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