2 Weeks Today!

Soo..I've finally been here for two weeks!  It feels way longer and I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing?  Only 24 days until Mom and Grandma come to visit me!  Anddd now that I'm seeing more of the city, I'm hoping that I will be able to do a good job of showing them around.  The students here have been really great about including us and inviting us to things, as well as showing us around.

Last Thursday, Misha and Kristina from the 2nd year class invited Anette and I over to Misha's apartment for dinner.  The buildings here are very old and have a lot of charm.  4 girls lived in Misha's "apartment" but she only knew one of them.  The living situations here seem strange because there are so many students, and it is so expensive, that people just live anywhere.  I told them that in the US, you get apartments with your friends and it is very uncommon of to live with people you don't know.

Misha made us an AWESOME homemade pizza with corn on it and wheat crust...sooo good!  And to start we had chips with homemade guacamole, YUM!  We heard about a concert downtown and decided to go.  We got there after it started and got in freeee!!  Whoo!  They were actually really good, sort of a jazz-pop-rock group.  Afterward, we headed to a "cafe"...bar and got a drink.  We met some of Kristina's friends, who had all been to the US, and talked until we were all tired.  Then we had to make the trip back to Misha's, borrowed some warm clothes for our trip, and walked alllll the way home. 

Friday brought another earrrrllyy class, but also another classmate dinner (3rd year students)!  Some of us met at Majorstua to get groceries and rode the tram to Stina's apartment.  She lives by herself and has a huge living room, but since the building is so old, they share a toilet...so strange, I've never seen anything like that.  But her place was very cozy.  The 5 of us made tacos together, pineapple included (totally new to me), and they were delicious!!  Soo good, 2 homey meals in 2 days...SCORE!  We chatted about class and watched YouTube videos.  They showed me "Eurovision" winners, and I showed them Will Ferrel's "The Landlord".  Good times...

Saturday:  Anette, Matthias, and myself headed downtown to walk around and explore by ourselves.  We went straight to the King's Palace, saw the guards and the garden...and then walked down to the harbor (Aker Brygge).  There we saw a little art exhibit done by rehab patients, ferries, a huge shopping/eating area, and the se!.  Right next to it was the Akershus Fortress and Castle...but they closed at 5pm, so we just walked around the area.  We eventually made it home exhausted and tired from walking.  I got a small blister, so I'm hoping it heals before the big hike this weekend!!

Sunday:  We got up EARLY and met Susanne at the central station to take a ferry to an island.  Our first time out of the city (THANK GOD!).  We headed to Gressholmen (Grass Island) on the ferry, which was my first time on a ferry, very smooooth ride ;)  There were only a few houses on the island, and it was very relaxing.  We made our way all the way to the other side and went out on a mini-peninsula and had a seat.  We enjoyed some tea and just watching the boats go by with no cityscape in the back ground :)  We headed back to the other side to wait for the ferry and I layed down and just soaked in the sun and environment.  Sooo relaxing that somehow laying on rocks was comfortable!!

Today we had class again, we are done with 3 of the 5 of that class already.  After class I went to pick up a sleeping bag and mat that I am borrowing, but the international coordinator forgot them!  So I have to get them tomorrow...  So I walked over to the housing office to get a laundry card...annnnddd they closed at 3.  Well guess what?  I had class until 3:15!  Grrr...So I didn't really accomplish much after class.  BUT Hermine decided to take us out to dinner, we had Chinese and it was SOO GOOD!  I'm still full!  After watching a Norwegian TV show, Hermine and Sebastien showed us how to do laundry, yayy:)  But apparently someone is stealing clothes...how immature some of the people here are just blows my MIND!

Diakonhjemmet VS. Cobberland (Concordia)

I'm just going to point out some things that are different in school so far...

-Teachers are called by their first names
-There is no emphasis on their degree (Doctorate or Masters)
- Their paper and notebooks are longer...and they have 4 holes instead of 3
-The cafeteria is small and expensive...there are no "meal plans"
-There is hardly and International Program, there are only 4 students and they execute things very poorly
-There are no student events, it is up to you to entertain yourself
-They don't have Homecoming :(
-You have to pay for printing
-There are few assignments and no exams
-The classes run on a pass/fail agenda
-It seems very self-taught.  In class the students seem to have more power, but reading are not discussed, it is up to you to teach yourself the literature
-There are no general courses here...it is sort of like a "Tech School", they only offer Social Work and Nursing
-There is student housing, but not many students live there, it is a lot of older people
-You can have alcohol, candles, etc. in your room
-The rooms have their own sink
-You have class once a week, for a LONG time, and you get breaks every hour
-It is common to be older and attend college

All in all...the school is VERY DIFFERENT and absolutely NOT what I was expecting.  It is a very hard adjustment to the schooling part of things (as well as everything else).  The teachers are approachable but really expect you to do everything on your own.  There aren't really like due dates...you basically just read and do everything yourself.  Sort of frustrating when I am so used to deadlines and being very scheduled and structured all semester.

