the one with its all about norwegian

It has been a long week for me. Spent more than 600 kr on my x-ray (oh thats my budget for hair cutting!), couldnt walk much so just been staying at home, and went on a cabin trip with AIESEC which is lot of fun. When last night I was on the phone with dad talking about some random thinking I had during the weekend and it turned out to be a culture discussion, and today in the media course we talked about habitus of Norwegain people. So I was thinking to it might be time for me to take a note on how I see Norwegian so far.

Yesterday when I got back to Fantoft and having a late dinner with the girls talking what we have been doing during weekend, Michy naturally asked me, "so, did you make any friends in the trip?" Making friends with Norwegians has always been a topic among us exchange students and somehow the most conclusion we had is, Norwegian people are really nice but for some reason it is difficult to build up really close connection with them. This German guy who went fishing with the girls and has been working here in Bergen for more than four years said you can have fun with norwegians totally party up on Saturday night but when Monday you go to work and try to talk like buddy but it never works out, norwegians could be very politely nice as if you are just met.
As an exchange student like I said before, it is not easy for us to break the wall and really integrated with locals. And it is interesting to find out that those who are really into the conversation with us are the ones have been either exchange or work abroad. Norwegian students would raise questions in Norwegian although they are aware of that most of classmates are foreigners. Well, I really dont complain about locals being like that since I absolutely understand how locals feel kind of distant from foreigners and they of course would feel more comfortable hanging out with the ones belong to the local group. And that makes me especially appreciate those who think for us as incoming guests, respect our presents, even show interest in our cultures.

Anyways, I was very excited to take this trip with AIESEC not only because I feel excited about this organization itself but also for my curiosity about Norwegian studetnts (well little part of this is because we girls are very impressed by the guys in Bergen and we commented as "Norwegian guys are incredibly good looking" =) and so far no one disagree with that lol).
We did some introductory games and mini presentation based on group work which all made me think more about myself as a teamplayer and discovered more of my strengths and weaknesses. One thing also came to me is comparing the thinking pattern that I have which has been greatly inflenced by the university education in HK with the one that was shown on my teammates as Norwegians. In HK, we are trained to be professional. Even if we do not have the professional knowledge, we need to look professional, in terms of the way we present ourselves, the way we respond to doubts, the way we look, and the environment we creat. Yes people are aware of that we might be too green to do stuffs like that but the thing is, we need to learn how to be professional step by step. --- We might not know the answer, which is alright, just give a professional smile and think of a vague politician answer. People call it typical business training which I also found a lot in North America, but Norwegians are more honest and straight in my opinion.
The professor in my media course is from Colombia. Ever since the first I talked with him, he said Norwegian students never raise questions. Today when he was trying to encourage us to have a discussion, the whole classroom was in an akward silence and he said come on don't be too Norwegian. Which is also an interesting stereotype about Norwegian --- people dont like to be put on spot or voluntarily stand out. People like to be even which also resulted in the fact that the most comment we have on Norwegians is: oh they are very nice people, just being nice, somewhere in the middle. It is unlike in the states, when during the weekend we were talking about why using "fasinating" to describe America because it just have so extreme and diversified population. But norwegians are just very alike. This reminds me of the thoery of equality, typical Scandinavian charateristic, in Sociology. That the goverment or the regime that the country connects to is just trying to erase distinction among people. That everybody should have equal access to things.

Party time is also fun to observe Norwegian character. I dont know if its because its just the first weekend that we spend together that people don't get familiar with each other yet, that most of people prefer holding a beer and talking and talking and talking when there is loud music going on and people would get wild dancing if its north america.

I have heared some anthropology explanations for Norwegians people based on this country's farming history. And of course very cold climate is also an important factor that shapes a nation's personality. I have only been here for bit more than one month and very much look forward to knowing more about this country.

My ankle is recovering and hopefully I can go back to gym very soon and I so much miss running and doing stuffs there.

Hope you all are having a great time and get lots of "red envelops" =).

the one with HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!

I'll be gone for the weekend doing this cabin trip to Lønningstrand (well I dont know how to pronouce it but...) Hopefully it would be lots of fun cause I'm meeting lot of new people there!!

