Homecomings

I am now back in the US, after what seems like so much longer than 7 weeks abroad. "Come to Norway, meet the world" is the slogan for the International Summer School, and indeed it was all that and more. Not only was it the world in terms of the diversity, but it was the world in terms of, well, how much all these experiences meant to me, and in terms of the immensity I feel I've grown and experienced as an individual.

And what I always find interesting is how one thing -whether in life or in "the big picture"-always leads to another, or, that nothing about where you are or where you came from came from nothing. So---why Norway, and why the UiO International Summer School? And, in essence, what was the main thing that brought me half way around the world to meet and learn from the people I did?

As I mentioned in one of my first blog posts, I must say it was because of the personal connections, and especially, my connections with so many wonderful people through my experiences as a Youth Ambassador in 2007 to the Sunnfjord area of Sogn og Fjordane. It was not an incredibly long time in Norway, but the time I spent there was so impactful on me---each day I learned a lot, experienced a lot, traveled a lot around a beautiful corner of the world with a very dedicated and loving host family, and in the end, I knew I found something special...since then, I had always longed for a way to return, and I really don't think a day went by when I didn't think about the great time I had in Norway.

So it seemed only fitting that I concluded my summer adventures back where I first came to and "experienced" Norway...and of course, it was well worth everything, despite a few glitches. First being that (I think back to when I first came to the ISS..) I had just as an awkward and uncomfortable experience with my suitcases as before-complete with dragging heavy baggage through the gravel! The second being that, less than a week before I would fly to Foerde, my host family informed me that one of the members of their family had swine flu, so I couldn't stay with them (!!!!!). But shortly afterwards, the director of the program - who I had been in contact with ever since I was chosen as a YA - graciously invited me to stay at his house for a few days, and later arranged that I would stay with the female Norwegian YA's family from last year.

I ended up having a wonderful time. I have never been anything but impressed all along by the amazing and warm hospitatliy of the Norwegians, and my time in West Norway was absolutely fantastic. I have once again tried to upload pictures from this trip, and once again technology has decided not to be friends.

HOWEVER, I can at least list/briefly describe what I have done...!

-I flew to Førde from Oslo the day after the ISS concluded, and was picked up by Erik, the leader of the exchange program on the Norwegian end. I was taken to his house, where his family made an incredible kebab chicken salad from scratch (and, as I would very quickly discover, wherever I went there was always a lot of very good, home-made, local and local specialty food, made by the people I was staying with with so much care and consideration. And always everything was so fresh, and in many cases, hand-picked, hand-caught, home-grown, or otherwise had a lot of very personal investment!). We talked a lot, about the ISS, about what was new in Sunnfjord, and of course, about the upcoming Storting election in Norway. Later that day his family gave me a tour of the nearby daycare and elementary school, which I really enjoyed.

-The next day we started by spending hours on blueberries...Erik lives on an old farm that belonged to his wife's family, and not only is it in a beautiful location with a wonderful view of a lake and the mountains, but it also had what appeared to be an infinite supply of fresh wild blueberries. After a few hours of picking (there's a change from studying for exams!), we had at least ten pounds. Then later that day, we visited the Eikaas Museum - a small museum dedicated to this now rather famous (at least in Norway) local artist, and then after that, we returned to his house where we had a classic Norwegian "barbeque" and later picked through the ten pounds of blueberries. Another really great, relaxing day that really helped me reconnect with what makes this part of Norway so terrific.

-The "Homecoming" Part I: So, as it turns out, I got to spend the entire Sunday with my host family!!! We definitely made the most of it.

*The first part of the day we went to a small Viking festival, complete with an outdoor theater play that chronicled a popular local story with almost all volunteer, local people being cast. As it is, the Gaular Kommune where I was is well known for having an ancient Viking settlement, and celebrating this rich history has become very important, especially in this biannual "Gaularspelet." It was a wonderful play, and of course, it had so much musical and especially linguistic richness, as, of course, people sang Viking-style songs in their own dialects (complete with a Viking ship sailing in the background..). As someone who is especially interested in the Norwegian language situation and especially would love to learn more New Norwegian, this obviously thrilled me in and of itself! While there, we also had some really great home-made rømmegraut that was being sold by friends of the family...And this is also what I love about these small communities in Norway. Not only are they nestled in such beautiful scenery, but everything has such a feeling of authenticity-the people, the connection to nature and to their products....and then, at the same time, part of a very modern and progressive country. It's a very nice balance.

*Fishing!!!! So many of my best memories in Norway were fishing on the local lake, Viksdalsvatne, and once again, it was just so great to be back. Bragging moment---I was very happy I did actually catch a fish (you can tell I don't normally go fishing...haha). And, of course, as anyone who does normally go fishing knows, the best fish you could ever eat in your life is that which you caught only an hour before from a pristine lake....and of course, with some great people.

