Neverending Internet Woes and an Excursion to Oslo

I have been capped. That is to say, my Internet has been capped, so its speed has been reduced to a snail's pace. Okay, maybe an Olympics-trained snail's pace, but the pace of a snail, nonetheless. I am mildly (read: very much somewhat) displeased, as I frequently take advantage of Skype's video chat function, but as Google chat and regular old email works, I will not be forced to burn Tchibo's headquarters to the ground. With my BRAIN.

I do, however, sometimes feel like this when I'd like to video chat, such as on a day like Mother's Day:

Not gonna lie. It took about two minutes to upload.

Fortunately, the capping lasts only until the 25th of May, so it's nothing horrible. Just irritating. Though, it does bring me back to the good old days when we had to rely on dial-up Internet.

...Wait. I hated dial-up.

RAGE.


My Trip to Oslo

Yes, the title does not lie! I am finally updating about my very fun trip to Oslo, Norway to visit my friend, Lizzi. For my official statement to the press, please click here.

For a bit of background information, Lizzi and I are former history majors from UAH, and we have been good friends since the spring of 2008, when we traveled to Germany as a part of a history class. Currently, she is studying at the University of Oslo, so she is an ex-pat such as myself. I owe a lot to Lizzi, as she very kindly introduced me to a couple of circles of her friends, who have since become very near and dear friends of mine (ahem, Haley, Archie, and Ryan, I'm looking at you). Through the past couple of years, we've gotten closer, and we've been here for each other through our respective relocation to Europe. So, imagine my excitement when we were able to schedule a visit.

Glee!

I arrived in Oslo Friday afternoon (April 23rd--SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTH[and, evidently, death]DAY--, since it has been awhile) after a very uneventful trip. As I spotted Lizzi coming to pick me up, we rushed to each other and exchanged dorky hugs, and we spent the afternoon catching up and talking about our experiences in Europe. I was glad to realize just why she likes Oslo so much; her friends surround her constantly, the city is calm and relaxed, and the scenery is breathtaking. After dinner and a fun night at Waldemar's, Lizzi's choice pub, we called it a night. The next day, of course, would be reserved for sightseeing and general awesomeness.

This is awesomeness. It also took me two minutes to upload, in case you were wondering.

This lovely shot was taken at Holmenkollen, which provides a stunning view of the fjord. After spending a bit of time admiring the view and looking at a pretty church, Lizzi, Lizzi's Dutch hallmate Tim, and I returned to the hustle and bustle of the city (for it was a-hustling and a-bustling, which is evidently quite uncommon on a Saturday) for lunch and a visit to Vigelandsparken.

"We're naked! And contributing to further phallic imagery."

The Vigelandsparken was very enjoyable, as it is a rather peaceful place. People come to laze about, and the tourists, of course, take silly photos of the naked statues, which is perfectly acceptable to me. That gets the Jen Seal of Approval.

After a romp in the naked statue park (yes, I will forever remember it as such; I can't help it that I have the maturity of a ten-year-old), the trio trekked to the harbor, whereupon we somehow got lost and found ourselves in Denmark. Or, it would have appeared so, as something was taking place that involved a very tall LEGO tower, Danish flags, and marathon runners. Oh, did I mention the marathon runners? They appear to be following me. Further proof: we bumped into them twice--not once, but twice--in the same day at places where we were trying to cross the streets. I would have mowed them down, but as I was in the presence of my friend and her hallmate, I aptly withheld my rage. Next time, marathon runners. Next time.

We ended the day with dinner at another one of Lizzi's friend's, Mike's, place (thank you again for the delicious dinner, Mike) and prepped for the next day's activities.

Sunday witnessed a very splendid breakfast provided by one Damon, yet another one of Lizzi's friends, and I spent the morning getting to know the rest of the group. We then went to the Norwegian Folk Museum, which was very interesting; masquerading as a university student, I partook in a free tour of the museum, and I've decided that I want my house to look like this:

Okay, it's a church, but it'd be a really cool house.

Afterward, we awaited the ferry back to the main part of the city, and just sitting around, suffering through Damon's photo-taking proved to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the day. It had cleared up a wee bit (it had been quite overcast all day, sadly), and so waiting by the water proved yet again to be a peaceful respite from all of my worries of the world.

