Germany… well… hmm… I like it!

Okay, the journey began in Oslo, visited a couple of friends there that within the last years emigrated from Trondheim, unfortunately. It was nice to see everyone again and I hope it won’t be that long until the next time our paths cross.

All of a sudden I find myself in the beautiful country of Germany. Never experienced this part of it before (that is anywhere outside Berlin) I must say – I like it! Open-minded people, beautiful cities, good food, great beer and a hell of a lot of chocolate! In other words ‘my cup of tea’, which by the way the Nintendo Wii we got for Christmas used to let me know, in a gentle way, that my balance suck. I quote; this balance test was obviously not your cup of tea. Damn!!! I’ll show you, besides it’s not my intention to balance my way trough life, I don’t mind a fall or two… pah, in your face, Wii-machine.

The Christmas spirit was definitely all around down there, I could feel it in my fingers and also almost in my toes.





Most important was of course the garden-gnomes. But seriously, I think they are hiding from me, most likely they know I’m after them, and that’s why they are especially careful when I’m around. The only ones I found were these, dressed for the occasion. Pretty, sure, why not.













One of the 1,500 types of sausages. Mmmmmm, delicious!









Altbier
Kölsch
Weizen/Weißbier
Weizenbock.
Berliner Weisse
Leipziger Gose
Roggenbier
Helles
Schwarzbier
Pilsener
Export
Spezial
Dunkel
Rauchbier
Bock


For each 750 ml (3 cups) of wine
1 stick cinnamon
6 whole cloves
Rind of half a lemon
2 Tbs sugar
1 cardamon pod (optional)
One of: (optional)
rum
brandy
vodka
schnapps




Germany is a leader in garbage separation… I approve of this! High five to Germany.




The German people seem to be very warm and welcoming, they include you in their lives in the most wonderful way and they show interest in you as a person from a different culture. They also invite you to return one day, this I really appreciate,

Thank you!





From all of me, to all of you, a continued Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

On the road again

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, is a country in Central Europe and Danubian Europe. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometers and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With over 82 million inhabitants, it has the largest population of any member state of the European Union and is home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.

Okay... blaaaaah, to the important stuff.

Germany has about 1250 breweries offering more than 5000 different beer brands - as a traveller interested in the soul of the place i'm visiting I will definitely check this out.

There are over 1,500 types of sausages - will of course try this as well.

Germany is the home of the world-famous garden-gnome. In the mid 1800s, the first garden gnomes were made in Thuringia, Germany. They have spread via central and northern Europe as far as America and Australia and have admirers in all four corners of the world - Exactly, they are invading the world, I always said so but nobody ever believed me, and here it is black on white, heeeelp, I might not return for Christmas, to my family: I love you, if I'm not back the 23rd - sue the gnomes.

Germany is a leader in garbage separation. More than 80 % of paper and glass is recycled. The problem is that each state has a different set of rules on this matter - wow, amazing, I'm actually going to this place! (Søffis, I promise to do research)

Many great philosophers of the world, like Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Heidegger, were German - and I guess they like visitors of this kind as well, anyway...

Germany here I come!

Rules

I received my lease contract for the apartment in the US today,
and naturally I sat down to study the rules, and I highlighted
the rules that will disrupt my normal way of life the most:

Candles are not allowed (only potpurri burners) - what the fuck is a potpurri burner?

Live trees, including holiday trees are not permitted at any time - what about festivus poles?

Liquid filled beds and other liquid filled furniture are not permitted - damn it.

At least it means my luggage will be a lot less heavy now that I know I have to leave the christmas tree and the waterbed in Moholt.

Minus 15 degrees celsius and snow - Vikings!

Norway's got talent!

Hey there world - it's done!

I was thinking since Exams are coming up now, and the only reasonable thing to do would be to sit down and read the appropriate litterature in that coherence, it's about time I step up to the plate and introduce myself to these burning surroundings.

This is me moving into position...

Back in Trondheim I find myself extremely satisfied with the life we live here in Moholt Alle 22, Trondheim - Norway. We got absolutly everything we need (with the exception of some minor details, but really not that important in this context, the world is not as big as it once were, for example I can tell you that Spain is now only a couple of hours away). Every day is important, every day is educating, every day we're blessed with the presence of good friends, our familys (not that far away anyway), adventure, music, a lot of good food... and A LOT of laughter. We're lucky. We know.

This will not just be the media for telling you about our travels and the big beautiful/scary world out there. Nonono, we're gonna change it!
...and hopefully be able to contribute to making it a little bit better.

For now this is the recipe
AK will sing and I'll play, Am, F, Dm and G
Later we'll work out a more detailed plan
where we most definitely will be in contact with the hotel-man
Peace and Love
to the ones mentioned above
And to the rest of you as well
...guess I need to include you if this thing is gonna sell ;)

The American Dream

So, it`s time to stop talking about ourselves and start talking about travelling!

Ida will go to Germany in December for a short vacation, and as mentioned Anne Kristine is moving to the US for 3 months in January...those are the travel plans closest to us in time now.
Also, we just came back from Sweden, where we tried some of the finest things Sweden has to offer (cheap meat, alcohol and candy + bowling and kebab).

Anne Kristine:
Even though it will be sad to leave Moholt and Ida I`m so excited to move to the US!
I`ve chosen the "NO" option on all the questionaires asking me if I`m coming to the US to conduct any kind of terrorism (an example of a good preventative measure as a terrorist obviously would never lie about his (or her) intentions on a questionaire). So, it seems I`m ready to go..I just need a J-status visum, a DS-2019 and a thick selection of different forms and papers and then I`ll be on my way!

I`ll be leaving Oslo the 10th of January, and returning to Trondheim the 13th of April.
I`m going to Pennsylvania, to a city called State College, and I`ll be doing an internship as an English teacher (yeah, you heard me, I, me, the Norwegian will be teaching English in the US) in a high school called State College Area High School (very creative name indeed).

I will be travelling with a guy from NTNU going there to teach social science.
We will live in a student city much like Moholt (hopefully it will be equally nice!)And while I`m in the US another English teacher in-training will be staying in my room in Moholt (Kelly from Seattle).

The pupils "over there" will refer to me as Ms.Vasset, and I must refer to all other teachers by their last name, at least when I`m in the prescence of students.
I can not wear denim (which means I have no pants to use) or short skirts (which means I have no skirts to use, as my longest one was too short) - which leaves me in my panties..but, I have a sneaking suspicion that might be slightly frowned upon too.

I hope you all come to visit me (especially you!) :)
(just bring your nice pants in case)

over and out from Moholt

A selection of Ida and AK

We obviously enjoy hearing ourselves sing.
































We`re proud to be Norwegian, and we like to show it by wearing the flag apperantly.
































We like to sit down and have a comfortable rest.

































We have a sligthly different interpretations of how a viking would pose.











And we have our own style of dancing:

Welcome

Hi!

We`re Ida and Anne Kristine...I think you know us ;)

We have decided to get a blog where we can keep our friends and family updated on our plans to conquer the world. We`re planning many small and big trips in the future, and this is the place to keep track of us.

As you might know, our most extensive travelling plan is to travel through Latin/South-America from fall 09, but we`ll have lots of small and/or big events to tell you about before this.

Anne Kristine is moving to the US in January 2009 and this is where you`ll have the chance to read about what it`s like to party with Obama. Meanwhile, Ida will keep you posted on Moholt life!

So, stay tuned, and give us lots of comments! :)

- Anne Kristine & Ida -