Thousands of pictures and millions of words will never accurately describe the beauty those of us fortunate enough to live in Rauland are surrounded by constantly. Vinje kommune (where we're located) is home to a disproportionate number of Norway's artists and authors; they're here either because the landscape inspires talent or talent is drawn to these surroundings. There is ample evidence of both in these parts.
When I wake up on a sunny day (or a day that will be sunny) I walk into my kitchen and look out the window. The first thing I notice is how the mountain (Skarsnuten) completely fills my frame of vision. I want to take a few steps back in order to see the whole thing since the top is too high for me to see from my room. Instead I approach the window (floor-to-ceiling, which makes no sense from a heat saving standpoint, but we'll take it) and look out and the rolling white giant that slices the heavens off at their knees.
Sunsets here are equally impressive. The sky stays blue while every reflective surface (mountains, buildings, clouds) turn a rosy warm shade of pink. The lake, which is frozen over and covered in snow, turns into a huge pink disc. I do miss the rich array of colors we get in Seattle, but the simplicity of just pink between the long shadows is breathtaking.
I have always been a sucker for nighttime. When it snows at night you feel like the stars are descending from the sky to hibernate in the fields for winter. When it's clear, you can see them, safely in the sky. The air is so clear and there is so little light pollution that the stars really seem like they could fall to Earth. Last night was a stunning crescent moon; I tried to take photos, but they all turned out a little blurry. I'm no night photographer.
During the day, everything glitters. The colder it gets, the more the ice crystals sparkle in the sun. There are icicles hanging off of every building and car, varying from clear to mineral tinted greens and reds. Cloud cover means two things, warmer weather and more snow.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Burrs in my Side
I think I have managed, to a substantial degree, to avoid complaining on this blog. This probably accounts for it being one of the less exciting personal accounts of life at school on the internet. I am going to take a moment to share with you, my dear friends and readers, what little I have to complain about, which should put all of the posts about the weather into perspective.
First, it is my opinion that the whole point of being here is, well, being here. By that I mean, attending classes, going to concerts, taking time to practice, and soaking up as much as possible of Rauland. It's not a big place, but it's got a lot of history. It absolutely infuriates me that so many of the other students here (I come up with at least 3 names without trying and that's almost ten percent of the student body) don't care enough to come to class everyday, or on time. Now, I am not the world's most punctual individual, and I am planning to take two weeks off of school to be at home in April, so I clearly don't consider myself the perfect student. But I find the disrespectful behavior of my classmates appalling.
Next: A cooling world economy has meant that Rauland's ski season has gotten off to a slow start. This means that I haven't been working at the hotel which in turn means that I haven't been earning nearly as much as I would like to earn. This is compounded with January being the month to buy travel tickets and a unwillingness to exert real spending controls has put me deep in the red for January. Fortunately, I'm operating on a fiscal budget that started in July and looks like it will stretch until June. Next year I'll have to find a cheaper place to live.
Third: I like to work on projects in teams, it turns out. This is a shock to me since I always detested group projects in school. What makes teamwork function is all of the team-members working enthusiastically (or at least working) toward the common goal. Our class project (Vinterkappleiken) is not voluntary, so it should go without saying that some people are more interested in it's success than others. Regardless of interest level, everyone has a job and it needs to get done now. The festival starts in ten days. I'm tired of being asked why we're having a meeting. We have meetings because they give people deadlines to meet. Without deadlines, work doesn't get done. If work doesn't get done, we look like a bunch of idiots come February 14th. My job as co-chair of the kappleik is to make sure that we don't look like a bunch of idiots, but I can't do that with barely half of the class participating in the planning process.
I also have some conflicting complaints about playing music. I really want to play more in small groups (playing with the whole class is nearly impossible to coordinate). I also want to play more solo for dancing. Allow me to explain the difference. When playing in a group, it is extremely important that everyone gets along with each other; communication is critical. We're supposed to be having fun, so it's vital that the group members enjoy each others' company and can find musical common ground.
