Only 11 days then I'll be home for a holiday! can't wait :)
x
Saturday 11 October 2008
Autumn is here
Autumn is so beautiful - I love it anyway, and here it is extra beautiful - the trees are starting to turn gold and red. I am going to give it a few more days then maybe take another walk to the Stave Church as the surroundings were beautiful then - I bet they will be even more so now.
Only 11 days then I'll be home for a holiday! can't wait :)
x
Only 11 days then I'll be home for a holiday! can't wait :)
x
God bless the NHS / My animation so far - UPDATE!!!
It was a pretty eventful day yesterday!
I love Trivium by the way.
I guess a good place to start is that I am not crazy! I have been feeling so tired and down and generally unwell the last 2 weeks - I have been unable to wake in the mornings despite going to bed earlier and I have been looking more and more like a piece of poop everyday. Every time I tried to go to the gym after 5 minutes I looked like I was working out in a sauna (tried to convince myself it was the elevation but I knew it wasn't!!) my body was trying to sweat something nasty out - I even had a word with my head tutor wednesday and told her I felt like I wasn't making the most of this and maybe I am not coping with the pressure - I mean I definately felt like that this week. The last few dys (starting really last weekend at Marias) I have been having pretty bad lower stomach pains on and off - so the started to worry more about what was wrong. Yesterday the pain got worse again so I ended up taking myself off to the emergency doctors (turns out it's pretty much like A&E) in England. Anyway after waiting 4 hours I was seen by a doctor who seemed to know what the problem was pretty fast - they did a couple of tests and turns out I have a pretty nasty infection (UTI) that had started to get into my Kidneys :O So, no wonder I have not been myself! I have to take antibiotics for a week, but I should be feeling myself after a few days - I am glad that I know whats wrong now and I'm on the way to fixing it...
The consultation / diagnosis cost about £25 and then I had to pay about another £13 for the prescription (or as people here call it when they talk to me in english 'a recipe' which is such a cute way of putting it I may start saying it myself; 'well the doctor didn't know what was wrong - but he did give me a lovely recipe...') I also payed my rent and utilities yesterday so turned out to be an expensive day! So, I shall certainly appreciate the NHS benefits when I am back in England - although the doctors and the treatment here was very good (and thorough too - no 'take paracetomol and come back in a week if you don't feel any better')
Anyway - I still feel crappy but I started taking my meds last night so hopefully by the end of the weekend I will be myself again. I am going to relax this weekend and not do anything apart from work on my animation, which is fortunately not very taxing)
Speaking of which, here is a clip of the animation so far - it's come on alot from the photos but there is still alot to do - I have lots of fine tuning, bits to change and the ending yet to do - but I shall leave the ending as a suprise.
To end on a happier note, Maria said yesterday that all of the family really liked having me there at the weekend - that was a such a nice thing to say and made me very happy! and the feeling was more than mutual - like I have said before it's a lovely place to be! Tusen takk, Maria!
I have a really strong urge to watch Lord of The Rings (pt1)
x
I love Trivium by the way.
I guess a good place to start is that I am not crazy! I have been feeling so tired and down and generally unwell the last 2 weeks - I have been unable to wake in the mornings despite going to bed earlier and I have been looking more and more like a piece of poop everyday. Every time I tried to go to the gym after 5 minutes I looked like I was working out in a sauna (tried to convince myself it was the elevation but I knew it wasn't!!) my body was trying to sweat something nasty out - I even had a word with my head tutor wednesday and told her I felt like I wasn't making the most of this and maybe I am not coping with the pressure - I mean I definately felt like that this week. The last few dys (starting really last weekend at Marias) I have been having pretty bad lower stomach pains on and off - so the started to worry more about what was wrong. Yesterday the pain got worse again so I ended up taking myself off to the emergency doctors (turns out it's pretty much like A&E) in England. Anyway after waiting 4 hours I was seen by a doctor who seemed to know what the problem was pretty fast - they did a couple of tests and turns out I have a pretty nasty infection (UTI) that had started to get into my Kidneys :O So, no wonder I have not been myself! I have to take antibiotics for a week, but I should be feeling myself after a few days - I am glad that I know whats wrong now and I'm on the way to fixing it...
