Sunday, August 31, 2008

Weird feelings

I don't know what has been up with me today. Or for that matter, what has been up with me lately in general. Being in this strange situation has turned me somewhat anti-social. Instead of continuing to pursue friendships I have taken a liking to being alone... well, not necessarily a liking, but I'm exhausted from this process already. And I can't stop thinking about this visa. The website says it can take up to 5 months. 5 months!!!! Think of all the things a person could do in 5 months... I think sending a letter to someone accepting their application can be done much sooner. I don't understand how their could be so many applications ahead of mine that it would take 5 months. So... maybe it won't. But I don't feel good and I won't until that stamp is in my passport. I'm tired of walking around as a tourist. I want that stamp. I want to be official. I'm tired of the stress and worry.

I like this song writer Sufjan Stevens... but I've been avoiding listening to his music because I really got into it while I was in Alabama before I left. I don't think I've cried more listening to music than I have listening to his... not because it's brilliant or anything, but because I had an incredibly emotional week before leaving for Norway. I don't think you can imagine how a person feels when they have no emotional preparation time to move to another country... no visa... one of your best friend's father in law is dying... you get along with your parents... and you have to pay rent in two countries... it's overwhelming. I wasn't prepared to leave. I wanted to be sick of everything. Sick of the USA, sick of family, sick of Tallahassee, sick of Alabama... but I wasn't. I was perfectly happy with everything before I left and I think that makes it much harder. I came here alone and still feel quite alone. I haven't had the strength yet to INSIST on people being my friend... I just hate going that route. Maybe this week...

This weekend... well today... was a blow. I wanted to practice 4 hours. I sacrificed one of those hours for eating dinner with a friend... but she couldn't make it... which I found out once I got home. So here I am... in a bit of a sour mood. Yesterday I practiced this much AND cleaned Froydis' house and made 500 NOK. Yesterday was a good day. But I want more... patience. Besides practicing, today I've been watching Sixteen Candles. Perhaps I will call some family now.

Anyways, in a little while I will put of some pictures of the lake next to my apartment. Really pretty... unlike this depressing weather.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Here's stepping outside of the box...

The first class I have attended in Norway...

Arranging and Orchestration...

IN NORWEGIAN. YIKES.

The professor was really cool though and just told me to pay attention even if I don't understand so that I can learn the language faster. Then he said just to talk to him for 15 minutes or so after class to get the general points. I think I will make some friends in this class so I can ask them questions later on when I begin to understand the language but perhaps the professor speaks too fast or something...

So today I had that class at 9 then I practiced for a while. Then I joined some of my friends in the cafeteria and talked for a while. Then I went home and had some lunch and relaxed a little bit. Then back to school for more practicing... a couple of hours in fact. Then home around 6 and just kind of hung out until 8 when my friend Jonas came over for dinner. My girls from Singapore are great cooks and they made some potatoes and lentils and rice for dinner. Jonas was very impressed and somewhat jealous of the food I eat every night for dinner. BAHAHA.

Tomorrow I'm probably going to go get my student card finally so I can have access to the entire building without having to bother someone to open the doors for me. And this weekend... who knows? I will probably clean Froydis' house because I need to do laundry. And the money won't hurt either. Maybe if the weather is decent on Saturday I can get some people together to go to the Islands or something... or maybe Froydis' husband will take me fishing in the Fjord. Who knowsss?

Ciao for now! -jo

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

the sun just came out... literally

Let me first express to the ABC studios: YOU ARE GOING TO RUIN MY LIFE. Why can't viewers from outside the USA watch full episodes online??? This is CRAP. I want to be able to watch Grey's!

Next, my cell phone number is no longer in operation. So sad. BUT, if you have some sort of emergency and need to contact me, my new number is:

+47 46 27 15 47
The better way to contact me though is through email, facebook, or Skype. I don't want to pay for your long distance text messages or calls. So, EMERGENCIES ONLY, PLEASE.

