Northern Lights

Prior to coming to Harstad, I did some research on the town to know what I was getting myself into.  One of the main attractions of the Northern part of Norway is the ability to see the northern lights.  Although I didn't know much about the Northern lights prior, I have seen them once Canada.  It may be more than that, but it has been a long time since I have seen them.  Regardless two nights ago the sky was clear, and my international friends invited me along, in international fashion.  They knocked on my bedroom window and yelled, "we are going to see the northern lights, want to come?"  So off we went hiking, and they were absolutely beautiful.  They were so bright and changed frequently, it was one of the most magnificent sites that I have ever seen.  They were very difficult to take pictures of, so I managed to get some from my friends who had cameras that were more advanced than mine.  Apparently this is one of the best years to see them.  Here are some shots that my friends got.

Horse Sledging!

The end of the first week here has come to a close, and what a blast it has been.  To cap off the week, we went horse sledging, and tobogganing as well as had a campfire in this tipi like structure.  It was lots of fun, and while it was cold, it was definitely not Manitoba cold. This was a great opportunity to meet more of the international students, and to interact with everyone. I also saw reindeer for the first time in Norway, and it was a neat surprise.  I really enjoyed it!  Also yesterday, the Northern Lights made an appearance, and they were out in full force.  It was a very clear evening, and I only saw them from a city prospective.  Next time they come out, I will be trying to find a nice open area to see them. I also woke up at 4:30 P.M.  When I woke up I had no idea, because it was dark and I thought it was morning.  Whoops! Here are a few pictures from the day.

Uff Da

This week has been quite the journey for me.  With arriving to Harstad, experiencing jet lag and fighting off a cold.  It has been very draining, but every moment has been fantastic.  Orientation wrapped up today, and I must say it was a huge success.  Kathrin, who organizes the orientation did a great job of ensuring that we know everything we need to know about Harstad, and every day life.  Simple things such as going to the bank, getting our permits, and where to eat and even where to get the best deal on food and such. 

Thursday we had a run threw on SiHa info, which is the Student Welfare Organization here. They are responsible for the housing, cafe, and activities.  They are also responsible for the on campus bar.  I must be honest, after going to MSU for three years, I forgot what it was like to have an on campus bar.  There is a Bad Taste Party there tonight, and most of the international students will be attending.  We then had a session on Digital tools, where we went over the equivalent of campus connection and blackboard here in Norway.  It is very user friendly, but I will not have to be using it much. 

After that was all done we had some free time, and a group of use went for lunch at a local cafe.  The reality of Norway then hit me.  My meal was approximately 25 dollars, for a burger, fries and a hot chocolate.  Looks like I will be eating ramen noodles frequently.  I must say though it was better than the average meal in America/Canada.  After that we went and looked at the gym in town, and the pool is actually dug into a rock wall, and it is so beautiful.  I haven't decided if I will get a membership there yet or not, but am strongly considering it. 

Later that evening we went bowling, and it was an absolute blast.  The bowling alley here is quite dated, but that did not mean we didn't have a good time.  I met some more international students, who were all extremely nice. Here is a picture of the group.

Today, we had a Norwegian Language and Culture class, and this language is tough, but fun to learn.  I am struggling with pronouncing stuff, and I am having a hard time remembering to not read everything off as it were english.  With practice, I should be able to pick up simple sentences, and when interacting with the kids, I will likely pick up more. Also, today we learned about what the term "Uff Da" meant.  I actually laughed in the middle of the class, because of how often I hear this in North Dakota, but I never actually knew what it stood for.  I now know :)

Orientation and Beyond!

Well, I have officially settled in to Life in Harstad, and it had been such a great experience so far.  The weather here is warm, the scenery is beautiful, and everyone has been so helpful. 

Orientation has been such a great help so far. We have learned some Norwegian, and have worked on being accustomed to Norwegian life.  It is quite different then North America, but it is unique, and enjoyable at the same time.  One thing that I have noticed is that walking is a part of everyday life.  I live about 2 kilometers from Harstad center, and it would be unthinkable to drive down there.  In return, I have yet to see one extremely obese Norwegian.  They are all quite healthy, which is a great thing.

Recently, we just took a trip to Trondenes Church, which is a stone church that was built during the viking era.  It was really neat, to listen to all the history that was behind this incredible structure.  It even was occupied by Germany during WW2, and is still standing.  It was such an informative tour, and I would suggest it to anyone visiting Harstad (which I also strongly suggest people visit once in their lifetime.)

I have arrived

After 22 hours of flying(Including Layovers) I have finally arrived at Harstad Norway.  Everything went decent, although it wouldn't be a true Air Canada adventure if they didn't mess up in some sort of way.  Couple of things I observed while travelling on the plane.

1. I cannot drink alcohol and fly.  The guy sitting next to me informed me that Lufthansa gave out free alcohol, so he just drank it and then fell asleep.  Well turns out when I do that, my body disagrees and I get to spend a good portion of the trip in the washroom.  This is after 3 drinks.  I could not believe it.
2. Frankfurt airport is enormous.  Maneuvering that place was harder than a gladiator obstacle course.

Regardless of all that, I made it and am experiencing Jet Lag, but that is no big deal.  Kind of have to expect that when traveling this far.

Had my first day of orientation today.  Met all the other international students and they are all extremely nice people.  There is one other Canadian, a German, a Fin, and a Russian.  There are others joining us at a later time.  Today was also the celebration of the return of the sun in Harstad.  Sadly, it was cloudy and we still couldn't see it.  Till next time, signing off.

Flight Delayed

Well, many of you may have stopped in to see how my flight to Harstad went.  And under normal circumstances, I would be posting about my flight experience over.  But Air Canada had other plans.

My original flight to Toronto was delayed and would be 4 hours late.  The issue with that is I would miss my connecting flight to Copenhagen, and all my other flights.  As a result I went to the Air Canada customer service desk, and a representative announced that if we were flying over seas, we would have better luck calling this 1-800 number, and talking to a representative.  She also claimed it was a direct number, and we would get right through to a representative.

I got a hold of a rep, and after 1.5 hours, we were able to book me on a flight leaving Saturday.  I wanted to leave today (Friday) but due to there not being flights from Oslo to Harstad on Saturday, I would have to leave Saturday in order to make flights from Oslo to Harstad on Sunday.  So I'll have more information once I arrive on Sunday!

Pre Trip Jitters

Well it is the night before my trip, and I must say I am extremely excited.  I cannot wait to get over to Norway, and it feels like just yesterday that I had decided that studying abroad was something I wanted to do.  It has now become a reality, and I am super excited. Even though I am very excited, I must say the nervousness is quite equal to the excitement.

To keep the trip off my mind, my friends and I went out for my birthday supper.  I got to say goodbye to some of my best friends, and had a great time visiting with all of them.  It was a great way to keep my mind off the trip,and say goodbye.  It was a great way to send me off to Norway!

For those who have stopped by my blog through the MSU Website, thanks for stopping by! I hope to have pictures and other interesting posts for you to read once I get to Norway!

Trip Details

I will be leaving for Harstad, Norway on January 12th, and will be arriving in Harstad on January 13th.  Every thing is set to go, I received my temporary residence permit in early December, and all the housing was looked after early in fall semester. Harstad University College has been an absolute pleasure to deal with, and I am extremely excited, and extremely nervous to get there.

Welcome to my blog!

First of all, I just would like to thank you for stopping by to check out my blog.  I will be blogging about my experience in Norway, and will cover all the different activities, sites, and cultural experiences that I take part in while studying and travelling.