Snow and holidays

It's snowing again today. It was really beautiful to look out the window to see nothing but pure white on the ground. Emily, Genevieve and I went for a short walk along the shopping street and beach. The atmosphere was so nice and calming, in contrast to what I've been feeling lately with the mixed feelings of going home and stress from exams and papers. It was a nice break.

Along the main shoping district, there was a band playing holiday music and a stand selling candle lanterns. Everyone was out and about and the children were so lively. I miss my sister.

After coming home, I wanted to eat Asian fried scampi, so I decided to go to Linh's shop to buy the ingredients and ask her how to make it. On my way there, I saw a concert with kids singing holiday music on stage. Families, friends and children in strollers, children on daddy's shoulders had their attention on the stage. It was such a merry sight, I had to take a moment to enjoy this comfortable feeling. But as I left, and continued to the shop, I felt so lonely. I could only feel that family warmth from others for that instand, but once I left, all I could think of was my own beloved family and friends. So I'm so ready to go home and continue with my life with the people I love.

Strange

Things aren't endig the way I thought they would. Funny how that is because it never is the way I think it would be or should be, but I always anticipate. Silly of me to do that, right?

And I've been having strange dreams about random things lately, for the past few nights in the past few weeks. I want to understand what those dreams are and why I have them, I can't even seem to remember or make out what happened in almost all of them, let alone try to understand. I know that these dreams are not good dreams though, so that's what concerns me. It's been making me uneasy. Hopefully, it's just me being homesick. That should be a simple enough reason.

Aside from that, last weekend was really fun. Glenn and Peter had their birthday parties together on Friday night. Saturday night was the Christmas/goodbye party for international students. That was really fun too. I had an excuse to wear something pretty. Here are the pictures: Click me!

Kicking my butt

This case study is kicking my butt!!

Comfort of home in Stavanger

Click here for PICTURES

I went to visit a Vietnamese friend (Van) in Stavanger this weekend. He studied at PLU for a semester last year, and we met a few times through Christina (she was on tennis). I wasn't sure what to expect because I was staying at his house with his family, especially since we had only met about three or four times at PLU before he left. But in any case, we kept in touch and I visited. I'm so glad that I took a chance and just went with it because it's one of the most wonderful experiences here in Norway so far. It makes the top three, I'd say. The comfort and warmth of home that I've been lacking was right there in that home! The family was welcoming and the food was delicious! I'm really missing that house now that I'm back in Hamar because even though I only visited for three nights and two days, the resulting bond was much stronger than just three nights and two days. And it was really sad to have such delicious food only to be welcomed back in Hamar by ramen noodles.



His family was simply amazing. His parents were so welcoming of me, even though they've never met me before or knew much about me. Heck, Van didn't know too much about me either. His girlfriend, brothers, sister and cousin didn't push me away either. Most of time there, I was home. We went out a few times to see his family, eat, oil museum, and sight seeing, but the majority of the time was spent in his home, just hanging out and watching movies (Hong Kong and other Chinese shows along with American movies). Watching Hong Kong shows with his family reminded me of when I watched it at home with my family as well. And each night, we'd (well, some of us) watch movies until the crack of dawn, and slept in the next day. It was a really nice trip; a piece of home.

I really wish they lived closer, so that it would be easier to visit a second time. But in a way, it's a good thing that they are far, because I might visit too much! :)

I was sad this morning when I ate the last breakfast there. It was so bitter, I didn't want to leave. I felt so comfortable there. I miss them.

But like I said, it was lots of fun. And fun equals PICTURES! So! Click here for the pictures!

Asylum Seekers' Camp, Norwegian Language Class

This week has been very eventful and inspiring. The highlights include my visits to the Norwegian Language School for immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers and foreigners looking for work. I also visited the Ormsetter, which is the asylum seekers camp.

