I don't know when I'll write again so I'll just wish you all a peaceful Christmas and a wonderful New Year celebration.
Tomorrow morning my family and I will get on the bus to go to Oslo. Bright and early Wednesday morning we'll be on the plane to the Canary Islands. My sister and our parents are all over the place, my brother and I seem to be taking it a little easier... They (parents and sis) have never been this far away from home before, my sister has only been on a plane once and she was 2 years old back then. I can't wait to get there but the packing and the bus ride and the waiting around at the airport... I remember when I used to love packing my bag because it only happened once a year when going on our summer holiday. Now I'm used to it and although I love travelling, I don't like luggage. The packing is not really a problem, I don't like it but it's easier than ever before. But the luggage... dragging the suitcases and back packs around... I don't like that. I should learn to travel light some day. And I will. Some day.
Right now I'm just looking forward to getting there. I can't wait for the moment when we've got the key, got all our luggage with us, done with queues and we walk in the door to our hotel appartment room thing. I'm gonna walk out on the balcony, I'm gonna take a long look at the view and just think "Mmmmmm". Hope it won't rain... Then our parents will tell us we are going to relax for a while, my brother will run for the nearest computer and my sister will be jumping around. When we were younger, my brother and I always used to walk up and down the floors of the hotel we were staying at. We wanted to check out the place and discover everything. Two kids (not little kids just young kids) walking around the hotel watching the guests, spying on the people who worked there, sneaking into dining rooms, taking brochures with us from the lobby to pretend we wanted to do whatever was in them. I'm sure it will be exactly the same this time, only my brother will think I'm stupid and I'll take my sis with me instead. I'm just a kid really...
I've spent a lot of time following the news of what is happening in Asia these past two days. So many countries and so many people affected by this. The last time I heard, 23,000 people were reported dead in the different countries. It's a bit scary, excactly one year after the earthquake who killed 30,000 in Bam. I guess these things just happen? 13 Norwegians have been reported dead, many are hurt and many many more are missing. Children have lost their parents and The Red Cross is sending all kinds of supplies from all over the world. We're sending money and people and I just hope it helps a little.
To everybody over there... The world is thinking about you.
It hurts inside but we gotta keep smilin'.
I'm out, see you all next year.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Sunday, December 26, 2004
More brrr!
It's getting warmer...
Before it was -16.2 degrees (2.8 F)
now it's -14.2 degrees (5.2 F)
The sun is shining high on the mountains but we won't have it down here for another two months. The sky is a light blue and the air as clear and cold as it's ever been. It's not usually this cold until January - February but when the sky is clear the cold comes. It's beautiful :)
Before it was -16.2 degrees (2.8 F)
now it's -14.2 degrees (5.2 F)
The sun is shining high on the mountains but we won't have it down here for another two months. The sky is a light blue and the air as clear and cold as it's ever been. It's not usually this cold until January - February but when the sky is clear the cold comes. It's beautiful :)
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Brrrr!
It's -13.5 degrees (7.7 degrees F) outside! My nose is freezing cold even though I was only outside for three minutes and that was half an hour ago. I'm not complaining though; I'm loving it! As long as I don't have to go out there...
Christmas Day
Santa came last night. My sister had bought me the slippers I wanted and I loooove them! While waiting for him we went out to play, I had snow inside my shirt and little snowballs hanging in my hair... It's freeeezing cold with snow down your back in case you haven't tried.
Today I read that a Mexican city says people can't be naked. What is this world coming to?
Only three more days at home before we're leaving for the Canary Islands off the African Coast. The islands are Spanish but there are so many Scandinavians there you don't need to know a word of Spanish to live there. Doesn't that suck? I don't speak Spanish, imagine how much fun I'd have trying to explain what I wanted! But now all I have to do is let the people there see my blonde hair and blue eyes and they'll start speaking a mix of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. Or at the very least English. Hopefully we'll be able to get a little away from the places where all the tourists go. I want to see what Gran Canaria is for the Canarians, not what it's like for the tourists.
I'm really looking forward to it though. We're going there to celebrate my dad's 50th b'day on January 5th. We're gonna stay there for two weeks, celebrating New Years without snow! That'll be a first for me. And go swimming in January... Walking in the dunes at Masopalomas... My brother and I have both been there before with our classes, a lot of people from this place goes to the sleepy fishing town of Arguineguin where nothing ever happens. Or so say the guides. We're gonna put balloons all over on the 5th and I'm gonna try and make the hotel prepare my dad's favourite cake.
