Russekro: Kom ut av skapet; "Tid"

Last night was Russekro in Stavern.  Here in Norway, I have decided to be Russe which is almost like a giant party until graduation for the seniors, or third graders, here in Videregaende Skole.  I don't know a ton about it, except that from May 1st until May 17th (Norge's Nasjonaldag) we wear these red pants and a russehat with a very long tassle.  On the tassle you can get these things that are like charms for different tasks you perform.  Some could be: kissing a police officer; staying sober until May 17th; having a picnic in a roundabout... etc.  And the closer you get until graduation, the more frequent and crazy the parties become. 

This weekend was the first Russekro, and it was crazy!  If they are going to become more frequent and crazier, this will definitely be a big culture shock for me! 

Saturday was the "Kom ut av skapet" Russekro, or "Come out of the closet" russe party.  No, it doesn't mean "come out" in the same way we use the term in America.  It means to come out as something/somebody else for the night.  I used my host father's pilot hat and wore a skirt and blue shirt and was - a pilot!  Line, my second host sister was a Hula Girl!  Alice was a pirate.  The list goes on!  I would say that about 95% of the people there were dressed up in costume.  It was great! 

First, I went to a preparty at Janis house which was so much fun!  I got to meet some really great kids and we had a dance party upstairs while we got ready with our costumes.  Then we drove to Stavern (the other side of Larvik) and went to the "club" for 100 kr.  We danced from 10 until 2:30!!  And, because 18 is the drinking age here, alcohol was everywhere.  Everyone kept asking me if we have parties like this in the US and I would answer, "Maybe, but not at our age."  I also spent the weekend at my second host family's house because of the russekro and because of "Tid".

"Tid" is a show that is being put on by Studio Nille, my dance studio here.  I am in one ballet and one jazz dance and I am helping my little kids with Nina, the teacher, every other day.  The performances are at 6pm Tuesday until Friday and at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.  It will be a long week, so I am staying again with Helle, Trond and Line until next Sunday night to try to avoid some of the exhaustion.

I also have a julekonsert (Christmas concert) on Wednesday at the same time as "Tid", so I have to figure out what is happening there. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Yesterday was... THANKSGIVING!  gobblegobble

Instead of sitting with my family at home and eating turkey until I'm full, I got up at 6:30, ate breakfast at 7:00, walked to the bus stop at 7:30, and went to school.  My first class yesterday was Musikk i Perspektiv with Henrik!  We started learning about music in the '60s and '70s.  Next class was FREE!  So, we just chilled in the music room.  After that was Kor (choir) to get ready for the christmas concert (and the newspaper was there (http://www.op.no/kultur/article5395841.ece).  I am playing the piano for "Gloria" by Vivaldi and for "Gentle Mary".  We are singing songs like "Deilig er jorden", "Winter Wonderland" . . . etc.  After kors, we had samspill (band). 

After school was over, I went directly to dance after buying some food for middag (I student teach until 7 and then wait until 9 to be picked up after Solfrid is finished).  I just got skolebrød yesterday (sweet bread or "school bread").  When I went to start the class, Nina wasn't there!  So Klara came upstairs with her class and lead.  It was nice becasue Klara wasn't speaking English with me - just Norwegian and I understood everything and answered correctly (I assume).  Then I sat around on the computer in the changing room until 9.  I normally take a shower in the changing room, but I thought I was going to be picked up early so I didn't bring my towel or anything. 

We picked up Jon at a school dance and then when I got home, I skyped with everyone in Masaschusetts (my family, I mean) who was getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner!  It was great to hear and see everyone!

Then I sat downstairs on MSN and ate pizza.  mm mm Thanksgiving dinner.

This isn't how I imagined my Thanksgiving in Norway. I imagined that I would cook a turkey and we'd have everyone around the table.  Nanny even sent me a package with goods for cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. But, because I had to stay at Studio Nille until 9 and because I didn't plan ahead, it didn't happen. 

At least Solfrid and I watched "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" in the girls' changing room when we were waiting for the first class to start...

:):) 

Kjøleskapet historier og mange andre

Last week the refridgerator broke!  So we had to put all the food outside to keep cold.  Yes, it's cold here if that answers your question. 

Last Saturday was Larvik's Kulturnatt (Culture Night) so I went into town after it was dark (it gets dark before 4 pm now...) and met up with Alice.  We went into the kjøpesenter (mall) and heard Line K and Sondre's consert!  From there, we bought some bright pink reflectors with "KULTURNATT 2010" written on them and walked around town.  We went to the "teen-center" and heard another consert and met up with more friends.  We had hot soup and chips and just sat and talked.  Alice and I left and walked over to Bølgen, but the show had already started, so we went to see Bent DJ in the bar at the train station.  While we sat there, more of our friends showed up and we ended up leaving to go get KEBAB!  The big group of us sat around in the restaurant and then Alice and I left to get on her bus to Helgeroa, where she lives. 

Tuesday was Operasjon Peru at Thor Heyerdahl.  On this day, nobody has school, but it's not a day off.  We all have to find a job so make at least 350 kr. to give to an orphanage in Peru.  I worked with Jan (the president of the Stavern Rotaryklubb) in his studio.  He and his wife, Camilla, make chandeliers, fish, and all sorts of different artwork from iron!  I made 120 crabs' legs, a lot of crabs' pinchers and painted three vikingship chandeliers and two flower candle holders.  It was so much fun!  We also got lunch in town: ship with laks (salmon) and bread. 