On another note, my computer may have a virus! OH JOY! Once again, nothing in Norway has been easy. I got a link sent from a friend saying "Look at this hilarious picture of you!" And I clicked on it. DUH. I downloaded some virus killing software, but you can never be sure if it's gone. My computer is running a little slower than normal, but that may just be in my head.

Today has been a slow day. REALLY SLOW. I got up at 9. Went to school at talked to Solveig about my elective choices. Hopefully she was impressed with my organization because yesterday I didn't have a clue what I was doing. The verdict is (temporarily, of course):

Orchestra
Chamber music
Horn lessons
Horn class
Brass class
Contemporary music ensemble
Norwegian
Historical interpretation (maybe)
Audition training
Historical dance
Intonation (maybe)
Arranging/Orchestrating

So, it turns out that it isn't as terrible as I think. And only the Historical interpretation class is in Norwegian and I emailed the professor and told him I only speak English and he said I am still welcome to join the class.......... SO WE WILL SEE!

As for the rest of my day, I practiced for an hour or so. Then, I ate lunch... by myself. BOO. Then, I practiced some more. Then, I bought a cup of coffee because my caffeine with drawl is driving my NUTS. I'm always pretty tired and I'm tired of it. GIVE ME COFFEE! And now I'm here. And it's just past 2 oclock. Whaaaaat a boring day. Considering in a few hours I will probably go practice another hour.

Once again, someone has some random idea in their head that I'm a good high horn player. Do they realize how terrible my technique is when playing high? A lot of pressure and a weeny sound. I just don't get it. I trust Froydis............ but she will see soon enough. I mean, of course I'm working on it and I'm happy that it's obviously improving, but it is not COMFORTABLE yet... and who likes to do things they aren't comfortable with? But I guess I can add it to my list of things that make me uncomfortable in Norway.

Living in someone else's apartment
My visa taking some undisclosed amount of time to be issued
Playing high horn
Not having many friends
Living in a box

Anyways, I think this enough for now!

Ciao! -jo

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Picture of the day

Pictures!!!

CLICK ON THE PICTURES AND YOU CAN VIEW THEM FULL SCREEN!

Did I mention this is where I live? I got this view by riding the subway about 20 minutes up the mountain. Pretty freaking cool.

This was taken from the same place the last picture was taken... just a little bit further to the west.

No. You will not see me skiing down this. This was the ski jump they used in the winter olympics when it was here. Now people do it for fun in the winter. I think I will venture back up to watch people take the jump!!!
Another picture of Oslo from the ski jump. Amazing. Can't wait to show some people this when they come and visit. :)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Today

I've decided to just be a 3rd year student. The stress of doing two years in one is going to take over me and more importantly take over my horn playing. I won't allow this sacrifice.

But also, I finally got to sleep in! Until 11:30! I was talking to mom and dad until 1:30am... and then I fell asleep HARD. I'm about to make something for breakfast... don't have many options. Maybe tuna again? Then I am going to buy a lock for my locker down the street from school. Then I will PRACTICE. Then I will go get my phone registered. Then (probably by 3 or 4) I will go to Grondland and buy some fresh vegetables. Life is better with fresh and cheap vegetables. Then I will practice until 8 or so. Then home is where the heart is.

Sounds like a good day to me. The weather is gorgeous, but you can't take that for granted here... it can change within 10 minutes to the worst day ever.

And on another side note, I just saw a girl walking past my window with her parents. Jealous.

And Obama picked the VP. I will have to get the scoop from mom and dad. I have heard good things about him and Sarah is happy... so those are two pluses.

Love you all!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A thought...

As I was waiting at my train stop, I turned around to look at the little mountain with the forest growing on it with the clouds seeping through the trees... And I saw a little patch of blue sky through the awful weather. And it made me think... sometimes we forget the blue sky is still behind all those grey clouds. But perhaps we just need to see it to remember that.

