Goddess Evening - Cat is leaving :(

Cat is leaving us :( On the other hand, I am happy for her, that she will be living in an awesome loft in Vancouver - together with her partner Derryl. So, really it is a reason to celebrate: so we did :)

Chicago

Chicago Airport

The very first time I have been to the New World was 8 years ago, when I visited Elisabeth in her studio in Chicago. Back then, I would have never thought that I would end up staying in North America. Interesting, how life takes you on a journey. I wonder where I will be 8 years from now....mmmm...

"There are no Answers, only choices."
from Solaris

Oh, by the way, talking about sci-fi, I have finished reading my first science fiction book! "Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?" the novel that inspired Bladerunner. I finally finished the book on the plane back to Calgary.

I just bought myself a Christmas present and got The Dune - apparently a sci-fi bestseller, which I will start reading in just a few minutes :)

More Photos from Michigan - the Design Studio

Photos from Michigan

Product Testing in the Lab

Yes, we are in America. And the plant is HUGE! The cart you can see is an AGV -an automated guided vehicle - driving around without a driver - pretty cool!

Rachael took me on a tour in a golf cart :)

Wood Veneer

Michigan

Ich sitze gerade im ultracoolen Design Studio in Holland Michigan. Erinnert mich an Studios, in die Elisabeth mich zu ihrer Studienzeit mitgenommen hat. Very European - loungy music. Sehr nett. Das ist allerdings dass einzig uebercoole in Michigan - ansonsten ist es nicht sonderlich aufregend. Die Gegend erinnert mich an St. Poelten: flach, einige nette Auenlandschaften (doch im Dezember sieht so eine Landschaft leider noch ein bisserl weniger spektakulaer als im Fruehling oder Sommer aus). Morgen schau ich mir noch ein Werk an und dann gehts heim nach Calgary, wo ich dann wieder ein paar Fotos in den Blog geben werde. Bis dann :)

Brrrr! -25

I had to get a whole new set of warm clothes and accessories to keep embracing the Canadian Winter.
Still, these days I am a little sad that I didn't get the job in Berkeley - sunny California :-)
I cross my fingers that it gets warmer soon!

FACTORY TOUR

Today I toured the manufacturing plant of my new work place. It’s HUGE! I was told it’s the biggest manufacturing facility in Western Canada. Wow. The plant manufactures moveable walls and office furniture.

Ready for Winter

I stopped resisting the cold - and I am embracing the winter. I just bought UGG boots. My toes deserve to be warm! Ridiculously expensive - but all I heard so far is, that I won't regret it!

Fuer meine Nichten und Neffen

Alien Anahirn

Alien Annase

Alien Anohra

Gerade eben sind drei Aliens auf meinem Balkon gelandet. Sie behaupten, sie seien meine Schwestern in einer anderen Galaxie. Ich sagte ihnen: "Lasst mich in Ruhe ich habe schon zwei Schwestern! Die schauen mir aehnlicher als Ihr!" Die Aliens sind dann traurig wieder abgezischt. Was denkt ihr? Haben die 3 eine Aehnlichkeit mit mir?

First Week

Done with my first week at Haworth! So far - so good. A job that starts off with a 4-day work week can't be too bad. I got Friday off, because it's Remembrance Day Long Weekend.

My boss seems to be a good guy and the projects I have been given are quite interesting. A little bit of every thing: engineering, R&D, code compliance and sustainability. To give you an example: one of my tasks is to evaluate different wood certification agencies that certify wood from sustainably harvested forests.

I enjoy working with aesthetically pleasing products - for a change. I couldn't say that a Nascor joist was particularly nice to look at.

Zody (the fully adjustable desk chair) at my new work station

It's also for the first time in my career that I work for a company that owns a corporate jet. If I am lucky, I might have the opportunity to fly on it next month.

Slowly, I am getting used to getting up before 6:00 am. Gaehn! 3 out of 4 days I rode my bicycle, even though the streets and path ways were icy. I had to wrestle with my inner pig dog - who is a pretty big guy at 6:00 am, but once I was at work and had a shower in the company's gym, I felt pretty energized all day long.

Cycling on Wednesday was more of a skiing experience - I rode home in about 5 cm of fresh snow. A friendly reminder that I live in Canada. I met Vik, my winter commuting coach, half way. Our lights are extremely bright - when I saw Vik coming towards me on the bike path, I thought it was a U.F.O coming towards me :) But, better safe than sorry. Visibility is certainly one of the most important things in winter commuting. Especially because my rides are in the dark in the morning and in the evening.

Most of my commute is on the bike path and so far I have seen deer every day. I also saw fresh wood chips on the path - Mr. Beaver left them there. And I see hundreds of geese and ducks along the river. Perfect destressing after work.

bicylces after a winter ride

The Commute

Tomorrow will be my first day at my Haworth. I am planning on cycling to work as much as I can. The reason is simple: I feel better when I get my blood pumping. Getting rid of a car commute in morning rush hour and replacing it with a bike ride along the river at sunrise sounds like a good idea to me! The first 2/3 of the commute is on the bike path - after that it's in the industrial park - unfortunately. Lots of trucks. I will have to find a not so busy route through that area.

