Once again, I have gone far too long without a post. So long that that people (ahem... K... ) have started to bug me. My classes have been under way for a little over a month, and I'm currently in the middle of my midterms. I'm taking 4 engineering courses this spring (Applied Thermodynamics, Water Chemistry, Statics, and Fluids/Heat Transfer). I thought I only had to suffer through fluids once, but unfortunately it's the only way to get credit for heat transfer here. My classes keep me busy, but there is still plenty of time to have fun....
My first weekend back, I went on a cabin trip with the people I usually travel with. While there we got around 1.5 feet of fresh snow. We tried to keep a path from the cabin to the outhouse cleared, but the wind made that effort pointless. That Saturday we spent most of the afternoon hiking up a nearby mountain and playing around in the fresh snow. (Check out the photo site for some funny videos). I finally got a taste of what XC skiing should be like. Unlike the previous time, there was real snow instead of slush, which made a huge difference. Unfortunately we did have an accident on the way back. We were steps from our cars when Meesi fell and tore one of the ligaments in her knee. My WFR skills have once again paid off, because we immobilized her knee with a make-shift splint for the 3 hour drive to the nearest hospital.
The next weekend I went on yet another cabin trip but this time with some of my flatmates. Compared to all of my trips with "the Germans," this one didn't run like a well oiled machine. I felt more like a trip leader rather than just a member, because most of these people had never done anything of the sorts. It was cold. I was dressed in full winter attire and I was still cold. I can't imagine how cold all the people that wore jeans and everything cotton must have felt. One guy didn't even bring a sleeping bag!! All in all the trip was fun and culturally very enlightening. There were 12 of us in total, collectively representing 8 different countries on 3 continents.
The following weekend included sleeping bags as well. After 2 months of confusion and waiting, my snowshoes finally arrived! Through a friend, 10 of us were able to get a ridiculously good deal on a pair. They finally arrived, so we had to put them to the test. That Friday, 4 of us decided to go camping in one of the wooded areas surrounding Trondheim. It has been a long time since I've dug out tent platforms in the snow, so it brought back some wonderful memories! A storm came through that night dumping about 6 inches of snow. The wind was the worst part. It continually blew snow into the tent through one of the vents. By morning the outside of my sleeping bag was crusted in snow and everything was frozen! I kept some things dry by sticking them in my bag with me, but my snow pants, coat, and boots were stiff the next morning. After a rather sleepless night, we packed up and hiked out the next morning. It was by no means a comfortable night, but I'm still looking forward to our next opportunity.
The past few weekends have been spent in and around Trondheim. I've made frequent trips up to Bymarka, which is one of the outdoor recreational areas just outside the city. There are many skiing trails, lakes and plenty of places to go exploring. One Sunday, I went snowshoeing with some friends. It was nothing too intense, but an enjoyable afternoon because the weather was gorgeous. There's a cabin up there called Studentahytta. It's owned by the sports club associated with the university. There are places to hang out, sleep and eat after a long day on the trails. On Sundays they have a pancake dinner. So after snowshoeing we went there for some fresh pancakes and soup. Rather unexpectedly, I ended up going back there the following Tuesday. There's a free bus every Tuesday and a dinner as well. So we went cross country skiing for a while before having dinner together. This cabin is a really nice asset that I wish CU had. Not only is it extremely practical, but it's a nice social atmosphere as well.Currently, there's an ongoing festival call ISFIT here in Trondheim. It stands for International Student Festival in Trondheim. For 10 days 400 student from around the world gather to take part in workshops, concerts, art exhibits, etc. We volunteered the bed/sofa in our kitchen to house one of the incoming students, so we now have a student from Azerbaijan staying with us. He's very friendly and respectful, but there are definitely some cultural differences. He has always lived with some member of his family, so he has always been cared for. He has never done his laundry, and I had to show him how to wash dishes the other day. I've always thought that the connection between soap, a sponge, and a fork was obvious, but I guess not. Anyways, he'll be heading home in a couple of days.
Last weekend I finally got to go downhill skiing. It was fun, but it made me miss Colorado even more as my friends enjoying 2 feet of fresh powder. We went to Vassfjellet, which is the Eldora of Trondheim. It's small and close, but the skiing itself wasn't so great. The top part of the mountain was closed because the lift wasn't working, so I felt like I was back in Wisconsin again. There are no chairlifts (only T-bars) if that helps you get the picture. I found a couple of nice tree runs, but other than that everything was groomed. I have some serious ski days to make up next season when I'm back in the real mountains again!
So there's a month in a nutshell, and I hope all is well state-side!
~J
Sunrise: 7:53am
Sunset: 5:17pm
