They have government funded programs for people like you..

I was out on the town yesterday, and I made some interesting and very sad observations. You know those girls, mostly blondes, often pretty (but not always). They stagger around on their heels, more skin showing than not. They fascinate me. It must be really tough when you're a student, and you spent all your money on makeup (God knows they don't spend any on food), and you can't afford clothes that fit you. The result is gruesome, they have to wear clothes they took off their barbie dolls. October in Trondheim is not very warm, and in their tiny strings of garments they must be freezing. It brings a tear to my eye, my sympathies to their families. Thank goodness for those charming, young men offering to take them home and keep them warm.

Put on your dancing shoes

I just ordered my first pair of dance sneakers. I know I can't keep dancing in my trainers, but these shoes are expensive, so they better be good. It's a good investment though, I really enjoy the dance classes. Last Friday I attended a latin dance night, and I was jaw-to-the-floor impressed by how amazing some of these dancers are. I even got asked to dance by one of them, and it was fun, too. Just a bit embarrassing when I figured out (halfway through the song) that I was dancing salsa and he was dancing bachata. Oh well.

Line came to visit last weekend. Else was supposed to come, but she came down with the flu, and didn't feel like travelling halfway across the country. Understandable. So Line spent the weekend here, we had a great time shopping, eating, laughing, and painting the town. Can't wait to have my next visitor! Company somehow makes this tiny appartment seem bigger. Homier.

This weekend I'm attending two birthday parties. Next weekend there's one. After that, UKA starts. Lots of fun, lots to look forward to :) But, I kind of wonder when I'm going to be able to have a quiet weekend. You know, when absolutely nothing happens, you haven't got a single invitation to anything, and you're pretty sure you're going to die from boredom, and you wallow in your bed watching bad TV, or read. I'm looking forward to one of those too.

Busy bee

Remember how I suggested that university is relaxing and that I have a lot of free time on my hands? Yeah.. Scratch that. It's all picking up speed now, excercises for group sessions, obligatory reading, obligatory assignments, work experience. I check it's learning daily, I read Shakespeare sonnets at night before I go to sleep, and I worked 5 hours on an english proficiency assignment on Sunday. Still, this is nothing compared to what's to come. And as if school wasn't enough, I'm now attending lessons of salsa, hip hop, lindy hop, boogie woogie and swing. But you know what? I love it. I've been spending the last 2 years in some sort of intellectual drought. I'm learning stuff again, and it's wonderful!

What's not wonderful though is the economical life of the average student. I've never noticed until now how quickly money just fly off into different directions, and you never see them again. And life in Trondheim does demand a few extra expenses, such as clothes to fit the climate. I have invested in not only one, but two pairs of rain boots, and I am now ready for autumn/winter in Trondheim. From what I've been told, I'll be walking in slosh the next months. The weather these days is insane. One minute you look up and you see clear skies and a warming sun. The next you're drenched from rain, or swept up and landed somewhere in outer atmosphere by one of those aweful coastal winds. But like my grandmother said: "Det finns itte dårlig vær, bære dårlig klær". Tssh.

Over to something much more pleasant than Norwegian weather: the programme for UKA09 (Norway's longest and most eventful festival) was released today. Over 3 weeks (almost all through October) of beer and fun and good music. You'll for sure find me attendig the Postgirobygget concert, the October fest, 50's night, the "Trønderfest", and last but not least, the Aqua concert! Among other things, the 3 weeks are packed with entertainment, art, culture, courses, not to mention great sporting events (e.g. the Norwegian Championship of Rock-Scissors-Paper takes place during UKA). UKA is a big deal, it stirs up the city every other year, and I'll be around for at least 3 of them!

I got curtains! They're a lovely purple colour (which now has turned out to be my theme colour), and way too long. But I think I solved it rather fancily; I tied them all up in buns at the bottom and it looks quite good, if I might say so myself. Now I just need some cushions and a table cloth. And a night stand. And a few other things. And I should go to IKEA to get these things pretty soon, this week actually, becaaaauuse... I get my first visitor this weekend! Else arrives some time on Friday, staying until Sunday. Yay! We're gonna have so much fun! :)