Lifescouts

Alex Day recently started a project called Lifescouts, where you get badges for life experiences (hear him explain it here). This is a tumblr thing, where you reblog the badge and tell the story you have about that particular badge. You can also buy physical badges. That way, you can scroll through the notes of that badge and read other people's stories related to that. I have reblogged and told my stories concerning the 13 badges I have earned. I have also added a page with all the badges I've earned (this will be updated as more badges are released). Click on a badge below to be taken to my story.

Cold and dark, with squeaky snow

This is Trondheim these days. There are mountains to the southeast and southwest, so even though the forecast says that the sun came up at 09:45 and went down at 14:36, the actual day is shorter. The sun actually never touches the house I live in, I think. So it is dark as night at about 4, making for looong evenings and disturbed sleep patterns. I try to see the sun every day (when it is a clear day), to be able to feel that it was actually day at one point.

Mentioning weather, it has mostly been clear the last week or so, giving temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius. There are lots of people around in their down jackets and with scarves wound around their head so that only the eyes peek out. Have you ever tried hugging someone who is wearing a down jacket? It's so soft - makes for great hugs. The only sad thing is that my cloak, which is my usual winter outerwear, is being repaired, and it is a bit too cold to use it.

But the skies have not been completely clear, we have had some new snow. It came when it was below -5 degrees Celsius, which gives snow with a wonderful sound. Oh, you thought snow was silent? Not exactly. When it is really cold, the snow sort of squeaks and crunches underfoot. I really like the sound cold snow makes underfoot - I know it is really winter when I hear that sound.

I have found out that I prefer steady seasons - summer and winter. I don't really like the changing seasons, spring and fall, because of all the chilly rain and uncertain weather. Sure, the winter is cold, but it is also beautiful, and you know what you wake up to day after day. Winter is actually the season, from my memory at least, when we have the most stable weather. We can often have really cold periods that last for up to two months (and even more!). That happens when a high pressure field moves down from Siberia and settles over parts of Norway. The sky is clear every day, the sky is starry every night, and the air is crisp and cold.

Still, I prefer sitting inside with a good book and a cup of tea looking out at all this, because the cold air really stings my face, and I often start freezing on my fingers and toes when I am outside for too long. Looking out at the moon shining down and the stars and planets shining down, I look forward to being finished with exams and starting my Christmas holiday.

Oh, and by the way, change is still scary. I moved out of my old big locker and into two small new ones, and  it's really weird. Now I have to go a different place every morning and afternoon - I have sort of changed my home base at school. I had my old locker for one and a half years, and I feel kind of sad leaving it. I think about the weirdest things sometimes. Pull yourself together, Julie! It's only a locker!

I think the exam period is starting to drive me just a tiny bit crazy - I'm starting to talk to myself now... I'll just procrastinate a bit more, to see if I can drive it any further (I am still trying to read 50 books this year, but I have 13 to go...).

Okay, I will stop my ramblings now. Have a great advent, and good luck if you are taking exams or the like!

Changing skies - November musings

The sky before I wrote this post

The sky is always changing. The clouds appear and disappear, move and make patterns. The sun moves across the sky (or rather, the Earth turns so that the sun appears to be moving) giving different hues to the things on the ground and the clouds. The clouds can be glowing bright yellow, pink or orange. Or they can be soft grays and blues. They can look menacing, soft, heavy, or happy.

And the night sky is a whole other story. The moon can shine out through a veil of clouds, or be obscured or behind the horison. It could also be there one moment, and then be completely covered the next. On starry nights, one can feel so small and so significant at the same time. I feel that when I look up at the stars, I am alone in having that experience. It makes me feel special, in a way. Sometimes I feel that I can reach out and touch the stars, but other times I feel the force keeping me tethered to the Earth, and I feel small and far away.

The sky and the Earth are always changing. But I often feel stuck in the same routines. I feel that each day is just a repeat of the last one, and that next week will just be another week. But the future is undecided, it's just that I can't live with that idea. I seek stability and predictability - it is comforting to know what is going to happen.

The sky when I had written this post

But even the skies and the Earth are governed by natural laws that dictate how and when things change. I wish the laws of my life were easy to follow and understand. Then my life would roll on as easily as the rain comes in from the ocean, and I would always be where I was supposed to be.

