Learning disabilities

I'm a student. I'm tired. I have been to parties two nights in a row, and I have about 10 more to go. Initiation week, or buddy week (fadderuka) is a very illogical phenomena. 7000 new, confused students are grouped and assigned buddies and basically get drunk 13 nights in a row. And you go to school. Your brain has to deal with a frightening amount of information every day, everything's new, and you'd think you would want to be awake, alert, and concentrated during this important phase of the school year. But no. Party time! This is only my second day of going to bed at 2am and getting up at 8am, and I am exhausted. This insanity will continue the rest of this week, this weekend and all through next week. Don't get me wrong, I love it! It's a great way to meet people, most of them are very nice, it's fun, and you get to know the city.. I just wish I didn't have to be in a class room at 9.15 in the morning. But I'm here for school, I can sleep in a week and a half, this is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. The normal, boring life of a student will come soon enough. Cheers!

Goodbyes and fresh starts

I'm not good with goodbyes. I always cry. Leaving Dallas was hard, knowing I wouldn't see any of them for at least another year, some of them maybe never again. But I had 4 amazing weeks in the states, I'm so glad I went. A big thanks to Mary Grace and her family and friends for making me feel so welcome. The last few days were spent enjoying the sun, drinking margharitas, packing, planning my homecoming and the following move. I left the Delatour house at 6.30am on Wednesday and said goodbye to Mary Grace, Janina and Ann Elise at the airport. 24 hours, 3 flights (Dallas --> New York --> Reykjavik --> Oslo) and hardly any sleep later, I was home. Else picked me up at the airport, and had me home by 4pm Thursday. Thank you! I had a quiet night with my friends planned, some wine, crackers and cheese, but we ended up going to a concert (Postgirobygget), and it was great! I surprised myself by staying awake the whole time. After almost 40 hours on the go, I went to sleep for the last time in my room. Friday I moved.

I am currently sitting in my new, tiny, studio apartment in Trondheim. I've spent the weekend moving in, buying appliances, carrying boxes, despairing over lack of space. Now I'm pretty much all set, I have what I need, now I only have to worry about the small stuff: pillows, table cloths, curtains.. Personally I'm happy with how it all turned out, I'll post a picture when I'm done decorating. I said goodbye to my family today, they spent the weekend here, helping me out. I couldn't have done this alone, I have the best family in the world (love you, miss you!). That makes me even more sad to see them go, but it's time for the little birdie to leave the nest. And I'll go home for a visit in a few weeks.. Now I'm just starting to get excited about starting school. The start-of-year ceremony is on Tuesday, so I have tomorrow to get to know the city a bit, apply for a part time job, and buy some of the stuff I need. And to get a good workout, it's been ages.

Of the 156 000 people living in Trondheim, 30 000 of them are students. And I can hear them, see them, smell them, coming back from wherever they spent their lazy days of summer, getting ready for a new year of learning. I like to think I'm one of them.

American fast food chains...

McDonalds, Burger King, Whataburger, Denny's, Wendy's, Arby's, Checker's, Hardee's, Jack in the Box, White Castle, Long John Silver's, Dairy Queen, Sonic, Big Boy, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Chick-Fil-A, Taco Bell, Taco Bueno, Taco Cabana, Taco Time, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Subway, and more...

Food, lots of food, fast.

That's America

Drive thru fast food, drive thru coffee, drive thru pharmacies, drive thru liquour stores, drive thru banks.. You can basically live through your car in the states. Amazingly efficient, or ridiculously lazy..? Or both..? I'm just asking.

I got to experience some real American traditional activities this weekend. Because I missed out on the rodeo in Colorado, we went to Fort Worth this Friday to see some good old American bull riding. It started at 8pm, but we went a bit earlier to get dinner at Cattlemen's steakhouse (amazing by the way), and to walk around the Stockyards (part of Ft. Worth, a bit outside the city, and if you ever want to see Texas like you've imagined it, go there). The rodeo started off with an 11 year old girl singing the National Anthem, a pretty blonde riding on a beautiful horse holding the Star Spangled Banner, and as expected they followed it up with two hours of bullriding, calf roping and barrel racing. It was good fun, and gave me the feeling of really being in Texas. The original plan was to go to Billy Bob's after, for a drink in the world's biggest Honky Tonk bar, but, it was raining, and our schedule didn't allow it. Later I heard it's actually a pretty shitty bar, so I guess it wasn't the end of the world. We ended up going out in Dallas instead, meeting for the first time Mary Grace's brother David, and his friend David.