The consultation / diagnosis cost about £25 and then I had to pay about another £13 for the prescription (or as people here call it when they talk to me in english 'a recipe' which is such a cute way of putting it I may start saying it myself; 'well the doctor didn't know what was wrong - but he did give me a lovely recipe...') I also payed my rent and utilities yesterday so turned out to be an expensive day! So, I shall certainly appreciate the NHS benefits when I am back in England - although the doctors and the treatment here was very good (and thorough too - no 'take paracetomol and come back in a week if you don't feel any better')
Anyway - I still feel crappy but I started taking my meds last night so hopefully by the end of the weekend I will be myself again. I am going to relax this weekend and not do anything apart from work on my animation, which is fortunately not very taxing)
Speaking of which, here is a clip of the animation so far - it's come on alot from the photos but there is still alot to do - I have lots of fine tuning, bits to change and the ending yet to do - but I shall leave the ending as a suprise.
To end on a happier note, Maria said yesterday that all of the family really liked having me there at the weekend - that was a such a nice thing to say and made me very happy! and the feeling was more than mutual - like I have said before it's a lovely place to be! Tusen takk, Maria!
I have a really strong urge to watch Lord of The Rings (pt1)
x
Wednesday 8 October 2008
Bad Lord of The Rings translation!
I have seen this version before (the whole way through) and have since tried to tell peple about it - it was so funny to watch and I think people didn't beleive me (especially when I quoted that part with Gimli and the wargs!) See Hans! I wasn't making it up - Gimli really did say that!
It's so funny - made me smile then and it did again! Man I love these films so much
(books still better though!)
It's so funny - made me smile then and it did again! Man I love these films so much
(books still better though!)
Tuesday 7 October 2008
The best policy?
'Honesty' isn't coming across really anymore - I mean it is, all of the good things I experience about here I definately talk about honestly, but I said that I would write a blog for good and bad. I am missing out the bad things now. I think I felt like I had moaned and whinged too much at the beginning of this 'adventure' and I had better be more cheerful now on... also I am coming home for a holiday (2 weeks today by the way) and I should be happy about that - but I am having a pretty bad day or 2 (again) So I am going to be honest and write about it;
Following on from the good weekend I had, Sunday afternoon (I was still at Marias) I got a really, REALLY, bad pain in my stomach - possibly the worst stomach pain I have ever had - I am not going into detail but it cleared up anyway and I felt fine later on. Yesterday though, it was a little sore - not much but enough for it to be on my mind and therefore enough to get me worried. My back has also been really painful again today (for those who don't know I get very bad back pain pretty regularly) I apparantly have a couple of joints in my spine that seem to enjoy nothing better than becoming inflamed, and when they do the surrounding muscles spasm to protect the joints. It lasts anywhere from a couple of hours to weeks - anyway it's really hurting me right now and it's really getting to me. I am crying now whilst I am writing this - but not proper tears because I am not sad, it's because of the SHEER FRUSTRATION I am feeling!
I can't sit down here (or anywhere) for more than 5 or 10 minutes before I have to get up and walk around, or stretch or lie down... I have so much to do and I can't get into it because I can't work for long enough. I am so mad at the time I have lost today just waffling around the room, feeling sorry for myself and hating my stupid spine. I have a meeting tomorrow about 1 project (the RYCONS) and I haven't done enough for it - and I also really need to be getting on with the animation project and that really requires concentration and I just can't right now.
I can't prevent it happening as there is not a particular thing that sets it off - the doctor 'advised' that I should stop training and stick to things like Yoga but NO WAY - the only thing I really love to do as an active hobby is to train at Hans' MMA class back home and go to the gym - it's been a part of my life for years now. I can't give it up and I won't. They said the next step if it keep getting worse would be to have steriod injections in my back but I said I wanted an x-ray first - I don't want to do that before I have 100% diagnosis that what they said is the problem IS the problem and they need to do an exray for that - too expensive you see, they would rather just give me the needles. I hate needles.
I am well aware that the more stressed I get the more aggravated my back will become but it cant be helped. I miss Hans, he always makes it better and when it gets really bad he is there to give me a massage or an elbow (the physio advised that when it spasms, somebody can help by putting their elbow in the centre of the muscle and put all their weight on it - it REALLY hurts but after a minute or so it causes the muscle to release and it really helps) I have only 1 codeine tablet left (again, one of the few things I have found that temporarily eases the pain) I have just been to the shop and bought hot chocolate and muffins so maybe comfort food will help. I think I am going to have to take the tablet too.
To make matters worse, I have still not received the grant from the Erasmus fund - I am almost half way through it's ridiculous; if I had not worked all summer I would be pretty screwed right now. It seems the problem has been lack of communication between the 2 schools, but I think it's pretty poor. I had an email back and been promised it'll be sorted next week... we'll see.
Right now I just wish I was home and I had never come on this exchange.