Tim and Seidi, the posers.

Tim, Seidi, Lizzi, Damon, Gerda, and me. (Yanked from Damon--hope you don't mind.)

Monday, unfortunately, marked the end to my long weekend in Oslo, and it was sad to leave my dear friend and the city itself. It is somewhere I would definitely like to revisit one day, as I felt a certain kind of peace that even I can't quite describe or even pinpoint. The best aspect of this visit, though, was that I was able to see my dear friend, and it was an experience for the both of us to remember concerning our stay in Europe--and of our friendship in general. So, Lizzi, thank you for being a lovely hostess, extending the invitation in the first place, and introducing me to a place that has changed your life. See you back in Alabama.

Well, it would be silly not to post a photo of us in this post.

And Now, Your Moment of Jen (and Lizzi!)

So, my trip to Norway was very much enjoyable. Why?

Because the Wonder Twins experienced a state of the European Reunion.*

The Wonder Twins say: You're welcome.

*Credit goes to Lizzi for this absolutely wonderful and brilliant pun.

Another One of Those Gosh-Darn Pre-Trip Posts

Right. We were to Madrid. Yes, Madrid.

...In other news, I'm most likely going to Oslo tomorrow in order to visit a good friend of mine, Lizzi, for the weekend.

That's right. It's another one of those gosh-darn lovable pre-trip posts. Which means that any substantial updating about the previous trip I took may or may not be delayed (just like my flight--oooooooh, I went there. Wait; my flight may or may not be canceled). It depends on how bored I am tonight, really.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, you may have heard of a little volcano in Iceland creating a big stink because no one will pay attention to it. And if either my flight tomorrow or my return flight Monday is canceled, I will personally row my way to Iceland and punch that volcano right in its ashy nuts.

Yes. I went there.

If this were to occur (the cancellation part; not the punching), I suppose I'd rather the first flight be canceled, as that would prevent me from being stranded in Oslo and unable to go to work (and causing Lizzi, who has very considerately offered up the remaining space in her dorm, to board me for a longer period of time...er, right, Lizzi? ...Lizzi?). I have a feeling, though, that things will work out, as they have a tendency of doing in life. A cancellation to Oslo would simply mean that I'd have to reschedule, and one from Oslo would mean that I'd just have to wait a bit to go back to Celle. In the grand scope of things, it's really not that bad.

Speaking of Lizzi's hospitality, I'm going to give her a shout-out right here and now for extending an invitation to me and offering up her dorm space, along with catering me around the city and the places she so loves and cherishes. So, Lizzi, thank you for letting me share in that. And, you know, it'll be kind of super-awesome that I get to see my dear, INTENSE friend.

I usually have pre-trip nerves, and I do admittedly have some now. I have to be at the Hamburg airport (so, we meet again, Hamburg) about two hours before the flight, so I'll get to see firsthand how the construction at the Celle Bahnhof is coming along...and I know that the airport will be a mess, considering all of the flight cancellations within the past week (I'm looking at you, Iceland...and perhaps unnecessary airspace restrictions). And there could be the occurrence that I could be shunted aside for someone else to fly to Norway, if my plane is full and priority is given to stranded passengers. But, you know what? If that happens, well, I can spend a bit of time in Hamburg before heading back to Celle.

This will be one of, if not the, last international trips I'll take while living in Europe this go-round, and I'm a-okay with that. I love traveling, and I will continue doing so when I'm back in the States, but it's enough for right now. If I can, I'd like to see if I can visit my English relatives again, and I want to see more of Niedersachsen. In fact, my coworker, Elisabeth, has decided that we will go to a couple of places in Niedersachsen a couple of Wednesdays in June, which I look forward to. She frequently scolds me for going to all of these places abroad and not seeing what's here in my state, and I have to agree with her on that. And that will be rectified.

I also look forward to spending my time in Celle. It's a quirky town, yes, but I love it dearly. When the weather is continuously warm (which looks to be starting next week, yay!), I will spend my time in the field, in the Altstadt, at the school, and at Maryle's, enjoying the time spent here in my beloved town. It's a sweet respite for the busy life of a Fulbright scholar--the town in which one is placed.