But right now it's still Christmas at home. And I have to go remind my dad to watch the show (about old horse rides through this town) he forgot to watch yesterday. Gonna round the family up tonight and we're gonna play Pictionary. No it's not lame, it's fun. We try and do that once or twice every Christmas and Easter. My sis and I are the only ones who say we want to but everyone thinks it's fun once we've got started.
Just as long as no one starts arguing!
Today I read that a Mexican city says people can't be naked. What is this world coming to?
Only three more days at home before we're leaving for the Canary Islands off the African Coast. The islands are Spanish but there are so many Scandinavians there you don't need to know a word of Spanish to live there. Doesn't that suck? I don't speak Spanish, imagine how much fun I'd have trying to explain what I wanted! But now all I have to do is let the people there see my blonde hair and blue eyes and they'll start speaking a mix of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. Or at the very least English. Hopefully we'll be able to get a little away from the places where all the tourists go. I want to see what Gran Canaria is for the Canarians, not what it's like for the tourists.
I'm really looking forward to it though. We're going there to celebrate my dad's 50th b'day on January 5th. We're gonna stay there for two weeks, celebrating New Years without snow! That'll be a first for me. And go swimming in January... Walking in the dunes at Masopalomas... My brother and I have both been there before with our classes, a lot of people from this place goes to the sleepy fishing town of Arguineguin where nothing ever happens. Or so say the guides. We're gonna put balloons all over on the 5th and I'm gonna try and make the hotel prepare my dad's favourite cake.
But right now it's still Christmas at home. And I have to go remind my dad to watch the show (about old horse rides through this town) he forgot to watch yesterday. Gonna round the family up tonight and we're gonna play Pictionary. No it's not lame, it's fun. We try and do that once or twice every Christmas and Easter. My sis and I are the only ones who say we want to but everyone thinks it's fun once we've got started.
Just as long as no one starts arguing!
Friday, December 24, 2004
Christmas Eve
In one hour, at 5pm, the church bells will ring and Christmas will be here. It's been a long year... We've done everything that has to be done before the holidays start and now it's time to relax. We have the big Christmas dinner at 5:00 and a little later Santa Claus comes. I wish I was a kid again...
It's snowing and it's been doing so all day. We got a white Christmas after all. Most of the time when I'm here in this town I call home I feel the urge to get away. But this time of year there's no place on earth I'd rather be.
As I said, it's been a long year and I've learned a lot. But... The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return. I'll have to work on that one. But right now... right now I'm happy. And tired but mostly happy :)
I hope you'll all have a wonderful time and that all your wishes will come true. Mine already has - I got a White Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone
It's snowing and it's been doing so all day. We got a white Christmas after all. Most of the time when I'm here in this town I call home I feel the urge to get away. But this time of year there's no place on earth I'd rather be.
As I said, it's been a long year and I've learned a lot. But... The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return. I'll have to work on that one. But right now... right now I'm happy. And tired but mostly happy :)
I hope you'll all have a wonderful time and that all your wishes will come true. Mine already has - I got a White Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone
Monday, December 20, 2004
Too much information?
| Your Boobies' Names Are: Silk and Satin |
| Your Porn Star Name is: Cumisha Jones |
| It's Not Sex. It's ... : Having a Bit of Sugar Stick |
| Your Stripper Name is: Peaches |
| Your Hippie Chick Name is: Mystery |
| To pick up ... (the name I chose, my secret;): Hi will you help me find my lost puppy? I think he went into this cheap hotel room across the street. |
| To pick up Anne: You are like a candy bar: half sweet and half nuts. |
'
I've cencored myself a little, leaving out the 'worst' things and the boy names (seeing as I'm a girl...) Name Generator at Blogthings will help you out if you want to find names for your Girl Parts, your Penis, if you want a Drag Queen Name, if you want to know your Star Wars Masturbation Method and finally a Hippe Dude Name. Try it out. All you have to do is type your name.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
The Church and The Wave
I'm going to church later. No, I haven't gone Christian all of a sudden but my sister is going to play today. She plays a trumpet like thing in the school band which isn't a school band anymore it's just basically everyone who wants to play. But they're good. It's sorta a Christmas concert and others will play, lots of singing and violins I expect. I used to play the violin, most kids here play an instrument. Music has always been a part of this town, people making violins, writing traditional Norwegian songs, the special way of singing these songs is called 'kveding'. 'Kved' is probably the same as 'Kvad' which was a song or a verse of some kind when the vikings where here. It's stuck around.
