Thank you for joining me on the past years exploring the "Motherland" of Norway. I have moved locations and will soon take the time and energy to sit down and properly reflect on my experiences in Norway. Check back for the reflections soon.
In the meantime...new adventures are beginning. And with the new adventures come a new blog that will (soon) be both a visual and textual experience. I hope you join me as we take a walk through and with places, people, and experiences. You can join the journey at: http://scottfromsouthdakota.blogspot.com/
Thanks for following me, wherever I tend to amble. Be sure that I am thinking of you and am thankful for your thoughts, comments, and curiosity.
Last (for a while): beautiful snowfall, time I see the ekspedisjon lady, bodega coffee and waffle, time i pee in the huge handicap bathroom, time i buy first price toilet paper
First: time i kept a key long enough to get my deposit back
that you experience a single bolt of lightning and a single roar of thunder that briefly knock out the power...while it's snowing. But i guess it happens at least once every two years in Tromsø.
I had the "pleasure" yesterday of experiencing first hand the transition from fall to winter in Tromsø. I was walking home from town in a constant, and annoying rain. Suddenly when I was close to my house, it grew ominously silent and suddenly a noise starting building like people shaking a tree. I suddenly realized that the rain had changed to ice. This transition continued throughout the night, and this morning we were greeted by this idyllic scene of thin layer of snow covering Tromsø. Looks like I made it up Tromsdalstinden just in time (see below).
On that note...I bought my ticket to Spain! I do love winter and snow, but I'm ready for a little change and some time on the beach. So as of October 22nd, I will be living in Laredo, Spain. It is a small, old town right on the beach in the north of Spain. More info will be coming on that adventure as well as a new site prepared for a multimedia (multimedic?)account of my Spanish adventures. Check back here for more information soon. In the meantime, happy winter!
After two and half years, I have finally accomplished one of my goals here in Tromsø: climbing to the top of "my" mountain, Tromsdalstinden! I have spent the last two years looking out my window at the mountain looming over Tromsø at 1238 meters high, always showing the changing of the seasons as snow and sun would creep up and down the mountain, until both disappeared at opposite ends of the time spectrum. I finally decided that I could wait no longer and with winter looming around the corner, I knew this weekend it was my last chance before I leave Tromsø. So, I talked to my friend Maaike who I used to live with and who had previously attempted to reach the top with me before we were stopped by snow last fall. Maaike, her boyfriend Erik who just moved her from the Netherlands, Erik's boss from Tromsø, and I all met behind the Arctic Cathedral for our long walk up the mountain.
We had a great tour, starting at 11am. I was the unprepared one with only a few sandwiches and a little chocolate. Fortunately, everyone else had treats as exotic as manchego cheese and belgian chocolate. We filled up our bottles from the stream running down the mountain and enjoyed possibly the best water I have ever tasted. We walked up the slightly steep trail, stopping for a while near the top wondering if we should continue. Clouds were rolling over the mountain and Tinden as it is called is notorious for fast-changing weather conditions. We ultimately decided to go for it and it paid off. We were rewarded with an amazing few at the top! We could see the ocean on both sides, nearby villages, and fjords cutting into the land. On top there was a huge rock tower built from people putting a rock on top to mark their success, plus a small book where you could write your name to document your triumph. I added my name with a message of farewell for Tromsø.
It felt great to finally be on top of this city I love so much! I'll be leaving soon for a new adventure in Spain, but I think these mountains (not to mention the people, cafes, bars, university, and everything else in Tromsø) will call me back soon, either to visit or work or even live. Who knows. But for now, I can rest my sore butt and tired legs after 7 hours of hiking to the top of Tromsø.
Oh, Norway. Sometimes you're too healthy for your own good.
I woke up this morning and after a few days of fighting the onset of the cold, my nose finally gave in and sprung a leak. I was blowing my nose all morning and finally decided to walk to town to get some pills to help plug my nose up. Something like Sudafed.
So I walked into the pharmacy and had even written down the scientific name of Sudafed, and asked if they had anything. She looked at me very confused and said, "is it a tablet?" "Yes, of course, I said." "No, we don't have anything like that."
WHAT?! Nothing like a common cold pill to solve all my problems?! Don't you have any pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, or phenylephrine, or some other drug that I can make meth with? Come on.
But no. What did she offer me instead? "Actually the best cure is to spray saltwater in your nose." Um, what? Are you telling me spraying a little salt water will make me feel better? Thanks a lot Grandma.
But, with no other options, I purchased the very hightech "Salt water" spray. Now I will give a tour this afternoon as the drug addicted guide who has to shoot up every 10 minutes...with water. I guess it's my first step to being drug free and a reminder that (for better or worse) not every culture is as drug/pill obsessed as the old US of A.
Craziness this weekend in a few different ways, well four to be precise. Which means of course, we start by setting the stage with the 4 x 4 art show.
This weekend there has been an interactive, modern art exhibition here in Tromsø called 4 x 4. There was an amazing mix of video art, live art, dance, sound, and improvisation. My favorite was probably the hypnotic modern Sami joik combined with random instrumentation from a Portuguese guy named Nunu. It made sense at the time. The exhibit did a great job of making me wonder what was real and what was part of the show because artists were throughout the building and occasionally there would be a dancing tree on the stairs or someone with their head in a pile of moss. All in all, great fun.
The second randomness of this weekend was on the way to the show tonight when I saw the craziest dog collar I've ever seen. There was a big dog sniffing a tree and around its neck was a bright, multi-color, blinking collar. It was like a disco ball on its neck, or maybe better described as a Simon dog collar. You remember that game where green, yellow, red or blue would light up and you'd have to push it. Well, I guess it was useful so the owner didn't lose his dog...but also in case of parties.
The third, not so random more just fun, was a welcome party for the first year peace students! Everyone brought food from their home countries so I enjoyed a Sudanese salad, rice water from Mexico, and whale meat from Norway. I contributed my mom's nacho dip, which I guess is a bit Mexican, but I think that since it is layered it is also American.
OK, finally the big finish. My day as a hero! Yes, I'm a local hero for one lucky 18 year old boy...at least I hope I am. I was walking to town on Saturday and saw a young kid who was obviously drunk and staggering down the street. It normally wouldn't worry me too much but the street was next to a big drop off and it looked like he might fall over the guard rail and down the hill. So I went over to home and made him sit down when I realized that he was in severe pain (beyond the alcohol). I lifted up his shirt and he scratch marks all down his stomach and back as if he had gotten into a fight. I decided that I should call the ambulance and reached for my phone...unfortunately I didn't know which number to dial! Here in Norway, they have a separate number for the fire department, police department, and hospital. I knew it was either 111, 112, or 113, so I went with the first one. Sure enough someone picked up right away and I told them the story. They paused and said, "you know that you're talking to the fire department?" So they connected me and eventually the police came and took my statement and number in case I was needed as a witness. I like to think that I helped the kid out, but I'm not quite sure since the whole time I was on the phone he just said "don't call the police, don't call the police." Maybe I should lock my door so he doesn't come scratch me!
