Sunday, February 28, 2010

Helllo again, Oslo.


It's good to be back. :) But let me talk about Amsterdam for a bit.

My trip back was actually less exhausting that I'd originally suspected it would be, mostly because as soon as I got on the plane headed to Amsterdam, I popped some Advil PM and was asleep within minutes. I woke up when the plane touched down in Amsterdam, feeling just a little bit groggy but mostly quite rested, which gave me plenty of energy to explore the city until my 9pm departure for Oslo.

I took so many photographs in Amsterdam that if I tried to upload them all into this one blog entry, I'd probably have people threatening to dismember me via email or something. So I'll probably just post a few here and then publish the rest on Facebook. (In fact, that is just what I did. You can view the public album here.) Besides, from only a few photographs you can already get an idea of what Amsterdam is like--vibrantly energetic even given the overcast skies and rainy weather, packed with an incredibly diverse international population, riddled with tons of canals and bridges, and apparently a Mecca for cyclists everywhere. I nearly got hit by three different cyclists on three different occasions, which of course is my own fault; this city is very much set up for bike riding with tons of specially designed bike paths, though that doesn't keep vespas
off them, or the bikes off the footpaths or the main roads.

I explored three roads mainly: Damrak, part of which is pictured here, Rokin, which Damrak turns into, and Spui. I didn't have a huge amount of time on my hands to explore, actually, since a good deal of my time was spent sorting out what I would look at in the city, buying a train ticket, etc. Damrak sports an incredible amount of personality though, and affords a pretty fantastic view of Amsterdam central station if you feel like turning around to admire it (which I did, of course). There are tons of shops and restaurants, which is no surprise because this is a large city, after all, but I was surprised by the number of Argentinian places I saw while wandering around.

I thought about checking out the museums, possibly taking the canal tour, but I always tend to do better in these situations if I'm just allowed to set my own pace and given my own space to roam--so that is exactly what I did. My friend Richard suggested that I look at the Begijnhof, which was home to the beguines in the middle ages and now is home to the English Reformed Church in Amsterdam. It's hard to get away from the sounds of city life in Amsterdam; everywhere you go, you're bound to hear bike bells ringing, trams trundling along, vespa engines buzzing, people talking and laughing loudly, etc. But stepping inside the Begijnhof mutes the rest of city life. It's serene.

Its original purpose wasn't to serve as a convent in the traditional sense of the word, according to the information placard attached to the wall. The women who chose to live here were Catholic and viewed the completion of good works as essential to their faith, but found the vows that were required for nuns to be too stifling. I took this photograph from one of the other exit/entrances; I'd intended to take more, but photography and taking video footage wasn't allowed inside the courtyard. The people who live here want peace and quiet, and who am I to intrude on that?

I'm sad that I had so little time to spend in this city, and sadder still about the circumstances that brought me to it. Part of me wonders if I should be so grateful for this experience if, in order to have it, my grandmother had to pass away, but that is only in my more maudlin moments. I know that if my grandmother were alive to hear me thinking these thoughts, she'd shut me up immediately and tell me to enjoy all these opportunities, because this is exactly what she wanted for me. I'm going to do my best to honor her memory by throwing myself wholeheartedly into these adventures, and I refuse to have regrets.

And I am definitely, definitely going back to Amsterdam one day. :)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Thoughts before departure.

I pulled out of my driveway with enthusiasm yesterday morning, intent on running some necessary errands, and apparently it has been a little too long since I was last behind the wheel of my little Toyota Corolla. I hit the curb with enough force to cause my CD player to skip, something it hasn't done since... well, since I was learning to drive. I freaked out and got out of my car to make sure I hadn't done any serious damage to it, and thankfully there wasn't even any visible evidence of the little scuffle; only my pride was wounded. Suffice to say, I drove rather carefully around my neighborhood for a little bit, just to get back in the swing of things.

But yesterday was good, overall. I went out into Huntsville by myself in the morning and revisited a lot of my usual haunts; Bandito Burrito for lunch, Parkway Place to get two new pairs of jeans, etc. I visited with my mom, too, who took me to this adorable boutique on Whitesburg Drive that only recently opened up in Huntsville, and I ended up buying a shirt there as well. It was an unexpectedly expensive day to be honest, but I'm not worried about the money so much. Mom and I talked a lot, both about the things I'm doing in Oslo and about Nanny--my grandmother--which I think was very cathartic for both of us.

