Teacher and Tromsø

I already announced it and here it is: the amazing post! :-) Last week I worked as a primary school teacher. I was going to present Switzerland to all the kids in the 4th - 7th grade. They are 9 - 12 years old. I didn't expect that I have to present already on the first day my PowerPoint presentation, but everything went fine. When I wasn't presenting Switzerland, then I was in the 4th grade (first picture) to help in the lessons. The kids were sweet but it was also very exhausting. At the end of every day I was really tired. What did i help? For example in the Math lessons or in the Art and Handcraft lessons (I hope this is the right name in English). In the Art and Handcraft lesson the kids sewed and I had to help! :-) I was kind of surprised that it was not a problem for me. It happened also everyday that some kids came to me and said "You are so cool.", or some girls "I'm in love with you.". On the second picture you can see the bureau where I had my place. I got this job because the woman on the right side (Reidun) is a good friend of my hostmother.

I was just working 4 days in the primary school, because on Friday began our trip to Tromsø. We took the plane 8 am in Oslo, so we had to drive 5 am from Halden. We arrived Tromsø 10 am. These two pictures were taken ca. 1 pm. You can see that it isn't very bright. But surprisingly was it longer bright then expected. You didn't see the sun but you had maybe 4-5 hours a day with a very special light. On the picture above can you see a church in the centre of the city. You can see that the Russians had some influence on the way of building in Tromsø. On the picture below is the library of Tromsø. Wenn du das lisisch, Mami, denn stunsch sicher nid schlächt ab dere Bibliothek. Wär ja eigentlech fasch Grund gnue o mau dert ueche z ga ;-) I just wrote a little message to my (real) mother, because she is librarian.

The Polaria is a museum and aquarium about polar regions, climate warming and environment. The highlight is this big basin with seals.

I saw a polar bear and I drove the snowscooter! ;-)

On Saturday went we on a dog-sledding tour. Our goal was to see the famous aurora borealis or northern lights. The tour lasted one hour and after it my backside really hurt. But it didn't really matter because this tour was awesome. We saw really big northern lights. They reached from the south horizon til the north horizon, on the whole sky. Unfortunately were they not bright enough for my camera. You can see on the picture below a hopeless try of catching the aurora borealis..

After the dog-sledding tour could we enjoy delicious reindeer meat and vegetables from the region.

This is the "Ishavs katedral" (Ice sea cathedral). It is a famous building in Tromsø. It was built 1965 from the architect Jan Inge Hovig. Here is the wikipedia link.

On Sunday we took the cable car to the top of a mountain next to Tromsø which is ca. 450 meters high. We arrived there and what we saw was just awesome! The view with its very special light. The day before was the first official day of sun which means that you can see the sun for a short time. We were on the top exactly then when you could see the sun from the city. We didn't see the sun from there where we stood but the light was so special. On the picture below can you see a part of Tromsø.

On the way back to the hotel, we walked over one of the two big bridges in Tromsø and then we saw the Hurtigruten boat. It is kind of something special when the Hurtigruten arrives. Everyone knows when it is coming because the boat's signal-horn is very loud. 

some days more

I didn't forget my blog. Maybe you already thought that, but you just have to wait some days more. I am working in this week at a primary school and next weekend will we fly to Tromsø, the biggest city in the Northern Norway. After next weekend should I have enough picture for to make an amazing post ;-)
Have a good time

Christmas holiday

At the begin of the Christmas holiday did I play paintball once. More precisely it was re-ball. That is the same as paintball just without paint. You play with little plastic balls which really hurt when they hit you. I got lots of bruises, but it was really fun. It is very exhausting too and you get very sweaty because you have to wear long clothes that it doesn't hurt that much. Next time I should wear training clothes ;-) On the picture: Eirik and me.

Halden in the night. Halden Storsenter is quite a big shopping center. You find almost everything there. Only a electronic store is missing.

On the 30 December were we skiing in Norefjell. This is a skiing area north west from Oslo. We had to drive exactly 3 hours from Halden. Anne, Thorvald, Tormod and me drove there. I borrowed skis for one day. I really enjoyed the first time on skis this winter. It is not a very big skiing area, but for one day it was enough. Because of there wasn't that much snow you couldn't ski off-pist. I hope in the winter holiday, when we will go til Trysil (thi biggest skiing area in Norway) it will lay more snow.

