Pictures from Los Angeles

Waiting at DIA at 5:30 in the morning... brrr.

This is the side of the building that the French consulate was on.  The door to the visa sections was actually to the right of the red awning for the Alliance Francaise.

Rodeo Drive

Sunny day on Rodeo Drive... I don't think my jeans and backpack really fit in...

Cool tree in the city

Getting a French Visa

Nothing starts my morning better than a little TSA groping...

Well I arrived at DIA at 4:45 AM and got right through to the gate (after getting to know TSA a little after I opted out of the naked body scanners).  My flight took off at 6:30 AM and even arrived 20 minutes early.  The guy I sat next to was nice and we had a lot of talk about.  Ironically he had gotten both his masters and bachelor's degrees in finance which he mentioned after I told him that would be my hardest final and I wasn't looking forward to it.  The next nice person I met was my taxi driver who originated from Armenia.

Once I arrived at the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles, I wandered around the building to find the door to the visa section.  After about 15 minutes of waiting outside, I was called in for an interview from the guard.  Once he gave me the go-ahead, I proceeded to the next waiting area.  After sitting for about 5 minutes I was called up to the window.  I proceeded to give my application, ID, passport, photo, program acceptance letters, financial support and residence forms.  It may seem like a lot but they didn't even ask for half of the papers I had brought with me.  It was definitely better to have more than less at least!

Overall, it was a lot less stressful of an experience than I was expecting.  After hearing some horror stories about people not being able to get their visas and having to return at another date, I was pretty nervous.. but there was no need for that!  Nevertheless, I'm glad I was prepared.

After arriving so early at the consulate, it was nice that I didn't have to wait for my actual appointment time, but that also meant that I had a lot of free time on my hands after my appointment before my flight took off.  So then I wandered around the area a bit.  The consulate is right on Santa Monica Blvd in downtown Los Angeles.  I visited a couple coffee shops, wandered around a big mall, and made my way to Rodeo Dr.  It was definitely a fancy area of town... and my impression of Rodeo Dr was that it was very sparkly.  There just seemed to be sparkly decorations everywhere with winter decorations as well as sparkles on clothing.  I even had to opportunity to see some paparazzi!  They were hiding outside of some hotel... don't know who they were looking for but they didn't seem to be having too much luck. Looking back on it, it's too bad I didn't take a picture of the paparazzi!  The paparazzi of the paparazzi haha!

Well just letting you know that everything went well for my visa process.  Yes, it was hassle having to actually fly to Los Angeles to show up in person, but everything worked out.  Here is proof that it is definitely feasible to accomplish a visa appointment in one day (even if I was completely exhausted after it).  And to make things better!... I received my passport back in the mail today with a big, thick stamp (my visa) so I am all ready to go!

Thanksgiving

Well my Thanksgiving break is coming to a close, and boy it has been good!

It started with a bang (after finishing up school and paperwork for working some holiday hours at Kohls) with seeing the Lion King at the Buell Theatre.  It was absolutely incredible.  So many colors and such amazing costumes.  Who knew that a person could look so much like a giraffe or a hyena or a leopard!  Every costume was unique and so creative and they were all first shown in a whirl of color with the opening scene, "The Circle of Life."  The singing also caught my breath.  And the acting.  Everything.  I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to go, and especially with the wonderful people that went with me! Virginia thank you! and Mom woohoo glad we could go together! and Jon, oh yeah, that was amazing! In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight!

Then later in the week I hung out with some friends.  Always good catching up with people :)

Much time was also spent baking... all gluten-free, all delicious.  My mom sure knows how to work things out for her gluten-free diet with deluxe chocolate cake, pumpkin bread, cranberry walnut bread, etc.  Yum yum!

Thanksgiving Day came and it was a day of food!  My brother and I went to our grandma's and had a Thanksgiving lunch with family... well most of the family.  My dad couldn't make it because of car trouble.  That was a big bummer... Dad, I miss you and can't wait to see you in a couple weeks here for Christmas time!... But we had a lot of food there, and then my brother and I came back to our mom's for more delicious food.  I can't believe how much food I ate in one day.  Two huge meals was definitely enough.  I am thankful for that opportunity though!  THANK YOU!!

