Alt må ende...

Merry Christmas everyone!!

First, I would like to thank all of you for sticking with my blog this semester. I hope reading about my Norway experiences was half as entertaining for you, as the actuality was for me!

I am currently sitting in Hamburg, Germany at the home of my host family, the Duschas, with whom I lived in 2004 and 2005. It has been exactly two and a half years since I left here, and it feels like it was just last year I was going to school at GymBo and cruising through town on the U-Bahn. My semester in Norway was up and over in a flurry. Even though we spent a whole week saying good-bye, it feels like I never got to properly draw everything that happened to a close. Then again, after a semester like that, how can you? Someday, perhaps, I will go back to Hamar just like I am doing now in Hamburg, and it will still be a home to me...almost as if I never left.

I have been trying to take a break from the internet lately (particularly facebook.) to sit back and enjoy my time here with my host family. I apologize for neglecting the blog! Most of the reason I haven't written, is because I cannot for the LIFE of me figure out how to save pictures off the internet without the right-click button on a mouse. My mouse is packed away in an unreachable location, and this darn macbook mouse only has one button. If anyone knows how to get the right-click functions to pop up so I can get some pictures on here, let me know! There are many to be added!!

In the flurry of taking finals, packing up, and saying good-bye, I did not get to squeeze in a blog about our last hurrah, that is, the Nobel Peace Prize CNN interview and Torch-light ceremony. (!!!)

We went into Oslo on Monday, Dec. 10 to attend the CNN interview with the Laureates and see the parade. It was really surreal, I must say. If you say the interview on TV...I was there!! The back of my head even showed up on screen several times :-)

It was really interesting to listen to the interview and see the Laureates live. I even showed up on TV!! The back of my head...in the audience...how cool is that?!

Tuesday night, we watched the Nobel Prize concert on TV. It was strange to think that the interview we watched at the city hall had been on TV just like that. It made me feel all worldly and important ;-)

Here is just a little clip of the interview from the CNN website (click on the year 2007):

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/12/06/nobel.interviews/index.html


I know you are all dying to see some pictures. My pictures actually didn't turn out very well, because the zoom on my camera wasn't that great, but my roommate has a fabulous camera, so I should be able to nab some of her pictures.
I apologize again for my technical dysfunctionality.

The Saturday before the big Nobel prize bash, we had a nice Christmas party with the group. It was really fun and relaxing and kind of sad to know it was the last time we'd all be able to get to together like that.
I've got some nice group pictures, to be added later...

Tuesday I checked out of the apartment and went to my friend Henriette's house for the evening. On Wednesday morning I took the train to the Oslo airport to fly to Hamburg.

Interesting story...I checked in my bags for the flight plenty early (I had about 2 hours) and went right through security. I had to of course take out my lap top to be scanned, walk through, beep, remove my shoes, walk through again, no problems, I put my shoes back on, grabbed my bag, and went on my way.

I bought a nice little yogurt for breakfast in one of the shops, and went and sat down near my gate to eat my breakfast. About half way through eating the yogurt, I realized I opened my backpack to grab a magazine, and realized that...uh...oops...I forgot to grab my laptop!!!
So, with half-eaten yogurt in hand, I ran back to the gate and asked 3 different security people if there was a laptop left behind until they finally directed me to this little office where lost items were...and in some kind of miracle that would only happen in the Oslo airport, the guy came out with my laptop in hand. I almost peed myself I was so relieved.

That was my last little adventure in Norway.

2 hours later I was in Hamburg, luggage in tow, ready for the next adventure.

And here I am! I've been catching up with old friends and enjoying time with my host family...its almost as if I never left. I even have the same room here with the same bed and same sheets.

The next three days promise lots of German Christmas food, cookies, drinks, etc.
It almost feels like all I've done here is eat Christmas cookies and lots of brötchen--I think I'm going to be more than ready for season's eatings to be over.

But, in the mean time I'll keep enjoying myself :)

I wish everyone the best over the holidays...stay safe, keep warm, be blessed!


God Jul!