Clouds, stars, visible breaths in the cold air, sunsets and fallen leaves are things that add to the atmosphere of November. Darkness is taking over, the days grow shorter. Woolly jumpers are comforting, and a blanket is the perfect thing in the evenings. I sometimes wish I had a fireplace with a comfortable chair where I could sit wrapped in a blanket and read with a cup of redbush tea. This is the perfect season for that.

Musing as the November day turns towards the November night. This was just a piece of the wandering of my thoughts, I hope you enjoyed it.

Watching the world turn

Turning, turning, turning through the years.

Minutes into hours and the hours into years.

Nothing changes. Nothing ever can.

Round about the roundabout and back where you began.

Round and round and back where you began.

From the song "Turning" from Les Misérables, the musical

A sunset (or Earth-turning)
seen from St. Vincent

There is something special about watching the Earth turn. It can be beautiful, mesmerizing, peaceful and awe-inspiring all at the same time. Sunrise is an almost magical time. The first rays of the sun hitting the land, watching the sunshine chase the night away, it's peaceful and pulse-quickening at the same time. Sunset is equally fulfilling to watch, colourful and amazing, but softly fading into night. Here are some more sunsets from the Caribbean. It feels so big but at the same time so ordinary being in those moments when I have the time set aside to watch the sunrise or the sunset. It's like the thoughts I have are coloured by the colours in the sky - stress becomes nothing, and all thoughts mellow out. Now that winter is coming and the days are shorter, I can more often see the sunrise and sunset - if I just remember to look out of the window. Maybe I should make that a priority, to enjoy some tranquil moments during my otherwise slightly stressful days.

The progress of the sun across the sky is something I rarely observe except during the summer, so watching the sun move sluggishly across the sky is something that reminds me of hot summer days with nothing to do but to relax with a good book. Carefree and relaxing days, just watching the world turing and going for the ride.

Focault's pendulum

At university, I find myself drawn to another thing that marks the passage of time and the turning of the Earth - Focault's pendulum. The basic idea is that the pendulum moves in the same direction all the time, but because of the rotation of the Earth, its direction appears to be changing. The one here has metal pins set up around it, and these are knocked down about every 8 to 10 minutes (yes, I have timed it).

It is mesmerizing watching it rotate, knowing that when the next pin is knocked down, the world will have changed. Ever so slightly, but changed nonetheless. The Earth turns and we go with it, however unwilling we are to go at that pace. We are turning around and around, but never back again, even though it an feel that way. We are all time-travellers, travelling forwards in time at a speed of one second per second. Those second become hours and days, which become months and years.

Sometimes, watching the Earth spin, I feel so small, stuck down here on this pale blue dot. But then I think of how beautiful this blue ball is, with its teeming life and small everyday miracles like snowflakes and dew drops. It is humbling and awe-inspiring as well as peaceful to witness the turning of the Earth and the passage of time. Happy time travelling, remember to enjoy watching the world turn.

Procrastination irritation

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This is how frustrated and irritated I am over not being able to just do what I should be doing and not procrastinate. I did several headdesks on my keyboard - I just want to lie down on my keyboard and sleep, and then magically, when I wake up, everything will be done. Now wouldn't that be nice...

Just so IRRITATED!

I guess I just haven't found the key to get myself working properly without all the distractions and procrastination. I find my mind beginning to wander - and my mouse sort of automatically glides towards and clicks the inviting internet browser icon. Also, deep inside me, there is a little obstinate girl who just refuses to cooperate and get down to business. I imagine her with oversize glasses, arms crossed, and with a frumpy face sitting there saying: "I don't WANT to!" I guess this is kind of because that little girl (and me, quite often) can't see how doing this work is going to help us (me) learn the things we need to learn. I mean, we could just read a book! Of course it's about the skills, but I have already written quite a lot of reports - why do I have to do it again?

So I find myself growing more and more irritated. At myself, mostly. I really would like to find a way to be effective without stressing or wearing myself out. I am going to counseling soon, so maybe I will figure something out. In the meantime, I will continue being irritated at myself (and eating chocolate) and think about the humour in writing about procrastination while procrastinating.

Snail mail

I recently started exchanging letters with some of my friends - real, pen and paper letters. With a stamp on an envelope. It is actually quite a different experience from communicating over the internet, via chat or e-mail. And definitely different from skype or telephone. When you don't send it just by clicking a button (or enter), you think more about what you write. And you can add other cool things, like illustrations and drawings, not only emoticons. When I sit down to write a letter, I find I am so used to using emoticons to express myself using the written word that they sometimes sneak in. I think this is a testament to how much more (and more often) I write on computers than on paper when communicating with someone else through writing.