The day after, the Davids offered to take me and Janina to a baseball game. We didn't want to miss a chance to see what's known as America's pastime, so we headed off to the Texas Rangers ball park in Arlington. Also the home of the Dallas Cowboys, but unfortunately football's not in season. Anyway, Janina and I had never seen a baseball game before, and the Davids did their very best to explain the rules, which is not an easy thing to do. About an hour into the game we got it, and I can honestly say I understand the game now. Yay! Our cheering them on did not help though, they were losing badly to the Seattle Mariners. We left at the end of the 8th inning, and went out to meet the others for drinks at Cosmo's.

As if to honour our last week in Dallas, the sun made it's return, and we're now back to 98 degrees (37 celsius), and clear blue skies. This calls for some quality time by the pool side. On Sunday we went to Ann Elise's pool, and Monday we went to Jeff's parents's house. They are the sweetest people you'll ever meet, and while we enjoyed a good couple of hours in their pool, Jeff's dad made us hamburgers and hot dogs.. Life is pretty good in Dallas right now, and I can't believe I'm going home the day after tomorrow.

Downtown Dallas

Sightseeing in Dallas is not like sightseeing I've done in any other city. Dallas is so big, and so spread out, and the public transportation is not very good. Without a car you're not likely to see a lot of Dallas, and walking around in downtown Dallas this time of year is like going for a walk in an oven. But Janina and I decided to try, we were supposed to go to the Old Red Courthouse museum for the history of Dallas, and to the JFK 6th Floor museum at Dealy Plaza, where John F. Kennedy was assassinated in '63. We didn't do either. That is, we went to both, took some pictures from the outside, and went walking around the city instead. We found beautiful little park, called Thanksgiving Square, with an adorable little chapel. We walked up and down the three main streets: Main, Elm and Commerce, but Dallas doesn't function like other, big, European cities I've been to; Downtown doesn't have great shopping and big pedestrian streets. It has museums, some churches, some parks, a few restaurants, and a lot of office buidlings. I'm sure we would've enjoyed the downtown tour much more in spring or autumn, when it wouldn't be so hot, you'll have more energy to walk and look around, although I have the impression there's not that much to see. People work downtown, not a lot of the Dallas population live there. So all the malls, the boutiques, the grocery stores, the theatres, most of the restaurants, and the insane amount of nail salons, are all set in uptown, or the neighbouring communities that all belong to the county of Dallas. What is funny downtown though, is noticing the contrast between the areas and buildings that are part of old Dallas, and what has been built with oil money these last decades. Here are some photos from downtown Dallas:






And you've probably heard the expression "Everything's bigger in Texas". I don't know if this is true, but it certainly goes for the thunderstorms:

There and back again..

Time has passed quickly the last 10 days, the first few of them I spent meeting new people, experiencing the nightlife of Dallas, and looking forward to 2 things: Janina's arrival, and our trip to Colorado. Janina came Sunday evening, we picked her up at 6pm (this was by the way my 8th time in an airport in 2 weeks), and got her settled in the backhouse with me. We passed the time from Monday til Wednesday visiting the Nasher Sculpture Garden and the Dallas Museum of Art, shopping, and packing. Thankfully, the plan of us being 5 people and 2 dogs in one car driving the entire 13 hours in one day, was changed at the last minute. In stead of leaving Thursday morning, Wednesday evening only 4 people and 1 dog got in the car, and headed off to a little place called Creede, Colorado. We stopped in Amarillo, Texas for the night, at the Quality Inn, slept 5 hours, ate low quality breakfast, and continued on our journey. The landscape changed as we left Texas behind, more rolling hills, more green. Creede, Colorado is technically at the base of the Rocky Mountains, 8852 feet above sea level (ca. 2700 m.), and as we drove in to Wason Ranch around 5 Thursday evening, we could only marvel. Surrounded by mountains, and the Rio Grande running right by the house, which was gigantic. We were 8 people in total: me, Janina, Mary Grace and Jeff, Brittney and Jonathan, Ann Elise and her brother Andrew. And still there were 2 beds extra. 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 big living areas, a big kitchen, a pool table, ping-pong table, poker table, a big porch practically on the river, and not another house as far as you could see. And on top of this, it was a gang of lovely people, and we had more than enough Bud and wine for everyone. And as if there wasn't enough to do at the house (like being beaten at ping-pong), we managed to squeeze in some out-door activities too: we went to a shooting range just by the property, and those wild Texans teached us scared Europeans how to use a gun. Some went golfing, while 4 of us went river rafting down Rio Grande. The ride was about 2,5 hours long, and Janina and I, Brittney and Jonathan chose to paddle, so we had quite the little excercise going 10 miles (16 km) down the Rio Grande. It was fun, and a good way to see some beautiful scenery. I was also determined to go on a long hike, but put it off til Sunday. That was a mistake. First of all, most of Saturday night had been spent playing beer-pong. Second, it was raining. But, nothing can stop a stubborn Norwegian, so I got up at 8.30am, and climbed mountains, almost fell down mountains, nearly started avalanches, was close to tears at one point, tried to cross the river, failed at crossing the river, and walked back defeated and had to have them pick me up, after 3 hours. But all in all it was fun, and good for me, America is really the true home of fast food. We also got to spend some hours in the town of Creede itself, which is nothing like I've ever seen. About 400 people live there all year around, and our rafting guide told us that during summer and tourist season, that number increases to about 2000. We were meant to go see the rodeo Sunday afternoon, but it had been cancelled, so we decided we'd rather go see the indoor one in Fort Worth next weekend.

