what's been goin' on

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OK it's about time for another update. Internet is hard to come by here, so that explains the delay. Internet is not really hard to come by, it's all over the place. And 8 year olds whizz by on razor scooters through residential areas glued to cell phones. But for some reason it's been like hell getting internet in our rooms. However, today was the day I bought the correct cable, so I'll be in business soon...except...that I left my laptop charger in the states. OOPS. Øøøøøps! I mean. But my dad sent it and hopefully it will arrive by the beginning of next week. I HOPE. Seriously I am dying without internet in my room because I want to be able to contact all of our adoring fans more easily. 😉

Anyway I (Danielle) am going to transcribe some things I took down in my trusty little journal over the past week, to give you a taste of what we've been going through. Someday, I guess, Dan might write in. 😊

8Aug08, i.e. first day

So jet lagged! Slep from 19-23 or so. Woke up and now can't sleep. Dan didn't pack any bedding, the poor thing, so he's borrowing my favorite sheet and using a laundry bag as a pillow. Ha.


Had a chance to almost completely unpack, since I got up. That is nice.

I am a little shellshocked. I tried, but I couldn't really metnally prepare myself to come here, but I'm finally in Oslo despite being unprepared. I'm most overwhelmed by not knowing the language, even though almost all people here speak English. I feel guilty...soon I will try to learn however.

Second to that, money is a concern, since everything here is so expensive. I know my parents are taking care of what the school doesn't, but my frugal nature and general lack of my own money are both casting a shadow over my spending! ($4 coffee, people! Good thing I don't drink it.).

Third thing is transport. Dan and I were nervous wrecks trying to navigate how to get to Kringså. The train was easy enough, but the subway was so confusing! Hopefully we'll get the hang of it soon. It was really the ticket buying process that was unclear; the routes are very simple.

And the last thing that has me nervous is the inability to communicate back home. No internet yet, because we have no usernames for the UiO network. On top of that my charger is en route to Norway, whcih could take several days, probably a week. Also I need to get an ethernet cable. Dan's internet wonæt even be usable because it's old and only has an external wireless card. (Though it will work with the wireless directly on campus).

So that means we can't yet set up our Skype accounts.

Also Dan's phonecard doesn't appear to work. So last nighht, exhausted and sore me almost started crying because we ran out of change before I could call my parents on the pay phone. Sheesh. Luckily Dan let me use his credit card to call since I paid in change for his call.

The little grocery (Mini Pris) was interesting. We got bread, milk, cereal, cheese, salami...and Grandiosa! (If you haven't had the pleasure of me showing you Grandiosa pizza commercials online, please go here:

Or just refresh your memory.) The bread slicer was a pain to figure out, some worker had to show us.

Other highlights: berries, cherries and rosehips on the way to our room. View of Oslofjord (which isn't technically a fjord) from the hill.

Worst ever: dragging mass amounts of baggage around all day.

....

So that's all for now, our leftover balance of pay internet from the place in Oslo S (Sentrallstasjon) is about to run out. Will give you the details of the subsequent days when we can.

Generally, things are altternating between ok/triumphant for accomplishing the many practical tasks of living here, and being absolutely miserable, not able to sleep, and wanting to come home where everything is familiar and safe. But everything is, of course, getting better bit by bit.

Love you all and miss you,
Danielle

P.S. Dan probably loves you and misses you too but he ran off.

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Comments

[Big Daddy and Lil Jo]

Nanooks of the north
There is no turning back now. I suggest you get a dogsled and learn to mush around town. I will put Dan's monthly deposit in tomarrow. If I need to ship Jo's pillow and blankie overseas for Dan, please let me know. By the way, the weather here has been record setting cool since you guys departed. It is more like fall than summer. Gotta love it. Later