For me it is still very strange because it hasn't settled in my mind yet that she is actually gone; even saying goodbye at the funeral, even with the sense of peace and closure I felt leaving the cemetery, I don't feel the finality of it. I still expect to receive a phone call from her at any moment, with her familiar voice on the other end greeting me affectionately, "Well hello darlin', this is your grandmother." The timbre of her voice still resonates with me, though I suppose at some stage that will fade, too. Logically I know that is normal and to be expected. I just can't summon up any feelings about it right now. I'm numb.

But I am glad I did my best to enjoy my last full day in Huntsville before my departure this afternoon. I have a driving route that I take sometimes to clear my head, which takes me from where I live on the other side of Chapman Mountain, through Huntsville, over Cecil-Ashburne, and through the Hampton Cove area until I reach US72 heading towards Scottsboro. The view from Cecil-Ashburne really got to me today and I had to pull over just for a moment to lean against the guardrail and look at the valley and the few trees with green leaves on them before going on. I'm glad I did.

This afternoon, I will fly to Memphis, TN, and from Memphis to Amsterdam, where I have an eight or nine-hour layover in the airport. The current plan is to leave the airport and take the train into the city in order to explore for a little bit... so, hopefully I will get lots of sleep on the airplane across the Atlantic so that I won't be too exhausted by the time I arrive. I'll make sure to take some pictures with my cell phone either way; it's not every day you're in Amsterdam, after all.

Hopefully, the next update I make will be from my dorm room back in Kringsjaa. Hadet. <3

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Southern hospitality.

You know you're at a wake in the South when you can't take two steps in either direction without tripping over a casserole dish. Or barbecue. Or sweet tea.

The service on Tuesday did what it was supposed to do, I suppose, in that it gathered together all of the people, both family and friends, who loved my grandmother. I was lucky that one of my dear friends from middle school, Jenny, offered to keep me company during the visitation, and afterwards my father was allowed to company me to the graveside service. I won't go into too many details describing the service or what my family and I were feeling, because I'm fairly certain most of that can be inferred, and because it also feels a little too personal to discuss openly in a blog. Suffice to say both the visitation and the funeral service itself gave me the necessary closure; I've said goodbye.

The wake was at my uncle's house immediately afterwards, and I stayed for several hours catching up with all of my family from Birmingham. They were all very curious about what I'm doing in Norway, and one of the prevailing questions was, "Do you think you'll stay? Do you think you'll come home?" At first it was fairly easy for me to respond with, "Yes, I'll come home," but since I have been home, I've felt this displaced sense of... it's hard to describe. Like my body is one place but the rest of me is still in the frozen north contemplating catching the 7:38 train from Kringsjaa to Forskningsparken, or walking around Sognsvann enjoying the cold mist and the quiet offered by the wilderness.

It has been surreal for me, recognizing how isolated I kept myself in my life here in Huntsville; not intentionally so much as through necessity. It's nothing like the life I've grown accustomed to in Oslo, and I think that is just a sign that going back to how things were before isn't an option, even if I do come back to Huntsville. But, as with all things, we'll just have to see what happens when the time comes.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Sad news.

Every now and then, tragedy injects itself into life in such a way that you can't keep it even from a blog intended to showcase the positive attributes of your travel experiences. The UAH shooting was one of them, and this is another.

My grandmother, Nancy Cooper, passed away yesterday due to complications with dialysis and low blood pressure medicine. She wasn't alone; she was surrounded by her close family, all of whom love her dearly, and I know that she knew I was thinking of her every day over here in Oslo. I got the phone call from my mother, first to let me know that she was going, and then to let me know when she was gone. It was, understandably, an emotionally painful night for me.

As soon as I know the funeral arrangements, I will book a flight back to Huntsville and will return long enough to attend the service. I've emailed my professors to give them a heads-up already.

Thanks to everyone who has already given me so much support since I received this news. I love you all.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Brrr, cold!