Writing a letter is a bit more challenging than just writing a note or a short e-mail. It is a relatively slow process, and you have to think about what you are writing and form it into a coherent structure with sentences, paragraphs, beginnings, and ends. At the same time, I like to write informal letters - letters where you just write down whatever you think about at that time and answer the questions from the letter you receive. That way, you become closer friends, by getting a piece of that person's mind at many different points in time.

It is lovely receiving letters, and you get more letters if you send more letters - that's my understanding of things, anyway. Actually, exchanging letters is kind of magical. Suddenly, collecting the post becomes exciting - has he or she written today? So, if you want some more excitement, awesome and lovely things in your life - start exchanging letters with a friend! Don't just hope you'll happen to be online at the same time on facebook, do something about it! Or get a pen pal, maybe from an exotic country or another culture. That way, you will learn about a new culture at the same time as making new friends! The postage does cost some money, but personally, I think it's worth it.

Torture

I almost cried, yes. Ow.

It is amazing how our bodies react to pain or the anticipation of pain. I often hold my breath if I know something is coming. This can be quite inconvenient if you, like me, have a sensitive scalp, and you volunteer to sit and let your hair be yanked in all directions hour after hour. At the end of the day I wondered why I was so immensely tired. After a couple of days being really tired, I finally figured out that it probably had something to do with the constant pain I had been experiencing in intervals the past couple of days. Nothing bad about the hairdresser - she is trying her best. But it is, of course, difficult to put long hair into rollers without hurting a very sensitive scalp like mine.

I find that pain drains my energy and ability to concentrate or even think straight. No wonder I got depressed when I had constant pain so intense I couldn't think - for two weeks. I am surprised I didn't go insane! So, to humans (at least me), pain is debilitating. You can't function properly. For example, when I broke my arm (as you have probably guessed, especially when I tell you that the constant pain and the arm-breaking were separate, I am quite accident-prone), I couldn't walk much. It is a bit strange, but I guess that's how we are built.

Animals are often better than humans at tackling pain. They have other priorities, I guess. Whereas pain puts us (at least normal people) out of control of some of our body functions and sometimes creates bad reception for our thoughts, some animals can run with a broken leg or act normal when injured if it is necessary. But then, maybe it's just never that necessary (like life or death) for the modern human to have to control pain that way. I don't know.

But I do know that I have found the most effective way to torture me - yank at my hair. Or maybe just make me feel pain at irregular intervals and watch how eventually my brain and body will have too little oxygen and I will slowly but surely stop being able to form complete thoughts and descend into depression and even madness...

It is uncomfortable to think about these things in our comfortable world. But remember, people are being tortured right now. Maybe not exactly as above, but yes, torture. And it is just HORRIBLE. So I had a tiny, mild experience of the suffering this can cause (extremely teensy-weensy), and I don't like to think of it escalated. NOT AT ALL. We should all stand up for human rights and end the use of torture, NOW. Amnesty international says that torture is still prevalent in a lot of countries in the world, and you can help them in their work to uphold human rights by for example donating money. Human rights need to be defended. We can't just sit back and think that everything will turn out alright in the end, because no one really cares about your opinions and convictions unless you act on them.

I don't quite know why this blog post turned so serious, but there you are. Serious blog post is serious.

Books read: 48
Pages read: 14243

Everything is fine

Actually, most things in my life are fine now. I don't worry much, and sometimes I feel just like Charlie in the video above - I want to shout out to the world that everything is fine (as he does at 2:20). But, as always, if I want to, I can think of things that aren't fine. If I start worrying and stressing, for example about exams, I usually tell myself to stop worrying, and then I take a snack or bite my nails anyway. I know I shouldn't, but does that mean that I don't do it? Of course not.

Today, when fishing around the internet for a good blog topic, I typed 'random' into google, and found this website called random website. Of course I had to check it out, and after a few tries, I found a site full of pictures. A picture from that site made me think of Charlie's video (above). In the picture there is a sign that says "In Heaven everything is fine". It made me smile, and I don't really know why. Maybe it has something to do with the guy painted above the text, or maybe the text resonated  with something in me.

