So, the fist two days of classes are over and though I had a feeling, I now know that these next 6 weeks won't just be fun. The syllabus is intense, the reading list is INSANE (for today we had 180 pages of reading...try again!). There is a stupid group research paper, a role play, a class discussion to prepare, and a 4-hour final exam. No walk in the park, it seems. But we've already divided the readings for tomorrow among each other, so that we can form study groups and not everyone has to read everything. Smart, right? Luckily, I don't need this class for credit, so (even though I will) I technically don't have to sweat the grades.
The class itself (on Peace Research, by the way, taught in conjunction with the Peace Research Institute of Oslo) is very diverse. Students are all at least in their late 20s, all the way to their 50s and they come from all over the place (Russia, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sudan, USA, Germany, Kenya, etc., etc.). I hardly know them yet (we've only met twice), but they all seem nice enough. Strangely (or not) I've mostly been hanging out with a group outside of my class - a older girl from Russia and some younger guys from Belorus and the US. Keeps it interesting, I guess. That may or may not change after a cabin trip our class is going on for two nights tomorrow. That'll definitely bring the group closer together and promote some cohesion...at least that's everybody's hope, I'm sure.
Alright, time to read. I'll be back on Friday, after the cabin retreat. I'm sure there'll be lots to report.
Until then...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Pictures
Since I still can't bring myself to get a Flickr Pro account, I have run into my uploading limit for the month. Therefore, a few first Oslo pics below...
The new opera building... Oslo is really proud of this and sometimes the natives sound like this opera building will and ought to be as famous as Sydney's :)
The Viking museum...turns out, Vikings didn't actually wear those funny hats. Painters apparently made those up before the first excavations started. To this day, no such hats have been found.
Our dorm. I live in the West Wing...to the left of the main building depicted above.
THE most expensive beer I've had in my life ($8). If you wonder whether it was to-die-for, I'm afraid I'll have to actually say no. I guess even small pleasures come at a high price here.
Vigelandspark. Vigeland was Norwegian's Rodin maybe and this (for whatever reason) has become the most famous statue in a park full of his statues.
Another statue at Vigelandspark. Any interpretation attempts?
And another one...
The Royal Palace
View from my dorm room
...and, last but not least, a picture of my home for the next 6 weeks.
The new opera building... Oslo is really proud of this and sometimes the natives sound like this opera building will and ought to be as famous as Sydney's :)
The Viking museum...turns out, Vikings didn't actually wear those funny hats. Painters apparently made those up before the first excavations started. To this day, no such hats have been found.
Our dorm. I live in the West Wing...to the left of the main building depicted above.
THE most expensive beer I've had in my life ($8). If you wonder whether it was to-die-for, I'm afraid I'll have to actually say no. I guess even small pleasures come at a high price here.
Vigelandspark. Vigeland was Norwegian's Rodin maybe and this (for whatever reason) has become the most famous statue in a park full of his statues.
Another statue at Vigelandspark. Any interpretation attempts?
And another one...
The Royal Palace
View from my dorm room
...and, last but not least, a picture of my home for the next 6 weeks.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Oslo: First impressions
Alright, everyone, here's the promised post about my first two days in Oslo.
Soooo, yesterday I arrived here shortly past noon after a very short, smooth flight from Berlin. My very first impression of Norway was "It looks like Norway" (by which I mean colorful houses, many trees, everything is extremely nice and clean, people are blonde and friendly and speak good English). I got a ticket for the fast train to downtown (a 20 min ride for the discounted student price of 85 Kroner..."only" $14) and then made my way to the subway, where I found the first other ISS (= International Summer School) students (two from the US, one from India). The four of us took the metro (one ride for 25 Kroner, or $4) for four stops and then we were met by staff who drove our luggage to the dorms. The campus here is located in a very green and residential area. The dorm itself is old (from 1920) and very basic (4-6 people sharing a shower and toilets in the hallway), but decent. The rooms are tiny, but fine. I have an Ethiopian roommate, though I have not yet actually met her. So far most people I've met turn out to be from the US, actually, which came as a surprise, but which also makes connecting and communicating easier for me as I am now somewhat embedded in the American culture.
After getting moved in and eating lunch (the food is very fish-rich and very good, by the way), I walked around with a few folks exploring the surroundings. At dinner I met Maria, a 34 year old girl from Russia who is currently a PhD student at the University of Tromso. She is really nice and we've spent quite some time together since we met.
Today we were joined by a rising senior from Brown and the three of us went out to explore some more of the actual city. After those few hours of walking, I can definitely say this:
1. When someone tells you they heard Oslo was "so so", ignore that. I was somewhat worried that Oslo would be as small, quiet, and industrial as Reykjavik, but so far I can say that Oslo is a great, very vibrant and lively city with lots of great parks (in which people are sunbathing, having BBQs, or just hang out and dance and have a good time), great neighborhoods, museums, and stunning landscape.
