Sending letters and Improving Language

Its been an ok couple of days - After feeling ill Thursday I felt bad again Friday - I wasn't well all day and because of that I missed the Graphic Design welcome party last night. Its not the end of the world I guess, but it would have given me a chance to mingle JUST with people on my course - all of the people I met last week are first years so even though we got on I wont be actually working with them.

I am really nervous now because Monday morning I am walking into a class full of people I have not met!!! And the first week is when I'll be studying 'Design Metodikk' - and that is the one that is all lectures and theory in Norwegian only!!! I am betting that I'll be pretty damn stressed by Wednesday! Oh, well I'm not even going to think about it right now!

I began writing my letters yesterday - I have a big list of people I am going to write to and I managed 4 yesterday! My hand was killing afterwards, it just goes to show how used I am to typing! I sent one to Hans too, even though we speak every day! But I bought 25 envelopes for a couple of quid which wasn't too bad, but the 10 stamps cost me almost £10!!! Some things are just amazingly expensive here - but I KNEW it would be so didn't I?

I met Line today - the girl who contacted me through the 'Buddy Bergen' program. I was really glad I met her - she was one of the nicest people I have met so far, very bubble and friendly! She showed me a little cafe which I had completely missed up until now, and we had a couple of cups of coffee..

She was really good with talking to me generally; she asked if I would prefer her to speak in Norwegian or English so I told her Norwegian (but slowly please, thanks!) So she did! I was really happy actually, we managed to have almost the whole conversation in Norwegian, and if I didn't understand something I just said. It is exactly what I need to do - the more I hear it the more I relax with the language and begin to understand more. As Hans says, I need to relax and focus on the words i DO understand rather than fret about not understanding every part of a sentence. I did that tonight and I am doing it more and more as time goes on here. I am also getting more and more confident to speak to others in norwegian too, which is always good - I know that alot of the time my grammer is off and i use the wrong tenses and endings on words - but most people just 'let me off' as they know I am only learning. As Line said today, as long as I am speaking the language that is good - the grammar will follow. It will be something that improves naturally as I get better - I was thinking about it, even when children are learning their own native tongue the grammar is awful for years and it gets taught in school so it's nothing unusual I think. Technically I should be more aware of grammar because I know the English rules (or I am supposed to!) but that is going to be the bit that falls into place almost last I think... that and dialects. When I was speaking actually, Line said she could hear the East Dialect in my voice (as in Oslo!) and I explained that MOST of the voices on my Norwegian Course are native Oslo speakers - speaking bokmål.

Anyway, she was lovely and I'm so glad I met her - we may be meeting again next week. She did invite me out later this evening to a concert with her and some friends but by the time I had gotten home and eaten food it was pretty late - also even though I feel better I am still a bit tired from feeling ill before.

Anyway, I am going to go now. I am a bit sad - poor Hans is feeling really poorly today, so I won't be able to speak to him tonight. He has gone to bed feeling sick and with a migraine. I really worry when he is sick if I am not there to look after him (yes I know he is a fully grown man, able to take care of himself) but still, wish I was there too tuck him in and bring him tea and just keep a watchful eye on him. I know it's not my fault but I feel guilty for not being there, especially now.

I still miss him so much. That is one part of this 'adventure' that wont be getting any easier. I know it.