Even by Oslo standards! The past two or three days, the whole city has been set upon by a very unpleasant snow storm, one which made hiking to the Evergreen on Friday a little trying, and briefly downed the T-bane yesterday. I'd gone downtown to do a necessary bit of shopping, and on my way back the T-bane stopped at Holstein.


For your viewing pleasure: the Oslo T-bane map.

I pretty much take line 3 for anywhere and everywhere I want to go; Mortensrud to get to campus, the Evergreen, downtown, and Sognsvann to get home. I live at Kringsjå which, as you can tell, is only one stop past Holstein. I've walked much longer distances since I've been in Oslo. My friends and I missed the last train home once and ended up walking from Blindern all the way back, and as you might recall from my blog entry at the time (or might not recall, I'm fairly certain my dad is the only one who consistently reads this thing), I had to walk from Kringsjå to Forskningsparken my first day of classes because the metro was down. Anyway, I said all that to say this: Holstein to Kringsjå? No problem.

I did not take into account the howling gale, nor the spitting, stinging snow that accompanied it. I have never before been so relieved to duck into the post box area to check my mail before, nor to immediately pop into the Kiwi shop to do grocery shopping. Anyway, I was too distracted yesterday to take any proper shots of the snow as it was falling, but here are some pictures of the snow as it has piled up on the quad outside my dorm:


A path carved into the snowdrift by one of the snow plows. That snow comes up to about knee height on a normal person, so... you can imagine how easy it would be for me to drown in it. (And that doesn't count the three inches or so you lose when your feet sink down into the snow on the path.)


Look, a death trap!--I mean, a staircase!


Good thing these exterior walls have such great insulation! ...yeah.


A shot of the snow piling up right outside my window. Hooray!


For some perspective; people chatting (and freezing) near a telephone box outside the Kiwi shop, here in Kringsjå. Yay winter! At least it's sunny today.

Anyway, after yesterday's ill-fated shopping trip, Tim and I finished off some of the left-overs from Mike's fantastic Italian cooking adventure on Friday, then had a Monty Python marathon. I also introduced him to "Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb." Tonight it looks like I might be going to Blå, that jazz club from several weeks back... assuming I can track down the right bus and get off at the right stop. We'll see what happens!

Friday, February 19, 2010

"Vas are you zhinking about?"

Lots of things!

Small aspects of this trip that I hope I never forget:

  • My morning commute from Kringsjå to Forskingsparken, and how my spirits feel lifted if I happen to sit on the side of the train facing the city center and the fjord. Oslo glows in the morning if it's a clear day; not much beats the reflection of the sun off the water in the harbor.
  • Walking through Oslo S. with my iPod on, just moving through the crowd. And, similarly, walking through Oslo S. without my iPod on, trying to catch the bits and pieces of English interspersed with the Norwegian floating around. I like looking at the train arrivals and departures even though I have no intention of going anywhere, mostly to imagine going somewhere. I love the restless energy of Oslo S.
  • Hot water. Thank God hot water hasn't been an issue. But honestly, I don't think I've ever appreciated hot showers quite this much before, and I doubt an explanation is necessary.
  • Friends. I think this goes without saying since nearly every entry I've posted here has featured some discussion of the lovely people I spend all of my time around, but I want to write something for myself here so that I don't forget how much every single one of them mean to me. Elif was the first real friend I made here in Oslo; Mike and Ray give me that weekly dose of Americana that I think all Americans crave when away from home; Tim has been a grand partner in crime, even if I do tease him and Richard for "Dutching" when our group gets together; Julia has been a wonderful confidante, even if we don't see each other much; and I'm probably leaving out others, but this post could get tedious if I continue naming everyone. Suffice to say, I'm content with the company I keep, and I don't want to forget how they make me feel.
  • Triumphant pub quiz near-victories.
  • Mocking the really bad films and appreciating the good ones at Norwegian Film Night on Mondays.
  • "Dørene lukkes. Neste stasjon..."
  • Evergreen Tuesdays (even if this week we went on Wednesday, and will be going again tonight).
  • The way a Narvesen hotdog somehow becomes the best thing in the whole world when one has had one too many glasses of wine, and never tastes quite the same while sober.
  • Fire alarms. ...Okay, maybe I'd be all right with forgetting about the fire alarms.
  • Sognsvann, both during the day and at night. I'd like to go back at night when it warms up a bit.