After 5 days of fun, relaxation and the feeling of time standing absolutely still, it was yet again time to spend a LOT of time in the backseat of a car. 5.07am Monday we were on the road and on the way back. This time we drove straight, stopping only a couple of times, and were back in Dallas 6.30pm. Isn't it weird how you can be completely exhausted from sitting still all day? I'll be going to sleep soon. Or read.. Oh, and I got into school! I am as of August 09 officially a student at NTNU, I start in 2 weeks!

Here are some pictures from Colorado:

A night at the movies

The Inwood Landmark theatre in Dallas is a unique one. Instead of the boring, barely comfortable seats you find in normal theatres, here they have remodelled the entire first floor screening lounge into a living room. In the Living Room auditorium they have couches, loveseats, chairs and ottomans, as well as LoveSacs. If you're quick you can pick up a blanket on your way in. You can order drinks there, chill in your LoveSac with your blanket and a bottle of wine. It is amazing to me that I haven't seen this anywhere else, it's by far the best way to see a film! So even if Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hadn't been amazing, last night would at least have been comfortable.


I'm a huge fan of the Harry Potter books. I love the story, love the books, like the films. I just don't like Daniel Radcliffe. You'd think you'd see some improvement in his acting after almsot a decade in the game, but no. Love Rupert Grint, though, he's hilarious. But the movies will never be comparable to the books, so I just take them for what they are, and this is a good one. Dark and scary as it should be, but at the right times it was so funny. I had a great time watching it.

Tonight I'm going with Mary Grace to her fabulously gay hair dresser, have dinner and drinks at the house, and then go out. Looking forward to it!

Don't be a drag

I got up at 8.30 yesterday to beat the worst heat and go for a jog. 15 minutes and I was drenched, but it felt good. Me and Mary Grace went to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy pillows for her bed, she and Jeff are moving to their new place in August and there's a lot to be done. Dallas is different from anywhere I've ever been. Everything is so spread out, and if you don't drive, you're not likely to go anywhere. Of course I haven't been downtown Dallas yet, I am in American suburbian heaven. Oh, and I had my first night out in Dallas yesterday. Mary Grace's parents came home (the nicest people you'll ever meet by the way), and we all (me, Mary Grace, her parents John and Ann, Jeff and Ann Elise) went to a restaurant called Mi Cocina for Mexican food. Or Texican, as John called it. Turns out, what I have been calling spicy all these years is nothing compared to what they're used to here, but the fajitas were delicious.

Anyway, we had some drinks with dinner, John and Ann went home, and we figured we'd go to a gay club and see a drag queen show tonight. Jeff needed some persuation, also known as alcohol, and once he'd tricked a friend into coming with us, he was on board. So Chris comes to join us, we have some more drinks, and head off to the weirdest show ever. These guys are more feminine than I could dream of ever being, and they mime and dance and wiggle their way around the audience to collect tips. And they were of course all over Jeff and Chris. It was hilarious. Best part is, we're going back, Janina is going to want to see this when she comes.

Tonight the plan is to see the new Harry Potter movie. Can't wait. Enjoy the pictures, I have more for those interested ;)

Goodbye to New York, Hello Texas!

