Hei hei!

Hei!
Jeg heter Aanna! Jeg kommer fra USA, men jeg bor i Oslo, Norge na. Sommerskole pa Universitit I Oslo er veldig veldig veldig moro!!! (my name is aanna. i come from the USA but i love in oslo, norway now. summerschool at the University of OSlo is very very very fun!! --my grammar may not be 100% correct...lol)
Oi..it's been awhile. Lots has happened since our last blog...
Today we had our second day of class. It's going very well!!
Before I go into that, let me update you a bit on what's been happening in my life here in EUROPEEEE!!! (sorry for the caps but I just have to keep reminding myself that this is for real. I AM IN EUROPE =D ok. my rant is done. lol.)
Britta and I are now semi-capable at riding the subway! It's super fun. We got a monthly pass that allows us to ride the subway, buses, and ferry as much as we want---very handy, we can get basically anywhere in the city of Oslo!
We've also been enjoying friend get togethers with our lovely host and hostess' (Hal and Ingerid) friends---bonfires, koob (sp?), cards, FIFA games, yummy food, and lots of laughter make these get togethers a vunderful goot time! =)
This past Sunday the ISS had a tour available to us students...it was great fun! We visited Vigeland Park (AWESOME sculpture park. going back for sure. actually, we're going there in an hour or so!), the famous Opera house, and a Viking Ship museum. All wonderful places, and since we didn't have much time at them specifically, we now know where to go again if we want! Not only did we enjoy good scenery but awesome company; the people here are awesome. The diversity is incredible Get a group of 10 or so people and you have people from Bangladesh, France, Holland, Africa, USA...etc! I am surprised, however, how many people are from the US; and out of those, how many are from the MidWest! I guess that's a Norwegian part of America though...so it makes sense =)
Classes started yesterday and it's going very well. My teacher is named Marte and she's wonderful at making our classtime exciting. And exciting it is!! This is my way of learning completely. Immersing myself in the culture, having 3 whole hours of complete brain drainage a day (LOL), and living with people who are more than happy to help me out....love it! I have a wonderful class---most everyone is happy to learn and excited to be here.
Last night the school hosted an Opening Ceremony at the City Hall of Oslo (yes, it IS, in fact, the place where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented every December!). It was so fun to see how many people I already recognized and knew from classes or campus activities. But not only that, everyone is so willing and excited to meet whoever they run into. There was a Norwegian guitar/vocal trio that was phenomenal; they played Norwegian, Irish, and Australian tunes. The food was delicious, the champagne was uhh...fizzy and yummy to sip =P , and the conversation delightful!
We are now staying at our relatives Ander and Kari's house. They have been incredibly hospitable and helpful while our crazy schedules unwind. I am amazed again and again with how welcoming and exuberant our Norwegian friends have been during out stay---so to all of you (you know who you are), thank you so so so incredibly much for your help in making this trip to Europe an enjoyable, informing, and smooth experience!
As of now, Britta and I are enjoying the sunshine, sitting on campus, and waiting for some of our girlfriends before we head over to Vigeland Park!
Before this turns into an essay I better go; you'll hear more later. And I plan to put some pictures up from the tour.
Thanks for reading! I hope you were able to catch a glimpse at how crazy, fun, and exciting these past few days have been despite my sporadic typing (the sun is glaring on my computer screen so I haven't the energy create a literature masterpiece).
Hadet!
Aanna