Chaotic

My life seems chaotic at the moment. I'm not sure what I'm doing. I feel that this thesis all of a sudden was just here ready to be written. But I wasn't ready. Everything is happening so fast and I have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm doing. I'm not this person that everybody seems to think I am. I'm supposed to hand in the first chapter of my thesis in four days. And I'm not even sure what I'm writing about. But everybody treats me like I do... I've been invited to a big international fertilizer company (by the communications director) to discuss funding for my project. I have half-way (or at least I think so) been given the possibility to look into a internship in the UN. I'm supposed to know what I'm doing by now. Everybody else seems to think I do. So why don't I?

Am I supposed to be grown up now? Responsible? Intelligent? Focused? I don't feel like any of the above. I just want to have fun. To meet some people. To talk to some people. To maybe learn something new about the world. Is it too much to ask for?

Work, work, work

I've been pretty busy lately and it's not getting any better. In the next two weeks I have three papers to turn in(two term papers and the first chapter of my thesis), one application for a grant (for my field work) and one final exam! But that will also be my last exam for a long, long time... years! Hopefully.

I've mostly been studying, but I've also had a few trips up to Bodoe¸ to attends some meetings. I love going up there, but I don't do anything academic. But it has been nice to back to my wonderful apartment. I've actually stared doing my household chores more often than I used to... Just because it's all mine:) I won't be going back for about six weeks now. I'll have to finish up all my work here in Oslo first, and then I head out on a new adventure. Which reminds me...

1. I need to get a new passport
2. I need to buy some tickets (for travel within the US)
3. I need to get my international student ID card
4. I need to figure out a budget... somewhat at least...

Okay, so back to work, on both the academic stuff and on the adventure stuff.

Updates!

So, as always, I not very good at updating. Which Sheryl keep reminding me. But, boy, do I have news for you!

Only a few seconds ago I made it final - I have booked my flight to New York and back. So, I'm coming! In October. And you better have time to see me. Now I just have to figure out when to go where. But, I'm coming:) I leave Oslo on October 6th, and leave NYC to go back home on November 1st. So send me an e-mail and tell me when you want me to come:) To Colorado, to Boston, to Amherst, to Philly, to California!

I'll keep you updated on this:) I promise!

What have you been up to?

So, Sheryl left me a small hint that it was about time I updated my blog. I take your hint... But, when was the last time you updated There your words may lead you??? But, we'll leave that for now:)

So, what have I've been doing? In the beginning of July I went to see my sister in Trondheim. She had just got home from Japan (where she has done some research that I don't understand) and I hadn't seen her in a long, long time. We had a great time. We ate, drank, laid at the beach, ate some more, watch some movies, went to IKEA (and I didn't buy a single thing!), ate some more and drank some more. Good times!

Then I did nothing for a couple of days. I fixed my loan, tried to fix the trouble with the apartment, and got organized for next term. Then I went out to our summer house. It finally warmed up, even up till 30 C. It was wonderful. No cellphone signal, the sea, the mountain, and pretty much no people in sight. Unless you count my family... And they can be a handful once in a while... But we did get company. We have a little nest in the soap cup outside the house. New tenants:) My sister came up here after a while and we decided to throw a barbecue for all the people with summer houses around the fjord (don't be fooled, it's not that many... it's quiet solitude out there). Good party, good fun!

Now, for the last week or so I've been busy with klubbfestuka, which is a short festival with a focus on electronica, but managed to squeeze quite e lot of different bands and dj's into that category. Some eye-opening performances. Check out Shakes. An interesting band from the UK.






Last Saturday I went to a junior high (or as we say here Ungdomskolen) reunion. I've only kept in touch with two people from back then, and I though it might be strange, but it was actually great fun. Here's me and Anette, one of the girls I used to hang out with all the time in eight grade. It was cool to meet all the guys I once had a three-day-crush on, and figure out which of them had one on me. Those were the easy days. Were you could just have one of your friends walk up to the boy you fancied and ask him out for you... and that was it. Either you were dating, or you were not. Like I said... Easy:)

Well, that's my lazy summer! What about yours, Sheryl? Haha!

New additions

Both Sheryl and Christina have now created their own sites, which I'm sure will give us lot's of useful (and not so useful) information on their wonderful lifes.

Strange...?!?

One of my favorite thing to do when I'm bored is to click the "next blog" button on the Blogger Bar. You see it on the very top of my blog. You can find anything. Yesterday I found this site... Those of you who lived with me (or at least in Cape Town) will find this very funny. It was like being back at Green Point... And I can't believe it just showed up at random.