Following on from the good weekend I had, Sunday afternoon (I was still at Marias) I got a really, REALLY, bad pain in my stomach - possibly the worst stomach pain I have ever had - I am not going into detail but it cleared up anyway and I felt fine later on. Yesterday though, it was a little sore - not much but enough for it to be on my mind and therefore enough to get me worried. My back has also been really painful again today (for those who don't know I get very bad back pain pretty regularly) I apparantly have a couple of joints in my spine that seem to enjoy nothing better than becoming inflamed, and when they do the surrounding muscles spasm to protect the joints. It lasts anywhere from a couple of hours to weeks - anyway it's really hurting me right now and it's really getting to me. I am crying now whilst I am writing this - but not proper tears because I am not sad, it's because of the SHEER FRUSTRATION I am feeling!
I can't sit down here (or anywhere) for more than 5 or 10 minutes before I have to get up and walk around, or stretch or lie down... I have so much to do and I can't get into it because I can't work for long enough. I am so mad at the time I have lost today just waffling around the room, feeling sorry for myself and hating my stupid spine. I have a meeting tomorrow about 1 project (the RYCONS) and I haven't done enough for it - and I also really need to be getting on with the animation project and that really requires concentration and I just can't right now.
I can't prevent it happening as there is not a particular thing that sets it off - the doctor 'advised' that I should stop training and stick to things like Yoga but NO WAY - the only thing I really love to do as an active hobby is to train at Hans' MMA class back home and go to the gym - it's been a part of my life for years now. I can't give it up and I won't. They said the next step if it keep getting worse would be to have steriod injections in my back but I said I wanted an x-ray first - I don't want to do that before I have 100% diagnosis that what they said is the problem IS the problem and they need to do an exray for that - too expensive you see, they would rather just give me the needles. I hate needles.
I am well aware that the more stressed I get the more aggravated my back will become but it cant be helped. I miss Hans, he always makes it better and when it gets really bad he is there to give me a massage or an elbow (the physio advised that when it spasms, somebody can help by putting their elbow in the centre of the muscle and put all their weight on it - it REALLY hurts but after a minute or so it causes the muscle to release and it really helps) I have only 1 codeine tablet left (again, one of the few things I have found that temporarily eases the pain) I have just been to the shop and bought hot chocolate and muffins so maybe comfort food will help. I think I am going to have to take the tablet too.
To make matters worse, I have still not received the grant from the Erasmus fund - I am almost half way through it's ridiculous; if I had not worked all summer I would be pretty screwed right now. It seems the problem has been lack of communication between the 2 schools, but I think it's pretty poor. I had an email back and been promised it'll be sorted next week... we'll see.
Right now I just wish I was home and I had never come on this exchange.
Monday 6 October 2008
Weekend at Stokkedalen... (14 days!)
I feel really busy at the moment (well, I am really busy!) and I hardly have time to post but I think it's good for me too take the time to write things down, like I said when I started writing this blog I'll forget these times afterwards and I really want to remember them well...
My face hurts; on each side - and I realise it's because I am clenching my jaw alot of the time - I know I do it alot when I am stressed (I do it in my sleep even) I wake up sometimes with really achy cheeks! I can also vaguely remember my mum telling me off for grinding my teeth when I was little! I can't stop, I don't even know I do it until they start to hurt!
Normally I don't sleep away from from home very much, I just really like to get back to my own bed at the end of the night and just relax - but this weekend I was invited again to Marias' house and I was also invited to stay the night - I actually really enjoyed the change; it was good to get out of this little room here at Fantoft and sleep in a nice house - and even though it wasn't my home it was a 'home' - somewhere that people love to be and a family live there very happily, so it was really nice and relaxing.. anyway I am getting ahead of myself!
Saturday night was another small gathering; Maria's cousin was over for a meal and their neighbours had just arrived back from Portugal (I had not met them yet) so as it was a small event Maria very kindly invited me again.
It was a really fun night - they picked me up to take me there (I tried to rememeber the name of the place, I am so bad with names but I think it's called Stokkedalen) I discovered that we were making home made pizza - one of the things that actually makes the night so enjoyable is that the making of the food is usually a joint effort; Maria made the pizza bases, Her cousin and I chopped up the toppings and I also helped to make the meatballs. A common meat product in Norway is Kjøttdeig; I tasted homemade kjøttkaker (meatcakes) the first time I came to Norway and I fell in love with the stuff then - but as far as I know you can't buy it in England - I have never seen it anywhere, maybe the closest thing to it is the sausage meat you can buy in the long packs but it tastes very different - it's really delicious. Anyway, we worke together and created some of the best pizza I have ever had (Hans makes a mean pizza too - which he hasn't made for a long time - hint, hint Hans!)