So, an average weekend here in Tromsø. The snow is already on the top of the mountains, and oh yeah, the fifth exciting thing, the first northern lights! Saturday night they appeared for the first time which means it is getting dark and winter is coming...but it is beautiful none-the-less, and as you can tell, never dull.
It's been a tough week. It seems like everyone around me, including myself, are going through this big decision phase of deciding where to live, what to do, and who they want to be with. It's insane. I really enjoy living the ex-pat, international life. I'm constantly learning, exposed to new people, and in general enjoy the challenges, so I feel bad complaining. But I've had numerous conversations with a variety of people lately about how hard it is too. I mean, it seems like most of my friends are living the same type of life, and it's frustrating to constantly build strong relationships only to see the friends leave, or to leave myself. It's as if I'm constantly rebuilding instead of being able to enjoy the fruits of my labor.
So the question is when do you decide that, yes, I can be satisfied here or with these people or doing this thing. Or do you? On the other hand, I am making lots of friends that are doing amazing things all over the world, so it's great to know that I can go visit them and see the world...although it would also be nice just to have a coffee on my veranda with them regularly. I know that if I had the settled life I would be dreaming of the international life, so I'm not complaining, just thinking.
This morning I stood waiting for the bus and the stereotypical Norwegian arrived wearing his "Skullcandy" headphones, tight jeans, and leaning casually on the bus stop. We both minded out own business of course, but we were briefly united as a car sped by splashing a big puddle of water across both of our legs. We simultaneously looked down at the damage, and then look at each other, and laughed. Then, back to the solitude, but for a brief moment, I think I bonded with a Norwegian.
I made an important discovery this weekend, that despite two years of studying peace studies, I am not a hippie. The big discovery came thanks to the Karlsøy music festival.
The Karlsøy music festival is a five day music/art/political festival that takes place on a small island about 1 and a half hour boat ride from Tromsø. Apparently in the 1960's, a group of people moved to the island to form a unique living community, or commune, in which the ideals of peace, love, and community would actually exist. These ideals are embodied in the festival which gives space for political demonstration, political films, political music groups, and a week of community in a wind-swept, small, isolated island only accessible by boat three times a day.
It sounded like a great chance to take part in a unique festival here in Norway, so Elisa (who has been visiting me from Spain!) and I decided to go a day before the music to enjoy three full days of community. We arrived and saw the small number of buildings painted with sunshines, rainbows, and doves. We walked by the large tents where the music events would take place and headed to the field to find a place to set up our tent. We had packed well for the trip with enough food for a week, even though we were staying three days, including: Spanish tortilla, pasta salad, meat and vegetables for grilling, a one time use grill, 6 litres of beers, a little tequilla, bread and peanut butter, and lots of salty snacks. Unfortunately, our outdoor skills paled in comparison to food abilities.
We arrived to a location that looked good to our untrained eyes, and as soon as we started setting up the tent, the storm arrived. Suddenly the wind started blowing it started to downpour, not in the typical vertical way, but in a horizontal, wind-driven rain that penetrated our gore-tex, getting our tent, our bags, and us completely wet. We got the tent set up and sought refugee inside (of course after helping another girl set up her tent in the name of community). Once inside we took off our wet clothes and realized that everything was wet, from our extra clothes to our tortilla. We ate our Spanish tortilla trying to stay positive, and went into a small building where they showed a documentary about the occupying/squatters movement in Copenhagen. We then went to the large tent where there was a fire and enjoyed a conversation about the medicinal power of red root before heading back to our little tent.
We then endured an extreme night of continuous rain and wind. A constant 30-40 mph wind with constant rain meant that we got little sleep and where constantly shivering. We thought that morning would bring new hope, but instead we awoke to the same strong wind with occasional downpours. One of the sticks of our tent that was facing the wind was starting to bend, and we were nervous that soon we would be blown away like Dorothy. We headed to "town," meaning the one building by the dock where the cafe and post office were connected, and had a cup of coffee with the locals. We started talking with one of the locals who said that there was a boat leaving at 12:15. We looked at each other and decided that was it.
We dashed back to our wet camp, tore everything down and shoved it in my backpack and did our typical dash to the boat just in time to come home. When we arrived from the boat we saw the huge line of people heading to Karlsøy. They looked a little curious wondering if we knew that the festival was just starting, and we just had to nod and admit that, no. We're not hippies.
We headed home to hot showers, movies, and began to eat our food that was already prepared. Pasta salad, grilling, and lots of great snacks. Not bad. Of course, today it is sunny and would have probably been a perfect day for a festival, but I think both Elisa and I are content to support alternative living from a distance. Peace and love from the couch.
The multimedia has been lacking lately from the old blog, so I thought it was time to catch up, in a big way! I have added photos, complete with the locations where they were taken, captions, and space for comments. The pictures start from my family's visit in the middle of June until today. To enjoy them, just click on the photos link above.
I also added a new link: video! We made a few videos singing on the bus on the way to town, so if you want to hear some bad singing and smiley faces, check out the videos.
Hopefully I'll keep up to date now, so keep checking back for more multimedia!
I've had a great time this summer showing off Tromsø to the friendly hoard of silver haired tourists. As you can see from these photos, it's fun stuff! Today we had a perfect, sunny day and a great trip to the Wilderness Center on an island near Tromsø where we had a great view and lots of fun with their Alaskan husky sled dogs. Props to Stewart for the great photos.
Holding one of the two week old Alaskan Husky puppies at the Wilderness Center. Hard not to love them, even if you're not a dog person.
Our puppets, I mean, tourists waving at the camera at our behest while sitting in our traditional Sami lavu. Kind of like a teepee outfitted for lots of tourists
And the great view from the Wilderness Center of both the landscape and the meet and greet for the tourists and dogs. Over 200 dogs and just under 100 Brits. A good ratio I think.
If you want a tour, feel free to come to Tromsø! We'll be happy to show you this beautiful city.
The past weekend has been spent enjoying one of Tromsø's summer highlights: the Bukta music festival! I had the chance to enjoy some great acts like Calexico, Johnossi, and Sivert Høyem and some crazy acts like Iggy Pop and the Stooges. Yes, iggy in all his 90-ish years of glory was on the stage prancing around in his leather skin, sans leather jacket (or shirt). I even got into the front row after moshing around with the relatively peaceful Norwegians. It was a great concert that seemed to follow the typical music festival pattern of lots of rain! But with plenty of layers of rainproof clothes, I stayed warm and had a great time!
Now it's back to the real work, and I'll start by giving two tours tomorrow to a bunch of old British people! But they're usually very friendly so I'll be ready to show of Tromsø.
