POTTERU

My new blog!

2009-08-24T01:19:00.000+01:00

Visit my new and improved blog at www.cathrinealice.wordpress.com !

The lure of London

2009-08-19T22:43:00.005+01:00

I have been granted my student loan! I am quite pleased with the amount, although I was of course hoping for more so I could place the money in high interest accounts and recieve lots of money for free. But I understand that the Norwegian government wishes to avoid voracious students like me taking advantage of their generosity. If I set up a strict budget for myself, I believe I shall manage to lead quite a comfortable, English life. Splurging money on clothing and entertainment is strictly prohibited unless it is the end of the month and I have managed to save up some leftovers for my amusement. Fortunately for me I am not a person with an expensive taste, and I don't enjoy spending foolish sums on brands and gizmos. What I do worry about though, is that I shall be living in the metropolis that is LONDON. I shall be surrounded by clubs, theatres, cinemas, tourist traps and exhibitions - and THAT is where all my money will dissapear to. How can a student withstand the temptations of the British capital? (I can't say I am not thrilled to be living near the entertainment disctrict of Piccadilly though. I am a sucker for musicals, and seeing "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Chicago" is already on my to-do list).

I should be off to bed now, as I am working tomorrow. My co-worker fell and hurt her back, so I am taking over her shifts this week. I don't mind. As you've learned from this blog entry, money can come in handy in London! I also need money as we are all going dancing on Saturday!

Qipao

2009-08-16T23:29:00.012+01:00

After a nightmare of a shift at work yesterday, it was fun to spend the Sunday with my dear Dittaru. Jessheim Storsenter was open from 14:00-18:00, so we kicked off the day with a bit of shopping. I was determined to confine myself to window shopping only, but somehow I managed to throw myself over a Belle & Sebastian CD and the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels OST anyway. I tell you everyone - here is your girl with restraint and self-control. I am not regretting the splurge at all however, as I am loving my new music.

When we got back to my place we dressed up in our qipaos, stuck various objects in our hair and plastered our faces with foundation. Then we ran giggling out to the garden to take pictures. What is life without a bit of photo-whoring to make yourself look completely ridiculous?

I love my qipao, although it is most likely fake silk that I spent far too many Renminbi on at the "Silk" Marked in Bejing. I managed to use my crappy Mandarin to have it fitted by a tailor though - and I am still proud to this day.

Piazza, New York Catcher

2009-08-14T00:53:00.004+01:00

I've become extremely fascinated by cover versions and the uniqueness of voices. One of my favourite songs from the movie Juno ("Piazza, New York Catcher" by Belle and Sebastian) has been covered by several people on YouTube, and listening to people's different singing is strangly intriguing. Therefore I decided to record my own cover version of the song. Mind you, it is not me playing the guitar. I'm just completely drowning out the original cover version I found on YouTube, so that the voice you hear is 100 % mine but the guitar is 100 % somebody else's. I have been told that my voice has always been quite deep - both when talking and singing. Sometimes I've wished it to be more delicate and femine, as I think it is slightly too rumbling for this type of song. It should be sung delicatly like in the original version. But hey, we all have to do things our way rather than copying others, and the whole point of cover versions is to present people with a different way of hearing a song. So here it goes.

MY VERSION

HER VERSION

This version is great - she has such a beautiful sweet and delicate voice. This is how I personally think the song should sound like.

Well, this was fun everyone. Must definitely repeat this, despite people caring or not.

August so far

2009-08-13T18:28:00.006+01:00

I bought a red chequered autumn jacket from H&M, and while I was expecting to inaugurate it somewhere in London sometime in October, it was inaugurated today. On August 13th. The heater is on, and my mom and I are freezing. It is summer in Norway everyone! A few days ago while I was in Sweden enjoying the sun, there was a massive thunderstorm here. 4000 lightnings struck, and two nearby houses burnt to the ground. Luckily nobody was injured. The rest of us got away with a broken cable TV that is still not working after three days.

I've got lots of shifts at work this week which is great, as I have used what must be at least 15 000 NOK in July mostly thanks to university expenditures. 5000 NOK went to my accommodation deposit, 2000 NOK to my ANSA student insurance, 5000 NOK for a new laptop and DVD burner - and 2000 NOK for flight and train tickets. I also need to buy myself a new suitcase as I am bringing a whole year's worth of stuff to London. That will cost me at least 1000 NOK as I am buying a good quality suitcase this time, and not some cheap Made in Thailand edition that lasted one trip to Beijing and back.

Otherwise I have been playing around with my new laptop, and since I am working during the days I don't feel like a slob for doing so. I'm really pleased with it so far, and its performance is actually better than I expected! The keyboard is really comfortable to write on, and although the widescreen format was annoying at first it is really starting to grow on me. Surprisingly I am also loving the glossy screen, despite critics and users in general hating it. Today I've been transferring photos and music on to the hard drive. I mean - what is a student without heaps of friend photos and music? So far I've got Alanis Morisette, Hang on the Box, Kimya Dawson, Surferosa, Enya (the woman is a goodess!), various classical music, Christmas songs (for December mind you) and the "Le Fabulex Destin d'Amelie Poulain" soundtrack. However, I feel a need to widen my musical horizon, and I am looking for more good music I can take with me to England. I am a great fan of quirky music (Kimya Dawson, Hang on the Box), angry girl bands (Bikini Kill) and singer/songwriters. Anyone has any ideas for stuff I should be listening and fangirling to? Marianne has suggested Morcheeba.

Hurray, here is dad with the Chinese take-away! Going to throw my hungry self over it!

My ASUS baby

2009-08-11T21:48:00.010+01:00

They say motherhood is the best feeling in the world. I totally get it now. Look at the beauty awaiting me as I came home from Sweden! My newly arrived ASUS Eee 1101HA baby! Like all annoying mothers I shall pamper and coddle it, and claim that it is the most beautiful little baby in the world. Also behold the delicious pink colour. I am not what you would describe as a feminine girl, but the pink edition had me swooning like a teenager in love.

Because of its small size Henrik has been mocking me for its low performance, saying it is hardly a PC suitable for downloading and online gaming. (Stuff that he values in a computer). However, that is not what I need. I need a work laptop that will help me through life as a struggling, deprived student. It has to be light and portable, and have a battery with a long life span. The ASUS 1101HA fullfill all of my demands. It is a crossing between a netbook and a laptop. With its 11,6'' screen it allows for a much wider area of use than the excessively small netbooks (like movie watching and computer gaming). However, it is much lighter and more portable than your average laptop, and can be slipped into a handbag without further ado. With the ASUS 1101HA weighing only 1,35 kg (CD/DVD player is external) and the battery lasting for over 8 hours (!), this netbook allows me to study anywhere at any time. It has also got a built-in microphone and webcamera so that I can easily chat to Henrik on Skype while in London. In other words, this laptop possesses everything that I need to survive three years of study hell/heaven at UCL!

Just like heaven

2009-08-06T14:37:00.017+01:00

The first week of August was spent in the north of Sweden at Henrik's family's cabin near the town of Skellefteå. This was my third visit, and now a summer without a trip to Boviken is unthinkable. Not only because it is the most peaceful, recreational spot in the world - but also because it is the only week of sunshine I get living in rainy, coastal Norway. The cabin is located right by the sea, and only a short bike ride away there is a sandy beach with a lovely camping area and a beach kiosk selling newspapers and ice cream. A lot of time was spent here soaking up the sun and bravely trying to dip our toes into the icy Nordic water. (Okay, so it was only me who did not dare to get into the water). It is truly the most wonderful place in the world - a place that makes you forget everything except what is important in life: You've got air in your lungs.

The view from the cabin. Henrik had the habit of standing on the rocks scanning the water for fish (or "fishus" as he calls them) and running to the kitchen to fetch bread everytime he saw the local duck family swimming by. It was adorable.

Warming my little feet in the sand.

The local beach was as usual filled with Scandinavians desperately trying to procure a tan. I prefer this beach to Mediterranean beaches by far - less crowded, and less middle-aged women looking like raisins due to excessive tanning.

Every night we barbecued by the waterfront. Excellent food, excellent view, excellent company.

Here is Henrik trying to make his way with one oar in a loop sided rubber boat. He did not feel safe at all, and refused to go canoeing with me.

I guess this marked the end of summer for me. Norway has offered nothing but rain for the past 5 weeks, resulting in my mom actually turning the heat back on in the house. However, before heading home I still have three days of impeccable summer weather in Stockholm.

Creepy Crayfish

2009-08-02T00:56:00.014+01:00

My boyfriend is yet again asleep - spreading his drunken limbs all over the bed and actually looking quite cute. We just got back from Robban and Josse's apartment where we spent the evening indulging ourselves in the Swedish tradition of crayfish dinner. Ironically Henrik hates crayfish, and I have never even tried it. (I have always considered them to look horrendously off-putting...) However, I am willing to give everything a go! It was surprisingly tasty, although picking the crayfish apart was extremely messy. It felt like dissecting a cow's eye in science class or something; in other words not an apetizer. Not to mention the claws that you had to break off. I can at least praise myself for being braver than Henrik - he did not even dare to touch them.

Good night my little drunktard. I love you more than you think.

Tomorrow Henrik and I are off to Henrik's family's summer cabin in the north of Sweden. It is my favourite spot in the world, and there is no summer without it! (Sorry for lots of spelling mistakes in this entry due to severe tiredness. I will undoubtedly spot them in the morning).

Zzzz...

2009-07-31T23:34:00.009+01:00

I am now in Sweden - writing from Henrik's desk. My boyfriend has fallen asleep, completely ruining my plans of sitting up the whole night together eating noodles and watching "The Big Bang Theory". So now I am fumbling around in the dark trying not to crash into anything. And writing a completely meaningless blog entry in order to make myself drowsy by the mere irrelevancy of my own text.

Tomorrow Henrik and I are off to Henrik's best friend's apartment to eat crayfish. Before that I have decided that I shall let Henrik show me the film "Det Sjunde Inseglet" by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. (Henrik has been dying to show it to me, probably so he can be patriotic and brag about the accomplishments of the Swedish population). However, I guess it is only fair since I forced him to sit through four hours of "Gone With the Wind" the last time he was in Norway. He was not as swept away as I hoped he would be - instead he now is walking around calling Scarlett O'Hara a bitch, Rhett Butler a retard and shouting "Oh Ashley, oh Ashley!" in a high-pitched voice. For some strange reason I still care for my cold, cynical boyfriend who has no analytical sense when it comes to old classics. (He already hates Mr. Darcy, and he doesn't even know who Mr. Darcy IS!).

To finish off with something that might be interesting: It is now official - I shall be moving to London on the 21st September! I found some really cheap tickets at www.norwegian.no. I would defintiely recommend them if you are a student like me expecting to carry lots of heavy luggage. For just a trivial extra charge, Norwegian allows you two luggage items of 20 kg each. I am so happy - this means that I am saved and can bring my whole bookshelf to London! (And perhaps sneak in an extra pair of shoes?) I e-mailed Connaught Hall and got them to advance my arrival date to the 21st from the original 27th. That will give me a couple of days to settle in and decorate my room before the International Student's Orientation Programme commences on the 23rd. How exciting is this or what?

UCL. Has it not got a lovely ring to it?

Go ahead London

2009-07-30T12:32:00.004+01:00

I am actually past the worst nervousness of moving to London! (Hopefully it won't slap me in the face the day before departure - although I'm sure it will). But for now it is good to be able to talk about London and feel excited, rather than hyperventilating like I have done for the past few months. Why is that? When I was leaving for Beijing directly after Upper Secondary, I had so much courage. The world was up for grabs. However, the transition period turned out to be a lot harder than I thought, and I dread having to go through all of that again. I suffered from severe isolation and culture shock the first weeks despite doing my best to make friends. London will irrefutably be easier since I know the language and the European mentality, but on the other hand the fact that I am committing myself to three years of serious studies at a top ranked university feels A BIT more daunting than a five months language course in Beijing. It is as they say - experience makes you less bold. Unfortunately.

Nowadays as I have been preparing myself for my new life, the more convinced I am of how AWESOME this is also going to be once I am settled. And for my own good, I have allowed this feeling to domitate the feeling of nervousness. I keep reminding myself that I am not the only Norwegian going abroad to study this autumn - and some people are going to far more intimidating locations that Great Britain. I also have wonderful friends who keep telling me how they admire my bravery, and how proud they are of me going to London. In truth I could pee in my pants right now - but hearing from people that I have guts is starting to rub off and making me belive that I actually DO have guts. The boldness I once felt is coming back to me, and it feels revitalizing! My dear friends Dittaru and Kristinur have also informed me that they have purchased London tickets for the end of October and are coming to see me! I am so excited to be showing them London - which I can proudly soon call my home town!

As you can see, I have ticked off lots of boxes on my to-do-list. Only thing I need to figure out now is how on earth I am supposed to pack practically my whole life into a couple of suitcases and fly them over to the UK without paying overweight. Will probably have to leave myself behind...

■ Arrange accommodation
■ Order ANSA Student Insurance
■ Buy a book about London
■ Obtain UCL reading lists
■ Apply for a student loan from Lånekassen
■ E-mail faculty tutour and inquire about tution fee status decision
■ Obtain Home/EU tuition fee status (I GOT IT! UCL probably got fed up with my nagging!)

■ Register for International Students' Orientation Programme

□ Book flight tickets
□ Get meningitis vaccine
□ Buy a new suitcase
□ Report a change of address

Soon am off to work (working evening shift today), and tomorrow afternoon I will be going to Sweden to have a love life. And when I get home on August 11th, my ASUS Seashell 1101HA laptop and my H&M package will hopefully have arrived!

Yellow Fever

2009-07-29T19:59:00.007+01:00

Why is it that you always see white guys with Asian girls, but you never see white girls with Asian guys? This hilarious short film from Wong Fu Productions follows the Asian protagonist Phil as he tries to unveil the secrets of white boys. Watch out for a hilarious ending! (I love the text on Phil's shirt. It says "Bai ren kan bu dong" = White people can't read this).

Forever Young

2009-07-26T19:30:00.013+01:00

Sometimes I am stunned. Recently another former classmate went out and did it. She has given birth to a baby. And while at it, the house in the suburbs, the family car and the domestic family dog is well underway. I ask myself how on earth they have aquired all this at the age of twenty while I am barely out of my pink girl's room. I survey myself and wonder whether they are the early developers, or if I am simply a highly irresponsible girl who doesn't want to do anything but study, party, socialize and discover the world.

Whatever the truth - I dedicated Saturday night to being forever young. With me going to London, Siren to Bergen, Ditta to Australia and Helenur joining the army in some northern base camp, we are going to use the time we have left to be wild, crazy and carefree together. So we took a trip down memory lane and crashed Martin's, Lillestrøm's dance bar which is practically a dump for drunken boys to rub their pulsating members up your leg and hump you while you're minding your own business on the dance floor. Kim was so chivalrous as to accommodate us in his apartment in Lillestrøm, and we all gathered there at 10 pm for a glass of wine and beer and a bit of silly dancing to "Fairytale" before heading out:

Martin's was its usual self - filled with girls and boys deprived of physical attention and dying to get some in the course of the evening. I tell you it is terribly hilarious if you just play along. Ditta, Siren, Kristinur, Kim and I danced pretty much most of the evening, while Helenur ended up chatting to some random dude who had bought groceries from her once and recognized her. (She must really have made an impression!). As for me, my social experiment of boys' reaction to cleavage was carried out last night. It is amazing what a low-necked top can do. Suddenly people didn't view me as a 15 year old anymore, and some thirty year old drunken male species slipped smoothly into the seat next to me and tried persuading me to dance. I am quite a shy person, and hence freaked out and tried telling him nicely that I was not inclined to dance. Now that that's done, I shall be covering up again the next time!

At 3:30 am we headed back to Kim's flat, changed into our PJs and watched "I am Legend" with Will Smith even though our heads and feet were aching due to alcohol and excessive dancing. At 5:30 am we decided to go to sleep, and I had the honour of sleeping with Ditta and Kim in the bed while the others were confined to the sofa and the floor. With three people cramped in a double bed it naturally resulted in some accidental groping:

- "Potter, that is my crotch, not your douvet!"

- "Well, really Kim - what do you expect when your pyjama trousers look exactly like the douvet cover?!"

- "Oh goodness gratious, I think I touched somebody's nipple this morning? Oh goodness, I'm so sorry!"

It was all terribly cosy though, except from the fact that I got the claustrophobic side and was pushed up against the wall by Kim. Naturally, I am quite the tired wreckage today.

Pink Killer

2009-07-23T10:22:00.012+01:00

My poor baby, my poor Dell laptop that I bought second-hand from dad only six months ago died beyond all hopes of resurrection! I am just grateful that it died now, and not while I was working on some important art history dissertation in London! Instead of buying a new hard disc to replace the old one, I have decided to buy a whole new laptop all together. The one I had was already four years old, and would be nearing a decade by the time I finished in London. But how to choose amongst the endless array of laptops out there? What the "experts" might deem as important might not be in accordance with my needs. The single most important aspect for me is that the PC is between 11''-12'', which inevitably makes the search much easier. After that, I am after something small, portable and cute with some delightfully flashy colour. After a whole day of contemplating and weighing up the pros and cons, I have decided to adopt an ASUS EEE 1101HA in PINK which is going to earn me the nick-name "The Paris Hilton of UCL"!

NOK: 3.695,-

Size: 11,6''

Disc: 160 GB

Weight: 1,35 kg

Battery: 9,5 hours

Screen: 1366x768 - Colour shine

CD/DVD: External (1.195,-)

At http://www.komplett.no/ the pink ones seem to be out of stock, so we are going to call them tomorrow and request that they reserve one for us as soon as they recieve a new delivery. I don't care how long I must wait, I am going to get my filthy paws on that pink lappie. Have you ever seen something so beautiful? My baby! (Yes Henrik, you can be the father as usual).

It's a London thing

2009-07-21T17:01:00.006+01:00

I wasn't able to sleep Sunday night because I was so insanely hyperactive after seeing Harry Potter. So I took a totally awesome trip to London instead. What do you guys think?

Today I did something really student-ish. I packed my books and my notepad and went to a café to study! I have been told by Siren that it does wonders for your concentration, and she was right! I studied so much more effectively when there was no Facebook or "Say Yes to the Dress" on the telly to knock my self-dicipline to pieces. I sat down at the coffee shop where Ditta works, ordered myself a latte, green tea and a cookie and read for three ours straight. Not that I got all that far, because the academic language of the book was so challenging and pompous that I had to re-read every sentence ten times in order to translate in into my own mortal language. Trust me, not even a native Englishman could ever get the message the author was trying to bring about. However it did feel good, because I see myself as less of a slob when I get dressed, venture out of the sofa and do some constructive geeking.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-19T21:15:00.009+01:00

This blog entry contains no spoilers on "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".

On this dark and rainy Sunday evening, Dittaru, Kristinur, Sirenru, Kim and I glimpsed a ray of light as we went out to see the 6th installment of the Harry Potter movies: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince!

Although book number 6 is my least favourite book in the Harry Potter-series due to a slightly weak plot, film number 6 is definitely one of my favourites! What the movie lacks in plot it makes up for with lots of humour, excellent acting (especially impressed by Tom Felton!) and spectacular scenes. In the beginning you get some really striking aerial shots of London, and I just wanted to jump in my seat and shout "Hey everyone, that's my new home town!". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been criticized for not deciding whether to be dark or funny - however I feel that the movie-makers managed to combine these elements pretty well. The Harry Potter books are dark - but they are also stories of raging hormones, teenage awkwardness and all the hilarious, desperate actions that follow - and portraying both is only fair to the book. Without the humour, the magic of adolescence and the magic of Hogwarts would be gone, and what would remain was a movie so dark and depressive you'd barely manage to sit through it. I needed the humour to strengthen me for the end that I knew was coming. I had promised myself not to cry, but at the end Kristinur, Ditta and I were sobbing like fountains, and I had to hand out tissues. To me, what happened at the end in book number 6 is a blur. I am still in denial after all these years.

After the movie we went to Peppe's Pizza and stuffed ourselves:

Kim and Siren. (Don't you think Kim looks like Ron Weasley?)

Siren (in her Slytherin tie), me and Kristinur.

In an English garden

2009-07-18T19:58:00.010+01:00

My dear friend Marianne is going to work as a school photographer this autumn, and needed to familiarize herself with the new photo equipment. When asked, I happily obliged to be the guniea pig! I really LOVE these photos. 1) Because I love my umbrella. 2) Because I love the rain. 3) I made an effort to look decent.

Apparantly there is going to be a storm tonight. Lovely! I am going to make myself a cup of tea, eat my chocolate and play computer games all night. I am more fit to be a geek than a model.

And my new home in London is...

