I failed to mention it in my previous post but my dorm room number here at Blindern Studenterhjem -- 618 -- is the same as my dorm room number from my freshman year of college. Maybe it means the monstrously obese pigeons of Oslo will all come swooping down in a fit of rage, hell bent on destroying humanity. Maybe it means fire alarms will go off in all buildings of Oslo simultaneously... or maybe just one of them. Maybe it means I should go buy a lottery ticket. At any rate, I thought my room placement worth mentioning.
Last weekend was so fun and exciting I almost forgot I'm here for school. Not that learning isn't fun. It's just not as fun as seeing 1100 year old Viking ships and a 134 meter (~ 470 ft.) high ski jump. But, as you know if you've read my previous post, Monday was the first day of classes. I'm not going to lie, getting out of bed in time to eat breakfast before an 8:15 class was a struggle. And not just on that first morning; it's been a struggle every morning since. But I am here to learn, after all, so I suppose I shouldn't complain too loudly.
It's a little early in the session to give a definitive opinion of my classes but both seem interesting enough. In my Norwegian History class, we just started reading some old Norse myths (e.g. Prose Edda) as a part of our Viking Age unit. It's quite a bit more reading than I thought it would be but what else should I expect from a history class? Thankfully, a significant portion of the reading is optional. Well, one could argue that it's all optional but that wouldn't make him or her a very good student now would it.
My Intensive Elementary Norwegian Level I class is good. As one might expect from a class with the word "intensive" in its title, it's intense. It's very enjoyable, though, and I look forward to learning as much as possible in these six short weeks.
Not only was Monday the first day of classes, but it was also the day of the official opening ceremony for the International Summer School. This summer marks the 68th summer of the International Summer School. Though it's not a nice round number like the one just celebrated last month (May 17th marked the 200th year since the signing of the Norwegian Constitution), that evening shall forever resonate in my mind as one of the utmost significance. First and foremost, the venues of the opening ceremony and subsequent reception were not only beautiful but also important landmarks in the history of human achievements. The opening ceremony was held at the University Aula on Karl Johans gate. This is the building where people such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa received their Nobel Peace Prize awards until that ceremony was relocated to Oslo City Hall in 1990, which just so happened to be the location of the reception following the opening ceremony. I spent much of the opening ceremony admiring the Munch murals that adorn the walls of the Aula. Also, between cultural and musical performances, dignitaries from the University and Norwegian Department of State spoke to us on the importance of the International Summer School and the role it plays in future of humanity. Most of it was all something I've heard before but the truth deserves to be repeated: Only through friendship, understanding, and other ideals championed by international communities of learning everywhere will we as a society achieve peace and overcome the many obstacles that face us, such as climate change and seemingly endless violence and conflict. It made me proud to be a student at the International Summer School and is part of what makes me so excited to be studying in Norway.
Remember that seemingly inconsequential quip about fire alarms going off? Well, at the reception held in Oslo City Hall the fire alarm actually did go off and we were forced to evacuate the building. I have no idea who or what caused the fire alarm to go off but, to the best of my knowledge, no harm was done (apart from a few abandoned plates of appetizers) and we allowed to re-enter the building after about half an hour. Despite the evening's excitement, there was still ample time to admire the artwork and free refreshments Oslo City Hall had to offer.
Getting up for class the next morning was even more difficult than the first morning but I somehow stayed awake through all of my classes. I even attended a lecture that evening on Norwegian Life and Society. I can't say that I learned much because during much of the lecture I was looking at flights from Oslo to London for the long weekend I have coming up in July.
Today (Wednesday 25/6), I attended class per usual and then had to rush through lunch in order to get in line early for weekend excursion sign-ups. I got the excursion I wanted (white water rafting in Jotunheimen)!! It'll be wet and cold, I think, but I'm really looking forward to it.
That's all for today. I apologize for the lack of pictures. There's so much a picture can't capture; in trying to get the "perfect" shot I miss much of what is going on around me. For future posts, though, I'll try to be a bit better about snapping some photos every now and then. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned. -NLD
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