american life....

 

 

Never let the weather-gods overhear your plans of the beach and tennis, it's gonna result in a loong day of heavy rain!

 

This totally beats the fancy band aids with pictures of Jesus that I found in New York!  http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2006/07/25/472252.html

 

 

 

I can't sleep, it's actually 4 in the morning and I need to get up for work in two hours, but telling myself that doesn't help. So why not brag about why I'm still up? I actually won the poker tournament tonight, my second tournament and I won the whole thing! :D Yes I'm damn proud, even if it was a lot of luck. I wanted to prove that it's possible to play well without any shuffling skills what so ever, and I did :)

Not really still up because of the tournament, it ended hours ago and i'm sure the bar is even closed by now, but it takes a while to beat 10 people, and the two energy drinks I had to keep me up for it, ended up keeping me up for the whole night, blarg.... So worth it though :D

It was even worth freezing my ass off for, which brings me to another subject. What's up with Americans and airconditioners? I have to admit I do love our central air and almost hugged it coming back from NY having slept in Sigrid's Sauna/room for a week, but I do not get the whole, it's summer out, let's pretend it's winter inside thing... I thought it was weird when I lived in Boston, but people in Boston are just crazy, so I didn't give it too much thought. This is Minneapolis though, I actually consider people here pretty sane. Then it's finally summer after a half year of the coldest temperatures on earth (people who think hell is a hot place haven't tried Minnesota in the winter) and I still have to bring a jacket if I go somewhere, in case I will spend any time indoors!? It does not make sense to me....

 

I arrived in Oslo last night, and have been spoiled by Annelise since, been coocking supergood food for me, and it's so nice to see her again. I've been really tired after not sleeping at the plane at all (kid in front of me had a lot of fun turning the light on and off and opening and shutting the window sheds), so have been staying home till now. Rented a movie last night, Terkel i knipe, genious movie, I'm gonna try to find a version with English subtitles and bring back..

It's around noon now, I woke up early today and felt awake, since it would be 7 hours later in the states, but I was able to go back to sleep for a little while, the rest of the morning I've been doing nothing, one of my favorite things to do :)

Gonna go downtown soon, walk around a little, and meet Annelise when she's done with school. THink I'm finally able to talk Norwegian, was really language confused when I first got here and were tired and everything, I've been talking English to Annelise and writing Norwegian to Chris, plus talking something in between a lot, the julekalender language :p

 

Thursday I'll be in Sykkylven and I'm super excited to see everybody there too :D

 

Happy birthday to Jorunn by the way, or belated birthday since it was yesterday. Hope you had a really nice day, and I'll give you a birthday hug as soon as I'm home :)

 

 

Just got a phonecall from Lakselaget that I was granted a scholarship :D Got the phonecall at work, and it was  number I didn't recognize, so I just picked up to say I'm not Denise (Denice had my phonenumber before I got it a year ago, and she's still more popular than me). So when I found out the good news, I had to just say thank you and hang up right away, felt a little bad about that. But still, some extra money will be sooo nice :)

 

I aslo became president of ANSA Minneapolis a few days ago, and will be of Den Norske Klubben at the University next semester, I just love organizing stuff so I'm really excited. Next friday we're gonna have our first ANSA event, which will be making potetball and a party afterwards. We will invite the members of Den Norske Klubben too. And mmmmm, I haven't had potetball in so long, it's gonna be so delicious. If not a lot of people show up I'll be happy to eat potetball every day this month :D

 

 

 

 

My roomate called when I was on my way out to go jogging tonight, she was at the coffee store and there was this hot guy. So I'm thinking I'll drop by and help out starting a conversation. He's sitting outside, so we get the table next to him, and I talk and talk loud enough for him to hear about different topics, so he can find something he would have something to say about. Turns out he's there purely to study and he end up packing up his stuff and moving to a table inside, away from the loud annoying blond girl...

 

It's summer! I'm so excited, went for a little hike yesterday, wearing only t-shirt, I just love the sun!!

Had a nice relaxing weekend, just what I needed, been sick all week so I needed to take it easy for a couple of days.

 

Read the funniest news story in the paper today. This blind guy in Sweden came home drunk, and he knocked on his neighbors door to ask what time it was. The neighbor was deaf, but he understood from the guys hand gestures what he was asking about, so he showed him his watch (since he was deaf and couldn't talk). The blind guy didn't see that of course, so he just got really pissed about the guy not answering him, and punched him. It ended in a deaf-blind fight.

 

About time to update now, lots of things have happened since I last wrote. First of all, I wen't to the hairdresser (or actually hairdressing school, since real hairdressers are out of my budget) to dye my hair. I meant to make it a little blonder, but I forgot to say that my hair bleeches really easily, a day in the sun makes a big difference. Anyway, now my hair is like albino/playboy bunny blonde (whichever is better). I actually like it though, fun with a little change.

