2/26/2014

RUSS

May, the month of the year with no rules. 

The year we graduate we become "Russ". It's the closest thing to a Norwegian carneval you can get, and it's celebrated at just about every school in Norway. And it's not a small event. I have been exited to be a Russ since the first time I saw one. 

You basically get a group of friends (this is not compulsory) and you buy a old van that has either been used by Russ before you, or you get one that hasn't been painted red yet. My school only have the "redruss", but you can see them in black, blue and even green I think. 


The day we bought our van<3 It's big and can fit 9 people!! 



Clothes are important. There are two big companies that earn waay to much money on this celebration. I have bought fleece, sweatpants and different accessories. And of course the mandatory red pants and hats. In May, the red pants (and hats, but we hardly wear them) are the symbol of russ. Wherever they walk, screaming kids come running after them asking for their personal card. Yes, we hand out personalised cards with little slogans on them. We also have a list with "quests". For each quest you complete you get something in your hat. It could be kissing a junior, having sex with the president(of the school, we have a board of russ), and having sex in the forest. For example for the sex in the forest quest you get a cone that you have to tie to your hat.. 



We get drunk everyday and we cruise around in our vans (these vans have a theme and name aswell) and do silly pranks to people. Like shooting water at little kids, change up roadsigns, and put random stuff in the roundabouts. Did I mention the drinking? Everyday is a party. The only downside to this massive celebration is that we have school and mockexams the same period. Because this celebration starts 1. May and ends 17th May (NATIONAL DAY, the whole town are going in sort of a train around the town and it's reeeally cool). Right before the freakin exams starts later in May and June... Everyone is really exited for this and it will be worth the wait!! 


2/25/2014

2/20/2014

Moulin Rouge, big church, Cool Bohemian Street, Louvre, Eiffel Tower


Second day


The second day in Paris me, Manuel, Laura and Fabienne decided to have a adventuretest and walk around in Paris. We had stunning weather with blue sky and the wind wasn't bad at all. We started walking at Notredam and walked down by the river. When we came to the bridge with all the locks we met a old couple who actually celebrated their 50 years anniversary, and they had a lock <3 Then we walked to the Eiffel tower -> Arc de Triumph -> Champs Elysse -> CAMILLA! We finally picked up our Swedish girl at McDonalds of course.. With her she brought a Beautiful Indonesian girl, Levana. We stayed with Levana and two other girls from Indonesia at New Years.






Third day



Quoting from diary; 

"Dear Diarreah
First we slept in (not on purpose), then we went to this MASSIVE church (*) and we climbed 300 (!!) steps and the view was AMAZING, but so freakin cold. On the way up to the church we were "attacked" by some boys from Ghana and they forced us to listen to some "Hakuna Matata" bullshit while they braided a bracelet. They actually expected a lot of money for this and some of us are smarter than others.. Laura gave her guy 10euros while I didn't even give 1euro.. 

After the church we went through a cool bohemian street with lots of cool artists who painted beautiful paintings. This was were i bought my first crepe. Then we to a erotic museum where I bought a condom and some really cool stamps, but i lost it.. We went back to the hostel and made a nice dinner. We played a smarties game called "not so smarty" and we thought the night was over but it wasn't! We went on an adventuretest to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. On the way we actually got a really good view of the Eiffel tower from a hotel window because it was x-mas (**). Then we got crepe and went on the Pariswheel and took a taxi home to our dear hostel."











The view from the hotel


This night was one of the best nights. So spontaneous and just nice. If you travel in a group, don't go to bed at 10 just because you are tired. Adventure awaits..


(*) MASSIVE church- I could never remember the name, but the church is Sacre coeur and is definitely worth a visit. Cost: Basilica free; dome €6, crypte €3, combined ticket €8

(**) Because it was x-mas- A very inside slogan. Basically started when we were walking down Champs Elysse and spotted a medium sized slide. We paid 4Euros for 4 tickets, but the tickets were only meant for two people. One ticket gets two tickets=two rides at the slides. And we were four, so the guy didn't let all four of use the 4 tickets at first because it wasn't ment to work like that. I then said "It's x-mas!" And he smiled and let us into the slide.. Awesome moment. We used this trick other places, such as the hotel. We received a key card and had to be really quick into the room to spot the beautiful view. The owner of the room were supposed to check in around when we were there so I had quite a bit of adrenaline pumping. 


