Reading Week Adventures

            This past week was Reading Week here at the University of Calgary. A few of my friends and I rented a car and drove 8+ hours north to Fort McMurray, AB. We went mostly to catch the Northern Lights and ended up checking out the Oil Sand Fields J Alberta is the second largest producer of oil in the world, second only to Saudi Arabia, and Ft. McMurray is located right in the heart of the oil sand fields where Bitumen is harvested from the sand. We spent part of a day at the Oil Sand Discovery Center and learned about how they harvest the Bitumen, how the oil fields were formed, and go to see some of the equipment used out in the fields. We also drove north of the city one night and got to see all the fields lite up and, because it was so cold, got to see all the steam and heat produced from the process.

Oil Fields picture courtesy of The Guardian, those trucks are 2+ tons and 2+ stories tall!

            Two of the nights we were in Ft. McMurray, we got to see the Northern Lights, which according to the locals is really lucky. The lights were not the strongest either night, and the second night was pretty cloudy, but still got to see the greens light up the sky!

Ft. McMurray reminded me a lot of Medford, WI…snow covered roads, wind chills and temps well below zero, and a strong shift based work force (so at least things were open 24/7). Only the work force was mostly at the oil fields. Everyone was super nice and I got to use the skills learned from life in the Midwest quite a bit…such as being totally fine with asking strangers for directions/tips, getting a vehicle unstuck (3 times), how to keep a vehicle running in -20°C weather, and getting from point A to point B with terrible road conditions.

On our way back from Ft. McMurray we stopped in Edmonton (Alberta’s Capital) for a night. We had dinner that night at The Craft, a restaurant that had over 100+ beers on tap…we had to get a sampler just to figure out what we wanted because there were so many options. 

The view from the end of the bar at Craft.

The next day we went to West Edmonton Mall. The mall is supposed to be the largest in North America, but I personally thought it was rather small and that Mall of America is bigger. I picked up a few post cards to send family back home and then we headed back to Calgary! 

There is an ice rink in the middle of the mall!

I’ve been working on assignments the last few days to round out Reading Week with some actual reading. 

To Banff and Beyond

Wow, just wow! No words can describe the views of the Rocky Mountains, see below. It was absolutely stunning, and what luck we had with the weather. Crystal clear skies and some low clouds met we could see for miles from the top of the mountains. We went to the top of the Sulfur Mountain by taking a Gondola up and then walked to the old meteorologist outpost. What I found most fascinating about this trip was that my Canadian Pop Culture class had just learned about Banff and its origins. Like when I traveled to Europe after taking European history, I find it really interesting to learn about the history of a place and then see it!!

Brief history on Banff: 

     Banff was started after some railway workers discovered the "Cave & Basin" in Sulfur Mountain (essentially a hot spring). The Canadian government then made the area a National Park to protect if from commercialization and to help keep it's natural beauty. the Canadian Pacific Railway also laid down tracks so tourists could get to Banff. Today, people come from all over the world for the great ski/snowboarding mountains, views, and hot springs.

I didn't go to a hot spring, but I heard they were just really warm pools with views of the mountain. Instead, after Sulfur Mountain, a group of us went to get some lunch and then wandered around downtown Banff. We got some fudge and a few of them had a Beaver Tail (similar to an Elephant Ear - pastry with toppings, but shaped like a Beaver Tail). 

I can't wait for mom and dad to come visit in April and see all the views that I got to see last Saturday, they are all truly breathtaking! 

On 24 January, I went to a professional Lacrosse game (Calgary Roughnecks vs. Edmonton Rush - aka Battle for Alberta). It was awesome! Lacrosse is a national sport for Canada and is very popular, plus the fights on the field are entertaining :)

Next stop - after midterms, labs, and a research proposal - Fort McMurry, to view the northern lights, see oil sands (if we're luck) and just general exploration of central Alberta and getting out of Calgary for a few days :)

Olympics, Reservoirs, and National Parks

So much to see and so little time! This past Saturday I went to the Glenmore Reservoir and walked around about half of it. It is located in the southwest quadrant of the city and was created when the Glenmore Dam was built in the Elbow River. According to the City of Calgary website, this reservoir is a major source of drinking water for the city, helps prevent flooding (the dam was built to help control the flow rates and level of the Elbow River so Calgarians could develop the land around the river with decreased risk of flooding) and provide a place for recreational activity. 