I want to play for dancing alone because it's a much more personal experience and it's much easier to react to the dancers. Jamming with an audience annoys me; I also don't really like listening to jamming. It probably comes back to playing with people who have a similar viewpoint about danceability in music. It's one thing to sit with a group of musicians who have a similar background and repertoire and just play tunes - that can be great fun. It's another thing entirely to try to find common ground with other musicians while the dancers stand around, get bored, and leave. That kind of jamming should be left for kitchens and corners while the dancers and people trying to enjoy a beer can relax and enjoy their activity of choice.
Finally, my biggest complaint. Everyone who saw my apartment in Ballard knows that when I live alone, tidy is not a word most people would use to describe my living situation. I currently share a kitchen and I do my best to make sure that when I get something dirty, I clean up after myself. This is pretty easy since we have a dishwasher. The other girl in the kitchen doesn't seem to think it's that important. Actually, if I didn't clean, I don't know if it would ever be clean in the kitchen. I had finally come to terms with this, when she started eating my food. Not just practical sharing of more perishable items and things that are cheaper in bulk (milk, cheese, butter, onions, potatoes, etc.), but the expensive things like fruit, meat, and beer. Before the holidays, I don't think she went grocery shopping for three weeks. That's expensive in Norway. I don't mind sharing food, but I don't like stealing.
Ok, enough for now. On to more positive thinking!
First, it is my opinion that the whole point of being here is, well, being here. By that I mean, attending classes, going to concerts, taking time to practice, and soaking up as much as possible of Rauland. It's not a big place, but it's got a lot of history. It absolutely infuriates me that so many of the other students here (I come up with at least 3 names without trying and that's almost ten percent of the student body) don't care enough to come to class everyday, or on time. Now, I am not the world's most punctual individual, and I am planning to take two weeks off of school to be at home in April, so I clearly don't consider myself the perfect student. But I find the disrespectful behavior of my classmates appalling.
Next: A cooling world economy has meant that Rauland's ski season has gotten off to a slow start. This means that I haven't been working at the hotel which in turn means that I haven't been earning nearly as much as I would like to earn. This is compounded with January being the month to buy travel tickets and a unwillingness to exert real spending controls has put me deep in the red for January. Fortunately, I'm operating on a fiscal budget that started in July and looks like it will stretch until June. Next year I'll have to find a cheaper place to live.
Third: I like to work on projects in teams, it turns out. This is a shock to me since I always detested group projects in school. What makes teamwork function is all of the team-members working enthusiastically (or at least working) toward the common goal. Our class project (Vinterkappleiken) is not voluntary, so it should go without saying that some people are more interested in it's success than others. Regardless of interest level, everyone has a job and it needs to get done now. The festival starts in ten days. I'm tired of being asked why we're having a meeting. We have meetings because they give people deadlines to meet. Without deadlines, work doesn't get done. If work doesn't get done, we look like a bunch of idiots come February 14th. My job as co-chair of the kappleik is to make sure that we don't look like a bunch of idiots, but I can't do that with barely half of the class participating in the planning process.
I also have some conflicting complaints about playing music. I really want to play more in small groups (playing with the whole class is nearly impossible to coordinate). I also want to play more solo for dancing. Allow me to explain the difference. When playing in a group, it is extremely important that everyone gets along with each other; communication is critical. We're supposed to be having fun, so it's vital that the group members enjoy each others' company and can find musical common ground.
I want to play for dancing alone because it's a much more personal experience and it's much easier to react to the dancers. Jamming with an audience annoys me; I also don't really like listening to jamming. It probably comes back to playing with people who have a similar viewpoint about danceability in music. It's one thing to sit with a group of musicians who have a similar background and repertoire and just play tunes - that can be great fun. It's another thing entirely to try to find common ground with other musicians while the dancers stand around, get bored, and leave. That kind of jamming should be left for kitchens and corners while the dancers and people trying to enjoy a beer can relax and enjoy their activity of choice.
