Mountains and Lights

I've had many conversations since being overseas (mostly with Patty) about how studying abroad is really a venture to discover new aspects about yourself. Sure there is a lot of cultural and historical learning, but the majority of the information you take home with you is about how you fit into these new environments and what that means for your previously defined self-image. I decided in Norway that for whatever reason, I wanted to grow up and be independent way too quickly. It is really nice to have someone else make decisions for you every now and then, even if they are small. I think I have always understood this, but I needed a moment to realize what it meant to me.

I left for Norway on Wednesday morning. It was an awfully long day of traveling (two planes and two trains), but we arrived in Tromso that evening. The city was beautiful. It was right on the water but surrounded by snow capped mountains, as though someone had taken Tacoma and placed it in Colorado. I couldn't get enough of it. We spent our time sightseeing mountain tops and the Northern Lights. I'm not sure I can remember a time I was so introspective as the night I sat under the city lights and saw ribbons of green float through the night air. It was a glorious sight, something I don't think I can accurately describe. The northern lights are very temperamental and we had to hold our hands up in the air to block the street lights. It seems odd, but the green became twenty times brighter. What was even more amazing was that the locals told us the next morning that the night was saw them was the first time the lights had been out this season. They hadn't had a clear night in months. We got really lucky. I do have pictures, but they had to be taken in a special format with the shutter open for extended periods, so the files are quite large. I'll get all of them up on Facebook soon, but here are a few for now.

To sum up, here is a list of reasons I would love to live in Tromso Norway:
1. Beautiful, towering mountains
2. The Northern Lights
3. Normal Tacos!
4. Curried chicken chimichongas (odd but delicious)
5. Smash (chocolate covered Bugles)
6. Heated sidewalks
7. Friendly people
8. Real coffee (London has terrible taste)
9. The sun orbits really close to the horizon, so it always looks like sunset (even at 11am)
10. Made me feel content

Reasons I would hate to live in Tromso:
1. Cost (large pizza = $40)
2. 2 months of solid darkness in the winter
3. 2 months of solid daylight in the summer

I finished my last mid-term today and everything went well. Tomorrow I leave for Belgium to eat waffles, chocolate, and visit WWI trenches. Wish me luck!

Back and Gone Again

I walked outside yesterday and the air was filled with the distinct smell of snow. You know when you can breathe in and it just smells like crystallization? That was it. As far as I know, it most likely won't snow at all while I am here, but the scent made me feel relaxed. Like I am supposed to be here.

The weekend in Ireland was everything I wanted it to be. Whale watching and staying in a bed and breakfast were perhaps the best ideas I have ever had. We left really early Friday morning and didn't make it to the tiny town of Baltimore until 5:30 that night. We stayed at the Rathmore House where a woman named Marguerite took care of us. After showing us our room, which was delightfully cozy, she told us to come down to the lounge for some coffee. Once we parked ourselves in front of a roaring fire on huge leather couches, Marguerite brought in a tray with coffee, homemade scones, and raspberry jam. I was in awe of how beautiful it all was. Sipping my coffee and staring out the front window, I could see the ocean lapping at a nearby pasture. A multitude of boats sat lazily on the water and the town of 200 residents seemed so peaceful. It was glorious.

That night we walked a country road to a traditional pub in the middle of nowhere. Sorry Seattle, but Baltimore Ireland has far superior seafood chowder. I couldn't eat enough of it. After dinner, we spent the evening in our room relaxing in the wonderful countryside and went to bed. I woke up, went downstairs to the kitchen, and Marguerite prepared a fantastic full Irish breakfast. It had bacon, sausage, a poached egg, sauteed mushrooms, a tomato half, and black pudding. I ate it all without hesitation. Later I found out that black pudding is blood sausage, but honestly, it was tasty so what do I care?

Marguerite then gave us a ride to the harbor so we could whale watch. The boat was nice and the harbor was gorgeous. We spent 5 hours out on the water touring the picturesque Irish coastline. It looked like it was straight from a movie and I couldn't stop smiling the entire time. We saw about 12 minke whale dorsal fins (the whales are about 28 feet long and the fins only pop up above the water for a brief moment), three pods of dolphins, and seals. The dolphins kept surrounding our boat on all sides and could be seen doing somersaults underwater. If we were really quiet we could hear them clicking and talking to each other. It is difficult to remember a time when I have been so ecstatic.

So overall the trip was a success. I came back and cranked out two mid-terms and a paper. Quite honestly, I expect A's on all of them. I previously mentioned that the rigor is easier here, but there is also something about worldly trips as a motivating factor that works really well for me.

Tonight I went to see some fringe theatre in London. I went to the Southwark Playhouse to see Terror 2009. It was combination of 4 short plays all dealing with shocking elements. I mainly went because the last production was written by Neil Labute (a playwright who wrote one of my favorite scripts in Speech). It was engaging, but violent and I am still not sure how I feel about it. Well acted, but sometimes shock value is pointless without an underlying point.