Black Friday came and I went to Kohls to work from 4 PM -12:30 AM.  Before going in, I was honestly a little nervous imagining how many people would be there and how crazy it would get, but that was for nought.  When I arrived, there was one person waiting in line.  Throughout the evening, the longest the line became was about 8 people, and that moved fast enough.  Instead of being crazy, the night ended up being very quiet as a folded and refolded things to keep myself busy.  I know I helped make the store look good, but it was a long time I spent folding... 8 hours!

We received our most recent Viking magazine, and there is a tribute to the memory of July 22nd in Norway.  They included a quote that I've been trying to think of for a while.  I even talked about it in my presentations at the Sons of Norway:

     "When one man can cause so much evil, think how much love we can create together." ~Helle   Gannestad

So now I am getting ready to head back to school tomorrow.   Got the list of things and food that I'll be bringing back with me.  Soon to be working on my homework.  French essay due Monday, a different French essay due Tuesday and a presentation on what to do in Oslo on Wednesday are the things that I need to prepare for.

With that, I want to wish everyone the best for a wonderful day.  I am so thankful for all of the friends and family in my life.  I am thankful for my opportunities to travel and experience what I love.  I am thankful to receive my education and share myself with others and have others share themselves with me.  I am thankful.

Hang in There!

Whew! I've been so busy with school and getting ready for next spring!  I am very thankful that I will have the entire week of Thanksgiving off so that I can catch up!

Anyways, here the update:
1)  I finally scheduled my visa appointment in Los Angeles for early December.  Now I have to get together all of the required documents... which is a lot!

2)  I'm in the process of booking my flight to France.  This has to be completed by Tuesday!  I will be flying into the airport in Marseille, which is the closest airport to Aix-en-Provence, on January 28th.  I will meet my program hosts there from Academic Studies Abroad and they will bring me to my host family, who I won't know anything about until about 2 weeks before I depart.

3)  I've scheduled a doctor's appointment so that they can sign me off that I'm good to go.

4)  My next scholarship application is due November 21st for the Scholars Abroad Scholarship with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.  I already received a teacher's recommendation so now I basically have to put together and fine tune my essays.

5)  I will also be applying to another scholarship whose deadline isn't due until January, so that is off my mind for a bit while I figure out everything else.

--Not only am I figuring out all of these study abroad things, but I'm doing all of my school work as well.  We have one week of school before Thanksgiving break.  Then we go back to school for two weeks and then finals week.  I'll be having four finals this year, for which I will need to study a lot... Finance is kicking my butt!

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  Thanks for all of the support!  I can't wait to tell you the good stories of what happens in France!

and P.S!
I received scholarship #2! It is from the CSU Office of International Programs :) woohoo!

1st Scholarship + Upcoming Presentation

Since this is my blog... I feel completely justified in bragging as much as I want.  :P

Anyways I just have to say that I received my first scholarship for the spring study abroad semester!  (I say first because I am submitting many many applications and I hope to receive more.)  This first one was through the program I will be going with (Academic Studies Abroad) for a lucky student (moi) specifically studying in Aix-en-Provence.  Yay!  It really is coming true!

I guess this proves that all it takes is perseverance and dedication.  It never hurts to submit that extra application.  I can't thank everyone enough for all of the support I am receiving.


I also wanted to mention that I will be soon be presenting on my time in Norway at possibly two Sons of Norway lodges in Colorado.  Keep posted for a review!

Aix-en-Provence... Here I come!

I have officially been accepted into the French Honors Program in Aix-en-Provence! Woohoo! I'm so excited to get going... but there is so much to do! I feel like this will be even harder to prepare for than going to Norway because France has super strict visa application rules.  I even have to personally arrive in Los Angeles for a visa appointment at the consulate towards the end of November.

The program I chose is an honors program... which basically means I have some awesome perks. These include a French student as a language partner from the local university, priority choice in internships, excursions in French, and like-minded students who really have the desire to learn the language.  I think it will be an awesome opportunity to really immerse myself.

If you're interested in seeing an overview of the program, go here: http://www.academicstudies.com/programs/france/aix

My next steps are to start the visa application process and to continue applying to scholarships.  Study abroad is not cheap!  Leave me a comment below if you know of any great scholarships that I should apply for! Thanks!

Wish me luck!

Awesome Video

I recently made a video from my long weekend trip to Alesund and Mount Slogen during Oslo International Summer School. Check it out!