So wanna wish all of you happy new year although it is a chinese new year but it means a lot to me and its gonna be my first time celerbrate it abroad and I'm starting to miss my hometown food soooo much. Its funny that my parents are now in Vancouver and I'm here in "the way to North" and we are all missing this big family gathering. I very much miss the new year dinner with big family kids running around and my grandmother having this happy smile on her face looking at the family. We were all together talking about meaningless stuffs but it is just so family and so CHINESE and I love it.
Kid like my age we dont have a big big family and I have only my grandmother ever since I remember. And as shanghai becomes more and more modernized people dont bother to cook at home on New Year's eve and I know I will not have those traditional big dinner by mommies anymore. Which is sad I know, but maybe one day I can have my big family and do sth traditional LOL.

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Kathi is in London right now omg. I have been so happy for her good news and me and michy were talking this evening about guys. Which sort of took me back to my reality. I can be really messy in my emotions and I have been so much influenced by this. Hopefully the weekend trip can help me relax a little bit -- I'm so sick of self doubting and everything.

Hope you guys all have a wonderful New Year!!!

With Love,
Amanda

the one with Valentine 2007

I became very aware of Feb 14th ever since I started my first serious relationship. I learned that girls give chocolates to the guys they like, and guys would send flowers same day of month after to show they have same feelings. I learned making strawberry with chocolate and some little handcraft as nice little present on Valentine's day. Well I didnt do everything so good but I'm always this little romantic girl spending hours doing things like that. Now I know it is very asian and probably sometimes it is bit too much. But I will still get excited about this day and want to do sth no matter its for the ones I love or only for fun.

Last year I heared this very funny saying that Valentine's Day is actually meanwhile the single realizing day -- on this day people would have this "oh let me think how long I've been single for?" thought. And remember last year I was hanging out with girls who of course were single at the time, we were so dressed up on purpose and went to TST wanna have our own big night. Which was actually impossible because you have no idea how Hong Kong can be do crowded by couples and lovers. And we felt being outplayed totally totally.

I used to be so conscious about how lonely it is being single on Valentine's Day. But now I guess I just have to live with what life brought me. Today I am happy. I am happy because my friends are feeling happy. I am happy because we are together and we have love. And we are aware of that fact that we are being loved, by friends, family, boyfriends/girlfriends.
I was still giving chocolates (although I didnt make them myself :-P) and sending wishes. Oh and we had this Valentine's party at Klubb Fantoft and the only thing the organizers had is let us put on strings to show our relationship status --- pink to show you're single, red to show you're taken, both means you're in an open relationship which is funny. And it is also my observation that guys who are actually in relationships would choose only red for sure, however girls who are acutally not single would choose to put on both just for fun.
It has been long since last time I came out for social party because of my damn ankle so I had lots of fun talking tonight. I made a long phone call to daddy since he just arrived Vancouver to see mommy (well it just happened to be on a Valentine's Day, my dad is never that romantic!). So now is four in the morning and Valentine's Day is just over!

I'm still looking forward to my next Valentine's Day and hopefully I could spend it with my boyfriend.

the one with the worst Valentine's ever

It is too corny to say things like "you'd only feel you have lost it when you really lost sth". But I am really missing the days I can walk and run like normal people. Maybe it is because past few weeks have been really happy, which makes the time I am going through right now bit hard for me. Of course I know I can recover, maybe sooner than I expected. But staying in room all day long and walking really hard to classes are killing me. I was so looking forward to the cabin trip this weekend but now seems that it'd be an impossible and I will spend my new year like a little old lady unable to go anywhere.

I have thousands of reasons to be crying (and of course was what I did), and the worse thing is I am being very fragile and grumpy right now. I cant focus and have serious sleeping problems.
I'll go to hospital again in 5 hours to do x-ray. It could be hell expensive guess....

oh god, this is the worst Valentine's ever, absolutely.

the one with amanda the "unnecessarily dominated" leader

My ankle got worse after the yoga class last night, today I cannot even walk properly and every step took me by pain. Well guess only can blame that on myself -- I have been to gym almost every single day from two weeks ago when I got the gym pass, and dont know what the hell I was thinking decided still continue my yoga after I hurt my ankle days before. Just hope I can recover soon because I miss walking and running freely.

Sociology class becomes more and more interesting and I always feel like have learned a lot after lectures and tutorials. Even though it is not fun when trying to understand all the readings with sociology terms, it feels good when you go to classes and brainstorming with the lecturer and find out oh it is like this. The sociology course I am taking here is about welfare system which mainly focuses on western welfare system -- I don't know why but I could hardly find anything refering those regimes we have in Asia in all the references, not to mention taking China as example. But it is interesting to observe some of characteristics of nordic welfare state here in Norway. For example, I though it is only by accident when I noticed it is the husband here would take care of the babies. But after a while, I found that actually it is always the daddy who take over the prams or hold babies in streets. It is not saying how powerful women are in the society but the females are undoubtly encouraged to persue what they want and family/childcare would not be an obstacle. Speaking of observation in streets, it is also true that old people here often do things on their own. No matter on the icy roads or crowded stores, it is so common to see the old people quietly mind their own business. Locals say maybe its because Norwegians are very independent, well, ever since they enter adulthood. Not sure if its an Scandinavian characteristic as well but it reminds me of the very popular American individualism concept in China.