 

I've also been to my first frat party, and despite my prejudges against fraternities it was actually fun. Was a beach party, so fun to walk around on sand ( a big room in the basement was filled with beach sand) in a beach dress, while it's below zero celcius and snow outside.

 

No snow anymore though, it's finally spring, and I love it! I just walk around smiling because it's not cold anymore. It's like I'm another person as soon as the sun comes out, and the winter was really about to drive me crazy in the end. Not sure what I'm doing in Minnesota wheterlike, but I am really happy here now. Chris has been the greatest lately, just doing anything he can to make me happy all the time. I can't wait to live together after the summer and be that happy every day :)

 

Although I'm really happy here with Chris, I have been a little homesick lately. Not as in wanting to move back home, but I miss everybody a lot, and I realized that one and a half year would be too long without seeing my family and friends. So I found some pretty cheap tickets, and I'm coming home the 14th of May, spending a few days in Oslo first, then Sykkylven until 8th of June. I'm so excited, and hope I get to see everybody! :D

All of the sudden a lot of my friends are moving to Oslo, now that I'm not there anymore, and a little part of me wish I was still there. I miss Annelise a lot, and I miss having lots of close friends around. But then again a big part of me is happy to be here too.

 

My friends at home (the ones that are still in Sykkylven) are popping out babies and getting engaged and married and stuff lately, it's kind of weird. It's like natural that they do cause it fits their life, but thinking about the fact that they are my age, and I'm still in College and just had to accept that my life is still not ready for the dachshund dog I've wanted for years, even after the summer. And a dog would come a long time before kids. I love kids, but other people's, don't want my own in years still. The good thing is that when I do, all my friends kids will be babysitting age, and I'll take advantage of that :)

 

Yesterday was my birthday (and when I looked in the mirror this morning, I actually spotted my second wrincle, also in my forehead. It's like a wrincle farm starting up there....)

Anyway, for a few days before I was really not looking forward to my birthday. Cause I'm thinking that I'm far away, I'm surprised that people still remember my name, and I suck at remembering birthdays, so I don't expect anyone to remember mine. But then the day came and from I got up at 8 in the morning, till late afternoon, I was so busy cause people were contacting me on my cell, and msn, and mail, and skype and everything at the same time. And it made me really happy, there's still people who like me out there :P

It didn't matter than I had school and work until 10PM, plus a paper to write, it was a great birtday anyway. Plus we're kind of gonna celebrate it both today and tomorrow. Tonight Chris is taking me out for dinner, to this seafood place I've wanted to go to for a while. And tomorrow we're going out, Mandy has her birtday tomorrow, so we're both gonna celebrate, and there will be a little mix of my friends and Chris' friends, so that will be nice, doesn't happen too often since they live so far away, and a lot of students don't even have cars.

 

So that's my life lately, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, haven't had the time. Nice to know that people appreciate it though :)

 

Just read in the ANSA newsletter that Norwegian students who study in another country, generally get better paid jobs than those who study in Norway. Nice to know since I'm paying a fortune for an education that would have been free at home...

 

Been a lot of complaining here lately, but this weekend has been the best in a long time, just perfect! :)

 

Started out by celebrating Chris' birthday on Friday night. I haven't been out with his friends in a while, so that was really fun. Really needed to party after this week to, so it was a great night.

Saturday was the lazyest day ever, but what's better than being lazy with the cozyest old guy (just have to rub it in a little) in the world? :)

Today I had to get up early and go to work, so that sucked. Was so hard to leave Chris, can't wait to live together now, getting really addicted.. Anyway, after work I've been hanging out with Alf, mostly doing nothing (I so miss that from Norway, Americans always have to do something to hang out), but went to Old Chicago for cheesecake in between of the nothing (while we're talking about me being addicted, cheesecake, mmmmmmmmm...)

 

Oh oh, I almost forgot: Friday before we went out, I won a poker game, including beating Dan (who really almost made it to the world poker this year. When he actually does I'm going to be pointing at the tv-screen yelling and bragging worse than this every time I see him, be prepared!).

 

 

 

Just gotta love the conspiration the teachers at this school has trying to break the poor students down by putting all the midterms in the same week. My brain works just like an old computer, if it has to much to think about at the same time, it stops, shuts down completely, black screen, no reaction. Came home from geology midterm today, just to start reading for the next one (economics) tomorrow morning. Printed out enough notes that it probably took down a whole forest to make the paper (Amanda, your environment crap comments are getting to me!) but won't be able to get through half of them. I wanna lay down and sleep for a couple of weeks, or go to a beach in Greece (Mexico would be fine I guess), ahhhh, dreaming. On days like this is really tempting to say screw Carlson, and just go on with an economic major and an average average. It's nice to know what I want, but right now I remember very well how nice it was not to care..