I guess I wish that everything was fine all the time. Normality and stability every day. But that would be boring, and nothing would ever change, so I guess a good and comfortable mix would be the best. The comfortable and the disruptive in a nice balance, where the comfortable would definitely dominate.

I feel like I am partly trying to convince myself that I have nothing to worry about, and I feel that I am lying a bit to myself (and you). But right now I'm genuinely not feeling a lot of worry going on. I don't know if I should be worrying, but I don't care. I don't like worrying, so I'm not going to. And that's final. (Do you hear that, me? I mean it.)

Books read: 47
Pages read: 13831

Doodles

It's that time of the year again. The time when everyone around you are sick, and you go around hoping that you won't be. But of course, you're not let off that easily. Of course you feel that slightly unpleasant feeling that something is coming. Then you begin coughing, and there is no way around it. You're sick.

This time around, I actually took my own advice and took a day off from school to get better early on in the process. I hope it has helped enough, so that I don't get really sick.

My doodle, made this evening.

When I am home and I can't be bothered or I don't have the energy to do the things I should do, I can get bored. Then I sometimes want to draw, but I have no idea what to draw. Solution: Doodle! So tonight, when I got bored, I just opened my notebook and doodled a whole page full.

I think our doodles say something about us. Or rather, our favourite doodles say something about us. I sometimes try to do vines, but it's just not my thing. I really like tedious, perfectionist work, so my favourite doodle is forms filled with lines at approximately the same spacing, as you can see.

I'm not quite sure what a love for vines or snakes or knots (like Vihart) say about us, but I think my doodle describes me quite well as a person who likes order, precision, and perfectionism.

My new notebook. It's puuuurty :)

Also, my new notebook is really pretty, don't you think? It shuts with a clasp and has a lovely cover, and the pages have colour on their edges (like the gold on Bibles). I expect it to be filled with my ramblings (and doodles) at some point in the future, but it is quite thick, so I think it will take at least a year. Unless I write more and more and more, like I have done since I started keeping a notebook with me at all times (which is also since I started this blog).

It was a bit strange for me actually filling up my old notebook, because earlier in my life I have just loved my notebooks as books and never really written a lot in them. Maybe it is a mark of growing up that I now finally fill up my notebooks and finish my pens.

Books read: 46
Pages read: 13473

PS: Can you spot the elephant in the doodle?

Homesick

So I'll lose some sales

and my boss won't be happy,

but there's only one thing on my mind.

Searching boxes underneath the counter

on a chance that on a tape I'd find

a song for

someone who needs somewhere

to long for.

Homesick

cause I no longer know

where home is.

from "Homesick" by Kings of Convenience

Nowadays I often wonder what it is that makes a place a home. Is it the memories? The people? The books in the bookshelves? The pictures on the walls? The walls who have heard and seen so much? Or maybe the cheesy one - home is where the heart is?

My childhood home has recently been sold, my grandparents' house will soon be sold and pulled down, and I have moved away. Sometimes, when I think about it, I feel that I don't have a physical anchor in the world. Like a place which I can come back to and which doesn't change too much. But, I guess, that is too much to ask of life. I am a control freak. I don't particularly like change, to put it that way. I usually stick to activities, people and places. But life is always in motion, and change is natural. I'm not saying that the change itself is necessarily natural, but the fact that things change is thoroughly natural.

Geranium bohemicum
Literally grows from tragedy

Today, in the biology lecture, we learnt about succession in nature. The directional change of an area's environment, for example a forest growing back after a fire. Change happens in a certain direction until it reaches a final or equilibrium state. But even then, it fluctuates. So change is extremely normal everywhere. Even disturbances such as flooding or forest fire are normal. If the equivalent happened in our lives, we would say it was a disaster or a catastrophe or tragic, but some organisms rely on these disasters to survive. Maybe I and many others could learn from this. We could choose to focus on the good things that spring from the hard times and tragedies, like the beautiful geranium 'Orchid Blue', which has seeds that only flower after a forest fire (or high temperatures). It literally grows from disaster. So instead of being sad about the recent fire, we can marvel at the beauty that sprouts after tragedy has struck.

