Hei Alle!

So I’ve realized that it’s been exactly a month since my last true blog update. Whoops. It’s not that I don’t want to blog I just really don’t have the time. As a student teacher I’m pretty much working full time and that means that I don’t have that much free time. It’s pretty much eat, sleep, teach, plan, repeat. I’m sure all of my other fellow student teachers could agree.

Since I haven’t written in such a long time I’m going to try and give the highlights in chronological order. Every social studies teacher loves a good timeline. So here we go:

On Saturday the 5th of February Megan, her roommate Nina, and I went to Sweden. There is a free bus that leaves from downtown Trondheim and goes just across the border to a store in Sweden. Goods like groceries are supposed to be cheaper in Sweden so Norwegians flock to this one store (Coop) to stock up. Meat is significantly cheaper in Sweden so this bus is known around town as the “Meat Bus”. Awesome. The clientele for the “Meat Bus” is rather…eclectic. International students, older people, immigrants…everyone who wants a good bargain. The trip lasts about 5 hours…2 hours each way and 1 hour in the store. Since the time limit is so short people get quite aggressive. It’s kind of like being on a real-life version of Supermarket Sweep, which is surprisingly less fun that it seems to be on TV. Especially when you have old ladies elbowing you for the best cut of sirloin. I didn’t think the prices were that great and I can’t say I’d go back but at least I can say I’ve been to Sweden. Check.

Pretty much all I saw of Sweden. The store was behind me when I was taking this picture.

The following weekend (11-13 February) Megan and I finally ventured out into the social world! Friday was the busiest social day I’ve had yet. My mentor teacher, Ove, invited all of the teachers at Charlottenlund (including Megan and I) for a drink at Den Gode Nabo. Megan and I were initially unsure whether or not it was appropriate for us to go out with our teachers but we decided that it is a part of the culture here…and we didn’t want to be rude. It ended up being quite fun getting to know some of the staff outside of school. Later that evening Megan and I finally made it to the Studentersamfundet (Student Society House)! We went with our friend Espen and some of his friends, who are so sweet and friendly. At the Samfundet (as its called locally) you pay about 40 NOK at the door (about 8 USD) and then 5 NOK to check your coat. There are at least 8 bars and a concert hall in this place. It is HUGE. Once you have paid cover you can go into any of the bars or clubs. The drink prices are cheaper than in bars downtown but are by no means State College prices. It is incredibly confusing in the Samfundet but also lots of fun. The only problem is that the last bus back up to Steinan (where I live) is a little before midnight. I was definitely not ready to go when we had to catch the bus but I really didn’t feel like venturing home by myself in the dark. You can check out more about the Samfundet here: http://www.samfundet.no/

The following Monday was Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is not celebrated in Norway, but since I was teaching English that day I decided to make my students little valentines. When I handed it to them they looked at me like I was crazy. I personally love Valentine’s Day so I was a bit disappointed when my students were not very receptive but oh well. On the 16th of February our supervisor at NTNU, Randi, took us to a town called R�ros to go to the winter fair. It was a really awesome day that truly deserves its own blog entry. That weekend (18-20 February) was extremely busy. My older sister Tori came to visit. She is a physical education teacher in Alexandria, VA and she came over to Norway on her days off for President’s Day. She arrived on Friday morning so I took her to school with me! My students were quite excited to see another American. She sat in on my social studies elective class (samfunnsfag fordyping) and then I gave her a tour of the school. We spent the rest of the weekend walking around town. It was good to see her and really give her a tour. When my parents came to visit I had only been here about 2 weeks so I couldn’t really play tour guide. By now I know much more about the city. Tori and I were lucky enough to have beautiful (if cold) weather on Friday and Saturday so we spent most of the days walking around town. The beauty of this city and the surrounding area really never gets old. I still find myself stopping and taking pictures.

On Sunday nothing was open, as usual. Since museums are pretty much the only option Tori and I decided to go to Rockheim, a music museum. It was actually really cool! The first part was mostly about Norwegian musicians and music, so that was a bit over my head, but they had lots of great artifacts and activities. In one room you can learn how to play the electric guitar from one of the most famous guitarists in Norway (I can’t remember his name!). You can also mix your own song using music samples and a computer system. It was really hands on and a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend it…it’s a great Sunday afternoon activity. You can find out more information about Rockheim here: http://www.rockheim.no/

The weekend my sister visited was also THON weekend back at State. I can honestly say that the only time I’ve been homesick since I’ve been here was THON weekend. As a senior it was really sad to miss my last THON. I knew a lot of people who were either dancers, captains, or committee members. I tried to send dancer mail from Norway but unfortunately it did not get there in time. I watched the live feed as much as I could but it really wasn’t the same. I’m so proud of all those who danced or were involved in THON 2011. The total is absolutely astounding and actually made me tear up when I saw it. I rocked my THON shirt over here and I am so proud to be representing such a fantastic school, student body, and cause while abroad.

The week following my sister’s visit was my winter holiday. For some reason the schools in Trondheim had off from 21-27 February. I took that time to travel with one of my best friends from college, Ally, who is doing the same program I am but in Utrecht, the Netherlands. We went to warm, sunny, and beautiful Barcelona, Spain. Like my other trip, this deserves it’s own entry.

Naturally I’ve skipped a lot of stuff. I am in school and teaching every day. It has been a blast and I am learning a lot. Perhaps school stuff will get its own entry as well…

The Skiing World Championship is currently taking place in Oslo and to say people are obsessed is an understatement. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen such fanaticism. Or such looks of scorn when I tell them that I haven’t been watching or following the events. I don’t have a TV and I obviously don’t ski (see my last entry for proof) so it’s a bit hard for me to keep up. I don’t like watching skiing as much as I like watching other people watch skiing. Way more fun. : )

I’ll do my best to get better with blogging more frequently, especially since I have less than an month left here in Trondheim. My program is significantly shorter than most others because I have to go back to State College in May and graduate. The term “time flies when you’re having fun” has never been more true.

Location: Edgar B Schieldropsvei 42-18 7033 Trondheim Norway