Finally, my biggest complaint. Everyone who saw my apartment in Ballard knows that when I live alone, tidy is not a word most people would use to describe my living situation. I currently share a kitchen and I do my best to make sure that when I get something dirty, I clean up after myself. This is pretty easy since we have a dishwasher. The other girl in the kitchen doesn't seem to think it's that important. Actually, if I didn't clean, I don't know if it would ever be clean in the kitchen. I had finally come to terms with this, when she started eating my food. Not just practical sharing of more perishable items and things that are cheaper in bulk (milk, cheese, butter, onions, potatoes, etc.), but the expensive things like fruit, meat, and beer. Before the holidays, I don't think she went grocery shopping for three weeks. That's expensive in Norway. I don't mind sharing food, but I don't like stealing.
Ok, enough for now. On to more positive thinking!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
January hi-lights
The main attraction in January has been the snow. It snowed almost non-stop for two weeks straight. For at least twelve days we didn't see the sky or even the mountains. There are number of amazing things about snow, one of them is that snow falling never stops being beautiful. Another is that, unlike rain, snowfall is quiet. Of course, one of the more impressive things about this snow is that we got over two feet in just under two weeks (which I can say fairly accurately is all new since we had a period of warm days just before the long snow).
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. After we demolished the gingerbread cathedral, those of us who don't live at Nesland walked home in the moonlight. The sky was crystal clear and the moon was reflecting off the snow so brightly that our flashlights were superfluous. In spite of being 2am, we could see everything perfectly and everything was beautiful. The wind had blown the snow off the ice on the lake. The mountains cut the horizon so short that they seem like part of the sky.
Things are really starting to get busy now. The Vinterkappleik, which my class is responsible for, is in two weeks. Dancing will be starting again next Wednesday at the school, with a considerable increase in student organizing (that means me). My class will be playing a lunch concert next Thursday for a group of visiting high school students. Last night the second year class played a concert for us as a dress rehearsal for their West Coast tour.
I'll do my best to update more regularly! I'm sorry for the long pause.
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. After we demolished the gingerbread cathedral, those of us who don't live at Nesland walked home in the moonlight. The sky was crystal clear and the moon was reflecting off the snow so brightly that our flashlights were superfluous. In spite of being 2am, we could see everything perfectly and everything was beautiful. The wind had blown the snow off the ice on the lake. The mountains cut the horizon so short that they seem like part of the sky.
Things are really starting to get busy now. The Vinterkappleik, which my class is responsible for, is in two weeks. Dancing will be starting again next Wednesday at the school, with a considerable increase in student organizing (that means me). My class will be playing a lunch concert next Thursday for a group of visiting high school students. Last night the second year class played a concert for us as a dress rehearsal for their West Coast tour.
I'll do my best to update more regularly! I'm sorry for the long pause.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Mis(sed)-adventure
The day after Christmas, we were sitting around at the Schrøders', socializing between breakfast and dinner. There was bowl of unshelled nuts on the table and an implement that was clearly intended to be used to crack the nuts.
Jan's mother was enjoying herself cracking nuts, but eventually got tired. Being the squirrel that I am, I almost immediately began when she stopped. I hadn't cracked very many when I came to one that seemed uncrackable. But, I'm stubborn, so I kept trying for a while. Eventually I moved on to a new nut and that's when it happened.
First I should mention that this implement was actually a shellfish-cracker (having never cracked any shellfish, I wouldn't know). Apparently last year, they had managed to break two nut-crackers on the same nut and were reduced to using the shellfish-cracker.
In spite of being told many times to be careful, when I placed the new nut in it, I mis-calculated and squished the pad of my little finger. It only hurt for the first few minutes, but it left two small black blood blisters. Both of which are still visible, although one has been fading for some time now and the other has finally started fading today.
Jan's mother was enjoying herself cracking nuts, but eventually got tired. Being the squirrel that I am, I almost immediately began when she stopped. I hadn't cracked very many when I came to one that seemed uncrackable. But, I'm stubborn, so I kept trying for a while. Eventually I moved on to a new nut and that's when it happened.