Some stuff I miss about Huntsville:

  • Driving over Chapman Mountain every morning on my way to work, right about the time the sun is cresting the Appalachian foothills. I think that view, and the view of the green and yellow valley from Cecil-Ashburne, might give my view of the Oslo fjord and its sparkling waters a run for its money.
  • UAH: Morton Hall and its many water spots on the ceiling tiles; perpetually incomplete Roberts Hall; routinely calling Frank Franz Hall by its old name, NCRH, because for me it will always be NCRH; pestering my professors during their office hours because they're there and I'm bored; the many missing overhead projector remotes that are always, always with Cindy, no matter how many times the professors check the lock boxes. Sigh.
  • Afternoon adventures to Jamo's with Jennifer, Archie, Haley, Elizabeth, and whomever else we used to cram into my car, or Archie's car.
  • The Honor's Lounge, and all that that entails. Honors students of the past and present, here's lookin' at you.
  • Nights at the Nook spending money I don't have on (absolutely FANTASTIC) beer that I really don't need, and the inevitable two-hour sobering period in the parking lot that follows before I'm okay to drive home.
  • DnD Wednesdays--and driving home afterwards with my windows rolled down so that I can blaze down the interstate at 70mph with the wind competing with my music to see who's really the loudest.
  • The random explosions heard coming from the Arsenal that no one even bats an eyelash at anymore. Huntsville is Rocket City, after all.

That's all for now. :)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

A new theme song.

It has been asserted by certain parties that I am a little fond of tea. Actually, I think my most used phrase in this country, aside from the obligatory, "Nei, takk," is, in fact, "I... need a cuppa tea."

Much to my delight, the Kinks clearly had me in mind when they wrote this song:


"Tea in the morning, tea in the evening, tea at supper
time,
You get tea when it's raining, tea when it's snowing.
Tea when the weather's fine,
You get tea as a mid-day stimulant
You get tea with your afternoon tea
For any old ailment or disease
For Christ sake have a cuppa tea!"

Monday, February 15, 2010

An adventure for later this week

While browsing through Wikipedia, I've discovered something very interesting about a particular T-bane stop:

"Helsfyr (station)

Helsfyr is a subway station on the east side of the Oslo Metro system located in the borough of Gamle Oslo. The station is shared by the Furuset Line (Line 2), the Østensjø Line (Line 3) and the Lambertseter Line (Line 4). In addition, Line 1, which runs on Holmenkoll Line in the west, terminates at Helsfyr (during rush hour, however, line 1 is extended to Bergkrystallen). The station is located between Ensjø and Brynseng.

Helsfyr is located underground. The entrance to the station is located within the perimeter of a bus terminal, and the surrounding localities consist mostly of office buildings and also some industrial establishments. An ice rink and concert stadium are located nearby at Valle Hovin. Just northeast of the station is the cemetery Østre Gravlund (Eastern Cemetery), which includes Jødenes Gravlund (the Jewish Cemetery). In this cemetery there is a monument to the Norwegian Jews who were killed during the holocaust."

I take line three to campus and to downtown on a daily basis, and Helsfyr is only a few stops past Oslo S., which is the central train/bus/tram station. I think tomorrow after my Norwegian language class, I will fetch my camera and venture up to this cemetery in order to take some photographs.

Norwegians, I've noticed, don't do nearly as much talking about their involvement in the Holocaust as Germans did during my trip to Munich and Berlin in 2008. I can't tell if this is because they are tired of hearing about it, as I know lots of younger German people are, or if because they just don't think about it nearly as much as the Germans, or other western Europeans. I can't say I blame them for not wanting to talk about it; I think that in the United States, most Americans automatically start groaning and rolling their eyes whenever the topic of slavery comes up. But the Holocaust is as much a part of the Norwegian cultural narrative as slavery is ingrained in my psyche as a Southerner in the United States: at some point, to properly accept it as part of your history, you've got to confront it, accept it as something that cannot change, and move forward with it--but part of that acceptance involves making yourself uncomfortable. People should get used to being uncomfortable.

