Vikings, shopping, and crazy sculptures, oh my!

Today I did touristy stuff.
I did a bus tour of Oslo, which included stops at the Viking ship museum and Vigland park.
The ship museum was amazing, the age and presence of the ships was just astonishing. It was hard getting good pictures due to the size of these ships, but I tried. We drove by the folk museum, I really want to go there, they have a stave church and music in the summer. There is also a museum of history and the national gallery that look interesting as well.

Detail of the prow

Vigland park was... interesting. The sculptures are, in all honesty, weird.

I think I would like to go back in the summer when I didn't freeze walking through it; I think it must be spectacular when all the plants are green and in bloom.

One of the more tame sculptures

the large tower

Detail

 Natalie and Robyn

Natalie and I

A very strange panel on a larger fountain...

After Vigland we went shopping and then for dinner, Oslo is gorgeous at night!

Natalie, on Karl Johans Gate

                                       

well, that is all for now, I am listening to the Sharks game and must concentrate.

more pictures...

The trees got a nice dusting if snow today

Ice Ice Baby

Ok, toilet humor

 I feel bad taking a picture of a stranger on the subway, but his silver coat was just too awesome.

Pictures!

Don't I look happy? This is me waiting for a bus in the cold

This is me at happier times after coming down the hill sledding

Kristina and Natalie of the buddy group outside of the Newspaper headquarters

a very cool church, blurry but I like the colors

There is racing tonight. This is from the kitchen window.

They race some kind of cart.

I have no title for this...

Today was long. I am still having a hard time with the whole sleep thing, it's just really hard for me to do now. Yesterday was a busy day, it was my first big orientation day, we heard talks and met our Buddy group. After spending the whole day on campus we walked down to a student social hall (I think), with a bar and had a meet and greet with the other buddy groups (mine is awesome).
 Around 8 p.m. I started to make my way home. Unfortunately, I got stubborn a bout how many buses/trams/subway rides I wanted to take, so I decided to walk to the 17 tram line instead of getting on the subway there. I only got a little lost. I knew where I was most of the time, but not how long it would take me to walk the distance. I made it home alright last night.
Today was a whole other adventure. First I met with the Buddy group at 12 and we went to the park and went sledding. It was very fun, but I got snow in weird places. Then we went back to Ingrid and Kristina's for hot coco (thank god). We all signed up for a bus tour around Oslo on Saturday. I guess on the tour we get admission to several museums.  I am going to go see the Viking ship museum and Vigland park, both of which sound really cool.
I went to a thrift shop with the group and got a very good wool shall for cheep. I am going to buy a traditional Norwegian sweater before I leave, and the thrift store is the cheapest place to do it.  Getting home was an adventure, I had a Conwy moment (missed the stop due to door not opening) with the bus I rode home, but it worked out ok in the end (only a little frost nip on my cheeks from waiting in the cold and dark for 40 minutes).
 I have bonded with Japanese guy in my buddy group over our mutual love for Ume and Miso, if he is nice I will share my Ume.
Tomorrow there is a workshop to help people sign up for classes, I think I am all signed up so I might just nap.
Oh, commenting is fixed so you don't need an account to leave a comment anymore, sorry that was the default and I didn't think to check it.

Productivity

Today was the first day where I actually got more than one thing done.
First, I was up before the sun and on a bus to Elkjop, the Norwegian equivalent of Best Buy. There I got the all-important ethernet cable, and a printer to print out my work. After that I dropped the purchases at home and made my way to Blindern Campus to pick up my welcome packet. I got a little lost, but managed to make my way there. It was interesting to see all the shops in downtown Oslo. 
One of the stops was Heimdalsgate, lets see if anyone can figure out the significance of that. No, I do not mean the song. 10 points to whoever figures it out first, leave your answer in the comments. 
A few things I have noticed so far:


1) You have to ask and pay for bags when you shop. This one took my by surprise.
2) Not speaking the language makes you be more observant of what other people are doing.
3) People in Norway tend to give better directions than those I encountered in England, thank god because wandering about in the snow is not super awesome.
4) Stay off pavement and asphalt, walk on the snow because it is less slippery. 
5) Buses don't just stop, they slide to a stop and it is kind of terrifying.

Oh Bureaucracy...

Formatting is messed up. Sorry, tried to fix it for 10 minutes, it didn't work, so I am going to bed.


How you drive me nuts and stress me out. I have to go register with the police, and I have no idea how to get there. Frustrating! Figuring out the transit system is also a bit of a challenge, there are just so many options.

I am really setting a goal of being asleep before 1 am, so far thats only happened my first night when I got off the plane. I am on California time, and California eating time. My poor stomach is confused. I'd like to get this all straitened out before classes start.

Anyhow, today was mellow, everything is closed on Sundays, so I slept in and then went for a brisk 

walk to get the blood moving and so I could feel like I actually got something accomplished today. On my back I think I was hit on by some old Norwegian guys, but I am not really sure. It is very irritating to

not speak the language.

Here are some pictures from my walk:

Me, almost ready for walk

Holy shit birds live in this?!

A nice nest-egg of snow

As promised, Pictures!

This is part of the racetrack across the street

Sunset at 3:45pm

This building is across the street from my dorm, I don't know what it is, some sort of training center, but I cant really read the sign.

This is the bus, just kidding.

This was in front of Ikea, I get the feeling Norwegians like their traditions.

View out my window

Today I went to Ikea to buy a duvet. I ended up getting a duvet, pillow, cover for duvet, cup and plate. Ikea is not so cheapy here, the quality of stuff is better. Oh sure, a lot of it is the same, but I think they have a little better selection, and the furniture is better quality. Plus you can buy fabric yardage here. I think I still need cutlery, but I am going to wait until some of the girls from berkeley come because it comes in a set of six and I am really not that social.

I have plastic spoons and that is good enough for my yogurt, at least for now.

My stupid bank put a security block on my card, I made the mistake of calling them and letting them know that I would be out of the country and to expect strange charges. Naturally, the first time I use it they decide to lock it.

My hips really hurt from slipping on ice. My dilemma is this: one pair of boots has great traction but doesn't really keep my feet that warm, the other keeps my feet warm but has shitty traction. Both make my feet hurt after an hour or so. So far warmth has won over not slipping, but my hips and butt hate me for it.

Norwegian baked goods are amazing. I am in love with this apple cake thing I had, it was amazing. the texture was different, it was amazing. Tomorrow I am going to be brave and try the chinese place next door. Oslo is actually very diverse so there is a chance that the cooks are actually chinese and thus know what they are doing. We will see.

PETA would have field day here, there is so much fur! I really want a fur hat now. I want a long fur coat too, but I imagine that the hat would be a lot less expensive. And possibly wearable when I get back to California. I think I am blending in okay, people keep assuming I am Norwegian. That is, until I open my mouth.