Love, Chelsea

Up Next...

I just ACED my oral exam on my case study in Democracy and Development!! And by ACED, I mean, I totally blew my profs out of the water with my intuitive genius.

Well..Ok, maybe it wasn't that exciting, but I definitely got a solid A on my project/presentation on the Ondao Mobile Schools and I feel really good about.

I also feel good about the fact that I'M DONE WITH FINALS! This is the earliest I will ever be able to say that...December 5th and all done? CRAZY.

So, you may be asking yourself, what is Chelsea doing for the next week? Well, ask no more! Here you will find all the answers to your questions about the season finale of "Chelsea's Exciting Norwegian Adventures"

Tonight: Taco Tuesday (on a Wednesday) with the PLU group: makeshift Mexican food and fiesta!

Tomorrow: Initiate project Pack-my-Junk-into-2-Suitcases

Friday: Final class with course evaluations and handing in materials...probably a stop at the Kebab shop afterwards. Mmmmm.

Saturday: Julefest!! Christmas party with the gang: Pepparkaker, Juleøl, Hot Toddies, and good friends!

Sunday: Farewell Dinner with Inger and Alexandra (our Profs) @ Inger's place.

Monday: OSLO!! This is the the Grand Finale!! We are meeting up in Oslo to go to the International Cultural Museum, shop around down town, and finally: to Meet up for the Nobel Torch Light ceremony and CNN interview with Al Gore, the recipient of the Nobel Peace prize!!
We actually received our tickets!! It's going to be INCREDIBLE!!


Wednesday I'll fly to Germany for a nice Christmas break and more exciting adventures.

So stay tuned!

Snø!

After being shut up in my room for the last 4 days typing this paper, I am ALMOST done. I've got 18 pages of pure genius, I just have to come up with a brilliant conclusion and create the 'works cited' page.
But I've decided to take a break, because honestly, I feel bad about neglecting my avid readers. And I was feeling rather inspired by the beautiful blanket of SNOW outside!!

Today we had our final lecture of the semester, that ended ...bittersweetly, to say the least. No, really.
The final lecture was supposed to be yesterday, but our lecturer, Steinar, from the Nansen Academy was in Yugoslavia the past several days and couldn't get back because of weather. However, he was back today, so we met with him at noon. Well, he lectured for about 15 minutes, before he decided he really couldn't go on, and we ended up having to call an ambulance to come get him because he was having some sort of problem with his throat.
Kind of frightening...SO, we waited until the situation was taken care of, finished up what we had been discussing, and went outside and had a HUGE snow fight!!!
It was a blast!!! Our Namibian friends who have never really seen snow in their lives were out playing with us as well, that was pretty exciting.


After we were all worn out and smothered in snow, we decided to walk down the the Kebab shop for Kebabs and burgers. It was a fabulous afternoon--especially after having been cooped up in my apartment or the library for the last week or so type-type-typing away at this paper.
I have to say, despite the tediousness of this job, I am quite proud of myself for having produced a full twenty page case study. Well, almost, anyway. Tomorrow at 15:00 I won't have to look at it again for a long time. Oh the anticipation!

Well, I should probably get back to that. A solid hour or two and I shall be finished!!

BTW: Sunday afternoon is the start of the Christmas season here in Hamar, and there is a big celebration going on down town. So be prepared on Sunday to read a bit about that!

Thanksgiving i Norge?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!


We had a nice group get-together yesterday for Thanksgiving. It was the perfect day for it, too. We woke up to a nice blanket of snow over everything. It felt just like a holiday break - except all the stores were open.

We decided to get together at one of the apartments where 3 members of the group are staying. I headed over around 11 to help with the dinner preparations and to hang out with whoever happened to be there. Julie, Nacole and I were the only ones there. So we got to do the honors of stuffing the turkey and sticking it in the oven. I am quite proud of how we did. Our turkey not only looked delicious, it tasted fabulous, too! (I should mention that it was a 7kg turkey (15lbs) and it cost an equivalent of $75 US dollars. Nacole's mother informed us over Skype that she bought a 16lb turkey for about $16 dollars in Washington.)

