Takk for waiting...

So here I am sitting at my desk while it is bright and sunny outside (don't believe what they say about Norwegian summers) after completing a full week at the International Summer School. Thanks for waiting since my last post, I'd been so occupied with planning and just getting things done that I'd forgotten to take anytime here. There are so many things I could and would love to share with anyone who asked, because I have enjoyed the experience so much already. The trip over went smoothly, the only irritants being the children sitting behind me kicking my seat the whole way. In the end, my neighbor turned around and threatened to throw them out the airplane windows (which they couldn't understand as they were speaking Icelandic). The dormitories we are housed in are very cute but very full- I have two roommates, Olga from Russia and Krasamira from Bulgaria. We all get along very well, and there is no shortage of friendly people here. The days are incredibly long, and the nights are never quite dark. Part of me feels exhausted due to the amount of work I have been doing, but the rest is completely energized by the constantly bright sky. When we arrived, I met Olga and our neighbor Sarah. The three of us "explored" Oslo- a pretty way of saying how lost we got. Among other things we found the Oslo penitentiary... definitely the first stop on any list of tourist attractions. We did some sightseeing over the weekend at the Viking Museum, the Opera House, and Vigeland Park. While all of these were breath taking in their own way, I definitely feel a need to re-visit them while I am here. Though I have only been here a week, I feel this pressure to do and see absolutely everything possible. There are just so many options and intriguing places, not only in Oslo but the remainder of Norway and Scandinavia in general. At the same time as sightseeing and enjoying myself with all the people I've met, classes are a huge strain on time. I am in my Scandinavian Government and Politics class and then Gender Equality in the Nordic Countries from 8 until 1 each morning. Government is very interesting because of the teacher (an Aussie with a mohawk) and the content which shows Norway as both a quality place to live but less ideal than is commonly thought by the outside world. Gender Equality is the most challenging class I've taken since I began college. The diverse people in it and the depth of conversation is truly amazing. Each of the countries represented are from very different levels of development with regards to women. Some contrast so greatly from the highly gender equal country of Norway that it is almost unbelievable. Already they are broadening my view to an incredible degree.