Anyway, I should really be in bed. I leave for Norway in about three hours. I have been too wound up to sleep so I came here to write. Also, I figured out how to let people without Facebook see my pictures. Use the links below and you should be able to see them all.

Ireland: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116748&id=505649265&l=0fbd0d616e

Chelsea Area: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116543&id=505649265&l=00cf323bad

Oxford: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114546&id=505649265&l=7fb8c34a99

London Zoo: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114534&id=505649265&l=d80db0cd69

Sites from Architecture Tours and Platform 9 and 3/4: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109672&id=505649265&l=735fb28ac2

Stonehenge and Salisbury: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109662&id=505649265&l=8760449771

Globe Theatre, Ice Bar, and Bath: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=105348&id=505649265&l=4a9ad26f55

Various London Sites, and British Museum: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103440&id=505649265&l=8ffb2b80b2

Windsor Castle: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=102913&id=505649265&l=dca45baf57

Papers? What Papers?

It has been another enjoyable week. The rain stuck around and I spent a lot of time just relaxing and preparing myself for the flood of homework known as mid-terms. I'm trying to be extremely proactive so I won't be worried about what needs to get done while I'm in Ireland and Norway. So far, so good.

Class went by with its usual speed and I didn't have to worry about anything in particular. For my theatre class we saw a production of Enron and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I suppose I was too young to care about the implications of the scandal and I expected a dull performance. Instead, I got a wonderful quasi-musical/satire of American capitalism (we love it and hate, don't we?). Apparently it is getting such rave reviews that it is likely to hit Broadway soon, so if you get the chance, go for it.

The weekend was homework focused. I finished an assigned book and got a paper done a week in advance. I even had time to get it edited (Thanks Kelsey!). I've got two more papers to write, two tests to study for, and a presentation to throw together throughout the next two weeks. Add on my trips and there is little time for work. I just need to keep reminding myself that if I were in Tacoma I would have had this much work weeks ago. If I make it through this, it will be a straight shot to finals. Woo! I did have a chance to go to the London zoo on Sunday. I got to see a lion cub, baby meerkats, and eat cookies and candy. Overall a great day, I must say.

An another really exciting note, the website for the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference is finally up. This is the conference I have spent all summer trying to plan (I am the speaker coordinator). This is the 13th annual conference to be hosted at Puget Sound and it was at Harvard last year. It's for undergraduate students across the country to voice their opinions on changing social issues, especially in light of Obama being elected. If you are interested go to: www.NUBC2010.org. I have a bio underneath the "Organizers" tab. :)

Rain

Today is the second day of rain in London and I can only think of the Sound. Everyone asks how people cope with the lack of sun in the Pacific Northwest, but that is a loaded question. It assumes that sun is needed for happiness. The gloom and wet pavement makes me feel at ease. It means I can sit cozy inside with coffee and feel free to work or chat the day away. I'm always on the go and the rain gives me an excuse to slow down.

Last week went well. I took my first quiz which was frighteningly easy. I barely studied, knew every answer on the test, and genuinely regurgitated my notes words for word. That hasn't happened since high school. I suppose it attests to the type of education I am getting at UPS and I hear from my friends that they are attempting to boost Puget Sound's rigor so as to be part of the nation's top tier of liberal arts universities. Good for my school, bad for me next semester. Good thing I have a month off between semesters so I can regroup and get back into my usual swing.

My trip to Norway is booked. I'm going with three other people and we will be gone from October 21-15. We are traveling to Tromso the first day (with a layover in Oslo) and will stay until Saturday. Then, we will go back to Oslo, spend one night there and come home. Karina (the girl we are staying with in Tromso) says we should get a chance to see the Northern Lights and possibly some killer whales. Everyone else on the program is going to Italy or Spain for the most part, but I think an obscure, "When are you ever going to do that again?" trip is worth it. I'll make it to Italy some day, but the Arctic circle? That seems less likely.

Cork is also almost ready. We are staying in a Bed and Breakfast the first night, whale watching and kissing the Blarney Stone on Saturday, and then heading home Sunday. Still hasn't hit me that I'm going to all of these places and it probably won't until I'm there. It's just so easy here.

On Wednesday night, a friend invited me to a party her internship company was throwing. She works for a place the promotes tourism to Thailand (they have two more branches in LA and NYC) and they set up a fake street fair to look like one found in Thailand. There was free green curry, pad Thai, beach massages (they actually brought in sand), etc. I had a fantastic time. They also gave out piggy banks that you could paint and they were supposed to encourage you to save for your next trip. I've attached a picture of mine below (he's on the right). His name is Rupert.

On Friday, I hung out with Kaitlin and our friend Stephanie from home. She did my study abroad program two years ago and decided to take a 27 day tour of Europe. She let us know ahead of time so we could all meet up. We spent the day at the Tate Modern (modern art museum) and I was rather disappointed. You either love it or hate it and I felt the latter. I did see Monet's Water Lillies though, so that was cool. Definitely more expressionist than I remembered from pictures.

Pretty much everyone else is off to Scotland this weekend and I am looking forward to the quiet. I hope the rain keeps up so I keep this cozy feeling going.