Itching for Adventure

Well it's not even October, and I'm already ready for another adventure after I had such an amazing experience in Norway this summer.

I've been enjoying my lovely Colorado with family get-togethers (it is birthday month after all!), hiking, a train ride, and being at school in Fort Collins.  I feel like I live in one of the most beautiful places... although Norway is up there too... with the mountains and all this sun.

So like I said, another adventure is upon me.  I've decided that I'll be spending my spring semester abroad in France! There, I will be taking intensive language courses and experiencing the French joie de vivre.
In upcoming posts, I'll talk about getting ready for my new adventure while keeping everyone updated on my highlights this fall.
Thanks!

Covergirl!

Hi all!

Thank you for following my adventures in Norway this summer.  But wait! It's not over yet!

I had to take a moment to brag that I was selected to be the covergirl of Viking Magazine.. a Sons of Norway publication.  I was chosen for this because I received the Oslo International Summer School Scholarship from the Sons of Norway.

I had so much fun taking part in this photo shoot.  I worked with the talented photographer Nancy and her assistants along with Solina and Nina, who also received scholarships from the Sons of Norway, in locations all across the Blindern Campus at the University of Oslo.  It started with me arriving to be pampered with hair and makeup.  Then we found select locations around campus such as the front steps to Blindern Dormitory (where the cover photo was taken) to the library and a classroom.  The girls and I were photographed for about 4 hours!  It may sound tiring, but I didn't mind because I was having such a good time.  To be honest, I liked being pampered like that haha!

So here is the result: cover page of the September issue!

Sons of Norway:  Thank you so much! I had such an unbelievable time in Norway with summer school. This photo shoot was just a sweet cherry on top of that cake!

Already famous,
Danielle

I love ISS

So I finished up with my summer school.  I really have to say that I had the time of my life.  I met so many amazing new friends and learned so much about the world and about myself.  I have such strong, positive feelings for my time at ISS 2011, I can’t quite put it into words.

I am thankful for my amazing roommate, my new-found friends (I would go so far to say best friends), my thoughtful professors, and my many many Norwegian adventures.  

Some of my favorite things: Sogsvann where I laid in the sun on the dock, laughed with my friends and also went for night swims, excursion to the Norsk Folkmuseum on Bygdoy where I saw folk buildings from across the country, excursion to the cathedral ruins at Hamar where I learned that the interplay between new and old contains so much beauty, my roommate Diana with whom I clicked with right away and found crazy adventures, Opening Ceremony and City Hall where I felt so heart-warmingly welcomed to my stay in Oslo, conquering Mount Slogen and Bessaggen with some intense hikes, ‘the boys’ who I could always count on to do something or have deep conversation with, and in general ISS where there was always something to do or someone to meet.

You may ask how everything will be now that summer school is over and I must return to real life… and I can’t answer that quite yet.  At the moment I am staying with a Norwegian family on the Sognefjord (the longest fjord in Norway).  Today I was honored to be able to go on a boat tour of the fjord, drive through the mountains to the town where my friend Camilla was born, hike up the mountain to take in the landscape, watch Grandma make jelly from berries in her own yard, and have good conversation.  Tomorrow I will be returning to Bergen for a last day of shopping and sightseeing before my flight leaves on Wednesday morning. 

I am ready to be home and see my family, but I wonder how everything will have changed. I know that I am coming home a different person.   I have taken in great life experiences.  Great in the sense of awesome in some instances and thought-provoking in others.  

When I speak to Norwegians, they still ask: were you in Oslo when that crazy man was there? It’s always that wording “crazy man.”  I like that the name and face of the person are unimportant, even though that seems to be the opposite of what the newspapers think.  They can’t believe any person could have it in their heart or head to commit such an act… I can’t believe it either.  Until the day I left Oslo, there were still flowers and candles all over the city.  Very few of them had been cleaned up.  (In Bergen there is still a gathering of flowers and candles at the city center, but not all over as in Oslo)  Yet, buildings were again open and the streets (besides where it is unsafe to go) were accessible.  Norwegians seem determined to keep their way of life as open as possible.  I can’t believe that they would let any more security and scrutiny occur in the future than necessary.

With that I must begin to say my goodbyes to Norway, to where I found my many friends, my fun adventures, my new views on multiculturalism,  and most of all, myself.