I know I'm trying.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

longest day EVER

Here was the plan...
Wake-up and go to the central train station to buy a train ticket
When buying the train ticket, ask where the police station was that I needed to go to
PROBLEM SOLVED

But this is what happened...
Place I thought was to buy ticket was closed
Woman in central station tells me to go to tourist information to find out where the police station is
Can't find tourist information
Walk around downtown for a little bit looking for a police station...nothing
Go to school to ask where the police station is
Walk in the wrong direction for several minutes
Turn around and find the police station
Turns out to be the wrong police station
Get directions to the right police station
LINE OUT THE DOOR WITH FOREIGNERS
Decide to come back before the open tomorrow
Go back to the central station ticket place is open
This is not where you buy your train pass
Walk around the central station for a while looking for the ticket place
Ask
Turns out to be the tourist info. place I couldn't find
LINE OUT THE DOOR.
Decide to go back tomorrow earlier.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Aus Muenchen

Preface: I am writing this at a time I cannot post it. SO, if some of you have heard a different perspective from me already, bear with me.

6:52am Tallahassee time

12:52pm Munich time

I’m tired. I want to sleep. The flight from Charlotte to Munich went relatively fast, so I have that to be thankful for. 7 hours and 40 minutes. I slept about 2 to 3 of those hours. The rest I spent dozing and reading and watching movies. The delay in Charlotte was a real bummer, but the Munich airport doesn’t have much to offer, so maybe enduring there was a good thing. I would have fallen asleep by now if my layover was still 6 hours. I will be arriving in Oslo around 5. THANK GOD. I want to go to BED. I made the mistake of ordering a beer in some organic bistro in the Munich airport. Of course I forgot the word for glass……. So they started speaking in English to me. Whatever. Too tired to really care if they think I’m an idiot. I forgot that beers here are ½ liters. So it took me a while to finish it, but when I stood up, I was walking a little crooked. Harharhar. So far I’m the only person sitting at the gate to Oslo. Perhaps it’s a private jet. If there was a sign that this is all meant to be, I’m sure that would be a pretty obvious one. OH, no one was sitting next to me on the way to Munich so I could stretch out a little bit. There were several attractive German boys in the terminal, but I never am lucky enough to actually be seated by one. Although one was sitting across the isle from me… but up close he looks 15. I would say that is out of my range… BAHAHAHA. (I’m tired. Did I mention that?) So back to my beer, I got an organic bagel with cheese, cream cheese, lettuce, and cucumber to accompany it. I left a quarter of it sitting on the table. The beer was obviously more important to finish. The meal cost around 9 euros. That’s $13 maybe? Eeeeeek. I probably won’t eat dinner. Froydis is picking me up in her car, but I still have to ride the train to meet her… stupid train ticket costs $20 or so. So I definitely don’t think I will eat dinner. And just for the record, I’m fairly certain I ate meat in this pasta JUNK they served us. It was nasty. NASTY. Haven’t found a place to exchange my currency yet. I remember there being something in Oslo. If not, I will just use my credit card… I’m going straight to bed anyways, so I don’t really need money yet. Oh… but for the train tomorrow TO SCHOOL. BUUUUUUUUUH. I don’t wanna go to school yet!!! There were two “good-ole-boys” on the plane to Munich. The German word for Munich is Muenchen. These guys were reading signs off of cars (which they were laughing at because they were smaller than their chevy pick-ups) and saying “Moo-chien”……..when you would really say something like “Muen-ken.” What was even better, is that they were saying it with a southern accent. Couldn’t think of anyone but dad when I heard that. BAHAHA. He would have done the same thing. But I think it’s good that they are getting out and seeing the world. Even if it is for……some German hunting exposition. I almost got the guts to talk to some little German kids… but they wouldn’t understand the concept of slowly speaking to me. It wouldn’t be half as interesting for them as it is to me.

Anyways, I guess that is all for now. I need a short nap. Maybe I will set my alarm to go off in an hour. I’m basically screwed with the jet lag. I need to be tired by 8 tonight. Then I will sleep until 7 the next morning before SCHOOL. BUH.

Love everyone,

Johanna