Finally Here: Edmonton, As of Today

Welcome all! Glad you could join me on my journey from Oregon to Alberta. The astute reader, who obviously knows my arrival was August 12th, is wondering why this first (second) post is so late. Come on Omar! We alllllll know you can write way more than you have been.

"Uh oh." might be a reaction.

Clearly something went wrong. Truthfully, my few days have been filled with managed minor crises -- few things have actually been as I expected. An extremely significant surprise happened on August 12th. Being the cruel person I am, this story will not follow until the *NEXT* post. Sear this into your mind!

Today, August 14th, I determined my living arrangements. This was not an easy decision.

Just yesterday (the 13th) I realized, with urging from my mother, that the arrangements I had chosen a month ago may not work. Weeks of research with the university Residence Services, with Google maps, and self-consulation were defeated by a short in-person encounter. The building old, the ramp steep, the walkway outside rough, and the path to the main road unclear. In fact, I found the building basically by accident! This led me to feel defeated.....can it (today) even work out at all?

I expected a confrontation today (August 14th), being so encultured with American norms. Instead my parents and I found friendly faces at the Residence Services center, including two people who had already helped me several times grapple with the process of finding a place. (I actually examined at least three different residence options with their help, so perhaps my struggles were to be expected.) Upon hearing my concerns of the initial room assignment, the coordinator let me know that others with mobility devices have lived in that building. She gave me other examples of people living in accessible rooms while having similar concerns that I cam wtih. But it was said without judgement.

The coordinator gave me an opportunity to visit the interior of the room I was concerned about -- but also the chance to see a room in a newer building. Both rooms were fully furnished!

I realized that the disadvantages were not as great as I had imagined. However, the building's stairs so obviously old, and the blatant lack of an elevator, did feel harsh to my eyes -- a relic of a by-gone era. But the first floor apartment offered to me was a proper apartment, giving plenty of space, even including a dryer and a washer. Such an offering naturally was on the expensive side though..

The much newer building I passed over a for a simple reason.....living with other people, ugh! There's no way a sensible being would do such a thing. But seriously, the suite itself was fairly small, but containing everything I'd want, leading into four bedrooms. This living arrangement is rather familiar from my time at OSU. I....shudder a bit thinking of that.

Being here gave us the opportunity for my parents and I to ask probing questions about my habitat in Alberta.

What are the main criteria? Do I want space or less room to clean? Do I want a building with study spaces and a gym or just a larger apartment to keep to myself? Do I want social engagement?

As one might imagine, the older building offered less access to the outside, even with a larger apartment, and had much fewer things to its credit. In the newer building, there were lounges even, and much more direct access to the main road. As a Fulbrighter, I *want* the most social engagement I can find.

The new building was the right option -- I voiced my opinion directly for it, clearly echoing my mother who had pushed for us to check out this place to begin with. Unexpectedly, she later told me that I made the right decision.

But the paperwork took some time, so we checked out Ayesha's kitchen, a Pakistani food place, to continue our exploration of ethnic foods in Edmonton. Surprisingly, my seekh kebab dish was spicy and bursting with flavor, which cannot be taken for granted. The biryani tasting strongly of tomato was another great introduction to my tastebuds. Having refreshed with food, we headed back to check out the keys and move in. And it all seems so simple right? Well, signing the new contract (for the room I switched to) took time, including ten+ minutes of simple technical difficulties.

Ironically the moving in piece was far simpler. One could argue that that was due to my lack of participation. To my credit, my parents asked for space to perform the moving in efficiently and quickly. That was when I worked on quite a few of these blog posts. But someone asked me where I was coming from; having told him that I was from the US, he began talking about the dorm's features, such as the aforementioned gym, and told me about the campus grounds. As a grounds keeper, he clears the winter snow, which is essential for me to live conveniently in this city. So my break gave me a chance to learn and reflect on the campus which I am joining. Completing the move in, even if it was largely executed by my parents, felt incredibly satisfying.

Just a reminder that August 12th was a hellish day! I am finally about ready to discuss it on here....after having built up my strength again.