Thursday
The package has arrived!!! The thing weighed 26 lbs. and I had to walk a couple blocks with it, but it was completely worth it. Tusen Takk mamman and papa! I think I was more excited about opening that package and the contents than I have ever been on Christmas morning. It was filled with food and other goodies!


Velveeta cheese, ramen noodles, instant soups, Lipton noodle mixes, vanilla, brownie and cake mixes (including the frosting), cake pans, a pair of shoes, my phone, and a jacket. To hold a phone again was the oddest part. My hand actually started shaking. Too bad it doesn’t work… I wonder what other things I’ll forget about by the time I’m home. Driving a car is a sure spectacle. Rediscovering my closet of clothes will be fun. Going to a one stop store like Target will be a thrill!
My cupboard is now overflowing. I should be good for another month, at least.


On our way to the T-bane stop a man approached us and asked us if we’d be interested in a free couch. Due to the fact that we live on the fourth floor we hesitated, but then that fear was vanished because he offered to carry it up for us. For weeks we’ve been worrying about where Mirjam’s sister and Jamie’s friends were going to sleep when they came to visit. Now the perfect solution presented itself and it was FREE, nothing is ever free in Norway. The couch and reclining chair now sit beautifully in our gathering room waiting for some visitors.


Jamie had heard that there was a place like the Salvation Army here in Norway. We decided to check it out. I was surprised that it was almost exactly like the Salvation Army; in fact they have similar logos. They only sold clothes and little trinkets, but it was nice to know it was there. We then walked around Majorstuen a bit more discovering delicious bakeries and hidden treasure s of Oslo.
Dinner:


Friday
This morning I woke up bright and early and headed to campus. I was really confused. I received a bill in the mail for the fall student fee, but the same day I also received a confirmation saying I paid it. I have never given them any money, but it was confirmed in their system that I had so I went with it. I was able to get my student card which enables me to use the library, get student discounts, and print. I must say my picture on the card is quite attractive. haha

I then headed down town to do some shopping. I bought a 60 Liter backpack for my upcoming trips. I’m assuming it’s not the nicest backpack due to the fact I bought it at Clas Ohlsen, an everything store, but it was only 350 NOK ($50), so I assume it will at least get me through. I also made a stop at H&M which is always fatal. It’s bad. I can’t come out of that store without anything… I also bought a couple things to send/bring home. I hope you all will like them.
This is what I wear when I got out. I love my new backpack!


At 4 I went to international coffee hour at Chateau Neuf.

There were a trillion people there and I felt really lost in the jumble. It was hard to just approach an already engaged group and introduce yourself. Luckily, my roommate spotted me. And so the rest of the afternoon we sat there with the rest of our flat mates eating free cookies and coffee.


One thing that is very odd here is that I am of legal drinking age and so is everyone else here. Not only do buddy groups sponsor outings to bars at night, but there is a pub in the basement of every faculty on campus. It is a very odd feeling walking around school with a beer in hand. We finally met some Norwegians tonight!

They filled us in on all the great places to ski in the area as well as a few new phrases. They were a little frightened though when after having a quick gab session in Norwegian I informed them jokingly that I had understood every word that they had just said. Haha. I wish. One thing that is a bit annoying here is that the international students are never mixed with Norwegian students. We all live together, and take classes together. It’s a bit sad. I wish I could learn more about their ways from actually spending time with them. I guess I’ll have to be more frequent at the pub.

Another thing that is sometimes tough is that I am 19. No complaints other than to get into a lot of events 20 is the minimum age. This means I have to stay behind sometimes, other times it only requires a borrowed Spanish ID.

Saturday
Again, I woke up to the sound of rain pounding outside. So there was no choice but for a lazy morning. Suddenly the sun decided to come out so I went for a jog around the lake. There were people everywhere! After, I decided just to dip my feet in the water. Haha, that turned into a swim after I slipped on a rock and was completely soaked. It was quite the embarrassing walk home, barefoot and dripping, through a busy sports university campus.
After an unexpected 2 hour nap Jamie and I went downtown to see what was happening. Due to the fact it was Sunday many shops were closed or closing. We did stop in a few tourist shops and looked.

