D to the O to the N to the E!!

Mr. T was turned in Tuesday at 9:08 a.m. The elephant is off my back! All I could do yesterday was sleep, watch Oprah & 30 Rock & drink Corona. Ahhhhhh...bliss!

Divorce Settlement in Motion...

Over the past 4 months I have vowed my love and devotion to this inanimate object I lovingly call, Mr. Thesis (Mr. T, for short). Mr. T and I were the type of companions that just existed as one. We went on hikes together (see picture), we walked to campus everyday, spent long days together learning about each other and discovering strengths and weaknesses, and we even went on a BIG trip together across the Atlantic Ocean (to visit Georgia and Colorado). I introduced him to my family and he made quite a good first impression, my brother thought Mr. T was so cool that he invited him to visit (Obrigata, little kid bro..for proofing). Of course Mr. T & I had a few rough spots, like that one day I wanted to light him on fire and watch his ashes spiral to the depths of the Oslo fjord. But, for the most part we fell in love! However, now that love is fading away, as I have molded and changed him to the best of my ability and well...its just not F-U-N anymore. Therefore, I'm filing the divorce papers on Monday.

After...
90 pages, too many endless cups of Earl Grey, living at the UiO library, 500 hours of blood, sweat & tears, chasing after my BUSY supervisor, 27 back aches, 4 canker sores, one growth on my ankle, 5 dead trees (from making copies), 20 bottles of wine to take away the pain, and one bad-ass THESIS...
I'm done...in 48 hours!
Woohoo, time to travel!

Spring Has Sprung in OSLO!

Just in the last week, the sun has arrived, carrying with it spring --by piggyback. Previous to this week, it was cold (30-40F), rainy, and quite dreary. But now the tulips are blooming, the trees have buds, everyone is biking, walking, grilling...Oslo is waking up! I love SPRING, it is my favorite season...the new growth always seems to be symbolic of life patterns. When I arrived in Oslo, the days were short and dark, it felt like the big bear was hibernating. Now, the days are longer, sunrise at 5:30 a.m. and sunset at 9 p.m., and as summer gradually arrives the days will only get longer. The hiking trails have become super highways, the park has become a meeting spot for BBQ's and sports, and even a woman walking her dog smiled at me yesterday (which is a rarity in the Norwegian culture.)

It's Saturday Night in Oslo...

and I'm doing laundry and proofing my thesis. Lame! But, this blog entry is not about my lameness, it's about the last two Saturday nights...dinner parties, crazy conversations, dancin', and lots of laughing!

Living abroad, I've learned that my local friends are extremely important to my daily well-being, not only to speak English with, but also to digest and make sense of the daily cultural experiences, frustrations, and funny moments. And, believe me I've had plenty of funny cultural moments (more like embarrassing moments!) Anyway, this blog is dedicated to my local buddies here in Oslo. The friends who keep me sane (especially during this thesis process), make me laugh, and are just there for support! In Portugal we would say, Obrigata! For some reason, the conversation at the dinner parties these past two Saturday's were intense, and completely unfiltered. Meaning...any topic was open for unfiltered, REAL, and otherwise shocking conversation. Here is a quick peak at some of those moments...

A Blast From the Past!

My friend, Keena (orange sweater), sent me these high school photos and WOW...was that a blast from the past! I can't get over how big our hair was and how much hairspray we used on a daily basis. And the fashion was simply over the top--not one pair of socks, not two, but three and all of them different colors matching whatever you were wearing--see the neon photo. Oh yeah, and neon was HOT back in those days. The style and fashion displayed in these photos brings back many memories, but what I have been thinking about the most was how free spirited we were. We lived day to day with big dreams, big hair, yet simple pleasures, bad fashion, lots of laughs, and silly moments, not really taking life all that serious. It is a similar feeling to what I have experienced the past year and a half; traveling, laughing, and living day-for-day, moment-for-moment. Simply enjoying life and forgetting that somewhere out there reality beckons. I suppose now my 'free-spiritedness' is a bit different than back in 1991, as I appreciate it more and I'm more reflective about it. I guess the reason why I'm writing this blog is because I miss it a bit. I feel shackled to this damn thesis... soon, I will be back to living with a free-spirit, after the thesis and before the PhD.

