Min første gang på slalom

My first time downhill skiing wasn't exactly a success, but then again it wasn't a complete failure either.

I went in thinking "I have no idea what I am doing!" And that was right, I had absolutely no idea what to do or what to expect. It all started with the chair lift. Everything was going fine until then. Well, before that there wasn't exactly much that could have gone wrong. I mean I had the right gear, I had warm clothes on, and I had made it down the hill to where the chair lift starts at. So everything was going okay. On the skis, I can not move very fast. However, the machine that you have to slide the card in that allows you to go on the slope, that thing expects you to be a speed demon. As soon as I swiped the card the turnstile flipped around and knocked me in the butt to push me through. That was not very nice, but I managed not to fall, so it was okay. Then the chair lift... Getting on was not a problem because all you really have to do is stand there and the chair will know you down right into the seat by hitting the back of your knees. But getting off the chair lift is a different story. Not only do you have to stand up and get your balance but you have to move forward too, so the chair does not plow you over. The chair stops for no one! So as you can imagine I actually managed to stand up and get my balance but I didn't move forward quite fast enough because the chair hit me and pushed me into my sister. Some how though, she managed not to fall and only I ate snow.

Next was the task of getting to the slope we wanted to go down. This, that would probably take a normal Norwegian 20 seconds to complete, took me about 10 minutes. When I started to go my ski wouldn't really turn and I really didn't know how to make it turn so I ended up hugging a tree. I felt like I was in a bad cliched movie. But hugging a tree makes you feel so much safer. But as soon as you let go you are scared out of your mind again. My host sister and father tried to teach me techniques and tell me what I was supposed to do. They made it sound so easy, probably because they were born skiing. I fell about 10 times just getting to the top of the slope. Then once we finally got to the slope, I figured out what they called a "beginners slope" I called "the death to Becca slope". I was scared out of my mind. Because with the slopes there are certain parts that look like you are just going to plummet off the side of the earth. It sounds crazy that you are supposed to actually go down those without falling to your doom. (Okay, maybe I am being a little dramatic, but not by much.) Anyway, I fell a lot and I was scared out of my mind! My sister told me "Oh, don't fall that only makes it worse, you get more tired and more discouraged every time you fall." The only problem was, I wasn't trying to fall... It took a little over an hour to go down that slope. The only thing that kept me going down that slope was knowing that when I got down I could go inside and sit down. Otherwise I think he slope would have taken closer to 2 hours. The worst part is, when you are skiing, and trying so hard to just keep your balance. Then, these little 3 and 4 year old Norwegian kids just go skiing circles around you while you roll into the forest.

Then, for about the 10 minutes I was inside my host sister and father went down 2 slopes. Then my host dad asked "So, are you ready for another one?" At this point I was not very happy. My knees hurt, my back hurt, my butt was sore, my shoulders hurt, and I had the worst headache. I was not up for another slope. But I figured, I did not come all the way out here to just sit in a ski rental area. So back on the chair lift we went.

I actually made it on and off the chair lift without falling. I was just happy about that. Then the view form the top of the slope was just amazing. The moon was bright and the sun was just setting.

Then on the way to the slope I only fell once and it took only about 2 minutes! So I was getting really excited. Then, once we got to the slope I was doing so much better. This slope only took about 15 minutes to get down. And five of those minutes was because I was waiting for a little kid to get out of the middle of the slope because I didn't want to run into her. But I made it down the slope with only three falls. I was very happy. And one of the falls was really fun. I was trying to stop, but I couldn't turn fast enough so kind of went off a little jump and landed right in the middle of a pile of soft, deep snow. It was fun to fall, but it was a pain to try and get out of it. Then on my next, and final, fall on of my skis turned while the other didn't so I did a somersault and skidded about 15 meter on my butt backwards until I managed to stop. But, the rest of the way down the slope and to the car I didn't fall at all and I actually managed to do more than 5 turns without falling. I was very happy after the last slope. I am glad I didn't stop after the first one, then I would have left discouraged and never wanting to go on slalom again. But now, I am knid of, sort of, maybe looking forward to going back again.

Oh yes! That is me, the speed demon!

Jul i Norge!

Christmas in Norway is so cozy and relaxed. There is next to no chaos and there is no need to ever really get up early!

Christmas this year was very fun, but also very different from what I am used to. I am used to being woken up at seven in the morning by my little brother. Then opening the presents in our stockings, then the presents from Santa, and the the presents form the family a little bit later. Then, my dad usually makes breakfast with the new kitchen tool he got for Christmas. And next we get dressed and go up to my Aunt's house for a Christmas dinner with the entire family.

A Christmas of white!