The rest of the night was lovely - we just sat for a long time and ate and talked and drank wine, and all the time the lovely cats were slinking in and out of the kitchen. Later that night when I had my bed made up for me, they said if I wanted to I could sleep with the door open so the cats could come in and out - I was really pleased actually! I used to have 2 cats when I lived with my ex and I really miss them, so it was really nice to have them around all night - I woke up a couple of times (once of natural causes - cramp in my calves) and once by a cat digging ferociously into the crook of my leg behind my knee, I drifted off and then woke up again to see 2 cats curled up around my leg :)
On a final note - it is 2 weeks now until I go home to vsit Hans - I really can't wait! He texted me today and told me he has the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the following Monday off work so we get to spend some really good time together! A good few days together, hopefully it will keep me going until I see him again at Christmas - I miss him so much!
Goodnight xxx
My face hurts; on each side - and I realise it's because I am clenching my jaw alot of the time - I know I do it alot when I am stressed (I do it in my sleep even) I wake up sometimes with really achy cheeks! I can also vaguely remember my mum telling me off for grinding my teeth when I was little! I can't stop, I don't even know I do it until they start to hurt!
Normally I don't sleep away from from home very much, I just really like to get back to my own bed at the end of the night and just relax - but this weekend I was invited again to Marias' house and I was also invited to stay the night - I actually really enjoyed the change; it was good to get out of this little room here at Fantoft and sleep in a nice house - and even though it wasn't my home it was a 'home' - somewhere that people love to be and a family live there very happily, so it was really nice and relaxing.. anyway I am getting ahead of myself!
Saturday night was another small gathering; Maria's cousin was over for a meal and their neighbours had just arrived back from Portugal (I had not met them yet) so as it was a small event Maria very kindly invited me again.
It was a really fun night - they picked me up to take me there (I tried to rememeber the name of the place, I am so bad with names but I think it's called Stokkedalen) I discovered that we were making home made pizza - one of the things that actually makes the night so enjoyable is that the making of the food is usually a joint effort; Maria made the pizza bases, Her cousin and I chopped up the toppings and I also helped to make the meatballs. A common meat product in Norway is Kjøttdeig; I tasted homemade kjøttkaker (meatcakes) the first time I came to Norway and I fell in love with the stuff then - but as far as I know you can't buy it in England - I have never seen it anywhere, maybe the closest thing to it is the sausage meat you can buy in the long packs but it tastes very different - it's really delicious. Anyway, we worke together and created some of the best pizza I have ever had (Hans makes a mean pizza too - which he hasn't made for a long time - hint, hint Hans!)
Creating the masterpiece...
The rest of the night was lovely - we just sat for a long time and ate and talked and drank wine, and all the time the lovely cats were slinking in and out of the kitchen. Later that night when I had my bed made up for me, they said if I wanted to I could sleep with the door open so the cats could come in and out - I was really pleased actually! I used to have 2 cats when I lived with my ex and I really miss them, so it was really nice to have them around all night - I woke up a couple of times (once of natural causes - cramp in my calves) and once by a cat digging ferociously into the crook of my leg behind my knee, I drifted off and then woke up again to see 2 cats curled up around my leg :)
The little cats, and also my hosts; Maria and Jan Ove
The rest of the weekend there was good too, as I have said the house is very cosy and the people so nice and welcoming it is just a good, wholesome place to be. The post hasn't reeally done the whole weekend justice, but I have been so busy and tired and now I can barely look at the screen! I really wanted to get the pictures up though so I might just add to the post later on!
The beautiful house and the amazing garden and view - click the picture to enlarge!
On a final note - it is 2 weeks now until I go home to vsit Hans - I really can't wait! He texted me today and told me he has the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the following Monday off work so we get to spend some really good time together! A good few days together, hopefully it will keep me going until I see him again at Christmas - I miss him so much!
Goodnight xxx
Sunday 5 October 2008
Amazon recommends...
I had a really great weekend, such a lovely time at Marias - but unfortunatley I haven't the time to write about it now! As promised though, I have managed to take some lovely pictures so they will be on here very soon!
I just wanted to quickly share this email I got from Amazon today;
Hmmm... is this just for me in particular? Has Amazon had an amazing near death experience? Or is this the beginning of the internets plan to destroy the human race one by one....?
Who knows?
I just wanted to quickly share this email I got from Amazon today;
Hmmm... is this just for me in particular? Has Amazon had an amazing near death experience? Or is this the beginning of the internets plan to destroy the human race one by one....?
Who knows?
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