Peace, Love, and Lutefisk: Adventures i Norge

I just rolled in from a 5 days at a YMCA (called KFUK/KFUM på norsk) camp for 13-18 year olds in a tiny city called Sørreisa about 3 hours south of Tromsø. It ended up being a great experience! At first I wasn't so sure though. We arrived and were in a school in Sørreisa because its Easter vacation and Norway get off the whole week before and a couple days after. So I settled in to my little place on the floor in the classroom. I was in charge of sports and the choir. We played frisbee the first day which was a hit and started learning some gospel music which also went well, but most of the rest of the time I felt like I was wandering.

It got progressively better as the week went on, and it was exciting because I could literally feel my Norwegian improving because the whole week was in Norwegian. I think things changed into the great category after I busted out the acoustic guitar and the arms trick. Truly activities that transcend culture!

The camp routine consisted of a breakfast of bread and cold meat and/or chocolate sauce, a morning singing session, a morning activity (big game of capture the flag, sports, etc), lunch consisting of cold meat and/or chocolate sauce, more activities, middag (kind of like an early dinner) consisting of potatoes and fish/meat, choir, aftens which is an evening light meal with bread, cold meat and/or chocolate sauce, and then evening activity. So lots of bread and cold meat! It was great though.

The highlights would be the competition evening when they had every split up into two teams and had us dressed in red and blue clothes. We entered the gym and they had it set up like a real game show with fog, lights, a live band, judges, hosts, and a huge screen that show what we were doing live. It was so cool! My red team lost in a rock, paper, scissors match at the end of the tournament, but we both got pineapple as a reward which tasted great! My task was a head to head rodeo competition: rope the reindeer! Unfortunately, I lost so I think I have to head back to SD to practice. Another highlight was the talent show. I sang the female line to "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge with a guy named Daniel Scott, so it was the Scott show. I also played a Radiohead song with someone else and the gospel choir I directed sang "Praise His Holy Name" with bass, drum, and guitar which was fun! We also had a fundraiser for the international YMCA program and everyone made things or "sold" services such as massages, swing dance lessons, portraits, etc. I played street music in the halls of the school and then sold tickets to the "Amazing American Rubber Man Show." Somehow I extended my arm tricks into an 8 minute show complete with audience participation and the chicken dance. It was a fun time!

We left Sørreisa this morning and had to wait 3 hours in another small town called Bardufoss for our next bus. We had my guitar and 10 voices and nothing but time, so we sat outside the shopping center and played with our case open. We actually made 100 kroner which is about 15 bucks! Maybe I should give up this peace stuff for the troubadour gig...something that pays!

Tomorrow, I'm headed out at 7am for Italy! The SAS airline strike is over just in time to get me to the beaches of Italy for a 5 day Ultimate Frisbee competition! I hope my body and skin can withstand 5 days of sun and frisbee, not to mention all you can eat spaghetti and all you can drink red wine. I think my teeth might be permanently stained when I get back. On my way back I'll be stopping in Bergen for a weekend to go to my last class there and then finally back to Tromsø on the 23rd! Now, time to start the laundry!