A Thesis Interpretive Dance...

Yep, the deadline is fast approaching and after meeting with my supervisor yesterday, I figure an interpretive dance would be a much better way of expressing my findings and conclusions. Woo! (Imagine Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk)! Owww!
Ha, ha! I wish it could be that simple. A few days ago I heard myself say, "Ah, I maybe have 20 hours more before I'm done." Ha, maybe 50 hours is more like it. But, as pressure has a weird way of motivating me, I'll get it done. No worries!



The weather has been playing in my favor (I'm trying hard to put a positive twist on this dreafully soggy existence I am now living!) The sun is on vacation in the South of Europe, so I'm keeping to the warmth and dryness of my comfy black chair (with beautiful lumbar support) in the library. And, I love my tea/coffee meetings (and much needed breaks) with my friends.



Everyday, I wake to the sound of NO alarm (ah, this is so nice...I need to remember this feeling in about 4 months) and walk to campus (in the rain!) This is the lovely part of my day because I walk through Vigeland's Park (see PICS) with all of the naked statues, the peaceful ducks feeding their young, and the women enjoying their 1 year PAID maternity leave as they leisurely take their babies for a stroll. I'm sucking in as much of these 'Oslo favorites' as I can before the dreadful D-DAY comes. Remind me...why do I want to do a PhD back home?

Happy 232nd Blog Post!

We must celebrate today because this is my 232nd blog entry, Woohoo! Time to take the bus to the Vinmonopolet (liquor store) and get myself a 100 kroner (12 euro/18 US) bottle of wine. Yes, believe it...that is what it costs (on average) to buy a decent bottle of wine in Norway. Did you know that the Norwegian government has owned all of the liquor stores (this is the same case in Finland) since 1939? Crazy, huh? I guess that there was a turbulent past with Norwegians drinking habits and after the temperance movement the state took over. See pic from 1920's Vinmonopolet. The Norwegian alcohol policies ensure that there is no private profit from alcohol sales, therefore the state owns it (and pockets all of the money.) Ah, come on, afterall this is a socialist country, so the proceeds go to universal health care or social security and a beautiful prison retreat on an island.

The Vinmonopolet's motto is, "A Modern Chain with a Social Responsibility."

This is the reason why people rush to the duty free shop after landing at the Oslo airport--the alcohol is NOT taxed. Let me quickly digress...the taxes in this country are above anything you can imagine. The standard VAT (tax) is 25%. OUCH! But, then again the Norwegian government takes care of their people...1 year PAID maternity leave, retirement benefits, universal healthcare, excellent public transportation, beautiful community, etc. I guess it all comes around. Therefore, I just need to be 'kharmanized" (that is definitely not a word) everytime I buy a bottle of wine with the fact that I am investing in the welfare of the healthy and happy Norwegians.

Excellent, Brilliant, & Fabulous!

The latest low-down:

1.) I have accepted the University of Georgia PhD offer!

2.) I am on the home-stretch to finishing my thesis. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! April 28 is the magical date, when I will officially file the paperwork and get a divorce from this 4-month love affair. Woohoo...

Here is a video of a typical thesis-infused day on the University of Oslo campus. Enjoy!

Sleepless in Oslo & other ramblings...

It is now Wednesday. I arrived in Oslo on Saturday. You would think I would be back to sleeping like a baby while the nights are dark and the city is quiet. Not so much! Where is my sandman who sprinkles the sleep dust? The last time I saw him I was jolly-as-ever on the transatlantic flight to London with my gay flight attendant feeding me wine. Well, I am anything but jolly now. I'm tired. I'm brainless. I'm achy. And I have a thesis to write. This has got to be a nightmare! Justin Timberlake, forget it...I don't want my sexy back, I want my sleep back!

The research question:

To what extent does sleeping 16 hours (yes, 2 nights of sleep back-to-back) the night you arrive back in Oslo, cause sleep patterns to be disturbed?

Sub-questions:

Why does sleeping from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. hinder the natural bodies circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep when normal people sleep in Oslo?


How will this tired state-of-being affect my thesis writing, can I get a doctor's note for an extension, at what point should I slam sleeping pills, when should I succumb to living life on the night shift?