Change is inevitable and natural. And as someone once said - it's not about how you are, but about how you take it (it sounds better in Norwegian...I'm not that good at translating). And in a way, all our lives are built around change and changes. We grow up, we become older, we experience new things, we change in response to other people, and other people change in response to us. We live in a dynamic world, but still some of us (for example me) manage to get stuck in a fantasy that stability is the most natural thing and change is something strange and something to be feared. I think a good idea is to meet the change and be proactive when approaching it, instead of hiding in the shadows and wishing it would go away. And oh, how I wish I would follow my own advice.

Books read: 45

Pages read: 13110

Brio and creativity

Word of the week: Brio - enthusiastic vigour, or great energy and confidence. (Merrian-Webster online dictionary)

I think I need a little more brio in my life. Some zest in the things I do. I am really feeling the autumn coming with shorter, colder days, and after a busy weekend catching up with old friends and getting new ones, I feel I need something that will energize me. Enthusiasm in what I do is often essential to give me that extra push through the boring everyday tasks.

Lately I have had this feeling that I want to create something - be creative. But I have so much to do, and I know that ideas don't come unless I invite them in. So I just go around trying out different mediums to express myself creatively, and try to feed my addiction to creating. It is a bit weird to have these periods where I just want to create something all the time, although I have few ideas, just a nagging feeling.

Random bad drawing of a giraffe
with broken legs (I'm bad at drawing legs)
in front of a Kilmanjaro I wish had that much snow on it's peak.
The original random line became the giraffe's back and neck.

I feel like when I suppress my need to express myself creatively long enough, it just bubbles to the surface like this, giving me this distracting need to do something - anything - creative. As I said, I don't have many concrete ideas, but often, if I just start creating something random (like drawing a picture of a giraffe  eating from a tree in front of Mount Kilmanjaro - from one random line), it's like I unclog the pipes, and the creativity starts flowing again. Not very well at first - frequent blockages are usual - but creativity, like so many other things, improves with frequent usage and practice.

I would really like to keep my creative side honed and ready on demand, but so often I don't have the capacity and energy needed. It's yet another facet of my life that I have to fit in and balance correctly with all the other important things. But my comfort is that I doubt I can destroy my creative side. It will always be there, just sometimes buried deeper than other times. The tubing will there, it just needs some periodic maintenance or a thorough cleaning to work again.

Books read: 45
Pages read: 12971

PS: Since I write this blog partly (or maybe mainly) to keep my creative side awake, I will be posting some of the written things I create here. Mostly, poems go on this blog, while photos go on tumblr. My output for the latter isn't very big, so don't expect much original content over there on tumblr (but you can still find funny, pretty, nerdy, book-related, nerdfightastic, and wonderful things here.)

Shall we dance?

Since I got back to Trondheim this autumn I have taken up dancing again. I dance swing, a type called 'fastingswing' or 'folkeswing' in Norwegian. I think it's really fun, and also, it gives me a great workout. The thing that surprised me, though, when I started dancing, was how many boys there were. Last time there were approximately ten more boys than girls.

So the question that pops up in my head is: when did boys start to like dancing? I turns out it's generally a couple of years after they start university. Most of the boys I have talked to while dancing are in their second or third year at university or above that. In comparison, many of the girls are in their first year and have already discovered couples dance.

I, and many other girls, have a general problem when dancing a partnered dance. I love to have control. I want to lead and be sure of what I'll be doing next, but that is not how it works. Quite often guys smile and say that I'm bossy, or 'you tried to pull my arm down in the turn' or 'wrong way' and other things of that sort. At the same time, I have heard that it can be quite difficult for boys (at least in the beginning) to adapt to being the leader and deciding everything. As a girl, the best kind of guy to dance with is one who is strong and confident, so that she feels secure, while a guy, I suppose, would prefer a girl who was good at following him.

It is quite interesting how society has created a set of values where girls are taught to be independent and have control, while boys sometimes miss out on this lesson for some reason. But when it comes to being on the dance floor, I find that I really prefer following, and I have the most fun when the boy I dance with is a confident leader. Sometimes it is really nice to just leave that responsibility and desire for control in the changing room and just enjoy myself for a few hours.

So put on your dancing shoes, get out there and have fun! If you're a boy, practice your leadership and gain confidence, and if you're a girl just leave all the worries by the door and practice trusting your partner. And above all: enjoy yourself!