First I should mention that this implement was actually a shellfish-cracker (having never cracked any shellfish, I wouldn't know). Apparently last year, they had managed to break two nut-crackers on the same nut and were reduced to using the shellfish-cracker.
In spite of being told many times to be careful, when I placed the new nut in it, I mis-calculated and squished the pad of my little finger. It only hurt for the first few minutes, but it left two small black blood blisters. Both of which are still visible, although one has been fading for some time now and the other has finally started fading today.
Limbo and a New Beginning
I returned to Rauland before any of my classmates. Vacation was over, but school hadn't started yet. The holidays were over at the hotel and ski season hasn't picked up; the nights I worked were slow and short. The guests were mostly families with small children who didn't stay up late and party.
Fortunately, the beginning of the semester didn't wait too long. Classes are pretty much the same as last semester, that is, awesome. My goals this semester are to play more. I want to really improve both my individual playing and my group playing and that takes practicing. So far, I'm doing pretty good.
The first Wednesday of the year, was a staff party for everyone who works in the tourist industry here in town. It was really fun! We went on a bus ride to all the various locations (the hotel, tourist office, three ski areas) and ended the evening with free pizza, pool (the kind that doesn't involve water), and cheap beer!
Last Friday was both a great party and a sad event. It was time to break the gingerbread Nidaros cathedral. About twelve of us gathered to help with festivities. We played music and hung around until we figured we'd reached critical mass, wrapped a hammer in tinfoil, and let the main builders have at it. We did our best to eat a fair amount of it before returning to playing music late into the night.
Fortunately, the beginning of the semester didn't wait too long. Classes are pretty much the same as last semester, that is, awesome. My goals this semester are to play more. I want to really improve both my individual playing and my group playing and that takes practicing. So far, I'm doing pretty good.
The first Wednesday of the year, was a staff party for everyone who works in the tourist industry here in town. It was really fun! We went on a bus ride to all the various locations (the hotel, tourist office, three ski areas) and ended the evening with free pizza, pool (the kind that doesn't involve water), and cheap beer!
Last Friday was both a great party and a sad event. It was time to break the gingerbread Nidaros cathedral. About twelve of us gathered to help with festivities. We played music and hung around until we figured we'd reached critical mass, wrapped a hammer in tinfoil, and let the main builders have at it. We did our best to eat a fair amount of it before returning to playing music late into the night.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Winter Break Part V
It takes two buses to get to Trysil from Hamar. Fortunately, they're relatively short and inexpensive. I arrived on a bus full of ski tourists eager to get to their hotels, trying to jump off at every stop starting in the town before Trysil.
Else and her father met me at the bus station and we piled my luggage into the car. As usual, the Myhr home was full of friendly faces. In addition to the Else, her three siblings, her parents, and me, they were entertaining a visit from an aunt and uncle. While I was there the family received a constant stream of guests.
The Myhr family is extremely good at entertaining guests. Coffee and cookies are always around. Usually there is some kind of game played; we played lots of cards, Fantasi (think charades), a relative of Monopoly, and did I mention, lots of cards.
One evening we went on a road trip to Sømådalen to see a play. Sømådalen is about an hour and a half away from Trysil and is a very small place. From what I could tell, in the middle of the night, it consisted of an intersection with a community building and not much else. The play was put on by the theater club of local kids. They were presenting Trekkspillkrigen (the Accordion War), a rather bizarre story about bad meat and conflict between fiddlers and dance band music.
While in Trysil I made my first outing on skis in Norway. It's almost not worth mentioning, it was so short. We managed three laps around the small field by Else's house. In our defense, it was a delightfully beautiful day, but also a chilly -10C (14F).
We spent New Year's Eve enjoying each other's company in their cozy living room. At midnight we went outside to watch the fireworks the tourists were shooting off the mountain across the river. (It was really cold then -24C/-11F.) Once we were thoroughly frozen we came inside and started the new year with cheese and crackers and a movie.
I spent my New Year's Day on the bus back to Rauland. The moon was an amazing harvest moon that we chased all evening across Southern Norway. I arrived to an empty Studentheim, happy to be home and filled with good memories of my winter break.