 

Don't get me wrong, still love it here, just had enough of test this week, and the winter is getting to me a little lately, it should really be spring by now.....

 

 

 

Today I had my first (and hopefully last) car accident. Was on my way to class, stopped at a stop sign, then looked to both sides while I slowly drove onto the road. But it wasn't easy to see cause there were cars parked at the side, and all of the sudden a car comes really fast at my left side and drives right into me. His car got broken in the front, mine looked fine, but when I started driving the wheel seemed loose. So I had to leave it in a parking garage in St.Paul. This happened like ten minutes before my ASL test, great for my consentration.. So now I don't know what will happen, hopefully everything will be fine with the insurance even if it's not my car. My back hurts really bad too, I really hope that won't last.

 

 

 

 

 

Have thought about keeping two blogs for a while, but since I'm kind of too busy (lazy) to update this one very often, I've decided to write it in English from now on. That way people from my Boston life can keep track too, and for those of you back home; it's an excellent chance to practice your english till you come visit me, which I expect to be very soon ;)

 

Lately I've been pretty much just studying and working, not a very exciting life. Poor Chris has been waiting for a while to celebrate valentines day with me, as I had a steamy date with my precalc book last night (midterm this morning, let's not talk any more about that). Tomorrow I'm going over for a salmon dinner, in between of my superlong microec homework that I had forgotten about, found out right after the horrible midterm. Yes it was really a lovely, lovely morning!

 

For the first time since I moved here Norway has actually been all over the news lately. A little bit in the shadow of Denmark, but I have seen glimpses of our flag in fire on tv. Yes, the mean Scandinavians are having fun with everything, not everything except from muslims, how rude... I wonder how many drawings I've seen of Jesus, without anyone being killed over it. Still I think it's sad that the picture a lot of people in western countries have now is that all muslims are crazy-violent-embassy-burners, which is not the case at all. It's a few people getting a lot of attention, naturally since they're actually causing a lot of damage. But blaming all muslims for their actions is like blaming a whole country for one cartoon.

 

When that is said, I am a little bit dissapointed in our government for apologizing. First of all, there are a lot of different religions in the world, some take things more serious than others, and that is up to every single person. Different religions have different rules, some christians choose not to drink, or dance, some choose to do so. It's a great thing that we can all do what is right for us. Christians believe that sundays are meant for resting (God made the world in 6 days, the 7th he rested), and Norway still have that as a traditional day off. Although the reason now is more our lazyness, or appreciation of time off, no matter how deeply religious we had been, we have no reason what so ever to expect other people to follow the same rule. If another country work hard, or dance naked in the streets for that sake, even the most religious Norwegian would have no right to tell them not to do that. So if muslims have a rule about not drawing pictures off Mohammed, then they can choose not to draw him, and be happy about their choice. Expecting others to follow their religious rules is as arrogant as it is unrealistic.

 

The other thing that has been complained about is that the cartoons are offending. I'm not going to discuss whether they are or not, and people have a right to their own opinions. Sometimes people do racistic stuff that shouldn't be done, and that is why we have laws about it, and courts to make sure we keep them. It is not why we have embassies, gas and matches.

 

Well enough politics. It's getting kind of used up to have opinions about this now, but when something get this silly get so blown up, I just can't help it..

 

Hope everybody had a nice Valentines day :)

 

 

Om nåkken vil ha tak i mej her så e adressa mi:

 

Elise Løvoll

1004 7th street SE, apartment 101

Minneapolis, MN, 55414

USA

 

å telefonnr: 001 612 226 2738

 

 

 

Da he ej endeli begynt å jobbe her. Syns d va nok me skule første semestere, sia alt va nytt, men no gleda ej mej til å ha litt meir penga.

Fordi ej e her me student visum så kan ikke ej jobbe uttafor skulen, så d begrensa d litt. Men derfor e d veldi greit å gå på en så stor skule, masse jobba for studenta her.

Valgte å jobbe i parkeringshus. Chris gjor d når han gikk her, å likte d veldi godt. D e veldi flexibelt, du får faste tima etter timeplanen din, å nært der du he klassa før. Så kan vi på nette gi fra oss jobbetide, så lenge vi gjer d fem daga før, åsså kan vi plukke opp ledige skift heile tida. Kjempegreit. Veldi lite å gjer for d meste, å vi he lov å gjer ka vi vil så lenge ingen venta, så kan ha me pc me internett, se på tv, musikk, gjer lekse (ej håpe på å få gjort unna alle lekse på jobb). He allerede jobba tre daga no, å d va masse fritid, å veldi koslige folk å jobbe me, så ej trur ej kjem til å trives veldi bra.

