Chapter IV

 June 20-22, 2014

  Oslo

 The aforementioned adventure that was as I indicated "just beginning" did in fact begin with some promptness. After registration and the collection of my essentials (room key, ID card, info packet, coffee cup, etc) I made my to the room that would become my home for the next one and a half months. The room is small but efficiently arranged so as not to feel cramped. A large window overlooking the lawn adds spaciousness and lets in plenty of light for most of the twenty-four hours of the day. Of course the extraordinarily long days are not due to the window but rather, I think, to my longitudinal position. The long days are nice but they do tend to make one hungry more often. 

  The program I am participating in is intentionally international. There are people from all over world which adds a lot of flavor to the Norwegian experience. The benefit of this is that I not only get to see Norway from my own perspective but from an enormous amount of perspectives. Things that are culturally unusual to me are not to others and vice-versa meaning that not only is this a varied experience of Norway - but a varied experience of myself. This of course is one of the primary advantages of travelling internationally, to become more acutely aware of yourself and others. This was put into splendid practice the very first weekend when we were all boarded up onto crowded buses for a tour of our host city.

  The tour included stops at Frogner Park, the Viking Ship Museum, the Royal Palace, Holmenkollen ski jump, and the Oslo Opera House. The tour guide was quite a jovial fellow and was satisfactorily well spoken in the lore of Oslo. We rushed along at an unavoidable yet still regrettable pace leaving many things unseen at each place and the feeling that we must return. This of course was the entire point, to introduce us to the city so to speak in a theatrical manner. Each one of these places will be revisited and consequently I will not elaborate on them now. 

  
  Of course the first few days also included such ordinary activities as orientation meetings, schedule organization, and actual orientation. This of course is the orientation that comes from getting out into the new environs and experiencing it for yourself e.g. finding the library, the bookstore, and the coffee shops for instance. The campus here at UiO is pleasing. The public sculpture is outstanding with examples from some of Norway's leading artists. The architecture is friendly as well with a lot of wooden accents to warm up the metal and stone. Staying here, I can already tell, will be utterly delightful and honestly things are really just getting started.