I am using my shitty city bike - an old mountain bike for winter riding. It got some TLC, bike rack and studded tires. Today Vik and I tried out the route in +10 degrees: it's about 15km and takes 1 hour one way. I felt pretty comfortable riding on slush, snow and ice. The weather forecast says 0 degrees for tomorrow morning, we will see how it goes!

With Jen at KOI

Do I look professional?

I am on a mini vacation at the moment. For 5 days. Then I will start my new job at Haworth. My new position is "sales engineer" in the product performance department. I am pretty excited - Haworth's values seem to fit my values. According to their website: it's all about people - treating your employees well, allowing them flexible work hours, continous learning and sustainability. About 1000 people work at the Calgary facility - apart from my summer job at DOKA in Austria - my biggest employer so far. Oh yes, and it will be the first time that I am working for an American Corporation. Mmmm. Unfortunately their head office is not in sunny California, but somewhere in Michigan. Too bad.



As the German saying "Kleider machen Leute" (the English not-so-striking translation: Fine feathers make fine birds) suggests, I went on a little shopping spree yesterday. The goal: to appear professional. I was very lucky, that Laura accompanied me and helped me pick out some new outfits. Thank you Laura! I don't think I have ever spend that much money in one day (okay, Brit - apart from my bicycles), but I am now the proud owner of my first business suit!

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”

by Seneca.





My Built Green Era is over. Tuesday was my last day. 3 months and a little bit of volunteering before that. I very much enjoyed working there - it was at SAIT - which is the best location in town. If Calgary had a King and Queen - that's where they would live: it's on the hill just above Sunny Side - overlooking down town. I was also happy to see a plaque of Heritage Hall - stating that SAIT is "normal school" for normal people - thank god!

The top three things, I learned at Built Green:

1. there are no problems - only opportunities
2. a small group of people can have a big impact
   
3. there is always time for a coffee break (okay - I knew that already ;-)
   

Above 2 pictures of my colleagues at a dinner at the Tibetan restaurant on 10th and two pics of SAIT.

What I did last weekend...

Antonia und Vincent sind wahrscheinlich ein bisserl traurig, dass sie letztes Wochenende nicht bei der lieben Tante Anna in Canada waren. Wir haben naemlich einen Lord of the Rings Marathon veranstaltet. Begonnen hat es um 6 am Abend - der 3. Teil endete um 6 Uhr am naechsten Morgen. Ich muss zugeben dass ich waehrend dem 2. Teil mich fuer ein paar Stunden hingelegt habe. Trotzdem hatte ich am naechsten Tag einen Kater - nicht weil ich zuviel getrunken habe (na gut, ein paar Glaserl Wein waren schon dabei), doch einen audiovisuellen Kater.

Bin froh, dass ich alle drei Teile gesehen habe, endlich verstehe ich halbwegs, was Golum, Legolas, Frodo und Gandalf in Middle Earth so treiben.

Freckled Mint - Minze mit Sommersprossen

Vor ein paar Monaten saete ich Basilikum und Minze, und obwohl ich nicht immer die verlaesslichste Giesserin bin, haben die kleinen Pflaenzchen bis jetzt ueberlebt. So weit so gut. Allerdings hat die Minze komische weisse Puenktchen. Falls ein Pflanzenkundiger (ich denke grad an die vielen talentierten Gaertner in meiner Familie) weiss, was das Problem sein koennte, und ob ich die Minze trotzdem noch als Tee verwenden kann, waere ich fuer ein Kommentar sehr dankbar!

"Tante Anna is becoming peculiar..."

That's probably what my cool nephews and nieces think - when they see these pictures. "Why does Tante Anna look like a praying mantis?" Recumbent connoisseurs call the hand position I am in "praying mantis" Gottesanbeterin - in contrast to "superman" - needless to say, that's Vik's hand position!

Goethe says:

"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live."

Jasper to Calgary - September Long Weekend

On the September Long Weekend I rode from Jasper to Calgary. 450km. 4 days of Sunshine. I was worried that my knees might not like this trip - but my legs were fine - no problem. However, after day 3 my wrists and fingers hurt a little bit and when I came home, two fingers on my right hand were numb for a week! For more pictures, check Vik's blog.

Lights on 4th

How effective...

...is this stuff, if Mr. Muscleman eating IsoFlex, can't even squeeze the container to get it in the recycle bin?

Climate Neutral Flying

WESTJET, in a pioneering move, has agreed to cooperate with Offsetters to make your air travel climate neutral. Just book your travel online, using the link to WestJet at www.offsetters.ca and Westjet will invest in climate friendly projects to offset the GHG emissions from your flights at no extra cost to you.

Something to consider!

You must understand the whole of life,...

... not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems and suffer and understand, for all that is life. Jiddu Krishnamurti

Mei neie Hock'n

Seit Anfang August arbeite ich fuer Built Green. Die Leut sind supernett - eine sehr eklektische Mischung. Unsere Mission: Haeuser a bisserl umweltfreundlicher zu bauen.

now also available at...

www.anna-wechselberger.com

Wednesday Eve Corona Action with K&D