Fun fact about Calgary, the city is divided into four quadrants...therefore street names can be repeated (ex. 6th Street SW and 6th Street NW). Makes navigating rather easy though since if you know the quadrant you need you can usually get pretty close to where you're headed. It was rather confusing my first week here though because I didn't realize the system and got a bit turned around, but now it's super easy.

Left to Right: Charles (Singapore), Julia (Austria), Fabian (Austria), Andreas (Sweden), Me and Vienna (UK) at the reservoir.

While at the reservoir, we met some really nice Calgarians who took a few pictures of us and talked with us for a while, mostly about where we were all from and how lucky we have been with the weather. It's been 40+ degrees fahrenheit here for about a week now!!

 

Me, Julia and Vienna with the reservoir and mountains in the background!

I didn't end up going to the Canada Olympic Park on Sunday because I wasn't feeling the greatest, but I heard I didn't miss much since the only good views are from the top of the mountain. You need a lift ticket to get to the top and I'm not into skiing or boarding so I wouldn't have purchased a ticket anyway. Instead I spent Sunday working on my research proposal and homework and planning a trip over Reading Week.

Claudia (Singapore), Me and Alyson (Singapore) enjoying a Singaporean dish Claudia made - a bit too spicy from what I'm used to but delicious.

This weekend I'm going to Banff with the Center for International Students and Study Abroad (CISSA). Can't wait to get there and see one of the locations I'm learning about in my Canadian Pop Culture class! We got cheap tickets to ride a Bungalow to the top of one of the mountains, so I should get some awesome pictures. Over Reading Week (Feb 14 - Feb 22) a group of us are going to Fort McMurray to hopefully see the Northern lights! Pictures will follow after the trips!

Favorite part about Calgary thus far...the amazing weather and way better Netflix movie options (make for great movie nights with friends), haha!

Suppose I should get back to studying! Hope you're all enjoying this blog as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

~Amanda

Link to the Marquette Global Correspondent Tumblr page: http://marquetteglobal.tumblr.com/ 

Arrival and First Few Days Here!

Arrival went semi-smooth. Flight was delayed out of Minneapolis/St. Paul so I arrived about 45 minutes late...not too bad. Customs was easy but immigration was stressful. However, once we cleared up that I'm a US student and will not be here longer than six months, they stamped my passport and I was well on my way. 

The rabbits that can be found all around campus.

Taxi ride from the airport went quick, but learned that Calgary doesn't plow the streets. Instead they wait for a Chinook to come and melt the snow. A Chinook is when hot air from the mountains comes down and the temperature warms up for a few days. My second day here I got to experience one, and then the next day how fast the temperature can drop when the Chinook passes. 

Home for the next four months!

Orientation went really well! Learned a lot and definitely had information overload, but it's all starting to make sense as I worked my way through my first week of classes. Loving all my classes so far and can't wait for my manufacturing class where we will be making yo-yo's, metal dice with a stand to hold them, a sort of name plate, and other cool things! I also have met with two different research teams and will have to decide soon which team I want to work with this term. Both teams have great opportunities, but I have decided to do a literature review on the bones of the knee joint (forces to impact them, etc.) to help build better training models for doctors. 

Old Petro-Canada Building that is now Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering!

I've been downtown a couple times now and love it more every time I go. The city is a decent size, but totally manageable and lots of fun to just walk around and explore the coffee shops and different stores. Pricing here is a bit more than back home, but not too bad for clothing and such. Some grocery items are almost double, such as milk and yogurt. I plan on going up on the Calgary Tower (seen below - slightly blurry picture....better one's will be posted later) at some point to get some awesome views of the city.