 

I have been so thankful to go on a whole bunch of amazing field trips during my time here in Norway.  I've seen so many cool things and been to so many cool places that I don't entirely know how to give them justice by explaining them.

One observation I keep making is how completely "Norwegian" our tour guides are and how incredibly talented they are.  On that first point, when I say "Norwegian," I mean blonde-haired, blue-eyed... that stereotype.  Not all Norwegians are really like that by the way.  Yet, I wonder, is it a coincidence that so many of these people are the tour guides? I mean, are they the people that go for those jobs or are they given preference?

On the second point, I've loved how talented everyone has been.  I've enjoyed some great shows/ songs/ dances in some pretty cool and authentic places.  While a video can't quite give you that feeling that you're there, maybe I can share some of this incredible talent with you.  Now, let me explain the video that I've included in this post.  I took it in Hamar, a town an hour and a half outside Oslo, where I went with my architecture class.  We were inside this glass/ steel structure that was so perfectly designed to protect cathedral ruins. Coincidentally, the acoustics of this building ended up being perfect for music as well.  Our tour guide sang a beautiful song.

I hope you enjoy it!

Solidarity

Norwegian Solidarity.

How can you not admire the Norwegians at a time like this?  Last night I attended a memorial event downtown along with my classes and all of Oslo.  The streets were full of people all throughout the city as an estimated 150,000 demonstrated their solidarity.  We couldn't even fit into the square at City Hall where the event was supposed to take place.  I ended up on a side street where there were speakers from which I could hear the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.  Everyone held their roses in the air as a show of support and love.  Since there was so many people, the planned parade was cancelled and instead everyone made their way to the site of the bomb blast and cathedral on their own. 

My friends and I made our way first to the cathedral.  There was a large area where people were lying down their flowers and candles. 

We then walked the streets to where we could see more of the damage.  The police had opened up much of the area since this weekend when a couple block radius was shut down.  We still couldn't walk up to the main blast site of course... this area is structurally unstable for even rescue and clean-up crews to complete their work.  Yet, we could see the building from farther back... every single window was blown out and some curtains hung their raggedly.  Debris and glass still littered the ground in certain areas.  Other building had boarded up places where the windows had shattered.  A nearby clock was blown out as well.

Throughout this entire walk, the streets were filled with people.  They were determined to show their solidarity.  They were determined to show their condolences for the victims.  And they were determined to not back down.

Here we are with our roses.

Walking towards the cathedral on Karl Johans Gate.

Outside the cathedral.  This is the place where everyone layed down their roses.

Police crews under a damaged building.

On the News

I spent a good amount of this last Sunday night being interviewed by various news stations in Colorado concerning recent events.  Check 'em out! All you need to do is click on the news source and it will take you to their webpage.

9News

KDVR

And this is the same thing on a different news source:
Coloradoan

Aftermath

Here I am, living in the aftermath of the worst attack on Norway since World War II.  I am struggling to put everything that I feel into words.  I will try, but please understand that there is so much more to this than I can tell. 

Friday afternoon was one of shock and worry.  After my friend had walked into my room asking if I had heard about the bombing downtown, I wasn't sure what to make of it.  I immediately got on the internet to see the news, and it was difficult to understand.  For me, the first time things got really real were when my suite-mate came back from being downtown maybe a block or two from the blast sight.  She walked in stark white and shaking.  She described that she was shopping when all of a sudden she heard this incredibly loud noise and all the windows and building started shaking. There was smoke and ash everywhere and everybody starting running away as windows shattered all along the street. 

My friends and I watched the news all afternoon.  We couldn't believe what we were seeing.  This was our Norway, our care-free, having fun, summer in Norway.  Then it became worse.  I was told just before our dorm meeting that there had been a shooting spree on an island outside of Oslo.  This island was the location for a youth summer camp, for those who would have been Norway's future politicians.  It was shocking, that someone could do this.  That someone did this.  Going to bed, I had heard there had been one death at the downtown bombing and five on the island of Utoya.  I was thankful for such a low count.  When I woke up the next morning, those numbers had risen to 85.  How could that have happened?

