AFS Midtårsopphold

On the 25th to the 27th of January we had our mid-year camp with AFS. It was basically to make sure everyone was still alive and well and hadn't frozen to death. But, it was also so all the exchange students could see everyone from our region again. There are about 15 exchange students that live in the same chapter and see each other all the time. Then, there are the rest of us. For instance, I am the only exchange student in Vestfold, my chapter, and the only exchange student at my my school. So this camp was the first time I was able to see the other exchange students since the last camp in September. Now, our next camp is at the end of June when we have to leave Norway.

All the exchange students in Region 2!

Friday January 25th was the first day of the camp. But first, we had to get to the camp which was basically in the middle of no where. It was at a camp site in Vegårshei. To get there I took the train. I didn't go to school that day because I had to wake up, pack, eat breakfast, pack lunch, and be on the train by 11:00. At 11 I took the train to Drammen. Then I waited in Drammen for an hour for the next train. The next train was to Vegårshei. On this train I met all the other exchange students. This was a 3 hour train ride so I had some time to talk with everyone :-)

It was nice to see everyone and have time to talks with them, but I was so sick of breathing train air. I had been traveling on a train for nearly 5 hours and I was sick of it. Norway has probably the freshest air in the world, but not on trains.

Once we got to Vegårshei the next step was waiting for the bus. And of course the bus did not have enough room for all of us. So while half of us were taken to the camp site, the other half had to wait at the deserted train station. I was in the half that was left waiting. Once all of us were at the camp site we chose our rooms am roommates. I was in a room with Chihiro (from Japan), Anna (from France) and Camille (from France).

Then I was assigned to make dinner with four other exchange students. It was called "Amerikansk Grytte", but it was definitely not American. Well at least I have never seen or eaten it before. After dinner we all just relaxed and talked with each other. Så koselig.

Chihiro from Japan, me, and Ester from Spain

Me and Clement from France

Stephanie from Venezuela and I modelling.

Amana from Brazil, me, and Anna from France

On Saturday we were told to be at breakfast at 9:00. We had bread, of course. What other food do Norwegians eat? Then we went and had a meeting about things we liked and disliked about Norway or things we had problems with. With the problem things we split up into groups and each group had to find a solution to 3 problems. Our group got three problems that are nearly impossible to fix: Norwegians use cell hones too much, the roads are slippery, and misunderstanding when people speak Norwegian to you.  Afterwards, we had lunch; which of course was bread. After lunch we talked with each other, and it was great because one of the exchange students took ice cream from the freezer and we all went to someones room and ate the entire container in less than 10 minutes. For dinner we had tacos, Norwegian tacos. After that, some people had meetings with the leaders to discuss how everything was going. Then we played a game where you have a post-it on your forehead with a name that someone else wrote, and you ask yes/no questions to try to guess what the name is.

We were supposed to go to sleep at midnight, but instead we had a little "dance party" and talked a lot, and some people jumped off a balcony into the snow. Then we talked some more and  I went to bed at 3:30ish, but I was one of the first people to go to sleep.

The nest morning we were supposed to be down at breakfast at 8:30, but most people didn't get there until 9 or 10. We then had to pack and clean the rooms. Then we played more games, talked more, and took a lot of pictures out in the snow.

Crazy exchange students who thought it was warm...

Then the bus came to take us back. But, when we got to the train station, the train was 40 minutes late. So someone played the guitar and we had a group singing session. Some of the exchange students are really good singers, then others are really, really bad. When we finally got on the train, the train was not big enough so we had kind of a mad dash for the seats and hoped that everyone got one. Then again, I had to get off and wait at the Drammen station, I didn't think it would be as long this time because of the train's delay, but the train from Drammen to Sandefjord was delayed because of the weather too, so I still waited for an hour. When I finally got home at about 10P.M. I was exhausted and went almost straight to sleep.

Norsk Presentasjonen

In Norwegian Class we were assigned to make a Norwegian presentation. It was about elements of nonfiction. Mine and my partner were assigned the task of a newspaper article. We had to explain the function of a newspaper article, how a newspaper article is usually set up and what are the main parts, and then we had to show an example.

I made the majority of the PowerPoint. Which I am still not sure if everything was spelled properly. Anyway, we had our presentation last Thursday. It was my first time having a presentation in Norwegian. I had a lot of notes because it is nearly impossible for me to memorize five minutes of what I should say about a topic that I maybe couldn't even speak for five minutes about in English.

I usually like oral presentations because it gives you a chance to present your idea and what you were thinking, not just what you were able to write down and say in a PowerPoint or an essay. But, that is in English.

But, for the presentation my partner and I got a 4! That is the equivalent to about an 83%, or a B!!! I was so excited! Who knew I was so good in Norwegian... :-)

SA - UKA

SA-Uka is a week that AFS has all the exchange students find a job and work. It was January 14th to January 18th. It is a volunteer week where we are supposed to see into the working life of Norway. It is supposed to open our eyes to a different part of the country.