Everyone here is super friendly and helpful! I've joined the Ski Club and Outdoor Adventure Clubs on campus so I should be able to get out to the  mountains lots of times and go skiing (mainly cross country), snowshoeing, hiking, etc. Thursday night, after orientation, the International Student Services group took us to the Olympic Oval and we went skating. The oval here is known to have the "Fastest Ice on Earth" since so many world records have been set here. My friends and I went going again this past Saturday since getting in is free to students and rental is only about 5CAD.

Skating at the Olympic Oval! Going Skiing this Sunday (1/25) at the Canada Olympic Park!

@marquetteglobal

Packing, Planning, Preparing and Ultimately Leaving

Well, two days left here in the USA and they are going to be packed full of last minute prep and packing…lots of packing. Trying to determine what to pack is proving to be a bit more challenging than when I traveled to Europe in high school. Calgary weather is similar to Wisconsin/Midwest, so scarves, layers, fuzzy socks, boots, and lots of warm clothes. The hard part is deciding what to not pack and just waiting to get it once I get up there. So far the “wait-list” consists of: books (which are already ordered), daily hygiene items and a blanket/pillow.

Not much is left in the way of preparing for traveling, thankfully! I just have to print out the paperwork that customs might need and make sure I’m organized enough to find the papers when needed.

I just can’t wait to finally get up to Calgary. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time. My roommate arrives on January 12^th and orientation is on January 8^th, so I’ll have a few days to settle in, unpack, and familiarize myself with the campus and surrounding area. The easiest way to explain how I’m feeling is it’s like when I was getting ready to leave for Marquette freshman year.

Classes start Monday, January 12^th and I only have one class that day, which is weird since I’m used to having three to four classes a day. Tuesday will be a bit different as I have about six classes and only a few breaks.

I still can’t believe that in two days I’ll be in Calgary! Bittersweet moment as I’m super excited to get there but sad to leave and spend a third semester away from Marquette and my families (Marquette and immediate).

@marquetteglobal

Post Cyber Monday Update

Housing is finally figured out!!!! Applied and got placed in the Global Village! Furnished and move in ready...just need clothes and some bedding :) Caved at Costco on Sunday and bought a "Baby Blanket Set" that is a super soft blanket and pillow, and when combined make a very cuddly monkey, I have included a picture of it under my tree so you can enjoy in my cuteness attack and understand why I just had to get it. It'll be perfect for traveling since it's three things in one, and now I won't have to use an airplane pillow or blanket.

Next step is to book my flight (the not so fun part about all of this...). Orientation is on January 8 and classes start January 12. The engineering adviser I've been assigned in Calgary is helping get my classes organized so everything should be good to go! I just can't wait to finally be up in there!

Well off to continue unpacking...because nope, I'm still not entirely unpacked from moving back from Indiana.

Application Update and Program Information

Everything is submitted for Calgary and Marquette....so now I wait for final decisions to be made and to receive program details (ie dates, etc) before I can move ahead with booking my flights and such.

So this NARETI Program...

• NARETI = North American Consortium on Rehabilitation Engineering and Technology for the Individual (mouthful, right - this is why the program is referred to as NARETI!) 
• Schools involved: Marquette University, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Calgary - Canada, University of Toronto - Canada, University of Guadalajara - Mexico, and Tecnologico De Monterrey - Mexico.
• What is the program/how it works (from the University of Calgary Website on NARETI):
• Focus: increase awareness among BMEs of the differences and similarities of rehabilitative healthcare in North America
• Program Goals:
• Increase study abroad opportunities within North America
• Enhance technology/knowledge transfer to lead to innovative approaches to healthcare delivery withing North America
• Pave way for development of accessible innovations that meet individual needs
• For more detailed info visit the following site:
• http://www.ucalgary.ca/dimartino/NARETI 
• My Program Plans:
• Studying at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Jan - May 2015
• Taking four courses and applying to work with research/clinical internship
• I'll have more information once Calgary officially accepts me into the program and sends me more details :)

I'll keep this updated as much as possible! 

Thanks for following me on this once-in-a-lifetime experience and adventure! I can't wait to see what it has in store for me!!

~Amanda