This year I celebrated on a different day, in a different way, and with different people. It was very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. Instead of celebrating on the 25th of December we celebrated on the 24th. The 24th is know as Christmas Eve, but in Norway it is Julaften. I also was able to experience a white Christmas this tear and that was super fun!

On the morning of the 24th I woke up and found a stocking laying next to my bed. The stocking even had a traditional Norwegian pattern on it. I went upstairs with my sister and opened the presents in the stocking, while we were sitting next to the Christmas tree, so cozy! I got a few presents and a lot of candy. My host mom was very cute, in that she got me tea and a tea strainer so I can send it home, that way I wouldn't have to live without my tea that I have become so addicted to since I have been here :-). I also got wool socks and notebooks. You know you are in Norway when you are excited to get wool socks for a Christmas present.

The stocking next to my bed on Christmas morning

The contents of my stocking. Yes, I even got American flag socks...

Then we got called in to eat breakfast. Guess what we had for breakfast?!? We had pickled herring and onions. It wasn't bad. I haven't decided if I like it yet. It had a very unique and interesting flavor that I have not experienced before. My family said it tasted like Christmas to them, to me it just tasted like fish and onions...
Next we went out and watched traditional Norwegian Christmas television, which actually isn't Norwegian at all. We saw a Cinderella Christmas movie that was from the Czech Republic and was really badly dubbed in Norwegian. The same guy had all the characters voices, and the original voices of the characters was not taken away, so you could still her the Czech under the Norwegian, it was very strange. Then there was a British short film. It was of a butler named James and Miss Sophie. There were imaginary people at the dinner party, James always tripped over a Tiger rug, and James always asked "Same procedure as last year Miss Sophie", and she would always reply, "Same procedure as every year, James." It had absolutely nothing to do with Christmas and did not really even have a plot at all, but I guess it is tradition to watch it in Norway. Then we watched a Christmas Disney special, form America. I have actually never seen it before, but it was kind of cute.
Then, we all got ready for dinner and Christmas evening. In Norway, you have to dress fancy for Christmas, not like int he United States where you wear pajamas and maybe jeans or a dress for dinner. For Christmas, most of the family came. There was both grandmothers and my host father's sister and her family. My host mother's brother and his family couldn't come because first of all they live in Trondheim and second, they were in Belgium for Christmas.
For dinner we had traditional Norwegian Christmas food: pinneschøtt, kolarabistoppa, and potatoes. Pinneshøtt is a salty meat that is steamed and it looks like ribs. Kolarabistoppa (I am not actually sure how it is spelled) is mashed carrots and rutabaga, it is really good. Then there are the potatoes, the infamous staple of Norwegian cuisine. Then for dessert we had cloud berry cream with a small cake. That was absolutely delicious! I loved it. Cloud berries are found in the North of Norway and that is where my host mother is form. They are kind of like a better version of a raspberry.

My host mom preparing the pinneshøtt.

The table before dinner.

The extremely good cloud berry creme we had for dessert.

After dinner, everyone made their way to the living room to have coffee and cookies. Then, we opened presents when 11 year-old cousin couldn't wait any longer. For each present, the person that was handing out presents announced who it was to and from, then gave it to the person to open. The idea was to see everyone open every present that they received but that only worked for about three presents then it turned into a minor chaos. But it was fun. My favorite presents, I must say, came from my host family. My host mom knitted me a traditional sweater and they also gave me a silver necklace that was in the shape of Norway with a diamond where Sandefjord is.

After presents we had more coffee, then we had the traditional Norwegian krumsikake! That was really good. I expected it to taste like a crunchy cookie by the way it looked, but tasted more like a pound cake that was in a circle. But it was fantastic. And on the sides of the cake there were little things that looked like candy, but they were actually little things that you popped and there were jokes inside, the jokes were really bad though. Then we had more coffee, more cake, more cookies, and more chocolate. Then the adults talked, while Everyone under the age of 25 played board games and card games.

The tree and the presents.

The family talking after dinner.

It was very cozy and relaxed. It was almost so relaxed that it didn't feel like Christmas. But I have had Christmas spirit on high since about the end of November when I sent out the Christmas presents to the US.

Me and Frosty <3

Then, on the 25th, we basically just relaxed all day. But, my sister and I built a snowman, that was one of my goals this Christmas holiday, was to build a snowman!

Then on the 26th we went to one of the relatives house for dinner. There we had tradtional ribbe, which is like a rib but it looks like there are three different type of meat in one piece and there it a crunchy crust on top. Also, meatballs, sausage, and potatoes. There was also rødkål and surkål, but I don't like those. It is like pickled cabbage.

So Christmas is technically over, but it doesn't feel like it because we still have the tree up and the radio is still playing a lot of Christmas music. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Min Første Gang På Ski!