I went to the language school before, last Friday, but that was just to interview the headmaster. I didn't interact much with the students. The second time was on Monday. I had an appointment to sit in on a class to observe, but the teacher was sick. So I ended up observing a different class. This one was in a computer lab where students work individually at their own pace on computer programs that utilized video, audio, voice in mic, visual, and writing to practice Norwegian language. Everyone was very curious as to why I was there, so I spend some time explaining to some people that I was there to observe and do some research for a report. I also mentioned that I was an international student at the local university. Some people tooking a quick liking to me, and invited me back to speak with them after I had moved on a bit. I was very happy to be there! Towards the end of the class, this guy named Hashim called to me from the connecting room "Hva heter du?" asking what my name is. I was a bit surprised, but I went and spoke with him for a bit. He showed me what he was doing and explained his situation. Then he invited me to visit the asylum camp. I was so happy by this invitation, mainly because I was surprised at how quickly I gained their trust! When he took me to the bus stop, he had someone else, a very nice lady named Badia, take care of me and made sure that I got there. Badia also stays at the camp. We spoke at the bus stop and on the bus. At the bus stop, a man (I think his name was Ali?) was so nice and had a really pleasant conversation with me! And then after that, when I was at the asylum, he kept poping up and I saw him everywhere. What was interesting about that day was that everyone had thought that I was new there for the language program. And when I went to the asylum camp, for those who had not spoken to me were confirmed that I was there to join them. So because of that, I think I got the kind of experience and treatment that I would otherwise not had. Everyone was so welcoming of me! I was so happy!

The next day, I went back to observe some more. This time, it was an actual class in action. It was very interesting. This girl Hoda from Sumalia was so excited to see me, she called me to sit next to her in front of the class. I had initially wanted to sit in the back to observe, but she was so eager and friendly that it was hard for me to refuse the invitation. In class, I basically followed along with them in the lesson. I had fun. I understood some Norwegian, to my surprise! During break, Hoda took me under her wing and showed me the canteen/cafeteria and we talked for quite a while about a lot! She was eager to speak with me and I was surprised a bit at how everything turned out. Her English was basically perfect with an American accent, except she has never been to the US. I thought that was very impressive. She's one of those who are inspired by their experiences, and are striving to build themselves so that they can help. She wants to be a doctor. Later on that day, I saw some others that I had met the previous day, and they were a sad, it seemed, when I said that I won't be coming back. I was actually very sad to say that because somehow, in those two days, I grew a bit attached to the people there. But, in any case, I have to move on and write my case study. The experience will definitely be forever in my heart.

Frustrated

I've received some comments in response to my post "Obama's victory, gay marriage ban" and I'm wondering how to positively express my opinions without delegitimizing others' oppinions and perspective. Initially I didn't want to write much on this topic as to avoid problems, but I've come to the conclusion that if I don't, I would be doing injustice to myself. I've always been passive about issues that could lead to conflict because I try to avoid conflict, even if it was going to make it worse for myself. But that is doing injustice. I have the freedom to express myself, so why am I not expressing myself? So, with this post, I know that I will touch an an extremely sensitive topic. I appologize in advance, knowing that there is a difference in oppinions. That, I respect. However, when you comment, I would appreciate it if you gave it some thought. I appreciate constructive comments.

To start, the best way to simply express how I feel about this issue on gay marriage is to say that I am frustrated. For a country that has made so much progress, it is so backwards. The progress is once more confirmed by the victory of the first African-American president. The backwardness is marked by the ban of gay marriages. America is supposed to be a place where everyone receives equal rights and where people should have the freedom to express themselves, provided that they don't cause harm on others' rights. However, it is not equal at all! Banning gay marriages is nothing but a filter used to discriminate against a specific group of people. Making marriage a luxury enjoyed by only heterosexual couples is creating a new form of segregation. In a nation that has evolved so much, one that has accepted so much, I am surprised that there are so many people not willing to accept a difference in lifestyle and move on. Especially in this era, there are many types of people who lead a variety of lifestyles. These lifestyles provide the person with their own sense of freedom and comfort, provided that it does not negatively affect on anothers' life. In response to the arguement that marriage is something sacred and only for a man and woman couple, I'd like to say that same sex marriage is not in anyway prohibiting opposite sex marriages. So why must people fight so hard for something that is not endangered? Not only that, but the marriages of already married homosexual couples are nulled. I think that is not much different than taking rights away by force after it's been given. I've previously used the example of giving freedom to slaves and then taking that freedom away later, but some people misunderstood my intentions. So now I will try to clarify. The act of nulling a marriage that is done and approved without the parties' consent is, like taking freedom away from slaves after they have been granted their rightful freedom. Although these scenarios are different, and radical scenarios at that, but in both scenarios, something is being given, only to be taken away later. Marriage should not be limited to marriage between a man and woman, or seen as woman and woman, or man and man marriage, but as a normal couple who strongly love each other.

This is an intense and ongoing battle, and it will not ease up unless people accept reality. I don't find acceptance for this difficult at all. Homosexuals have the same rights and freedoms, and are under the same law as other citizens. So, they should not be singled out for the topic of marriage.

International cabin trip!