I'm LEGAL!

...In Norway.  Monday I had no school, but I had to get up at 6:30 AM to go to the immigration office.  That is ridiculously early for me, really.  Thankfully we had ridden past it when we were out on Saturday, so we found it easily.  That was my first time riding public transportation without a Norwegian student with me!  Anette and I found our way in..and then were re-directed to a huge line waiting outside...like LONG LINE.  The doors eventually opened and when we went to get numbers, the lady said that Anette didn't even have to be there!  So I waited out by myself (I was number 46) and after about 1.25 hours, which is really short considering, I got called to window #3.  I gave her all my paperwork, and their system wasn't working, so she disappeared for a bit.  Eventually, everything was good, and I had a picture taken for my passport...I looked absolutely AWFUL because I woke up at 6:30 and put clothes on...yuck. 

Afterwards, I made my way to a tram stop (Lightrail) and hopped on the right one to get back to the Central Station.  There I got some headache medicine and went to Trafikanten to get my monthly transit pass.  I had already spent 260 Nok on transit in less than a week, so I decided to spend money my money more wisely on a monthly pass for 340 Nok.  While I was there I got some brochures on Oslo, so I intend to read them soon!

Then I took a new way home :)  ..by myself, and when I reached Majorstua, decided to walk around a bit.  I dipped into a few small shops and made my way home slowly.  It was a nice day and I had it all to myself.  I came home and took a long nap!  I did some homework later and prepared for the week, only to get super sad about my time here.  I really miss my things, my pets, my space, my people...etc.  BUT with some help from Mike and Jake, I am feeling better today.  I realize that at school in Moorhead, I like my time to myself anyways...so I am just going to keep up in my classes and pretend that I am there!

Today we had a short class, and only 3 remain in that course (!), and after Matthias and I signed up for the student trip.  It leaves next Thursday, and I signed up for rafting and a ropes course.  What a great way to spend a weekend but camping in the forest and doing adventurous things!  Totally my deal...so I'm hoping it's great! 

Now I am doing boring homework...This is a picture of the opera house we visited on Saturday.

Weekend!

Well, I made it to my first Saturday...weird to think I haven't even been here for a week yet! My days have been long an exhausting so far, hence why I haven't blogged yet. I am STILL catching up on sleep, it's only 11:05 pm here, and I am exhausted, like COMPLETELY ready for bed. The rest of my week was filled with my classes. They are very different here...you usually only meet with your class once a week..but it is for 5 or 6 hours!! Absolutely insane, right? But they take breaks every hour, and a lunch break, so it seems to go pretty fast. I am taking classes with the 2nd year and 3rd year students, so we have luckily met some students so far.

One class meets on Thursdays and we do role playing, and then sometimes we meet without the teacher and some students will teach the group from our book. This class ends October 21, and then we start another class for the rest of the semester. Another class is International Social Work (with the 3rd years), on Fridays, and we will talk about certain topics each time, then do what seems like some volunteering (?), write a group paper, and present it. 3 of the International students are taking "The Norwegian Welfare System" and we only meet 5 times, after which we have to write a paper comparing 2 welfare states and it just has to be handed in before Christmas...strange to think, because the Concordia system is SO different! So it looks like right now that I will not have classes on Mondays, and only some on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

It will be such a weird schedule to adjust to, but I am very excited for the role playing class, it seems very interactive, and after listening to boring ass lectures for 3 YEARS I am ready for something different! The 2nd year students invited us to a class party on Friday, so Anette and I decided to go. We had no idea how to get there, so Aleksander and Filip...the only ones who live at the school...were nice enough to take us. I met a lot of new people, got to talk more with people from class, and made a new game..."Kroners"...like quarters with their money and a tall glass. We all sucked at it..but it was entertaining for a bit. I am going to get them to play beer pong some time!

I got ahead of myself, but all-in-all that was a good time. Some people went out a midnight, but we went home because we were so tired...maybe another weekend I will participate in the festivities. One (sunny) day this week (like the only one) we walked to Vigeland Sculpture Park and that place was huge and beautiful. There were water features, and all of the statues were nude...I guess one guy made the whole place! We got some good pictures and walked back through Majorstua, so I am getting a little bit of a grip on my neighborhood. Another night, Hermine and her boyfriend Sebastien took us to Holmenkollen to see the ski jump, a beautiful sight of the city lights at night, and we watched a soccer game in the hotel. The spoiled us with drinks and treats, I felt so special...I hope the know how amazing they have been to us so far!

I think that covers everything up to today (Saturday). I SLEPT IN!! Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE my sleep, and getting up early every morning, still with jet-lag, was NOT fun! I made my day slowly, showered, ate only cereal, and Anette and I headed out with Filip to see some sights! We got rained on a lot, and HAILED on! We went to a few viewing points over the fjord, and also to the Opera House, which was very neat. We eventually got some food, as we were all very hungry, and headed home in the rain. It had gotten very cold, and I was shivering. I was cold, wet, and tired...perfect combination to come home a be a bum.