AND
2. When someone tells you Oslo is supersupersuper expensive, don't ignore that. It is. Holy cow! Examples include a glass of apple juice for NOK 30 ($ 5), a bottle of sunscreen for NOK 110 ($20), a postcard for NOK 12 ($2), and, to top it off, a bottle of beer (250 ml) for NOK 46 ($ 8). Ouch!
(I will post my pictures to my Flickr account when I get a chance, the internet connection here in the dorm is on and off and very slow, so I'd rather not tempt my luck here, where it takes longer.)
Tomorrow we have another exciting organizational dorm meeting and then a 3-hour sightseeing tour (which I am actually looking forward to). On Monday, classes start and we will see how that goes. So far, I have been unable to meet anyone in my class...out of 550 students here, 350 are here to learn Norwegian. Interesting, right?
On a last note let me mention that Oslo apparently is far north enough for it to never get completely dark here in the summer. Never. That's right. It is now 11 pm and I am sitting with my window open in "daylight" that is dusky and will remain so until 4 or 5 in the morning when the actual sun comes up and shines its bright light into the window. Luckily, the curtains are pretty thick and my mom gave me an airplane mask for my eyes, so I was able to sleep fine last night. We'll see how this one goes...
Okay, friends, this much for now. I will make sure to keep you updated with stories and pictures.
Until then: Ha det.
Soooo, yesterday I arrived here shortly past noon after a very short, smooth flight from Berlin. My very first impression of Norway was "It looks like Norway" (by which I mean colorful houses, many trees, everything is extremely nice and clean, people are blonde and friendly and speak good English). I got a ticket for the fast train to downtown (a 20 min ride for the discounted student price of 85 Kroner..."only" $14) and then made my way to the subway, where I found the first other ISS (= International Summer School) students (two from the US, one from India). The four of us took the metro (one ride for 25 Kroner, or $4) for four stops and then we were met by staff who drove our luggage to the dorms. The campus here is located in a very green and residential area. The dorm itself is old (from 1920) and very basic (4-6 people sharing a shower and toilets in the hallway), but decent. The rooms are tiny, but fine. I have an Ethiopian roommate, though I have not yet actually met her. So far most people I've met turn out to be from the US, actually, which came as a surprise, but which also makes connecting and communicating easier for me as I am now somewhat embedded in the American culture.
After getting moved in and eating lunch (the food is very fish-rich and very good, by the way), I walked around with a few folks exploring the surroundings. At dinner I met Maria, a 34 year old girl from Russia who is currently a PhD student at the University of Tromso. She is really nice and we've spent quite some time together since we met.
Today we were joined by a rising senior from Brown and the three of us went out to explore some more of the actual city. After those few hours of walking, I can definitely say this:
1. When someone tells you they heard Oslo was "so so", ignore that. I was somewhat worried that Oslo would be as small, quiet, and industrial as Reykjavik, but so far I can say that Oslo is a great, very vibrant and lively city with lots of great parks (in which people are sunbathing, having BBQs, or just hang out and dance and have a good time), great neighborhoods, museums, and stunning landscape.
AND
2. When someone tells you Oslo is supersupersuper expensive, don't ignore that. It is. Holy cow! Examples include a glass of apple juice for NOK 30 ($ 5), a bottle of sunscreen for NOK 110 ($20), a postcard for NOK 12 ($2), and, to top it off, a bottle of beer (250 ml) for NOK 46 ($ 8). Ouch!
(I will post my pictures to my Flickr account when I get a chance, the internet connection here in the dorm is on and off and very slow, so I'd rather not tempt my luck here, where it takes longer.)
Tomorrow we have another exciting organizational dorm meeting and then a 3-hour sightseeing tour (which I am actually looking forward to). On Monday, classes start and we will see how that goes. So far, I have been unable to meet anyone in my class...out of 550 students here, 350 are here to learn Norwegian. Interesting, right?
On a last note let me mention that Oslo apparently is far north enough for it to never get completely dark here in the summer. Never. That's right. It is now 11 pm and I am sitting with my window open in "daylight" that is dusky and will remain so until 4 or 5 in the morning when the actual sun comes up and shines its bright light into the window. Luckily, the curtains are pretty thick and my mom gave me an airplane mask for my eyes, so I was able to sleep fine last night. We'll see how this one goes...
Okay, friends, this much for now. I will make sure to keep you updated with stories and pictures.
Until then: Ha det.
The blogging continues
Hello all,
For those who don't know ... I am in Norway for a summer school until August. A good enough reason, I figure, to take up blogging again. The lack of blog posts is directly correlated with the amount of work at school, so hopefully this summer school won't keep me too occupied to update you.
I will write my first actual post wiht my first impressions of Oslo and Norway later on today, but for now I've got to go outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather (which I didn't have in the rest of Europe).
Back soon. Stay tuned...
For those who don't know ... I am in Norway for a summer school until August. A good enough reason, I figure, to take up blogging again. The lack of blog posts is directly correlated with the amount of work at school, so hopefully this summer school won't keep me too occupied to update you.
I will write my first actual post wiht my first impressions of Oslo and Norway later on today, but for now I've got to go outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather (which I didn't have in the rest of Europe).
Back soon. Stay tuned...
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