Juletid

Now I’m really getting antsy to come home. As the holiday lights begin to illuminate Oslo I am easily transported home as I stroll the streets. It isn’t until the Christmas carols are in Norwegian that I am reminded of how far I am from home.
This is how my first holiday away from my home and family went:
Thursday, just another Thursday, but thousands of miles away it’s Thanksgiving, a cherished tradition. Instead of waking up and watching the parade I headed to school early and studied the day away. For dinner I came home and made a bowl of spaghetti. Luckily, Jane and Kierstin had sent me a pumpkin pie so Jamie and I had a small celebration eating that. Afterwards, I skyped my family. They set a place for me at the table and I was able to “share” dinner with them. Skype makes the world smaller. I really miss you guys.



Friday was actually the most homesick day for me. I felt really far away. I wanted to go shopping with Aunt Cathy and Hillarie! I even downloaded the black Friday ads.
Finally on Saturday we celebrated Thanksgiving here. Jamie and I had a stock pile of American food, so we invited our closest friends and set out to prepare a feast. We started cooking at 10 am! I hosted my first Thanksgiving at the age of 19. Pretty impressive eh? We made enough pumpkin bars to feed and army and boiled 3 large pots of potatoes.

Magda was also in the kitchen with us making Perogi, polish sweet ravioli. MMMMmm.


At around 2 others started cooking and Frank came up to help us prepare.
Frank mashing the potatoes:

The Singaporean girls made corn flake cookies and the boys started the chickens… not Turkeys.

The darn things were $60 for a 6 lb turkey! We also prepared bisquits,stuffing and gravy. I also made Daryl take the cranberries out of the can without mashing them. I like it when they look like a can.

I set the table. It was really difficult arranging a table in a very small kitchen for 25 people.






Around 5 everyone arrived. We had lasagna, kong pow chicken, apple crisp, banana bread, brownies, cous cous, French fries, pepper kaker, perogi, and pancakes. Delicious feast if I do say so myself. Even being a little cramped, the night was simply magical. I have never seen a kitchen that looked so glamorous.




After everyone filled up Jamie and I made everyone play Turkey trivia with us. Everyone complained because they didn’t know anything about American history, but neither do we so hey. The most anyone got right was 6. Way to go Jon, from the Czech Republic.
After dinner Frank and I took on the task of doing the dishes. Luckily a lot of the plates were paper, but some of those pots required muscle!
Later a couple of us retreated into the back room where we played some games and enjoyed each other’s company.




During that time someone came up with the brilliant idea that we should go out on the town. So after a busy day of baking we headed out into the -9 degree weather with less than adequate clothing on. We went to Bla, the jazz club we went to at the beginning of the year with the amazing chandelier. This time I was able to get in with Ash’s id. Yea....I guess I look Singaporian in the dark. Ha. I even learned a little Chinese to make it a little bit more legitimate.
On the way home, 3 am, Karl Johan’s gate looked like it was about 3 in the afternoon. Hundreds of people were out walking the streets. I guess people don’t know when it’s day or night because… it is Always dark.
So, I’d like to thank all of the people who made my thanksgiving so magical. I am terrified that I only have one week left with you guys. You have made the biggest difference in my life. I will never forget any of you.
Sunday was pretty lazy, but in the evening we went down to the Christmas tree lighting at Universetetsplassen. The tree wasn’t exactly majestic, kind of straggly in fact. The mayor made a speech, they lit the tree and the children’s choir sang. Then to my surprise everyone present held hands and we danced around the Christmas tree to Norwegian carols, just like the Woos do in the Grinch. Wow! A beautiful moment if I do say so myself. I was all smiles. It was also snowing buckets. More snow than we’ve received all month.


This holiday season (Juletid) is getting off to a pretty amazing start!
Here are some more photos from around town:

Uncle Jerry read this to me over the phone:

Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air;
And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in her hair;
And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great to study Rome;
But when it comes to living, there is no place like home.
- - - Henry Van Dyke

D-DAY!

Today I had my first exam. last night I was so exhausted I couldn't study a minute more. Exhausted from studying! I've never studied so much... EVER!
We had 4 hours to answer one of 2 questions, I chose this one:
Describe shortly what Schanbacher means by the concepts food security and food sovereignty. Then discuss different strategies of reducing hunger in the world. Finally, state shortly your view on the most effective strategy in this respect.

Oh boy. My heart was definatly beating a bit faster, but I knew this stuff and thought I knew exactly how to attack it. Unfortunatley after what I thought was 1 hour... 3 hours had passed. Oops! Now 1 hour left to write 3/4 of the argument I still had to make. Lets just say the conclusion didn't go so swell. It was odd also because all of the directions for the exam were given in Norwegian. Nice. So it was left on the little old lady who was assigned to watch us to translate for us. It was also weird because we were allowed to leave the room, even go outside with that woman following us... not that I had time for that, but just saying. We were also allowed to have food, maybe another one of the reasons for over estimating 4 hours. The clementines are sooo good here!I needed about 4 more to make the points I wanted to. Oops.
1 down, 2 to go!

HOME

Norway, Norway, Norway. I am back in Norway. Things are the exact same as when I left except for that we have snow and the pressure of finals this week are crushing me.
I’ve started walking again. I really like going after its dark out. There are lights that illuminate a path around the lake. Even at 10 pm there are a lot of people out running or walking. The stars are so clear here. I find it hilarious that the path into the woods goes between an iced over hockey rink and a grassy green soccer field. People playing on both. Only in Norway do they have a machine that dethaws the ground so you can play soccer in the middle of winter.
Here are some pictures from around where I live:





Also the lake:


Some crazies decided to go swimming!