2009-07-15T17:18:00.014+01:00

CONNAUGHT HALL! I could not be more delighted, getting a single room at Connaught Hall is just what I was opting for! I just paid my £525 deposit, and the accomodation is now officially mine! I am feeling rather nervous - I can't believe this is where I am going to spend my next year! At the same time I am trying to stay positive about everything! Some of the things that appealed to me about Connaught was:

It is located only 5 minutes from the UCL main buildings. Meaning that lazy buggers like myself can in fact roll out of bed 15 minutes before lectures start.
You are allowed to keep overnight visitors for a limited number of nights. Very important if Henrik is coming over once in a while.
It is catered, meaning that I won't have to put my appalling cookery skills to use. (I will worry about that in my second year...)

And now I am going to force some photos of Connaught Hall into everybody's enthusiastic faces:

Connaught Hall dining room, where we will be taking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oh my god, I feel like Harry Potter! This is just so British.

An example of a standard single room. It looks terribly spartan like all student rooms, and the bed looks like it will collapse anytime. However, posters, pictures and a fair amount of fluffy pillows will do the trick, and I shall love the room with every inch of my heart.

Every floor has its own tea pantry! I was so glad when I found this out, because this morning I was actually thinking "Hmm...what on earth shall I do about tea time?!". As if that would ever be a problem in ENGLAND! I cannot focus without a cup of tea in my hand.

You share a bathroom with 20 other students, each bathroom consisting of 3 toilets and 3 shower cubicles. I was really concerned about sharing a bathroom with so many - especially with boys - but after looking at these photos I am no longer worried. It all looks really clean, and the shower cubicles are completely separated with private changing rooms. And I had to smile at the carpeted floor! What is it with Britons and carpeted bathrooms?!

A view of Connaught Hall as seen from across Tavistock Square. I'm half in love with it already.

Flower Passion

2009-07-13T00:30:00.008+01:00

I believe flowers were created by higher beings in order to bring some beauty into this world of men. Henrik laughs of me, because everytime I see a pretty flower in his mother's garden, I am squatting over it with my camera. But what to do when confronted with such beauty?

Digital Art

2009-07-08T00:37:00.005+01:00

My first feeble attempt at drawing in Photoshop with my Wacom-board. Correction: My first feeble attempt at drawing in Photoshop and not giving up after 5 minutes due to boredom.

There are some really amazing digital artists out there like Alexia Sinclair and Linda Bergkvist, and it seems to me the art of the next century is going to be dominated by digitally made art. So of course my curiosity has been triggered, leading me into Photoshop to see what all the fuss is about. Hence the drawing seen above - just me messing around with shapes and colours trying to create a face which is nothing in the league of what Linda Bergkvist can procure, but still a pretty good face for a Photoshop fresher I think.

However, I think I shall be sticking to my paint and canvas. I love looking at digital art, but I don't enjoy creating it. I don't know why - maybe I don't feel as connected with what I am doing when I am looking at a screen rather than feeling the canvas and paint brush in my hand. For some reason I feel as if the computer is drawing, not me.

Oh, and Harry says hi. Drew him like...3 years ago probably, but he is still alive and kicking and wants to be published:

Drottningholm Palace

2009-07-05T21:09:00.020+01:00

Saturday Henrik took me to see the beautiful baroque palace of Drottningholm - the official residence of the Swedish royal family dating back to the 1600s. From Stockholm we took the boat to Drottningholm, a lovely 45 minute ride ending with a beautiful seaside view of the palace before disembarking.

Drottningholm is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and reminds me a bit of a miniature Versailles with it's lavish Baroque interior and rigid, French gardens. Guided tours are available in both English and Swedish several times a day, and provide a great introduction to both the history of the castle and its country. The guide also points out details about the castle that you would otherwise have missed, so a guided tour is definitely recommended if you want to appreciate the castle to its full extent.

On the grounds of Drottningholm you'll find the Chinese Pavillion, a summer castle that King Adolf Fredrik gave to his queen Lovisa Ulrika as a birthday surprise in 1753. Trade along the silk road had introduced Europe to exotic Chinese handicrafts like porcelain, lacquer work and silk. Copying the Chinese style was all the rage among the European royals and nobels at the time, and hence the style known as "chinoiserie" was developed. Chinoiserie is not genuinely Chinese - it is more the Western idea of what China was like. That is why the Chinese Pavillion so intriguing. It is a mix of Chinese and Western rococo arts - and one cannot quite seem to decide whether it is beautiful or tacky. What do you think?

The castle grounds of Drottningholm is well worth a visit in itself. Next to the French baroque gardens are the English gardens, consisting of ponds, bridges and large spaces of open grass where visitors can sit and enjoy a picnic or a game of football. Statues seemed to be scattered around randomly, creating a picturesque mood to the place. I felt as if I had stepped right into a Jane Austen novel.

If you go to Stockholm, I strongly recommend you to take a day trip to Drottningholm. Even those who are not interested in art or history will find true enjoyment simply by walking around this scenic place.

Gripsholm Castle

2009-07-05T20:51:00.020+01:00

(Picture borrowed from: http://www.pressbild.com/)

Tuesday Gunilla (Henrik's mom) was so kind as to take Henrik and me out for my much longed for castle expedition. We decided to go to Mariefred to see Gripsholm, a very romantic-looking Renaissance castle which was built over 450 years ago. For a future art hisorian like myself it was the ultimate castle experience, as its interior has been influenced by both the medieval, renaissance and baroque styles. It also houses one of Sweden's largest and oldest collections of portraits, which both Henrik and I found to be extremely interesting. The castle is located only 70 km from Stockholm, and is easily reached by both car, boat and railway. I would suggest taking the boat - seeing the castle from the seaside is a lovely and picturesque experience. The castle grounds are not as large and impressive as many other castles', but its seaside location is unbeatable, and this alone provides for a lovely little walk in scenic surroundings.

Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos of the interior, but here are some pictures from the internet to give you an idea of the exquisite furnitures and wallpapers:

Ode to the Scandinavian Summer

2009-07-05T20:34:00.012+01:00

I have consumed an ungodly amount of strawberries. I have screamed while bathing in the cold sea water. I have lied in the sun eating grilled chicken with potato salad. I have prepared strawberry smoothies for Henrik's friends and family. I have played garden games late at night. I have felt the wind in my hair while eating my ice cream. I have been at Lida country festival chatting to drunken people. I have felt the grass between my bare toes for the first time in 8 months. I have sat on the wharf with my feet in the water watching the sunset.

Ladies and gentlemen - it is the Scandinavian summer. In my humble opinion, the best summer in the world. Why is that? Because in the cold north, summer is never taken for granted. When it is summer in Scandinavia - it really IS summer:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRIK!

2009-07-03T09:21:00.004+01:00

Happy 23rd birthday you adorable creature!

How come you've never got bad hair days? Ah, I know. Legolas genes.

Metal-head vs. little pink Piggu (Little pink Piggu won).

Man, got to love those cheekbones... *slaps herself*

Good evening good people

2009-06-26T19:30:00.008+01:00

After five weeks of boyfriend absence, I figured it was time for me to go to Sweden to undertake some serious relationship-maintaining and for once be a decent girlfriend. I can't wait for nine whole days of us just living in our own little haven where there is nothing but tranquility and happiness. Interrupted by a trip to Gröna Lund amusement park, a potentially romantic picnic with white wine, Henrik's birthday celebration and the occasional country festival that Henrik's friend Wobban is dragging us out to in order to get drunk. To bring some culture and art history into our week, I have persuaded Henrik to take me on a day's excursion to Drottningholm castle outside of Stockholm:

This is purely to satisfy my need of skipping around castle grounds and pretend to be a beautiful princess in a long flowing dress, while my boyfriend is a long-haired knight in shining armour. (Henrik's enthusiasm is almost to feel and touch). Luckily for me my boyfriend is of such a good nature that he would rather join me for fishy castle outings rather than not be with me at all. God I feel powerful and loved.

And as a little side note: I am sure everyone in the world has heard of Michael Jackson's passing by now. I was never a major Michael Jackson fan, however I consider his songs to be brilliant. Personally I thought the man could not die. The fact that he was an ordinary mortal human being struck me and so many millions of people yesterday. I am very sad - to die so soon before he was about to redeem himself. I always took it for granted that Michael Jackson lived in this world. The world without him is just a little bit emptier.

Cutest new banner

2009-06-25T11:54:00.007+01:00

What do you guys think of my new banner? Is it not adorably girly?

Now I am off to work. Illness among the employees means lots of shifts and money for me. Worked 5 hours yesterday, and will take the evening shift tonight and the morning shift tomorrow. People have actually been asking my boss where "the little smiley one" has gone to, declaring that they miss my presence. Very nice to hear that my work is being appreciated! Now I should really put my pants on and get going. Hard to drag onself out of the sofa, but I tell myself that is the price to pay for a week of fun and lazyness in Sweden starting on Saturday.

Preporatory reading

2009-06-24T08:06:00.004+01:00

I went to the exciting capital of Oslo the other day (thinking to myself how incredably drab it looks after coming back from a place like Hong Kong) to buy some preporatory reading material for my UCL History of Art with Material Studies course. I love bookstores - I feel as if I am stepping into a world full of knowledge with books just awaiting to expand my horizon. I can spend hours at a time browsing through novels, arts & crafts books, travel guides, language learning sets, mythology books etc. Now however, my time and money are strictly earmarked art history books, and I came home with a nice little pile of "light" holiday reading:

(And don't for a second believe that I am done yet).

I have commenced on E.H. Gombrich's "The Story of Art", and I am enjoying it tremendously. Really, should there be no limit to the amount of geekiness allowed in a human's brain? Art History is a truly fascinating subject I tell you - and I feel I must defend it from people who cannot see why I wish to study it as opposed to law and medicine. I took three years of art at Upper Secondary, and cannot wait to study it at a more advanced academic level. It is not just about knowing which artist painted what painting at what time - you have to see how the art reflects the time in which it was made. So in reality you study everything from history, events, religion, fashion, mentality, etiquette, geography and politics. When you study art, you study the world. The ultimate subject in my humble opinion.

Me and Mr. Darcy

2009-06-20T18:18:00.004+01:00

It is so good to be back to Northern European climate. I simply love the wet and cold weather you find in Britain and Scandinavia. There is something so fresh about it - so different from the humid, polluted air of Hong Kong. While everyone keep complaining about the rain on their Facebook-profiles, there is nothing I like better than a rainy summer's day. Gives me a perfectly good excuse to curl up in the sofa with a blanket, hot Earl Grey tea and a Jane Austen book - imagining Mr. Darcy coming striding down the English countryside in a wet shirt. (I am definitely not watching "Pride & Prejudice" again...uhhum...). Speaking of Mr. Darcy - who is the best one? For ten years I believed Colin Firth to be irreplacable - until 2005 where I hated myself for having to admit that I actually liked Matthew McFayden's version better. I like how he dares to show Darcy's more desperate and emotional side. (Don't roll your eyes Henrik). So far he is my favourite Mr. Darcy. David Rintoul on the other hand, makes me cringe. I believe he has a cucumber stuck up his bottom for the larger part of the series. Elliot Cowan however, does a really decent job of portraying Mr. Darcy in the Austen parody "Lost in Austen".

Having finished the fantastic "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton, I had 10 minutes to pick up a new book before boarding my flight back from Hong Kong, and immediatly went for "Me & Mr. Darcy" by Alexandra Potter.

Hardly a literary masterpiece - but a fun book for us who love "Pride & Prejudice". It is about a young die-hard Austen fan from New York who travels to England on a "Jane Austen Tour" around the English countryside. "But then she walks into a room and finds herself face-to-face with Darcy himself. And every woman's fantasy suddenly becomes one woman's reality". I'm only on page 97, but I find it to be a really fun and light holiday read with lots of laughs. And I am so going on a Jane Austen tour in the future, even though everyone else will probably be senior citizens - just like in the book.

Instant Asia

2009-06-20T16:37:00.015+01:00

I am back in Europe, and what can I tell you about Hong Kong? It is awesome. It really is the center of cool. Take the neon lights of Tokyo, the skyskrapers of Manhattan, the fashion boutiqes of Paris, the upstart architecture of Shanghai, the crammed alleyways of Beijing, and the Western influence of Singapore and mash them together. You get Hong Kong. Just that everything here is just slightly crazier. Slightly denser. Slightly more over the top than everything else. No wonder Hong Kong is referred to as «Instant Asia». Here you get it all – for better or for worse. Guys cheking out their spiky hair in the shop windows, people lining up for public karaoke, students studying in the middle of a shopping mall, ridiculously cute commercial posters, people slurping their wonton-soup, flashy Hello Kitty products, old ladies pushing garbage loaded wagons, stylish businessmen in black suits, fashionable girls in high heels, and Indian salesmen chasing after white people on every street corner in order to get them to buy Rolexes and tailor-made suits. (They spot my 1.83 cm tall dad and his expensive looking camera from miles away, and he is being approached by at least one person a minute.) Around us people are shouting in unmistakable Cantonese, which is recognised by the way people are dragging out their a's. Every Cantonese with respect for himself must let the «a» drag on for at least this long: «Nei Ho'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa», «Tai gwai laaaaaaaaaa». Is makes Cantonese an extremely wierd, but cute language to listen to. My favourite language in the world.

Like its counterpart Singapore (which is also built on an island), Hong Kong is a former British colony, and hence extremely westernized despite having being handed over to China in 1997, and a lot of Westerners still visit or live here - and also a concentrated number of Eurasians. (Hence everyone treating me as a local, speaking to me in Cantonese). The irony is that Hong Kong feels neither Chinese nor British. It has created a whole new unique culture for itself. Here the west lives next door to the east. Churches next to temples, spagetthi next to noodles, Nathan Road next to Haiphong Road. The Asians are happy to drink English tea, and the Westerners are happy to drink green tea. Together the Orient and the Occident has managed to create a place for themselves to both understand and appreciate. Perhaps that is why I feel so at home here - more at home than I have ever felt anywhere else. Even Norway. I feel that if I was a city, I'd be Hong Kong. Does that make sense to you? Probably not.

I signed us up for a Tai Chi class for us to look ridiculous in. Isn't the backdrop just stunning?!

Hong Kong Central where everyone runs around in suits, skirts and heels, clinging on to their lattes and briefcases.

While female shoe sizes in Norway range from size 36-41/42, female shoe sizes in Hong Kong range from size 34-41. Oh god I am home. Size 35 shoes at my doorstep!

A larger-than-life Takeshi Kaneshiro posing for Emporio Armani. Oh god, I really am home. Why do we only get that Sawyer from "LOST" here in Norway? Arggh!

Bruce Lee is NOTHING against my daddy.

I had a goal of trying out a new strange Asian snack every day. This one was by far the worst - crispy seaweed with spice. Just remembering the taste makes me rush to the bathroom.

For more photos, do check out my Facebook-profile. I have no patience (nor space) to upload a 1000+ photos here.

Destination: Hong Kong

2009-05-29T12:24:00.011+01:00

Doesn't it look insanely cool? Oh yes it does. Everyone I know who's been to Hong Kong keep telling me how amazing it is, so I really cannot wait to spend the next three weeks of my life there. And when I get there I am going to shop. I am going to take photos. I am going to absorb the Hong Kong spirit. I am going to let my eyes be hypnotized by the endless rows of neon lights. And most of all, I am going to EAT! My tummy is empty, completely ready for the intake of dumplings, noodles, bubble tea, Korean BBQ and various Asian tidbits I have been craving for ever since leaving Beijing. I want wear flip flops and squat down by the roadside and slurp my won ton soup. Heck, I'm even signing my mom and myself up for a Tai Chi class.

I've been quite a few places in China, but ironically I have never visited the Hong Kong area where my Chinese family originate from. They all emigrated to Singapore a couple of generations back, but my Grandma's Cantonese and the love of quick quick stir-fried noodles still lingers. The reason why we are finally dragging ourselves to Hong Kong is because mom has a doctor's conference there, and dad and I decided to tag along. (Although we have to pay for everything ourselves of course). Wednesday we will be meeting up with a Vietnamese family mom knows, as the father is also a doctor. I will be sharing a room with the 23 year old daughter for a few days, which will be fun and interesting as I have never met her before. I really love travelling with my parents, but it gives you a whole different perspective to have somebody your own age to explore with also. I was supposed to meet up with my French/Chinese friend Mong Shen whom I met in Beijing, but something has come up so he is sadly not able to meet me after all.

I have started packing for our departure tomorrow afternoon, but I am a bit unsure what to bring, and hence my whole wardrobe is lying in a pile on my bed. (Don't laugh of my bedspread!). Asia tends to be slightly more conservative than super-liberated Scandinavia, and in Hong Kong miniskirts and low cut tops are apparantly a huge no-no despite the fact that it is 30°C + outside. (Unless you want lots of stares from the local male population, and on the mainland I get that already simply by being white). It is amazing how Asian girls can wear tight, full-lenght jeans in 30°C + and a humidity level of 90 % and still look good. I figured mid-lenght skirts are the way to go. I guess the most important thing for me is just to avoid shorts, caps, white sneakers, ten cameras around my neck and practically scream "Asian tourist". Oh, and for those who are avid readers (I know I am) - on the plane I am bringing Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden". I read her debut book "The House at Riverton" last summer, and it was one of the most amazing reads I've ever had. This new book is supposed to be even better, so I am actually excited to be spending 12 + hours of my life on a plane.

Mom and I have by the way huge plans of stalking down certain Hong Kong actors bearing the name of Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Jet Li and Jackie Chan (And Maggie Q, Karen Mok and Maggie Cheung for my part also). However, the closest we'll ever come to a Hong Kong celeb is probably The Avenue of The Stars. Tragic.

Now it is time for me to say goodbye to the Motherland (or in my case "Fatherland"), and to bring a close to this (overly long) entry with some suitable Canto-pop just to get in the mood. I usually think Canto-pop is a dreadful invention meant to kill your ears with painfully cheesy lyrics, but Faye Wong's cover of The Cranberries' "Dreams" is actually quite...beautiful. Do enjoy.

Video clips from Spain

2009-05-25T23:44:00.012+01:00

I should have posted these video clips together with my Spain-entries, but at that time I was still behind the rest of the world and had no idea how to make video files. However, I am now a modern woman, and here are a couple of video clips I am posting just to see if this actually works. (Need to know that I am not completely hopeless...)

The first clip is Kristinur, Helenur and me discussing the amount of shoes that is starting to pile up on our front porch. The second clip is the four of us discovering that a car containing three Spanish boys has parked in front of the house, and the third clip is the four of us finally realizing that we have been dumped by a Russian, and trying to make up excuses as to why he dumped us. I come to the conclusion that we are so attractive he doesn't dare to face us, while Ditta believes he doesn't want to pay for anymore drinks.

My TO-DO-LIST

2009-05-25T13:11:00.005+01:00

■ Fill in and post accommodation application

■ Contact DNB NOR and ask them whether or not they co-operate with any British banks (which they didn't).
■ Pay for my TrygVesta travel insurance (Which I finally got 1 month after ordering it...)

■ Buy a book about London

□ Register at ANSA and order a student insurance
□ Obtain UCL reading lists
□ Apply for a student loan from Lånekassen
□ Apply for a UK student visa
□ E-mail faculty tutour and inquire about tution fee status decision

I've got the day off, but that doesn't necessarily mean I've got the day off. I'd like to be slightly more prepared when moving to London than I was when I was moving to Beijing, and I still have tons to do on my to-do-list, which I set up for myself a few weeks ago. My mom has also (ever since I turned 18) urged me to become more interested in economy, and last night I actually did. I searched Google for "paying back student loans" and came across lots of articles explaining how I can actually make money from my student loan (which is by the way going to be enormous) through investing in funds and placing it in high interest-bearing accounts. It cheered me up tons.

I bought Gyldendals Reiseguider on London not long ago. It was pricy, but it tells you absolutely EVERYTHING that is worth knowing about this city. It even explains to you how to take a London bus, and it gives you a detailed street by street information. Everytime I get panic attacks and start thinking that I don't want to go to London (which happens pretty much every day) I just open this book and remind myself what a once in a lifetime opportunity this is. That keeps me calm for at least an hour.

I recieved a letter from UCL this Saturday regarding my tution fee status. Their decision is that I am still considered an overseas students, however if I move to Britain by 1 September 2008 (2008?!) I am eligible to be considered an EU student. I hope "2008" is just a spelling mistake, but as they wrote "2008" twice in the letter, I've got to e-mail my faculty to get it clearified. It seems very strange - in addition to the fact that there was nowhere stating that I had to move to Britain by 1 September in order to be considered an EU student.

Well, now I am going to take a few hours off and go to Oslo with Ray to see "Red Cliff". Takeshi Kaneshiro? Yes please.

Angles and Demons

2009-05-24T16:54:00.010+01:00

Due to illness at work I have been working all week, including Saturday. It suits me perfectly, as this gave me some extra cash so I can shop and eat shamelessly when I go to China. (I'll be taking on the evening shift next Friday also, even though I hate evening shifts). Henrik has been here since Wednesday evening, and I just saw him off with the 16:12 train back to Stockholm. I am not feeling the least bit happy now, as I won't be seeing him for a whole month after this. I am also starting to feel how summer is coming, and how it will be the last summer with him before I move to England. I am so scared about what might happen to us that saying goodbye is getting worse and worse everytime I see him. How I wish I could have my university and my boyfriend at the same time. However, I shall have to deal with that when the time comes - it was my decision to do things this way.