Although I walked like disabled today, I still need to go to this assessment center for AIESEC. I did not realize it was the final stage of memership recruitment until I got NHH so was bit surprised. Well it was a final round interview and it was the longest (maybe the toughest) and most formal one I have ever had. It is a large group interview and we have 10 candidates in total. In the two and half hours, we performed tasks including a group discussion and small presentation. At final stage, there was an q&a session for individuals. I shall say I performed average in the group discussion but maybe its because of the language or the leadership style. A teamplayer commented me as "unnecessarily dominated". It is very interesting to join this group interview not only because I had experienced a challenging one but also that it made me rethink myself as well as the environment.
Remember Dad once told me there is something very essential and good deep in Chinese culture which is seeking the peace inside yourself and not be influnced by anything good or bad (it might be bad translation eh eh..). I would understand it as think about you and only you inside, which might sounds like Individualism in America but actually it totally the opposite. Individualism in America depends a lot on how you present yourself and how you win over others. Something like "as long as you have faith in yourself, YOU can do it". In this sense, I always persume that something is western culture has very much to do with competition. Children are educated to compete with each other and feel good about themselves based on others' praises. I don't know what it is like exactly about myself but I do think I enjoy the process of competing and I would be aggressive when I force myself to compete.
But that is not the important part of today's interview because I think I just perform how I am supposed to and the point is, people would think it is being aggressive. And my guess is, it is all about environment. It would be a culture thing in North America that everybody in the group wants his/her voice to be heared and people would never hesitate to express their opinions, well plus English is their first language so there is no problem at all. It would all about presentation if put this case in HK. Business people are very well trained to present themselves just in order to leave impression on whoever might be judging (think about the Business students in CUHK errhh). Well then I thought about the commerce students I met at Queens then they can be more perfect.
hmmm...I'm kind of lost in what I am gonna say here, maybe should compare a little with the students here but I dont have a big sample size ;-)

2 in the morning already so I am very sleepy... Only hope my ankle can get better soon cause I know got a long way to go.

Best to all of you.

Love,
Amanda

the one with AIESEC interview

I still feel its funny about sending application to AIESEC. Well I did miss the deadline in HK just bcecause I was too lazy and it is for sure that I'm gonna go for 5th year to finish my bachelor and when looking back I have actually been to enough places around the world people can think of during undergraduate study. I know tons of my friends would have the same reaction when I apply for AIESEC with this "what the hell are you thinking" look on their faces.

Anyways, I did apply this time and had this chance travel to the college of Business in Bergen whose name is NHH --- classmates taught me to pronouce it "N Ho Ho" when asking directions. And before that I thought Uni of Bergen is the only college in Bergen -- well it is the only comprehensive university but turns out that Bergen has other institutions in Business(this NHH), Nursing, Engineering, bla bla bla... Very very good weather today with my favourite big sun and snow everywhere. Bad news is that I am still walking like lame since last Saturday because I didnt run properly in gym... >.< I found the building without difficulties and waited for my interview during which I found this is another nice little college although I have not seen everything of it.

Interviews in western countries always starts later than scheduled, unlike in HK everything should be marked down and things should be done according to what is marked down :-P I was not really nervous cause I though it would easy since everybody says it is only the interview between you and company that really matters. But oh but, this is one is bit more fomal than I expected. Although they did not ask any surprising questions, I became less calm when I found myself not so prepared. The only thing I did not expect is that they assigned me a mini task which is to call this person and talk with him for two minutes and grasp as much information as I can. Well it is very common in job interviews in HK but I never done it before so it was interesting trying it today! And the funny thing is when I saw the name who I was supposed to call I realized I have seen this person on webpage appeared as the preseident of this club! Well I was too hurry to use this as sth but it is just very funny... :-P They interviewed me for about 45mins which is of course bit overrun perhaps I talked too much. But to be honest I don't think I have done very well today. :-(

The end the two interviewers said this recruitment is rather competitive this year so I have no idea about the situation whether I have a chance or not. It sounds very attractive cause potential candidates would do group work in this "assessment center" and final stage involves going to Oslo for a conference and meet the board (yea it sounds more complicated than in HK!). I would love to work together with Norwegians and see how it works! Since we exhcange students take most courses together and party together, there is really few chances here actually experience the thinking pattern and working style of local students.


