Kringsjå 24 Spring 2011

Final day in Oslo

Normally I love writing. Normally my fingers cannot keep up with the thoughts I want to write down. Normally this is easy. So, why is this any different?

Well, the answer is simple. I don’t want to write this at all. I don’t want to say goodbye. However, no matter how hard it will be to write this, the thought of not doing it is worse.

Where to begin? I don’t want to leave any gaps, because Simon may fall through them. Just kidding, as usual. I make these jokes (most of the time bad) because it is more fun to laugh than cry.

But just because tears may not roll down my cheeks, I still do feel a joyful sadness of leaving. Not the sadness of leaving Oslo. Sure it is beautiful, especially now in the summer, but it would not be the same without the people here. And again, not the Norwegians (exception to Halstein and half of Adrian), but for the most part international students.

You have shared with me your culture, your language, and your friendship. I will never forget the times we had together. Everything from kitchen parties, Norwegian class, Sognsvann, Café Blitz, to just simply sitting around talking. I will look back years from now, and think, this was one of the best experiences of my life.

I remember all the struggles we had to overcome such as deciding which countries to travel to, or which bar to go out to, or what Irene and Fran should make for dinner. However, these tough decisions only made us stronger and closer.

Unfortunately, as our new family grew, our dwindling clocks did the same. So, we can look at this in two ways. See this as an expiring friendship contract, or continue to keep these powerful bonds between us. I would like to choose the later.

Finally, I can truly say, that this cultural explosion has made me a better person. And for that, I cannot thank you guys and girls enough.

Thank you and goodnight.

I’m thinking in 2’s

My 2 favorite places in Oslo: Sognsvann Lake and the bakery underneath the Forskningsparken T-bane station.

Sognsvann Lake is this beautiful lake minutes away from where I live. It is so peaceful and aesthetic. It is surrounded by snowy white mountains, and day by day, melting snow reveals a beautiful green paradise.

I’ve had so many great moments out at the lake. For example, our mini campfire in the beginning of the semester, where we all sat around the fire and grilled hot dogs on sticks or the numerous times we went out at night to look for the Northern Lights. We didn’t always see it, but we always had fun. Oh no, I’m getting nostalgic already and I still have two months left.

As spring continues to fight its way into Norway, I think a lot of us here are ready for it. I can’t wait to go out to the lake and barbeque hot dogs and hamburgers, or just soak up the sun (I don’t do much exercise besides eating).

The bakery underneath the Forskningsparken T-bane station is probably the best kept secret in Oslo. At only 30 NOK, roughly $5, you can get this huge spiced pulled chicken sandwich with this delicious Norwegian dressing, similar to Thousand Island. It gets better, at 20 NOK, you can get this circular filled bread, stuffed with either, spiced potatoes and peas, spinach and cheese, or tuna. It’s really incredible.

And the people there are so nice. They have always greeted me with a smile, even though they have to put up with my terribly spoken Norwegian, English (which I’m probably just as bad at), or me just pointing at what I want. On the bright side, my miscommunication minor requirements will be a peice (sic) of cake when I get back to UMD.

I want everyone who reads this Blog post to please try something from this bakery. Even if you’re in the States, I’ll try to mail it to you.

Northern lights

Tallinn skyline

European conquest #2: Riga and Tallinn

The wolf pack (BB, Simon, Kevin, David). First stop Riga, Latvia. Getting off the plane looked kind of like getting on it. It was cold and there was snow everywhere. But once we started heading into the city, it looked much different.

We stayed at an Australian run hostel called Friendly Franks, located in the old part of the city. This place was definitely Australian; all the TV’s were showing a strange game similar to baseball, but instead of hitting it normally in the air, the batter must hit it off a bounce. I think the game was called “croquet.”

We were greeted by a very friendly Frank (just kidding). It was a very helpful Latvian girl, who gave us a free, cold, half-liter Zelta (Latvian beer) right when we walked in. After a couple drinks, we ventured off into the city.

The old part of the city looks really cool. It had a ton of old brick buildings and statues. Throughout the two days, we saw the president’s castle, the opera house, and the old Soviet Russian markets. For lunch those days, we went to a traditional Latvian restaurant. We got fried breaded chicken, sausages wrapped in bacon, rice with vegetables and a large beer (it’s the only way to stay warm).

That night was… interesting. See Kevin for more information. We also found out that Simon is really boring. See Simon for more information.

Tallinn, the place of Skype and free public Wi-Fi! After being first in Riga, I expected Tallinn to look similar, but it was not. The city had a very modern feel, and larger buildings. We stayed in a hostel called “The Dancing Eesti.” Eesti, which I learned, is the Estonian pronunciation of Estonian.

For dinner we went to an Estonian restaurant recommended by the person working at the hostel. It was one of the best dinners I’ve had so far in Europe. We started off with a tomato and cheese soup and a glass of Saku (Estonian beer). For the main course, I had chicken with risotto. I forgot what Kevin got, but it was a delicious meat dish. Simon and BB got the duck, which was incredible. Yes, we served each other. That’s what wolves do. We also learned “cheers” in Estonian, which is “terviseks” pronounced, “terrible sex” (the running joke in Estonia).

The next day, we went to the Estonian history museum. The museum was great and really interesting, but the best part was seeing abandoned Soviet statues of Lenin and Stalin, which were thrown down behind the building.

For some reason Simon wanted to go to McDonalds, I don’t know why. See Simon for more information. I’m sorry the music had to stop, while we were out, but DJ BB is back! See BB for more information.

In all seriousness, I had an absolutely great time. I completely recommend seeing the hidden gems of Europe.

Pack out!

From Rundetårn