I don't much like this kind of music though, the singing really gets on my nerves. But it's tradition. Old songs being played again, old dances being danced so as not to be forgotten. Tourists love it. They can't get enough of it. When I played the violin we always had to play these old songs, old dance tunes like 'masurka' and 'polka'. I hated it. So did everybody else and most of us quit at the same time. I sucked at it, mostly because I didn't bother trying. Why? Because I didn't like those old songs. Over and over and over. We did get to play a Christmas song or two in December. If we were lucky. I wish they would put in some easy classical music, something more than just folk tunes from Honndalen.
Well, as I was saying, I'm going to church later. I'm gonna bring my camera and try and get a few pictures from there. I haven't been there in... probably two years... just go whenever there's a concert where my sister is playing or the school has a Christmas concert. I've left all that behind but it's nice when it's all Christmassy like today. Yesterday I was out walking with my sister, stopped by our grandparents and then went to rent some films. It was snowing and it was beautiful so I brough my camera. There must be something wrong with it, pictures are never clear anymore, they're either blurry or just... they don't look like they should. They look like they've been taken with a cell phone with a crappy quality camera in it. Of all the pictures I took last night, this one was the only one where you can actually see anything.
The picture is of a statue at the museum, just below our house. It's in a little fountain and they usually bring it inside for winter but this year they haven't. The statue is beautiful, it's a man standing and a woman sitting, looking up, holding onto him. It's called 'The Wave'. I'll have to get a better picture when spring comes. Must be cold for them though, no clothes, out there in the the snow...
I don't much like this kind of music though, the singing really gets on my nerves. But it's tradition. Old songs being played again, old dances being danced so as not to be forgotten. Tourists love it. They can't get enough of it. When I played the violin we always had to play these old songs, old dance tunes like 'masurka' and 'polka'. I hated it. So did everybody else and most of us quit at the same time. I sucked at it, mostly because I didn't bother trying. Why? Because I didn't like those old songs. Over and over and over. We did get to play a Christmas song or two in December. If we were lucky. I wish they would put in some easy classical music, something more than just folk tunes from Honndalen.
Well, as I was saying, I'm going to church later. I'm gonna bring my camera and try and get a few pictures from there. I haven't been there in... probably two years... just go whenever there's a concert where my sister is playing or the school has a Christmas concert. I've left all that behind but it's nice when it's all Christmassy like today. Yesterday I was out walking with my sister, stopped by our grandparents and then went to rent some films. It was snowing and it was beautiful so I brough my camera. There must be something wrong with it, pictures are never clear anymore, they're either blurry or just... they don't look like they should. They look like they've been taken with a cell phone with a crappy quality camera in it. Of all the pictures I took last night, this one was the only one where you can actually see anything.
The picture is of a statue at the museum, just below our house. It's in a little fountain and they usually bring it inside for winter but this year they haven't. The statue is beautiful, it's a man standing and a woman sitting, looking up, holding onto him. It's called 'The Wave'. I'll have to get a better picture when spring comes. Must be cold for them though, no clothes, out there in the the snow...
You know you're from ... when ...
You Know You're Norwegian When.... |
You assume that a stranger on the street who smiles at or greets you is: a) drunk. b) insane. c) an American. d) All of the above. You vigorously defend whaling and enjoy consuming whale meat. You enjoy the taste of lutefisk (jelly-like, bad-smelling fish) and cod prepared in any way, including fried cod tongues. You can prepare fish in five different ways without cooking it. You don't question the habit of always preparing a "matpakke" (sandwich in paper). You have two cars, a cabin and a boat, if not more. You think there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. It feels natural to wear sport clothes and backpack everywhere, including the cinema, bowling alley, and to church. You are think it's weird if a house isn't wooden. You know at least five different words for describing different textures of snow. You don't fall when walking on ice. You earn more than you spend. You associate Easter with cross-country skiing with friends and family in the familys mountain cabin. You are shocked if it's not 2 months of snow every year, at least! You can see mountains and the ocean, no matter where you are. You expect all dinner parties and meetings to start precisely on time, if not before. You fall 3 metres, and don't get hurt. If you do, you're not worried at all. You haven't heard of "fast-food". You can't understand why foreigners haven't heard about Bjørn Dæhlie. You're proud to be Norwegian - and you pass these jokes on to all your Norwegian friends! |
What number are you?
You Are the Loyalist |
6 You have strong relationships and are intensely loyal. People find you easy to love and care for. You like your world to be stable and secure, no surprises. You're cautious. You prefer your inner circle to the outside world. |
I'm not sure if this is all good...?
