December 1
20 more days?!? What?! I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by...
I was so close to booking a trip to Rome for the weekend, but chickened out at the last minute. I'm not too crazy about going by myself and I think I would rather spend my last few weeks exploring Norway instead. The days are getting shorter and shorter here. The sun is already setting around 3:30 p.m. and so we have a max of about 5 hours of daylight and it is only the beginning of December. It won't even be time for dinner, but I feel like I should be going to bed already!
December 2
Studying for Genetics and started and new Netflix series: Once Upon a Time. Not the greatest plan for studying....
December 3
When I last had dinner at Kjell and Lill's, they invited me to come see a Jazz performance tonight! Tone helped me with directions and found me when I got completely turned around downtown (Thank you!) and once she found me, we went backstage of the Oslo Konserthus and met up with Kjell, Lill, and Ole. The performance was a quartet group featured in the Jazzakademiet concert series that Kjell initiated. He introduced the group and then they started playing. They sounded amazing and although I didn't understand a lot of it because it was in Norwegian, they sounded like they were pretty funny because there were a lot of jokes and laughing. There were two guitarists, a bassist, and another man who played the violin, the SAW (?!!!), and a mouth harmonica/accordion thing. They were amazing and it was easy to get lost in the music. There were even some melodies that I recognized and my favorite song they played was "Dream of You" if I am remembering the title correctly. They were very talented and I was very grateful that my family invited me to come along. It was also cool to see Kjell presenting and he looked very proud of the concert and the group that was performing. It was so nice of them to invite me and I am so grateful. After the concert they even drove me home, which was not expected at all and was very kind of them. Thank you guys for everything you have done for me while I have been here in Oslo! It was great to meet everyone and get to know some distant relatives better, while chasing my Norwegian roots. I cannot thank you enough for the little piece of family and home, away from home. :)
After they dropped me off and we all said goodbye, I stopped at the grocery store and headed home, where I ran into Lotte and Frieda who then convinced me to join them in going to the Kringsjå pub for their last quiz of the semester. We took the bus and unfortunately just missed the quiz, but were able to meet up with our Sogn group friends and hang out for a bit.
December 4
Genetics studying bleh...
But later in the night, it was time for the last pub quiz for the Song Studentby pub, Amatøren. A few of us got there a bit early and played pool and darts. Soshia and I beat Nina and Lotte, by pure luck and no skill whatsoever! :) For the quiz, the 1st half was about the 80's and our group got 8th out of 9 teams, but then we redeemed ourselves in the next round and crushed the Christmas questions, getting a tied third place finish! It was great to see everyone again and hang out, with much needed breaks from studying and exams! I left a bit early and Skyped with my family. I am getting excited to come home for Christmas, but can't believe that it is already so close! And at the same time, I don't want to leave this home I have made for myself in Oslo. :(
Thank you to Fabian for the majority of the pub quiz pictures. Your selfie skills are rivaling mine and I hereby declare you Selfie King! ;)
20 more days?!? What?! I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by...
I was so close to booking a trip to Rome for the weekend, but chickened out at the last minute. I'm not too crazy about going by myself and I think I would rather spend my last few weeks exploring Norway instead. The days are getting shorter and shorter here. The sun is already setting around 3:30 p.m. and so we have a max of about 5 hours of daylight and it is only the beginning of December. It won't even be time for dinner, but I feel like I should be going to bed already!
December 2
Studying for Genetics and started and new Netflix series: Once Upon a Time. Not the greatest plan for studying....
December 3
When I last had dinner at Kjell and Lill's, they invited me to come see a Jazz performance tonight! Tone helped me with directions and found me when I got completely turned around downtown (Thank you!) and once she found me, we went backstage of the Oslo Konserthus and met up with Kjell, Lill, and Ole. The performance was a quartet group featured in the Jazzakademiet concert series that Kjell initiated. He introduced the group and then they started playing. They sounded amazing and although I didn't understand a lot of it because it was in Norwegian, they sounded like they were pretty funny because there were a lot of jokes and laughing. There were two guitarists, a bassist, and another man who played the violin, the SAW (?!!!), and a mouth harmonica/accordion thing. They were amazing and it was easy to get lost in the music. There were even some melodies that I recognized and my favorite song they played was "Dream of You" if I am remembering the title correctly. They were very talented and I was very grateful that my family invited me to come along. It was also cool to see Kjell presenting and he looked very proud of the concert and the group that was performing. It was so nice of them to invite me and I am so grateful. After the concert they even drove me home, which was not expected at all and was very kind of them. Thank you guys for everything you have done for me while I have been here in Oslo! It was great to meet everyone and get to know some distant relatives better, while chasing my Norwegian roots. I cannot thank you enough for the little piece of family and home, away from home. :)
After they dropped me off and we all said goodbye, I stopped at the grocery store and headed home, where I ran into Lotte and Frieda who then convinced me to join them in going to the Kringsjå pub for their last quiz of the semester. We took the bus and unfortunately just missed the quiz, but were able to meet up with our Sogn group friends and hang out for a bit.
December 4
Genetics studying bleh...
But later in the night, it was time for the last pub quiz for the Song Studentby pub, Amatøren. A few of us got there a bit early and played pool and darts. Soshia and I beat Nina and Lotte, by pure luck and no skill whatsoever! :) For the quiz, the 1st half was about the 80's and our group got 8th out of 9 teams, but then we redeemed ourselves in the next round and crushed the Christmas questions, getting a tied third place finish! It was great to see everyone again and hang out, with much needed breaks from studying and exams! I left a bit early and Skyped with my family. I am getting excited to come home for Christmas, but can't believe that it is already so close! And at the same time, I don't want to leave this home I have made for myself in Oslo. :(
Thank you to Fabian for the majority of the pub quiz pictures. Your selfie skills are rivaling mine and I hereby declare you Selfie King! ;)