If you are too lazy to read all of the details on this awesome and epic trip, you can go straight to the photos. Click here to go to the photo album!

The cabin trip was so much fun! It lasted from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. A really nice charter bus picked us up from the school and Frederik Monsens (the student dorms) and took us on a snowy drive that lasted about an hour. Half way there, the driver had to stop and put chains on the tires. I was really nervous about it since this giant bus was basically on ice the whole time, going up into the mountains. However, we made it there safe and sound, although not without surprises! The bus dropped us off at a small distance to the cabin, so we had to walk to the cabin. I was slipping and sliding with my backpack, Kiwi bag full of food and sleeping bag sack. Then one of the guys just surprised me by taking my sleeping bag for me, which was really nice. It made walking a lot easier, especially since we were walking in pitch blackness. The atmosphere was very exciting, yet sketchy. It felt like one of those horror movies where teenagers go to a cabin in the woods for the weekend only to be greeted by a murderer in the cabin. However, we were greeted by a cold and empty cabin.

Once we entered, everyone rushed to find the toilets (which were outhouses and not pleasant at all), started a fire to warm the cabin, claim beds, among others and the cold, empty, and creepy cabin turned into a warm, cozy and lively place for friends. There was definitely a certain vibe in the air that led to a very pleasant gathering of the international students. There was a room that got turned into the dancing/party room with music. And others hung out in the kitchen. So there was some dancing, socializing, then dinner (which was very late at night), followed by long hours of more socializing and card games. It was so very fun! I am now an honorary Indonesian! During this time, I spent a lot of time with the Indonesians and Pakistanians. So now, I feel like we are close friends.

When the majority of us decided to go to sleep, it was about 2 in the morning! And even then, I couldn't sleep! Paul didn't have a bed, so we decided to put our matresses together and share the two matresses between three people. So there was Genevieve's matress on the floor, then mine, then Afrika's. I slept between Geneveive and Paul while Afrika slept on the other side of Paul. It was the most awkward sleeping arrangement I have ever experienced, mainly because I've never slept next to a guy before. I would imagine this to be very awkward for Geneveive and Paul. Everytime I rolled to my side, I was basically invading Genevieve's space or Paul's space. Plus, Paul is tall and long, so I'd say he needs more space. But he kept really still the whole night, which was really impressive. Also, poor Afrika at the end right next to the bunks kept hitting himself into the beds! The people who refused to sleep didn't make it easy to fall asleep either. Hearing unclear voices in conversation, plus the heat of what feels like the wrath of the sun, plus the awkward arrangements made it very hard to fall asleep. However, the whole situation was pretty comical now that I think about it.

When I woke up, the first adventure of the day was brushing my teeth and washing my face. There was no running water, so I just got water from a jug in a cup and brushed outside while my mouth and face froze. After that, we just hung around the kitchen and playing card games. I saw Emily and Afrika preparing to go outside, I joined them in the snow. Then later, Am (Indonesian) and another Pakistanian friend (whose name I cannot figure out at this very moment) joined us, followed by the other Americans. During this time, many awesome pictures were taking. The most memorable pictures at this particular point are the jumping pictures. You can see them in the photo album on Facebook. Those are some awesome pictures!

After the amazing time with jumping pictures in the snow, we took a small group hike. During this hike, everyone (mainly the guys) got into a snowball fight that turned extremely intense. I got hit in the back of my head really hard by a giant and very tightly packed snowball. I was not playing in this battle, so I was pretty upset about that. But that's all fine because everyone was just having fun. After this hike, we just hung out in the cabin, eating food, socializing and playing cards again until we had to clean up the cabin and got ready to leave.

From this trip, I'd like to compliment our bus driver(s). They are extremely skilled in driving on snow and ice on narrow, winding, and steep road up to the cabin. I also made friends with other international students that had never really talked to before. I also became closer to a few others, specifically the Indonesians. It was so much fun! I'm glad that I went!

When we arrived at our appartment, I got a small package from Thanh, and it just made the end of this trip so much better!

So! Now that I have given the lengthy details about this amazing trip, you can see the awesome pictures!! Click here to go to the photo album!

Obama's victory, gay marriage ban

I'm happy that Obama won. Mainly because of the symbolic change, among other reasons. However, the victory of gay marriage ban in many states is upseting. For those who have gotten married, I would imagine it to be something like giving slaves their freedom and then to revoke that right. That's how I feel about the results, simply stated.

Epic week!

Last week was such a fantastic week, that I got caught up and forgot to blog!