And my number should be 8... for some reason I always say 'eight' all the time...
What crappy gift are you?
You Are a Fruitcake! |
 You taste like nothing else in this world. And get ready, you're about to get tossed! |
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Me and my new haircut
How do you put a picture on your profile? Do you have to post it on here first? I've tried doing what it seems I should do and I put in the same type of link other people put in but I just keep getting There are erros in this form! and then Cannot find file at specified URL: link is broken (failed request). What does this mean??
Friday, December 17, 2004
The hairdresser
Yesterday I got a haircut! Finally, should have done that a long time ago. I really like it, it's not too long anymore, a bit shorter than I want it but I asked her to cut it this short cuz it always grows back out... I don't get it though, I want to have long hair. In theory. But it's so much easier to have my hair a little shorter... a little below the shoulders rather than the middle of my back.
It looked straight and all when I was there but when I came home it seemed a bit... uneven. That's cuz my hair is just weird and it wants to stay in a way that puts a lot of hair on one side of my head and less on the other. So what would be in the middle would be even and if only my hair agreed to stay like that. It doesn't. I'm gonna stop by the hairdresser later and ask her if she can just cut it a little on the longest side... It'll probably look weird if my hair decides to behave properly, but 1) that's not very likely and 2) I don't mind my hair being a little wierd as long as I can plan the weirdness
It looked straight and all when I was there but when I came home it seemed a bit... uneven. That's cuz my hair is just weird and it wants to stay in a way that puts a lot of hair on one side of my head and less on the other. So what would be in the middle would be even and if only my hair agreed to stay like that. It doesn't. I'm gonna stop by the hairdresser later and ask her if she can just cut it a little on the longest side... It'll probably look weird if my hair decides to behave properly, but 1) that's not very likely and 2) I don't mind my hair being a little wierd as long as I can plan the weirdness
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Dutch women prefer big knickers
I've mentioned before that I like underwear. I think everyone likes underwear it's just that most people haven't realized yet. This article is about underwear. Women exchange pretty lingerie for comfy lingerie... Seriously, if someone gets me lacy underwear, and it's the right size and everything, I wouldn't dream of exchanging it... Mind you, deep red might not be the best colour, try a lighter shade of red. But not pinkish red!
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Syrup
Today I managed to knock a box of syrup off the counter then catch it with the cupboard door before it reached the floor. But it was hanging sideways so the syrup was everywhere. I cleaned up the sticky stuff and proceeded to knock a lid and some metal-plastic thing covered in syrup back onto floor. I'd put the syrup box on the counter and my mum put a paper thingy on it for me to put the box on and it was all a sticky mess. I got syrup on my sock and all over the place... Syrup really doesn't taste very much... guess that's why I've never really liked it. Sticky stuff... gotta be good for something though...
Our mum was going to make the dough for gingerbread houses today but she forgot so I helped her. My sister and I are going to make the houses tomorrow. We weren't supposed to make any this year because we're only staying at home until the 28th so we won't really be here too long this Christmas. But a tradition is a tradition and we don't have them for nothin. I wonder how many we'll make... Gotta make some of the little ones and maybe the big one if there's enough dough (and if we're bothered, it's rather difficult) and maybe the stables. We're gonna make gingerbread hearts to put in the windows. My mum suggested we could just buy gingerbread houses this year, sorta as a joke. That's where it starts! You buy the houses one year, the cookies the next!
Our mum was going to make the dough for gingerbread houses today but she forgot so I helped her. My sister and I are going to make the houses tomorrow. We weren't supposed to make any this year because we're only staying at home until the 28th so we won't really be here too long this Christmas. But a tradition is a tradition and we don't have them for nothin. I wonder how many we'll make... Gotta make some of the little ones and maybe the big one if there's enough dough (and if we're bothered, it's rather difficult) and maybe the stables. We're gonna make gingerbread hearts to put in the windows. My mum suggested we could just buy gingerbread houses this year, sorta as a joke. That's where it starts! You buy the houses one year, the cookies the next!