Else and her father met me at the bus station and we piled my luggage into the car. As usual, the Myhr home was full of friendly faces. In addition to the Else, her three siblings, her parents, and me, they were entertaining a visit from an aunt and uncle. While I was there the family received a constant stream of guests.
The Myhr family is extremely good at entertaining guests. Coffee and cookies are always around. Usually there is some kind of game played; we played lots of cards, Fantasi (think charades), a relative of Monopoly, and did I mention, lots of cards.
One evening we went on a road trip to Sømådalen to see a play. Sømådalen is about an hour and a half away from Trysil and is a very small place. From what I could tell, in the middle of the night, it consisted of an intersection with a community building and not much else. The play was put on by the theater club of local kids. They were presenting Trekkspillkrigen (the Accordion War), a rather bizarre story about bad meat and conflict between fiddlers and dance band music.
While in Trysil I made my first outing on skis in Norway. It's almost not worth mentioning, it was so short. We managed three laps around the small field by Else's house. In our defense, it was a delightfully beautiful day, but also a chilly -10C (14F).
We spent New Year's Eve enjoying each other's company in their cozy living room. At midnight we went outside to watch the fireworks the tourists were shooting off the mountain across the river. (It was really cold then -24C/-11F.) Once we were thoroughly frozen we came inside and started the new year with cheese and crackers and a movie.
I spent my New Year's Day on the bus back to Rauland. The moon was an amazing harvest moon that we chased all evening across Southern Norway. I arrived to an empty Studentheim, happy to be home and filled with good memories of my winter break.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Winter Break Part IV
Seeing as how I'm in Norway and the plan was to experience Christmas in Norway, when Erling asked if I wanted to join him at a concert and then out on the town the second day of Christmas, I did not say no. Living in Rauland is wonderful, but I was really looking forward to a night on the town.
We arrived at the concert (a rock cover band that one of Erlings friends was playing in), and Erling knew pretty much everyone there. I spent the whole concert at the front of the stage. They were pretty darn good and I had a great time!
After the concert we waited an hour for the taxi into town. Fortunately we had plenty of clothes on because it was cold! Erling had had the presence of mind to preorder tickets to the club so we didn't have to stand outside for another hour. Inside, we danced and drank and had a good time.
Afterward, we wandered around Hamar in search of food - Erling found the baked potato cart, some of his friends found kebabs. I was more interested in not freezing to death. Eventually we found ourselves a ride back to Ottestad. We arrived at about the same time as Arne and sat up talking for a little while longer, not quite willing to give up on the night.
The next day, I took a walk around the area. In addition to the best sunsets, Ottestad looks like a place from a fairy tale when it's covered in snow. Later, I played music until everyone gathered again. We had dinner, prepared by Åsmund. I hung out with Alvhild and Jan. Erling and I played a final concert and Åsmund and Marianne drove me to the bus.
We arrived at the concert (a rock cover band that one of Erlings friends was playing in), and Erling knew pretty much everyone there. I spent the whole concert at the front of the stage. They were pretty darn good and I had a great time!
After the concert we waited an hour for the taxi into town. Fortunately we had plenty of clothes on because it was cold! Erling had had the presence of mind to preorder tickets to the club so we didn't have to stand outside for another hour. Inside, we danced and drank and had a good time.
Afterward, we wandered around Hamar in search of food - Erling found the baked potato cart, some of his friends found kebabs. I was more interested in not freezing to death. Eventually we found ourselves a ride back to Ottestad. We arrived at about the same time as Arne and sat up talking for a little while longer, not quite willing to give up on the night.
The next day, I took a walk around the area. In addition to the best sunsets, Ottestad looks like a place from a fairy tale when it's covered in snow. Later, I played music until everyone gathered again. We had dinner, prepared by Åsmund. I hung out with Alvhild and Jan. Erling and I played a final concert and Åsmund and Marianne drove me to the bus.
