Santa Claus is coming to town!

Hi! Christmas 2011 is now over :(

Beside the fact that I got 21 mozzie bites on Christmas Eve, I had a wonderful Christmas Day. After a nice sleep in, the day started with a 3-course breakfast. Yoghurt with cherries, english muffin with Christmas ham and then croissant. While christmas music was playing in the background, we then unwrapped our presents. Thanks to everyone!

After my trip to PNG a have got a new point of view on many things. I have always thought that some people get far too much for christmas and don't really worthship any of them. But it really irritates me to see how much some people get for christmas. A plasma tv, a car, the third phone in one year, thousands of toys +++ Don't people realise that some people hardly have clothes or food to survive??

It soon was 1 pm, and we went to "Nana's" for lunch. Turkey, pork with crackle, potatoes, pies and plum pudding for dessert. We left there at about 4 pm. My older host-sister and her husband came over and we opened some more presents. And then, at 6.30 pm, we went out for dinner. I was about to explode, so a light salad was enough.

Today, Boxing Day, we went to the movies where we watched War Horse. I really enjoyed the movie. I've neer been in such a full theatre before. 289 tickets were sold!

- Beccy

A short summary of my Christmas 2011. One I won't forget :)

Merry Christmas!

I spent yesterday making a gingerbread house, and other Christmas things with my host-mum. It nearly took all day, but it was lots of fun!

Here in Australia they celebrate Christmas on the 25th, not on the 24th as in Norway, and it seems like Christmas is all about eating. We are first having a "Christmas-breakfast" here, then going to "Nana's" for lunch and then to my host-mum's sister for dinner.

And hey! Something must be wrong with the world. In Norway they don't have a white Christmas, and we don't have the really hot Christmas everyone has promised me for ages. But I don't really mind 20 degrees instead of 45 :)



I also took a photo with Santa at Greenhills today. Finally one tradition they have here :D We had to wait nearly one hour, and the average age of people around us probably was 10. And Santa couldn't believe that I was about to take my first "photo with santa" at the age of 17.

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates on the 24th - I have to wait another day :)

- Beccy

Christmas Down Under

To dager til jul i Australia.


Christmas in Australia is definitely different to the one in Norway. The big day is the 25th, not the 24th as in Norway. So one more sleep than normally! I've already opened one present though. It was the one I got from my secret santa at school. I got a pack of Tim Tams, a koala, some soap and a picture frame with a lovely picture we took in Newcastle. It now sits on my bedside table :)


I went to Hunter Valley Gardens with my host family on thursday. It was absolutely beautiful! So many different figures and themes. Even though I in the beginning found it a bit weird with all the lights on the houses here, I really enjoy it now! After all the gingerbread making, and christmas music 24/7, I actually am in a Christmas mood now :D 

Jeg fikk en liten julehilsen fra Norge i dag, og ble så rørt at to-tre tårer trillet. Jeg husker første gang de sang denne sangen. Jeg var sent ute til en bandøving. Rommet var mørkt, og i midten sto de tre som begynte å synge - gode minner! Disse tre er vel kanskje de herligste jeg kjenner. Gleder meg til å se dem igjen om 52 dager.

I got a christmas greeting from Norway today. It was so moving that two-three tears trickled down my cheek. I remember when they first sang this song. I was late for a band rehersal. I came in and the room was dark. They stood in the middle and began to sing - good memories! They probably are the most wonderful people I know. Looking forward to see them again in 52 days.

By the way, I'm going to make a gingerbread house with my host-mum tomorrow - wohey!

Merry Christmas to everyone!!

So this is Christmas

Jepp, only three days until Christmas eve - really? I was quite surprised when I discovered it on the calendar this morning. I'm not in a christmas mood at all. But the good thing is, I'm sharing that feeling with nearly every exchange student. I spent the weekend with the inbounds and outbounds from scandinavia. We wanted to introduce some of our christmas traditions like "Pepperkaker" to them. Two of us made the the dough, and I thought ginger bread dough would be the same in every scandinavian country, but the Norwegian and Finnish version looked different to each other - both where good though!

We used lots of different shapes like the moose I brought with me, some ninjas but also traditional ones like stars and hearts.

We went to Mayona Bay where we had fish'n chips and an ice cream from Peter's ice cream shop. Afterwords we had a game of touch footy. It reminded me of how we used to play it with the kids in PNG, and how much I actually miss them.

I'm also moving house with my 2nd family today. It didn't look like it just a couple of hours ago, but the house is nearly empty now. They invited their friends over on Sunday for a "Goodbye-lunch-thingy" were I met two from Switzerland and a lady who went on exchange to Germany and who works as a german teacher now. I think she had the best german of us four, because the three of us who should speak fluently used english words all the time!

I finally found "Jul i Blåfjell" on the internet. A traditional Norwegian christmas series for small children. Well, I know that I'm not 7 anymore, but I still love it! I've watched every year, and know all the songs. It wouldn't become christmas without it.

- Beccy

You know you are Norwegian if...

Hi!

If there is one thing I am going to miss when I'm back in about six months, it must be the polite Australians. I just had a long chat with my new host dad about differences between "our" cultures. It all started with a list called "You know you are Australian if..." I then found a Norwegian version of it, and it's just hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing, even though it actually is sad that so many of the point are true! However I really started to think about how polite people "down under" are. You smile to everyone, say hello to everyone, ask everyone "how are you?" Just think about some of the following statements, especially if you live in Norway, maybe you start to think about how you interact with others:

...you start believing that if it wasn’t for Norway’s efforts the world would collapse.