I also made cranberry sauce (technically it was Lingonberry sauce. That gave it a little Norwegian flair.) We also had stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits, rolls, and apple pie for desert. As more people arrived, so did more food. We had SOOO much food, it was ridiculous. But it was worth it. It was delicious, and the night was a lot of fun.


We were planning to have dinner around 7PM, because some of our group had traveled to Copenhagen/Amsterdam/Hamburg and missed a connection back to Oslo, and instead of arriving on Wednesday, they didn't arrive back until Thursday night.
Always an adventure.


It was a lot of fun to have a holiday, when no one else was having one. It still feels like Thanksgiving break, so I'm using that as an excuse not to work on my 20 page case study, which is becoming more and more daunting by the day.

In less than two weeks, I will be completely finished with my projects and finals, and free to roam about the continent! On December 10, we were scheduled to attend the Nobel Peace Prize torch light parade and press conference with the recipient in Oslo. Although, since Al Gore was the recipient this year, no one can get tickets to the press conference anymore except people with a close relationship to Al Gore. We are all a little bit upset about this, since the students on this program have been attending every year. Now, just because its some American politician we can't get in. We are still planning on attending the torch light parade, even if we can't get tickets into the press conference.

And that will be the last event of our program! On December 12, I am flying to Hamburg to spend the holidays with my host family from the year I spent in Germany.

It's all coming so soon! I can hardly believe it.

Dialogue, anyone?

The weather today is utterly dismal.
The sun has now reached the point where sunrise fades directly into sunset within about 2-3 hours. It's a very interesting experience; kind of fun, to be perfectly honest.
However, there are days like today when the clouds take over, and it's as if the sun never rises and it remains gray and dismal for a few hours before shifting into darkness. Kind of like Tacoma, actually, only colder.

Today, while I was walking home it seemed to grow colder and colder. By the time I reached my apartment, my I couldn't feel my face or wiggle my nose. I had to smile, because it reminded me of being in Iowa again.

Anyway, the reason I was writing, is because we had a very interesting lecture today, that I thought I would share. I think it gives some good insight to the "Norwegianapproach"...

Our lecturer was Steinar Bryn from the Nansen Dialogue Academy in Lillehammer, Norway. The Nansen Dialogue Network consists of Dialogue centers in the Balkans and in Norway, that are supposed to act as places for people who are involved in conflict in the Balkans to meet each other, hear each other, and have meaningful dialogue about their side of the conflict.

It was really interesting to hear Steinar talk about conflict in general, and the purpose or role of dialogue in creating sustainable peace. He used Kosovo and Albania as the main examples of his case, but he even related using dialogue in relationships between friends or spouses.

Now, I'm not the kind of person who listens to a lecturer and takes everything they say and makes it my own. I very much believe in critical thinking and weighing the arguments. However, in doing so with Steinar's presentation, I discovered that his arguments were simply the articulation of ways of approaching life in general that I have valued and tried to come to terms with on my own throughout my teenage years. He talked about a lot of examples and situations where dialogue can/could be an effective and positive approach, and it made a whole lot of sense to me.

I think it was best summed up in the model he gave us at the end of the lecture, a comparison of dialogue vs. debate (which is so popular in our society, I think.):

Characteristics of Debate:
-Purpose is to convince the other that you are right.
-in order to achieve this, you talk
-You act as a hunter: looking for and pointing out the weak arguments. This makes the other feel insecure
-You act as a moral judge: looking for mistakes, pointing out that the other is wrong. ( I really liked the example he gave for this one: Person A says: "I'm afraid of dogs." Person B: "Oh that's ridiculous, dogs are so friendly." [End dialog]
Versus: Person A: "I'm afraid of dogs." Person B: "Really? All dogs? Or just big dogs? Or Barking dogs? etc.[dialog continues..])
-You defend your position against everything; he pointed out how we have a culture where we don't allow for mistakes, so its more common for people to try to defend themselves, rather than saying "I screwed up."

