I've lost track. So much has happened in the last few weeks. Let me walk you through February and this first week of March.
First of all, it's starting to feel more like spring in Bergen. There are more puddles and less slush, more sun and less daytime dark and it might just be me, but I think there are more people out and about every day. This does not mean it has stopped raining, but what's wrong with a little rain anyways? In the movies, rain always pours when people are discovering something they never realized before. Maybe they are in love, maybe they are falling out of a sewer pipe after crawling the length of two football fields to freedom....or, they are just singing in the rain!! People seem to complain about Bergen weather day in and out. Everyone here knows it rains all the time, so you might as well have a positive attitude about it...just look how much fun Gene Kelly had:)
Now, back on track here. February was a wonderful month. The fifth and sixth week in Bergen were tough for me. My cousin was on the receiving end of a phone call from an unemployed girl in tears, every facebook post about Denver made me homesick and all Skype calls made me tear up after saying goodbye. So, it was perfect timing when my Dad came to visit me in Bergen.
Dad's visit was great! He was only here for one week, but it was the perfect visit. We organized my Grandma's house so she could get around easily, had lots of great visits with family members and even took a quick weekend trip to Hardanger to visit one of his sisters. Check out some of these pics!!
A pretty, small island on the drive.
The view from my Aunt and Uncles house.
Another photo of the view from my Aunt and Uncles house!
The most delicious (and very Norwegian) sandwich i've ever eaten. Fresh bread, squeeze mayonnaise, shrimp and king crab with lemon!!! I ate nearly 5.
The bucket of fish. Oh, the delicious fish!!!
And of course, the one week I didn't want to work, I got a call for work for the entire week for a kindergarten assistant. What a great week with some cute kids!! Of course, with Bergen rain, each kid has a snowsuit, a rain suit, rain gloves, warm gloves, rain boots, gym shoes, and inside shoes. Getting them ready to go outside was like getting 30 kids ready to go skiing. That is a lot of work! Kids in Norway spend a LOT of time outside. I used to complain all the time when I was cold and my Dad always told me to stop complaining. I never knew why he never got cold. Now I do. He was one of the Norwegian kids that went outside for hours a day, in the rain, snow, sleet or even hail! Then the week ended and it was winter break, so one whole week off of school, and no chance I'd be called in.
So...for my week off, I went back to Hardanger to help my cousin paint his mom's(My Aunt's) house. A few of my cousins came as well and we had a great weekend. We played games, my cousin's made rolls, we watched futbol, celebrated a birthday and painted.
Dad, these two are for you. Painting, part 1.
Painting, part 2.
Yes, my cousin looks like he is being pushed out of the window, but he is falling. He was reaching for his beer, which was out the window and fell out. His brother was trying to help him up (while I took the photo and my cousin ate his fresh roll).
The roll making.
The roll baking, yummmm.
While in Hardanger, I got a call from the school. They needed an ESL and Performing Arts teacher, it is unknown for how long. Does anything sound better??? I think not!! So, that is what I am doing now. Working every day this week and hopefully longer. I get to work with small groups of kids from grade 1-5 on their ESL and I'm teaching performing arts grades 1-5. I forgot how much fun teaching is!! Let's hope this continues (while also hoping that whatever is keeping the regular teacher out is not too bad or sad).
What's coming next in Bergen? This weekend is the SOS fundraising event for the village in Malawi and next weekend I'm off to Oslo for the SOS conference. This is such a great organization and I'm so happy to be involved as a volunteer. If you don't know what it is...check it out! http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/Pages/default.aspx
Week 9, Here I come!
First of all, it's starting to feel more like spring in Bergen. There are more puddles and less slush, more sun and less daytime dark and it might just be me, but I think there are more people out and about every day. This does not mean it has stopped raining, but what's wrong with a little rain anyways? In the movies, rain always pours when people are discovering something they never realized before. Maybe they are in love, maybe they are falling out of a sewer pipe after crawling the length of two football fields to freedom....or, they are just singing in the rain!! People seem to complain about Bergen weather day in and out. Everyone here knows it rains all the time, so you might as well have a positive attitude about it...just look how much fun Gene Kelly had:)
Now, back on track here. February was a wonderful month. The fifth and sixth week in Bergen were tough for me. My cousin was on the receiving end of a phone call from an unemployed girl in tears, every facebook post about Denver made me homesick and all Skype calls made me tear up after saying goodbye. So, it was perfect timing when my Dad came to visit me in Bergen.
Dad's visit was great! He was only here for one week, but it was the perfect visit. We organized my Grandma's house so she could get around easily, had lots of great visits with family members and even took a quick weekend trip to Hardanger to visit one of his sisters. Check out some of these pics!!
A pretty, small island on the drive.
The view from my Aunt and Uncles house.
Another photo of the view from my Aunt and Uncles house!
The most delicious (and very Norwegian) sandwich i've ever eaten. Fresh bread, squeeze mayonnaise, shrimp and king crab with lemon!!! I ate nearly 5.
The bucket of fish. Oh, the delicious fish!!!
And of course, the one week I didn't want to work, I got a call for work for the entire week for a kindergarten assistant. What a great week with some cute kids!! Of course, with Bergen rain, each kid has a snowsuit, a rain suit, rain gloves, warm gloves, rain boots, gym shoes, and inside shoes. Getting them ready to go outside was like getting 30 kids ready to go skiing. That is a lot of work! Kids in Norway spend a LOT of time outside. I used to complain all the time when I was cold and my Dad always told me to stop complaining. I never knew why he never got cold. Now I do. He was one of the Norwegian kids that went outside for hours a day, in the rain, snow, sleet or even hail! Then the week ended and it was winter break, so one whole week off of school, and no chance I'd be called in.
So...for my week off, I went back to Hardanger to help my cousin paint his mom's(My Aunt's) house. A few of my cousins came as well and we had a great weekend. We played games, my cousin's made rolls, we watched futbol, celebrated a birthday and painted.
Dad, these two are for you. Painting, part 1.
Painting, part 2.
Yes, my cousin looks like he is being pushed out of the window, but he is falling. He was reaching for his beer, which was out the window and fell out. His brother was trying to help him up (while I took the photo and my cousin ate his fresh roll).
The roll making.
The roll baking, yummmm.
While in Hardanger, I got a call from the school. They needed an ESL and Performing Arts teacher, it is unknown for how long. Does anything sound better??? I think not!! So, that is what I am doing now. Working every day this week and hopefully longer. I get to work with small groups of kids from grade 1-5 on their ESL and I'm teaching performing arts grades 1-5. I forgot how much fun teaching is!! Let's hope this continues (while also hoping that whatever is keeping the regular teacher out is not too bad or sad).
What's coming next in Bergen? This weekend is the SOS fundraising event for the village in Malawi and next weekend I'm off to Oslo for the SOS conference. This is such a great organization and I'm so happy to be involved as a volunteer. If you don't know what it is...check it out! http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/Pages/default.aspx
Week 9, Here I come!
Love it!!! Still a bit jelly that you get to be esl teacher but i am SOOOO glad that your getting work because then you have to come back and stay in bergen!! As for the rain...well as monty python once sang always look on the bright side of life... ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you've found work! I think it'll help you feel less home sick *fingers crossed* and if nothing else it gets you more involved with your community which is always good! Have to agree with the bit about the rain too - I'd never really thought about it till you mentioned it but I'll definiately look out for the rain in those movie moments!
ReplyDeletecongrats on a job for the foreseeable future!!! that is wonderful!!!!
ReplyDeleteand if you're in oslo, dont be a stranger! :) i move tomorrow!!! <3