Thesis La-La Land with Snails!

Last night, after hanging out with my thesis for 8 hours, I came home to, "Great, you are just in time for snails and wine." Lucky me. Maybe I should have stayed a little longer on campus. Needless to say I bellied up to the coffee table and forced that little, slimy creature named FRED into my mouth. I don't care how much garlic pesto (green stuff) you put on those little buggers...they just aren't that satiating. If you are an escargot or oyster fan, maybe you can tell me what is so appetizing about throwing back these gooey-ooey sea creatures that sometimes even give you the pleasure of chewing sand particles. Ick! Luckily, I was able to use my camera as a distraction and didn't have to throw back too many.

Here is a shot of my rugby-playing roommates. Alli, the rock star from Scotland (not really a rock star) with the hoodie on his head was a little camera shy. These boys are real, testosterone-induced boys. I like living with boys, but sometimes they make strange noises in the bathroom and the shower. I'm sure they would much rather me call them MEN. Therefore, I live in a flat that smells like MEN!

What Does it Mean to Become Educated?

On Friday, I signed up for a day-long course with a professor of Philosophy & Education, David Hansen, from the Columbia University, Teacher's College in New York. This was a great day from many aspects; personally, intellectually and culturally. Currently I am grappling with the elusive question; WHAT IS NEXT (after this incredible 2-year journey)? This question about 'becoming educated' is something that crosses my mind everyday...shall I continue my formal education via a PhD or continue my practical experience in higher education administration? I suppose either path will be educationally rich, but from different perspectives...book-smart vs. life experiences. According to the two philosophical authors we read for this course, Dewey & Montaigne, 'to become educated' is the constant pursuit of, and honing of one's skills in, reflective inquiry that leads to 'good' moral judgements in life. My current moral decision...WHAT IS NEXT? There is no right or wrong answer per say, but it's a matter of figuring out my loyalty vs. conviction, my motives vs. intent. I feel very fortunate to have such a moral conflict, but some days I wish I didn't have to choose...because I find that the older I get, the more time I get stuck in the deliberation stages of these moral decisions. Isn't honing your reflective inquiry skills supposed to make the deliberation easier and faster on-the-fly? Throughout the day, I experienced many of these 'ah-ha' moments. I was so thirsty for this type of deep and philosophical discussion, that I drank up the 'ah-ha' moments as if I had been doing vodka shots in Russia. And, the cultural classroom, filled with many Norwegian PhD students, was like no other classroom dynamic I have experienced while abroad..perhaps it was the way the tables were arranged in a circle, perhaps it was the engaging professor, perhaps it was because the topic was pervasive in my mind, or perhaps it was the free tea and rolls provided. None the less, the Norwegian students were engaged and just as thirsty as I was, their questions and comments gave me hope that a cultural classroom really works, especially when all parties are invested, and stimulated by the material, topic, and professor. At the end of the day, the philosophical intoxication got the best of me and my head was dizzy with reflective inquiry, WHAT IS NEXT?

PHOTOS: Tulips are in season in OSLO! My roommate buys new flowers for our flat every week...

The Word of the Year....(drum roll, please)!

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the English word of 2007 is...

wOOt! (interjection)

Definition: expressing joy (it could be after a triumph, or for no reason at all); similar in use to the word "yay".

So, the next time you step in dog poo and wipe it off in the grass, you can exclaim, "w00t!" Ok, I'm not too sure how joyful you will be, but you get the point. I normally prefer to use "Woohoo," but I think w00t will be my new exclamation because it's shorter, and sometimes it sounds like you are saying, "What" with an British accent, so posh! Today, was the perfect opportunity to use my new expression, as I finally landed on my thesis methodology. w00t! (By the way, you are supposed to type it with 2 zero's!)

The word 'w00t' is actually a derivative from the l33t internet-based language that is widely used by gamers, hackers, and otherwise computer-literate individuals who spend their waking hours devising new languages on the internet with the use of the keyboard and their brain juice.

This w00t is maybe not so appropriate for the professional, the over 50 crowd, or for those traveling outside english speaking countries (as it may have other meanings).

Photos: From a winter wonderland of a day in Oslo a few weeks ago.

Confessions from a Shopping Trip in Sweden!