I just returned home having survived the second attack of the day. Yes, it is the beginning of July and I am quickly learning that it is seagull hatching season. This means that suddenly the bushes and lawns are suddenly filled with ugly, furball baby seagulls. They have an ugly white and grey speckled color like an ugly, old man sweater and they cackle incessently, seemingly protesting their inability to fly. To compensate for this important defect, their parents (and their parents' friends) hover over the babies to protect them.
The parents position themselves on lights and chimneys keeping watch, and when someone approaches their helpless babes, they call out for help. Within seconds two birds are flying circles around the baby while the third is on attack mode...literally. It dive bombs the innocent passerby (me), diving directly at my head with its mouth open, cawking and shitting in its attempt to scare me away...and it usually works. Those ugly beasts of flight are not to be trifled with, so I usually make some weird noise (like uhaww!!) and duck, trying to avoid the onslaught.
It's a dangerous season here in Tromsø, but I will do my best to enjoy the amazing weather and midnight sun while surviving the unprovoked attacks.
What is this weird Crazy Horse-like shape on my blog? Well, the path of my recent summer travels! I have enjoyed a few great weeks traveling with my family through Norway from Kirkenes all the way to Trondheim, then from Trondheim to Asturias, Spain to spend time with my friend Elisa, and now on my way back to norway...unfortunately, Norwegian airlines is a bit slow coming to London so I'll be late getting back to Norway. But, with free internet and plenty of e-mails to catch up on, hopefully i'll keep busy! More to come soon.
It's great to be done, but also to share my hard work. If anyone is interested, you can get a copy of my thesis online at this address: http://hdl.handle.net/10037/1033
The end has officially come, and I can now call myself a "master"! Monday I had my oral exam, and it went well. Stian and Elisa came to the defense at first the professors had to make sure that it was a public event (I guess people don't usually come!) After they were allowed in, the defense began. I summarized my thesis and told them what I would have done differently if I had time. Then the panel had their chance. I had a great panel, which consisted of my advisor, an examiner from the University of Tromsø, and an external examiner from Finland. They asked a lot of challenging questions and brought up a lot of points that I basically agreed with. After about an hour, the questioning was over and they told me they were impressed with the thesis! They said it was creative, elloquently written, and addressed important issues. It was so great to finally receive a little academic encouragement. We even started talking about PhD programs, and they encouraged me to think about publication and a PhD. So exciting!
The day after the oral exam, we celebrated as our whole program had a graduation ceremony with a nice dinner and lots of laughs throughout the evening. The highlight was Stian giving "a student's view" of the program.
We laughed about doing almost the exact same thing (with the same fish soup) two years earlier. It's been a fun ride, but I think we're all ready to be done with the program. Norway on the other hand is a bit more difficult to think about leaving. I've made such great friends that it will be hard to leave in September.
After our class party Tuesday night, I got up early and left for the exotic city of Kirkenes next to the Russian border in the far Northeast corner of Norway. I'm excited to meet my family this evening here in Kirkenes and then take the boat around the Northern coast of Norway back to Tromsø! I've spent the afternoon in Kirkenes and well...it was underwhelming. Kind of a sad town. I had the map of the center of town and was excited to see all the museums. About 5 minutes later I had.
I was so surprised at how the distances between places in town where almost to scale with the map I had. Fortunately, we will be leaving tomorrow at noon to start a 1 and half day trip around Northern Norway! It will be so great to see them and celebrate the end of a master's degree as well as my brother Paul's graduation and my sister Andrea's graduation. So much to celebrate, and I'm glad we can do it here in Norway! So...time to close the master degree chapter. On to the next adventure.
Summer has arrived, and I couldn't be happier! I am (almost) completely done. I finished and turned in my master thesis on Wednesday, and two hours after turning it in I had my oral Norwegian exam, which I felt went quite well. I then took a quick trip to Oslo where I met up with two Luther alum and my friend Andre who studies peace studies with me. Today I arrived home to Tromsø to BEAUTIFUL weather, seriously amazing. About 70 degrees with sun (all day and night). So, now I am falling in and out of sleep on my porch overlooking the mountains and ocean. Great. Unfortunately, my body is also done finally succumbing to a cold after fighting it off for a few weeks. But, if that's the worst of my problems I'm doing pretty well! Now, I have the defense of my thesis on the 11th and will meet my parents a few days later for a few weeks of travel and relaxation. I can't wait!
This weekend has been a bittersweet weekend as friends have started to leave Tromsø. Before this, however, we had to go out in style...which of course means a South Dakota party! I "treated" my friends to South Dakota party where we had South Dakota trivia (they got 3 out of the 6 bordering states), South Dakota music (South Dakota, my home), and taverns (or sloppy joe's to most of the world). They were amazed that someone could use so much ketchup, and my Italian friend Marco commented that he could only make it if his mom wasn't looking. Despite the foreign food, we had a great time chatting, listening to music, enjoying the midnight sun, and my new veranda and view.
Saturday was round two with a huge grill party at the student housing where most of the international students live. Almost everyone I knew (and didn't know) were there trying to stay warm in the misty, cloudy weather. It was fun to chat with everyone and to enjoy some crazy group photos! We ended the night in typical fashion going to Driv, the student bar/disco. There we dominated the floor and everyone was in a mixed moods between wanting to have a great last night and realizing that the year was finishing. We had a tearful goodbye as some of the students got ready to leave this morning.
It's been a great year and again, I've had such an amazing time meeting the international students and learning about the rest of the world. There are so many people to visit and so many more adventures to embark upon. I'm thankful I had the opportunity this year to meet all of this wonderful people.
One thing I like about my new neighborhood is that it is full of children playing. Since our street is a dead-end, they have total control of the street and have fun talking with the guy who speaks English. However, they can also be little monsters, like today when they decided that it would be fun to ring our doorbell every 5 minutes for 3 hours. Recently, however, my roommate Børge has come up with a great way to hit them back, devised when slightly enebriated and walking home in the sun at about 2am. He took all of their bikes, which often are parked outside of our door, and put them in the branches of a tree in front of our house! When I walked out in the morning, it looked like something from a fantasy movie. It was great. So, the war is on. I'll let ya know who wins.
May is an exciting time in Norway, not just because everyone is stressed out about papers and exams, but because it is the month of color and holidays in Norway! On May first is the Labor Day celebration when everyone goes out and protests something. Then the next two and half weeks are full of drunk high school seniors celebrating their graduation. Finally, on May 17th is the national constitution day when people dress in their traditional costumes and for one day show a sense of nationalism.
Last year I did the whole 17th of May experience, going to all the parades, playing games, eating lots of cake and drinking coffee, and taking lots of photos of Norwegians in bunads. This year was a different, but equally great experience. I slept in and hosted an all day, low-key party at the house. All my favorite Norwegians came, and some international friends, and we enjoyed a day of eating, talking, drinking, eating, talking, playing games, and eating. Pretty much in that order. I didn't to any of the official
parades, partly due to the fact that it was raining, but I did dress up in my suit to try to fit in with the beautiful Norwegians!