…you only buy your own drink at the bar even when you are with a group of people.

…you can’t remember when to say “please” and “excuse me”.

…you always prepare to catch the closing door if following closely behind somebody.

…a stranger on the street smiles at you, you assume that:
a) he is drunk
b) insane
c) American
d) all of the above

…you don’t think silence is awkward.

…you use “Mhmmm” as conversation filler.

…you actually believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

…you know Norway’s results in the last three years in the “Melodi Grand Prix” song contest (Eurovision Song Contest).

…you believe that having no choice of products in a supermarket makes it easier to shop.

…it seems nice to spend a week in a small wooden cottage up in the mountains, with no running water and no electricity.

…you know at least five different words for describing different kinds of snow.

…an outside temperature of 9 degrees Celsius ( 45F ) is mild in mid June.

…you know the difference between Blue and Red ski wax.

…you have only two facial expressions; smiling or blank.

…you don’t fall over when walking on ice.

…you associate Friday afternoon with a trip to Vinmonopolet.

…you think nothing of paying $50 for a bottle of ‘cheap’ spirits at Vinmonopolet.

…it’s acceptable to eat lunch at 11.00 and dinner at 15.00.

…it no longer seems excessive to spend $100 on drinks one night.

…you know that “religious holiday” means “let’s get pissed”.

…you find yourself more interested in the alcohol content than in the name of the wine.

…you enjoy the taste of lutefisk and cod prepared in any way, including fried cod tongues.

…you like to wrap your hotdog in a cold pancake.

…you associate warm rice porridge with Saturday and Xmas-eve.

…you can prepare fish in five different ways without cooking it.

…you wear sandals with socks.

…your wardrobe no longer has suits, but blue shirts and mustard coloured sportjackets.

…it feels natural to wear sport clothes and backpack everywhere, including the cinema, bowling alley, and to church.

…you find yourself speaking halfway Swedish with Swedes.

…you can’t understand why foreigners haven’t heard about Bjorn Daehlie.

…you don’t question the habit of always making “matpakke”

…you know the meaning of life has something to do with the word “koselig” (cosy)

…you get scared when a stranger randomly starts up a conversation with you

…you can’t stand leaving the country because people everywhere else are so nice, it’s annoying.

…you look away when you walk by people on the street.

…you vigorously defend whaling and enjoy consuming whale meat.

…you have two cars, a cabin and a boat, if not more.

…you think it’s weird if a house isn’t wooden.

…you earn more than you spend.

…you associate Easter with cross-country skiing with friends and family in the familys mountain cabin.

…you are shocked if it’s not 2 months of snow every year, at least!

…you can see mountains and the ocean, no matter where you are.

…you expect all dinner parties and meetings to start precisely on time, if not before.

…you fall 3 meters, and don’t get hurt. If you do, you’re not worried at all.

…you get your hands on Norwegian chocolate and guard it with your life

…you are more afraid of the Customs than terrorists.

…you would rather miss your flight than not have enough time to buy the duty free alcohol quota.

…you order drinks at Gardemonen (Oslo Intl Airport) at 6 am

……you say ”oh well, down it goes” when served bad wine.

…you actually think that fishballs have taste.

…you barbecue when it’s raining.

…you have bad conscience if you’re not outside when it’s sunny

…you get dozy after only two days of sun

…you go for a swim when it’s only 12 degrees Celsius (53F) in the water and claims that it’s “fresh”

…in winter, you go to work or school in the dark and come home in the dark – while only working eight-hour days.

…if there’s a terrorist attack on the other side of the world, your first reaction is “oh my god, did any Norwegians get hurt?”

http://lindaemilia.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/you-know-youre-norwegian-when/ 

Cya!

Update on the trip to PNG comes as soon as possible

I haven't had time to write about the trip to PNG yet. It was absolutely amazing, and I am going to write about it as soon as I can - promise!

How do you know what is a dream if you never accomplished one? How do you know what is an adventure if you never took part in one? How do you know what is anguish if you never said goodbye to your family and friends with your eyes full of tears? How do you know what is being desperate, if you never arrived in a place alone and could not understand a word of what everyone else was saying? How do ......you know what is diversity if you never lived under the same roof with people from all over the world? How do you know what is tolerance, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn’t like it. How do you know what is autonomy, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself? How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped being a child to start a new course? How do you know what is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it? How do you know what is distance, if you never, looking at a map, said “I am so far away”? How do you know what is a language, if you never had to learn one to make friends? How do you know what is patriotism, if you never shouted “ I love my country” holding a flag in your hands? How do you know what is the true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one. How do you know what is an opportunity, if you never caught one? How do you know what is pride, if you never experienced it for yourself at realizing how much you have accomplished? How do you know what is to seize the day, if you never saw the time running so fast? How do you know what is a friend, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones. How do you know what is a family, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally? How do you know what are borders, if you never crossed yours, to see what there was on the other side? How do you know what is imagination, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home?
How do you know the world, if you have never been an exchange student?"

"If it is to be it is up to me"

- Beccy