Bingo!

Today has been ok so far, it's still pretty early though! I am really missing Hans!!! (I know I say that every day lol) but I really am. The days are beginning to go alot faster in one sense, but even though it's only a week today since Hans left it feel like years... really really miss you sweety!

I had to be at uni for 9:00 again this morning (actually missing the 10:00 starts in Derby!) It means I have to get up pretty early, especially if I want to wash my hair! Today we (as in me!) had to join the first year BA students (for Visual Communication) in the main design building - the 2nd and 3rd years students had planned a 'fun' introductory day for the first year students, and being new I tagged along. It was really awkward when I first got there - I wasn't that nervous I just really wasn't sure what I was doing! But nearly straight away people started to talk to me and make me feel welcome so it was really nice.

It was quite a fun day and I made a few friends - although everybody there seems pleasant! I asked the people I did meet today to write their names down for me! I am going to write them in my blog too, as anyone who knows me will know how terrible I am with names! So far I have met, Jakob, Martin, Eldbjørg(!?), Gudrun, Birgit and Ingar - I'll have no problem remembering that one, Hans ;-> hee hee

I met a few more people of course but didn't catch their names - anyway - all of the above were really nice! They were all asking me tons of questions and being really friendly, and the best bit is that they asked me in Norwegian (sometimes took 2 or 3 times for me to understand) and better still I answered them all in Norwegian (but again, sometimes took me 2 or 3 times due to my pronunciation!!!)

The conversation over lunch was something along the lines of;

"so, where are you from?"
"England - near Nottingham"
"How much Norwegian can you speak?"
"Just a little, I can understand basic conversation but not technical stuff..."
"thats great! would you prefer it if we speak to you in English or Norwegian?"
"Well one of the reasons I am here is to get better at the language, so Norwegian please! - I'll ask in English if I struggle" (lots of nods of approval!)
"So are you staying for a year or...?"
"No, just 1 semester, but I'm not going home until after Christmas"
"why? are you staying in Bergen?"
"No my fiance is Norwegian, so we'll stay with his family"
"Oh your fiance is Norwegian? so what is his name?"
"Hans""
"where does he live? in England?"
"yeah, we met there"
"oh..... so are you going to visit each other?"
"i don't think so - hopefully if he gets time, he has a very busy job"
"Do you live together? and you are here on your own? that must be hard! I think it's really courageous to study in another country and in a foreign language"
"Yeah it's pretty tough..."
"Where in Norway is he from? Kirkenær..no, no never heard of it... near where? Kongsvinger, yeah I know that... "

So on and on it went, following similar themes - it was really fun! At that point, Birgit (who had been really quiet) piped up that she knew the place Hans was from as she comes from Kongsvinger! It was really sweet actually as she had been really shy up to that point and didn't know anybody else either, and she looked so relieved to find someone who knew where she was from. She looked kind of scared too, so I forgot all about my own nerves and tried to talk to her a bit more, and it turns out she has only been here 3 days and was missing Kongsvinger; the poor girl was really homesick! I told her about how bad I was last weekend and wanting to go home on Saturday, and she looked really relieved - i think it must have been nice for her to not feel like the only one!

Anyway, I got on with her really well and after lunch we had a break and went and got a coffee together. While we were getting the coffee I asked her if she spoke English and she said no - then I realised just how much I had been speaking Norwegian - she didn't speak my language yet we had managed to understand each other pretty well! It works out well as she said she will only speak the dialiect they speak in Oslo (which is what I have been learning) so she is alot easier for me understand than the native Bergen Norwegians! Anyway, there is a party at the uni Friday night for all the Visual Communication students, so we are going to meet up for a chat again then.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! They have started to renovate the room next door to mine! All I can hear is drilling and banging and smashing! Hans, when you send me the disk can can post the ear plugs too? They are in the kitchen drawer... lol

There were 3 opportunities throughout the day to win a bottle of red wine - and I didn't win one! :-( first we played Bingo (which was an experience! I am glad I know my norwegian numbers!) Then we had to make paper aeroplanes and the one that flew the furthest won (if you got a prize for shortest I would have won) and finally we had our names drawn in a raffle - no such luck. Humph. We also had to draw huge pirates on the floor, but that is a blog in itself so I'll not go into it! All you need to know is that is was funny ;-) You know what students are like, there were penises being drawn everywhere lol

Anyway, I guess thats enough waffle for today. I need to go pick up my laundry from the laundry room, tidy up, email Derby Uni about my Erasmus grant (which I haven't got yet - I am starting to worry!) If that doesn't come through soon I will be requesting food donations guys!!! I also need to fill out my student permit registration form (if you are in the country more than 3 months you have to register with the police and get an ID number... without it you cant work, get a bank account, etc etc)

Just wanted to thank everybody again for reading the blog, and your comments and all of your emails! Its nice to hear from everybody and it feels good to keep the link with home so strong. By the way, I have changed the setting on my blog so you can post a comment now without having to register - which I know was an issue for some of you lazier guys (mentioning no names Mr Johansen)

xx