Change

I've just had a great last 2 days. Two nights ago, around 3 AM, I finally managed to get online at the same time as Sheryl. Then yesterday (and today) Sam was on AIM, and then Christina logged on MSN. And then, today I spent about an hour on skype talking to Christina in Kenya. A perfect day so far!

When I talked to Sheryl on AIM the other day she asked me a question I've asked myself over and over again without finding an answer. Did Cape Town change me?

Did I have the African experience everybody expected me to have? I don't think so. You can't really experience African in five months in one city. Yes, sure, I did travel some, but it's still just one country, and it's the (unwilling?) hegemony in a large continent. But I met people that made an impact on me. Some where from South Africa, some where from other places.

Being back in Norway though I feel like I'm back where is was before I left for Cape Town. That not much have changed. So have I really changed, or was Cape Town just a little break from reality? I know that academically I have become more focused and narrow in my approach. But how did Cape Town effect me? Just me... Hopefully it gave me some more input into what my life should be. I think it did. I think that being moved (voluntarily) from what's familiar, known and safe is healthy. Not everything we did yesterday is what we should do today or tomorrow. I've at least learned that.

If there is a change, I think it will seep in and slowly make me in to that "other" person. But maybe I have just got enough adventure to make a lasting imprint in me. Somehow.

My week...

As the weather is getting better I realize more end more what is so fantastic about summer in Northen Norway. I just took this picture, is a few minutes past midnight, from my backyard:) But I must admit, the bright summer night is keeping me awake, and I have a feeling it will take some time getting used to it again. Tomorrow I think I'll be going out to our summer house taking in the wonder of the summer night. I'll sit outside, watch the sun, drink red wine and enjoy the moment.




Not much have happened since I got back. Last weekend I celebrated Astri's birthday. I've know her since I was eight and meeting up with her and Unni meant meeting some of my oldest friends. It was great, and I have some pictures that is not suitable to be posted on the web:)To sum it up: What more than beer, Pepsi (and rum), chips and soap bubbles do you need to make three girls happy?

Home again

I´m back in Norway. Back in Bodø. And I must admit it does´t seem like much has changed here. But it could be that I have just experienced so much in South Africa that I don´t notice the changes here in Bodø. Not yet anyway.

But it nice to be home, don´t get me wrong. Ive missed my good friends, and I love being back in the wonderful, open and clean nature that we have up here. Not quite like the smog that surrounded Cape Town. And it will be fun to pop in on the city council meeting tomorrow. To see what they are up to, and if it´s anything interesting. But I have a feeling that the issues discussed on the city council might be a bit more trivial then the challenges than some people meet in Cape Town. We´ll see. It´s a question about wanting something for someone.

Anyway, I´m home. And safe and well.

Going somewhere?

For those of you who though I was now going to embark on a great African journey... Think again. The reason? Lets call it a series of events. Anyway, I'll be going back to Norway tomorrow. Flying back together with Harald. It will be our last night together:)

So, I'll be home in Bodø on Monday afternoon or sometime around there. Phone number should be up and functioning again as soon as I hit Norwegian soil. Give me a call!

Bye Africa!

Goodbyes

I feel that it is a sign of sincerity and honesty when I feel helpless as I say goodbye to good friends.

Hjem...

Jeg kommer hjem... Bare ikke ennå. Siden både Marianne og Trud har etterlyst min hjemkomstdag (jeg tar det som et tegn på at jeg er savnet.. hehe) skal jeg selvsagt avsløre den.

28 juli!

Så ennå en stund til. Og hva skal så jeg gjøre frem til da? Jo, da skal jeg prøve å se litt mer av Afrika. reiser vel ut fra Cape Town, sånn cirka rundt den 16. juni (ikke så lenge til) og skal først litt rundt i Sør Afrika (Transkei og Jo'burg) før vi drar opp til Zimbabwe og Botswana. Kanskje jeg rekker innom Zambia også. Skal møte min reisepartner Daniel i morgen og legge litt planer. Litt, men ikke for mye. Jeg foretrekker litt fleksibilitet når jeg skal reise rundt i fem uker sammen med andre. Retrettmulighet kan det også kalles....

Nå skal jeg ut til Hermanus og se på hvaler... Og jeg skal være forsiktig med å si at grillet hvalkjøtt er veldig godt:)

Jeg er...