Anyways after the interview I did not have this WOW feeling plus I have been waiting for the bus for long time. (oh you guys have no idea how disappointing the bus system here in Bergen -- they are never on time and you never know how long you are gonna wait. The buses in Vancouver totally put those here in shame!Not to mention the best metro we have in HK!) After I got on the bus, my bus card didn't work. The driver took over my card and checked and said to me with this cold look on his face "you are out of the zone" just like "you are out of your mind". I felt very sorry and apologized to let him know I did not know it. And he still had this cold face didnt even look at me as if he does not understand English. Bus drivers here are interesting as well --- some of them are really really friendly and so willing to help when needed, but some of them are really really asshole.

Okay... wish me luck with AIESEC although i still cannot answer the question "what the hell are you thinking?"

LOL

the one with walk the line

Didnt feel so cheered up this evening well mainly because got some unexpected responses on msn and it's like, feeling cold right from inside and I was there like frozen and thank god I HAVE to run up for the movie "Walk the Line" so I just fled away as quick as I can. errrhhhh..... :-(
Anyways I was bit distracted at begining of the movie but I was really enjoying it more and more as story went on. Johnny Cash music somehow reminded me of the times working in Sodexho when we were washing dishes at back of the kitchen people love to turn on some country music and it was that music companying me the whole working hours. LOL

I heared the saying from June Carter way before I wanted to actually see the movie so I just randomly write it down in my webpages: "Try to matter". Although I cannot say Reese Witherspoon acts perfectly in this, I was impressed by the June Carter she played. It is a determined woman. Only a pity that the story did not focus so much on her. But I absolutely love this movie and so glad I watched it tonight.

Yea now I get back and have been downloading some Johnny Cash music and am feeling much better. Still so full because we went to this Spanish dinner in the evening although each dish was incredibly small, I love the egg with potato a LOT. One thing good about living here so far is, me Amanda has been working very good with western food! Remember the days in the States fried everything three meals a day and I almost was sobbing when I firstly put ZhaJiangMian (Beijing Noddle) into my mouth, so of course I abandoned the idea of buying another meanl plan when was in Canada. But so far I have only had two chinese meals and still staying very happy and excited about western food. Well I definitely still think Chinese food is best ever, but this has been big change for me YAY! :-P

Not been so productive lately and guess now its time to focus. I'll talk to you guys later! [:-D

the one with amanda enjoying the concert

There are lots of ways to escape from the real world -- sort of taking a rest restoring energy to move on. It is not because the reality is too scary or miserable to keep staying in. For me sometimes I do need to slow down little bit, either think of nothing and take some deep breath, or reflect on hows everything going so far. I am glad as human being I can choose to just go to the mountains and appreciate nature as one way of relaxing myself, or as an educated person I could have chances of being with artists and appreciating their work.
Ok, I'll just cut the crap cause I can be talking nonstop about my philosophy - we went to this Friday night concert with orchestra playing classic spanish music. To me, it really does not matter if you understand the music or not. To me, as long as you are somehow touched by art itself --- you're the rich guy cause it already left something beautiful in you which would last for long time.

Now I'm just laying back enjoying this another relaxing weekend also thinking about this week. My best friend back home broke up with her boyfriend because he has been cheating on her. I of course would not say anything detail about this partly because they both are my best friends. On the other hand, it was good to know sara got back with dorian finally and wing is being stable with jasper and got her visa to holland which is super yay! By the time I was sitting at Klubb Fantoft and speaking with Kathi, she stroke me with something I already know but have been rarely aware of. "Two persons having the chance meeting each other and get together and have a great time, that is amazing thing already." I remember me repeating this last day of 2006, "there is nothing better than feeling you are in love with someone and being loved in return." I know both of the sayings are focusing on the present. It is the present that matters and it is the present that you can really feel truly. And I know I would feel much much better stop thinking about the future and all those risky decisions. I am still like a girl got lost in forest. When I am by myself staring at the sky hope someone could join me only to share the loneliness, I am still wondering.
None of us would forget how it feels keep refreshing the webpage hoping something update could pop up. We are the waiting people who are fearless to take the first move as long as we know it worths everything at the end.