Books read: 45

Weird nature

I am studying biology, and I am just finished with a module about ethology, which is the study of animal behaviour. Within this topic there are several topics, but one of the weirder ones are the ones about social and sexual relations when it comes to mating. Even though monogamy is the rule (at least traditionally, in the western world) among humans, that is definitely not the case among animals (I am going to draw a line of distinction here, because that is comfortable to me. I know that humans are a type of animal, but I decide here). In this topic, I have been introduced to not only monogamy, but polygyny, polyandry, and even polygynandry.

These are different social and sexual structures within populations of animals (and often humans as well). We are all acquainted with monogamy, or rather, as in today's society, serial monogamy. This is quite uncommon among animals, but some birds have this kind of relationship, and one of the reasons is that the care of their young takes a team effort. But then we have the other types of social and sexual relationship styles.

The most familiar of these is polygyny, or polygamy, which it is often called in humans. This is where one male has several female partners. This is quite normal, and in the species who have this, the females are often (but not always) left alone with the care of their young. The opposite arrangement also exists, where one female has several male partners. This is not very common, but in species with reversed gender roles, this can be quite common.

But the REALLY messed up thing in nature is polygynandry. Both females and males have multiple partners, but it's not a 'group sex' type of thing. In the example we studied, there were sophisticated social structures around this. One female had one to three male partners, and each of the males had one to three females total. Then there was the business of rank within the three males who had the one female, and to me, it just looked really complex.

So yeah, nature has a lot of weird things going on. And I haven't even touched upon the matter of homosexuality or strange ways of reproducing or weird courting systems and performances. But I will say one thing: birds are so much more diverse and interesting than I thought (most of the examples we had were from birds). But just remember that among humans, you find societies with monogamy, polygamy, and polyandry, so it's not just really weird (even though polygynandry is not the norm in any societies of humans that I know of, so to me, it is really weird).

I am sorry if this was a bit long, but I am trying to make up for the fact that I haven't written in a while (not really, it just became long). Here is a funny song about animal sex to make up for it.

Books read: 44
Pages read: 12507

Hush

The image of you that will live on in me
will not be complete.
The sad memories will shrink
into nothing and disappear,
but the happy memories will expand
and become happier,
bathed in a golden glow.

You will always be happy and healthy.
Nothing can mar your delight
in the warmth of the sun
or the smell of the mountain
on that perfect summer's day.

The laughter and smiles,
the happy times,
the wonderful hikes,
the things that you taught me
about the value of nature and life
will live on in my mind
and shape me as I go on.

So hush;
lay yourself to rest.
We both know
all the words
that should not be said.
But you have made my life
more perfect.



Credit goes to Terry Pratchett, for this wonderful quote. (Otherwise, this is written by me.)

Books read: 42

Books, bicycles, and buddies

This is going to be a post all about my first couple of weeks at university. Deal with it.

This isn't my first time being a first-year student at this university, so much could potentially have looked like a re-run of my first fortnight at university ever. But it hasn't. There have been different activities and different people, and, since I already know the town, and also some people, pretty well from before, it has definitely been different.

So I want to tell you about some of the new things that I've been doing. For instance, I have bought my first university textbooks in chemistry and biology. I know, buying books. Nothing new. But these are HEAVY books. I mean they were almost killing me when I carried them home. I wondered whether I would ever get the feeling back in my little finger (I did...I mean, I knew I would, but I was quite amazed at how mutilated my fingers looked when I got home). I haven't really gotten started on reading them yet (shame on me), so I can't say whether they're actually heavy to read, too.

Another interesting thing that has happened, is that I have bought my first bicycle, and I am cycling back and forth to the university campus. This is the first time I can say I have been cycling to school (that's what people call uni here...school. I guess they just like to linger in the past, or make it seem less scary. 'I'm going to school' definitely does sound less scary than 'I'm going to uni'. Back to the story!) It has been going quite well, apart from a few minor glitches, and I'm getting over my fear of speed. I love my bicycle, it's a silver ladies' model with raised handlebars that make it possible for me to sit (almost) upright. (I'm sorry I can't show you a picture - computer problems.)

As a first year student at this university, I have been assigned some buddies or mentors who have studied a while in a similar programme, and they have been organising activities for the first-year students. Yesterday, I jumped into a lake in my underwear three times and had a good mud-bath/romp afterwards, among other more and less embarrassing things. All this was on a trip organised by the mentors for the first-year students to a student 'cottage' in the woods outside the town. I had a lot of fun, and I was very happy when I could wash off the mud and sit in the sauna for a while.