It’s funny how now when there is a crowd of tourist we get annoyed. Walk faster people!
We also saw the Royal Palace:




Sunday
Already this morning the sun is shining and I am ready to go. We have a lot of over ripe/ smashed bananas so I’ve decided to make banana bread. The kitchen is filled with the aroma of it. I sense that fall is about to break loose soon.
We took a trip up to Holmenkollen today. There lies the site of ski jump from the 1952 winter Olympics and a ski museum.

It is the number one tourist attraction is Oslo. The site was under construction due to the fact that they are hosting the FIS World Cup Ski Championships this year and the jump didn’t meet height requirement for the organization so it is being completely rebuilt. We were still able to tour it though. The tour cost 80 Kr and took us to the very top of the jump. The view was spectacular.


One can see all of Oslo being that the jump is the highest point in the city. The museum was also very informative. There was a display showing how skis were made 5000 years ago until current. There was also a lot of information about the ski movement in the 1900’s when the Norwegian government made skiing the national sport and created multiple campaigns to encourage people to get out and enjoy nature. The crown prince was even a skier himself!



Dinner:

I guess people don’t like to sleep here. Even last night, a Sunday, we went out to a jazz club, Blå. Again the age was 20, but luckily they weren’t checking ID’s and I was able to get in with the rest of the group. I’m not sure why the age is 20. I think that to buy beer and wine the drinking age is 18, but for spirits the age is 20 and that is why the age minimum is the way it is. The concert was great, a live jazz band playing upbeat poetic rhythms.
“Concentrate in the positive, forget about the negative.” Right? For one thing, I was tired. We’d woken up at 7 to make banana bread and I hadn’t managed to squeeze in a nap. Also, I had worn high heeled boots not expecting that before the concert we’d receive a 2 hour, full out tour of Grünerløkka.
Yup, so by the time we actually got to Blå my feet were on fire with swelling blisters. Sore feet and fatigue are not a thrilling combination. I managed to pull it together for most of the night though, putting on a smile, reminding myself how lucky I am to be here in Oslo.

Monday
Here I sit waiting in Sophia Bugges Hus 45 minutes before classes start. Not my typical first day of school… at ALL! For one thing, at home, I’d never go out the night before school started. I like to be in bed early with my backpack packed and outfit placed out. I rolled a little differently today. I woke up at 6 am to take a shower, eat, and gather my things. I hadn’t even bought notebooks, text books, or pens yet! My roommate was probably a little annoyed…

First day of school picture for mom:


I was lucky I guess to have gotten to class so early. There are 300 students registered in the class and only 200 seats in the auditorium. I guess like my professor said, “They aren’t expecting 100 students to show up a day.” Eh?
My first and only class for the week was American literature. It was odd sitting in a class of 300 Norwegians learning about America.
Lewis and Clark… I know them! California? Where is it? I’ll show you!
I really enjoyed the class though, and am excited to start the reading list… which is extensive! I bought the text book for the class; it is 3 inches wide and weighs nearly 10 lbs! The other reading I plan on borrowing from the library in order to save some money. The teacher spoke really great english. I wouldn't be surprised if she is from the US.
One thing I will say is that I am thrilled that classes are starting. Finally I’m starting to realize how lucky I am to be a student. Not only is it an opportunity that not reachable for everyone, but also the fact that we are able to spend time learning about the world around us and not worrying about much else in extremely special. We are given the tools and know how to pull of some pretty amazing things and come up with some incredible thoughts. This time is fast fleeting though as I’ve learned from my roommate who only has a year left in her master’s program. So I must appreciate it.

After class I went down town to Grønland where I picked up some more things from the market and took a look into a couple other stores. I needed notebooks, colored pencil, copy paper, and a broom. When I checked out the woman flat out laughed at me as I placed a pad of paper covered with a clown picture, a pink canister of colored pencils, children’s themed notebooks, and a neon blue broom on the counter. They were cheap alright?!

When I got back I crashed for 2 hours and organized the rest of my things. What to do for the rest of the week? A trip maybe?

Oh! And another bit of youth European fashion... Can you believe this!? haha