Anyway, there you go. Hadet!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Avatar and some other thoughts

I'm quite sleepy and have class in the morning, but I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts before I forgot:
  • Avatar was just as amazing and beautiful the second time around as it was the first, and I'm pleased by how many small plot details jumped out at me this time. I still believe that the plot itself was nothing hugely original, but that isn't what makes Avatar such a fantastic experience. Walking out of the theatre tonight, I felt much the same way I did when I walked out of the theatre after seeing in the first time: a sincere desire to be kinder to the natural world in which I live, and the obvious longing to have my own shiny green ikran to jet about on. Commuting to class in the mornings would be so much more exciting if, instead of waiting on the train platform, I flew there instead.
  • Last night, at Daniel's suggestion, I began watching these Harvard lectures on youtube discussing justice, and I have to say I've become quickly addicted to them. Tim and I watched one more episode tonight before remembering that it's already quite late and we've got class in the morning, so I've resigned myself to not being able to watch much more of them tonight--but listening to discussions of utilitarianism and libertarianism really make me regret not taking more philosophy courses at UAH. Yes, Archie, you may commence fussing at me for my lack of foresight now, I probably deserve it. Anyway, I hope to watch through the whole lecture series while I'm here, because I'm definitely enjoying them so far.
And on that note, god natt <3

Good morning, Kringsjå!

Taken this morning! Yes, we had only just woken up.

Now I've got to run him back to the bussterminalen so that he can fly back to the (even more) frozen north that is Tromsø. It's been a good visit all the same though!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Tromsø invades!


Daniel is a very dear friend of mine, a native of Tromsø and someone I've pestered online on a semi-regular basis for three or four years now, and he and I decided when I first decided to apply to Uni. Oslo that, if I got in, he would come visit me. And he did! This picture was taken while he, Tim and I explored Outland, a (unapologetically nerdy) shop in Oslo S.

Something else rather interesting happened while we were downtown:



There was a protest outside Oslo S., which explained the high concentration of police and T-bane proctors checking train tickets as we exited the station. According to Daniel, the majority of the protesters are Muslim immigrants, who are speaking out against some fairly inflammatory and racist stuff plastered on the Oslo police website--depicting Muslims as pigs, that kind of thing. The rally itself was pretty small and peaceful, but it underscored a lot of religious tension I've noticed since my second day here in Oslo. Augustine, the Cameroonian man who first helped me get settled when I arrived here, was very outspoken against Islam, as were most of the members of his church. But this issue just appeared briefly and faded away yesterday, though I think it is something I will write more about later when I've had time to organize my thoughts on the matter more clearly.

We also split a bottle of rum between the three of us in order to do a bit of pre-drinking before heading off to Uglebo and Baldoria:


Daniel, enjoying his rum and coke. Because seriously, who wouldn't?


Befriending Mike at Uglebo! Who, once again, proves he cannot take a serious picture, no matter what. Thanks, Mike.


Goofy Tim is goofy. (And also shrouded mostly in darkness.)

We went to Baldoria as well, but the alcohol was pointlessly expensive and, despite the large number of people who RSVP'd, empty. So we stuck around for a beer a piece, then came back home in order to share a few more shots between us and some tea before calling it a night.

Today has been much more leisurely; Daniel went to a martial arts academy near Majorstuen and apparently got to wrestle with a world class grappler who resides here in Oslo. Since it was so incredibly beautiful outside today, I decided not to stay indoors while he was gone. Tim and I decided to walk around Sognsvann, which took about an hour and a half, and I took some pictures:

Tim, squinting into the sun while trying to appear gangsta.


Sognsvann~




Thawing snow. Spring is still quite a way's off, but every now and then you can see signs that the coldest days of winter are behind us.

Tomorrow morning, I'll help Daniel get back to Oslo S. so that he can bus to the airport in order to fly back to Tromsø, and then in the evening I'm off to see Avatar with Tim, Richard, Elif, Mike, and some other folks I've yet to meet.

I think it would be inappropriate for me to end this blog update without including some acknowledgement of what happened back at UAH on Friday, because UAH is such a big part of my life even though I am so far away from it right now. There was a shooting on campus, and most of today has been spent thinking about it, even as I tried to enjoy my walk around Sognsvann. At this point, all I can do is offer my support and affection to all of my friends back home, who know that I am here for them and love them. We Huntsvillians stick together.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Tidying up!

