Experience Norway Student Blog

Here’s a recap of day one in Kristiansand:

“The Sea! The Sea!”
~Xenophon c. 428-c.354BC

Thankfully, our first day here in Kristiansand began with a late start, which gave us a chance to catch up on sleep or spend the Sunday morning as we wished. The breakfast here at the hotel was a-mazing: bacon, sausage (we think either bear or reindeer, very delicious), fruit, cereal, bread, cheeses and meats, waffles, eggs, juices…getting hungry yet? After we loaded up, we strolled down to the seashore to begin our boat trip. Though the weather was rather nice, the chill sea breeze made us a bit cold. However, the view on the water was beautiful. We stopped on a couple of islands. The first, an old fort was tiny, and we were able to meet its sole inhabitants – a handful of sheep. The other was larger and we took time to eat a light lunch. Shrimp was the highlight of the meal, and this definitely wasn’t the stuff you buy at the store back home. Eyes, legs, and eggs were all still intact, waiting to be pealed. Once you got through all of that, the reward was delicious! (Kudos to the girls who tried the shrimp and mayo sandwich!)

Outside one of the buildings, Norwegian children were whittling sticks (well, we’ll call it whittling, but these knives were pretty large for such small hands). We decided that Norwegian children must be some of the toughest in the world. Nebraskan children certainly aren’t allowed to wield sharp objects! They did so quite carefully, though, and with adult supervision, of course. (Kids, don’t try this at home!)

We also took a mini-hike around the island, and a few of us attempted to use the children’s rope swings. Apparently, Norwegian children weigh less than American college students. The things we learn abroad!

We had some free time to roam after our boat tour, and then – pizza! It was so good! We wrapped up the day with a walking tour of the city. We were able to learn some Norwegian history, as well as many interesting facts about Kristiansand itself (did you know it was won awards for its beautiful flowers?).

To relax a bit after our long day of walking, a group of us stopped by a nearby bar to hear a local band perform and taste Kristiansand’s own beer. All in all, a rather eventful first day in Norway!

jlwhisler General

Sorry about the delay - we’re having a few issues with our internet access on our laptop. Right now we’re at the library on the University of Agder campus. Adreas Aase just gave us a quick look at key Norwegian values - equality, moderation, and nearness to nature are at the top of the list. We will soon be leaving campus to visit Aker MH/Aker Solutions. Hopefully,we’ll get the internet working this evening. I just didn’t want you to think we’d forgotten about you now that we’re across the ocean.

Hope all is well in Nebraska!

(Pictures are on their way, I promise! You may be able to view them at http://norwaytrip09.ist.unomaha.edu/photos but it’s difficult to check on this computer.)

jlwhisler General

You should not pain the chair, but only what someone has felt about it.
~Edvard Munch

We’re here! It’s been a long day (or two days….I’ve never been very good at all this time-change business), but we’ve finally made it. We had a long layover in Amsterdam, so we took full advantage and ventured out of Schipol Airport to see some of the city. Our awesome tour guide, Michael, took us around the heart of Amsterdam. So, yes, we saw the red light district and a certain plant that’s rather illegal to have in the U.S. But, more importantly, we saw the beautiful canals that give the city form. Cyclists were abundant, taking full advantage of the wide sidewalks and biking lanes.

Part of our tour included a walk through the Anne Frank House. It is a powerful display that takes you through Anne’s years of hiding in the floors above her father’s office with seven others, including the rest of her family. Quotes from her dairy are painted on the walls, leading you through her story. We were able to climb the steep, narrow steps that led to their secret hideout - the entrance to which was hidden behind a bookcase. At the top were the tiny rooms where they lived quietly through much of World War II always in fear of being found out. On August 4, 1944, they were discovered, and Otto Frank, Anne’s father, was the sole survivor of the group.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the house, both out of respect for other visitors and so as not to damage the original items on display. However, the museum has an excellent website: http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2 Here you can view many items on display at the house, watch videos (including the only known video image of Anne), and even access a live webcam of the view out Anne’s window. In 2010, the site will launch a 3D virtual tour of the house in honor of the Anne Frank House’s 50th Anniversary.

We also went to the Rijks Museum. There was so much beautiful art, but here are a few of my favorites (search the collection here: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/zoeken/?lang=en or view a larger selection of the masterpieces here: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/formats/container_en.html):
Herman Doomer’s Cabinet
‘The floating feather’ by Melchior d’Hondecoeter
‘River view by moonlihgt’ by Aert van der Neer

And now, at long last, we are in our hotel in Kristiansand (http://www.hotellsorlandet.no/). Photos should be uploaded soon!

jlwhisler General

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
~ St. Augustine

Hei!

Our semester is finally wrapping up here at UNO! We’re finishing projects, papers, and exams; selling textbooks back; and, of course, packing for our trip to Norway! (2 days ’til lift-off!) St. Augustine wrote that ”The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” On Friday, our diverse group of 20 UNO students, along with chaperons and faculty members, will begin reading a few more pages in that book. And we can’t wait!

So, this blog will be a bit like a SparkNotes guide (complete with pictures!) for all of our friends and family back home. Since we can’t take all of you with us, we’ll bring some of our experiences to you! Check in here while we’re away for daily updates on what we’re doing, the fun we’re having, the sights we’re seeing, and what we’re learning along the way.

Don’t forget to leave comments, and tell us what you want to know about our trip to Norway!

Vi sees! (See you [later]!)

jlwhisler General

Students,

Please register your trip with the US State department at: http://studentsabroad.state.gov/.  This site has great information about students who travel abroad.  The actual registration area is at: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/index.aspx.

Be sure to plan ahead for packing.  We leave on Friday!

zfowler General

On May 8th, 20 students will be leaving Omaha for their first experience in Kristiansand, Norway! This immersion experience will allow students to learn first-hand about Norwegian society, culture, history, business practices, education, and government, and have conversations with their counterparts and some key thinkers in Norway.

The students were selected for the trip on a competitive basis. The selected student delegation includes a number of first generation college students who represent a diverse group of women (14) and men (6). The students are predominantly juniors and represent a wide variety of majors from the following colleges – six from the College of Information Science & Technology, seven from the College of Education, four from the College of Arts & Science, and one each from the College of Public Administration and Community Affairs, College of Business Administration, and College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media.

During their trip to Norway, the students will visit the cities of Kristiansand (home to UiA), Stavanger, and Oslo. While in Norway, the students will experience a range of activities including educational workshops on Norwegian values and culture, eDemocracy and European Integration. The students will also visit monuments and cultural sites such as the Pulpit Rock and the Gestapo museum and participate in a half day of service at local schools. In addition, the students will visit with corporate/government executives and multinational corporations like Aker Solutions, StatoilHydro and Elkem Solar. On the way to Norway, the students will lay over in Amsterdam for a day and tour the city including visiting the Anne Frank Museum.

Excerpt from the press release

admin General