The sun rises at about 7 now… if you can call it that. There is a persistent gray haze that dominates Oslo’s weather. Snow maybe? The sun sets at around 3:30. Way, way too early.
Finals! I have 3 finals in the next 2 weeks and it’s only November. Then I am free as a bird for a month and a half. Yipee!
Studying in the library with Britt and Lauren:


The christmas food has come out at the grocery store! They have lutesfisk in the freezer section! and Marspian chocolates and pepperkaker and julebrus and glogg and CHristmas beer!
Christmas Lefse:

Tusen Takk to Kierstin and Jane who sent me an enormous package with all the necessities for the holiday season. It was complete with turkey napkins and plates, muffins, a scarf, gingerbread cookies, chocolate, a magazine, and money for a turkey. You guys made my day/ week/month/year. I love you guys. Thank you soooo much.
Here is a picture of me with all the goodies:




The last 3 days I have spent in the library. I get there before the sun rises and don’t emerge until way after the sun sets. I’ve been meeting Lauren and Britt there. I really adore these girls. Time actually flies by while we’re “studying”. We all have the same course, the North and South divide and we’re all a little nervous for the final. Most of the time we sit in the study rooms conversing transnational corporations (geese Monsanto is the devil), free trade v. fair trade, and the reasons for poverty in the global south. I have never learned more than from talking with these girls. They bring the best out in me.
For that very reason I’ve started to feel very, very sad about leaving . . . or maybe I’m homesick. I can’t make up my mind. Why can’t you all just move here!?
This evening I watched ‘Leap Year”… filmed in Ireland. I seriously NEED to go back. I just can’t get Ireland out of my head.
I’ve discovered Google chat. Completely free for calls to the US. I’ve just loved calling people to see how they’ll react. I’ve had a few scream, a few tell me I have the wrong number, a few start crying, and a few just utterly confused and speechless. Haha. My mom was so excited she even held the phone out the door so I could hear my dad snow blowing the drive way. Love her.
I also got an email from Kirsten and Lars tonight, Jane and Kierstin’s relatives. I’m going to meet them tomorrow afternoon for dinner with the entire family. Wish me luck. Honestly I’m a bit nervous to be surrounded by Norwegians again. It’s been awhile.
I boarded a train to Knapstad Norway around 2 pm.


The trip was only supposed to take around 33 minutes. I was scheduled to arrive at 2:33. So when that time came around and we pulled into a station called Kråkstad I thought that that was my stop. Sometimes other cities have English-itized names as well as traditional names (for example… Goteburg and Gothenburg are the same city). As soon as the train pulled away I knew this was wrong though. I had gotten off at the wrong station. Due to the fact it was Sunday the next train wouldn’t be arriving for another 2 hours! I really began to panic and the tears began streaming down my face. How was I so stupid? I hadn’t written down their address or phone numbers. I just assumed it would be fine. I began walking from door to door in this tiny village asking if anyone had the internet so that I could get their details. People opened their doors saw a distressed girl speaking English and shut them again. Finally a nice couple out for a walk brought me back to their house and let me use their computer and phone. Bless them! Lars answered the phone right away and told me to stay put and he’d come pick me up.
Lars greeted me with a huge hug. I was so thankful to finally feel like I knew what I was doing again. Upon arriving at their house he showed me the stroller his daughter had decorated with American flags for my arrival and the flag they had hung on their house in my honor. Already I felt at home. Still a little nervous I met Kirsten, their daughter Ingunn, her husband Dag Martin and their 16 month old son (big blue eyed blondie!), Aslak. More hugs. We sat down for dinner right away.

We had lamb and cabbage, Fårikå. When drink time came around they had bought Coca cola and Fanta especially for me. So while everyone else drank water, they made me drink coke, an American drink. Haha. After dinner we had an apple and cream dessert, Tilslorte bondepiker. In English this translates to " farmers daughters dressed in veils". No one knows why. We also all had a shot of potato whisky made in the area.
After dinner we looked through old photo albums and Kirsten explained the family genealogy to me. I really wish I was a part of something that special and well kept. She also showed me the amazing craftsman ship of her mother and father. Her father had made this beautiful trunk and bench.

Her mother is an amazing sewer. She had made bunads, traditional costumes, for all of her children and their dolls. She also made these beautiful embroidered pillows. That is one amazing lady if I do say so myself.


Around 6 we sat down for coffee and lefse. Kirsten had prepared to kinds especially for me. A very, very thin crispy one and a sweet lefse she said her mother used to serve for dinner. Mmmm!

Aslak was getting a little restless so unfortunately the evening was coming to a close. We took some photos together and I got a quick tour of the rest of their home.

It is a beautiful place. They built it themselves. There was a fire roaring and they had candles lit everywhere. Take a look for yourself:





Ingunn and Martin also live in Oslo so they were nice enough to give me a ride home. It was may first time riding in a car in Oslo. A surreal feeling. On the way back we went through a tunnel I didn’t even know existed. We were under Oslo for at least 10 minutes I swear! Martin also told me about his hunting and how he hoped one day him and Aslak could come hunting in Canada. They showed me where they lived in Oslo and then dropped me off at Kringsja. I can’t thank them enough! Tusen Takk!
I hope that I will be able to make it back down for another visit before I leave Norway.