SET

GO!!!!

This Friday we have to hand in our first paper… It’s a group assignment and much more work than expected ( I should have expected that!). We’re having a hard time comparing and discussing all the info, finding related theory, etc. Ahhhhhhh.

Yesterday, when I had a break form working on this paper I walked into the liquor store (you can buy beer in grocery stores, but they don’t have a good selection and the alcohol content is only as high as 4.7%).

I asked the sales person (he turned out to be German) for a good Norwegian beer and walked home with this one.

Don’t tell my group members that I was drinking in the middle of the day.

I am quoting the visit Oslo site, because I’ve been typing too much…

Akerselva: River walk by torchlight
Annual event in honour of the autumnal equinox in Oslo – when night and day are the same length.

A total of 3,500 torches light up the Akerselva river from north to south, creating a mystical atmosphere around the 8 km long cultural journey.
Experience light sculptures, choirs, folk music, jazz, dance, art installations, trolls and gnomes.

This was one of the installations, I can’t wait to play one of these at one point in my life!

I am now a group leader for the German Language Café. We meet once a week to have conversations (mostly with Norwegians who want to practice their German). We can meet anywhere for as long as we want. Fortunately, Stefan from Germany is there to help me when my German sounds a bit weird… For every meeting I get half of a 300 NOK (53 $) grocery store voucher,Stefan gets the other half… I won’t get rich, but it’s nice to have some pocket money.

TAKE IT!

I almost had to share my precious bottle of wine, because I didn’t have an opener… I’ve learned my lesson. AGAIN.

For my graduating project earlier this year I started a book club with my coworkers. I couldn’t say that it was easy for us to read the book and have conversations at nap time, but I think it was the most meaningful (school) project (so far).

I’ve submitted a shorter version of my final paper on the book club to a journal and just heard back from them. They like the idea, but suggest major revisions…

I haven’t decided if I’m ready to put in the work to edit my paper. Receiving such critical feedback popped my book-club- bubble, but I must admit it somehow feels surprisingly good to get honest feedback. Now it’s up to me what I do with it.

It was nice to get out of Oslo for an afternoon 😉

This week’s culture trip brought us to a little town called Drøbak. From there we took a ferry across to Oscarsborg fortress. The fortress is a museum, which we almost skipped, because the sun was surprisingly warm, one last time this year… but, we decided to go and fortunately most of the guided tour was outside.

Oscarsborg fortress played an important role in World War II. The German boat Blücher was sunk just outside Oscarsborg, delaying the occupation of Oslo for a day.

Later that day we thought about playing battleship, but then decided against it.

My sister Kerstin (she lives near Amsterdam these days), my dad, & his wife Karin (from Hamburg) visited me this weekend. We had a fabulous time, lots of sunshine, and must have seen the whole city together. We even had a well deserved beer on a floaty boat in the harbour.

While my sister stayed with me, my parents stayed at a hotel nearby. Every morning we went over for a big breakfast and then went on excursions together. We walked a lot, so much that my dad now has a hole in the sole of his shoe…

We laughed a lot as well and I was quite sad to see them go. Not only because now I REALLY have to do some homework, but also because it’s REALLY REALLY nice to have family on this side of the world.

Our program organized quite a few field trips and guest speakers for us. Last week we got to go to the Ministry of Education. I was especially touched when the lady talked about their values as they were really put into perspective (or tested even) after the recent tragic events in Oslo…

Trust, safety, confidence, solidarity, inclusion, equality, participation, openness, democracy.

It took us a while to do the math, but we’re pretty certain that today we are celebrating 6 years of kissing. Back then Evan invited me over to his house for a “guitar lesson”. You can see where that got us.

Hopefully we’ll spend more years together than apart. Long distance kissing is just not the same.

<3