This is as far as my diary goes so end of story! 

2/19/2014

This describes it


I've tried it, and it woorks. But on a pair of glasses and dig deeper into people's personalities or something you are/have experienced. You meet this random person and you think you know how this person is because of stereotypes and first impressions we automatically invent in our heads. Change the way you look at this person and think of all the interesting things this person can offer you in stories or experiences. It is really hard to put what I want to say in words, but just give it a go and see how much more interesting people turn out to be. 

2/17/2014

New in

Shisha/hookah/waterpipe/vannpipe





I had to get one. I have so many good memories with it

2/16/2014

New Years in Paris

This night was really cool actually. We did it French style. First we had dinner at this amazing restaurant that I think was jewish. It had been recommended on trip advisor(*) aswell. 

Suddenly we looked at the time, "shit we have to get to the party!". We bought a bottle of Absolut Vodka and orange juice and started the party in the metro where we played shotstop. We literally came to the surface on time (23:58) and I celebrated the New Years with some of the finest people there is. 



I naturally gave everyone at the party snus, not a good idea for everyone.. hehe


The first night of 2014, me and Camilla (Sweden) slept at Paloma and Maeva's place. It's a funny story because I talked to Paloma at the New Years Party and I said we didn't have anywhere to sleep the next day, and she immediately offered her couch to us. I love people!!  


Ohh, and did you ever try to use a hairdryer to fill you air madras?? One of the Life hack tips I learned in Paris.

(*) shotstop-We had around 40 minutes in the Metro, and we didn't want to be sober at the party, naturally. So me and Camilla played a fun drinking game called shotstop, where we literally took a shot of Absolut on every metro stop and there was heeaps. So yeah it got us in the mood.


2/13/2014

Inspiration #1

Did you ever feel that? It's like a fresh clear breeze coming through your body. Even ordering at McDonalds feels new and exiting because I can decide who's ordering. I can be that funny girl with the big smile, I can be mysterious and exiting or maybe myself on a bigger scale. It's the thrill of deciding without anyone expecting or knowing my personality. Same book, blank page, new chapter.


2/11/2014

The Wolves


Falling from high places, falling through lost spaces,

Now that we're lonely, now that there's nowhere to go.

Watching from both sides, these clock towers burning up,
I lost my time here, i lost my patience with it all.

2/10/2014

Summer 13' Bibione Pineda, Italy

27th of December 2012 I went to Thailand on a three week Cisv seminar (1) with youths my age. We lived pretty closed together for those weeks and got to know each other really well. We were a little community. Like we do on every camp, we discussed and dreamt about a possible reunion and how awesome and epic that would be. I never actually thought it would become reality, but it sure did.

Quoting from diary; 

" Bibione Pineda 23.06.13-03.08.13

Bibione.. sleep-->tan-->get drunk
Only left with awesome memories. I even miss climbing that stupid gate(2). Shisha at the beach, foam party at Shiny (3), buying alcohol at the supermarket everyday and the restaurant with wifi where the hot bartender and the funny waiters were. Pawn shop and Top crime, sex on the beach, Germans, Manon and the carrot(4), weed, mosquitos(!!), skinny dipping, pizza margerita and fanta for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The tiny electric cars, maxi pizza, GINO (5), the night in Venice, hot police, hot italians, no wifi, beerpong, the aussie drinksong, the little things, gelado, my Amerrican, giving snus to foreign people, annoying the neighbours, swimming in the ocean in a thunderstorm, drinking tequila in a thunderstorm, laughing, Jamie, Elliot, Devon, Camilla, Manon, Mileah, Stefano, Giulia. Thank you for giving me so many memories I can't even digest everything yet. TAKE ME BACK :( "


Italy, Norway, Sweden, USA, Australia and France <3


my sexy french, Manon


Vodka+watermelon


maxi pizza. Impossible to describe the joy it gave 3am


Very lazy days.. yes, we had a pool in the apartment complex


We must have watched entire seasons of 'Pawn shop' and 'Top Crime'


Venice


Me and Mileah (my Amerrican) got stuck in Venice because we missed our bus home, so we stayed at a very overpriced Bed and Breakfast with no air-condition. This gave me nightmares about mosquitos and not much sleep. 