I am way behind on photos, and so I've decided to take the opportunity to move a new photo page! So now, you can check out all my photos at flickr by clicking on the link above that says "photos." The old photos will still be availble for viewing at, of course, "old photos." With flickr there are a lot of opportunities for comments and sharing, so I expect everyone to let me know what you think. I also started posting Easter photos, 1st of May photos, and some pictures of my house. I hope you enjoy the colors of Norway!
I'm DONE (ish)!! I have printed out and am currently looking at the first complete rough draft of my master's thesis! To think, 2 years is summed up in 300 kb. I handed in the draft to my advisor and we'll go through it for the final time next week! Then, I'll turn it in a be free! Woo Hoo! Now, it's time to celebrate with a coffee and a shower. In a few days, I will be excited to present: "From Horror Story to Manageable Risk: Formulating Safety Strategies for Peace Researchers." Check back for the full text soon!
I had the pleasure of being swept up in a Luther reunion of sorts recently when a group of Luther and Concordia College students studying in Norway came to Tromsø for a visit. They invited me to give them a little tour and join them on their bus/boat tour of the fjords of Troms. It was a great trip, and quite fun to hear the Midwest accent and hear the latest about Decorah, Fargo, and every small town in between.
In the midst of this reunion, I was on the phone discussing my future plans. I found out about a week ago that I was offered a job in Santander, Spain as an English teacher. At first I was incredibly excited, then I sat back and thought about it a bit trying to find the catch. After much thought, I am excited to say that I accepted the position!! 
As of the first week in October, I will be living in Santander in the north part of Spain. If you click on the map to the right, you can see where Santander is...west of the Basque country, east of Asturia, and almost directly north of Madrid on the Bay of Biscay. I will be teaching 12 hours a week in secondary schools and of course studying and immersing myself in Spanish. I also hope to work privately as a tutor in the meantime. I'm also pumped to enjoy beach ultimate frisbee in Santander and the convenience of having Ryanair fly direct to Santander...which means, there is no excuse not to come visit! Consider yourself welcomed. I also am excited because there is a possibility I will be able to continue working on a few project here in Tromsø while living in Santander via the internet.
I hope to stay connected to Tromsø and come back and visit. Who knows, maybe I'll be back next summer to show the tourists around...this time in Spanish! So, that's the big next step. I'll spend the summer here in Tromsø and will hopefully spend a month at home in September before starting the next adventure. Prepare yourselves, I'm sure a new blog will spring up!
I was excited yesterday when had the first chance in a long time to drive a car! My roommate Børge has a car and his girlfriend Hilde was going to her grandfather's house in Tromsø. She drove on the way there, and I got to navigate the streets of Tromsø with manual gears and without power-steering. Cruising with the windows down and the sun shining felt great.
So, when Børge called from his home in Hammerfest and asked if I could pick him up at the airport in Tromsø when he arrived, I was excited to help out. When I went out to the car, however, I turned the key and nothing. Tried again, and nothing. The battery was completely dead. Apparently either Hilde had turned on the lights and I didn't know it or I had accidently turned them on and somehow didn't hear the warning beep when I left the car.
So Børge took a taxi home and we thought we could get it started by pushing the car down a hill. We pushed the car up the little going into our driveway with me behind his little Toyota Corola and he pushing the door, ready to jump in. We got it to the top of a hill near our house and pushed it down the hill. He jumped in, and I could see it start to jerk as he tried to put it in gear. A little puff of smoke escaped from the exhaust pipe and, nothing. So, the car is still standing...or maybe laying, at the bottom of the hill by our house. A sad reminder of my recent loss of driving ability.
I am in the luxurious, but difficult position to decide whether or not to take a job in Spain as an English teacher! What do you do when decide between a job offer weighed against unrealized posibilities? Should I spend another year away from family and friends and in another culture and language? Or looked at the other way, should I continue to learn and challenge myself and meet more friends? And if I don't take it, do I just assume something cooler will come to me? I don't know, but I put a 24 hour deadline on myself. I think I'll take it, but I have to breathe.
I made it! I have successfully left the peace house and now am a member of the 
"Man House." Not sure why it's called the "Man House" but I think it's because we're hoping to have classy pre-parties with all the sensitive men...which of course Børge and I are.
Yes, Børge. This is him...my new roomie! Along with Børge, Rachel and Daniel helped the move-in and celebration process with some wine, cheese, and chocolate! 
We had a good time moving in and now I'm getting settled by quickly flinging my thesis material around the house. I can't wait to use the veranda and enjoy some free time in the sun...yeah. Maybe in June.
After almost surviving two years, I have finally made the decision to leave the Peace House. As of 5pm this evening, I will have a new apartment that I will share with one friend named Børge. My new place is very cozy with a fireplace and a huge porch overlooking the city and the mountains. An awesome place to come visit! So, if the Peace House has been detering you, feel welcomed to come visit now.
My new address is:
Kvamstykke 7
9009 Tromsø
Norway
I'll hopefully have pictures soon. Until then, time to finish packing and saying goodbye to the Peace House.
In Norway everyone is assigned a doctor as soon as they start living here. Part of the whole socialized medicine thing. You don't know who your doctor is when you get a letter with their name on it, and hopefully you never need to know. Today, however, after almost two years of anticipation, I met my Norwegian lege (doctor). ..and she was so cool! I had to go in to get a doctor's note that I was able to work and apply for a job. Dr. Warren back home was nice enough to send me a note on short notice, but when the deadline for applying was pushed back, I thought it was time to meet Dr. Cathrine Ditlefsen.
I walked to the third floor of a building on the busy street where I live, only about a 2 min walk from my house. I walked in and of course the walls are full of wood and old pictures of Tromsø from the late 1800's. The secretary sits in her office and instead of going up to the window, you walk into a tiny room, so you can close the door behind you and talk to the secretary in private. I didn't have much to say, so I just told her I was there. About 15 seconds later, Dr. Ditlefsen herself (no nurses) walked into the waiting room and called my name. Only in Norway could a doctor where jeans and a comfortable t-shirt, but she was very professional, kind, and your stereotypically attractive mid-30's Norwegian professional. She asked about my medical history, checked my blood pressure and breathing, and took my weight (63 kilos) and height (182 cm). I could imagine my sister being like her in about 8 years. I felt very proud because I did the whole thing in Norwegian, until then end when I had her write a letter in English, then I got to help her with her English.
Then I was sent for a blood test and urine sample, at which point I realized I had just gone to the bathroom before I left home. So there I am, standing in the Norwegian bathroom slamming Dixie cup shots of water waiting for it to flow through my body. After about 10 minutes which felt like 10 hours, I was able to turn it in and a few moments later they told me to go home, everything was fine.