Don't have much of anything interesting to report, I'm afraid. This week has kept me rather occupied with class, coupled with the usual pub outings, and tonight Mike is cooking for our group at his flat. It's going to be fun!

Tomorrow, I pick up my friend Dan from Oslo S. and will put him up here in my room until Sunday. I expect he'll probably accompany us to a pub called Baldoria, which is in Grünerløkka; there's a 20kr entry requirement, and the drinks aren't exactly cheap, but I think we're guaranteed a slightly better time there than at Uglebo.

Tim introduced me to a new band yesterday which has become my latest and greatest musical obsession, and I will share them with you now:



TV on the Radio! Massive Attack has apparently collaborated with them on one track for their latest album, so I'm looking forward to hearing more of their stuff.

Nå skal jeg rengjøre og studere! (Jeg snakker litt norsk. :D) Hadet bra!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Cold Prey

...was not quite as disappointing as I'd anticipated it to be! (Yes, Norwegian Film Night encompasses thriller/horror flicks as well as thought-provoking dramas about the Sámi.)



The basic premise of this 2006 Norwegian thriller is nothing ground-breaking in terms of cinematic brilliance: five friends end up taking shelter in an abandoned hotel, whereupon they are besieged by a nameless, faceless murderer who systematically takes them all out in inventive and brutal ways. The end has a bit of a twist to it, but all in all, the only difference between Cold Prey and some other generic American slasher pics is... well, this one was all in Norwegian.

Tim and I quietly heckled the film as it got started, but the characters were actually quite engaging. It was pretty obvious which ones were going to die, and in what order, but I was pleased to see the female lead not actively making stupid decisions in the face of impending doom and gloom. Honestly, more girls in horror films ought to embody this great (paraphrased) Malcolm Reynolds quote from Firefly: when someone tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back. Damn straight!

At any rate, Cold Prey provided us with plenty of entertainment and distracted us from the fact that our hall reeked today. This isn't entirely unusual, to be honest, but I think our corridor is finally at capacity with all the people who are not supposed to be staying here. It's no wonder that our one Norwegian hallmate appears to be a figment of our imagination; as pleasant as some of our hallmates can be, they don't seem to recognize that they need to share the kitchen. We pay rent too, you guys.

Well! That's more than enough negativity for a blog that is supposed to be devoted to the positives. Tomorrow night is Evergreen night, and I expect Tim and I will venture forth at about 7pm in order to get there by 7:30pm to snag a table. We got there a bit too early last time--I think we were the first customers--so 7:30 seems like a good compromise.

Hadet bra. <3


(This idiotic song plays during the Cold Prey credits. Uhh, I guess it's kind of a spoiler. Oh well. :V)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Slow Sunday evenings.


A rather short update today; yesterday I went to IKEA with Tim and Ray, where I bought a lovely new duvet cover, some more sheets, towels, and a desk lamp, meaning my room can return to its state of cave-like dimness now that I don't have to use the rotten overhead for everything. We had a wonderful lunch at IKEA--Swedish meatballs!--and later on in the evening, after some complications, got dinner at Peppe's Pizza. Normally eating out is expensive, but we made an exception yesterday.

Here are some photos from the adventure:



"Tim, I think that belongs to Ray--"
"No it doesn't."


"YOU, SIR."


Halliburton, the turtle plant. I suggested the name as a joke, but apparently it stuck.

Today has been slower. I did homework this morning, mostly Norwegian and about 125 pages of reading for my Nordic languages course, plus flipping through the compendium for historical conservation. Sundays are becoming comfortingly slow, since all I did was some laundry and take a walk with Ray around Sognsvann lake. I wish I'd had my camera, because there was this frozen mist rising up off the snowy surface of the lake that made everything look misty and ethereal. I ended up with frost all over my hair, apparently, and I'm gutted I couldn't see it.

Oh, the fire alarm went off again when we got back. Stupid fire alarm.

Tomorrow is another Norwegian film night: Cold Prey! I know that Tim and I plan on going, and the rest of our group may as well. I'll report details tomorrow undoubtedly.