At this point, the events are not as fresh in my mind as they should be, so I will just sum up with happened in the week (at leas the main points) in reverse chronological order, which means I will start with today and make my way back to last Thursday.

Today we had a guest lectuter who spoke about Mahatma Gandhi. I found it to be very inspring, even though it was a short lecture. I feel like I should be living the way he did, and following in his footsteps. But first, I should read more about him.

I also swept today, so that made me feel much more at ease with the apartment, since it's a bit more clean.

Yesterday I was at Nansen Dialogue Center for our field study. Our tast for the day was to find some American organizations or corporations that would provide funding for organizations like the Nansen Dialogue Center. The task was more difficult than I thought.

On Monday, our class was cancled because our professor lost her voice, which was sad. She seemed to be doing much better today. Since we didn't have class, I didn't do what I should have been doing... I was so determined to finish Sailor Moon! And I did! I had about 10 episodes left, each one was about 20 minutes, so it wasn't that bad. In any case, by the end of the day, I finished it. For dinner, I made fresh spring rolls to share with the other Americans that missed out on halloween. Then Genevieive was in so much pain in the stomach so I went to the hospital with her. By the time we had decided to go and arrived at the hospital, the pain was not a big problem anymore. So that wasn't a serious situation. When at the hospital, I definitely saw a difference between US hospitals and Norwegian hospitals. But then again, I don't have much experience on both sides, so my comparison might not be very accurate.

On Sunday, I just lounged around and relaxed. Which was nice considering that the 2 days before that was extra exciting!

On Saturday, Linh put up a birthday party for her boyfriend, and I was invited. It was extra fun with lots of good food! There wasn't a lot of people there, just seven of us total. I met Thi's friend (Anders) again (last time I saw him at her house when we had dinner), a Thai girl (Phun) and her Norwegian boyfriend who goes to the same school as me! What a small world! And of course I met Linh's boyfriend. The food was delicious Vietnamese food, as always since Linh cooked it. The cake was cheesecake, which was dangerously delicious. There was also some Vietnamese fruit. I ate so much that night! Here are some pictures from the birthday party:


Birthday boy and the hostess


Very attractive


The ladies

Then after that, I went to Hydranten with some friends for the halloween party. My costume with Bre was dorks, but I ended up looking like Britney Spears from Oops I Did It Again music video, or a school girl. Which was sad because Bre and I bought glasses and punched out the lenses to extra emphasize the dorkyness. Emily was a mime and Anita was a female Spiderman (or should I say Spiderwoman). I met a guy in a Batman suit who was really cool. There was also this girl that I don't know who was a vampire. I have an extra cool picture of her biting me! Over all, the night was fantastic. Anita and I did a tango in the last song of the night! Here are some pictures:


Anita and I


Roomies


Double the dork


AH! I got bit!


"Britney Spears", mime, dork


Surprise!

Friday was fantastic as well. Friday was Halloween. There was me, Genevieve, Bre and Emily here because the other Americans went to Sweden. So we had like a girl's night (again since we had an impromtu one on Thurday evening). We went grocery shopping to stuff to make fresh spring rolls and sushi. So I kind of had a mini sushi tutorial, a pretty bad one since I'm not best at making sushi. Then we all went over to Bre's place and had spring rolls. I showed them how to make it and then they could make it as they eat it. That was extra fantastic fun! Then we did face paint. I did all sorts of fantasy and pretty things on Genevieve's face like fairy and butterfly. Genevieve made me into a tiger, Bre into a scary doll, and Em into a sunflower. Then we went over to surprise Afrika and painted his face as well. That was fantastic fun! Here are some pictures:


Genevieve's first roll was a success!


Making Afrika take a study break

On Thursday we had a spur of the moment girl's night dinner with pasta bar. We had spaghetti noodles, cus cus, and shell pasta with tomato sauce and mac and cheese sauce (Gen's recipe). We also had garlic bread. That was so much fun!

So that was the last few epic days!

Immigration: more connections!

I had the best field study experience today! Well, more like yesterday since it's 2 am now. Anyway, it was at the County Council. The person we (Emily and I) met was someone from Iran. His field was immigration and dealing with integration of immigrants and other minority groups into society as well as advocating the importance and positive side of multicultural community. I asked so many questions and was so interested in his story because he immigrated to Norway from Iran about 20 years ago. His daughter also has a Vietnamese friend so he's going to connect me to his daugther and her friend. In addition, I was very much interested in a Norwegian language school/program for immigrants and he will help connect me to the people there as well! I was so excited! That is the biggest lead to my case study for now! So excited!