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
But... what is teasing?
apples:
what would you do if a woman did that? tied you up, got you all excited and then untied you and told you to go home?
friend:
that would be the worst form of teasing
apples:
and what would you do?
friend:
that would be form of rape ;) that will result
friend:
which is not good
apples:
you would rape the girl?
friend:
well a man totally hot and you refuse after making him hot that girl would be responsible for results
apples:
why 'form of rape'?
friend:
bec that would be one way sex than thats why form of rape
@#%$#@&!!!!!!!!!
do I even need to tell you how freakin angry this makes me?? I wanna jump out my skin and hit this guy in the head with a baseball bat or sumthin... do people really still think this way? I mean really?
what would you do if a woman did that? tied you up, got you all excited and then untied you and told you to go home?
friend:
that would be the worst form of teasing
apples:
and what would you do?
friend:
that would be form of rape ;) that will result
friend:
which is not good
apples:
you would rape the girl?
friend:
well a man totally hot and you refuse after making him hot that girl would be responsible for results
apples:
why 'form of rape'?
friend:
bec that would be one way sex than thats why form of rape
@#%$#@&!!!!!!!!!
do I even need to tell you how freakin angry this makes me?? I wanna jump out my skin and hit this guy in the head with a baseball bat or sumthin... do people really still think this way? I mean really?
Monday, December 13, 2004
Saint Lucie
December 13th is when we celebrate Saint Lucie in Scandinavia. I don't know if that's what it's called in English since, as far as I know, we only really celebrate this up here in the north. In kindergartens and at school the kids dress up in white gowns and have tinsel(?) around their heads, carrying candles. One of the oldest kids is in front with a crown like thing with candles (not real candles) on their head. We make lussekatter and give them out to the other kids. The kindergarten I went to was right next to an... old people's home is what we call it. We used to go there with our lussekatter in baskets and sing the song holding our candles. They used to turn the lights off so it was all dark when we came. Happy days...
Yesterday my sister and I made gingerbread cookies. I posted one pic below and we made a little family and some little ones. Our mum made the dough the day before and although she only made half of what she usually does (way too much left from last year), we still made loads. Can't have Christmas without pepperkaker! We're making gingerbread houses Wednesday... and hearts to tie red ribbons to and hang in the windows. I'm just waiting for the snow to come. Tomorrow is supposed to be stormy here in the west, lots of wind. They're telling us to bring in things that can fly away and if we've got a Santa Claus in our garden we shouldn't leave him out there. I can't see no Santa in my garden... lil early for that.
Yesterday my sister and I made gingerbread cookies. I posted one pic below and we made a little family and some little ones. Our mum made the dough the day before and although she only made half of what she usually does (way too much left from last year), we still made loads. Can't have Christmas without pepperkaker! We're making gingerbread houses Wednesday... and hearts to tie red ribbons to and hang in the windows. I'm just waiting for the snow to come. Tomorrow is supposed to be stormy here in the west, lots of wind. They're telling us to bring in things that can fly away and if we've got a Santa Claus in our garden we shouldn't leave him out there. I can't see no Santa in my garden... lil early for that.
Friday, December 10, 2004
The dentist
I was in the chair at about 10:20. The woman showing me where to sit said they were waiting for a patient to come at 10:30, it was kinda an emergency. The dentist came and started doing his thing, and at 10:40 the woman asked if they should take an x-ray of the patient, the emergency was an 8 year old girl with a toothache. The dentist went "What? She's here?" "Yeah", the woman said. "Oh fuck!"
That's just what you want to hear when you've got your mouth full of metal, the dentist going 'oh fuck!'. That made me feel sooo much better. He started going really fast with everything, sorta ripping things out and trying to stretch my lips waaay too far apart. I've got a small mouth, you're not supposed to be able to put your entire hand in there! It's a snug fit even for smaller things... Why do male dentists do that? We had a dentist here, the one everyone had to go to when we were at school. He didn't wear gloves and stuffed his hands into our mouths when we were just kids. He retired though and the last time we saw the dentist in elementary school it was another man. He was really really nice.
After that I've only seen women, simply because there were only women in the office in the town where I went to high school. I figured I'd just got rid of my fear of dentists, I used to hate them. But then this summer when I went for a check up, there was this new guy there. He was a student, almost done with his education to become a dentist, and he was the one who did me (well, just my teeth..). He had the cutest eyes, his eyes and eyebrows were all I could see above that thing he had covering his mouth and nose (dunno what it's called). He was always asking if it hurt if I as much as moved my hand. He was really really nice aswell.
Then today there was another man. A grown up man. A dentist man. As I wrote above, he was not really really nice. When he started hurrying, he also started whistling. Only he wasn't whistling, no sound came out. I think he was trying to not make me realize he was 'speeding up', but he seemed all nervous when he found out he was late for the other patient. I hope he's just a really good dentist and that everything was done the way it should be done. It doesn't hurt anymore and the tooth doesn't even feel funny!