So I guess I passed Dr. Ditlefsen's test and now can say that I know my doctor, and I highly recommend her! Plus, it was only $25. One of the only deals in Norway I think!
It's hard when you read the news as obsessively as I do to avoid constantly reading about bad things that happen. But, I could help but be affected by the latest story about the school shooting in Virginia. It is so preposterously awful and insane to imagine.
Although it is much different, it brought to mind memories of being at Luther College on September 11th. We watched all the shit happen on the tv, which was bad enough, but was worst was that there was a bomb threat soon after the planes crashed. Everyone was evacuated from the university, no one knew what was going on, and there was just this sense of being stunned.
It's this sense of not really knowing what is going on with all the violence I constantly read about and just being stunned by the latest news headline. It's also frustrating because the US is my home, and I would like to return there someday, but events like this just make me wonder if I want to go there because it's a good place or simply because it's where I was raised. I'd like it to be both, but the solitude (although overly romanticized in this moment) of Tromsø just seems so tempting when trying to escape something like this.
I hope people who are affected by this story are doing alright because I'm guessing it's a lot more difficult to avoid hearing about it over and over. I like to go out on some kind of wrap up line or positive not, but it's just time to leave the computer and think about something else.
My mom tipped me off to a travel blog of an American living in Malaysia who had the lifelong goal of visiting 30 countries before the age of 30. For a country to "count" in the contest, the following rules must be observed:
- Airport transfers or layovers do not count - you must leave the airport premises
- You must enjoy a meal, or other significant cultural experience in said country
- Preferably you will stay overnight in said country (but this rule can be waived in certain instances of desperation, such as my example of Liechtenstein, I mean, really, who wants to stay overnight in Liechtenstein?)
- Preferably the complete list will include countries from multiple continents
You can see the visited countries on this map.
create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands
I am back in the swing of things in Tromsø after returning from a meandering journey through Northern Europe for Easter. My friend Elisa and I had a great time wandering through the capital cities of Oslo, Helsinki, Tallinn, Berlin, and Copenhagen drinking coffee, taking photos, trying to stay warm, and enjoying random experiences while couchsurfing!
Couchsurfing may be my favorite concept/social project. Basically, you offer to host people visiting in a city where you live and in return can stay with people wherever you are! Elisa and I stayed the entire journey with a random collection of hosts who showed us the local ins and outs of the Euro capitals.
We officially started our journey in Oslo where we crashed with Hanne. Elisa got there in time to sleep, but before her arrival Hanne and I enjoyed ice cream on Karl Johans Gate. Yes, ice cream! It was a beautiful day and great to see Oslo in the summertime as the Of Montreal song goes. We headed out early Friday morn for....
Our first stay was with Timo, the 37 year old divorcé who was an experienced host and avid hockey fan. He treated us to tickets to a semi-final game that featured the local Helsinki team Jokerit winning! He also gave us the local bar tour along with a host of other couchsurfers, ultimately leading us into a gay kareoke bar after our original kareoke destination was full. Elisa and I also explored a nearby island and were treated to a day at a Finnish cabin thanks to Marjaana's parents!
From Helsinki we sailed across the Baltic to Tallinn for one afternoon in the beautifully ancient city. We stayed with Kaarel who was a 21 year old bartender taking time off from his cultural studies to improve his cultured/artsy image. He gave us a great walking tour of the old city and in the evening
insisted that he show us all the "alternative" bars in Tallinn. This included one bar with no sign and a single red light outside the door and a bar that was decorated with 1970's hair perm machines. It was a short and fun stay in Tallinn, even though we just slept on Kaarel's Persian rug.
After a flight to Berlin we met up with Cyril who was the 21 year old French/New Zealand host who was based in Berlin working for EasyJet. Berlin was my favorite city that had an amazing combination of new and old, local and international in everything...architecture, history, transportation, food, and style. Elisa and I had a great wandering tour past all the sites and down Karl Marx street where Soviet style apartment blocks lined the streets. We also explored Potsdam and had fun playing football, eating turkish and vietnamese food, and enjoying cheap drinks with Cyril and the other guy staying with Cyril at the time, Brian.
Elisa and I somehow managed to get the last tickets on a bus to Copenhagen and after an eventful trip arrived in Copenhagen where we were immediately greeted by our warm-hearted, body healing host, Marie. We spent our days in Copenhagen riding rented bikes all over the city, just like the locals! We saw the alternative community of Christiania, I bought 10 LP's for 50 kroner, and even got to play some ultimate frisbee! Marie was very generous and invited Elisa and I to her family's home for an "Easter Monday" dinner with ham and potatoes. We enjoyed the evening with her brother and parents after enduring a 45 min bike ride to the house. The rain and Marie's cozy house forced us to relax a bit more in Copenhagen. We left very early Tuesday morning and arrived back to sunny and snowy Tromsø!
It's great to surf Europe. Somehow the traveling makes it more exciting to come back and be in Tromsø. I think I'll stay put for a while finishing the thesis before plotting my next adventure, but I do have some couchsurfers coming my way already next week, so I too can be a paragraph in someone else's blog. Happy surfing everyone. Check back for more photos and videos soon (berlin and copenhagen forthcoming).
Oh, the fun never stops here on continental Europe. Today was another travel day as we headed from Berlin to Copenhagen. We were so thankful to have the tickets in the first place. Unlike the rest of our travels when we planned everything well in advanced, we decided to leave the transportation from Berlin to Copenhagen for the last minute. We didn´t know how long we would want to be in Berlin or if our housing Copenhagen would work out, so we left it up in the air. Once we started looking however it was like, duh, it is almost Easter so everyone was traveling.
We went to the bus station yesterday and got the last two seats on the 9.30 am bus going from Berlin to Copenhagen. And we barely made it. The trip from where we were living to the bus station had every snag imaginable. First we did not have enough money for the bus card, then when we did it was too large of bill and since everything was closed since it was Good Friday, we had to ask people to change it for us. Finally, after sprinting about 400 meters from the metro to the bus station, the bus driver said the bus was full, leaving Elisa and I as well as two other girls standing outside. We tried to argue, but he said he only had one seat. When he went to put some luggage under the bus I went on and told Elisa to sit in the open chair while I went to the second floor of the double decker bus to try to find somewhere. Fortunately, there actually was an open seat...unfortunately however, it was in between a group of 20 kids on a Danish swimming team.
They were maybe 12 years old and very hyper with little supervision, so they had a great time crawling around and enjoying the ride. The highlight of sitting in the midst of this madness (along with all my luggage) were the songs. I think they sang "Wouldn`t that be Sweet" by Gwen Stefani maybe 13 times, always shouting out the `woo hoo, woo hoo´probably because they didn´t understand the English. Other fun tunes included the Gummy Bears cartoon theme song, in Danish of course, as well as...Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Yes, `give me your colored coat´ Benjamin`s song and much more were being belted out by all the young swimmers, in Danish yet again. Who knew that Randy Grimsely could speak Danish? Oh no, not me. (or should I say, oh nei, ikke ham).