Characteristics of Dialogue:
-Purpose is to understand the other.
-in order to achieve this you must actively listen, asking good questions to help the person open up.
-you have to have self-discipline to bite your tongue if you hear a weak argument, something wrong, or if they are lying. It's not about them telling the correct truth; its about hearing what they say and understanding why they would say it.
(The example he gave was: A woman from 'Group A' says, "well 'Group B' soldiers came and said if we didn't get out they'd kill us, so we fled." When perhaps 'Group B' soldiers didn't come and threaten them, rather in truth 'Group A' just felt afraid that the next day they would come, or she wanted to make the 'B' side seem more vicious than her side, etc. )
-In the end, you should come to a point of tolerance--but REAL tolerance. Tolerance, as Steinar described it, is when you actually oppose someone or their views, actions, etc., but you recognize their right to be as they are.
-In the end, change of your stance or opinion can be a positive thing.


I thought that was really relevant and practical. Feel free to disagree or call me naive, but I think it is the way to achieve sustainable peace/good relations. I mean, it does take more time than just coming up with a solution. But if both parties feel very strongly that they are RIGHT, then debate doesn't really do any good--they just walk away hating each other more, rather than having heard, understood and appreciating the other side.
Which I guess is ok, if it doesn't effect anyone but you. But what if its a couple with children? Or two entire countries that have to live next to each other?

Another thing that struck me during the lecture:

I had to chuckle when he said "If you treat people according to how they are, you will only make them worse, if you treat them according to their potential, they will act according to their potential." He was talking about how you can apply that to students, and to countries who are trying to achieve peace.

I'm quite certain I've heard the same thing from my mother several times.
I think one day I will write a book about how the worlds problems can be solved by my mother's wise little lectures.

I actually thought of an example of where this worked: for those of you who have seen the film "Freedom Writers" or heard of the Freedom Writers Foundation..I think Erin Gruwell used this philosophy as well.

It was a really superb lecture, in my opinion. I was very intrigued, and just had to share!

I think you must admit...this is more interesting than pictures, right? It's the heart of something very unique to Norway...Think about it...

November...

Hei Everyone!
I really MUST apologize. I can't believe it's been over a week; this is really quite inexcusable, but I hope you can forgive me!

Bergen was a beautiful city! The drive there was very miserable, because I got sick on the bus about two hours in, leaving a good six hours of suffering. Once we arrived, and I crashed in the hostel, I was fine. No problems.





(Sorry the pictures are tiny, I got them from a friend...silly me forgot to pack the camera...)

Saturday was really the only day we got to walk around and such. We went to the aquarium and the Edvard Grieg Museum. (He was a famous Norwegian Composer from the late 19th century). The museum was located at his house, which was REALLY cool. When he built it, it was out in the countryside on a quiet fjord. Today there have been many many houses built up around that area. It was a mixture of very fancy furniture and natural looking walls and surroundings. I wanted it. The view and the water front were especially appealing.

The aquarium as pretty sad. I've DEFINITELY seen better (Seattle, Vancouver, etc.)
We watched the penguins fight over nests for a good three quarters of an hour. It was moderately entertaining.

After that, we went into the city and had a bite to eat, and walked around the down-town area. We went into a shopping center and some little gift stores, you know, the usual.

Then we all went and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and stopped and had coffee at a little shop after dinner.

To end the evening, we went back to the hostel, where a bunch of us played some word games and just hung out like the bunch of kids that we are.

The trip back the next day was INCREDIBLE. I bought some motion-sickness meds before we left, so I felt much better on the way back. I think the amazing scenery would have distracted me anyway. There were mountains and tunnels and cute little towns...well...just look at the pictures:








In the mean time, I've been work, work, working! I took care of registering for classes next semester: Human Rights, the Anthropology of Development, Global Perspectives, and Archeology. (I've decided to try and squeeze in the Anthropology major as my compliment to Global Studies)


I've been working on my case study on the Ondao Mobile Schools quit vehemently, in addition to keeping up with my class on Conflict and Dialogue and working at NAMAS. Today Joe and I filled, addressed, and stamped a HUGE pile of envelops.

