Taking Stock For August

If you’ve been following my blog then you’d probably know that I have done a taking stock for July and, as I found it to be a pretty enjoyable format to use, I’ve decided to give it another crack. So, without further ado, let me present you with my ‘Taking Stock For August’.

Making : Plans for September. I have a pretty busy month coming up with different things on every weekend. There’s a confirmation, a skolekorps performance and a cabin trip just to name some. Admittedly I am not good at using diaries and calendars, I keep dates in my head and usually that works just fine for me.
Cooking :  Waffles. My host dad is cooking waffles as I am writing this. It should probably be noted that Norwegian waffles are nothing like Belgian waffles. They are made up of 5 heart-shaped sections that you can pull apart and aren’t crispy, rather they are soft and warm. Around once a month my host dad will set up the waffle maker on the balcony and sit there for around 2 hours cooking waffles and doing a crossword.
Reading: Many, many books. One of the things, as weird as it sounds, that has helped me a lot whilst being on exchange is having my own library card. I have always loved books and reading and being able to borrow books to read on the train and when things get quiet has been very helpful. My most recently finished book was Moonrise by Sarah Crossan, a book written in verse about the death penalty in Texas. I find it really fascinating to see what  English books for youth are deemed important or good enough to be in a Norwegian library.

Next read: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares, a sci-fi/fantasy book.                                          Listening:  To the Wilosophy podcast by Wil Anderson. I listen to podcasts whenever I do the 20 minute walk to or from the train station (4 times a day ) and I’m always trying to find something interesting to listen to. This podcast involves Wil Anderson interviewing relatively well-known people about their lives and philosophies.

Wanting:  To start school later in the day. I start school at 8:30am everyday and that means I’m out of the house by 7:20am everyday. I know that realistically this isn’t that early but when other students in  Norwya begin school at 12pm on some days it is pretty easy to feel sorry for myself because of my early start.
Looking: Forward to working in a barnehage (preschool). Because I am doing the child and youth services course at my school, after the Autumn holiday I get to do work experience at a barnehage.
Playing: The sax as a part of Strømmen og Skjetten Skolekorps. This month I have played at a concert in Arendal and at a festival in Strømmen.
Deciding: What gets to effect me and what doesn’t. One of the biggest things I’ve learnt whilst in Norway is how to analyse how I’m feeling in a more logical way and decide whether or not I’m being rational.
Wishing: for a couple more hours of sleep. Enough said.
Enjoying: Having structure again. School is back and with that comes the ability to plan and have a structure in day-today life that I can rely on- I love it.
Waiting: For snow. Summer is over and I am ready to start cross-country skiing again. Plus the minute it starts snowing it will become socially acceptable for me to use my winter boots and coat again.
Liking: My new teachers. They are wonderful and so much better overall than before. I feel I should mention that my science teacher speaks like Stephen Fry and his accent is the highlight of my Mondays.
Wondering: How I am ever going to leave Norway and my exchange.
Loving: There may not be snow yet but it has certainly cooled down enough  to wear jumpers and jeans for most days.
Considering: Studying abroad for uni (albeit maybe only to New Zealand).
Buying: Jumpers. The change of season demands it!
Watching: The Incredibles 2 (with Norwegian subtitles). Good music, even better music.
Marvelling: at how the walk back from the train station always feels longer than the walk there.
Cringing: At how I used to pronounce ‘heter’. There are probably a stack of words that I still don’t pronounce perfectly but thinking back to when  mispronounced the most basic of words makes me cringe.
Needing: More time to read through textbook chapters. The textbook chapters for my main class range from 30 to 40 pages. It takes me significantly longer to read through them than my classmates but that’s kind of to be expected.
Questioning: What on earth australian politics is and why it can’t be normal.
Noticing: The lack of males in my class. I am in a class of 31, all of which are girls. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little weird.
Knowing: I don’t have that long left 🙁
Getting: The dog out the door with me for the first time. I successfully took her for a walk, granted neither of my host parents were home so I was sort of the only option but I’ll take it.
Feeling:Good, really,really good.

TBH I probably left this post a little long (I started it at the end of August and it’s now a week and a bit into September but anyway) but I still hoped you enjoyed it!

Until next time,

Alicia