O Canada

Am now in Calgary, enjoying her sunny cool summer days...

Calgary University is the last leg of my visit to three universities...

Impressive they all are, each with their own strengths...

Prince George the first stop, is a small city of about 80,000 people...

Forestry is the mainstay of the economy and the University of Northern British Columbia is only about a decade old...

Still, it is a very well-run university with a student population of under 5000 students...

Edmonton, the second stop, is much bigger with a population of over 700,000 people...

The University of Alberta is a charming university with some nice old buildings...

Was busying myself with photographing those buildings...

The university is huge and there is a lot of green spaces...

Was impressed with the HUB, a student dormitory with lots of shops and a very bright overhead glass ceiling...

Calgary seems more robust and modern, with a population of about a million people...

The university is comparable to the that of Edmonton's in various aspects, except that it is a little younger...

In all three locations, I stayed on-campus as I wanted to get to know the university as much as I could...

And in all three locations, I have sent students... and it felt so good to chat with them on campus...

On a more personal side, I think I am reaching the limits of my tolerance for 'trans-pac' flights...

Crossing the pacific ocean does take quite a toll on the body, both physically and mentally...

As in my previous trip to Vancouver two years ago, the jet lag got the better of me about two days after arrival...

In Vancouver, I was awakened by a telephone ring... and, in the midst of my grogginess, I jumped out of bed as the hotel receptionist said that I was supposed to check out at 11:00 am...

And it was 1:00 pm already... wooaaahhh...

Anyway, here in Calgary, the folks are really very hospitable...

A lady who works in the department I am dealing with, was so kind to show me her home...

I met her husband, who even though, retired, looked like he is in his late forties when he is coming sixty...

They offered me a glass of good red wine and we chatted about things Canadian while sitting in their backyard deck...

Then, they took me to a sushi restaurant for dinner... how kind of them, I must say...

I have two more days here and I intend to make the best out of it... as I do not think my forty-nine-year body, 'young' as it is, can take anymore of this beating from crossing the mighty pacific...