Winter Break Part III
Let me start with - Jul i Ottestad was the best Christmas ever! We made pepperkaker (think gingerbread, but thinner) the first night. Alvhild had made the dough in advance. Rolling, cutting, and decorating was a joint effort from me, Åsmund, Erling, and Arne (Åsmund's brothers). We went for the speedy mass production effect, although there were a few individual pieces. The stack of hearts. A ukulele and electric guitar. Ukulele in relief!
On Christmas Eve, I went into town with Arne, Erling, and one of his friends. I bought violin and ukulele strings; they bought more presents. We sat for a while and drank coffee. I went on a mini shopping spree and picked up two shirts, a pair of pants, and a pair of tights in twenty minutes before we needed to leave town.
Family dinners included lots of laughter and good conversation. Before or after dinner most days, I played fiddle with Erling on piano. We found some sheet music and filled the house with happy music. I can't remember how long it's been since I've just played like that with someone!
True to Norwegian tradition, packages were opened on Christmas Eve. I wasn't expecting anything and was really shocked (and a little embarassed) to find my name on so many packages. I could tell that everyone had taken time to think about what I might like or need; all of the gifts were excellent.
Since Jan's parents were visiting, I had been kicked out of the standard guest room and found my way over to Alvhild's mother's guest room. This worked out really well for everyone. Not only was the bed particularly comfortable and warm, the family brunch was at Sigrid's on Christmas day. I managed to drag myself out of bed in time to be mildly helpful before the rest of the family arrived.
The highlights of the day were definitely the family quizzes. Erling and I somehow wound up as a team. A team that was ready to lose! The majority of the questions were about their extended family, a topic Erling was a little shady on, or more general Norwegian knowledge questions, where both of us were equally weak. There were also American questions, but I'm pretty sure I'm an atypical American, so those weren't really easy either. More clearly stated, we came in dead last out of the six teams. We also came in last on the geography quiz. There's always next year.
Later that evening we played a few more games. One was a board game about philosophers. We learned that the correct answer to all questions about French philosophers is Rousseau. Amazingly, Erling and I, with the help of Åsmund, did not lose that game!
On Christmas Eve, I went into town with Arne, Erling, and one of his friends. I bought violin and ukulele strings; they bought more presents. We sat for a while and drank coffee. I went on a mini shopping spree and picked up two shirts, a pair of pants, and a pair of tights in twenty minutes before we needed to leave town.
Family dinners included lots of laughter and good conversation. Before or after dinner most days, I played fiddle with Erling on piano. We found some sheet music and filled the house with happy music. I can't remember how long it's been since I've just played like that with someone!
True to Norwegian tradition, packages were opened on Christmas Eve. I wasn't expecting anything and was really shocked (and a little embarassed) to find my name on so many packages. I could tell that everyone had taken time to think about what I might like or need; all of the gifts were excellent.
Since Jan's parents were visiting, I had been kicked out of the standard guest room and found my way over to Alvhild's mother's guest room. This worked out really well for everyone. Not only was the bed particularly comfortable and warm, the family brunch was at Sigrid's on Christmas day. I managed to drag myself out of bed in time to be mildly helpful before the rest of the family arrived.
The highlights of the day were definitely the family quizzes. Erling and I somehow wound up as a team. A team that was ready to lose! The majority of the questions were about their extended family, a topic Erling was a little shady on, or more general Norwegian knowledge questions, where both of us were equally weak. There were also American questions, but I'm pretty sure I'm an atypical American, so those weren't really easy either. More clearly stated, we came in dead last out of the six teams. We also came in last on the geography quiz. There's always next year.
Later that evening we played a few more games. One was a board game about philosophers. We learned that the correct answer to all questions about French philosophers is Rousseau. Amazingly, Erling and I, with the help of Åsmund, did not lose that game!
Winter Break Part II
I arrived in Oslo both hungry from not eating enough and queasy from being on the bus all day. Not a fun combination. The bus was a few minutes early, so Åsmund hadn't quite made it to the bus station yet. That gave me time to try to help a little old lady call her granddaughter (also named Ingrid) who was meeting her at the station. Åsmund and the granddaughter arrived at the same time and we all headed off to enjoy the holidays.