Now I'm looking forward to daily life starting and getting into new routines. I'm looking forward to read and learn new things, as well as re-reading the Harry Potter series (I've lost count of how many times I've read it already, but I love re-reading it), and reading the rest of John Green's books. And, of course, I am looking forward to getting to know my new friends better, and in general having fun.

Books read: 41
Pages read: 11535

Repeat

Aaaand I'm back! In Trondheim. I found out through facebook that I came here exactly one year (on the day) after I came here the first time. So I'm back to studying again. And I have the feeling that the beginning of last autumn is just going on repeat right now. Of course it's not exactly the same, but I'm a first year student again, and I have moved into a new place, and I have to fix almost all the things I had to fix last time. Also, like last time, there will be books to be bought (yay!), reading to be done (mmu (that's my dissatisfied noise :P)) and new friends to be gotten. But there are some new things too. Meeting old friends again and not being confused about locations and directions. I am very happy about those two things.

I realise that coming to Trondheim is a bit like coming home. I really like it (for a town...I generally don't like towns and cities), and it feels like "my" town. I am looking forward to going to the university again, visiting my old friends, getting new friends, going to the same places I went to before (my 'old haunts' :P), and learning new things again. Have I mentioned that I love learning? Sometimes it is strange to thing about, but I just really love filling my head with new stuff and understanding new things.

I don't know exactly where this blog will go from here. I could write about my life, but that would probably be a bit boring. I can try to muse over topics that appear in my head (like I (tried) to do before I went to the Caribbean), I could write about books (I can try, at least), or I could do a mixture of life, musings, and books. Let me know (in the comment section - I promise I read all your comments (there aren't very many, usually)) if you have any good ideas or want to see something specific.

I think I will continue writing anyway, and I hope you will enjoy it.

Books read: 37
Pages read: 10613

Home to tragedy

And then I'm home again. I must say, it is pretty weird. Everyone speaking Norwegian, people driving on the right-hand side of the road, Norwegian spreads, and in general, food. It sure is good to be home. At the same time, everything is just the same as when I left, so it is almost as if I never left. Yes, it has changed from winter to summer, but it is still the home I know and love.

I had just come home and settled down when tragedy struck. We listened to the radio in disbelief on Friday the 22nd of July. A huge bomb had gone off in the centre of Oslo, in the area where the government have their offices. The blast could be heard all over Oslo. Windows were blown in many blocks away. In the words of the media, the area looked like a 'war-zone'. Just as the horror of what had happened to our peaceful country and town was sinking in, reports started coming in about a possible shooting somewhere else. At Utøya, a man dressed as a policeman had gone into the summer camp of the labour party's youth. When he was in their midst, he had begun shooting around him, killing with a purpose. It turned out that this man had also set off the bomb in the government area in town.

The streets of Oslo were transformed into a sea of flowers under the memorial march

Most people were in shock. How could this happen to our peaceful country, in the middle of the summer holiday? Why would anyone do this? As the death toll started growing beyond anything that has happened in Norway since World War II, shock turned to disbelief and grief. The Norwegian people went out to show their support and stand together in the face of tragedy. Yesterday, a rose march was planned, but too many people turned up to show their support of the victims and their families. The Prime Minister, luckily unharmed by the bomb, addressed the crowd, and the marchers went home again, decorating the city in hundreds of thousands of roses as they went.

As shocking as this is, I can't say I haven't been expecting something horrible like this to happen. But at the same time it is horrible when more than 75 civilians are killed in one day in peace-time. Many of my friends have lost their friends and family members. As far as I know, none of my friends are harmed. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people who are affected by this. I pray that peace and love will prevail, and that this will lead to an even more united, but at the same time open and including, Norway.

Books read: 33
Pages read: 9123

Gardens and waterfalls

This is going to be the last post about my time in St. Vincent. I know it is overdue, but at least now it is here. The last couple of weeks in the Caribbean, Kristina and I did some sightseeing, so that I could experience the must-dos of the island.

One day, we went to Kingstown to visit the botanical garden and Montreal garden. It was wonderful. The botanical garden had a wonderful alley, see picture. At the top of the alley, there was a space where you could get married. How amazing would that be? It was very well kept, and it was lovely.