But despite all these adventures, Elisa and I have made it to our last destination in Copenhagen. We have a very nice host who picked us up at the bus station and we even have a bed at this stay! We will explore the city (and play ultimate!) until tuesday morning when we head back to the North Pole.
I wish everyone a Happy Easter! It`s my favorite holiday and always sad not to celebrate with family, but know I am thinking about you while checking out the Little Mermaid.
Red, and yellow and green and gold and blue.
Sitting in Berlin on the third stop on the Euro tour with my friend Elisa and it has been crazy. We have enjoyed a variety of unique experiences including hiking with Marjaana's parents around a lake, having a beer at a gay karoke bar, watching a helsinki playoff hockey game, climbing on the city walls of the old city of Tallinn, sleeping on a Persian rug, seeing Spanish people everywhere, navigating the berlin subway system, and taking a shower. max two. This crazy keyboard and the calling shower prevent me from elaborating, but i am having a great time. We will be here in berlin three days and then to copenhagen for easter. More updates in the future§/. insert exclaimation point because I cannot:
Europe, here I come! I'm leaving the falling snow of Tromsø in about an hour to head on an Easter trip to almost all the Northern capitols: Oslo, Helsinki, Tallinn, Berlin, and Copenhagen. I'm excited for a little spring weather, some cheap food, and some crazy couchsurfing experiences! Keep up to date on the adventures here as I'll try to update whenever I have access and time with a computer. In the meantime, Happy Easter!
Living on Stakkevollveien, one of the busiest and dirtiest streets in Tromsø, affords one many unique opportunities, like hearing the beeping of trucks backing up, getting splashed by cars driving through puddles, and attempting impossible phone conversations while walking. However, the greatest pleasure of living on Stakkevollveien is taking bus number 32.
Bus 32 is sort of the forgotten stepchild of Tromsbuss, the bus company that not surprisingly drives buses in Tromsø. Other buses like number 20 and 42 are top of the line, newly outfitted with electronic signs that say what stop is next and stop buttons on every hand rail to easily alert the driver when you need to get off. Bus 32 on the other hand is like traveling in a cable car in the early 1900's. There are no stop buttons, only a wire along the roof that you have to pull to stop the bus, like trying to stop a locomotive.
The drivers of bus 32 are always the "newbies" who have no experience driving and who always seem to be in training. Also, everyone on bus 32 is mad. I'm not sure if it's because they live on Stakkevollveien or that they are all dreaming of a different bus with better hydraulics, but everyone scowls when you walk on, well, scowls even more than the usual Norwegian bus passengers. When I say everyone though, you have to put that in context because the other unique feature of bus 32 is that no one is ever on it! There are usually 2 or 3 people hiding in the corner behind the dusty and mud-covered windows that at least block out the view of Stakkevollveien.
It is especially surprising that no one is on the bus because it only travels once an hour, during the busy times! And of course, bus 32 is always late, except that one time when I was late. That time it was early.
So, it's a love/hate relationship with bus 32, but mostly hate. However, I must admit that my body's clock is now set to the bus 32's 10.14am departure from Kræmer. I mean, if you miss it, you're stuck at home for another hour!
I was able to see two encouraging signs of spring in Tromsø today. First, I actually saw grass! Yes, green grass growing along the edges of place where people put out their cigarettes. Now, I don't know if it's the heat from the butts of the cigarettes or the warmer temperatures, but it's encouraging.
Secondly, tables and chairs emerged today outside of cafes! Now we are able to pretend that we are in Oslo by sitting outside in the sun, bundled up in a blanket, drinking coffee while sitting underneath a heat lamp. Long live the Northern Norwegian spring!
Spring is officially here meaning my birthday has now come and gone. For the first I experienced the benefit of having friends on both sides of the Atlantic. I got my first birthday greeting at midnight Norway time, and thanks to all of you great friends (and the convenient time difference) I received consistent birthday greetings and notes all day. Nothing like taking advantage of all 24 hours...plus six more in the US! So thank you for all your birthday greetings. It was great to hear from everyone and to be reminded of all the great people on both sides of the pond. I hope we'll cross it soon to see each other. Happy Spring!
We had a great dinner party to celebrate my birthday and the coming spring yesterday, and the highlight was my first ever attempt at making sushi!
Sure, the rice was hot, the salmon was smoked and not raw, and I couldn't hold the chop sticks correctly, but it was so much fun! Marieta, Elisa, Stian, Anders, Silje, Daniel, and Rachel all joined for the sushi dinner. Rachel, Stian, and I were novices but the experience of the others helped us get through the event.
We each took a turn making a roll of sushi with the ingredients of our choosing. Avocado, green onion, salmon, chicken, and lots of wasabi filled the table along with wine and lots of candles since Rachel burned out her lamps! In addition to the sushi, we enjoyed some tiramisu made by Marieta for dessert and sangria to start the party, made by two Spanirards who were given the recipe by me!
Eventually, the house filled with friends and it was a great mix of folks. Classmates, Norwegians,
internationals, and friends from all circles came and had a great time meeting new people and talking with friends. A perfect celebration and a fun night.
It has been the spring of costume parties here in Tromsø.
First came the Carnival party in which I dressed up in the overly abstract "message in a bottle" and had people write messages on my white shirt while I had plastic as the bottle and algae in my cork. Ladybugs, Disney characters, Indonesian ski champions, and rappers filled the
room showing how giving an international group a theme can lead to a wide variety of interpretations.
Last weekend was one of the more creative costume parties: the K party! Everyone was supposed to come dressed as something beginning with a K, which is infinitely easier in Norwegian than English...None-the-less, I was able to think of a creative and quite frightening rendition of Kermit the Frog!
I looked more like Igor from (clock), Frankenstein, but the green tights were appreciated, or at least noticed by all. We also had some other great costumes like a kiwi, a kaptein (captain), a kot kristus (horny Jesus), ei klokke (clock), kinesisk kvinne (chinese woman), and kirurger (surgeons).
In addition to the costumes, I decided it's also time to give the old blog a face lift. Keep checking back for new colors and designs as I find the perfect layout for the spring cleaning of peace, love, and lutefisk. 
In the meantime, what should I wear on Friday for the bad taste party? It's just, oh so difficult for me to dress in bad taste.
On Tuesday we officially started the revolution with a protest outside of the Danish Consulate.
