Surferosa! Bikes!

We got bikes yesterday!! I rode it around the beach area when some of us met up at the beach to hang out. It was so fun! There was about 15 people there; people we already know, so it was really comfortable. Some were, of course, drinking and others weren't. I got bored with just sitting, so I played on the playground bars with Emily.



Then I didn't really want to sit around and just hear people talk and stuff, because I have been doing a lot of that. So I rode my bike around the beach; it was very refreshing. I stopped at some benches and just laid down for a bit and watched the clouds and just relaxed. It was very nice, especially with the comfortable temperature and cool breeze. I haven't felt that kind of calmness in a while. I hadn't realized how much peace I was deprived of unitl that moment. The sun rays through the clouds were amazingly breathtaking. So of course, I had to take a picture:



After finally getting our bikes, Emily discovered that she wasn't really comfortable riding the bikes around town with so many hills and traffic; I can see why she doesn't like that so much. The hills can be very steep, but I kind of like that challenge and make myself stronger. I am going to continue to ride around when I can while the weather is still good. Something really funny about these bikes is that they are all the same and are yellow. So Inger calls us the Yellow Bike Brigade. I think's it's funny.

Here is our Yellow Bike Brigade:



I also went shopping at the mall for some kitchen stuff (this was before the beach and playground). I was at -nille, a store, and the basket can be used as a basket and a cart. It's pretty cool. Of course, I had to take a picture.



Last night, I went to my first rock concert, ever! It wasn't a huge concert at a stadium or anything, but it was loud enough. The band is a popular Norwegian band called SURFEROSA, which is translated to Surf Pink. I'm not sure what the significance of the name is, but they do have an 80s feel to their style. I was just in the crowd, jumping up and down with everyone, having a good time. I got so sweaty, I think it was more of a work out than a concert. I left early, of course, because it got too loud and tiring for me. I don't think that scene is really for me, but it was fun for the time I enjoyed it. What I thought was really interesting was the lead singer's outfit. It was basically a full body suit in the fabric of stockings or nylons with fabrics sewn on to cover the necesary parts. It was very interesting; it definitely caught the audiences attention and worked with the rock. Here is a picture; it's not very good because it's from my phone, but you can kind of get the idea:



I also met Stian's wife at the concert also. She's from Taiwan, and we had a short converstation in Chinese. I was pretty proud of myself, but it was a short conversation. I think that she wouldn't be as impressed if it was a longer conversation and we hit the limit of my Chinese speaking skills. hehe. But it was cool; I was very excited! Like always when it comes to Chinese.

A Different Way to Socialize

I notice that here, people socialize very differently from what I am use to for my age group. Every night since I've arrived, there have been parties and music. They don't even wait for the weekends or anything. Night time is night time and it's a time to drink and socialize. So I assume almost everyone have hang overs every morning or something. These Norwegian students my age, some a bit older, are pretty much drinking when they have a chance, and almost everyone has beer bellies, in American terms. I have no problem with this, but it's just new to me. In the states, especially PLU, drinking alcohol is not something to be so freely discussed, but they talked about it in their opening ceremony (like Convocation) as if it was nothing, which it is nothing of bad significance here. It's as if there is a whole culture of socializing that revolves around drinking. It's fascinating! I'd sit there, not drinking myself, observing the people and the conversations around me. The ones who are not drinking are less likely to introduce themselves to me and start a conversation. However, someone with some alcohol in their system would introduce themself to me and start a conversation as if we have been friends for a while. I feel kind of awkward that I don't drink, just because that's the way everyone is, but also I do not feel pressured to drink. It's very chill and I like it.

This is just something I noticed and it seems very important in their culture. I looked at the case as if it was a case study for anthropology. I'm so glad that I took those anthropology courses, because I feel so proud that I am using them to assess the situation now, constantly. I recognize the cultural differences here compared to the one I am familiar with, yet I can fit in because I understand what is going on. Thank you Prof. Thomson! This has made my experience a lot more enjoyable.

Aside from this, our first Norwegian language lesson was today! I was so excited, because, of course, I am learning a new language. I am always excited to understand another language. Spending some time listening to those audio Norwegian lessons definitely paid off. Today in class, I got excited on many occasions because I undertood things and rememebered words from my audio lesson.

We also got bikes today. They are very nice bikes; like brand new! I'm so anxious to ride around town and explore, especially along the water front!