Well, Åsmund and I headed off in search of food. The restaurant he thought we could go to was closed; in the sense that a completely gutted storefront is a closed restaurant. We wound up eating cheeseburgers across the street from Bondeheimen. Marianne, Åsmund's girlfriend joined us just as her food arrived. Note, in Norway cheeseburgers come with corn and special sauce in addition to the cheese, burger, pickles, and lettuce; you really do need the knife and fork.
To make our Sunday evening in the city complete, we headed to the cinema to see Max Manus (see it when you get a chance). Then we headed back to their apartment and relaxed for a while. Åsmund hung up his laundry. Marianne wrapped his Christmas present. I lit Chanukah candles and played ukulele. In the morning, that is before noon, Åsmund and I got up and hit the road for Ottestad (just outside of Hamar).
We arrived to an empty house (only the dog, Tutta was home). We put our bags where they belonged and decided we needed to take a trip to town. Åsmund was after an almost last minute gift and we both figured it would be a good idea to stop at the liquor store before it closed for the week (this was a Monday!).
Well, Åsmund and I headed off in search of food. The restaurant he thought we could go to was closed; in the sense that a completely gutted storefront is a closed restaurant. We wound up eating cheeseburgers across the street from Bondeheimen. Marianne, Åsmund's girlfriend joined us just as her food arrived. Note, in Norway cheeseburgers come with corn and special sauce in addition to the cheese, burger, pickles, and lettuce; you really do need the knife and fork.
To make our Sunday evening in the city complete, we headed to the cinema to see Max Manus (see it when you get a chance). Then we headed back to their apartment and relaxed for a while. Åsmund hung up his laundry. Marianne wrapped his Christmas present. I lit Chanukah candles and played ukulele. In the morning, that is before noon, Åsmund and I got up and hit the road for Ottestad (just outside of Hamar).
We arrived to an empty house (only the dog, Tutta was home). We put our bags where they belonged and decided we needed to take a trip to town. Åsmund was after an almost last minute gift and we both figured it would be a good idea to stop at the liquor store before it closed for the week (this was a Monday!).
Winter Break Part I
The first week of vacation I spent in Rauland. We had exams on December 11 and then people started leaving. Several left before the end-of-the-semester party, but most stuck around for the julebord turned party that lasted all night long.
By the end of the week, I was the only one left in the student housing. Fortunately, my coworkers from the hotel were still in town, so I had someone to talk with once in a while. On Friday (the 19th) I made dinner with most of the food I had that wouldn't make it through vacation and spent the evening socializing with my coworkers away from the hotel.
We realized that Saturday would be our only opportunity all year to go to the local pub. It's only open in the ski season and we work pretty much straight through the season. It was a reasonably unanimous decision to check out Krossen Pub the following night.
Our evening at Krossen Pub was relatively low key. Going out in Norway is expensive and Rauland is no exception. We were pretty much the only non-locals in the place and we did a good job of sticking out like four sore thumbs. We had a good time anyway.
In the morning I hurriedly packed my instruments and bags, cleaned the kitchen, chased down to the bus stop. I was on my way to Ottestad via Oslo!
By the end of the week, I was the only one left in the student housing. Fortunately, my coworkers from the hotel were still in town, so I had someone to talk with once in a while. On Friday (the 19th) I made dinner with most of the food I had that wouldn't make it through vacation and spent the evening socializing with my coworkers away from the hotel.
We realized that Saturday would be our only opportunity all year to go to the local pub. It's only open in the ski season and we work pretty much straight through the season. It was a reasonably unanimous decision to check out Krossen Pub the following night.
Our evening at Krossen Pub was relatively low key. Going out in Norway is expensive and Rauland is no exception. We were pretty much the only non-locals in the place and we did a good job of sticking out like four sore thumbs. We had a good time anyway.
In the morning I hurriedly packed my instruments and bags, cleaned the kitchen, chased down to the bus stop. I was on my way to Ottestad via Oslo!
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