I'm still around :)

Hello hello,

It's about time I write something else here. 'Cause I'm definitely not still in Finland...

Like I said, my camera is broken, but I will find some photos from other people (without their permission... hope it's ok).

A while ago (before the snow and all) I went on a kayaking trip with the Boe paddling club. I got lots of practice in waves and learned to go over a small drop. I paddled solo canoe a little too, it felt nice to be in a canoe again. Yesterday the paddling club had julebord (a group Christmas dinner and party). Someone made a video about the trip to Nidelva and I will show you the link if it gets put online. I've gotten to meet so many awesome people in the paddling club!

Fall kayaking!
Picture from Ann

For weeks now we've had about 20cm of snow here and it's been consistently cold. Unfortunately there isn't quite enough snow for it be tracked for skiing. It's really depressing for a skier to go running in 20cm of snow. A 15min drive out of town there a place with some ok ski tracks where I went last weekend. I also got to go on a weekend trip to a cabin near Rauland. It was a fun trip with nice people, and Rauland is beautiful! But we weren't really able to go skiing. I know I'm complaining a lot about skiing-- I'm sure there will be plenty of time for wonderful snowy and warm skiing later in the year. It's just that the races I want to prepare well for are in the end of January! That's coming up quickly, especially if I'll be traveling a lot during the Christmas holidays. So I would like to have some good training until the end of January.

Photos from a real Norwegian hytte! :

Beautiful view from the cabin in Rauland.
Picture from Marie

The cabin!!
Picture from Marie

Thanks Mille for letting us stay in the cabin, your awesome guitar skills and the delicious food!
Picture from Marie?

Ann always has energy!
Picture from Marie?

Annie and snow, but no tracks
picture from Marie

Doing the wave to passing cars :)
This was during one of our many transport problems...
picture from Ann/Marie?

Walking for a few hours to catch the bus :)
Picture from Marie

With one of my classes I had a field trip to Morgedal, a famous place for skiing. There was a great ski museum, the Olympic flame, and we walked to where Sondre Norheim used to live. Everyone was playing in the powdery snow.

Morgedal (view of the valley on the way to Sondre Norheim's house).
Picture from Aaron

Here's a bit of a video they showed at the museum:

And on American Thanksgiving day the school arranged a Thanksgiving dinner for all the international students. People also brought food from their home countries. I thought everything was delicious. But it was funny to watch people try pumpkin pie for the first time and make a face that said, "this is WEIRD, yuck". It was a nice party. The internationals students this semester are a great group and we've had lots of fun together. It's sad to think that soon about half are leaving. But I feel glad that I'm not leaving yet, and that I'm not homesick, and I that I chose correctly when I decided to move for the whole year.

Thanksgiving celebration
picture from Randa

Because I'm not leaving, I don't have the feeling 'Go do something, it's the last chance'! Instead I'm settling in and doing relaxing at-home stuff like baking and watching movies. That's a little embarrassing to admit, you know. But realistically I'm not always on trips... I just don't blog about the normal at-home days. Actually I am feeling antsy and wishing for a trip, but now is the time where I really have to remember that I'm a student and do my homework! OR ELSE!