... i livet. Trud hadde rett. Jeg var bortført. Men ikke mot min egen vilje. Mor og Far kom på besøk og jeg har tilbrakt den siste uken med dem. Vi endte først opp på safari i nordvest – rett på grensen til Botswana – i Madikwe Game Reserve. Her så vi det meste av det som kan oppdrives av Afrikansk villmark; løver, zebra, elefanter, nesehorn, flodhester, hyener, antiloper av mange slag og, sist men lett ikke minst Jaran, giraffer!!! Mange! (bilde kommer….)

Vi dro videre til Bloemfontein, så til Lesotho, så tilbake til Bloem og nå er vi i Cape Town. Jeg kjørte mine foreldre rimelig kjapt til deres B&B i går kveld før jeg kom meg hjem til ”familien” og noen øl med mine gode venner I dag er ingen lett dag, og jeg er fortsatt James!!! Gleder meg til å komme hjem.

Fredagskveld

Klokken nærmer seg halv to, og jeg sitter og prøver å finne et snev av sammenheng i det jeg har skrevet til nå. Jeg forbanner internett med alt for mye tilgjengelig informasjon - så snart jeg tror jeg har forstått et konsept dukker det opp ny informasjon som gjør meg mer forvirret enn jeg var til å begynne med... Alt må ha vært så mye enklere før når det bare fantes en pergamentrull med "sannheten" på.

Men heldigvis jeg er snart ferdig og kan ta en velfortjent ferie.

Erik har forresten lagt ut invitasjone til middag... kun spesielt inviterte desverre.

En kveld tett opp mot eksamen...

22:36 746
22:57 955
23:47 1410
00:33 2038
01:00 2240
01:31 2758

Mangler bare 4242 ord før jeg er ferdig...


God natt!

17. mai

Gratulerer med dagen!

Min dag har vært noe redusert. Her i Cape Town gikk vi tilbake til gamle tradisjoner og hadde en tøff kveld i går... noe som virket inn på dagen i dag. Så alt har gått litt sakte. Men det ble god middag - Harald laget biff!Til og med en lite skvett aquavit ble det også. Og kaffe og kake til dessert.

Ellers tar jeg det med ro i dag. Må lese og skrive litt. Skal levere stor oppgave på mandag, før jeg reiser til Jo'burg og møter Mor og Far. Fant en fin bok i dag, global govenant - the social democratic alternative to the washington consensus, som jeg gleder meg til å lese... Så det skal jeg gjøre nå.

Ha en fortsatt fin-fin dag:)

Middag

Fikk denne utfordingen fra John her om dagen...

Nevn 3 personer, døde eller levende, du gjerne ville spist middag med. Og siden jeg allerede har spist middag med John (les Johns liste...) velger jeg meg:

1. Nelson "Madiba" Mandela

For å snakke om Sør Afrika. Om mennesker. Om frihet. Om solidaritet. Om barnebarn. Om HIV og AIDS i Afrika. Om livet...

2. Jeffery Sachs

Tidligere ansatt i IMF, økonom ved Colombia University, nå ansatt av Kofi Annan for å bli kvitt fattigdom i vår livstid. Kunne tenkt meg å spurt han om det virkelig går ann, og dersom det gjør det, hvorfor vi ikke gjør det...

3. J.K. Rowling

Fordi hun vet hva som skjer med Harry!

Sender utfordringen videre til Erik, Eivind og Jaran.

Savn

Av og til, på dager som den i går, når jeg opplever ting bare en person forstår, og jeg føler ting som jeg ikke kan formulere, og skype ikke har god nok forbindelse til at jeg kan ringe, DA savner jeg John.

Hjem

Kommer jeg hjem som det samme mennesket som dro?

Påsken på Afrikansk vis

Tre jenter. En bil. Et stort land. Mye å oppleve. Her følger historien om de tre modige jentene Maiko, Sheryl og Siri som dro på oppdagelsesferd. For de som dere ikke gidder lese alt (fy skam seg!) her følger sammendraget: Fabelaktig!

Vi startet på lørdags ettermiddag fordi vi måtte få tak i, og sette på, et ratt i Maikos bil. Hun hadde besøk av tyver tre dager før vi skulle drar, og hele ferien sto en stund i fare. Men vi kom oss av gårde. Som kartet viser var det ikke små distanser vi skulle tilbakeligge i løpet av en uke. Den røde ruten viser hvor vi har vært, og de svarte prikkene hvor vi overnattet.

Fordi jeg ikke har mulighet til å legge inn mer enn fem bilder pr post, deler jeg opp innleggene…