Two weeks ago I went skiing for the first time since I was five years old. And when I was five it was a 30 minute lesson, so I don't really count that as skiing. So, I went skiing for the first time two weeks ago!

Jenny, the exchange student we hosted last year, and her family took me to their cottage at Norefjell. It was so nice! They attempted to teach me how to ski. We did cross country skiing, not down hill. So it wasn't that easy. But I thought it was a successful trip, I'm not so sure what everyone else thought though. I learned how to go move without falling (for the most part), go uphill, go downhill, turn (a little bit), and stop (without falling). Before they taught me how to stop, I thought the only way was to fall down. My technique on falling was really good. My technique on falling was probably better than my technique of stopping properly. If you want to know how to fall you should first make sure the ground has some kind of fresh snow so it does not hurt extremely bad. Then all you do is kind of sit down, but off to the side so you hit the soft snow and not the hard snow that everyone else has been skiing in and made trails on. It works very well, usually. There are no guarantees with this method...

We were there for two days and we only did a little bit of skiing each day. But it was still really fun. I had a blast and I can't wait to try skiing again!

Me trying to go uphill (and Jenny helping me along)

Jenny and I when we reached (close to) the top.

Jenny and I sledding!

As you can tell I was very proud of myself after I didn't fall when I went down the hill.

This is not me after I fell! This is the first time I have ever made a snow angel!!!

What can I say? I am a California girl that just doesn't want to accept the cold weather...

Actually, in the cottage there was a sauna and I was told that it was a traditional Norwegian thing to do to roll in the snow then run back into the sauna...

All the girls on the second day of skiing :-)

My Taste of Winter

IT IS COLD!

Mind you, that I am used to southern California "winters" where the coldest I have Ever seen it get is 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Here the coldest it has been is 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius). That is cold, especially when it is windy and snow is blowing in your face. I am very proud of myself, I have only fallen on the ice once. It happened on the way home from the city tree lighting when I was telling my friend how I had almost slipped there the day before, then as soon as I said that I fell. Then I was kind of in a little pain, a little bit in shock, and I thought it was really funny. SO I just kind of laid there for the next couple minutes laughing at myself. Walking to school is a great way to wake up, but it is not always fun. Especially when it is in snowy rain. Here they call that "slud", it is basically just cold rain. It is awful. It looks like snow when it is falling, then turns into water as soon as it hits something. That only happens when it is around 0 degrees Celsius. Now it is colder, so I don't really have to worry about that :)

Me...In the snow...On top of a mountain (very Norwegian)

A view of the Sandefjord Fjord in the winter

Our house in the snow

 On December 1st there was a Christmas parade and a tree lighting in the town square. So I went down with one of my friends, we did some Christmas shopping, had a coffee and a cupcake, then walked in the parade. It was so cozy. The whole downtown was decorated with trees and lights. Then there was a Norwegian Santa Claus, called "Nissen", leading the parade. When we got to the main tow square the Nisse gave a speech and the mayor gave a speech also. Then a local choir sang and the band played as everyone danced traditional Norwegian dances around the Christmas tree. I felt like I was in a movie. It was snowing, there was Christmas music, everyone was smiling and having a good time, we were dancing around an enormous Christmas tree and singing to the carols. It was an indescribable experience that I will never forget.

The mayor giving a speech, wishing everyone "God Jul" or Merry Christmas

Nissen giving a speech.

The local choir singing as everyone goes to dance around the Christmas tree.

I am almost done with my Christmas shopping, I am so proud. I had to send my family in the US presents and that box needed to be out by November 26th, so I had finished nearly all my Christmas shopping for everyone by that point. I am super excited for Christmas. In Norway it seems like there are so many traditions around the holidays and I am excited to participate in them.

I am not really missing home at all. I am really enjoying being in Norway, the one thing I really miss is the shopping. You need so many more clothes here to stay warm, but everything is extremely expensive. And there is not much variety either, because there are not that many people. I also have realized that I am only going to be here for 10 months. I will get to celebrate an American Christmas for the rest of my life, but I only get to celebrate a Norwegian Christmas once. I only get to experience this year once and I don't want to waste it thinking about or talking to the people and things at home. All of that will be there when I return in June.

My English is getting worse as my Norwegian gets better, but my Norwegian is still not good. I have started speaking Norwegian a lot with my family and friends, but English is always there in case I don't know how to say a word. Thank goodness there is spell check on this because my English spelling is getting awful. I used to be great in English, my best subject in school, and now I just tried to spell English as "Inglish" and speech as "speach". Help me! Then don't even ask me about Spanish, when I try and write Spanish it just comes out Norwegian  the teacher said he will try and grade me a little differently than all of the other students because I am trying to learn two languages at one time. Jeg skal snakker bare Norsk nå!