Due to rain showers I couldn't take Henrik out for an outdoor picnic as I had hoped, but we had some lovely days anyway. Thursday my mom took us all out to see "Angels and Demons" (or "Devils and Demons"/"Diamonds and Angels" as mom calls it) with Tom Hanks in the role of Robert Langdon. It recieved really bad reviews from the critics, but the four of us really enjoyed it - dad saying it was a lot better than "The DaVinci Code". It wasn't a deep movie that makes you ponder and think, but then again that is not the point. You just got to take it for what it is - a thrilling and action packed drama that is meant to entertain.

What I loved the most about the movie was all the spectacular scenes from Rome and the Vatican. I went there on a study trip in 2006, and seeing The Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Castel Sant Angelo again on the big screen was amazing! The Italians are so lucky to have such a fantastic, historical capital.

Afterwards we went to Tabibito, a pan-Asian noodle restaurant at Stortingsgaten in central Oslo. I loved the interior - really stylish and tranquil, in addition to excellent food and service.

Henrik and I had noddles in a beef broth which were really tasty; however my favourites were the absolutely delicious jiaozi we had for starters. They took me straight back to Xinjiekouwai street in Beijing when there was the usual power failure, and we all had to go to the jiaozi restaurants because they were the only ones who used coal and steamers and hence could serve hot lunch.

I have learnt (or shall we say finally managed to admit) that I have used chopsticks the wrong way my whole life. My parents and Henrik had to try teach me, but it resulted in me making a mess as the noodles and wontons were slipping out of my grip. I need to undertake some serious practice before I go to China next week, as I have too much pride to ask for a fork. I shall sit in the kitchen and try picking up peas with chopsticks the correct way.

Saturday I managed to persuade Henrik to join me for a little evening walk to a nearby pond. Here he is, being cute and scanning the pond for salamanders:

Now I shall try dragging myself out of my depressed state by tidying my room, write a packing list for Hong Kong and indulge myself in some mindless computer gaming.

Spain 7: Dumped by a Russian

2009-05-19T22:32:00.016+01:00

There was a sense of excitment and nervousness on our last day. Not because we were in love and planning to throw ourselves at the Russians (I have a boyfriend for Christ's sake), but because we were wondering how on earth we were gonna get over the language barrier and keep the conversation flowing for a whole new evening. (We happily decided the answer was more cocktails).

The whole afternoon of the last day consisted of cleaning the house for new tenants and finding out what to wear for our final and big night out. Ditta and I probably tried out 5 different outfits, and I am ashamed for having been so ridiculously girly. We started off with slutty, slowly going towards decent, while Helenur on the other hand was upset because she hadn't brought any evening outfits. Kristinur wanted to wear a dress, but when she saw how Ditta and I had "slutted down", she decided to go for jeans too. With the huge amount of shoes piled up in front of our front porch, finding footwear did not become an easy task either. In the end I ended up with Ditta's cardigan, while she ended up with my jeans and porn jacket. (Comment: I NEVER gave it the name "porn jacket", it was Ditta who said it screamed porn due to the shiny black fabric). Here we are, ready for our last night about town and to turn Torrevieja upside down with our irresistable charm and beauty, harr harr... (Henrik says my skirt looks ridiculous, but I don't care. High wasted skirts are cool, and I shall wear them all summer just to annoy him).

As we weren't meeting Eric until 21:00, we decided to go out for a meal at the Italian restaurante El Muelle at 19:00. We all ordered pasta, and I ended up throwing myself over everybody's dishes except my own. It resulted in an extremely bad stomach ache. Who said UCL students were smart...

Helenur looking a bit sceptical to the chilli and unidentifiable objects in her pasta. (Yes, I ate it).

As the clock started reaching 21:00, Kristinur and I were feeling the nervousness before our big evening with Eric, while Helenur and Ditta seemed to be a bit more eager. However, we had promised to put our lives in their hands when it came to the matter of "The Russians". Since I have a boyfriend I joked that I would be wearing a chastity belt and only come along as chaperon. Kristinur demanded to have a boyfriend too, and we decided to give her a fake British archeology boyfriend going by the name of "John Bough". At 21:00 we stood by the corner of the taxi stand where we had arranged to meet. It was cold and windy, and I felt extremely pathetic and slutty waiting for a guy on a street corner in a skirt. The clock started ticking, and when it reached 21:10 Kristinur and I almost started hoping that the Russian wouldn't show up, sparing us for what would be a fun, but extremely awkward night. We decided to wait - after all, maybe he had been detained, or Russians in general were just late. At 21:20 we started getting slightly suspicious. At 21:30 we had to bring ourselves to realize that we had in fact been DUMPED. I call this picture series DUMPED BY A RUSSIAN:

"Amagaaaad, we've been like sooo dumped!!"

Luckily we are a gang with huge amounts of self-irony, and we laughed ourselves to death by the whole fact that we had been sitting for 30 minutes waiting for a guy who would never come. Eric had chickened out, and I actally understand him as he was an 18 year old boy (who doesn't speak much English) meeting up with four 20 year old girls. Too bad though, I liked him a lot and I'd love to be his friend. We still like to think that we were so "attractive" that he didn't dare to meet us...

In the end we decided we had look for fun elsewhere, and went browsing around the night market. As usual the boys at the stands were drooling over Ditta, and oogled at her everytime she passed by. It was a hilarious sight actually - they looked so pathetic.

At the fun fair Ditta asked for a big candy floss...

And a big candy floss she got...

While walking around a sleek Maroccan due approached us asking us if we wanted to go to a disco with him. (What is it with guys and discos in Torrevieja?!). Ditta and Helenur accepted, while once again Kristinur and I were really sceptical, not liking his demenaour. It was quite clear what he was after. We didn't like to split up the group though, so we followed him to this "disco" which turned out to be an Irish pub. Unlike the humble Russians who I really missed at this point, this new guy was smooth and sleazy and not my type at all. Kristinur and I stuck in the background letting Ditta and Helenur do the talking. In the bar he offered us all free shots, and started throwing himself at Ditta and Helenur, poor Ditta involuntary feeling his whole package as he was rubbing himself up to her. He did try to speak to me once:

Him: You! *Makes Asian eyes*...CHINO?
Me: Uhm...my mom is from Singapore. (He didn't understand that, so I just said half Chinese. No need to complicate things, he hardly spoke any English).
Him: Ah. NIIII HAAAOO.
Me: Ni hao!

I decided to play the "Asian card" and pretend to be a confused Chinese exchange student who didn't speak a word of English. (It really is most convenient). So I threw in an occasional sentence in "fluent" Chinese like "Wo bu xihuan ta" (I don't like him) and "Wo bu xiang gen ta tiawu" (I don't wanna dance with him). Kristinur answered in the only Chinese phrase she knew: "Shi de, shi de". Not that he cared anyway, as he was more than busy with Ditta and Helenur. Ditta decided to play the "marriage card", and said that the ring on her finger was a wedding ring. That immediately put him off, and that was the last thing we saw of him. As he went out, we ran off to find another bar. In the end we bumped into a gang of very drunken, but extremely charming British guys. They were having a stag party, but had sadly however, lost the stag. Now they were aimlessly and confusedly reeling around the streets of Torrevieja looking for new places to drink. They were so excited to see four young girls, and they we're thrilled to hear we were Scandinavians, although they soon forgot and after telling them for the 5th time that we were Norwegian they were still asking us where in Britain we were from. When we repeated that we were from Norway, they could not belive how four people from the same country could look so different. Then I pointed at the half Indian guy in their group and asked how come they looked so different when they were from the same country. That shut them up. Helenur and I were chatting to a guy called Rohan (although he later changed is mind and decided it was Ryan). He thought I was American (damn my American accent) and he was asking me about Ditta like all guys. (I like to think it was my porn jacket that did the trick for her, but alas, haha). He didn't dare to go up to her and talk though, so instead he talked about her to me instead. He did say I looked exotic though, and that he meant no offence or disrespect when he said he liked my exoticness and that Norway and Singapore made a lovely mix. Offence? I was (for once) thrilled to be considered a foreign exotic Asian doll. For the first time I was getting compliments and considered exotic in this country. Yay for some cheap attention to get you through the day! Of all the guys in the group of twelve, we ended up liking Stuart (to the left) best though, as he was extremely friendly and the only one sober enough to carry a decent conversation. We all agreed it was a shame he had a girlfriend.

The Britons totally saved our last evening - thank you!!

Spain 6: Altea

2009-05-19T21:05:00.015+01:00

Thursday we decided to do a long excursion to the medieval town of Altea further north of the Costa Blanca, in order to get a little break from the touristy Torrevieja. Altea has around 17,000 inhabitants, and is a located on the top of a hill, giving you a lovely view of the coast once you reach the top. It was a bit tricky to get there as we didn't bother to rent a car. We first had to take the bus into Torrevieja, and then the bus from Torrevieja to Alicante. From Alicante bus station we had to walk 30 minutes to get to the tram station, which takes you north along the Costa Blanca. It is a long ride, and despite leaving our house at 9:30, we didn't reach Altea until 13:00. However, the tram ride along the coastline is very spectacular and almost worth the trip itself, giving you both a view of the mountains, the sea and the skyscraper city of Benidorm:

I was in a absolutely horrible mood that day, as it had taken me ages to figure out how to get us to Altea. The girls told me to relax and "go with the flow", but I felt it was quite easy for everyone to go with the flow when they had one person to organize it all. I wanted to be left alone, and went off to explore the town myself and cool off some steam. While walking along the narrow alleyways of Altea, I fell in love with it. It is a most stunning place, and reminded me a bit of the white city "Minas Tirith" in Lord of the Rings. Altea is a labyrinth of white washed houses, and the old part of town offers a lot of handicraft shops. Here are some of the photos I took, it is a dream for a hobby photographer like myself.

We took the tram back at 18:00, and arrived in Torrevieja at around 22:00 after enduring one hour of "Los Simpsons" on the bus back from Alicante. We were starving, and decided to screw our promise of only eating Spanish food and head for the local Burger King down by the harbour to indulge is some serious junk food consumption. On the way back from Alicante I had noticed this long blonde haired metal head with a leather jacket staring at me when we both got off the bus. I stared back at him, as both Helenur and I thought he looked like Henrik. Five minutes after sitting down at Burger King, he suddenly came in together with a equally metal headed pal. While queuing for their food the blonde guy was looking over at us, and then whispering something to his friend. Conveniently they ended up on the table right opposite us. Nobody said a word to each other, but we were both discussing each other in our own language. Judging from their looks we had assumed they were Swedes (then again we assume all blondes are Swedes, as if there are no other blonde people on this earth), but we could not quite recognise the language. On his way back from the toilet the blonde guy was staring at us a lot, and we started back just as much, just to make a statement. After a long meal of giggling and staring, we decided to get up and see if they would follow. Kristinur and I we're thinking of heading home and call it the day, however Ditta and Helenur were anxious to see where this cute, but rather silly "girl meets boy" scenario would lead to. So Kristinur and I decided to put our lives in their hands, and we "casually" decided to hang out by the seaside, walking slowly along the rocks taking photos. As expected, the boys got up only a minute later, and started "hanging out" by the seaside as well. When it looked as if they were about to walk the opposite way we got dissapointed, but then suddenly they started walking towards us instead. That's when we freaked out and suddenly childishly realized that we hadn't actually expected them to approach us for real.

Blonde guy: (In broken English) Hello, where are you from? What are you doing tonight? Do you want to come to disco with us?

They turned out to be Russians who had lived in Spain for almost ten years. We hadn't been prepared for this at all, and we were probably looking at him wierdly wondering what a metal head like him did at a disco. Then he asked if we wanted to join them for a cup of coffee. By that time it was almost 23:30, and we asked them where they would find a coffee place at this time. We agreed to go with them never the less. Our theme for the holiday was after all "go with the flow", and we had the safety of being in a group of four. We ended up in a bar which did not serve coffee - but we got free cocktails and tequila shots instead. Something which was good, we needed something to lighten up the nervous air. It was like the first date all over again, and I ordered a big "Pink Lady" to shove down my throat. As they were Russians and probably used to heavy vodka, we had to show that Norwegians were just as bad-ass. I failed miserably, and the blonde guy laughed of me when I choked on my shot. (I haven't shoted since I was 16 and puked on the bus). Here we are with the blonde guy. He said his name was Eric, and he turned out to be really nice:

Although we were nervous, we didn't seem half as nervous as the boys. When the guys asked us how old we were and we explained to them that we were 20, they were really surprised, as they believed us to be 17. When the blonde haired guy heard this he got really quiet and shy. Turned out he was only 18, while his friend who was 21 was a bit more confident, and did most of the talking despite the fact that he wasn't the one who wanted to approach us in the first place. They had expected us to know Spanish, and we had expected them to know English, but as we both had assumed wrongly, communication did become a little bit difficult. However with a (hopefully) charming smile, some blonde giggling and a bit of wild body language we got by, and it became a surprisingly pleasant evening. Eric had studied theatre and was working as a bartender, while his friend Antonio (who was actually from Siberia) was a photographer. Kristinur asked them if they followed Eurovision and knew who Alexander Rybak was, but we got confused looks in return. I guess they didn't look like they were the types to seat themselves in front of the telly to follow the Eurovision, and we got a good laugh. The Russian guys were shy and humble, a lovely contrast to the average smug Spanish guys. Just the type of guys I like to chat to. When the bar closed, they asked us if we wanted to come to the city of Guardamar the next evening, as Antonio was participating in the opening a coffee bar there. However, we could not go so far as we had a lot of packing to do. Antonio told us to meet Eric by the Torrevieja taxi stop at 21:00 the next evening, and then Antonio would join us around 23:00 and take us to the disco to introduce us to Spanish friends. We said it was a deal.

Spain 5: Living together, growing together

2009-05-17T01:21:00.010+01:00

Living with three other girls is an interesting experience, especially for me who despite loving to hang out with my friends, is a very private person in need of my daily dose of privacy. Kristinur and Helenur took the room with the two single beds, while Dittaru and I shared the double bed. It got more and more violent for each night. Dittaru really is the most uneasy sleeper I have ever encountered, and if she didn't try stealing the quilt from me, she would roll over to my side and push me out of the bed, grab my shoulder and start shaking it, or shove her knee up my poor backside. Other nights she would talk and laugh in her sleep. Not that I was completely innocent. One night I had such a vivid dream about Henrik lying in bed sleeping, and I wanted to spoon him. However, as I turned around to spoon him I realized that the Henrik that I was about to spoon in fact did have boobs. It was all very amusing.

Four girls means many pairs of shoes. We placed them outside the door, and to outsiders it must have looked like we were having a united nations meeting in our house. Helenur was the worst shoe sinner with 8 pairs of shoes, while I got by with only 4. *proud*

Cooking food was also an interesting experience, and I usually left it to Kristinur. Here I was making fun of Ditta's attempt at making scrambled eggs. It looked so disguisting to begin with, but I had to swallow my pride and admit that it turned out really tasty in the end.

As if my fried eggs were all that appetizing... I call them "Cute fried eggs a la Potteru".

Kristinur and Helenur enthusiastically trying on their newly purchased goggles, readier than ever to hit the swimming pool.

Spain 4: Alicante

2009-05-17T00:57:00.020+01:00

Ditta and Kristinur made it their business to know all the flavours of Ferrero Rocher. Here they are consuming a strawberry-flavoured one, which according to the experts was very tasty.

Tuesday we decided to leave the safety of Torrevieja and head for the larger city of Alicante which is about an hours bus ride north. It is three times the size of Torrevieja, with an estimated 300,000 inhabitants. We had no idea when or where the bus was leaving, but with a little help from a sweet lady at the tourist office we learnt that the buses went every hour, and we were soon on our way - excited to be venturing out in the big world. When we arrived in Alicante my first impression was that it was a mix of Monaco and Los Angeles due to all its palm trees and fancy boats. I felt like a million dollar babe walking down this road:

On our way to some of Alicante's attractions, we stumbled by a little park with some awesome trees. It was the perfect setting for a bit of posing and photoshooting. I absolutely love, love LOVE these photos. I am going to get one of them printed out on a canvas. The point of the photos was to look "sexy" and to make fun of Destiny's Child's "Survivor" music video:

The RUs posing like URs: The URs posing like RUs: (We were shocked at how daringly they were willing to pose, in general they refuse to do it! The RUs are proud of the URs)

We didn't get far before we stumbled onto something even more exciting - the beach. Our shoes went off immediately, and down to the waterfront we went!

Ditta said we should pretend as if we were falling, the result being that I actually nearly fell for real.

Ditta trying to take photos of Kristinur's footprints, while I'm unsuspectingly being caught on camera acting like a little five year old sticking my bum out.

After playing around on the beach, we headed up to MARQ - the archeology museum. The archeology student Kristinur was in heaven. I wasn't all that keen on spending two hours in a cold museum, as I wanted to see soak up the city life and see the local churches and architecture instead. (As you can see, it is a little battle between archeology and art history student here!). The museum was very impressive though, and I can understand that Kristinur wanted to spend some time in there as it was nicer than anything you get in Oslo. Poor Kristinur, after two hours we had to drag her out, or she would have easily stayed there for two hours more. After finishing up at the museum (well, maybe not Kristinur), we decided to split up as Kristinur and Helenur suddenly figured out they wanted to climb this mountain:

They had hardly had any food or anything to drink, and deciding to climb that mountain in that state was just such a thoroughly UR thing to do. I was convinced they were going to die, decided I would not endure the same fate, and made up my mind to follow Ditta in the search for something to eat. Besides, there were so many other places I wished to see, and I figured climbing that hill would take a scrawny person like me all day.

The four of us met up after a couple of hours, and it turned out it had only taken Helenur and Kristinur ten minutes to climb the mountain. (Even I would have managed it apparantly!) I wished to see the St. Nicholas Cathedral as I am a sucker for medieval architecture, and took the girls with me. Inside, a woman was playing the organ, and to listen to organ music in surroundings with such aucoustics really was stirring, even for me who is not religious.

The cathedral also had a lovely garden complex, however it was surrounded by locked gates so we were not allowed to walk inside. We did get some lovely photos through the grids though:

In the end it was time for some shopping. Dittaru and Helenur bought a dress and a pair of shoes each, while I just bought a cute new walled to replace my ugly, manly DNB NOR-wallet.

Having our dinner at Alicante bus terminal, waiting for the bus taking us home to Torrevieja. Dinner consisted of müesli bars, cherry tomatoes and strawberries. (And some black unidentifiable things that Helenur has shoved up her mouth in this photo).

Spain 3: Charter fever

2009-05-16T22:16:00.019+01:00

Kristinur and Helenur's infamous nose clips

So we did say that we were not going to be tourists and spend our holiday in front of the pool sunbathing, but Monday we just had to give ourselves a day of lazying around, as the pool looked extremely tempting. (To everyone except me of course). The girls we're hoping to achieve some alterisation of skin colour by the end of the week, and lied down to get a tan. I gave up on that years ago, finally realizing I was doomed to be ivory skinned. When we had been sufficiently grilled in the sun, it was time to try out the pool. Dittaru, Helenur and Kristinur bravely and elegantly jumped into the pool (or maybe not Ditta, as her bikini top came off...), and as usual I was the whimpy sceptical one, carefully dipping my little toe into the pool howling out loud about how cold it was. When I saw that Helenur was aiming to throw me in, I quickly ran into the pool to get the misery over with. To avoid being dragged back into the cold water, I volunteered to be a camera woman as Kristinur was teaching Helenur and Dittaru to dive.

That evening we went into Torrevieja, our hearts set on trying some authentic Spanish tapas. We decided to once again go-with-the-flow, and ordered almost randomly from the menu, not knowing how many people we had ordered for or what we had ordered. Here are some of the things we ended up with:

Deep fried cheese with jam and cold cheese with honey (This became the girls' favourite!)

Deep fried cuttlefish (I managed to forget that cuttlefish was in fact NOT fish when I urged the girls that we should order this one).

Helenur and Kristinur bravely digging in

We turned out to be very lucky with our choice of tapas - there wasn't one dish that we did not like! Even my cuttlefish was tasty with a healthy dash of lemon. Tapas is definitely something everyone must try when going to Spain! To finish off the perfect meal, we decided to go for cocktails. We ended up in a nearby bar called "Bora Bora", and if you want fancy cocktails - this place knows how to make them! Ditta had "Sex on the Beach", while I went for a "Pina Colada". Don't remember what the others had, but it was tasty anyway. Helenur ordered a mocktail (cocktail without alcohol), but the waiter did not seem to want to accept that, so he put a dash of alcohol in it anyway to "get the party started" as he phrased it.