Wednesday we went to OSLO på STUDIETUR!!  Merete drove me to school at eight o'clock and we left on a bus from there.  All the way to Oslo we were singing on the bus.  It's so cool to be with kids who want to play msuic and sing all the time.  When we arrived in Olso, we went to Norges Musikk Høg Skole, a music university in Oslo, and listened to some students and teachers ("I'm in Love With a Fairytale...").  From there we all went to different rooms and heard lectures and whatnot from different teachers from the school.  After, we had lunch!  Mari, Line, Håvard, Martine and I went to butikken nearby and bought some food.  Martine and I bought bolle and chips.  So healthy, yes.  Then we went to NISS music school and saw lots of different school recording studios. We had less time to shop than we thought, so we didn't get much and we went to middag at Peppe's Pizza.  They don't give you plates there because it's American-style pizza.  What is that supposed to mean? hahaha I definitely use a plate when I eat pizza at home...  Sometimes even with a fork and knife...  After we ate dinner and dessert, sat and talked, we left to go to Dizzie Theater and we saw  Øystein Sunde.  That's when we ended the night and drove back home and Sondre drove me to Kjose. 

Friday I stayed after school and then caught the bus with Alice, Mari, Line, and Linke to town and walked to Sartaj, and Indian restaurant and had dinner.  After a little while, PH joined us.  After dinner, we went to Bølgen and saw HARRY POTTER.  After the movie was over...

DIDRIK AND CATHRINE CAME TO VISIT!!  They got to meet everyone and we got Solfrid and went to Kjose.  We had tacos for dinner and watched Mr. Woodcock in the barn.  Cathrine and Didrik slept in my room and I slept down with Solfrid.  Then we had a nice breakfast the next morning and the three of us went into Larvik and I showed them my school (well, the outside) and some parts of town.  Then we went into a café and had hot chocolate and met up with Helle and Trond.  After, I had to go to Studio Nille for practice for the show that starts on November 30 til December 5 at Bølgen so we had to say goodbye :(  But we had a lot of fun!

Last night I went to Hege's house with some friends and we watched Walk Hard and Pompel og Pilt.  After the others left, we watched The Incredibles (in Norwegian of course!).  Today I had more practice at Studio Nille. 

:D  fin uke

Karl Georg, Mari, Me, Line og Martine i Oslo!

http://thvs.vfk.no/Nyheter/2010_2011/1110/2211_Julekonsert%20musikklinja.aspx here is about our christmas concert next wednesday!

Snow is sometimes slippery!

Today, Merete told us that she could drive us to school, which gave us an extra half hour before we had to leave.  We were so excited!  Jon, Solfrid and I got into the car (me in front, Solfrid in back left and Jon in back right) and we started driving.  We went down the hill and when we got to the main road, there was a car coming from the right.  I figured that she saw it, but I guess not. We went to turn onto the road while the car was only a few meters away and I yelled, "Wait, wait there's a car!"  And both cars hit the brakes and (because of the snow and ice) we slid into each other.  The front right of the car was hit, we spun, and went down into the ditch. 

It could have been a lot worse, and I am so happy that everyone is okay (even if the cars are not). 

The neat thing about it, is that the lady we were in the accident with is now sitting here having a nice conversation with us.  I know in the US people can get VERY worked up and it does not end up with inviting them over! 

We walked up to the house again and Kristian drove us all to school. 

Happy Birthday to me... 08.11 ;)

Let's see... It's getting DARK and it's getting dark EARLY!  Today, it got dark around 4:30. 

Hmmm... what did I do this week?  Well, on Friday Solfrid and I took the train to Sandefjord to go shopping!!!  I finally got my bank card to work in the minibank (ATM), so I got to finally buy some "norsk" clothes!!!  I have a list of things I need to get before returning to USA:

>Leather shoes (check)
>Leather jacket
>Viking helmet
>One Piece
>Sweet norsk sweater (half check)
>Mittens (check)
>Norwegian flag
>Bunad (noooo... i dont think so... but I can always wish for that!)
>Books in Norsk
>Pondus (comic book)
>Norsk musikk
etc

I got leather shoes, some sweaters and leg warmers all on Friday with Solfrid.  But, we had to walk home from the train station, which isn't too far, but it was very dark and we had minimal reflectors.  We were almost hit a few times... haha

I am arranging Moonlight in Vermont in musikk fordypning now!  It is going slowly, but it is going! 

 This weekend Merete and Kristian went to a birthday party in Oslo, so Merete's mom came over to watch us and drive us around. Jon and Eirik had a 4-H show/banquet, so we went to watch that! It was really cool to see. They each were in skits and had their presentation about cooking (used the Vermont Country Recipes cookbook I brought for the Stensruds!) and got SECOND PLACE for their presentation! Yay! Solfrid and Jon's dad was there too! It was really great to see him again. When Jon and Solfrid go up to Oslo to see him one weekend, I might join them :)

Sunday night (last night) Helle and Trond (my second host parents) hosted a small gathering at their house for all of my host families!  It was so great to have all of my host fathers, mothers and siblings together in one place!  We ate a nice dinner and sat and talked until around 9:45pm. 

At first, I was quite nervous to move in with my second and third host families, because, truly, I didn't know much about them!  But now I feel so much more comfortable after spending a night or two with each family. 

FUTURE EXCHANGE STUDENTS: try to spend at least one weekend with your upcoming host families so you know what to expect!  It will make the move less awkward (like the first one) and you'll be more excited to go. 


Photo time!





Jon



Eirik



Solfrid, Line, Charlotte



:)