-The next day, I was taken to Foerde to stay with last year's YA host family. I was instantly greeted with a fresh pot of coffee and a whole stack of Norwegian waffles being made right in front of me. I instantly hit it off really well with my host family, as we sat for the longest time discussing Norwegian politics, the language issue, and literature...in fact, it was a really great match, considering that the family I ended up staying with are huge literature buffs, and---yay!---I had just taken a really great class on Norwegian literature. Thus things began very well. Later that day I went with last year's YA to downtown Foerde, where we shopped a little bit in anticipation for her friend's birthday/going away to New York to study. I actually had many times during my stay in Foerde where I got to meet many Norwegian youth, and it was great just to be able to be with them and be so instantly welcomed and invited into what they were doing. There I met some of her other friends and we chatted and hung around. I think what made this all special was the fact that I was in Norway (speaking Norwegian...), and here I was just so openly and warmly accepted and welcomed wherever I went, and I felt I was truly living in Norway and not just travelling through...it's a great feeling.

-The "Homecoming" Part II: Or, that is to say, the day when I got to be a minor celebrity for a day...on Tuesday, I got to be a Youth Ambassador all over again!!! Not only did I get to meet this year's YAs (one of them was actually a friend from high school..! Imagine finally meeting up with someone again halfway around the world..), visit a World War II museum of special historic significance to the region, and meet with the mayors, but I even became something of a field day for the local paper and radio. I suppose it was the fact that I was somewhat of "the one who came back;" ---not only did I have lasting memories from my experience as a Youth Ambassador, but it was a life-changing enough experience that I decided to make Scandinavian Studies one of my majors, and came back able to conduct these interviews entirely in Norwegian...and, the mayors remembered me and were thrilled to see me again. So it truly felt something like a very pleasant homecoming.

I should probably preface now that this entire time in Western Norway, I heard and spoke Norwegian essentially the entire time. I realize how much my Norwegian has improved this summer, and hands down it is thanks to these wonderful connections and personal encounters...

But anyway. And later I got a tour of the local press (which I thought was something in itself...considering Norway's status as having the highest per capita newspaper publication/consumption rate, I thought it was cool to finally go inside a local newspaper press), and was given a few copies of the next day's paper--where I was on a part of the front cover. It's quite odd to hear yourself speaking on "foreign" radio or being on the front page/ being the subject of the story...not something that happens every day. So that made for somewhat of an exciting day, to say the least.

And therefore, I had what turned out to be an extremely momentous - and yet entirely fitting - conclusion to my time in Norway. I was able to go back to Oslo and spend one more "farewell" evening there, but returning to Sogn og Fjordane was something I longed to do--it was only two years ago, but I know I have changed so much in those two years, and not to mention this summer. I am truly so grateful for everything I have been given, and after everything that has happened this summer - after everyone I have met and all the chances for great learning and growth I have been given - I am even more in debt.

I hope to write more, expound upon the many holes I left in my sagas in Norway, and perhaps continue this blog afterwards (perhaps as a sort of "recompense" for not being consistent enough in the summer?)...but for now, at least...

Takk for alt.

The International Summer School has finished, technically speaking...

It has always been something that has kept me from this blog, but I can vouch that I have really had a marvellous time at the International Summer School - to say the least - and I look forward to now being able to write about it much more extensively than I have for weeks. Indeed, I feel that the six weeks I spent at the UiO constituted an entire lifetime in and of themselves. I have had so many meaningful experiences, created so many meaningful friendships, and, just as importantly, learned a lot.
And what do I mean by learned a lot?
It means that while I took my studies seriously and learned a lot from the courses themselves, the real learning has also been taking place outside the classroom, certainly. When I first thought of the idea that I was really learning as much from each other and from Norway as from formal/traditional instruction itself, it finally began to dawn on me that perhaps this was the intention of those who created the ISS all along --- could it be possible that offering these courses, etc., had an ulterior motive of making us come together - from all parts of the world with all walks of life and different life philosophies - just to learn from each other? I'm suspicious.
After all, there's a reason why I enjoy the discussion-based class, and especially why I loved the literature class: the more diversity there is in the classroom, the more interesting interpretations, perspectives, and certainly literary backgrounds to draw upon. I remember the director of the ISS Einar Vannebo saying right from the beginning of the summer school that when he taught Norwegian Literature at the ISS, he especially enjoyed it just for the reason that he got a completely different take on classic Norwegian literature when he heard it from a global perspective than when he instructed a class of all Norwegian students...
So, then, couldn't we also say that this was the real reason for the International Summer School? If this is what could just happen in one classroom, imagine what happens, then, the rest of the time we are not in class or strictly nose-to-the-books studying...it means we are together, discussing. And-finally!-a real dialogue may occur! People from historically "opposing" groups will begin to come together. People may learn much about a country that beforehand they would hardly have been able to find on a map (me included...). Amazing support networks are created. I can't tell you how much I have relied on and confided in some of the people at this school, people who (it seems so strange to think now..) were complete and utter strangers to me not even two months ago. Isn't that wierd to think that? Besides the fact that the days were so long at the ISS (both in terms of sunlight and in terms of the complete and utter lack of sleep...), That's why I truly believe the ISS was a life unto itself. How strange it will be when it finally occurs to me that it's over, that where I am now in Western Norway (more on that later!) is not simply a nice break from the school, but is truly the tail end of this summer in Norway. It hasn't quite hit me yet...

But anyway:
That, I think, is the take-home lesson of the International Summer School: There is something to learn from everyone and everything, and there is life to be lived everywhere, so make the most of it...it might just be the next best thing you've ever done.