The cocktails were so colourful, I fell in love with them. However, as we are not quite used to alchohol, our bodies started to react after only one drink. We soon became a very merry party discussing people we'd kissed, people we forgot we'd kissed (I screamed as I realized something terrible), people we'd been in love with, and boys in general and everything that goes with them. (And that's a whole lot of interesting stuff).

Spain 2: Spanish boys

2009-05-16T18:39:00.008+01:00

Ditta and me giggling over Spanish boys who are shouting after us.

Kristiur, Helenur and I at the fun fair just next to the market street.

Torrevieja has a lovely sea promenade and market street which I love to walk along. However, this is also where the Spanish boys like to walk around, something we got to notice already on our first evening. Before coming to Spain we had been wondering if Spanish boys were the same as the warm blooded Italian boys, and our fears were soon confirmed. What is it in the diet that make the hormones of Mediterranean boys go so completely out of hand? Everytime they see a fair Nordic girl, they'll start whistling, shouting and staring, and if they happen to be driving their car they will open the window and honk the horn instead. I know Scandinavian girls have the reputation of being slightly more liberated (read: slutty) than their southern counterparts, but in this case it is the Spanish boys who are sluts! They walk around with their sunglasses, sleek hair and half open shirts, slutting themselves around shouting "Beauty beauty" and "Where are you from, please tell me!" and "Hola hola!". It is extremely entertaining to see how pathetic they are - they really do make assumptions just because we are Scandinavian. The same goes for the African salesmen selling sunglasses.

Salesman: (To Ditta) Sunglasses, half price only for you!

Ditta: Yeah right, it's always half price only for me!

Salesman: Which one you like?

Ditta: I don't like any of them!

Salesman: You don't like? But you'd like boyfriend, ah? *Strokes her cheek*

One evening was bad though. Ditta had been sitting on our front porch talking on the phone when she saw a car driving by. It drove by again, and then yet again. When she went out to throw away garbage the car was still there. When she was back inside, the car consisting of 3 hot blooded Spanish guys parked right outside our gate, started honking their horn, shouting "Hola hola" and makeing kissing sounds at us. It was so hilarious - we could not decide whether it was cute or just downright pathetic. (I think I'll go for the last). We took our cameras out and started filming them, asking them if they had problems. They stood outside our front porch for 15 minutes, and didn't leave until Ditta shouted "fucking idiots" at them. Maybe they realized that yes, we are fucking idiots.

It is at these times I really start to appreciate the humble, shy Scandinavian boy. (I never thought I'd say that!). To me guys are just so much more attractive when they don't think they're attractive. Lucily for me I am left alone in Spain as I am dark haired unlike my blue-eyed friends who are extremely exotic in this country. (People have mistaken me for a latina before...). Only stares I get are from middle aged Asian men wondering what the hell I am.

Spain 1: Arriving in Torrevieja

2009-05-16T16:56:00.022+01:00

I am back from what must have been one of the most of hilarious weeks of my life. I have so much I want to write down, resulting in me having to divide this blog entry into what seems an endless amounts of parts. (And Kristinur, you promised you'd comment on every single one of them!). Besides, I promised the girls to write a concise diary for them to print out. So bear with me for some ridiculously long blog entries with a lot of spelling/grammar mistakes that I can't be bothered to go through. To understand our internal humour, one has to realize the defintions of a couple of things:

UR (Kristinur and Helenur): The Urs like physical activity, and can often be found jogging or climbing various objects. They are the embodiment of the true, Norwegian viking.
RU (Dittaru and Potteru): They are slightly lazier and whimpier, and have a lower stamina. They enjoy posing in photos, and have a tendency to act slighty more silly and giggly than their UR counterparts.

As you know the girls and I were going on a one week trip to my family's holiday house in Torrevieja, Spain, to get away from life to actually live life. We decided we wanted to define ourselves as "travellers" rather than "tourists", hoping to boycott the latter who does nothing but sunbathing and drinking while on holiday. Of course we wanted to sunbathe and go to bars, but we also wished to explore the culture Spain had to offer. To achieve this we had to "go with the flow", which eventually became our motto for the trip.

Ditta, Helenur, Kristinur and I got up really early to reach our 7:50 plane. Here I am, completely miserable at 4:15 am:

We were soon happy and cheerful though, when we got through security and could sit down to get some breakfast. We were also awkwardly browsing through the cosmetics section, feeling extremely shabby and out of place when comparing ourselves to the pretty made up dolls that worked there. I felt more comfortable sitting in my little seat eating my sandwitch and scatter crumbles all over myself.

Two very excited URs on the plane down to Spain

A view of Spain just before landing at Alicante airport.

We had arranged for a driver to pick us up and drive us to the house. The first thing we did after arrival was to go to the local super market for some groceries, and there we cheered everytime we saw a Spaniard. The neighbourhood is inhabited by 50 % Scandinavians, Britons and Germans. (No kidding), so Spaniards are a rare commodity. That is why I never use the house, because it sometimes feels like being in a Nordic colony. It is however, great to get to live one week in Spain for free.

The first evening and the first day was spent exploring the town of Torrevieja, which is a 20 minutes bus ride away. It has around 100,000 inhabitans, and is a popular holiday destination as it is located along the Costa Blanca, which is on east coast of Spain. Despite being surrounded by Norwegians, we managed to soak up some of the Spanish spirit when we got into the city centre.

We got to the local church of Torrevieja, and saw lots of little girls in white dresses. I realized they had just completed their first communion, a catholic ceremony that I myself went through when I was a kid.

Everywhere there were both Spanish and foreign kids running around in little flamenco dresses.

We decided that we were not allowed to eat other types of food until we had tried traditional Spanish dishes. So after scanning the area for Spanish food (it was impossible to find), we finally found a place that served paella in the midst of all the Chinese and Italian restaurants. We ordered the most frightening paellas we could find on the menu, which consisted of rabbit and various types of unidentifiable sea foods. It was surprisingly tasty, although I left the poor little rabbit for Ditta to take care of.

Three happy girls, finally feeling as if they are in Spain.

Torrevieja has a lot of fascinating graffitti walls, and when we saw this pink one we just had to take some friend photos in front of it. I think they turned out really cool, having a sort of "haute coutoure" feel to them. Henrik says I look extremely bratty, but that was sort of the point. All models look bratty, and we wanted to look like them:

Hasta la vista

2009-05-08T12:28:00.009+01:00

As I told you earlier, Ditta, Kristinur, Helenur and I are going to Torrevieja, Spain!

The pool just next to our holiday house. That's me in the middle as of 2005, trying to hit a little boy with an orange pool toy. (All friendly of course...)

I am now packing for our "wild" girl trip (super wild, as we are the heaviest drinkers and party mongers Europe has ever seen, and we are not going to do anything but drinking, sleeping around and wake up in our own vomit like all cool people do...). I am also doing some frantic last minute preparations. The girls will probably laugh of me for being a total control freak, since I want to know all the bus routes and facilities by hand. Maybe because it is my family's holiday house we're going to, and I don't want to dissapoint them with my poor knowledge of the place. (I never use the house). We are hoping to do some daytrips from Torrevieja to Alicante and the medieval town of Altea to soak up some culture, but it really is a hazzard as there are no good websites on bus routes to be found, and I don't want to fuss over that when I am in Spain and supposed to relax. Of course, maybe I should do like the rest and just go where the wind takes me. (Last time I did that I ended up in some some sleazy brothel in China). Chatted with Kristinur last night, she is super-excited and could not think of anything else but packing for Spain as she was working. It is going to be good to get away from life for a week, as I've been so uptight lately. I'm bringing my camera, as I am hoping to take some really nice friend photos to frame in and take with me to London.

My highly interesting suitcase with a flashy golden striped bikini, pink BH, hotel slippers and a book called "Serve the People" which my fellow Beijing and brothel-venturer Ray bought for me. It is a fictional book about a bored young wife of a military commander who seduces a young peasant soldier. It is supposed to be very good, so if it is a rainy day I'll definitely commence on it. I've been a good girl and left "The Good Study Guide" at home. There should be a limit to my geekiness.

Otherwise I've been on a wild shopping spree the past few weeks. Since I'm going to be a ridiculously broke student in a few months, I better just buy everything I need (and want) now. My poor sneakers said "no" to anymore walking a few weeks ago when the sole was falling off, so I bought a really cute pair with flowers to replace them. And then of course we have my "sporty" shoes with heals. (Henrik laughed of them). Typical that the whole of me should end up really white looking, while my feet should turn out to be ridiculously small and Asian, making it impossible to find shoes. A size 35 1/2 hardly makes it easy to find anything outside the children's section. (Sneakers are an exception, because then I can at least tie and adjust them). After stuffing them with soles and padding I managed to make my sporty high heeled shoes in size 36 fit, and just had to purchase them.

Now I must go make my famous potato salad. (Or, I'd like to think it's famous anyway). I am going to Marianne's birthday barbeque tonight, and she begged me to make it. It is overcast, damp and cold outside, so how much of a barbeque it's gonna be I am not sure of, but it will nevertheless be really cosy I think, despite hardly knowing anyone there. Bought something really cute for Marianne, and greedy as I am I had to buy one for myself too. Will have to go home at around 9 pm though, as I am up at 4:30 tomorrow morning.

A place to stay

2009-05-06T11:04:00.011+01:00

Connaught Intercollegiate Hall

I feel like such a slob for not working at the moment - it is like I'm almost hoping for my boss to call and say that the evening shift got sick. At least what I can do in these days of spare time is to do some constructive work, as time is coming on at me so quickly. At the moment I am reading about and applying for UCL accommodation. The deadline is on May 31st, and I would like to slip the application into the mailbox before going to Spain. At least then there is one thing less to worry about. (Moving to a new country really is a hazzard). I think its great that helpless and confused first year students like myself are guaranteed UCL accomodation in our first year, as it is pretty daunting to be studying in a whole country - let alone finding a cheap place to live. It is pretty amazing to be allowed to live right in the heart of London (yes, I mean it - IN THE HEART OF LONDON) for such a small amount of money. In our second year we are expected to look for private accommodation ourselves, which does worry me. However, I'll try not to think about that until that time comes. Hopefully I will have found some kindred spirits who would want to live with me by then!

There are billions of student halls and houses to choose between, and the information given on each of them in my UCL accomodation pamphlet isn't overly informative, so I am browsing The Student Room to get some student views on each accommodation. To narrow my choice down a little bit, I have decided to apply for catered halls rather than self-catered. I know that everyone is saying the food at the catered accommodations tastes awful , but I guarantee you that any food they make will be better than the food I can conjure up, which will be a dry slice of bread for breakfast and instant noodles/MacDonalds for dinner. (That was my general diet it Beijing - hardly optimal for a student that needs to be alert and focused). Also, as an international student I am not all that keen on bringing along/buying a whole set of kitchen utensils in my first year. I have enough with just trying to figure out what is happening to me and where I am, and I probably won't have the time to cook anything grand. Besides, I think organized dinners at set mealtimes is gonna be a lot more social than everyone cooking independently and taking their meals into their own rooms like in Beijing. There are quite a few catered halls to choose between, but I would like for them to be near UCL and reasonably priced, which means giving up the idea of having my own bathroom. Maybe Ramsay Hall? It is only 5 minutes from UCL, reputed to be the "party hall", and it is apparantly where Coldplay met (they all went to UCL). However, it is a tad bit pricy. Then we have Connaught Hall, which also is only a 5 minutes walk from the main site. I'd love to be able to roll out of bed 10 minutes before lectures. It is an intercollegiate hall, meaning that students from SOAS, London School of Economics, Queen Mary and King's College also reside there, which I guess could be quite nice. When it comes to sharing rooms I am okay with it, although I will put a single room as preference. If I do end up with a roommate it is not the end of the world though, I remember how everyone who had a single room in Beijing really longed for a roomie, as they felt really isolated living alone. (Mine was optimal, I had a single bedroom, but shared a living room and bathroom with a really nice Japanese girl. That saved me from dying of fright the first week). I think I shall manage to survive with shared bathrooms too. It sounds terifying at the moment, but I think I shall get used to it in a matter of days. After all, shared bathrooms are the case for most students, both in London and Oslo. This is no time to be picky and preppy.

After a lot of thinking I think I will put Connaught Hall as my first choice, and for my second choice I think would like to go for the International Hall, which is 15 minutes from UCL and quite reasonably priced. Besides, living with people from all over the world would be great. I don't want to end up being the only foreigner in a floor full of Britons only. Well, in the end I know I just have to accept whatever I get. As long as I get a roof over my head I guess.

(After this blog entry I finally realized that "ACCOMMODATION" is spelled with two m's).

UCL, I'm yours.

2009-05-04T21:40:00.009+01:00

Oh Jesus Christ, I did it. I accepted my offer from UCL, and I am now officially a UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LONDON Undergraduate! *Congratulates herself* I am not sure whether to think "Hurray" or "What the hell have I comitted myself to?!" I applied to 5 different History of Art courses at 4 different unis - The Courtald, The University of Edinburgh, SOAS and UCL. I was rejected by Courtald, and accepted by Edinburgh and UCL. I was still waiting for my reply from SOAS, but they have been seriously taking their sweet time, and in the end I decided it wasn't worth the waiting anymore. (Even though it would be fun to see whether or not I got in). I already made up my mind long ago that I would accept UCL if offered a place, and I got stressed out because different people were claiming that the reply deadlines were at completely different dates. I would not risk losing my UCL offer. So there it is, my firm acceptance:

It took a lot for me to press the "submit reply" button, and I actually closed my eyes when doing it, half screaming in my head. I've been getting cold feet for the past few weeks, one day thinking "Oh, I am dying to go to UCL" and the next day thinking "I don't want to leave my home and boyfriend for 3 years of study hell and a lifetime of debt!". I keep thinking I'm never gonna fit in, I'll hate my accomodation, I'll never make friends and I'll never be as clever as my fellow students. Then I had to hit myself in the head and say "Cathrine, if you had been thinking and analyzing this much before going to Beijing you would never have dared to go!". So in the end I just had to bring myself to clicking the "submit replies" button, because if I did anymore thinking and hesitating I would probably just end up in a kebab shop in Lillestrøm for the rest of my life.

It is a huge relief actually. There is no way out now, and all I can do is to prepare myself mentally and just realize that I need to believe in myself a bit more. Thousands of overseas students have come to London to study - if they can, why can't I? I have to think that this is a lifetime opportunity. So many people would kill to study in the middle of London, and I have actually been so lucky as to get that offer. Some of my former classmates have moved in with their boyfriends at this stage, had a baby, aquired a family car; and they are fully content with being well established with a family at the age of 20. I often wish that was the case with me also, but it isn't. I am too restless, I believe I only live once, and I must take every opportunity given to me. It is tiresome, but it is reviving at the same time. I am young. I am free. And I shall never feel this way again my whole life.

5 little things

2009-04-30T00:22:00.009+01:00

It is April 30th, at that means 5 things:

1: It is my last official day at work! I have bought my boss Nina a little gift as a token of our friendship. It's going to be sad not to work with her anymore - after all you do get quite attached to a person when you see them every day for a year. I am going to to some things I have been dying to do for thirteen months though: Wear my hair loose, wear big earrings, polish my nails, put on perfume and wear sleeveless tops. All the things I could not do while working in a bakery shop. (I used to feel so ugly compared to all the dressed up H&M girls...)

2: Only 9 days left to go 'till the girls and I are heading for Spain! I feel as if I haven't planned anything properly, although the girls are making fun of me for in fact planning TOO much.

3: Exactly 1 month left 'till I'm off to Hong Kong! I can hardly wait, all the shameless amounts of dim sum I shall devour down there! Oh the joy, oh the happiness. There is nothing on my mind besides dumplings at the moment. (And university). I do hope the swine flu won't get in the way of any of the holidays - Kristinur sent me a message telling me it has reached Spain. However, I am not going to make a huge fuss over it yet hoarding up stocks of Tamiflu and completely ignore the fact that there are genuily sick people who actually need the medicine. I do also know that gauze masks do not help you one bit. Just have to watch out for what the newspapers say and take precautions thereafter. After all, the chances of staying healthy are greater than getting sick.

4: Tomorrow is a new episode of "Fanthomas". I don't know if any of you have followed this cartoon parody of Jan Thomas, but I think it is ingenious. Yes yes, I know you shouldn't make fun of people, and it's evil humor at the expense of others - but Norway's most famous gay man, stylist and make-up artist Jan Thomas, is just so ridiculous sometimes that I cannot help but laughing myself silly. I have been SO sick of hearing him in the medias everyday criticizing dresses, telling us what to wear, telling us how to look - finally he is actually doing something useful for the entertainment industry. "Dette er ingen jobb for Djæn Thamas...this is a job for...FANTHOMAS!"

5: Today I am off to Sweden again, and Henrik and I will be commencing on the season's first barbeque! I am trying to teach him to appreciate the Norwegian "lompe" with sausages, but so far without any success. Have an excellent weekend everyone.

Samson memoirs

2009-04-27T19:12:00.006+01:00

Here it is, my last week of working at Baker Samson. I have been working there for over a year now, so I guess it is time to move on and begin my studies. It has been a great experience, but it is not something I could do for the rest of my life. Working in a service profession is dynamic - it is stressful and physically demanding, and it requires focus and multi-tasking. This job has made me more confident, outgoing and responsible, and I have conquered my childish fear of talking to strangers on the phone. However, it has also triggered a lot of new thoughts about society and human beings. I have come to realize that in this modern world there is no room for politeness, appreciation or smiles anymore. Everything has to be so fast, so efficient. When you're in a service profession many customers tend to view you was a machine, thinking they can treat you like you were nothing but an insect underneath their sole. It is hard to stick to the motto "The customer is always right" at these times. Luckily I've had so many regular customers who make me laugh and smile, and compliment me on the work I do. They have made it worth while, and I shall miss them.

I shall be working a bit during the summer to earn some much needed money, but I think it is definitely healthy for me to leave my regular employement at this stage. I am starting to notice how my patience with grumpy costumers is starting to cease. I notice how I am beginning to struggle to keep up with the constant happy, smiling service-minded facade. Before leaving the job on Thursday, I have collected a few quotations that have made me angry, speechless and happy. I have named them:

TOP 10 STUPID CUSTOMER INQUIRIES

May I get the recipies for your breads so I won't have to come to your shop and buy bread all the time? (Uhm...I am a sales assistant. My job is to sell, not to hand out all the recipies so customers won't have to come to our shop anymore).
I am so grateful for this bread - the fibre really has helped improve my husband's poo. (Oh...*smiles*...how lovely! That's our job...)
Is there minced meat in the marzipan cake? (Okay, I understand if you cannot eat the marzipan if there is gelatin in it, but who honestly puts minced meat in a marzipan cake?)
Could you gather up some bread crumbles so I can use them to feed my birds? (Excuse me, I have tons of customers waiting in line here, and you want me to pick up bread crumbles?!)
*Takes an ice cream from the neighbouring kiosk and comes to our desk* I would like to pay for this ice cream. (Uhm...sure, I'd love to take your money...but did it escape your attention that the ice cream freezer was right underneath the kiosk sign, and that the kiosk is in fact 8 meters away from us?!)
(Customer to my boss Nina) THAT BLOODY FOREIGN GIRL OF YOURS CHEATED ME FOR ONE NOK!! (Sir, if I had tried to cheat you, I'd cheat you for a bit more than 1 p. How stupid do you think I am?)
I don't want this coffee! It has got foam in it!! (Madam, you did in fact order a cappucchino...the whole point of a cappuchino is that it is supposed to have 1/3 of foam!)
Must I return the the disposable ice cup and spoon after I've finished my ice cream? Will you be needing them later today? (Sorry madam...the world has NOT become that environmentally concerned just yet...)
Is there alcohol in the ice cream that will get me drunk? I am driving a car you see. (No Madam, if our ice cream contained enough alcohol to get people drunk I do not think we would be allowed to sell it in a bakery shop).
(Obnoxious man to my boss Nina, who is still in her winter coat having just stepped into the shop at 8 am to turn on the lights) Man: Hey you! Will you make me some food? Nina: Uh...excuse me, but we don't open until 10 am. I am not even out of my coat! Man: Then I'll go somewhere else where I can find some COOL people who'll make me breakfast!!

I never realized how many wierd people this world actually held.

My own worst enemy

2009-04-22T18:08:00.009+01:00

For days now I've been stuck in a depressive, anguished mania, getting cold feet about going to university due to my lack of study practise for the past year. When I applied for universities I was so eager to begin studying again, but lately I have come to remember the hell you feel when you're drowning in assignments and books, and how I would sometimes just break down crying due to the amount of homework that had to be done. Working in a shop for a year has made me feel as if my brain is slowly dying due to lack of learning; but now that university is approaching with rapid movements I am suddenly extremely grateful for these evenings after work where I don't have anything to do but to lie on the couch and enjoy myself. Suddenly I don't feel like giving it up.