The weather here in Norway is also starting to show symptoms of winter. In Eleverum as we were walking to the Namibiahuset, it started to snow. And surprisingly enough as we left there was a nice layer of white frosting the ground.

The last few evenings, around 3:00pm, I've caught glimpses of lovely winter sunsets out my window. Yesterday, I got fed up with just seeing them out my window and decided to take a break from homework and go down to the lake to see just how beautiful they are. Definitely did NOT regret that decision. I think I'll be taking breaks every afternoon for that from now on!






It's surprising and saddening to realize that we've only got one month left here in Hamar. Today I finally submitted myself to the fact that I will have to leave eventually, and purchased my ticket to Hamburg for December 12...which will be another grand adventure of it's own!

Until then, though, I am going to slow down and take time to drink in the afternoon sunsets, and the clear night skies, fellowship with my friends, and the Norwegian lifestyle altogether.

Happy Halloween!

Hei hei!

Alright, here's the deal: I completely forgot that we are going to Bergen this weekend!! The schools is sponsering a trip for all the international students to travel to Bergen for the weekend, and do some sight-seeing!
Bergen is on the west coast, among the many fjords. It should be BEAUTIFUL!
So, be expecting lots of pictures! That should make up for the lack there-of lately...

Yesterday we were in Oslo once again.
This time we visited the Hedmark elected members of parliament. That was pretty cool--there are 3 of them: one from the socialist-left party (Karin), one from the labour party (Annette--she's only 28!), and one from the conservative party (Gunnar).

They had some interesting things to say because they are all on different committees.
The rep from the labour party was on the foreign relations and aide committee, and she apparently just got back from Namibia and Angola, which was pretty neat. The Norwegian government is apparently doing some development work with their governments on the fisheries there.

Karin and Annette had some interesting things to say about poverty. Karin emphasized the difference between poverty in Norway (what I say to that: HA, yeah right) and poverty in Africa, or other "third world" locations. She says the difference is that in Norway its more of a social exclusion, because the standard of living is so high and without money you can't participate in society, though you may be able to afford to eat, rather than a matter of living in a place where everyone is excruciatingly poor, and can barely survive, etc. It was a nice socialist perspective..and I probably can't say it quite as eloquently as she did, because I thought it was a bit of a stretch in the first place to claim that there are "impoverished" people in Norway.

The conservative guy, Gunnar, was on the education and church committee, and he informed us that there is debate in the parliament about the continuance of the State church. It is such a long tradition, and it is integrated into the Norwegian constitution, so it is incredibly difficult to get rid of it. They are also worried about what will happen to the old churches in Norway if they separate the Lutheran church from the state. However, he said that the society is no longer a "Christian" society as such, and the views of the society toward having a state church are changing.

So it was an interesting day.

After that lecture, we went to the Supreme Court, and got to talk to one of the justices. Um. It was...cool...maybe...if you're pre-law.
I think the only interesting part about that, to me, was the fact that we were actually able to go into the high courts and talk to a SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. It was ridiculous! I mean, he was a cute little old Norwegian man, very intelligent and such...just not my cup of tea.
I was considering law school for a while there, for international and human rights law...But if I have to suffer through lectures like that day in and day out, I think I'll shrivel up and die before the end of the first semester.

So it was pretty cool that we got to meet with the Norwegian "government".

Halloween tomorrow? Some have asked me if they celebrate Halloween here...I think the Norwegians have discovered the economic impact of Halloween, so they have adopted it into the culture a bit. ;-) The youth have also discovered that Halloween is another excuse to party, so it has definitely been adopted by the college-aged Norwegian population.

There are two nights worth of...festivities, shall we say, planned in our apartment complex. I am anticipating no sleep due to excessive volume from upstairs.
Some friends and I are planning to get cider and candy and watch scary movies at their place, which should be fun :)

So Happy Halloween everyone!

I'll post pictures from Bergen at the end of the weekend!