The story begins in Copenhagen with the Youth House, or Ungdomshuset. The Youth House was a building that was a center for political activists, leftists, and anarchists. The building was occupied for over 25 years by these squatters but ventually, the building was sold by the municipality to a radical Christian sect called "Faderhuset." They said that they had a vision from God that they should tear down the house, so one week ago, the Danish government gave in to pressure from Faderhuset and sent in police forces in a military-like operation to remove the residents of the Youth House. Helicopters, cranes, tear gas, riot gear, and one-third of Denmark's police were used in the operation. The action sparked violent riots in Copenhagen and led to massive street protests in many other places around the world...including Tromsø! (Read the whole story here)
My housemate Stian helped organize a peaceful protest here in Tromsø against the disproportionate response of the Danish state as well as the commercialization of public spaces. About 25 people gathered outside of the Danish Consulate, and we presented them with a statement saying that we were opposed to their actions and that we were in solidarity with the causes the youth were fighting for, even if we were against their means. Stian read a speech and together we hopped in solidarity with Copenhagen saying "Anyone who is not jumping is in support of Faderhuset." All of this excitement attracted radio and tv attention as well as police attention. There were 12 policemen parked and standing about 50 meters from the Danish
Consulate (about one policeman for every two people), and frighteningly enough one of Stian's co-organizers received a call from the police only hours after sending the first e-mail talking about organizing a protest. Are they watching us?! Fortunately, everything was peaceful and even though the police didn't sign our letter for the Danes, they didn't intervene either. (You can watch the news clip of the event and even see me jumping here.)
It was great though to be active politically. It made me realize the benefits of living in a smaller country like Norway or most European countries. There is more of a feeling that you can make a difference or stand up to decisions by the government whereas in the US it often feels like you are so small in the big scheme of things that you can't make a difference...but you can! A little organization and hopping can go a long ways. Maybe the US has a culture that promotes complacency politically, but hopefully the hopping can show that acting in solidarity is one important way to make a statement. It might not change the world, but it sends an important signal.
Viva la revolucion.
I'm currently in training for one of the coolest summer jobs: being a tour guide! Basically, I spend almost 40 hours this spring memorizing random facts about Tromsø and learning how to herd massive amounts of bodies through different museums in Tromsø.
For instance, I learned the difference between a fjord and a sund. A fjord is a body of water that cuts inland from the ocean, but that cannot be navigated, meaning you can't get out on the other side. A sund however looks the same but has an exit. Thus, Tromsø is located on a sund, not a fjord. Interesting to know. Also, Tromsø has enough chairs at bars and cafes to seat 22,000 people, which is one-third of the population! Lots more facts to learn, and I hope everyone can come visit this summer to let me tell them all about this "Gateway to the Arctic!"
I think I missed the memo that all of a sudden it is time to start sporting the latest in sunwear fashion. The sun is just starting to come back, but for some reason all the teeny bob Norwegian girls had their huge sunglasses today on as if it was the middle of the summer. It's fun to see someone in a huge winter coat and sunglasses, but I guess that reflection off the snow can be intense. Regardless, it's now sunglasses season so time to dust 'em off and get ready to be sexy!
It has now been a week, and I am finally recovering from the
exciting finish of "Speedy" and "that other reindeer." Yes, the reindeer drag race has once again come and gone, and what an exciting event it was this year! Once a year, Tromsø celebrates Sámi Week, highlighting the indigenous peoples of Northern Norway with a variety of cultural events, the best of which is the reindeer race! Young Sámi children harness a reindeer and ski behind the reindeer who sprint 200m through mainstreet in about 16 seconds. Better than I ever did!
This year was filled with controversy as one of the returning favorites was disqualified because it was discovered that he (being the reindeer) was Finnish. After this shocking event, everyone was surprised by the newcomer appropriately named "Speedy." Speedy did well, making it to the finals where he was beaten out by another reindeer who was cast as the villain and thus quickly forgotten.
It was a great day for a reindeer race with lots of blowing snow and cold temps. It was cold enough for me to buy a hamburger from Burger King to keep warm...my international friends didn't let that one go very easily. But what a great mix of cultures: fast food
and reindeer races. What a day.
I also enjoyed a crazy cabin tour before the reindeer race with 35 international students. We all packed into a cabin meant to hold 18 and enjoyed playing in the snow, hopping in the sauna, devouring
a huge meal of pasta, and running into people everywhere we turned. It was a great party though about an hour and a half outside of Tromsø, and it made me feel at home as the snow was blowing making it feel like a blizzard outside!
We all survived...more or less. Just another crazy week in the life of an international student in Tromsø! You can see all the craziness by clicking on photos above or on the links on this entry. Check out all the fun photos!
My body is now moving again and I can safely say that I survived my first ski trip...yes, ski trip! I thought it was going to be snow boarding, but after going down the hill once, I got stuck in the turnstile before the T-bar lift and then, while being pulled up the hill, I fell and was dragged sideways until I was spit out halfway up the mountain. I tried to put my shoe back in the snowboard and couldn't do it and got extremely frustrated. Stian found me and suggested that I switch to skis, which I did.
Then, like angels from the Norwegian sky, two beautiful, kind, and professional female Norwegian skier gave me free lessons! We went down the hill together twice, enough for me to learn how to stay on my feet. It was great
because when Stian found me again, I was ready to ski while standing next to the two ski babes.
Stian was a great teacher the rest of the night. We even went up the large lift and I made it down the 15 minute run. It was an incredible night to be skiing. It was freezing outside with temperatures at -15 degrees Celsius, but the sky was filled northern lights. When you reached the top of the lift, you saw the northern lights and all the lights from Tromsø and the surrounding islands and the dark areas where the ocean was. So beautiful. Unfortunately, I had to concentrate while racing down the mountain, but I definitely enjoyed a few moments of stillness while realizing where I was and what I was doing.
I'm no ski pro, but it's pretty cool to think I learned how to ski in Norway. I want to make sure to go again soon so I can remember how to do it! Until then, I'll keep taking the Aleve and massaging all these new muscles. Qué fuerte, no?
It's been roughly 5 years since I climbed Mt. LaCrosse and attempted to learn how to snowboard with my friend Margaret, and today I am going to relieve the pain by going to the nearby mountain to attempt to snowboard! I'm going with a bunch of friends, so hopefully it will be a good time, but I'm a little nervous about surviving after a 5 year hiatus (which was proceeded by a 19 year hiatus). I hope that I live to tell the tale and the tales from this past weekend when I survived and enjoyed a cabin tour with 35 international students and reindeer drag racing down mainstreet Tromsø. Wish me luck and life.
The past year and a half here at the Peace House has seen quite a turnover of tenants. However, everyone who has spent time living at the house is dearly remembered thanks to one constant reminder: mail. Letters arrive daily for mysterious member of the Peace House, and even though I have never met Ståle, I like to think that based on her envelopes, she (it's a she right?) is a great person. So, to Ståle, Theresa, Kjersti, Berit, Ada, Ida, Marjaana, Maaike, Tsvetan, Igor and other random alumni, our thoughts are with you...and seriously come get your mail. It's filling up our kitchen.