I decided it was time for me to open "The Good Study Guide" by Andrew Northedge after days of postponing it. 370 pages of study technique guiding does sound unbearably drab to me at least, but if I cannot even bring myself to read that book, how can I ever bring myself through three years of university? I was whining to myself when I opened it on the bus to work, but after 5 minutes I was so enthralled that I nearly forgot to get off the bus when I arrived at my stop. A whole new world has emerged in front of my eyes.

I have always been quite aware of my faults. To me, I am the most inefficient student I know. I am my own worst enemy. At high school I would always recieve good grades (with the exception of maths and PE), but due to my ineffectiveness and low quality use of the time given to me, studying took me twice as long as it should have done. I had to give up so many social events in order to achieve the grades I did and to get into the university I wanted to. I would go to bed at 3 am, get up at 7 am, skip breakfast, and then go to class hungry, tired and unfocused. At 4:30 pm I would get home, eat oligotrophic instant noodles, fall asleep on the sofa and then start studying at around 20 pm. By that time I was so tired and unfocused I would end up being distracted by Facebook, Msn, blogs and so on while studying. That resulted in me having to stay up until 3 am to get my work done, and the same routine would continue the next day. I barely survived high school with that lifestyle, and it is certainly never going to get me through university alive. It made me unhappy and unhealthy, and I don't want to go through that again. When I go to university I would like to be able to have fun AND at the same time produce good academic results. I have always known that I need to use my time more effectively, but I never seemed to know how until I started reading this book. Two chapters of "The Good Study Guide" has already inspired me to do so many things I should have done four years ago:

Set up a weekly time-table with task lists for each day. Divide my assignment into several smaller tasks. This will help a black hole of endless work seem like several structured achievable goals. I think I want to set up something like this which I just made in Word to get a general idea of how I wish to do things:
Find out when my high-quality study time is (when I am the most concentrated and alert) and set all the day's most demanding tasks at that time. Activities like filing and online information browsing can be set at a low-quality study time.
Make sure to put all my notes and information sources into files and folders at once to create a tidy efficient working environment. That way it is easier for me to find notes and articles when I need them.
After each assignment/course, take some time to reflect on how I managed my tasks and if my time-table and study strategies were efficient or not. Will I have to make some changes in my study strategies later?
It is not the matter of time spent on my assignment that determines whether or not it is good. It is a matter of the quality of the time spent.
Make arrangements with my friends and family and let them know when I am available for chatting and webcamming. (If I had the choice I'd chat with Henrik all day, but I think I need to get better at setting certain hours for studying only and certain hours for chatting only, rather than mixing the two of them together).

After reading just 40 pages of this book, university now seems exciting and fun again, not like a torture building of assignment doom. I am going to continue reading a bit now, and will try reading at least a chapter everyday on my way to work. Other things this book teaches you:

Develop flexible note-taking strategies
Researching online
Reading with concentration and understanding
Writing clear, well argued assignments

I have found my bible.

Cherry Blossoms

2009-04-19T21:16:00.002+01:00

First of all: Henrik and I did not undertake an impulsive getaway to Japan this weekend.

I have had a lovely, exotic weekend in Stockholm, catching the first rays of the warming spring sun. I arrived at Henrik's place at about 22 pm on Friday evening, where we later watched some more episodes of the excellent WWII series "Band of Brothers" which Henrik has introduced me to. Saturday morning we sat underneath the douvet drinking some hot chocolate, watched another episode of Band of Brothers and then headed into Stockholm. We had a busy schedule for the day, and the first thing on (my) agenda was to drag Henrik to the National Gallery to see the current pre-Raphaelite exhibiton which is held there. The poor guy is always so nice, following me around to all my artsy escapades just to be teased by his friends later.

After seeing the exhibiton we strolled down to the nearby park of Kungsholmen. In the event of the cherry trees that are currently in blossom, there was a Japanese culture fair held there where people could do like the Japanese and admire the beautiful pink cherry blossoms. There was also a show displaying Japanese kimonos, Japanese music and Japanese calligraphy, and the spectators were able to buy various Japanese trinkets like fans, sumi-e and traditional longbows. Despite a few rays from the sun once in a while there was an icy cold wind, and we were desperately scrutinizing the place in search of green tea. As expected with these fairs, there was an alarming amount of Japanophiles strolling about, but I guess they are cute in their own way. I can understand why people are so into Japanese culture, it is indeed very beautiful.

Japanese women (and one white) in beautifully coloured kimonos singing Japanese songs.

Some Japanese friends having picnic underneath a cherry blossom tree.

I was ecstatic as I love cherry blossoms, and Henrik said I looked like a little kid skipping around to take what must have been my 20th cherry blossom photo. They are in fact my favourite flowers next to orchids, but this was the first time I had actually seen pink cherry blossoms properly. Here in the cold bitter north it was still a bit too early for the cherry blossoms to come out, but I managed to find some as you can see in the following picture:

Henrik caught in an unguarded moment.

Fun day for everyone!

Off to Sweden

2009-04-16T22:31:00.004+01:00

I'm almost finished packing my suitcase now (I would have been already if I hadn't just had this sudden urge to write a completely meaningless blog entry...). Tomorrow I am off to Stockholm with the afternoon train immediatly after work to see Henrik for the weekend. Usually we manage to see eachother at least every other weekend, but now that I have been working two Saturdays in a row I haven't seen him for three weeks. (Well, if I move to London I'll just have to get used to it...). He shall get a huge hug from me when I see him. It shall be good to have him near me in person, because lately our relasionship has been looking like this:

(I really do think Henrik bears a resemblance to Princess Leia with those headphones... He is so going to break up with me now...)

Only thing I haven't figured out yet is what book to bring on the train. It is after all a six hours train ride, and I don't think I'm going to bother reading "The Good Study Guide" for a good six hours in a row. I have started reading "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, but I might want to have some more in addition in case I finish it. Well, I better head for bed. I am up at 6 am tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

New discovery

2009-04-14T23:45:00.008+01:00

Oh no...

...I'm never gonna see my boyfriend again.

Some people discovered America, some people discovered the compass, and some people just discovered how to make screencaps! Don't tease me - my laptop won't screencap for a reason, but my stationary PC does! I am so ecstatic I have been screencaping Henrik the whole evening to his great frustration. ("Don't screencap me in my bare upper body!") When Henrik logged off, I could not help but continue screencaping myself...

Trying to prove to Henrik that I am not touching the screencap button with any bodypart... Do expect my blog to contain a lot of screencaps in the future. This is too amusing for words.

Salvation is near

2009-04-12T13:36:00.016+01:00

...in the form of:

So my Grandma phoned me this morning asking me if I was still going to London to study. She is really excited by the prospect of me moving to England, and she is urging me to come visit her in Oxford once in a while in-between essays, lectures and panick attacks. She says I can stay the night in her flat, and she will make me noodles and put on a movie. I think that sounds excellent - I hardly ever get to see my Grandma nowadays. Last time was when I celebrated Chinese New Year with her in February 2008. According to her all the old ladies in the Chinese society keep asking "Cecilia, where is that slim white skinned granddaughter of yours??". I was happy to hear her being so happy on the phone. She always sounds so depressed, but now she didn't even utter the words "I am going to die soon" in a single sentence! I am glad to see her planning for the future and having things to look forward to.

I wonder why I still haven't confirmed my UCL place. I haven't been given a confirmation deadline date yet, as I am still awaiting my answers from SOAS and the results of my UCL tution fee form which will decide weather I have to pay £ 3000 a year or £ 16,000 a year. The University of Edinburgh regards me as a home student and charges me £ 3000 a year in the case of entry to their History of Art course. If this is not the case with UCL, it is tempting to save the money and go to Edinburgh instead. On the other hand - it is the freaking University College of London located right in the middle of Bloomsbury! It was ranked 7th best university in the world - even beating places like Stanford and Princeton! Call me a snob - but how can any sane person say no to something like that?

Henrik and I have had a few mild disputes over UCL. He always supports me, and he would probably kill me if I didn't follow my ambitions and go to London. However, he does think that aiming for a prestigious well-renowned university is nothing but pompous snobbery and that I should stop being so obsessed with league tables before I turn into a snob myself. I, on the other hand, believe that one should always aim for the best, and that if you can get into a prestigious well-renowned university with a good reputation, you should go for it. These universities have got a good reputation for a reason, and if I am to spend three + years of my life studying I am not going to do it at some mediocre place even if it means drowning in debts for the rest of my life. I hate to say that university rankings and prestige is important to me - I think I get it from the Asian side of the family.

I am not going to say I am not scared though. I used to think I was university material; now I wonder if I am "geeky" enough for UCL. There seems to be so much prestige and expectation connected to this place, while my High School was a complete dump. I was known as "the geek" because I always took great effort to finish my essays and assignments on time, which to me is an obvious thing to do. When deadline was due, all the others complained saying "Oh, we haven't even started writing the essay" and the teacher would give everyone a two weeks extension. The ones of us that had been sitting up all night finishing our essays did not even recieve credit for it. So at High School I felt as if I was good enough. Now I feel so small - how can I, a girl coming from a dump of a school ever compare to UCL alumni like Mahatma Gandhi and Alexander Graham Bell? Especially seeing to the fact that I haven't done any academic work since living in China. My brain has been crumbling away despite me trying to keep it together by reading novels and geek on the Wikipedia. So I have decided that it is time for me to read "The Good Study Guide" by Andrew Northedge, just so I won't hit the wall already on my first week of studenthood. It is a book that explains to you how to best manage your time, take full advantage of your computer, making presentations and developing flexible note-taking strategies. I am hoping this book will make me slightly more confident in my own skills.

The Wild Life

2009-04-10T19:19:00.025+01:00

I never understood why the hell Norwegians like to spend their holidays packing their things, drive far away from home and go live like hermits in a cabin out in the woods with no water and no elecricity. I get it now. And I have never felt so Norwegian my whole life.

Many months ago Ditta, Kristinur and I agreed to go to Kristinur's cabin during the Easter holidays. It is located only about an hours drive from Lillestrøm, so it was perfect for a quick little getaway for three girls who only had Thursday and Friday off, and had do be back at work Saturday morning. When we left Wednesday after work it was misty and wet outside, and the prospect of going to a dark cabin out in the woods wasn't all that appealing to be honest. It was such a cliché horror movie scenario: It was twilight. It was misty. Three girls walked into the woods to reach their destinated cabin. I was just waiting for Kristinur or someone to find some old cursed book, open it, get red eyes, kill Ditta and then try to kill me.

Fortunately for us that wasn't the case. The cabin turned out to be very cosy, and thank god we had electricity! The heat had been switched on by Kristinur's parents last week, so it wasn't the North pole in there when we reached the cabin. Also the next door hut was inhabited, making us feel less isolated out in the woods. Ditta and I were still too whimpy to go to the outhouse and pee alone though, so we always had to bring each other for moral support. Pathetic, isn't it? First evening we cooked a really tasty Italian pasta stew with fresh bread and salad. Afterwards we took fun photos and watched some Easter crimes on television. I think we went to bed at around 3 am. It was originally meant to be a girl trip, but Ditta asked if Kim could join us, so he did. While Kristinur slept in the "master" bedroom, Ditta, Kim and I managed to cramp three matresses together on the living room floor.

Kim must have enjoyed himself immensely, although I think I might have ruined his and Ditta's privacy... How nice of them to include me when I didn't have my own Swedish blonde to crawl onto and attack with cuddles.

Thursday morning eating a very Norwegian breakfast consisting of milk, bread and goat cheese. I am a die hard full English breakfast fan, but I have come to the conclusion that the Norwegian breakfast is in fact not that bad - it tastes amazing when you are on a camping trip. I think I ate 6-7 slices of bread. After breakfast we decided to go for a little walk in the woods. I discovered what a terrible shape my body is in. I hate to admit that I really needed the exercise:

A happy and enthusiastic Kristinur in the front, followed by Ditta.

Didn't I tell you it was a horror movie scenario?

Spring is here, and as a result there were many streams to cross. I was just waiting for one of us to fall right into one.

When we finally reached a stream that we could not cross, we decided it was time to go back. Good thing, because I was completely exhausted by the time this photo was taken.

Thursday evening we grilled sausages for dinner. Compulsory camping food.

What the hell are you saying?? *Chokes on sausage*

I made damper bread for the whole gang. Not that it took me a lot of effort. I just mixed water and flour, rolled the dough on a stick and put it on the grill. It is surprisingly tasty...

And this ladies and gentlemen - is how we wash our hair in Norway.

Thank you Kristinur for a great trip! It is amazing how much I've really enjoyed being without running water and the internet for a couple of days. It is so reviving to feel that you don't have to be available all the time, that people don't call you or message you or try to reach you. At the cabin, everything goes according to your chosen phase. And the fact that you are without running water actually enhances the whole experience. To give up practicalities and luxury and instead live like we originally did live; alongside with nature. For me it really was quite an exotic experience!

Mmm...cheese

2009-04-07T22:08:00.008+01:00

Today we invited Ray and her dad over for a little Easter dinner, and I suggested we'd have one of my favourite meals: Cheese fondue! You cut up pieces of white bread, apples, pears and pickled onions and dip them in a special melted Swiss cheese with nutmeg. So simple and unbeatable.

Do notice the yellow Easter napkins that my mom bought...

Ray and I used to do the Asian v-sign all the time while living in China... we have not been good at keeping it up, so here it goes...

Mom's exclusive kiwi parfait. I contributed too! I added the grapes.

Ray digging in...

I am going to be off for a couple of days now. With my boss gone on a holiday, I am in charge of the shop today and tomorrow. Immediately after work tomorrow however, I am going to rush out and head straight for my friend Kristinur's cabin! I am sure it is going to be great - however I just saw a scary Easter crime on telly, and at the moment going to a cabin in the woods does not seem overly appealing... I hope I feel braver tomorrow! It is going to be pretty cold, so I am packing wolly socks, wolly jumpers, scarves and mittens. Also must not forget my camera - I am sure this will be a great opportunity to take many artistic and fun photos! See you all on Friday!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-05T10:22:00.010+01:00

Today is Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of Easter here in Norway. I was born and raised in the Catholic faith, and hence I used to dread Easter when I was a kid. I remember my mom taking me to the local Catholic church of St. Magnus every year on Good Friday. During mass I had to kneel down in front of Father what's-his-name and kiss the feet of a wooden statue of Jesus (that hundreds of people had kissed before me). I thought it was an utterly scary and unhygenic thing to do, and I always dreaded it for at least one month beforehand. When I was twelve I lost my faith, and decided to leave the Catholic church. I now describe myself as a happy agnostic, classifying my personal belief as a mixture of New Age, Buddism, Taoism and Harry Potter.

Like for most Norwegians, Easter for me is not a religious holiday anymore. This week is all about driving up to the family cabin, go skiing, solve crosswords, paint eggs, eat eggs and watch "Easter crimes". Easter crime is a special Norwegian phenomenon, and the main reason why Easter is my second favourite holiday after Christmas. Every Easter, crime series like Agatha Christie's "Poirot" are screened on television, and tons of new crime novels are released and displayed in the bookstores. The newspapers are full of reviews announcing this years must-reads and must-sees. The entire nation is simply smitten and thirsty for some thrills. There are even crime short-stories printed on the milk cartons! I think it stems from the Norwegian tradition of going to "hytta" (the cabin) during the Easter week. At the traditional cabins there is no water and hardly any electricity. To entertain ourselves reading crime novels became a popular pasttime, and what better setting is there for a spine chilling crime than in front of the fireplace in a dark, snow covered mountain? I will also be going to a cabin this week - my friend Kristinur's cabin on Wednesday to be exact. However, I have already picked out two crime novels that I will start reading today:

A POCKET FULL OF RYE - Agatha Christie

I am already halfway though this book, and it is indeed very exciting! What is Easter without the queen of crime Agatha Christie? "A Pocket Full of Rye" is supposedly the best book featuring Christie's female detective Ms. Marple. I love her books because plots are such classic detective stories where one has to use one's brains and interrogation skills rather than forensic clues. I can't wait to learn who the culprit(s) is/are.

MENN SOM HATER KVINNER - Stieg Larsson

The second book I am going to read this week is "Menn som Hater Kvinner". (Men who hate women) by the Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The book and the newly screened movie adaption which recieved rave reviews have been the talk of the nation, and everybody except me are probably familiar with the story by now. I am always a step behind. This book was voted Scandinavia's best crime novel in 2006, and has been described as "the perfect crime" and a "rare gem". I cannot wait to read this book. Just the freakishly eerie cover itself is easter crime enough for me...

My Photobucket

2009-04-03T22:12:00.006+01:00

My Photobucket Account

I've been a good girl and created a Photobucket account. I am an avid hobby photographer, so I figured it was time to share some of the photos I've collected through my various travels. So far I've only uploaded my China photos - most of them taken when I was living there for a brief period in 2007 trying to live on my crappy mandarin. I shall upload photos from France and Scotland in the near future. I like taking photos of architecture and man-made things that give an impression of what the daily life in the area is like. I also like searching for details, taking close-ups of various trinkets that I can find. I take secrets shots of people whenever I dare, but it's always so embarrassing being caught in the act. I shall try being more bold in the future. Do make sure to check out my albums from Pingyao and Inner Mongolia - those are my two favourites. Sometimes I've had troubles making the slideshows work properly, but maybe you've got more luck than me.

The development of a drawing

2009-03-31T20:26:00.015+01:00

I have a bad tendency of commencing on projects and not finishing them. (The exception being school work). I began this drawing of Edward Cullen from "Twilight" ages ago when I read the first book and actually liked him. However, as the book series progressed I got more and more annoyed with both him and Bella. Critics say that he comes across as being "overly Byronic", and I totally agree to that. I tell you, if I had a boyfriend like that I'd kick him in the backside. I shall try to force myself to finish the drawing, or else it'd be quite a lot of hours wasted. As you can see I like to take photos every half an hour or so, because I think it's fun to look back in the aftermath and see how the drawing progressed.

I also want to show you a painting I like to work on once in a while when I feel motivated and up for it. I think a painting takes so much more time and effort than a drawing, so I tend to just end up doing pencil drawings instead of developing my painting skills. A portrait drawing I can throw together in a few hours, a painting seems to take me several months. (Must be all those darn layers and always waiting for the paint to dry...) Ditta posed as my model for this one, but as you can see the facial features have changed through the various painting stages, looking less and less like the original photo of Ditta. Because this is my first go at oil paints, it's been quite challenging. I've done tons of mistakes, but then again I was never the sort of person who wanted to learn painting through a book. As the painter Helen van Wyk said: A painting is a series of corrections and mistakes. I've stuck to that sentence ever since. The painting still has a long way to go, but now I feel that at least the face is starting to come together.

Elm Street

2009-03-29T16:21:00.011+01:00

http://www.elmstreet.no

Henrik just left Norway for Sweden, leaving me here in a grumpy manner comforting myself with my tea and blog. We had a great weekend, and Saturday evening we went to Elm Street Rock Café in Oslo. Yes yes, I know yesterday evening was earth hour and all that, and shame on me for going to a rock bar that probably uses a shameful amount of electricity instead of sitting at home doing something that probably won't help save the earth for a second. When all that is said, I am not actually the sort of person you'll be seeing hanging around in a rock bar. I was only there because I was invited by Ditta, and because my boyfriend is your typical Scandinavian long haired metal head. I felt painfully awkward when stepping through the doors of Elm Street, feeling every set of eyelined eyes staring at me thinking "What the hell is that preppy girl doing here in our territory?!" Henrik however, seemed to make himself at home immediately. This is just his sort of place, and I watched him jealously as he blended in effordlessly. I tried telling people with my eyes "Look dude, I'm with this cool metal dude and I so totally fit in here 'cause I'm like a total metal biatch".

Apparantly Elm Street is one of Scandinavia's most legendary rock places, and according to their site bands like Deep Purple, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Faith No More, Iron Maiden, Guns 'n' Roses, Motorhead and Status Quo have graced the place with their presence. (I think Henrik probably died just a little bit now after reading this...). Here are some pics from the evening:

I might not completely blend in with the metal environment, but I can totally blend into the Japanese fangirl environment.

Would I have fitted in if I dressed like this?

Originally we were supposed to be a much larger group, but Kim and his friend ditched us for another rock bar, and Siren & co probably came after we had left. So in the end it was only me, Ditta and Henrik. (Who was burping louder and louder after each beer devoured...). We saw 2 bands - Hollywood Vampires and Jacks or Better. When I listened to them on MySpace I didn't really like their songs, but when I heard them live I thought they sounded really cool. After a while I just sat down and enjoyed it, rather than being concious about my preppy appearance. An evening that turned out to be surprisingly pleasant.

Fun things Cathrine wants for summer

2009-03-25T22:55:00.011+01:00

I am not usually the one to be blogging about fashion and beauty, as I don't want to come across as too girly and empty-headed. (I am afraid those two things often come together). However, as the two last entries have been about university, finances, IELTS-tests and worries, I am going to be completely shallow and blog about colourful pretty things I want to buy before going to Spain and Hong Kong this summer. I need recreation and diversion, and fashion makes me totally happy at the moment.