Anyway, although I saw a scary dentist man again, I'm still not scared of dentists. I think I've been cured! Nice women took my childhood fears away. Dentists and parent-teacher-pupil conversations were my two big fears as I was growing up.
That's just what you want to hear when you've got your mouth full of metal, the dentist going 'oh fuck!'. That made me feel sooo much better. He started going really fast with everything, sorta ripping things out and trying to stretch my lips waaay too far apart. I've got a small mouth, you're not supposed to be able to put your entire hand in there! It's a snug fit even for smaller things... Why do male dentists do that? We had a dentist here, the one everyone had to go to when we were at school. He didn't wear gloves and stuffed his hands into our mouths when we were just kids. He retired though and the last time we saw the dentist in elementary school it was another man. He was really really nice.
After that I've only seen women, simply because there were only women in the office in the town where I went to high school. I figured I'd just got rid of my fear of dentists, I used to hate them. But then this summer when I went for a check up, there was this new guy there. He was a student, almost done with his education to become a dentist, and he was the one who did me (well, just my teeth..). He had the cutest eyes, his eyes and eyebrows were all I could see above that thing he had covering his mouth and nose (dunno what it's called). He was always asking if it hurt if I as much as moved my hand. He was really really nice aswell.
Then today there was another man. A grown up man. A dentist man. As I wrote above, he was not really really nice. When he started hurrying, he also started whistling. Only he wasn't whistling, no sound came out. I think he was trying to not make me realize he was 'speeding up', but he seemed all nervous when he found out he was late for the other patient. I hope he's just a really good dentist and that everything was done the way it should be done. It doesn't hurt anymore and the tooth doesn't even feel funny!
Anyway, although I saw a scary dentist man again, I'm still not scared of dentists. I think I've been cured! Nice women took my childhood fears away. Dentists and parent-teacher-pupil conversations were my two big fears as I was growing up.
Bus adventures
I'm at the library in the town where I went to high school. I went to see the dentist at 10 and now I'm waiting for my bus home.
I left at 9 this morning, way too early for me. When you take the 9am bus, the next one is at 12, you take the first one for five mins, then wait 10 minutes for the second one, and then it's a 15 min ride to get here. When I got on the first bus, which is the school bus coming back from school, I said I wanted a student ticket to Stryn. He looked at me and said. High school kids take this bus when they're late for the other one, I know I did a few times.
I figured he must be wondering if I had a bus card thing for school because then I might not have had to pay. I said 'Erm... no', and he said it was 40kr (about $6). It was supposed to cost 30kr so I said I had asked for a ticket for students. He looked at me, again, and said "But you're old!" Yeah... There were only three other passengers, an woman and two kinda old men. Someone started giggling and I said "Gee, thanks". I went to that high school, and by that bus, 18 months ago, am I old already??
I said I wasn't going to school but I'm still a student and he went 'Umm... why don't you pay when we get there? (there being where we'd be waiting for the other bus).
I might be too old for high school, but I'm not old thankyouverymuch! He probably knew how old I was cuz everybody in town knows each other (more or less), and meant I couldn't still be in high school. Think before you speak!
I left at 9 this morning, way too early for me. When you take the 9am bus, the next one is at 12, you take the first one for five mins, then wait 10 minutes for the second one, and then it's a 15 min ride to get here. When I got on the first bus, which is the school bus coming back from school, I said I wanted a student ticket to Stryn. He looked at me and said. High school kids take this bus when they're late for the other one, I know I did a few times.
I figured he must be wondering if I had a bus card thing for school because then I might not have had to pay. I said 'Erm... no', and he said it was 40kr (about $6). It was supposed to cost 30kr so I said I had asked for a ticket for students. He looked at me, again, and said "But you're old!" Yeah... There were only three other passengers, an woman and two kinda old men. Someone started giggling and I said "Gee, thanks". I went to that high school, and by that bus, 18 months ago, am I old already??
I said I wasn't going to school but I'm still a student and he went 'Umm... why don't you pay when we get there? (there being where we'd be waiting for the other bus).
I might be too old for high school, but I'm not old thankyouverymuch! He probably knew how old I was cuz everybody in town knows each other (more or less), and meant I couldn't still be in high school. Think before you speak!
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Last day in Bergen
I was at the library today, walking around waiting to go to my test in philosophy. I looked around some shelves with guide books trying to figure out where they keep their Bill Bryson books (any library should have some Bill Bryson books). While browsing the shelves I ended up looking at the Asia section, India in particular. I just got this strange feeling...
