Die Überlegungen dauerten nicht lange - und die Entscheidung fiel recht schnell:
Angesichts einer sehr "arbeitnehmerfreundlichen" Lage der Weihnachts- und Neujahrsfeiertage habe ich mich entschlossen, in diesem Jahr (zum ersten Mal) das "Fest der Liebe" nicht in Deutschland und bei meinen Eltern sondern in Kanada bei Verwandten und Freunden zu verbringen.
Die aktuellste Planung für Besuche etc. werde ich nun in den nächsten Tagen versuchen an dieser Stelle zu posten, damit alle die, die mich in den Tagen zwischen dem 22.12. und 3.1. treffen oder kontaktieren möchten, einen Anhaltspunkt dafür haben, wo & wie ich erreichbar oder auffindbar bin - oder ob ich schon "ausgebucht" bin.
In der Hoffnung, möglichst viele von "meinen Lieben" wiederzusehen freue ich mich auf die Zeit in "Übersee" und wünsche allen, die ich aufgrund dieser Reise nun in der Heimat nicht sehen werde
FROHE WEIHNACHTEN und
EIN GLÜCKLICHES, GESUNDES UND
ZUFRIEDENES NEUES JAHR 2009.
The thoughts didn't take all too long and the decision came pretty quick:
Due to a very "employee-friendly" situation with the holidays around Christmas and New YearsI've decided to spend this years "feast of love" for the first time of life not in Germany and at my parents but in Canada with very dear relatives and friends.
Now and in the next couple of days I will try to post the most recent and up-to-date plans and schedules on this blog so that everybody who'd like to meet or contact me between the 22nd December and 3rd January will have an idea on when and where I'll be "free" or "available" - or if I'm maybe already "booked" somewhere else...
Hoping to meet many very dear friends in that time I'm looking forward to being in "Overseas" and wish
MERRY CHRISTMAS and
A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND
SATISFYING NEW YEAR 2009
to everybody at home whom I'll not be able to meet during the christmas time due to this trip.
But now, here's the
current schedule (please feel free to ask or invite me, when you feel there's a good time to meet up and maybe visit/stay at your place?! :-)
MON, 22.12.08flight from Hamburg (11.50, with Lufthansa) via Frankfurt/Main to Toronto (with Air Canada, arrival: 19.55, Terminal 1, flight AC 877)
Pick up by Paul Doerwald, staying in Toronto with Paul and his wife Estelle!
TUE, 23.12.08Meet with Emily Enns and get picked up in Toronto @ Paul, get a ride with Dorothea Enns to St. Catherines.
Meet with Karen Wiens Epp in St.C. at the bus-terminal and get a lift to my Tante Erika.
Hopefully Sigrid or Esther will then take me to NotL (and Tante Anneliese) later in the evening where I should be happy to find "my" bed ready for me...
WED, 24.12.08
in Niagara, christmas service at Niagara United Mennonite Church at 7.00 p.m.
Can't wait to hear the christmas story all again - all new,
meet a bunch of friends and family at the
redbrickchurch- and celebrate "Heilig Abend" in Canada!!!
THU, 25.12.08
Christmas in NoTL.
Going to church,
Visit Helga & Karin & Ingrid Wiens for lunch.
Coffee at Kaethe & Kurt Wiens.
Evening with the Janzen family visiting my aunt Erika
FRI, 26.12.08
In Niagara:
Mate at Regiers,
Visit at Lilo & Eckart Schmidt
Shopping at the Pen-Centre
Christmas-get-together of the Wiens-Family in uncle Jürgens' "barn"
SAT, 27.12.08
Driving to Kalamazoo/MI (USA) to visit Ken, Rima and their kids.
Sampling a couple of Bell's beer varieties ;-)
SUN, 28.12.08
Being in Kalamazoo :-)
MON, 29.12.08
Driving back to Niagara.
Dinner at Rick & Erika Froese
TUE, 30.12.08
In Niagara,
Visiting Werner, Jen & Jacob,
Dinner at Burkhart Schmidt,
quick drop-in at Erhard Schimann
It's snowing again!!!!
WED, 31.12.08
Cleaning the driveway from snow
Breakfast at the Doerwalds in Virgil
Driving to Toronto (It's great if you have a GPS guiding you...)
New Year's party in Toronto with my cousin Helga who's co-hosting a party at a friend of hers.
THU, 01.01.09
Stepping into the New Year in Toronto.
- 15°C, snow, sunshine, relaxed.
Welcome 2009!!!!
Drive back to Niagara in the afternoon.
Visit to Karen?!
FRI, 02.01.09
Last complete day in Canada - and my birthday :-)
between 18.00/19.00; Dinner at the Mandarin in Niagara Falls.
After 22.00: Partytime @ Dragonfly Nightclub
in the Niagara Falls Casino, 6380 Fallsview Blvd.
SAT, 03.01.08
Last day, last visits, maybe a sort of a shop-stop in Toronto.
Hopefully Werner Siemens is giving me a ride!?
No shopping-frenzy though as my return flight leaves at 19.10 at Terminal1, first going to Ottawa and then to Frankfurt/Main
SUN, 04.01.08
With another stop-over in Frankfurt/Main I'll hopefully arrive in Hamburg at 13.15 - being curious on who's going to be at the airport to pick me up :-)