H&M

Hello Kitty socks

Blue puffy skirt

Pale red trenchcoat

TOP SHOP

Since Norway is a country nobody seems to care about, TOP SHOP does not ship clothes to this god abandoned place. However, I can get them shipped to Sweden. I have already convinced Henrik.

Cute PJ set with an ice cream motive

Grey cropped jumper

Purple cropped joggings

Grey tunic

Financing trouble

2009-03-25T17:59:00.005+01:00

I landed with a major thump from my little pink cloud yesterday. Because mom is British, I thought that I was classified as a "Home/EU student" in England, meaning that I would "only" have to pay 3000 £ a year for tution fees, as opposed to the staggering 16,000 £ a year a Norwegian student would have to pay. We e-mailed the University of Edinburgh a year ago, and they confirmed that I would indeed be classified as a home student. So I expected this to apply for the rest of Britain - I mean, either you are a home student or you're not a home student! However, seems like the UCL and English terms are slightly different than the Scottish ones, meaning that I am in great danger of paying four times the amount of what I had originally expected. Because I am 21 by the time term starts, the fact that my mother is a UK national might not help me - UNLESS I am financially dependent on her. As I do not have a full time job, I still do depend on my parents for food and lodging. (As much as I hate to say it). I really hope UCL will recognize this. I don't know how strict they are, and how they categorize "financially dependent". I spent the whole morning on the phone trying to get through to the UCL admissions office, but the line is very busy nowadays so I it was to no avail. So now I have just e-mailed my faculty's admissions tutor Dr. TJ Demos asking for a questionnaire that would determine my tution fee status, and I hope I will get a reply soon as this is getting rather urgent.

Yesterday I had to really sit down and consider a lot of "what ifs". What if I am not classified as a home student after all - what will I do? How I curse myself - I had the chance of becoming a British citizen when I was 11. Why on earth did I choose to be Norwegian!?! (Yes, I know its a great and wealthy country and all that...). If I have to pay 16,000 £ a year, how can I ever repay that kind of money? I have one thing that could help me. When my great grand aunt died, she left me some money that was meant to use for my education. It is not nearly enough to cover all my tution fees, but it will help me to repay my loans if I am not able to get a good job immediately after graduating. After a lot of thinking, I have decided that I am not giving up UCL now. I could go to Edinburgh where I most likely would be granted a home student status - but it cannot replace UCL. If I have to scrape together every single penny I own and walk around naked for the rest of my life I'd do it. I fought so hard to get into this university - and now that I have the chance to do this I just cannot let it go! Other Norwegians have studied in London before me - if they can pay the international fees, I will too manage. But - I'm gonna fight for my right to be entitled a home student status first.

Preparing for university

2009-03-23T09:12:00.010+01:00

I still haven't quite got my feet back on the ground. The first night after learning the news about UCL I didn't sleep at all, resulting in me going to work with the most immense headache. Still, I was as happy as a bee, so excited by the prospect of studying in London. Not even the grumpiest costumer could ruin my day, and I was much more inclined to give out free plastic bags than usual. To have been given the opportunity to study art in the middle of London makes me feel so lucky and grateful. I loved UCL so much when I went there for my interview - the location was fantastic, the buildings were great, the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. I knew after 5 minutes that this was where I wanted to go. I am already so much in love with my uni, that when someone was criticizing the UCL logo on the internet I could already feel my blood pumping with insult! You will forgive me if a lot of future blog posts will contain lots of rantlings about UCL preparations, because a huge part of my life will evolve around just that at the moment.

Yesterday I was quite pleased with my effectiveness. Before I know it, 6 months will have passed in an instant, so I have to start dealing with some of the boring stuff that comes with moving to a new country. I e-mailed the UCL Admissions Office asking them about my fee status. Because mom is a British citizen I might be able to pay the fees of a "Home/EU-student" which is 3000 £ annualy, as opposed to the 12,000 £ I would otherwise have to pay being a Norwegian. We filled out a fee status questionnaire from the University of Edinburgh last year, and they confirmed that I would be classified as a "Home/EU" student. Now I just need to find out if this applies to UCL as well, which I expect it does. It would certainly make my economic prospects a lot more pleasant. I also mailed them to check if I need to do my IELTS English profiency test. Although my Upper Secondary grades were good enough to be an acceptable quialification, my Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate is two years old and might not be valid anymore. So I've downloaded the IELTS application in case I will need to do the test on April 30th (that's 1900 NOK right out the window for you).

I have been frequently visiting the UCL chatroom on the British student website "The Student Room", and I created an account there. (I'm "Potteru" by the way, not completely unexpected). Here UCL students and prospective students can discuss applications, interviews and life at UCL. I didn't dare to venture there until I got my acceptance letter - didn't want to read too much about UCL and get too desperate to go there. (All that failed when I went there for the interview day and just loved the uni of course). It is a great site - they give you lots of information about accomodation, finances, student societies etc. I find in tremendously helpful.

Lord of The Rings I

2009-03-22T09:18:00.009+01:00

Throwing in some photos from last Wednesday, when we gathered at Krisitinur's place to geek over the Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring, while eating "medieval" food:

We weren't quite sure what they would eat in the middle ages and in the days of "Lord of the Rings", but Kristinur figured it might be porridge. So we cooked Norwegian rice porrige, which is served with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Tastes divine, although I'm not so sure they had sugar and cinnamon in medieval Europe hehe. Let alone rice! I told Kristinur to look as medieval as possible while stirring the porridge.

Ditta and I were in charge of the fruits, which we also figured was a pretty medieval thing to eat. But bananas, kiwis and grapes? Well, at least they had it in some medieval parts of the world. I asked Ditta to look as medieval as possible, and obviously she believes that our medieval ancestors liked to chop of their own heads!

Not saying I looked overly medieval either, with a jumper saying "industry" and an orange in my hand.

Our "medieval" fruit bowl.

In the living room eating our medieval chips and watching Lord of The Rings on the medieval television. I'll see you next time at Helenur's place for Lord of The Rings II and some more "medieval" escapades!

Moving to London!

2009-03-19T18:20:00.010+01:00

I can scarely believe it. I GOT INTO THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LONDON! I am in a daze, I had to re-read their acceptance letter three times in order to make sure I had not misunderstood anything! When I told my mom the good news we were jumping up and down on the kitchen floor simultanously and screaming. I have been offered an unconditional place at the History of Art with Material Studies (HAMS) course, and getting there is probably the hardest thing I've done so far. The QS World University Rankings ranked UCL 7th best in the world in 2007, and the entries this year for History of Art have been the most competative ever. 450 people competing for 45 places. I am actually going to be as bold as to state that I am very proud of myself, because I have actually been fighting very hard for this. To be accepted by UCL humbles me, and I shall do my best to prove that I deserve my university place. UCL is the dream university - what more can an art history student wish for than to study in central London right in the midst of all the museums and galleries? I also love the fact that that 30 % of the students at UCL are overseas students, which will make me slightly less of an outsider (hopefully). My heart is beating so fiercly I'm not sure my chest can contain it anymore. I think I need to start packing for London!

Resigning

2009-03-12T23:36:00.004+01:00

It is now official. Last week I handed in my letter of resignation to my employer. I will still have a contract with the bakery shop where I work and continue being an employee, but I am giving up my permanent post. This September I will be going to Britain to study, and as I am going to travel a lot this summer I figured it would be best if I just gave up my permanent position as daytime assistant now and instead act as a substitute they can call whenever needed. The deal is that I will work until May 2nd. On May the 9th I shall be going to Spain with some friends, and the majority of June will be spent in Hong Kong and mainland China. July I wish to spend in Sweden so I get to be with Henrik as much as possible before moving to Britain.

I thought that I would be happy to leave my work, but I shall actually miss it. After a year of working there I have become rather attached to the shop, my colleagues and the regular customers (the polite and cheerful ones that is!). I shall be very sad to leave them, and I shall probably have to visit the shop everytime I come to Norway.

Agatha Christie revisited

2009-03-10T20:49:00.004+01:00

When I was about 11, I read Agatha Christie's "Nemesis" in English. However, at that time Agatha's English was a too advanced me, and I was completely disheartened. So, I put Agatha Christie down and stuck to watching the movie adaptions of her work. I soon became a great fan of the Hercule Poirot mystery series shown on television. (Poirot is her most famous detecive). The other week, nearly ten years after fighting my way through "Nemesis", I was walking around in a bookshop in Oslo while waiting for my friend Ditta. I wanted to buy a book, but felt completely at lost since there were thousands of books to choose between and I had no way to tell which ones were good and which ones were not. As I tried to come up with familiar book names and authors that I knew to be good, I walked past the crime section. The name Agatha Christie sprung to mind. I decided that it was time for me to give her books another go. (Knowing that my English vocabulary has vastly improved in the course of ten years). I picked up the Poirot mystery "Murder on the Orient Express" - and it is the best thing I have done in several years. While reading it on the six hour train journey to Sweden to see my boyfriend, I was positively shivering in my pants thinking the murderer was lurking behind every seat. After that I read "The ABC Murders", and I have now commenced on "Lord Edgware Dies". Reading the books have renewed my interest in the movie adaptions also, and I forced Henrik to watch a Poirot movie with me and my family when he was here this weekend. He was a bit sceptical at first (our movie and music tastes are not always very compatible...), but it proved to be a great success! Henrik loved it and even took some Poirot movies with him home to Sweden. I am so happy that I can share my interest in Agatha Christie mysteries with him! It is fun sitting and watching the movies with him and discuss who the culprit is. I would recommend the Agatha Christie books to everyone - both men and female. She is an ingenious master mind, and her plots never cease to surprise and amaze. If you are a fan of classic old fashioned mysteries, then Agatha Christie is definitely something for you. My only problem is that I cannot separate reality and fiction, and reading crime novels makes me all shaky and paranoid...

Message from Edinburgh

2009-03-10T18:45:00.008+01:00

The city of Edinburgh

Last week I was (as you know) in London for my University College of London interview. I am still awaiting the verdict which I expect to come any day now. Today I recieved an e-mail from UCAS (the site that deals with my applications) and I thought it was my UCL results. It was not - but none the less a very pleasant surprise! I have been accepted to History of Art at the University of Edinburgh! Around 27 % of all the applicants get accepted, so I feel very happy and proud. Most people know that I do not under any circumstances wish to study in Oslo, because I know that in order for me to move on with my life I need to leave Norway. Britain has been my hope all along, and it feels as if a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulder now that I know I am ensured a university place there. I have not accepted the offer from the University of Edinburgh just yet however. I wish to get my replies from UCL and SOAS first before making any final decisions. However, Edinburgh is definitely one of the places I would most like to study. To know now that I have an option to Oslo is a most wonderful feeling. I feel free. Free as a bird.

Here are some more photos of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It really is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited (it even has its own castle!), and the university is very well renowned. Definitely a great place to study:

New Layout!

2009-03-10T00:42:00.002+01:00

Weeee! Look at my new layout! Isn't it lovely? Got it from "The Cutest Blog On The Block". I always thought my blog to be so plain and boring looking - now it looks exactly like I wanted it! Bright, inviting, cosy and cute. For some reason I'm attracted to depictions of birds sitting in trees. Guess I got it from my love of Chinese ink paints, where this is a common motive. How lucky I was to find a background like that!

A day in London

2009-03-08T00:28:00.005+01:00

Area around Euston station.

The University College of London

This Wednesday I had my university interview. After reading all these dreadful tales about what to expect at university interviews on the internet, I was surprised as to how informal the interview process actually was. To be honest I found it rather wierd. The interviews lasted for only 15 minutes each, and I felt that the interviewer was rather uninterested in my answers. To me it seems as they have already made up their minds as to which ones are accepted and which ones are not. This means that the interviewer was uninterested because they have already decided that I shall get a place at the university, or the interviewer was uninterested because they have decided that I shall not get a place at the university. At least I cannot see how they can get to know me well enough in those few minutes in order to decide whether or not I'm getting a university offer. I might have been all wrong and mistaken the signals, but I found the whole interview procedure to be quite unlike what I imagined. I didn't even get to say half the things I wanted to say. I did my best however, and tried to appear open and confident despite the whole situation. I can't deny that it shall be very bitter for me not to get accepted - I really liked the university and the location. But I cannot do more than I have already done, and if I don't get in at least I know I tried. (By the way, how is it that almost ALL the students were Asian?! They always seem to end up in all the top universities! I tried to look as intelligent an Asian as possible while waiting to be called in for the interview. Hopefully they could see my Asian-ness, and hence offer me a university place! Mohahahaha).

I would like to end this blog entry with some highly scientific facts about Britons that I have gathered after 20 years of observing the habits of this fascinating people.

Britons love flowery patterns. Especially different flowery patterns put together. I haven't been to a single British B&B where the carpet hasn't been in one flower pattern, the walls in an other and the curtains in yet another. The flashier the better
Britons love carpets. You can immediately recognize that you have landed in Britain by the simple fact that when you step into Heathrow airport the floors are covered in carpets. Kudos to the Britons for making it look colourful and cosy, but I wouldn't want to be the one having to clean the carpet off all the millions of dirty foot stains. (The former British colonies seem to have adopted this carpet custom...take Changi Airport in Singapore for example...).
The carpet thingy applies to bathrooms also. I love stepping out of the shower in Britain, because my feet touch a lovely, soft cosy carpet. But think about it...with the humidity in a bathroom...does the carpet ever actually get the chance to dry?
Britons insist on having hot and cold water in separate taps (even in many modern houses), so when you wash your hands you either freeze them off or burn them off.
The Britons are more concerned with how their gardens look than their house.

Please do not believe that I am trying to attack the Brits in any way - I love their country and funny customs. It has a certain charm everytime I burn my hands off in the sink or am blinded by the flowery patterns that greet my eye. There is a reason why I have applied for university in Britain.

Bracing myself

2009-03-02T00:55:00.006+01:00

It has been clarified that I AM indeed going to London for my UCL interview on Wednesday after all. Apparantly it was only my History of Art application which was rejected - I am still in the running for History of Art with Material Studies. My question to myself is however: How on earth shall this little girl from a common Norwegian school going to be able to compete against British students, many of whom have probably attended private schools and been drilled for their university interview their whole lives? In Norway there is no such thing as a "university interview", so I've had no people to drill me. I have prepared answers to questions they are likely to ask me, however when it all boils down to it I can only trust that being myself will be sufficient. I have promised myself that whatever happens I cannot be better than my current best. I must remember that this interview is not to judge whether or not I am a valuable person, or wheter or not I am an intelligent person. The purpose of the interview is to see whether or not I am suitable for this course. If they find me unsuitable then I most likely am and it just isn't meant to be. If they should find me suitable - well, then I most likely am. The thought is comforting. It helps the nausea that stems from my nervousity to go away for at least a few hours.

I was in Sweden this weekend to visit Henrik. I needed it desperately - it was a nice escape from reality, and Henrik managed to chase away all thoughts of the up-coming interview. It felt nice lazying about underneath a douve with a glass of white wine, watch some fun movies and eat all the candy we could. We took a little walk to breathe in the fresh winter air. We watched Norway and Sweden competing against each other on cross country skiing (Sweden winning to my great distress), and we cooked a lovely beef stew with chilli and red wine. I wish the weekend could have lasted longer. Now I am back home and really should be preparing for my interview rather than writing this blog entry.

Frustrated with university

2009-02-23T22:38:00.010+01:00

As you may know, I recieved an e-mail from UCL a few days ago where they asked me to come for an interview in London. The next day I replied to them saying that I would be delighted to go to London in person to attend the interview. Today I recieved another e-mail from them where they thanked me for my reply and that they would send me the interview details as soon as possible. However, a few hours later I got an e-mail from UCAS (the site that deals with my applications and my application statuses) saying that UCL has rejected my application for the History of Art programme, and that I am not offered a study place. What the hell are they playing at? First they are interested in my application and request me to do an interview, and the next thing I know my application is rejected BEFORE I even get to do the interview? I wrote back to them immediately demanding an explanation. Thank god I haven't booked the London tickets yet - I am feeling quite put off that they can make such a mess out of things. I am hoping for a reply tomorrow morning, or else I shall have to phone the university as soon as possible. If they have indeed rejected my History of Art application, I am expecting to get an e-mail anytime soon saying they have rejected my History of Art with Material Studies application also.

Recieving the e-mail suddenly made me realize how fragile my future really is. Despite high grades, a good personal statement and an excellent letter of recommandation two out of four universities have already rejected my application, and I am starting to realize that it is time for me to find a back-up plan. I have been so set on going to London to study, and it has been the only thing I have visioned for this autumn. Now it is proving to be a bigger challenge than I already knew it was going to be. I've always considered myself as being a rather enthusiastic and spirited person, but now it is if my spirit has just flown away. I feel so completely powerless, as my future is not for me to decide anymore. There is something I have learnt though. In Memoirs of a Geisha, the protaginist Saiyuri says: My mother always said my sister, Satsu was like wood. As rooted to the earth as a sakura tree... But she told me I was like water... Water can carve its way through stone. And when trapped, water makes a new path. And it is true. I have to make new paths. Find my way around and be willing to change my plans and my destiny if I have to. Maybe London and me were not meant to be?

Clothes for summer

2009-02-22T12:18:00.014+01:00

I am off to Spain in May and Hong Kong in June, and I am so excited I can barely sit still when thinking about it. I guess it really is too early to start packing and planning, but I cannot help myself anyway. Living in this freakishly cold country means that I have very little summer clothing, so I decided to buy some for the trips today. Sadly for me that I can't act like a real girl and enjoy walking around shopping centers putting on clothes like any sane female. That is why I thank god for H&M and their online shop. Thanks to this fantastic site I can just click and browse all from the comfort of my own sofa. Here are some of the items I've ordered:

Me likes me likes, although they are alarmingly feminine in comparison to what I ususally wear. I am all for shorts, sneakers and a caps. However, I figured I wanted to try out something that doesn't make me scream "Norwegian tourist" from a long way! Can't wait 'till my delivery comes!

Called in for an interview

2009-02-19T12:32:00.008+01:00

Just recieved an e-mail from the University College of London (UCL), and I think my heart stopped the minute I read it. They want me in for an interview on March the 4th. However, since I am an overseas student, they can arrange for a phone interview with me if I am not able to come all the way to London. Interview or phone-interview, I feel nauseated. My stomach is twisting and I feel so nervous I have to throw up. I'd rather go through the first date all over again, first kiss all over again - just don't drag me down for interview! I was stupid to think overseas students wouldn't be required to attend any interviews. For some reason I thought I was safe over here in Norway. Why do English universities have to be so bloody difficult to get into? In Norway you just hand in your grades, and they will decide from there. Here it is as if you have to be some sort of amazing unique person with outstanding qualities in order to just get into a mediocre college! (Not meaning UCL). They say that if a university invites you in for an interview it means that they liked your application and personal statement, and that they are definitely interested. This is the big shot to nail a university placement at a university I really wish to attend. But what will happen if I can't answer their questions properly? What if I forget all my English and can't understand their questions? And worse - I forget the words I need to use to answer. I shall not have any rest until the interview is over. Whether I like it or not - if I wish to stand any chance of getting an offer, I need to attend the interview. No point crying about it. I was planning on doing the interview over the phone, however my mom rang me just now advising me to go to London. To be honest that is what I wish too, as I am not comfortable with doing interviews or having any sorts of conversations over the phone. I shall talk to my boss today and see what I can arrange. Hopefully I can live with my mom's friend in London, so that it will be a cheap trip. I will start preparing for my interview the minute I get home from work, and I am determined to appear cheerful and confident as if there is nothing I like better than to attend interviews.

Aiming for a non-cheesy Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T18:25:00.007+01:00

(Beginning this blog entry by enclosing a beautifully painted picture of Venus and Cupid). My boyfriend and I are neither one for overly pink and romantic Valentine's Days. Doing something nice together is always welcomed, but for me dining on top of the Eiffel tower and being proposed to is a highway to nausea. Due to Henrik's bad economy as a student, I decided to mark the occasion in a cheap and simple way - home cooking and a movie. I could not be bothered to throw together a three course pink-themed meal with roses, strawberries and chocolate sauce, so I decided that hamburgers was the way to go. Perfect for Saturdays and a boyfriend who would probably be scared to death to find the table covered in pink unidentifiable stuff. The morning was spent lazying around in bed, until we eventually got up at around noon. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining on the sparkling snow. For the first time in my life I took the initiative for a walk. I was tired of sitting inside feeling lazy and tired, and for once wishing to run out with my arms outstreched feeling the cold fresh air in my lungs. For the first time in years Norway is what it is supposed to be like in the wintertime - covered in glittering white snow that goes all the way up to your thighs. Henrik and I both felt very nostalgic as we walked together hand in hand, reminicing our childhoods in winter time. I think that was quite romantic and nice in an effortless way.
It was so much fun being out in the snow again after so many years, that I sprung towards the snow and jumped into it. Poor Henrik didn't bring his outdoor winter trousers, so had so stand on the sideline to watch. However, I was so stupid as to lend him my mitten, and that resulted in me getting a snowball right in my face. Luckily I got my sweet revenge, and I had great fun on the way back seeing Henrik scream and run away from me each time I had a bit of snow in my hand. He managed to push me into the trench twice though, getting me stuck and securing himself a head start.