Saturday came and I went downtown with friends (4 boys who could protect me if needed).  We first noticed a difference when the bus had to be re-routed due to police block off a street.  When we hit out downtown stop and started walking down Karl Johans Gate, it was immediately apparent that there was a great police and military presence.  The Storting and its square were blocked off with police tape and soldiers with big firearms.  I even saw a couple dogs.  After walking past that building, we saw where the streets had been blocked off around the vicinity of the bomb.  There was police tape and soldiers everywhere.  Glass was on the street, and we could see where windows had been temporarily sealed up.  Yet but all of the destruction, I had to be impressed how much had already been cleared up.  Cleaning crews were working on sweeping up the glass and debris and it was very clean in areas that I could see.  Of course, that probably does not include the epicenter of the blast... a place where rescue crews still cannot complete their missions due to the unstable building. 

I had mentioned that there was a lot of police/ military/ helicopters downtown, but I also noticed how that didn't feel like a threat to me.  It felt safe.  Everyone was out and about. I saw many people talking with the soldiers and another take a picture with one.  I have to admire how calm and stoic the Norwegians are about the situation.  Of course, it is also very solemn, but it's not panic.  Rather, every person is united together.

Sunday, I again returned downtown.  This time I ended up at the cathedral where people were gathering.  Jens Stoltenberg, the Prime Minister, had made an appearance there that morning.  As I watched, people laid down flowers and candles just outside the cathedral.  It was an extremely humbling experience to see so many people come out and come together to honor the victims of the bombing and shooting.  I myself lit a candle inside the cathedral to show my support and give my prayers and hopes.

Today, Monday, we took time out of both classes to talk about what had happened.  In my Scandinavian Government and Politics we did a free write exercise where we took a moment to write down our feelings and sentiments about what happened. I just want to leave you with what I wrote:


     Today I still feel confused.  Why did this happen? How did this happen? What is going to happen now?

     I feel like I am in shock. I can't believe such acts of hatred can occur.  What sense of feeling can cause these actions in a person's heart?

     I will always have more questions than answers.  Always.  Even with family, friends and news stations asking after my well-being and the Norwegian sentiment, I make up an answer that only begins to say what I want.  How can I ever express all of these feelings in words?  This is personal. This is me.

     I am at a loss of what to do and how to act.  The question of what is appropriate has come up more times than I would like.  I want to help the Norwegian people.  I want to help make sure this won't happen again.  I want to promote understanding and diversity among and within all populations.  Will this even do anything?  If I touch one life, one single life, to change their views and their hatred, I hope I have succeeded.


So if you have asked me this question: How am I doing? How do I feel? How has this affected me or changed me? I'm sorry that I can't answer completely yet or maybe ever.  I'm still figuring this out, but maybe you can begin to understand...

Explosions Downtown

There have been explosions in downtown Oslo.  Today Friday afternoon, explosions went off outside Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg's office most likely from a car bomb.  Nothing is really certain about what's going on. Of course there's a lot of speculation.

Thankfully I was not in the area as I was at school which is maybe 3 - 4 miles away.  I didn't hear anything and can't see any of the smoke.  I'm glad that I had decided not to go back downtown this afternoon like I had planned.  I was in fact in the same area all morning up until about an hour and a half before the explosion. 

I have many friends who were in the area and felt the explosion.  There was a lot of glass shattering for a large radius around the explosion and smoke and ash in the air.  People were running everywhere.  One friend described that the elevator in the building she was in just dropped.  I am thankful she wasn't there.  Another friend described that they felt a woosh of air and heard a loud noise like thunder.  Many other people simply just heard the loud noise and were told to turn around. 

Like I said, there are no concrete reports of what has happened.  We have to keep speculation to a minimum because that can just make things worse.  Please know that I am in a safe place and I will give another update when I know more information.

Alesund and Mount Slogen

Arrived back in Oslo safely last night after an amazing long weekend trip to the Norwegian city of Alesund.  I went with a friend who's from Chicago, and we made quite the adventure!

We spent the first day in Alesund where there was a boat festival going on.  It was fun to see the excitement and the booths.  We sat and watched Funballz for a while, which is where a person climbs inside a clear, plastic ball which is then inflated and the person tries to stand on the water.  It was pretty funny to see people fumbling all around to try to stand up! We also got away from the festival and just walked though the entire city (yes it was small enough to walk everywhere) and we climbed the hill so that we could overlook the area.  I really liked Alesund.  It's a very small city, situated on an island on the western coast of Norway.  Historically, the town was completely ruined in the early 1900's by a fire so when it was all re-built, it was built in the Art Nouveau style. 