Arhhh... it is a boring journal. I'd try being funny next time :-P

so far so damn good

Finally starting my fourth webpage... it just like changing one's hairstyle... hopefuly a new look may bring a new attitude.

I have been here in Bergen for one month until now. Last night when people are talking hey tmr is 1st of Feburary can you believe that? Yeah, time goes so fast here and now everything is getting on track and I am feeling very good about it.

Remember the first couple of weeks the weather here in Bergen is the worst I have ever experienced --- it rains every single day, 9 oclock in the morning still looks like dawn which makes it very hard getting myself out of my warm bed. However, it took no time for me fall in love with this quiet small city. When I was walking along the water, or hiking in the mountains with snow everywhere, I felt peace and calm deep inside me ever since last time I was in Sydney.
Maybe cause I grew up in too commercialized populated cities, no matter Shanghai or Hong Kong, I get so used to those skyscrapers everywhere and crazy night life in downtown. Of course I would still get excited when I standing right in the center of the city, head up trying to see the top of the huge commercial buildings. Would never forget last time I was standing at the balcony of China Club (which belongs to Bank of China) in Central Hong Kong, I said to myself "I am in this such material world and I would be part of it". I could be very ambisious and motivated when I see this side of the world. And now, I am very blessed and joyful to see Bergen as another side of world compare to Hong Kong.

With a population of 235,000 inhabitants, Bergen as the old capital of Norway has its very cultural and classic style. People here are very friendly and helpful, no matter they do or do not speak good english. Most of them like to laugh about the weather they have, especially when talking about it is the second rainy city in Norway with more than 260 rainy days in a year on average. It is always easy to start converstions or seek for help with locals, but as expected people here are more distant than those in North America.

I was settled in an international student hostel called "Fantoft" with 1300 living uinits and most of residents are of course from all over the world. According to statistics, 43% of exchange students this year are from Germany which definitely ranks as top, 14% are French although I did not meet so many, then should come down to Italians, Polish, and other European countries. Being an asian is apparently the minority here, it is funny that when we asians see each other, although we dont necessarily say hi we would look at each other with extra attention. So far I only knew a Hong Kong girl from my floor, and a mainland master student who I met randomly. From China to here, the poportion of races turned into an opposite side. Remeber when I was touring Joppe and his dutch friend in Shanghai and girls kept coming to me asking if they can take pictures with the white boys, and now I am in a completely white community, it would amuse me everytime I think back.
It feels very very good living here and it reminds me a lot of days back in Harkness. Lots of things could happen in a multicultural living place like this, and I am just so happy to meet everybody and make up for my ignorance of European countries. Guess I would like to say more about that in later blogs since it is gonna be a big topic.

School started since last week and I am enjoying my classes very much. The courses I am doing here consists of Anthropology of Scandinavia, Welfare model of Scandinavia, Mass Media, and Quatitative Analysis. I finally dropped my Norwegian since I do not think it is practical for me taking a course and learn this language of 4 and half million people speaking another 20 million understanding. So hopefully I could pick up some basic conversations from locals and exchange friends who are taking it. Classes all went pretty well so far, I love one of the American professors a lot and I am very attentive in class. For those who are not professors but only PhD students instead lecturing as teachers, I am quite disappointed by the why they teach. Since I have learned some mathematical parts of the course, I can see the teacher made lots of mistakes and presented knowledge points very badly. But after all, I am quite happy about the classes here since I can freely raise questions and discuss topics with classmates and professors which helps me more in understanding.

Last night I went to a local party held by students from Sociology. Although I enjoyed the conversation I had with one of local students there, it turned out that us as an exchange group of 6 people, we just talk with ourselves since all other Norwegian students were having counversations themselves (in Norwegian of course). Of course it is mainly because it is not like a dancing n drinking party or sth which did not provide us with lots of chances of meeting new people, but it made me think about the issue of "exchanges and locals" again which I was talking to Shweta the other night. No matter in Hong Kong, or when I was in Canada or the States, and in Australia, I observed that it is always not easy for foreigners intergrate with locals and for locals get used to being open to foreigners. Of course different places have their own situations and character, but it is always interesting to see how two groups of people really break the wall and communicate --- what makes them start to interact, through what ways, and what each group want get from each other.

Oh this is already a long journal, so guess I'd better stop here. I am loving my life here very much, and not homesick at all. I would love to post more about my life. And I love you my friends very much.

Hope you are having a great time wherever you are.

Love,
Amanda