The pistes were open from 09:30 - 15:30. This photo was taken ca. 15:00. It is on the top of the skiing area on 1188 meters above mean sea level.

This am I calling a nice blue. With the night modus of my camera can I take sometimes really nice photos.

Christmas tree

A little addition: here can you see what kind of changes our tree experienced..

Jul

Now will you see how Norwegian Christmas in my hostfamily is. This is our "official" family foto which was on all the Christmas cards.

Lille Juleaften (small Christmas Eve) is the evening on the 23 December. My hostmother decorated the Christmas tree and Harald, Anne Marit and me were playing settlers and drinking a Juleøl (Christmas beer). On this evening I was before by my girlfriend. We watched some movies, for example "Home alone". It was nice because I saw this movie maybe 5 years ago the last time. By the way Harald won this game. Anne Marits comment: "Harald wins allways, when we're playing a tactic game".

This is our Christmas tree. He will stay til ca. 20 days after Christmas Eve. Because it is a fresh tree likes Anne to have it that long.

This is the Christmas gang :-) without Thorvald. I want to thank Anne, Thorvald, Anne Marit, Harald, Tormod and Nina for this homy evening. The food was very good. We ate ribbe (rib from pork) with medisterkake (meatballs) and vegetables. For dessert ate we fruitsalad...delicious! :-)

After eating sat we in the living room and sang some songs. We were waiting for..

..the Julenisse. You can see him on this picture. It was really funny because he tried to speak German but unfortunately should he practise it a little bit more. ;-)

This is the Norwegian traditional costume called "bunad". Here a list of the presents I got: A poster with a picture from Prekestolen which I took, a teddy moose, cookies from my granmother, a scandinavian guidebook, DVD from a comedian, a Norge bottle, a Halden book, money, CD from my favourite band "Gotthard", tickets for a musical in Oslo opera house, "moods of norway" pyjama pants, prekestolen tourist T-shirt, chocolate and a lot of cards. I want to thank everyone who sent me a card! :-)

Before Christmas / Før Jul / Vor Weihnachten

Finally was also in Halden a little bit of snow. I was already looking forward to white Christmas but the weather report says that it will be plus degrees tomorrow. So all the white will disappear and everything outside will get muddy. What do you think? Is a muddy Christmas not wonderful?

The last school day ended with kind of a show (Juleavslutning). Some students were performing a show-dance (which was not really good (and this is very polite said)), some schoolbands performed some songs and some students got a diplom for a good mark in a math test. Honestly: I saw already better shows. At least I could see once more or less all the students from my school, ca. 800.

A picture of the julegata (Christmas shopping street) in Halden. The decoration isn't very big but it is a christmassy atmosphere there.

Today I was with Thorvald, Tormod and friends of them in the forest to looking for a Christmas tree. It is one of the only when not the only tradition in my hostfamily where just men participate. All the others are already pensioned and in this year was it the 40th time they did this. We drove to this one place where we met the other men and then we drove with this tractor in the forest.

We found two very nice Christmas trees.

The tradition is: 1. Finding a Christmas tree. 2. Drinking coffee which is cooked over the fire. 3. Going on this one hill and singing a Norwegian Christmas song there. 4. Going back and see each other in the next year again. I think it is a very special and nice tradition. The coffee was surprisingly good. Maybe it is just because of a rule one of the guys told me: "I skogen smaker alt godt." => "In the forest everything tastes good."

The picnic is every year at the same place by the big old tree. The tree is several hundred years old.

On this hill they sing everytime a Christmas song. The owner of the forest called this hill Holmkollen because his family name is Holm.

I wish everyone who reads this merry Christmas and happy New Year. Thank you for reading my blog.

People

 

 I want to introduce you two very important girls for me her in Norway. The girl on the picture on the top is my girlfriend Helene. We are together now for two and a half weeks. 

The girl on the picture below is my hostsister Anne Marit. I am very glad that I have such a nice hostsister.

   
I like the Norwegian sunrises and sunsets. It has happened quite often that I saw out of the window and then was there a beautiful evening sky.

Today was the "Juleavslutning" (a little event before christmas) from the basketball club in Halden. My hostsister and my hostbrother Tormod are both in this club. It was really fun. First could we eat cake, then made we four teams and played a little tournament. I was surprised how good some small children were with the ball. On the picture are Anne Marit, Maria and Siri (two good friends).