A Weekend in Oslo

Charlie and I took a long weekend trip to Oslo, Norway to attend the 10th anniversary celebration of the hedda consortium (the consortium that developed the Euro Masters program that I participated in). It was a reunion with good friends still living in Oslo, colleagues in the higher education world, and my Norwegian professor who sits on my PhD dissertation committee. We arrived Thursday to a delicious home-cooked vegan meal prepared by my dear friend Kristi (and also our host for the next three days). She still lives in Oslo and is now working as the program coordinator for the Masters program I mentioned earlier. Kristi is from the U.S., California and Arizona, and now speaks fluent Norwegian after living in Oslo for five years. We crashed on her mack-daddy blow-up mattress. There are so many things that I love about Oslo and so, it was fun to play tour guide for Charlie. We walked through the famous Vigelands Park (naked statues) that I used to walk through everyday on my way to the campus. We took the t-bane (tram) up to the highest point in Oslo, and we walked, walked, walked the city. Such a walkable city! This will be my third trip back to Oslo after living there for almost a year. Despite the 7 euro beers, I love this city and look forward to the next trip back to Oslo.

Back to Oslo, Norway.

Going back to Oslo is always a good thing, albeit the expensive $13 glasses of beer. Everything is familiar and no maps are needed. I still have friends that live there, a bank account at Nordea, and a favorite cafe that serves up the best chocolate croissant. This visit was academic in nature, as I attended the Consortium on Higher Education Researchers (CHER) conference, hosted by the University of Oslo. With over 200 international researchers and PhD students, the conference filled my international cup with numerous sessions on interesting topics. I also had blogging responsibilities, so the rain outside was a great distraction to keep me inside and doing my work and attending sessions. It was great to catch up with old friends and network with professors and other PhD students from Australia to Europe to Africa.

NEW: Oslo Opera House

Oslo has a new Opera House. My review: very modern, linear, and funky (you can walk on the roof...not sure you would want to do that when it is cold and icy in Oslo). It reminds me of the Sydney Opera House that sits right on the harbour, yet the Oslo Opera House does not have the big pillars jetting into the sky. Here are a few photos...I was lucky enough to get a blue sky day. Ah! And, of course they were selling hot Norwegian waffles at the entrance.

My Dear Oslo…I will be back!

When I arrived in Oslo and hopped on the t-bane subway, I felt like I had come home. The Norwegian chatter, familiar sights, and smell of waffles in the air brought on a feeling of comfort that you only get when you have lived (and connected with) the local culture and surroundings. Having lived in six unique geographic locales, I know what it feels like to connect (or not) with where you live. There is a theory called, "place attachment" which describes the bonding of people to places as an interplay of emotion, cognition, and behavior. Oslo is one of those cities I will always feel attached to; perhaps it is my connection with the university, friends, the amazing hiking trails surrounding the city, the memories, and the active, healthy lifestyle of the Norwegians, or maybe it is all of the above.

Even though it was a quick 3-day trip in Oslo, I managed to get a lot done, both business and pleasure. I gave a presentation to the new students in the Master's programme that I graduated from, as a way to welcome them to the program and give them tips about the 2-year adventure they are about to embark on. I also had a planning (and laughing) meeting with the group I work with on the Hedda blog. Of course, the best part was hanging out with all of my dear friends who still live in Oslo. Friendships always make you feel more connected to a place. Plus, friends feed you well...Kristi treated me like American royalty (if there is such a thing) by making American-style pancakes and mexican food. YUM!

Luckily, I also had one sunny, blue-sky day that allowed for a grand tour of my favorite outdoor spots in Oslo including a boat trip to Bygdoy for some hiking, Vigelands park, and Aker Brygge. I ate a waffle everyday and even bought a waffle iron to help curb my Norwegian waffle obsession. Now off to Italy!

NOTE: The first photo displays my friend, Shane, wearing TIGHT pants. This is the HOT Euro trend for men. To all the American dudes reading this...forget the baggy pants, it is time to go TIGHT!

I'm OUTTA here...goodbye!

Tomorrow I will board British Air and bid farewell to Europe. After a whirlwind of travels, a thesis defense, saying goodbye to my dear friends, shedding a few tears, now I am ready to close this chapter in the book called LIFE. I graduated from the Erasmus Mundus European Higher Education Master's Programme and now I am on an emotional rollercoaster: it is sad, yet exciting...bitter but sweet. But, I know that there are more travels and even international living on the horizon, but damn it is going to be tough to settle down in one spot for potentially 4 years. In the past 2 years I will have moved 7 times and traveled 16 countries and somewhere in all of this nomadic lifestyle, I found peace. I am not quite sure what else to say right now, for once I am a bit speechless. More reflections later...

Puttin' on my travelin' shoes...

It's time to hit the road again (or shall I say the friendly skies!)

May 5-9 To BELGIUM
...to visit my former Belgium roommate

May 10-17 To MOROCCO
...to hike the Atlas mountains, shop the markets, drink mint tea & ride camels in the desert

May 19-31 To PRAGUE, CZECH & other Eastern European countries
...to play tour guide to my kid cousin who just graduated from the UCF (Florida). Go Schanell!!

June 18 To COLORADO! Home Sweet Home!

A Picnic & Prostitution!

When in Norway, do like the Nor-weegies (Norwegians)! Today was the epitome of a typical day in Oslo...after sprinting (literally, I was at the wrong dock) we met up at the boat docks by prostitution ally (yes, among the beauty of Oslo there is prostitution). We took a quick boat to Hovedøya island, in the Oslo fjord, for a day of sun and picnicking. The Nor-weegies live a quality life unlike any other culture, they love the nature (fjord, forests, mountains, lakes) and spend quite a lot of time enjoying it. So, we did it up Nor-weegie style! We arrived at noon and caught the 7 p.m. boat back to Oslo. No worries, nowhere else to go, and no time constraints. The day was filled with engangsgrill... a disposible grill (very wasteful but a great way to picnic!), lots of sun, an otherwise chaotic frisbee throwing session, laughs, ants, big cruise ships, sailboats, hot dogs, salmon and potato wraps. Then, we topped off this epic and beautiful day with drinks at an english pub where the dichotomy of Oslo beauty played out right in front of our eyes; as we watched a Norwegian man buy a prostitute and drinks before committing an ugly act.

Yes, Even Norway has Karaoke!

Last night we went to an 80's karaoke party in the Education Department's pub (each department at the University of Oslo has its own pub). A fun night to remind you of the sexy 1980's fashion was, and how many "one-hit wonders" the music scene produced. Imagine a bunch of drunk Norwegians singing, "I'm just a Gigolo" (David Lee Roth) or "I'll survive" (Gloria Gaynor). Our international crew, some of which were dressed to the hilt in Madonna-inspired 1980's gear, sang "Girls just wanna have fun" (Cyndi Lauper) and "It's raining men" (Weather Girls). As bad as it sounds, it was quite a fun evening and a good way to ring in May 1, a National Norwegian holiday that is recognized as "Labour Day".

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?