I worked at Ivar Halvosens A/S. It is a bakery, a store (kind of like a deli), and a cafe. I worked in the cafe section. Everyone there was extremely nice. Before I had my work week I was talking with some people that go there a lot and a girl that worked there and the first thing they said was that everyone there is extremely nice. I had also heard that Halvorsens had the best coffee in the city.

On my first day at work I met Bente, the boss, and she showed me around the bakery, the store, the locker room, and where the employees eat lunch.. After I put on my hat and apron she took me to the cafe. At the cafe I met who I would be working with for the week: Hilde, Anne-Grethe, Phan, and Therese.

Everyday I started work at 9:00 A.M., that was great, I was able to sleep a little bit longer than I normally would for school. Then we closed everyday at 4:00 P.M. and I left for home at 4:45 P.M. I did almost the same thing everyday because in the cafe we always made food, made coffee, washed dishes, and cleaned up inside the kitchen and also the tables in the eating space. I washed a lot of dishes and cleaned a lot of tables. But, the best part about working at a cafe is that there is really good food you get to eat everyday for lunch and there is also really good coffee and cakes. For lunch on Monday I had an omelet and the rest of the week I ate a different sandwich from the cafe. I had three coffees almost everyday and from Wednesday to Friday Phan made me a cafe latte (my favorite drink). What is funny, is that when I came to Norway I did not like coffee at all, and now I am having at least one cup of coffee everyday. Now, after SA-week I have learned about all the different types of coffee and how to make some of them. Also, Hilde told me that I had to taste a different cake everyday I worked there. That was probably the best part about working there, Halvorsens has very good cake. On Monday I tasted the cheese cake, Tuesday was a nut cake, Wednesday was a marzipan cake, Thursday I tried a raspberry tart. Then on Friday I was told i had to try two cakes because it was my last day, I tasted chocolate cake and carrot cake. I think my favorites were the carrot cake and the raspberry tart. I also made a lot of food. I made sandwiches with ham and cheese, with carbonada, with vegetables, with chicken and tomato, and also with shrimp and egg. I was also in charge of making the salad everyday two with chicken and tomatoes and two with shrimp and egg. I also talked with the other employees. They told me a little history about Halvorsens A/S. Wilhelm Hedvard Halvorsen started his bakery in Sandefjord in 1879. It was called Langgaden, but when his son took over in 1914, the name changed. Today the business is Vestfold's (the county I live in) oldest bakery and Sandefjord's fifth oldest business.

I liked to work there very much. The people there were very nice, or as it would be directly translated from Norwegian "the people there are very cozy". And everything went well. On my last day working there they asked if I wanted to come in and work the next week too. Also, the told me if I come back I can get a job there. Maybe I will do that......

The people I worked with

The cafe

Making a coffee

Godt nytt år!

Happy New Year!

2012 was nothing less than a roller coaster, but it was definitely loads of fun. I went from taking six classes at school, one class online, and playing a sport to one of the most stressful summers of my life with visiting everyone and trying to do everything before I left for Norway in August. I can still remember sending in my finished application at the February. And I will surely never forget when I found out that I was chosen by a host family at the end of March. I was at softball practice when I got the email, I was jumping up and down and running in circles. I think that was the happiest I have ever been at a practice :-).
Then, on June 26th, my birthday, Jenny left us to return to Norway with her family. That was extremely sad, Jenny had become a member of the family and she was like a sister to me, and still is.
Then, in the summer I had to visit all my family before I left because everyone wanted to see me at least once. I also had to fill out final forms for AFS, go to many doctors appointments to make sure I had all the vaccines and was a-okay to depart on my adventure. Then was the ordeal of packing. After I got my travel itinerary from AFS and the luggage tags in August, I had to begin putting the things I wanted to bring with me in the big, purple suitcase. That took a lot of time and effort. Also, never living in a cold climate before, I had no idea what I was in for. So, when I packed my rainbow flip flops and my short, I actually expected to use them. Haha! And my mom also convinced me that I shouldn't bring my Uggs or my Hunter rain boots (she ended up sending me those in a package over).
Then I had to go out for my last dinner in California with my best friend and my sister at the Cheese Cake Factory.
Then the next day I left for New York with my mom. Then after two days in New York I went to the AFS orientation.
After one day there, the other four Americans and I flew to Norway. Then arriving in Norway was a incredible.
Then the day after I met my family I had my first day of school. From August to December, school was not easy. I had a rough start with not knowing anything anyone said, but, gradually it got easier and I managed to make some friends. Now, looking back and looking ahead, I am proud of what I have accomplished and I am only looking forward to the next six months and the things I will encounter.

To celebrate New Year's, I went to a party with a friend. It was a very cozy dinner party where I met a lot of new people. At midnight we walked down to the city to see the fireworks they were setting off. Then I went over to my friend's house and we watched a movie and ate pizza. It was a very nice evening!

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 :-)