It was like a flashback from two or three years ago when I was at the library at home borrowing some books about France. I was either about to start studying French, or I had just started. All I remember is that it was summer. When handing my three books to the librarian he asked if I was going there, to France. I said no, with a smile, at least not yet. I wasn't even thinking about going, wasn't even a dream, just something I didn't think would happen, at least not then.
It's been six months since I came back after spending nine months there. I haven't thought about it before, about how I actually just... went there. A year or two before I left it was something unimaginable, but it still happened. That's the feeling I had when I saw 'India' on a book today. I just froze, memories I haven't thought about since that summer came back to me. Maybe I've found another place I want to see?
I passed my test and I've packed my bags. At 8am tomorrow (or today really) I'll be on the bus home. This weekend I'll be doing the Christmas shopping with my family on Saturday and making gingerbread cookies on Sunday. By 2pm next Wednesday I'll have handed in my assignment over the net and Christmas can finally come. It's good to be me sometimes ;)
It was like a flashback from two or three years ago when I was at the library at home borrowing some books about France. I was either about to start studying French, or I had just started. All I remember is that it was summer. When handing my three books to the librarian he asked if I was going there, to France. I said no, with a smile, at least not yet. I wasn't even thinking about going, wasn't even a dream, just something I didn't think would happen, at least not then.
It's been six months since I came back after spending nine months there. I haven't thought about it before, about how I actually just... went there. A year or two before I left it was something unimaginable, but it still happened. That's the feeling I had when I saw 'India' on a book today. I just froze, memories I haven't thought about since that summer came back to me. Maybe I've found another place I want to see?
I passed my test and I've packed my bags. At 8am tomorrow (or today really) I'll be on the bus home. This weekend I'll be doing the Christmas shopping with my family on Saturday and making gingerbread cookies on Sunday. By 2pm next Wednesday I'll have handed in my assignment over the net and Christmas can finally come. It's good to be me sometimes ;)
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
CNN or FOX ?
I've heard CNN described as the communist channel. But lately I've heard, and read, that FOX has become more and more a propaganda channel. Even republicans think it's a bit too much. A simple search on yahoo gave me this, that, this one and that one. In short, the stories are talking about how Rupert Murdoch and FOX work with and for the Pentagon. They feed the public what the government wants them to know. That second link goes to the page www.fair.org (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting to see what it's about). Just a random search for "+fox+news+propaganda" showed the page "www.fox.com/home.htm" among the first ones.
I'm sticking with CNN!
I'm sticking with CNN!
Sunday, December 05, 2004
What kind of soul are you?
You Are a Hunter Soul |
 You are driven and ambitious - totally self motiviated to succeed Actively working to acheive what you want, you are skillful in many areas. You are a natural predator with strong instincts ... and more than a little demanding. You are creative, energetic, and an extremely powerful force. An outdoors person, you like animals and relate to them better than people. You tend to have an explosive personality, but also a good sense of humor. People sometimes see you as arrogant or a know it all. You tend to be a bit of a loner, though you hate to be alone. Souls you are most compatible with: Seeker Soul and Peacemaker Soul |
Friday, December 03, 2004
Aaaargh!!
A jury made up of United Methodist Churchclergy convicted a lesbian minister Thursday of violating church law by openly living with her partner in a committed relationship. (FOXNews.com)
And I thought we didn't like it when religious people formed a jury and convicted others... Or maybe that's only if they're not christian because then everything goes. Right?
We're all supposed not to understand 'other' religions, assuming Christianity is what 'we' have and those are the rules we need to live by. I'm not even Christian and just because I live in Europe I'm supposed to be a part of all this. You know, I don't understand christianity either. I think it's great that people can believe in things they can find comfort in, that's wonderful. I however don't believe in it, and sometimes I'd like to say "it's great that you belive this, but we know it's not true so why waste energy trying to make everyone else believe it?". But I don't say that because I have no way of knowing what is true or not. There could be a god. It could be allah. We might go to nirvana after many many lives, or we might go to heaven or hell after this one. Or even purgatory. Who am I to say what is right? How would I know?
But this is just the problem isn't it? There are plenty people believe they do know. Some people believe god talks to them. Some people believe they or others are special because god or someone else chose them. How can you know if that's true or not? You can't. God chose them. He spoke to them. Not us.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgghh!!!
Lots of words that should be in CAPS here but I just chose to write all words the same way...
And I thought we didn't like it when religious people formed a jury and convicted others... Or maybe that's only if they're not christian because then everything goes. Right?