 

Da he ej feira jul i USA igjen, for andre gang. Dinne gangen laangt bedre enn forrige. Va først litt trist å ikkje ver me familien heime, fortsatt ingenting som norsk jul, ivertfall den vi he. Å særli den 24. når d va jul heime, men en ganske vanli dag her. Rundt 12 på morgon (Minnesota tid) å utover feira ej me familien min gjennom webcam å skype (telefon over internett). Va kosli å på en måte ver der, men gjor også at ej savna meir å ver der me dei, å norsk julemat, masse go mat her borte, men ej he fortsatt ikkje smakt nåkke som kan måle sej me norsk julemiddag. Visste vi skulle bestille kinesisk på kvelden, å d gjor ikke saken særli bedre. Men så blei d middagstid, å maten va faktisk veldi go, å vi ha en kosli middag, å etterpå spilte alle sammen monopol mens vi hørte på julecd'en til kore til pappa. Da blei d plutseli julestemning likevel. Når heile familien va samla å spilte spill e beste minna ej he fra når ej va mindre, d e nåkke som berre e så utruli kosli me d, så ej følte mej litt heime. Å familien til Chris e kjempekoslige, lika mej veldi godt der. Føles litt som å reise på SPA når ej e der ei helg, go stemning, heimelaga mat, å utendørs boblebad, funka like bra som ei go massasje.

 

Dagen etter va d jul her. Vi åpna gave på morgon. Oppdaga enda en ting ej å Chris he til felles, vi e begge eldste søsken i familien, men veldi muli også barnsligst. Tidli på morgon hoppa Chris ut av senga, å d tok ikke lenge før han hadde fått dratt opp alle oss andre me. D va jo jul å gavetid, kunne ikke sove da! Familien min å tantene mine ha sendt mej gave, sette veldi pris på d. Å ej fikk kjempemasse fint. Ej forventa virkeli ikkje å få julegave når ej e så langt unna, så blir liksom ekstra glad når folk tenke på mej. Fikk ipod me Chris, så tilbringte masse av dagen me å høre på Sondre Lerche cd som ej fikk av mamma å pappa, å også Ane Brun cd som pappa sendte mej på mail (likte den forresten). Lukka øyene å va i happyland, he ikke hørt særli på musikk siste halvåre, va nåkke feil me høgtalerane på laptopen min ei stund, å he ikke stereo her. Fikk også tre kjempefine smykke (he brukt allerede), go parfyme (også tatt i bruk), fin klokke, canebo sminke (favoritten min, å dei he ikkje den her) å meir. Alt i alt kjempefornøyd, virka som alle visste akkurat ka ej trenge å ønska mej, selv om ej ikkje he hinta om d, va ikkje ei einaste gave som ikkje va midt i blinken liksom, ej e imponert! :)

 

No e vi tilbake i Minneapolis, Chris begynne å jobbe igjen i morga, ej he søkt på jobb på skulen, å håpe ej kan begynne så fort som muli, he nemli fri heilt til den 17 januar, å e blakk, så jobb hadde passa bra akkurat no. Skal ta lappen for Minnesota me, fant ut at man egentli må ha d kort tid etter at man flytta hit, så flaks at ej aldri he blitt stoppa av politie. Ellers nyte ej pausa fra studering, skal bli deili å begynne neste semester me litt meir kunnskap om korsen ting funka på en amerikansk skule, føle mej masse bedre forberedt no. Men på dinne skulen må man jobbe hardt uansett, så ej e gla d e ei stund igjen til ej må begynne på igjen :)

 

Håpe alle he hatt, å fortsatt får, ei kjempefin jul!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muffins, kaffe, kremost, bagel, kake, te, brød,  aa i helga smakte ej til aa me øl me gresskar-smak!

 

Uten å engang ver kjendis, he ej funne en person som går i samme klasse som mej, bor i samme gate (nabo faktisk) he bursdag samme dag som mej, å skal flytte til Norge om et år, altså en Elise wannabe. Ej føle mej beæra :D

 

 

Va paa GAP, en klesbutikk, en dag. Aa plutseli hoere ej Two way monologue av Sondre Lerche komme ut av hoegtalerane. Maatte berre spoerre kormusikken kom fra. Aa d va en samlecd som blei spilt paa alle GAP butikka i USA. Saa goy. I fjor hadde dei tv'a me musikkvideoen til Poor Leno, Royksopp i  H & M. Aassaa he ej hoert Aha, take on me en del ganga!