student dormitory on campus. Here, there are not only the students' apartments, but also numerous shops, cafes, and above all, international fast-food restaurants, which gave the building the name 'HUB Mall'. When you enter the building, you actually feel like you're in a cozy covered shopping street, with doors leading to the students' spaces on both sides. Colorful shutters can be seen above the stores, and the whole picture is characterized by students spending their lunch breaks here.

Right from the start, I noticed the extremely warm friendliness of Canadians. At the airport, the security officer interestedly asked what I would be doing in Canada, and when the cashier at the supermarket suddenly started talking to me about her favorite food, I was so taken aback that I completely forgot the English language. It is also customary here to thank the bus driver when you get off the bus, which reminded me a lot of my ski vacations in Klosters. No matter who you encounter on the street, there is generally a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere, which has really made settling in here much easier.