(1) Cisv seminar (for lost teenagers who dream of a once-in-a-lifetime experience: http://www.cisv.org/cisv-programmes/seminar-camp/

(2) The stupid gate: We lived in an apartment complex and the beach were a 3 minute walk away. But there was a gate with a security thing so we had to enter a code, and we didn't have that code. And the gate was not really hard to climb, but it took a lot of effort. Especially under the influence of alcohol. I think everytime I climbed it I referred to it as "the stupid gate". 

(3) Shiny: I think it was our only nightclub that was an option. It was about 15-25 minute walk from our beach. Everytime it was a new theme, such as foam parties, gay party, hawaii etc.. 

(4) Manon and the carrot: Hahaha it's a very funny story. So we played this game called "Tell her/him". Say I said "omg, he's hot" about someone random in the supermarket. Jamie would go "tell him". When him or anyone says that, I HAVE to tell the guy he is hot. And if I don't.. well I had to put a carrot up my bum.. And this is what happened to our poor french girl Manon. And of course she went through with it. Yes she did use a condom. 

2/08/2014

Preparation, the travel and the first nigth in Paris

Preparation


The thing about Paris was that I wasn't really prepared for the trip. My sister had to force me to ask for the hostel adress and my dad really tried to teach me the metro system. I guess I just had a bad habit of coming unprepared because I want things to be done spontaneously. My sister then told me a really simple but meaningful quote;
"Plan to be spontaneous"
So instead of arriving in Paris, having no clue where to find the hostel, no sense of direction and no way to contact my friends that are down there (because I hadn't saved my friends numbers until my sister asked me if I had). I asked Laura (my host sister in New Zealand, from Switzerland) for the adress, I tried to understand the metro system, I printed a map and I saved the numbers. I have the basics ready, so I can be both safe and spontaneous!

(The map look so simple now, haha) 

Getting there 


Quoting from diary:

"on the plane from Hovden (Ørsta/Volda) - Gardermoen, I sat next to a national celeb! I actually had the guts to talk to him and he could actually remember that he met my dad earlier this year!! Awesome." This "celeb's" name is Are Kalvø and he is one of the norwegian comedians I actually find hilarous.

"Been waiting for the plane 1 hour now. Time is going too slow. I just want to find Laura, Manuel, Camilla and Fabienne asap. Bought a slice of pizza at Pizzahut for breakfast. Best breakfast ever. 







The first night 


 Quoting from diary; 

"After a really cool taxi trip where the taxi driver loved my arab (I know a couple of slogans)! Laura and Fabienne (Laura's best friend who joined her impulsive trip to Paris) met me and we went on an adventuretest(*) to find Manuel at Gare du Nord (On of the main train stations). On the way we met a creepy santa and a nice man who showed us what metro to take. We waited at Gare du Nord for a long time and we decided to scare/surprise him when he got out of his train. Long story short; he found us before we did, hahaha. On the way home we witnessed a car robbery and a guy getting beat up across the street! So scary, but welcome to Paris. We bought pasta and made a nice dinner at the hostel. "


SELFIE TIME (**) #1, waiting for Manuel


Finally found our Chilean



hostels have limited kitchen equipment


Laura cooking 


Our first dinner in Paris, eating our first french baguette 


In the elevator! And very exited to meet Camilla later (Swedish friend that I met on a Cisv Seminar in Thailand)


(*) Adventuretest is basically going on an adventure, doesn't have to be a big adventure but something new and cool.

(**) Selfie time was frequently used to "mock" the scandinavian selfie-culture and a good excuse to take more photos.




To be continued.. !!