It took me a long time to warm up, but skyping with Mike helped! I had a little breakdown because I feel pretty lost, confused, and alone...but it's only the first week! I am hoping to get more familiar with the city and keep myself busy. It is hard because the students are not here on the weekends, so getting someone to show us around might be hard, but Filip so nicely obliged us today. We were very thankful!! Now I am again exhausted and I am hoping to stay here and relax tomorrow...as well as begin some homework, YUCK!

DIFFERENCES in Norway

Thus Far:

-Their fashion seems very old style (weird flowery clothes and jewelry)
-It is common to wear tights with shorts over them
-Most girls only wear mascara, lots of makeup is not common
-They don't really say "Please" and "Thank you"
-They don't say "Goodbye"
-Mullets are acceptable
-There are no clocks ANYWHERE!
-The toilets have buttons, not handles to flush
-Street signs are hard to come by
-Norwegians are generally shy
-You need to tke sunglasses AND an umbrella to have a successful day outside
-Their TV shows are months, if not years behind (Like MTV and such..)
-The buses have seatbelts
-The outlets
-They don't have Prom
-They eat sandwiches for breakfast
-EVERYONE drinks coffee and offers it to you
-They eat 4 meals a day
-They eat very early
-Most doors has a ledge on the floor, every time I walk through I almost TRIP!
-The people are fairly shy
-The Taxis are MERCEDES!
-The school schedule is not constant, not like every other day the same classes that I am used to
-People walk a LOT, the hills are exhuasting...my legs HURT!
-The bread is very THICK, and seems to be eaten at every meal...yogurt seems popular too

I think that's it for now...I will keep adding things as my time goes on!

My First Real Norwegian Day :)

This morning I was woken up and could not sleep anymore. I went and took my first shower, very nice, and got ready for our "program". The 4 international students (yes, only 4, pretty crazy huh Cobbers?) met with Inger Marie and learned a bit about the school after some introductions. There is myself, Anette from Finland, Matthias from Germany, and Magdalena from Ireland. We also heard about a trip that 50 students from Diakohnjemmet can sign up for. It is like a camping trip, there is hiking, rafting, "juving" which is basically putting on a wetsuit and helmet and jumping into the river I guess! I am hoping to go if someone can lend a sleeping bag for me??

After lunch together and small chatting, we met students Helena (21) and Paul (27) who are both 2nd year Social Work students. They showed us around the "College" which is actually only 1 BUILDING. So strange to think. The school is about 2,100 students and that includes some Masters programs.

After the school we walked south, to a place with stores (not like a strip mall, just more like a street) and went to a GROCERY STORE thank goodness. They offered to let us shop so we didn't have to waste time going back later. So nice, but WOW was that grocery store INTMIDATING!! I couldn't read ANYTHING and it was hard to find things. Anette and I decided to share some food, we got 3 containers of GRAPES! It was buy 2 get 1 free...and me being so cheap...haha we HAD to do it! I came away with some pasta and sauce, bread, cheese and meat, a PIZZA (!), jam, fish sticks...and some others. When I went to pay...they didn't take Mastercard, which my credit and US bank card are both. Paul jumped up and payed for my groceries...so NICE! When we returned to put our groceries away, I stopped at the ATM and got 1000 Nok and payed him back the 300 I owed him. :) The ATM WORKED!!

After that we bought tickets and boarded the T-Bane (Tay-a Bahn eh) which is the subway system to Downtown OSLO! We saw a few stores, got me an adapter for my computer (so I can charge it now!), and walked around a bit. We saw the King's Castle, the old part of the University of Oslo, some fountains, and other things. The streets are FILLED with stores. I could see myself getting lost there easily...there are SO MANY!

Then we used the T-Bane to get back to the Borgen stop and walked back to the college. Paul and Helena went to eat, and us International students headed back to our rooms to relax. Matthias showed us the lockers and laundry room downstairs (it seems confusing!) and then we all went to our rooms.

After chatting with Mike, we had some major corridor (hallway) bonding. I propped my door open so people would stop and chat. Across the hall is Hedmina (sp?) who has a pet parakeet, Hedmulan, he is SO cute! We talked a lot about family, futbol, saw some pictures, ate some candy....BACON FLAVORED....so gross! It was a joke though...until Anette came over...she LIKED them...EW! Then we talked about ice hockey, more friends and family, and just had a great time bonding.

After some blogging and relaxing, more chatting, we decided to have dinner together. I made spaghetti for the 3 of us, and we ate dinner in our "living room". It was really fun, and we are making lots of plans!! We are maybe going to a futbol game tomorrow evening...I hope we can go!! We watched Grey's Anatomy (all of their TV is like years behind, it is wierd), and now I am here...getting very tired and ready for BED!

Tomorrow is our first "classes" which are mostly introductions to the courses. I am excited to learn my schedule and see how the classes will be. I hope you can all keep in touch and keep reading my blog...hopefully they will get shorter soon!!

<3

My closet/sink and my desk! Small but cute:)