We're all supposed not to understand 'other' religions, assuming Christianity is what 'we' have and those are the rules we need to live by. I'm not even Christian and just because I live in Europe I'm supposed to be a part of all this. You know, I don't understand christianity either. I think it's great that people can believe in things they can find comfort in, that's wonderful. I however don't believe in it, and sometimes I'd like to say "it's great that you belive this, but we know it's not true so why waste energy trying to make everyone else believe it?". But I don't say that because I have no way of knowing what is true or not. There could be a god. It could be allah. We might go to nirvana after many many lives, or we might go to heaven or hell after this one. Or even purgatory. Who am I to say what is right? How would I know?
But this is just the problem isn't it? There are plenty people believe they do know. Some people believe god talks to them. Some people believe they or others are special because god or someone else chose them. How can you know if that's true or not? You can't. God chose them. He spoke to them. Not us.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgghh!!!
Lots of words that should be in CAPS here but I just chose to write all words the same way...
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
December 1st
And the advent has begun. I don't know how the rest of the world celebrates this, or if you even do at all, but in Norwegian it's an unbreakable tradition.
The whole thing is that when December comes, the Christmas month has started. We have calendars that you either buy in shops, you buy a part and make your own 'presents' or you make it all on your own. At school children all bring one present, and then they're put up somewhere. We made a calendar the first year of school, with rings hanging at the bottom to tie the presents to. It's not a calendar as such, the advent calendars has 24 numbers on them, 24 days till Christmas as here we celebrate Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day.
I can't live through December without a chocolate calendar, it's a cheap little cardboard thing you get at some shops, but it has to be this exact one because ever tiny piece of chocolate just.. well, tastes like advent. I opened the first one today and there was a picture of a little train on the first one. I also put clove (?) things into an orange, they're whole instead of powder and you have to be careful when you put them in. You put 24 of them in there and you take one out every day, the last one on Christmas Eve.
I've also bought one of those tiny flowers, I'm not sure what they're called in English, you can buy a big one or a small one and they're called Julestjerne in Norwegian, Christmas star. My parents have bought a little one for each of us kids the past two-three years and since I'm living on my own now, I bought one to put in my window next to the orange. Take a look here. That's the calendar, orange and flower.
Might sound like there's a lot of buying involved, and in a way there is. But, amazingly, all these little things that hold the fondest memories are the cheapest things you can buy. An orange and some spices to put in it (smells wonderful too), a $1.50 chocolate calendar and a beautiful little red flower. Of course you could buy other kinds of calendars and lots of stuff to put in them each day. Christmas may have become commercialized, maybe it seems like it's all about buying, but I say it's about traditions. Before you have any, or if you don't start any, you don't know what to do and you might run around like a headless chicken buying anything and everything in sight. But if you realize that the little things matter the most, and make it about those things, then no one can that that away from you.
I really really think I must be growing up here...
The whole thing is that when December comes, the Christmas month has started. We have calendars that you either buy in shops, you buy a part and make your own 'presents' or you make it all on your own. At school children all bring one present, and then they're put up somewhere. We made a calendar the first year of school, with rings hanging at the bottom to tie the presents to. It's not a calendar as such, the advent calendars has 24 numbers on them, 24 days till Christmas as here we celebrate Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day.
I can't live through December without a chocolate calendar, it's a cheap little cardboard thing you get at some shops, but it has to be this exact one because ever tiny piece of chocolate just.. well, tastes like advent. I opened the first one today and there was a picture of a little train on the first one. I also put clove (?) things into an orange, they're whole instead of powder and you have to be careful when you put them in. You put 24 of them in there and you take one out every day, the last one on Christmas Eve.
I've also bought one of those tiny flowers, I'm not sure what they're called in English, you can buy a big one or a small one and they're called Julestjerne in Norwegian, Christmas star. My parents have bought a little one for each of us kids the past two-three years and since I'm living on my own now, I bought one to put in my window next to the orange. Take a look here. That's the calendar, orange and flower.
Might sound like there's a lot of buying involved, and in a way there is. But, amazingly, all these little things that hold the fondest memories are the cheapest things you can buy. An orange and some spices to put in it (smells wonderful too), a $1.50 chocolate calendar and a beautiful little red flower. Of course you could buy other kinds of calendars and lots of stuff to put in them each day. Christmas may have become commercialized, maybe it seems like it's all about buying, but I say it's about traditions. Before you have any, or if you don't start any, you don't know what to do and you might run around like a headless chicken buying anything and everything in sight. But if you realize that the little things matter the most, and make it about those things, then no one can that that away from you.
I really really think I must be growing up here...
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