I like my routine. Before I go, have some Owl City:


Thursday, February 4, 2010

Adventure to Waldemar's


I swear, I do more than just go to pubs. But one of the key aspects of socialization in Europe does, in fact, appear to be putting in appearances at various pubs, and this pub did give my friends and I the opportunity to interact with Norwegians for possibly the first time during our tenure here. We met Elisabeth (name thief!), Manuela, and Marianne, all of whom were very friendly and involved in the ESN program here at UiO--but it was nice all the same, and I'm pretty sure we'll end up meeting again when we next visit Waldemar's. (I got my pint of Guinness, finally!)

Here are a few pictures from tonight, as well as a few oldies:


Richard, our other resident Dutchman, and Mike from Waldemar's tonight. Richard looks supremely unimpressed by this whole picture-taking process, nevermind he normally takes more photos than I do--and Mike once again proves that he can't take a serious photograph no matter how nicely you ask. THANKS MIKE.


In which Tim does his very best to pretend that he isn't a little under the influence of the wine in his grasp. I shouldn't tease him too much, he's half the reason we actually found our way to Waldemar's in the first place. It's funny how university students the world over inadvertently end up ignoring all establishments that look "posh," because Waldemar's itself is actually a very posh-looking pub. We ended up getting stuffed down in the basement with the rest of the students for the pub quiz--which we won, I might add! Richard ate all the candy. :P


Ray and Mike from a Kringsjå pub quiz last week at some point. I adore my Minnesota boys.

Tomorrow, I shall do laundry, and perhaps share my amazing curry sandwich recipe with the rest of my mates. And go to IKEA, assuming Tim and I remember, because I'm in desperate need of more linens, a desk lamp, and a few other of life's many little necessities. Like Swedish meatballs.

God natt, hadet bra!


A success in self-sufficiency!

I happened upon the tastiest dish I've yet to eat in Norway, and it happens to be little more than a glorified ham sandwich:

Four pieces of baguette ham, a piece of swiss cheese, some butter, sweet mustard, fresh romaine lettuce with a couple bits of spinach, fresh cherry tomatoes, and a light dusting of curry spice. That, my friends, is the most delicious thing I've eaten in quite some time. Excepting, perhaps, Tim and Richard's tacos. Those were also epic.

But the best thing about this sandwich, aside from the obvious addition of the curry spice (something my cupboard back home will never be without in the future)? CHEAP. VERY CHEAP. Elif and I went by the Meny shop after our Norwegian language course this morning, and I think in the future I'm just going to deal with walking the extra distance to get there. The vegetables are so much greener and more vibrant, and those tomatoes.. *.* I don't have words for how succulent they were. Mm.

I think I shall go make another. :)



Additionally, while I'm thinking about it: one of my Cameroonian hallmates has invited both Tim and I to a sort of Cameroonian celebration on the 13th of this month! I thought it was very thoughtful of him to do so, though not entirely unexpected since we've been getting along much better with each other over the past few weeks. Apparently there is supposed to be a lot of authentic Cameroonian food there, too, so I'm looking forward to it!

Now I'll leave you with one of my favorite instrumental Sufjan Stevens songs:


Hadet bra!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Hei!

Jeg heter Elisabeth. :D Jeg kommer fra Huntsville, Alabama, i USA. Jeg studerer engelsk litteratur og historie i UAH, og konservasjon på Oslo. Hvor kommer du fra? Hva studerer du?

That = the extent of my fluency in Norwegian, but it is better than nothing! Tomorrow I turn in my first homework assignment, and I'm curious to see just how well I'll do.

Tonight and yesterday night were pub nights with my group of friends, though tonight, admittedly, the main attraction was the residence hall pub quiz. My group, thanks in part to both Tim and Richard, was dubbed "The Frikandels," which is a particularly obnoxious looking Dutch food--but we came in second place over all! First prize was a collection of sweets, so I'm rather glad we didn't win; the last thing I need is candy, on top of the beer.

Hadet bra~ <3

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Photo time!


A photo of me misbehaving in an antique bookshop a few days ago while exploring the city, yet again. Thanks, Ray, for the picture!

God natt!