From the botanical garden we took an overpriced taxi to the Montreal garden. It is a privately owned garden, and it was absolutely enchanting. There were wonderful flowers everywhere you looked, and cute walkways to experience it all. Most of it was pretty jungle-like, but some parts were manicured and beautiful in that sense. I absolutely loved it and went wild taking pictures of all the wonders of nature.

My last weekend, I decided to visit some waterfalls in the area where I was staying. I went with some friends to a waterfall called Trinity falls. It was quite a long hike, but we found provisions along the way. There were a lot of ripe fruits growing along our route. We found oranges, grapefruit, and mango, and we also bought a pineapple from a farmer we met along the way. The picture shows me holding the almost invisible (or almost eaten) pineapple. It was a bit smaller than I give the impression of, but it was very nice and juicy.

I find water very interesting. We are dependent upon it to survive - our bodies are mostly made up of water. It also makes for interesting visual experiences, and there is something attractive about water falling down a hill or a cliff. It is almost dreamlike to capture in a photograph, but it is the basis of life on this planet. It is everywhere, but at the same time, it captures our interest and draws us to the places where it behaves unusually (i.e. falls down vertically). Clean water is beautiful, not only when it falls down a sheer drop, but when it comes out of our taps or when it saves a baby from dying.

But there are people who don't have access to clean water. In East Africa, there is a drought right now. And instead of just sitting at home enjoying the fact that we can drink the water that comes out of our taps (and the fact that we have water coming out of taps in our homes), we can do something to help other people to enjoy these privileges. If you want to donate to help in the East Africa crisis, you can go here. If you want to help creating a stable and safe water source for communities in developing countries, go here. This organisation works to help children, and therefore also works on creating clean water sources. Water is vital for our survival, and everyone should have access to it.

The day after I had visited Trinity falls, I visited Dark View falls. This is closer to where I was staying, and a wonderful quiet haven. The falling water seemed dreamlike and magical when captured with a camera. It seemed like a beautiful veil, fit for the princess of the forest, from a forgotten fairy tale.

I have a feeling most of you didn't understand last week's blog post. I made a promise to myself that when I finished my challenge of reading 30 books between Christmas 2010 and Christmas 2011, I would write a very silly story incorporating all the titles of the books I had read. So that was last week's blog post, and you can check it out here. Now that I have completed my challenge, I think it is time to reveal to you all that I have had another reading challenge going for a while. I want to join many other people in trying to read 50 books in 2011. So I will be removing the book I read in 2010 from my list, and I will count books and pages read from January 1, 2011.

Books read: 29
Pages read: 7824

Stars

Stars above and stars below
join together in the glow
of nature speeding on its way,
always towards another day.

The starry dance is slow, slow,
but underneath me stars will grow.
Born into this world
when water is swirled.

The dance of fiery points in air
continues on without a care
for the waltz up there
or the tango here
under waves so clear.

All together they join in time
nature's climb
and decline.

Rolling like waves
    ever changing,
    always the same.

The huge eternal ballet
of nature dancing on its way
through night on to a new day.


Books read: 29
Pages read: 7765

The end...but not really

In just a few hours I will be leaving St. Vincent. When I say to people here that I am leaving, I sometimes get the question: "Are you happy?" I am taken a bit off guard by this question. What does that really mean?

Am I happy to be leaving this wonderful place with all its abundant nature? Am I happy to leave the people here, that I have gotten to know quite well over the past three months? Am I happy to leave the horses, who have been some of my best friends here? No, no, and no. Of course not.

But then: Am I happy to be going back to a place where I understand what most people say? Am I happy to be going back home? Am I happy that I will meet my friends and family soon? Yes, of course.

I think what the question really asks is whether I am content with leaving at this time. And after having thought a bit about it, I think I can quite firmly answer yes. This has been a wonderful experience, but now I have had my fill. I miss home, a culture that I know, a language that I understand, my family, and my close friends. Of course I will miss this place, but in my heart there is a feeling of 'rightness' about going home now. The place here, the horses, the nature, and the people I have met here will always have a special place in my heart. I will treasure the memories and return to the blogposts I have written about this adventure often (especially during winter, when the days are short and cold).

But my adventures aren't over. Life is in itself an adventure, and next in my life comes a three week stay in England. I also have some things to write about that I have experienced during the last couple of weeks here, so look forward to some more pictures and magical moments. For now, enjoy this film about my everyday life here (I do the voiceover, hope you like it).

Books read: 27