The next day we took a fjord cruise through the "fjord surrounded by pointy peaks."  It was a pretty ride... and we stopped in a town called Oye.  Oye is a small valley town with basically a few houses and one hotel/restaurant.  After a couple uncertain steps, we made it up to a mountain cabin three hours later.  I absolutely loved the cabin... no running water, no electricity, friendly people.  It felt good to get away from everything.  The cabin was also cool due to the fact that it was owned by a national trekker's association.  For me that meant that it was cheaper to stay and all I had to do was clean up after myself, and the people there were interesting to talk to and learn from. 

The next morning we started up to the summit of Mount Slogen.  It's a mountain that even some Norwegians won't do because it's so steep.  After some slow-going, we made it to the top for an incredible view.  It was totally worth it with a great view of the fjord and mountain range.  Coming town was hard and tiring as it was so steep, but we made it down in good time to take the ferry back to Alesund.

The next day we explored the islands around Alesund.  We stopped at a cave and checked it out. We also walked around an island and found a medieval church and graveyard.  Even though it was a little chilly, we also stopped at the beach and played in the sand for a bit... our crab castle was awesome. 

I'm really glad that I decided to go to Alesund and the surrounding area.  It was a great trip to explore another area of Norway, and it was also a great experience to meet so many more people on their adventures, Norwegian and otherwise.  This has been such an amazing experience.

Busy Busy

Things have been busy busy for me!! But also so amazing... I am having so much fun.

I have so many things to tell about and so little time to get everything down that I want.  Since my last post, the best things that have happened are the Norwegian Cultural Evening, my excursion to Jotunheimen Park to hike Bessagen, and my photo shoot for the cover of Viking Magazine.

I can't wait to tell all about them and show some awesome pictures, but I just got out of my midterm for Norwegian Architecture and am thinking I'm going to eat some lunch. Don't know what's in store for today... maybe going to downtown Oslo, but I definitely have to pack.  I leave in the morning to go to Alesund for my long weekend.  Check it out! I think it looks awesome : http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Stories/Norway/Fjord-Norway/Alesund-Sunnmore/ .

Well, ta ta for now!
Danielle

4th of July in Norway

In Norway, I may not have seen fireworks and grilled outside for my 4th of July, but it was every bit amazing, if not more!

I started the day with morning classes.  In my Scandinavian Government and Politics class, we went over the political parties of Norway.  It was a lot of information that I need to study so I can remember! Next, I went to the Norwegian Architecture class where we took an excursion to Akershus Fortress (for the second time).  The first time we went, there happened to be a royal visit so we were not allowed inside.  Instead we took a tour of the outside, which was still cool.  On the 4th, we went back and took our tour inside to complete our understanding.  It was a really interesting building... I think I will have to live in a castle like this one day.  It was also really interesting to hear all of the ways that the Fortress is used today.  For example, it is used for some royal functions as well as a royal burial place.  We saw right into the mausoleum where the old kings and queens were kept.

After classes, I spent the afternoon at Sognsvann.  It's a really pretty lake with hiking trails all around it.  On the 4th, I headed up with some friends to go swimming... yes it was a bit cold, but it actually felt pretty good.  At least it wasn't icey cold.  While swimming was awesome, it also felt amazing to just lay in the sun on the dock.  My friends were telling me that it looked like Minnesota (where a few of them are from), but to me, it's definitely different than Colorado.  There are as many leafy trees as pine trees and it's just more green overall.

That night, I tried some Norwegian folk dancing.  Everyone was having a good time trying out the moves and I played a good guy part since there was too many girls (as usual).
I ended my night with good conversation.  It is so interesting to hear everyone's points of views on different topics.  I love that I can come together with people from all over the world and be able to talk and understand where they are coming from.

I'm really loving my time here in Oslo.  It seems like such a magical place to me.  I love that the outdoors are incorporated into the city with many green spaces, hiking trails, and such.  Now, I am really looking forward to my hiking excursion this weekend.  It is going to be intense as it is 7 hours up a steep rocky slope, but I know it will be worth it. 

I'm still in disbelief that I am spending my summer in beautiful Norway.

Hiking and Akershus Fortress

I went hiking up by Sognsvann Lake with classmates from Norwegian Architecture.

