and suddenly it was autumn in bergen. ten degree temperature drop quasi overnight and a sudden increase in umbrellas spotted around the city. but for the vanlig student the end of summer also means the beginning of a new semester. and that in turn means but one thing: fadderuken!
mentor week is the culmination of every freshman's party desires: free entry to lots of venues, extra cheap beer (only 39kr) and general exuberance pretty much sum this last week up. luux and kvarteret have proven themselves worthy of wasting one's studentlån and have defeated my hopes of getting to bed a bit earlier, at least during the workweek.
after all the fun however, studying is serious business in norway and the administration spends sizable amounts of money to ensure a profound education for all students. this agenda manifests itself most strikingly in the a-grade condition of the university's assets and equipment. the studentsamskipnaden, bergen's student welfare organization, for example, has 7 kindergartens as well as state-funded psychologists.
DO #4: study in bergen! i don't want to sound too fanboyish, but this city is most definitely one of the finest places to study in europe. make sure to apply for a nice inner-city appartement in time, although these are far more expensive than the suburban monstrosities fantoft and hatleberg. these monuments of 1970s concrete abundance do, on the other hand, have the advantage of providing a colorful student life and, not to forget, the weekly friday kitchen parties.
i am going to go as far as saying that regardless of the where, an exchange semester is an experience that no student should miss out on. do it and do it early on!
DON'T #4: come unprepared, though. don't make the mistake i made with the decision that there would still be enough time to learn norwegian once arrived; learn the basics at least. while norwegians are inherently friendly and polite, it's hard to really get through to them and not speaking the language at all surely doesn't make things easier.
more pictures on jules' picasa page.
word of the day: bursdag (geburtstag)
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
02 September, 2010
08 August, 2010
i think i'm falling for you
bergen, you've treated me well so far. no major disturbances, not even slight hiccups, instead some quite authentic awe for your sights and scenery. it's not ye olde touristy attractions like bryggen or the fløibanen that i am drawn to, it's rather your subtle charm and natural beauty that gets me.
little corridor-like alleys winding up and down the many hills on grass-covered cobblestone, sporting wooden fairytale houses with low ceilings and tiny doorsteps, looking like they've sprung straight from tolkien's tales. well, a little bit of exaggeration here and there should be ok, i hope. i'm really quite impressed.
DO #2: visit nordnes sjøbad. situated on the tip of nordnes parken, it's essentially berlin's badeschiff without the excitement and hipness. plus the spree and our pretty treptowers just don't scale up to the actual sea on one side and a steep coastline on the other.
DON'T #2: go into the north end of nygårdsparken. bergen's drug problem becomes painfully apparent in this part of an otherwise very beautiful inner city park. imagine a peaceful, quiet retreat with young families having picnics vs. the gathering of the entire junkie and dealer scene who are not too secretive about their activities. do a google image search for further impressions.
more news from the poor student front: yes, there is an ikea, and as expected it offers not only cheap furniture, but also mediocre fast-food and wailing babies. we went twice last week.
jules is taking more pictures, check them out on his picasa page.
word of the day: rullekebap (döner dürüm)
little corridor-like alleys winding up and down the many hills on grass-covered cobblestone, sporting wooden fairytale houses with low ceilings and tiny doorsteps, looking like they've sprung straight from tolkien's tales. well, a little bit of exaggeration here and there should be ok, i hope. i'm really quite impressed.
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| the rebellion is near! |
DO #2: visit nordnes sjøbad. situated on the tip of nordnes parken, it's essentially berlin's badeschiff without the excitement and hipness. plus the spree and our pretty treptowers just don't scale up to the actual sea on one side and a steep coastline on the other.
DON'T #2: go into the north end of nygårdsparken. bergen's drug problem becomes painfully apparent in this part of an otherwise very beautiful inner city park. imagine a peaceful, quiet retreat with young families having picnics vs. the gathering of the entire junkie and dealer scene who are not too secretive about their activities. do a google image search for further impressions.
more news from the poor student front: yes, there is an ikea, and as expected it offers not only cheap furniture, but also mediocre fast-food and wailing babies. we went twice last week.
jules is taking more pictures, check them out on his picasa page.
word of the day: rullekebap (döner dürüm)
06 August, 2010
when it rains, it pours
...figuratively speaking that is. although it is literally pouring outside my window at the moment, most of the raining had stopped by the time we arrived in bergen yesterday. since for a little while there, i had feared of never arriving here at all, thanks to missing my plane to oslo (i love you, ryan air) and then some.
i always dreaded the moment when my "getting going one minute too late but still somehow making it" would turn into "getting going one minute too late, as usual, but this time disastrously not making it", and there it was tuesday afternoon, manifesting itself as a locked door at sxf.
what followed was what must have been the longest ride home and the realization that my mother is there for me, in case something actually bad ever happens. good to know.
yet here we are, thanks to norwegian's crafty airspace operators and their well functioning website.
DO #1: if you plan on going to bergen, take the train from oslo. it traverses the entire country, offering some quite spectacular views; plus it costs a mere 25 euros if you manage to buy the ticket a few weeks ahead of time.
DON'T #1: take that train at night. you won't see anything.
the further run of events was rather smooth, collecting dorm keys, finding out everything is incredibly expensive, realizing my bed spans a luxurious 75 cm. i should be able to deal with all of that.
word of the day: unnskyld (entschuldigung)
i always dreaded the moment when my "getting going one minute too late but still somehow making it" would turn into "getting going one minute too late, as usual, but this time disastrously not making it", and there it was tuesday afternoon, manifesting itself as a locked door at sxf.
what followed was what must have been the longest ride home and the realization that my mother is there for me, in case something actually bad ever happens. good to know.
 |
| looking dorky on the way to bergen |
DO #1: if you plan on going to bergen, take the train from oslo. it traverses the entire country, offering some quite spectacular views; plus it costs a mere 25 euros if you manage to buy the ticket a few weeks ahead of time.
DON'T #1: take that train at night. you won't see anything.
the further run of events was rather smooth, collecting dorm keys, finding out everything is incredibly expensive, realizing my bed spans a luxurious 75 cm. i should be able to deal with all of that.
word of the day: unnskyld (entschuldigung)
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