After a stop at the posh, yet government-owned, liquor store and about 2.5 hours in the large hyper-mart of a grocery store, we loaded bags upon bags into the trunk and the back seat of my roommates Euro car. Welcome to...crossing the Norwegian border to buy groceries! Life here in Oslo is just so expensive, the locals will drive 1.5 hours across the border, into Sweden, to purchase a shopping-cart full of food for the next couple months. I was so new to this practice, my roommate kept saying, "You know we DO have a freezer," inferring that I should buy enough ground beef to equal a hereford bull. After a 3 hour roundtrip shopping spree, I was spent...literally and figuratively. I think I saved about 300 kroners=37euro\54$.

A Sunday Treat...A Sermon by Desmond Tutu

In his white robe, with red trim, and black scarf he took his "magic wand" and turned the homogenous group of Norwegians into a group of spirited South Africans, "Now shed that shyness and clap like South Africans," he said. The Trinity church woke up as the Norwegians clapped.

Tutu was in Oslo for the opening of his new exhibit, Hands that Shape Humanity. (Which by the way, is an excellent exhibit!) My classmate from Ethiopia shared the secret that Tutu would be speaking at a local church on Sunday, so we snuck into the church and were transcended by his presence and his heart-warming message. Damn, he's a cute little man! Memories of South Africa came over me as he thanked the Norwegian people for praying for the poor and oppressed South Africans during the apartheid days. All of the Norwegians got in line to take communion from Tutu, as the other Norwegian priest stood there holding the bread bowl but getting no action.

Making History... I Got to Vote in the FIRST Global Primary!

Casting my vote in the mock election at the American breakfast in Oslo. Results below...

On Super Tuesday I pressed the "submit" button on the computer in the University of Oslo library yesterday and a rush of excitement came over me. I was part of a network of U.S. expats (U.S. citizens living abroad) who made history! This year, for the first time EVER, U.S. citizens living abroad had an opportunity to vote ON-LINE in the U.S. presidential primary race. Makes me wanna say, wOOt! I didn't think I would be able to vote in the primaries and my motto is...'if you don't vote, you don't have the right to bitch about your government', which would have made me a hypocrite, as I often find faults with the current U.S. government! However, I do have hope with some of the candidates that are still left standing.

'If you don't vote, you don't have the right to bitch about your government!'

This Presidential race is breaking down barriers, not only with the use of technology for those of us concerned U.S. citizens living abroad, but also because it is the first time a woman, an African-American, a mormom, and a pastor have ever
made it this far in the race. Who would have ever thought I would possibly
be
voting for a woman or an African-American? Damn, all I can say is...that is Awesome! Plus, this race is important because we need a good replacement for the futile president that is running our country into the ground.

Wednesday a.m. I attended an American b-fast, hosted by the U.S. Embassy, Democrats Abroad, and Republicans Abroad at the Hard Rock Cafe in Oslo. Over 200 people attended the event and a mock election was conducted. Obama took the race, and Hillary was slightly trailing behind. McCain led the Republican race but only with 10% of the total vote. Norwegian ex-pats LOVE Obama!

The BEST Superbowl Commercial...

Ok, for those of you that are not from the U.S., I would like to share a little American culture. AMERICAN FOOTBALL! As, you probably know American football is all the rage in the U.S. and it brings people of all backgrounds together on Saturday (college games) and Sundays (national league games). The National Football League (NFL) is the 32 major league that plays on Sunday. If I had to put my loyalty in one team it would have to be the Denver Broncos because that is the hometown team for Colorado, and they have sassy blue and orange uniforms. However, I must admit...I'm not a big football fan, but I like the parties. The Superbowl is the BIG game of the year, which was just played this past Sunday, where the 2 teams with the best record play each other. The Superbowl, for many, is almost as important as a national holiday. There are lavish parties and a trip to the grocery store is like being in the football stands, with everyone psyched up,wearing their football jerseys, and buying potato chips and hot dogs.

But, I think the best part of the Superbowl are the commercials. Yes, the commercials! Listen, A LOT of money (2.7 million U.S. dollars per 30 second spot) goes into these commercials, as they are one of the hottest 30 second advertising spots a company can buy. Yes, ridiculous, I know...consequences of capitalism. Here is my favorite, because it just made me laugh out loud, and it says a great deal about masculinity in the U.S. The other commercial that was in the running, was from Doritos.

"Quick, do something manly!" -from the Snickers commercial

My First Video Blog...

Otherwise known as Vblog, vlogging, videoblogging, video diary, here is my first meager attempt of telling my deep, dark (and not-so-dark) secrets to the video camera. That is all I will say...press play and don't forget to leave a comment...


Warning: video blogging can reveal hidden and otherwise silly behavior.