My bed, window, and room lie in a perfect angle so I can see the tallest mountain out my window while I'm in bed. Last night I was treated to a special treat...as I was getting bed, I looked outside and thought I saw a light on the top of the mountain. It looked like a street light, and my jet-lagged mind even thought it made sense. I almost shut my eyes, but I kept watching and soon I saw a nearly full moon slowly rise over the mountain in an almost horizontal fashion. It was incredible to see the moon slowly following the arc of the mountain until it was finally free and in the sky. Goodnight moon, goodnight room.
I just visited Alison's blog who I stayed with in New York this past weekend, and she has mastered the art of inserting video into blogs. I haven't tried this yet, so you should check out her blog to see the promo video for the Broadway show Spring Awakening, which we saw this weekend. It sums it up much better (and much more musically) than I could.
Alison's Spring Awakening entry: Click Here
I have hopped back across the pond and am in fine form after a four day trip to New York! 
The reason for the trip was a job interview, or so I thought. I bought a new shirt and tie all ready for the big event, but when I arrived it seemed I missed the memo. Everyone else was wearing jeans and sweatshirt. What I soon found out was that the "interview" was actually a throw-back to old standardized tests...I think I distinctly remember saying after the GRE that I was forever done with standardized tests and bubbles, but no. That’s right, in order to work for the federal government you have to be well-versed in bubbles.
The test was a little over 3 hours and consisted of critical reasoning in which we would read a paragraph and they would ask us oddly worded questions to see what info we could deduce from a few facts. Then there was the personality section (my favorite) when I had to say that no, I did not think that a messy room was a sign of an unintelligent person, yes, during high school I would see friends 7 or more times a month, and that I thought the worst part of the “computer revolution” was the loss of personal contact. Interesting stuff. Not sure what kind of person the test will tell them that I am, but I wish I could just tell them myself. The final section was basically like the English section on the SAT, correcting spelling mistakes, organizing data, and finding passive voice. So there you go. That’s how you become president, or at least a presidential management fellow. I think the test typified the federal government as an impersonal way to move through a bunch of people so it made me think twice if this was a job I wanted, but I’ll wait and see what happens. The highlight was meeting a girl from Hawaii who knew someone already working for US AID. We were both a little out of our elements in New York so we stuck together and laughed about it afterwards.
Besides the test, New York was great (and ridiculously cold)! I stayed with my friend Alison and she was kind enough to show me the city and enjoy some theatre with me. We hit up the half price ticket line to enjoy two great, and very different, Broadway shows: Translations and Spring Awakening. Translations was a play written in the 1980’s about an Irish girl who falls in love with the colonizing British soldier. They don’t speak the same language and it plays with the idea of names and language and power. After the show they had a discussion which was really cool in which an actor from the play along with a famous Irish author talked about it. Apparently, the play was really controversial because it was show in Ireland right during the height of violence between Protestants and Catholics, who were often fighting of the same thing of naming and place and claiming it as their own. Basically, I felt a lot smarter after that show. Spring Awakening was a rock musical about rebellion and repression from parents. It’s set in German in the late 1890’s and shows kids dealing with their new sexuality in a culture that makes them feel guilty for it. It had amazing music and all the actors were probably in their late teens. Just amazing voices. Also, a guy who was in season 5 of 24 was in it and apparently the music was by the band that had the song in the early 90’s “I am barely breathing, I can’t find a way, don’t know who I’m blah blah, imagining you here...but I’m thinking it over any way...” It was so much fun and great to see a new musical (apparently it was based on a play written in Germany in the 1890’s that was banned for decades.
Besides the culture I also ate some of the best pizza of my life at Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn and enjoyed some shopping in downtown Manhattan. Lots of food and relaxation. I even started Alison on the path towards an Office addiction, I think. Now I’m back in the Oslo airport, waiting for the short flight home. I’m excited to go home and enjoy my life outside of the bubbles in Tromsø.
and I have. I am watching them gas up the KLM plane as I prepare for some trans-atlantic hopping. I'm doing the business trip itinerary of Norway to New York and back in four days. Kind of crazy! It should be exciting though. The reason for this sudden and short trip is also exciting: a job interview!
Monday morning I will have a combination of a test and an interview for a position as a "presidential management fellow," which basically means I would get a job in one of the variety of departments in the government. I think it would be a good way to get my foot in the door working with foreign aid and international politics, and hey, it would be a job, right?! So dust off your suit and prepare for a variety of fine inflight entertainment because we're taking off. If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere...
Do you ever wonder what Noah would have done if it would have been below freezing when the whole 40 days and 40 nights thing started to happen? Would he have built some kind of eco-dome to support the animals, and if so how would they have enough oxygen and how would it smell...or maybe he just would have built a house? Thoughts like these enter your mind when you enter approximately the 6th day in a row of constant snow. It is deceivingly beautiful, and it falls so slowly and lightly that you think there is no way that it could possibly accumulate...but it does.
And it has now engulfed our mailbox, our porch, and soon our entryway. This has seriously tested our unspoken rule about not buying a shovel for the house. No one in the house has ever offered to buy it, and we have never really had a conversation about n
eeding it, so we just continue to create a small walkway through the huge pile of snow to the street. . .It usually works alright, until the piles of snow go to your waist and the path gets narrower and narrower...and let me tell you it's difficult to mirror the stride of someone when the dryness of your groin is at stake. Now we walk out of the house and arrive to the street with two matching white legs. It's too bad white jeans aren't back in style or we would be in fine shape.
It doesn't look like it will let up any time soon, but tomorrow the mail comes again, so I'm excited to see what the mailman does. 
In the meantime, I'm going to wiki "the construction of bio-domes." Hopefully see you in 34 days.
APPENDIX
As a late addition to this blog, today I have to ask again what's up with the snow. It's not falling as flakes in the shapes that we used to make out of construction paper. Instead it's falling in small, condensed balls, like dippin' dots from the sky. Does this mean that the future of ice cream is finally here? As exciting as that could be, it is quite strange to see people using umbrellas to seek refuge from the pellets of snow. Take cover, the dippin' dots are here.
Even though winter in Tromsø lasts from October until May and is completely dark for about half of that time, the one consolation we have is that it's never as nasty as winter in South Dakota. Sure we get a lot of snow, but it's never that 20 below, blowing snow, blizzard, cancel school kind of weather. Well, until today. I made the mistake of coming to school today in my first ever Tromsø blizzard. The wind was whipping off the fjord sending snow upwards and downwards at the same time. Meanwhile, I was attempting to walk up the hill to the peace center, which is a little steeper than most of the hills in South Dakota. The only thing falling faster than the blinding snow was the snot dripping out of my nose, which gave me brief distractions from attempts to see how close the peace center was...and by peace center, I don't mean world peace. I mean the center of tranquility, warmth, and internet connection. And how great it is. Too bad I have to go back out there eventually, to relearn what winter is all about.