The end of one adventure, the start of another. I am currently in Dallas, Texas, and it is insanely hot. Right now it's 101 fahrenheit outside, or 39 degrees celsius. I love it though, what puts me off is the airconditioning everywhere is set to so cold that you'll freeze stepping inside, I guess it takes some getting used to. Mary Grace lives in a beautiful neighbourhood, in a big house, and I have my own backhouse in their back yard. They (Mary Grace and Ann Elise) picked me up at the airport, and I met Jeff (Mary Grace's boyfriend) and Taz (her Pomeranian, he's a retard, but adorable). Before I went to sleep, we drove out to the country club where Mary Grace and Ann Elise's families are members and had dinner there.

Dallas is very different from New York. Very. I spent my last day in NY alone, cause Mary Grace had to go back to Dallas a day earlier than me. I left early yesterday, so last day of actually doing anything was Monday. I was up at 7 am. and headed off to the Empire State Building early to beat the lines that tend to be hours long. They open at 8, and I was there five minutes before and was able to head right up to the 86th floor. The ticket was $15, but it was worth it, I was up there for almost an hour photographing the most amazing view I've ever seen. In addition to New York, on a clear day, you can also see New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut as well. Amazing. Then I went to Central Park and just walked around for 3 hours, just getting lost. By far the best way to see the park. I spent a good deal of that time photographing squirrels.

Afterwards I took a cab to Washington Square, and took a walk around the popular areas West Village, SoHo and Greenwich Village, where you'll find a lot of art galleries, trendy shops, and not so trendy shops. Especially Bleecker street is interesting. Worth seeing, but I wish I had more time, and feet that weren't that sore. I kind of wanted to see some sort of show my last night, but I didn't get tickets to Letterman or Jon Stewart, and Broadway tickets were either sold out or ridiculously expensive. And since I didn't know what I'd like to see off-Broadway, I decided I'd go see a comedy show. They sell tickets on Times Square, and I paid $15 for a 3 hour show (actually 36, they charged me 21 dollars for two bottles of beer!). The show was at Dangerfield's on the Upper East Side, an old pub where famous comedians, such as Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Jim Carrey, have performed. It was a good waste of time, it was funny, the five acts ranged from OK to hilarious.

It was almost midnight when it ended, I just went back to the hotel, tried to shove my chaos back into my suitcases and get some sleep. Yesterday was all travel, and kind of emotional. kind of sad to leave New york, but also so excited to go to Dallas to stay with Mary Grace and meeting everybody. And so far it's great, I love it here, like a second home. And everyone's so nice. Except Ann Elise's chihuahua Bowzer, he's evil.

Some New York favourites: Central Park, Circle Line boat cruise, the guide on the Circle Line boat cruise, Can't-say-no sundae at Serendipity, the view from Empire State Building, Strawberry Banana Smoothie at Starbucks, how proud people are of their city, and how awestruck the tourists are.

So much to do...

...so little time.

Dinner at Serendipity yesterday was great, but the dessert was absolutely awesome. "Can't-say-no" sundaes, the size of your head. Dangerously delicious, but we were so stuffed on the way home that we had to get a cab back to the hotel, and watched Law and Order till we fell asleep. Today was the only day we didn't have anything planned in the morning, so we slept till 10.30, which felt great. Then we went to Starbucks for coffee and breakfast, and headed off to Central Park, to just walk around and enjoy the nice weather (the rain and thunder that was promised yesterday didn't start before late, and had this morning made way for a clear, sunny sky). We ate lunch by the lake, and headed off for our 3 hour Sex and the City bus tour. It was an OK way to waste time, but I wouldn't recommend it as a way to see the city, or if you're not a huge fan of the show. But we got to do some cool stuff, like having Cosmos in Steve and Aidan's bar, visit the sex-shop where you could buy "the rabbit", and we got cupcakes at the famous Magnolia Bakery. Interesting enough, but the cupcakes were definitely the best part.

Afterwards we headed off to dinner, and today I went traditional New York style: New York pizza. Greasy, thin crusted, sloppy pizza. It was awesome.

This is Mary Grace's last night in New York with me, she flies back to Dallas in the morning, so tomorrow I'm on my own. Not that I haven't got plenty of stuff to do. Empire State Building is first on the list tomorrow. After that I'll play it by ear, maybe check out Central Park some more, which I think is my favourite part of the city. More photos coming up tomorrow.