Roommates :)

I liked that the canons at the fortress were pointing at this humongous cruise ship.

Akershus Fortress: If you notice, there have been many different layers of renovation done. It looks really interesting!

Here I am at Akershus Fortress which sits in the Oslo Fjord.

Here I am with members of the choir (wearing their tradition bunads) that welcomes us at City Hall.

Kevin Mebust, a member of the choir, and I at City Hall for our welcome reception.

June 29

I am having such a wonderful time in Oslo!

Monday, we had this incredible welcome ceremony.  After dinner, everyone dressed up and went down to the University of Oslo downtown campus by bus.  There, we had a ceremony in the University Aula, a room that has been under renovation for 3 years and has just opened in time for us to be the first group.  It is a beautiful room with high ceilings, grand furniture, and paintings by the artist Edvard Munch.  The ceremony started off with music by the Bygdelagskoret choir.  The music was so beautiful it gave me goosebumps! During the ceremony, we were further welcomed by the director of ISS, a professor of the University of Oslo, the Minister of Research and Higher Education, Pat Shaw (a member of the ISS class of 1947- its very first year), and a member of the student parliament. 

When the ceremony was done at the University Aula, the entire ISS parade down to City Hall where we had a reception.  Everything was very elegant with a live band, wine, and a beautiful view of Oslo Fjord.  Upstairs rooms of City Hall (that usually remain closed to the public) were opened for our viewing pleasure. 

Overall, this night made me feel so welcome and so honored to be able to attend Oslo International Summer School.  As they said, we, as important people, needed to be welcomed by important people!

Tuesday was the second day of classes.  I am already in love with my Norwegian Architecture class! Just this week we already get to go on three excursions.  Starting off, we are talking about the Vikings!  My other class, Scandinavian Government and Politics, seems interesting as well but it also seems like I’m going to need to work a lot harder.  There is just so much reading!  Between my two classes, my stack of books must be 4 inches thick… all to be done in 6 weeks!

Tuesday night I was also able to buy my month long transportation pass.  Now I am free to travel as much as I want on any t-bane (metro), ferry, bus, or tram in the Oslo area.  Guess it’s time to do some deeper exploring!

Being Wednesday, I already feel like it has been such a long time that I’ve been in Norway.  It also feels impossible that less than a week ago I left home.

Things I am looking forward to: excursions in both my classes tomorrow, the reindeer safari and hike in Jotunheimen Park that I signed up to take next weekend, the hike in Nordmarka on Sunday, and more adventure in general!

And that’s the way the cookie crumbles…

Danielle

P.S. That was for you Jon :P

6/26/2011

Today I participated in a tour of Oslo.  It was quite speedy and didn’t have too much time to explore.  That’s means that I’ll just have to go back!  It was a great tour though.  We saw some major sights in Oslo while getting acquainted with the city.  Taking a bus from Blindern Dormitory, we headed to Holmenkollen to see the ski jump.  My was it big! It’s a huge, silver structure that reaches into the sky.  We didn’t have time to go up into the tower to see how high it gets, but I can imagine it would be nerve-wracking standing up at the top, let alone heading straight down it.  

After Holmenkollen, we went to the peninsula of Bygdoy where we went to the Viking Ship museum.  The building holds two complete and one partial ship.  They have incredible construction and detail.  I was amazed at how well the ships had been preserved (in blue clay) and much detail was incorporated.  Of course there was the amazing scroll at the bow of the ship but there was also a dragon border as well.  At the museum, there were also bones of two women and one man who had been found with the ships.  The ships had been incorporated as part of the burial.

 

We drove along the marina and saw good views of the Oslo Fjord (which is not technically a fjord) and stopped to take in the new opera house.  Unfortunately there was construction all around it, but it was still amazing.  The building was made to look like an iceberg jutting out of the water.  It was also fun to see people walking all over the roof.  

After driving along Karl Johans Gate (the main and expensive part of town), the last stop took us to Vigeland Park.  Here, there are an incredible number of statues.  What I really loved is that the artist decided not to give names to the majority of his creations.  Instead, you are supposed to decide what the statue means to you.  I definitely plan on returning to the park not only to take more time to view the art, but also to bring a picnic.  There are vast amounts of grass and trees and walking trails.  It’s a wonderful place.