Since I couldn't exacly throw my poor parents out in the cold winter evening, we made them hamburgers also. Not exactly a romantic private dinner for two, but instead it became a fun cosy family dinner. Afterwards Henrik and I watched movies. One was a romantic comedy called "Just Friends" starring Ryan Reynolds. Then we went back to our childhoods and saw "The Aristo Cats". It was really fun to watch it again - I don't think I've seen it for 10 years, and it appealed to me as much yesterday as it did 10 years ago. (We enjoyed it so much that we ended up seeing "The Jungle Book" today!)

The days of innocence

2009-02-11T23:58:00.015+01:00

Found some truly appalling photos of me in 7th grade. I never realized how much I actually looked like a boy...

Worst thing is that I believed I looked really pretty in this hairstyle...

I started off pretty well though. Cute slanting eyes and a little ponytail that my mom gave me.

20 and stabilized. (And making an effort to look like a girl at least...)

Strømmen Storsenter New Year's Ball

2009-02-08T16:55:00.018+01:00

I am finally awake after yesterday. I cannot recall ever feeling so deperate for bed as I was then. Yesterday was the annual New Years Prom for all the employees at the shopping centre where I work. Together with dates, the guest list made up almost 700 people. Held at Thon Hotel Arena in Lillestrøm, it was set to be a bit more posh than earlier proms I've been to. (Usually held in the school's gym with the boys throwing tomato slizes at the windows while the headmaster is holding her annual Christmas speech). I was excited and thrilled beyond words to finally have a chance to dress up and wear a dress, as I have to wear a uniform and keep my hair in a knot on a daily basis due to working with food. I am quite unlike my boyfriend and date Henrik, who tends to shun away from any event that require nice attire, dancing and socializing. This one required all, and I was quite impressed he didn't turn me down when I asked him to be my date for the ball in the first place. I guess sometimes it is fun stepping out of one's comfort zone and doing something one usually would not dream of doing.

I started preparing ridiculously early according to Henrik, and as I was doing my make-up he was wrinkling his nose. He is all for Cathrine au naturel, and in his opinion make-up is false advertising as a seemingly pretty girl probably is a great disapointment underneath the mascara and false lashes. Well, he knows what I look like anyway, so I happily ignored the sour glances he was casting me and continued pampering myself. ^_^

Me in my little white dress. Dad of course going into a frenzy for me stepping on the expensive Chinese silk carpet with high heels...

Henrik and me posing before taking off. As if Henrik wasn't awkward enough wearing a suit, I just had to make matters even worse to him by getting it all immortalized in a photograpy.

Yesterday it was total snow chaos in Norway, and the snow level was up to my knees. Definitely not a good day to dress up in high heels and thin stockings. Nina's cousin picked us up, but got stuck in the driveway outside of Nina's house as we were getting her. We had to park the car and change into Nina's four wheel drive, but luckily we managed to get to Lillestrøm safely in the end. At least we didn't have to get out in our prom dresses to push the car out of the snowy ditch. (Unlike poor Ditta on her way to the ball...). You can imagine most people's entrance wasn't as elegant as they had been hoping for.

After being served welcome drinks, we found our respective seats in the dining hall. The venue was filled with several round tables and beautifully decorated with blue lanterns. For dinner we were served an excellent three course meal consisting of crab, deer in whiskey sauce and a cheesecake with forest fruits - all complimented with various wines. Quite different from school proms where we had soda and cold sandwitches!

My Samson colleagues Iselin and Anna, together with Anna's boyfriend Jeroen. Iselin was in wine heaven, throwing herself over everybody's unfinished drinks!

For appetizers we ate THE BEST crab I've ever eaten in my life. Luckily for me Henrik doesn't eat crab, and I greedily stole his portion.

My boss Nina, myself and Henrik.

Despite feeling out of place in the elegant surroundings, Henrik revealed that he actually was enjoying himself. (Why wouldn't he, free beer was coming his way all the time!)

The representatives of Samson! Iselin, Anna, Nina, Nina's friend, myself and Henrik. (The rest were under age and could unfortunately not join us). Nina's friend works at H&M and she said a job was open for me at H&M if I was ever to quit Samson. She had seen me with my customers, and told me I was a great sales assistant I was. That really touched my heart, and motivated me to continue doing the best job I can whatever my current occupation might be!

Between meals I went over to table 12 to visit Ditta who was there with her colleagues from Kaffemakeriet.

The last part of the evening was spent crashing the dancefloor and listening to music. While we were dancing to Britney Spears, Henrik was sitting with his drink at the table headbanging to Britney instead.

Jeroen pushing Henrik onto the dancefloor. I really do appreciate the attemt and effort. Generously Henrik agreed to slow dance with me as "Purple Rain" came on. However, we started mildly arguing in the end over something as petty as me supposedly having ruined the dance for him by straighening my dress all the time, while I hissed back that I was feeling awkward dancing with him since I knew how much he hated it. Poor Henrik, first dance since he was 12 and it turned out to be a failure because of me apparantly... Anyway, we all enjoyed ourselves (even Henrik!), and I must say I feel quite priviliged to work at a place which such great people and working environment as Strømmen.

Photos from Sunday's dinner party

2009-02-04T19:35:00.009+01:00

Just wanted to publish a couple of photos from Sunday's dinner party. It was a great success, my friends all complimented me on my cooking skills which was great fun for me! I have discovered I actually really enjoy cooking for parties, being able to create little intricate tapas and dim sum dishes that take a lot of preparation, concentration and fingerwork. It feels like I am doing handicraft! There were some mixed feelings about the green tea ice cream though - some of my friends really liked it, others said it tasted like Dr. Greve intimate soap...

Prawns, spring onions, lemon grass, fish sauce, chilli sauce and coriander. It tasted divine if I must say so myself.

Spring rolls ready to be rolled up and deep fried into delicious crunchy appetizers.

Being artistic and taking close-ups of the cutlery...

Nora, Kristinur and Ditta

Helenur and Marianne

My culinary adventure

2009-02-01T00:30:00.008+01:00

As it is Chinese New Year this week, I am having 5 of my friends over tomorrow for a Chinese meal. The original plan was to keep it clean and simple by ordering take-away. However, I am a firm believer that if you are going to do something, you do it properly. So I have of course gone completely over the top, turning what was supposed to be a simple gathering into a culinary adventure. I know I said I would stick to take-away only, but after seeing some mouth watering recipies in my cookery book, I decided to serve 50 % take-away and 50 % home made. I wanted to find something that was simple to make, but at the same time genuinely Asian. (As supposed to the westernized chop sueys you get at Chinese restaurants...). I spent a long time coming up with a dessert that would follow up the Asian theme, but in the end I found the perfect dish! So here is my menu for tomorrow, and I hope my friends will like it!

Appetizers:
Chinese crab crackers with sweet chilli sauce and Japanese sweets.

Main course:
Chinese take-away, home made vegetarian spring rolls and deep fried prawn and coriander toasts a la Potteru.

Dessert:
Jasmine green tea ice cream

(Mom and I love this ice cream, however it has a very unusal taste, so I will forgive my friends if they don't find it as yummy as I do. You are supposed to make it with green tea powder (macha), however I couldn't find any. Luckily I found a recipie that uses jasmine tea instead, and it turned out great! Only thing is that the colour of the ice cream is vomitish rather than greenish...)

GREEN TEA ICE CREAM RECIPE (Serves 4)

2 egg yolks
2 dl milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp jasmine green tea
2 dl double cream (whipped)

1. Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a saucepan. Add the milk and sugar to the pan and mix well.

2. Heat the mixture over a low heat, stirring constantly, and when the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and stand the base of the pan in ice-cold water to cool.

3. Mix the green tea with 100ml hot water and add this to the egg mixture, stirring well as it cools. Add the cream and mix well together. Strain through a fine sieve.

4. Freeze in an ice-cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, transfer to a freezer proof container and freeze for 2 hours, then mash the crystals with a fork. Return to the freezer for a further 2 hours, mash again, then allow the ice cream to freeze solid.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-25T22:32:00.013+01:00

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Chinese mandarin)

Kung Hei Fat Choy! (Chinese cantonese)

Wishing all my Chinese friends and family a very happy Chinese new year! And to all the non-Chinese out there who probably couldn't care less - happy new year to you also! Monday 26th of January the year 4707 begins according to the Chinese calendar, and the year of the ox will succeed the year of the rat. Best day of the year to have Chinese genes in my opinion, as I get a hong bao. A hong bao is a red envelope containing money - and it is given to all children and unmarried women. (That being me!) Today mom made noodles for dinner. Long noodles are supposed to symbolize longevity, so we must not cut them up with scissors! I am now ensured a long life! Hurray for that!

This year I have been at lost as to how to celebrate. Last year I celebrated Chinese new year at Mong Shen's place in Paris (by frightening the whole neighbourhood with firecrackers and dancing to "Barbie Girl") and then travelling to England to celebrate it with my Chinese grandma. (Me voraciously indulging myself in a huge Chinese lunch buffet and having Chinese ladies talking about my "lovely" pale complexion). After a bit of contemplating I have decided to invite some friends over for a Chinese meal next weekend, even though they don't have a tradition of celebrating Chinese New Year. I was reluctant to invite them, because I didn't know whether or not they would want to come. Then I figured it is always fun to gather nevertheless to enjoy good food and intelligent conversation! Me being a hopeless cook may pose a problem however, and its even worse when I try to unveil the mysteries of the Asian kitchen. ("Huh, what is this? Hoi Sin sauce? Ah, I'm sure that's nice. Now lets just dash a few drops of soy sauce to that and see what happens..."). I have made up my mind to be an utter cheat and stick to good old take-away in order to make sure my friends survive the evening and don't go home with empty tummies.

Yesterday I learnt that my grandma has been hospitalized the past four days, and I got really worried. She is back home now, but feeling weak and breathless. I made her huge a Chinese New Year card wishing her joy and luck, hoping it will lift her spirits a little bit. I really hope her health will improve. I can't seem to accept that she is over 80 now - in my childhood memories of her she is always so active, walking and swimming. Now standing next to her she seems so fragile. Here is the card I made for her - was actually planning to have lots of symbols for good luck attached to it, but figured a simple fan was just as nice:

Ms. University

2009-01-22T23:21:00.009+01:00

I am now answering a questionnaire I recieved from one of the universities in London that I have applied to. Since I am an overseas student unable to attend an interview, I have to fill out a survey instead, stating why I want to study art history at a university, what I have read about art and my comments on it, what art and architecture I have seen at first hand and what I found the most interesting, and a 1000 word analasys of a work of art. (For the 1000 word art analysis, I am doing a comparison between "David" by Donatello and "David" by Michelangelo). I feel as if the little competetive demon in me is rising, sharpening my elbows and teeth and clutching my fists. I will not know if I have been accepted to any of the unis until May, however I have already recieved the standard letter everyone gets: "Dear Ms. Liberg, thank you for applying to our institute blah blah blah. Please remember that there are a lot of qualified students applying to our institution, and that only a few of these are offered a study place". Of course we have to be realistic about our chances, but you don't exactly go jumping through the roof of sheer joy by reading a letter that practically states "Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms - thank you for applying to our institution. Please remember that we are a great important university, and we accept no dummies. Thank you. Please fill out this questionnaire so we can see exactly how intelligent you are". As I said, the evil bitch in me is surfacing - desperately clinging on to a university placement and ready to knock all the A level students down. Thankfully, I do not believe I am a complete idiot, and I shall prove to the uni (by answering my survey brilliantly) that my brain capacity more than sufficient to meet their requirements. Ironically the institution I recieved the questionnaire from is the university I am the least eager to attend. However, I am going to answer the survey never the less, just to see how far my brain can get me.

Ni Hao!

2009-01-20T18:32:00.008+01:00

Not long ago I was very bored, so I took a pair of scissors and cut myself a fringe, thinking a little make-over would do wonders to my mood. It took HIM ten minutes to figure out there was something different about me, but when he finally did Henrik was shocked. After a lot of "I can't really say what I feel about it, its so unusal and awkward to see you like this!" I asked him again yesterday what his honest opinion was. And he said that I had too little hair in the front, so the fringe didn't really cover my forehead. Haha. I was so insulted I actually laughed my head off. I was hoping he would say something in the lines of "Oh, you're the most beautiful woman I have ever beheld", but alas. I told him it is not my fault that I eat a lot of MSG...(seasoning often found in Chinese cooking. Supposedly it makes you grow bald after some years...). Maybe I should get a fringe transplantation??

Otherwise I am happy to inform you all that the Spain tickets have been booked! Once we were sure we had the economy and spare time in order, I went online and booked the tickets before the universal truth would kick in. (You know, the more you think, the more you hesitate...). Hesitate will not be a problem for us, because we simply have no choice but to go now. I haven't booked Marianne's ticket yet, as she is still uncertain whether or not she gets a week off in May. However, Ditta, Helenur, Kristinur and myself are definitely going. This is going to be so much fun I can barely go to bed. (Hence I am writing nonsense about something as trivial as a fringe in my blog).

Life Laundry

2009-01-15T17:53:00.007+01:00

I never understood the phrase "If you own too many things, your things will eventually own you" up until a couple of years ago. After twenty years of not having the heart to throw away anything, I have now come to the point where I feel I am drowing and chocking in my own possessions. I seriously have no control over what I own anymore - worst part is, 2/3 of the things I own haven't been used for over a decade. I suddenly realized how much junk from the past I actually carry with me. A lot of it has a certain sentimental value, and I've kept because I wanted to remind myself of the person I was, or because I promised myself to make use of it some day. But I have turned 20 now. Technically I am supposed to be an adult. Maybe it is time for me to make space for the person I am now. Two days ago I embarked on my massive life laundry project, and my room looks worse than ever before, as I have taken everything out and placed it on the floor in order to sort it out. Five plastic bags have already been filled with old nailpolish, socks, tacky jewellery, dried up paint, old cards and not to forget suicidal depressive song lyrics I wrote when I was a teenager. Why do I want to keep those depressive stuff, when I am so happy and content today? And what on earth did I need three address books for? Here is my list of tidying tips:

Sentimental value is usually what creates mess in the first place. You don't want to chuck away anything, because you believe you are going to miss it. It is amazing how easy you forget about items once you've thrown them away. Take old letters for example - keep only those of exceptionally high affection value. If it is a card simply states "Happy Birthday", I doubt you're ever gonna miss it.
Another mess trigger is the belief that you will eventually use a certain object, even though you've never used it before. If you haven't used a clothing item, a purse or an accessory for over a year, you are never going to use it. (Trust me on this one). If it is worn, throw it away. If it is still in good condition, give it away to a relative or to charity.
Lipgloss, nailpolishes, perfumes, mascaras...they all have an expiration date. Mine have been in my cupboard for over 5 years. Time to invest in some new ones I think...
When was the last time you listened to your "Hit Me Baby One More Time" - CD? Hardly a collectible, sell it and use the money to buy yourself lunch. (Or a CD of an artist you actually listen to nowadays...)
I am the sort of person who collects everything without actually being aware of it. I buy lots of small objects, and just shove them away. When i looked throgh my drawers, I was amazed to see how many keyrings, buttons, earplugs, bookmarks etc. I have actually managed to hoard. Just keep a couple of each item that you like the most, and give/throw the rest away.
Got anything valuable? A guitar or keyboard that is never played? Sell it on eBay.
I used to be a huge fan of buying souvenirs. Some souvenirs I have bought are hand-crafted and very beautiful. However, some are just plain, cheap mass produced rubbish. (Waving Mao-watches, plastic figures, bad quality t-shirts etc). It might have been fun to buy them there and then, but when you get home you realize you have nowhere to store them. (And by the way, they clash horribly with your Northen European interior...) Throw them away - in my opinion it is better to have one beauiful unique item from each country, rather than lots of small tacky ones.
I love books - but unless you've got your own private library (which I shall have in the future!!), give away some of the books you've already finished in order to make space for new bookish adventures!! (Some favourites I can never rid myself of though...like Harry Potter, Pride & Prejudice etc).
There is a difference between happy memories and bad memories. Why do you want to keep reminders of disasterous past relationships? I cannot be the only one who has written emo poetry over such stuff. Focus on the good stuff.

I hope this was helpful and have triggered other kindred sprits to embark on a little life laundry too. It is amazing how refreshing it is to feel that you have space, air and system around you. And the best part - you have lots of free space that you can fill up with items that represents the person you are today, and not ten years ago.

Planning a "wild" girl trip to Spain

2009-01-07T00:19:00.007+01:00

I love being a busy body. I especially enjoy organizing events and sit with my cellphone pretending to be a business woman of high significance. It makes me feel as if I am actually doing something with my time. I have now got another event to plan, and I can feel life running through my vains yet again! Ditta phoned me a few months ago desperate for a holiday and suggesting we'd pack our bags and roam around in some dodgy European city. I was reluctant to take anymore holidays back then, but told her that instead we could go on a vacation this spring when I am no longer working. It happens to be so that I (or maybe should I say my parents...) have a house in Spain that is simply longing for a few crazy girls to occupy it. We didn't talk anymore about the Spain trip since that phone call last autumn, but now at the turn of the year I have awakened from my hibernation and realized that either we just and dream about it and let it pass, or I make a reservation for the house and call all the girls to a meeting to make sure we get on that plane and have one heck of a week. Remember my new years resolution? I am a yes-girl now. I am to do everything in my power to make this year fun. So far we are a group of four - Ditta, Helenur, Kristinur and myself. I am still awaiting for answers from a couple of more people, and I really hope they can join us too! We have set the date for the middle of May. The house is right next to a pool, and just 5 minutes from the beach by bus. And if it is too cold to bathe, there is always the culture, the bars, the shopping and the Spanish boys to look forward to. (Not that I care about them of course, I've got my own Swede!! ♥).

Let 2009 commence!

2009-01-04T21:41:00.015+01:00

Ah, what a lovely renewing feeling a new year brings. Everything is so fresh - even the very air that I inhale seems to have an extra spice to it. I was talking on the phone to one of my best friends Marianne yesterday - and we both agreed that we are gonna make 2009 one heck of an exciting year. I realize now that when 2008 begun, I had already doomed it to be an uneventful year. I was coming home from China, scared and depressed because I felt so helpless as to what to do afterwards. I knew that I would have to get a job, make money and take another important step towards independence. I had convinced and even prepared myself for an uneventful year of working and learning - and by deeming it to be boring from the start, I made it boring for myself. That is one mistake I'm not going to do with 2009. I am going to have a more fun and spirited attitude towards the year to come. Already in the space of the first 4 days of 2009, I have sat down and done what I have been postponing for half of 2008 - submit my university application. Hopefully I will get accepted by the universities, and if everything goes according to plan I shall commence on my uni adventure in September.

The new year started out wonderfully. I took some days off work to celebrate it with Henrik in Sweden. We invited seven of his friends over, and Henrik cooked a French beef stew with red wine. It tasted simply divine. As I am a walking disaster in the kitchen, I guess I need to give Henrik the full credit for the main dish - I stuck to cutting up the vegetables and crying over the raw onions. (Henrik had to cut the meat as I have a terrible phobia towards anything that is uncooked and bloody). However, I did put myself in charge of the desert that I took great pride in: Chocolate fondue. (Although I thought I had screwed up the chocolate, and I almost cried to Henrik for help...). I'd love to publish all the photos I have from the evening, but due to certain drunken disasters, I have been denied the freedom to upload any photos taken post-midnight. Here are some decent photos taken around seven o'clock:

Henrik and his best pal Robban to the left. This is while we were preparing the stew...

...which looked like this! Henrik and I had a long discussion about whether or not to add the mushrooms, but luckily I won! (Despite the fact that all the guys plucked out the mushrooms and we girls had to eat them instead).

Robban, Joel, Anton, Henrik and Camilla.

Me, Alex, Josse and Robban.

I'm just going to keep the rest of the story short and say that we played drinking games, board games, drank champagne and shot up fireworks...

It is certainly a setback coming back to Norway and going back to work. I try to keep myself as busy as I can. I got so used to having Henrik around that I miss him more than usual. Luckily for me, Ray has come back from her Christmas holiday in China, and since she studies on the other side of the country, I rarely get to see her nowadays. It has been great having her back - hanging out with Ray always makes me laugh, even when we are outside in - 15ºC trying to re-charge the car battery on her Grandma's car. Yesterday she, my parents and Marianne went to see "Max Manus", a new Norwegian movie featuring the life of Max Manus, a famous member of the Norwegian opposition during WWII. It has been an enormous blockbuster in this country, and for good reason. I rarely enjoy Norwegian movies, but this one was wonderfully made. I cried when I saw the film (even the king admitted to have cried!). I felt very proud to be Norwegian as I watched how they risked their lives in order to keep the moral up in this war ridden country. Films like this one humble me. I feel so immensely in awe of such people. If you're a Norwegian, you owe it to your country to see it.

Thoughts on 2009

2008-12-30T11:44:00.004+01:00

Tomorrow is the last day of 2008, and this year shall go down in history like all other years before it. Usually I am depressed each New Year's Eve. I sit around contemplating about what more I should have done in the year that went by, and I write long lists of resolutions for the coming year (its usually so long that by the end of the year I can't even remember what my resolutions were). While 2007 was a year of adventure and events (finishing school, living in China etc), 2008 has been a rather boring uneventful year in comparison, where I have mostly been working at Samson and wondering what to do at university. Not saying it has been a complete waste - on the contrary. I've actually matured more by gaining work experience than to live in China. In China I just went with the flow and had fun - when you work you really need to pull yourself together and take responsibility. I've learned a lot about what it is like running a shop - and trust me, it is very different from when you were a kid and running a shop using paper money. I discovered it is actually really hard work.

However, even though 2008 has been more work than fun, I shall not sit around this year and mope over all the things I should have done. This year I am spending New Year's Eve in Sweden, and I am just going to have fun and celebrate the fact that I live and have new days to come. Henrik's mates are coming over, and Henrik and I are preparing a large beef stew with chocolate fondue for dessert. As for New Years resolutions - I have but one. The other day Henrik and I watched the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carey. It is about a man who has been saying no for his whole life, making up excuses so he didn't have to go out anywhere. One day he decides that he is gonna say "yes" to everything - say "yes" to life instead of "no". If there is one thing about my personality that I dislike, it is how easily I turn offers down and make excuses for myself. Imagine how exciting life can be if one just says "yes" a bit more often. So that is my resolution for 2009. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get Henrik out of bed. We are going out to see a movie and have dinner, as today is our 2 year anniversary! Can you believe it? Me neither.

A quiet, enjoyable Christmas

2008-12-26T14:57:00.010+01:00

Sometimes I wonder were the magical Christmas feeling you felt as a child disappeared to. I was slow to recognize it - but this year while working in a shop, I have truly come to see how capitalistic Christmas really is. What does it matter that we don't get to spend time with family and friends in December, as long as the shops earn a lot of money. Usually I never want December to end, but this year I was glad when Christmas Eve finally arrived. As we in Norway say: "Så ble det jul i år også". ("And then Christmas came to us this year also"). Despite last minute shopping, last minute presents and last minute cooking - the Christmas peace finally dawned upon us as it does every year, and all households could sit down with their families, forget about the stress and enjoy a hearty Christmas meal. We had a nice addition in the form of Henrik this year - from celebrating Christmas with him over the msn last year, it was a huge improvement to actually have him with me this time. He of course missed his traditional Swedish Christmas ham, but I think he managed well. At least he got to see all the traditional Swedish television shows that are broadcast in Christmas Eve! I've got to go now, so I'm just gonna throw in some photos:

My parents and I next to the Christmas tree.

Henrik posing in his new jacket that he got from mom and dad.

Mom and dad got matching socks for Christmas!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-10T21:57:00.004+01:00

The world around me is so beautiful at the moment, and I just had to take some photos this morning even though I was running for the bus and freezing my fingers off:

Tomorrow this family is going to undertake some serious Christmas shopping. Thanks to the wonderful world of internet, I have almost finshed buying all the presents however. I am really pleased with the gifts I found for my parents and Ray this year, and I can't wait to see their reactions. There is just one present I am having a hard time with, and that is the one for Henrik. Boyfriends are great...but when the season for giving them something special arrives, I toss and turn in my bed trying to come up with something suitable. Girls are perfectly happy with just getting a little candle or some hair accessories, but guys like techological gadgets. EXPENSIVE technological gadgets...

Will Christmas ever dawn peacefully upon us?

2008-12-08T23:53:00.007+01:00

As the two last Christmases were spent in China, I am thrilled about finally being able to celebrate it in Norway again, and I am determined to make it the best yet. Henrik is coming to celebrate Christmas with us in person (last year we celebrated Christmas over the msn...), and I have taken some days off work in order to be able to celebrate New Years eve with Henrik's family and friends in Sweden. So, all is set for a wonderful Christmas week. However, sometimes I wish I could manage to get this lazy family together and actually prepare for Christmas together. All other families seem to make gingerbread houses together, decorate the Christmas tree together, drink gløgg together... Here it just feels as if I do it all on my own, and it has always been like that. Nobody bothers. Am I the only one under this roof who does not consider Christmas to be a bloody nuisance? I am impressed with my dad though, he actually put up the Christmas lights outside and the glowing reindeer in the garden without me pushing him to do it. It all looks very magical with the snowy background.

I have been writing some Christmas cards. One for my godmother in Belgium (whom I haven't been very good at writing to regularely), and another one for my grandma. I am hoping it will cheer her up a bit. I know her younger sister is dying, and she wishes to travel to Singapore one last time to see her. It is all really sad. There has been so much bitterness on that side of the family. So many sad lifes, so many regrets. It is all about making a mence I think, facing one's past and coming to terms with it. Well, guess I should not interfere - everyone seem to be in a bad mood, and it feels as if I'm not even allowed to talk about anything without being scolded or yelled at. I get home, try to say hello, and I am not even grazed with the courtesy of an answer. I lock myself away, and I will probably get scolded for that also soon. Worst thing is that when I get older, I'm probably gonna end up as bitter as everyone else in the family. Sometimes I don't think we all realize how alike we are.

This Saturday was Baker Samson's annual Christmas party, but I couldn't come as I was in Sweden visiting Henrik. I heard from my boss however, that the owner of Samson had held a welcoming speech, and it contained nothing but words of praise for us who works at Samson Strømmen! He was boasting about how service-minded we were, how smiling and friendly we were, and how we are always eager to help customers. He even asked everyone to give us a round of applause! I'd love to see a video of that speech! I think this calls for a pay rise! *nudge nudge*

Service co-worker of the week!

2008-11-14T22:38:00.008+01:00

Hurray, I have been voted "Service co-worker of the week" at Strømmen Shopping Centre where I work! This Wednesday, the boss of Strømmen came up to my shop and handed me (while shouting "tadaaa") a green badge saying "I have been voted service co-worker of the week!". I just clapped my hands to my cheeks and shouted "amagaaad, really", as there are QUITE a lot of nice, service minded employees at Strømmen. I have no idea who nominated me, but apparantly it was the boss of Strømmen herself! I felt very happy honoured, it is always great to know that one's effords are being appreciated and noticed. And I get to wear my green badge for the rest of the week! Lucky me!

Today I got to be on the front page of Strømmen Shopping Center's weekly employees' newspaper (or should I say pamphlet...) in my very new winter uniform trying to look as cute as possible:

So, for the English translation: Cathrine Alice Liberg is the name of this cute, cheerful girl who works at Baker Samson. Cathrine recieves top marks from her co-workers, who say that she is always friendly and smiling, and that they are all very fond of her! (Are you?!?!) This Saturday Samson experienced a growth of 65% (!), and Cathrine is probably one of the reasons the sale is going so well. Congratulations with the title Cathrine, and to get some variation from bread and buns, go to Big Bite where you will recieve a free lunch meny! Congrats!

The slightly ironic part about the whole column text is that I in fact did not work that Saturday...but I choose to ignore that minor little detail... However, I feel very humbled and honoured by reading such warm words about myself, and the Big Bite menu tasted wonderful! Thank you Strømmen!

Ready for university

2008-11-14T00:24:00.005+01:00

When my mom was young, girls could choose between becoming a secretary or a doctor. And although I greatly appreciate having all the freedom and opportunities of a modern Western female, the options are just becoming so many that I am drowning in university prospectuses, brouchures, degree combinations and degree offerings. I have been adviced against not limiting myself and keep an open mind, but in the process of finding a university and a degree course for next year, I have simply had to narrow myself down to some subjects in a few cities in a few countries. Thinking through, there is only one subject I really burn for - and that is art. Not so much contemporary art, but medieval, gothic, renaissance and baroque art. The want of studying art history has therefore overcome the want of studying other subjects I've also considered, like social anthropology, Chinese and Oriental studies. I am determined that I want to go to a capital - for me the location is nearly as important as the subject I am studying. I want a place with galleries, museums, night life and a huge student environment - and I think London seems like the perfect place for me. For some reason I have always pictured myself studying in Britain. Maybe because my parents studied in Wales, or just because I have been there so many times and know the language. Or maybe because you always hear about how great the universities in Britain are.

Of course, having a boyfriend in all this is really hard. Makes me think how lucky they are the ones who meet their boyfriends at university and not before. So easy for them to say you have to make a choice between education and love, when they never had to do that themselves. Ever since I was a kid I've planned to go abroad to study - but with a boyfriend in Sweden I am finding my plans increasingly hard to go through with. I've been frantically looking for degree courses in Stockholm and Copenhagen, but sadly they don't offer the course that I want in English. And as Henrik says - I have to go with the study I want to do. (Poor him, how many times have I not been whining and crying over this?) After coming home from China I was hoping we'd eventually manage to get an apartment together in the near future, but I guess I would have to put those plans on hold for at least 4 years. 4 YEARS!! What the! Stupid! Ridiculous! Unless Henrik wants to drag himself to England after he has finished college. *Angelic face and sexy pout* My poor guy. But I guess he is right. I have to follow my dreams and plans. I am sure we can work it out!

I am very soon ready to apply now. I've got the required letter of recommendation from a teacher, and I've got my high school grades translated into English. All i need to do know is to edit and refine my personal statement, and I'm all set! I don't dare to say what university is my first choice yet - because that would be just too awkward in case I didn't get in. Apparently it is very hard. (No, it is not Oxford or Cambridge). It would be a dream come trough if I could get in though.

The Pillars of the Earth

2008-11-10T00:26:00.007+01:00

(Contains spoilers!): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillars_of_the_Earth

On the train back to Sweden I finished reading my 1000 pages long book - "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. I felt a great sense of achievement, as it is the longest book I have ever completed. However, now that I have finished it, I feel almost devastated and sad. I often feel like this after having read a wonderful tale - but since this one was so long and has followed me around for such a long time, the emotions seem even stronger this time. The story was so epic, so vast - you follow the main characters from birth to grave. Some you grow to love, some you grow to admire - and some you grow to hate so immensely - even more than you ever hate people in real life. Now that I've finished reading their stories, I feel as if I miss them. They've been following me around in my backpack for many weeks now. A truly magnificant, engulfing and intricate tale, all set to the backdrop of 12th century England where a pious society is blinded by religion. I recommed everyone to read it. It has action, wits, betrayal, wars - but most of all I think it tells the most beautiful love story I have ever encountered. Forget Romeo and Juliet, forget Anthony and Cleopatra, forget Lancelot and Guinevere, forget Hamlet and Ophelia, forget Rhett and Scarlet. The love story between Jack and Aliena must be the most underrated tale of all times. It left my heart to bleed and swell all at the same time. What they don't go through in order to be together. And as you may know, I can get rather intense when it comes to imaginative stories. I had to fight hard in order not to burst out crying on the train. It was just too beautiful for words, and now I feel like a really pathetic silly girl who cries over romance stories. And yes, I shall have to paint a picture inspired by their story now in order to let my emotions out.

Henrik and Cathrine as Sims

2008-11-03T20:46:00.009+01:00

This is what we ended up with, when Henrik and I decided to create a sim of each other. (Be careful, these things can severely ruin relationships if you're not nice to your partner!)

This is how I view Henrik:

This is how Henrik views me:

I always had to interfer, telling Henrik he was making my nose way too big. I also wanted him to give me high cheekbones, but he insisted on my cheeks being round. At least we stopped before building the new sims a house, because that would probably result in serious combat. We have already been discussing our future apartment - and as the girl that I am, I'm picturing light lilac coloured walls, fluffy pillows, flowers and light wooden furniture. Strangely Henrik strictly disagrees with me, and insists on leather sofas enclosed by a black and white theme. I told him I refused. In reality I can't wait 'till the day we will be browsing IKEA arguing about curtains, sofas and tiles. I wish we could do it now, but first I shall have to complete my studies. But hopefully in five years time, we will be able to live together in our very own (pink and fluffy) apartment!

And winter came...

2008-10-29T20:08:00.004+01:00

我认识到我应该练习我的汉语。回过以后，我的汉语越来越差。今天下雪了。很大的交通堵塞。我上班迟到一个小时了。对不起，我的汉语真的不好！

...As a great surprise no doubt to careless car owners, who despite the snow and the lack of studded tires, insisted on venturing out in the snow to get to work on time. Thank you, I cannot believe that after decades in Norway you still have not learned to change your tires in time. You just had to slide off the road, get stuck in the ditch and stop all traffic from both sides - didn't you? I totally agree with the poor road rescuers saying that venturing out without studded tires in snowy weather is completely irresponsible and disrespectful: http://www.vg.no/bil-og-motor/artikkel.php?artid=521865 . And thanks to these people, getting to work was a pure nightmare. The bus had to take a detour, as the usual road was blocked. (Cars without studded tires were scattered along the roads like dead animals). However, the detour was also blocked due to accidents. When I finally arrived in Lillestrøm change buses, that bus was half an hour late. And when I got on it, the new driver didn't arrive. So in the end I got on another bus and walked the last minutes to work. I was very very frozen by the time I got there - about an hour late. Luckily Nina hadn't encountered any stress while taking care of the shop alone - all the customers were stuck in traffic also! But well, for people like me who doesn't have a car or has to bother with driving in the winter time, I find the recent snowfall to be very enjoyable. This morning I had to do something I always do when the first snow arrives: Take off my mittens and feel the snow! It felt like Christmas! Now I am sitting wrapped up in my blanket listening to music. Very cosy indeed.

Because it gets dark already at 4 pm now, I have to do things to keep my spirits and energy up. So, I've been in the creative corner lately:

I know it is not yet Christmas, but with the snow falling outside and all it just felt like December! And since I for the first time in 7 years don't have any exams to worry about, I have the time to do these little creative time consuming tidbits. So I've decorated gift boxes with Christmassy fabric, and turned ordinary paper cones into Christmas tree decorations! Cute, aren't they? More to come - definitely!

SUKIYAKI 鋤焼

2008-10-28T20:14:00.009+01:00

Next time you go for a Japanese meal, I recommend you to skip the sushi and try some Japanese hot pot instead to warm you up in these cold winter months! Nippon Art in Oslo serve Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki. You get a plate full of vegetables (tofu, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and bean sprouts amongst others), noodles and thinly sliced beef. Then you use your chopstick skills (mine are terribly bad for a half asian) and transfer them into a big pot of boiling broth which is placed in the middle of the table. If you want to, you dip the meat into a bowl of raw egg before boiling it. Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki are basically the same, just that the broth you boil the food in is different. Sukiyaki is a bit sweeter than Shabu Shabu. First time my parents and I were there we had Shabu Shabu, and this time we brought the meat and noodle lover Henrik along to try the Sukiyaki:

I think the Sukiyaki was really nice, although I prefer Shabu Shabu, as it is not so sweet. I'm glad we took Henrik along though, really liked it too! But then again, a combination of his favourite foods (beef and noodles) can't go wrong!

This friday Henrik, Ditta, Kristinur, Helenur and I took a trip to Martins. Here are some photos:

Getting through the dark season

2008-10-19T23:57:00.011+02:00

Like most Scandinavians I presume, I get winter depressions. (I don't see how one can not get depressions when living in darkness. Did that sound a bit goth?) The lack of sunlight here in the cold north makes me tired and enervated. When I get up it is pitch dark, and the minute I get home it is dark again. It feels as if it is already bedtime! I have been in such a passive state of mind, not wanting to do anything. Mom says I don't seem enthusiastic about university or Art History. I am not feeling enthusiastic about anything at the moment. I only feel enthusiastic about beds, pillows, teddy bears, quilts and sleep.

For too long I have just been lying down on the sofa not doing anything, while letting the mess and dirt in my room pile up. The sight of it has just made me even more depressed and evervated. To get through the dark days, I think I really have to do my best to turn them into something cosy and enjoyable. So, I shined up the living room and invited Ditta, Helenur and Kristinur over to cook some hot soup and watch a fantasy movie underneath the blanket. What can be more cosy and enjoyable than that?

Me, Krisitinur and Helenur cutting up vegetables and sausages for our soup.

Kristinur bought "The Best of Britney" for only 10 NOK. It was the perfect excuse to reminice our tweenage days. And yes, we sang along to all the songs, and we're not the least bit embarrassed.

Ditta came later to join us for the "feast" of vegetable soup and Urge. And she brought with her the "Mamma Mia" sountrack. It just got better and better! Except from when Pierce Brosnan started singing, and we almost choked on our food!

After chatting and eating, we saw the movie "Stardust". It has become one of my new favourites. It has adventure, fantasy, magic, witches, princes, romance, a great soundtrack and even a fallen star. Definitely a film to light your spirits and leave your heart warm on a dark autumn's night. http://www.stardustmovie.com/ .

Having a social evening with my friends lifted my spirits immensely, and we have already agreed to go to Martins (the local bar and nightclub) this weekend to dance and have some fun, rather than to sit inside alone in the dark. I am a person who very much enjoy sitting in solitude reading a book or painting , but I realize that in the long run no matter how enjoyable it is, you need to get out of the house and live your life amongst people once in a while. It is going to be so good to put on some high heeled shoes and really let myself loose for a night!

Mastering the art of coffee making

2008-10-15T20:13:00.011+02:00

Now that I have got my teacher to write me a personal recommendation letter for university, I can breathe and relax again, and concentrate on something else that's even more amusing than university pressure: work. As some may have noticed while passing by, my shop has been leveled down to the floor and built up again from scratch. And the result? Simply beautiful. Now the shop actually looks as expensive as it is. (Is that good?) It is bright, classy, modern and exclusive looking - and I notice a considerable increase in customers. However, adjusting has been a bit hard. First of all, now we have an espresso machine where we are to make coffee from scratch. Devouring Caffe Lattes used to be a thing strictly limited to the high society snobs of the capital, but nowadays we suburbian creatures are starting to devour it like water. And we are picky about it, we only want the best coffee there is, and my workplace is supposed to be one of the places that takes pride in providing that coffee. If you think making it is like making percolator coffee, you are very very wrong. We all had to get a special crash course in how to go about. First of all, you have to grind the coffee, using something that looks like this:

That is simple enough, but you also have to tamp the coffee into the coffee filter, or the bayonet if you want to pretend to be a coffee expert. (Which i do). If the coffee is grinded coarsly, you have to tamp a bit hard. If it is grinded finely, you have to tamp softer. The goal is for the water to take between 22-28 seconds to run through the coffee, preferably 25 seconds. If it takes under 20 seconds or over 30 seconds, the coffee is not well enough to be served, as it will taste harsh and bitter. I know some places serve it then, but as the competative perfectionist that I *am*, I refuse to serve it like that. Problem is that the coffee beans are so sensitive to humidity and pressure, so they might change during the day, resulting in you having to grind it finer or coarser, or tamp it harder or softer in order for it to take the appropriate amount of seconds. There are so many factors to consider. In the beginning it was hard, and I had to make three coffees before it was good enough to be served to the customers. And when you have ten customers standing in line waiting, you get A BIT stressed out and start to panic. I think we all hated the coffee machine intensely in the beginning, as it creates so much queue. Luckily we have improved a lot since only this Friday, and today I managed to make all my coffees in the first attempt. And yes, it is a huge thing for me!

When you've got the coffee right, it is time to steam and froth the milk. You fill a little jug with milk and put the steaming stick into it. The steaming stick will produce hot air, heating up the milk and making it foamy. Hopefully. Depends if you do it right. The trick is to get lots and lots of tiny bubbles all over giving the milk a soft creamy texture. Geez.

Ditta works at a coffee bar, and we are having a little competition as to who makes the best coffee. Her shop and mine are the only two coffee shops at the shopping centre where I work, and my shop is constantly being compared to her shop since ours is the newest. Nina (my boss) and I are planning to outdo them. We have recieved lots of compliments for our coffee so far, so hopefully we reach the standards of our very picky coffee consumers. However, Ditta's coffee shop is famous for its coffee - and there each employee gets at least one week of training - where I work we were five girls who had 2 hours of training. We have just been thrown into it feeling very insecure - barely daring to get near the machine or knowing what a Cortado is when a customer asks for it. Luckily all our coffees are only 10 kr this week, as we are all beginners - and at that price customers have no right to complain! I am really proud of us all though, I think we are doing very well, and the customers do too! Myself I used to hate coffee, but now I have become a great fan of Coffe Mocca. I wish I hadn't, I drink so much at work now I am completely hyperactive, and could go on working for 8 more hours when it is time for me to go home.