Caughing in KC.

The cold I’ve been dragging around for a week is taking its time to decide either to brake out like a bomb or disappear. So we’re somewhere in the middle. I don’t have any classes today, and I’ve commanded myself to get some bed rest. While catching up on a lot of reading, test coming up on monday.

So if anyone feels sorry for this tired face: get-well-soon cards, packages and flowers will be accepted.

Love you all. <3

 

Sunday already?

This weekend has passed by way too fast! I coulda woulda shoulda read way more for tomorrows exam, but I decided to give my classmates a fair chance to be best in class for once. I went here instead:

Watched Jerry and Spencer jamming. Good times.

Went bowling. Team Arian.

Went drinking. Got pretty tipsy. That’s what you get for starting drinking at five. The bartender in this bar was a 40 something woman, wearing a microphone headset, karaokin’ her way through the shift. Sing while you tap!  Just awesome.

A little more repeating for tomorrow now, and I guess I’ll be asleep by nine. Zzzzzzz.

So am I really from China?

When studying psychology you hear about cultural differences over and over and over again. The two BIG opposites are here the Western, individualistic countries (USA!) and the Eastern, collectivistic countries (China!). In the Western countries personal growth and independence is valued the most, in the Eastern countries it’s the interdependent cooperation and not to be different. So my teacher asked me what Norway is like. I answered that it is Western individualisic, for sure. Not so different from USA, really. Today I talked to a new friend, Judah, who is in this class with me. He asked me what big differences I’ve noticed between Norway and USA, and if there’s something I find weird over here. Yes! People are oversharing! I have heard more about my classmates lives over here in one month than I know about my Norwegian classmates after two years. “I’m a virgin and I love it!”, “My father is an alcoholic, and my sister has been in a mental institution her whole life!”, “I have this weird condition where I cannot digest apples!”- that is how it goes on and on, in class and out of class. I am sorry, but I don’t wanna know. I don’t even know these peoples names! I sometimes feel like I’m in a Ricky Lake show instead of class. 

So I’ve tried coming up with an explanation for this talkshow-behavior. It’s not a psychology student thing, as Norwegians don’t do it. It is not that they have so especially exciting things to share either (“I have a food-texture-phobia. I don’t like textured food. So I can’t have raisins in my oatmeal. Like, I just can’t.”) So is it just that it’s so competative here, everybody wants to stand out, be heard and seen, be special? I believe so. So Judah asked me how Norway still is individualistic, then, when we’re not supposed to stand out, or brag about our achievements? How is it different from a collectivistic country? I didn’t really know what to answer. Is Norway mini-China, and I just couldn’t see it all that clear before I went over here? What is really up with Norway? And should I be embarrassed to not really know?

Norway isn’t even on here, might there be a reason for that? Is it too far out?

 

… And back.

Back in KC. My heart bled a bit leaving NY on the most beautiful, sunny sunday.

And I have just spent 10 minutes trying to figure out what to write now.. 😉  I would love to rather show you lots and lots of photos, but truth is I didn’t really take too many.. Sorry ’bout that. I had a really good time, met many new and old friends, did not blow my budget too much, and I think I might have overcome my donut addiction now. At least for a while.

Here are a few pics:

Kristin, who I hadn’t seen in ages, with her beautiful baby Leo and hubby Jorges. So warm and loving people, it was inspiring meeting them for a good lunsj and talk about life.

I would kill for this leather chair, unfortunately owned by the UN. Most top leaders of the world have been sitting here, just as me. I want it because it’s so leathery white, though.

I held a speach for the international crowd.

And it rocked.

I met Alex again, who still is living the Dream, and who I know we will see earn her first Oscar by 2017. You go get it, girl!

I am getting better and better at taking photos of myself.

 

… Aaand today I booked a ticket to L.A. for spring break (last week of march). I’m not perfectly sure where I’ll stay and stuff, but I’ll figure out.. The ticket was so cheap that I simply had to get it. If anybody wants to hang out in L.A., let me know! 😀

 

 

 

Me in NYC.

Flying in over Manhattan at night truly is something special. No clouds, and all of Manhattan’s lights turned on. Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State, all so close (I swear I could almost see Jakob’s apartment). It sure was one of those moments, just magical. Taking a photo wouldn’t really work, though, so I took one of me instead.

Then Jakob and me had a good old Kitchen (-party) at his place (which basically is sitting in the kitchen, drinking and listening to guilty pleasures on Youtube, talking till it’s way too late). We hadn’t seen each other in one and a half year, it sure was about time.

Today I went to the MoMA, finally! Third time in NYC, no more excuses. I had a really good time there, though the one painting by Magritte that they have wasn’t there right now. He is my all time favourite, so that was a shame. But in lack of Magritte + Me I give you Monet + Me and van Gogh + Me.

The rest of the afternoon I spent drinking coffee and walking around Broadway, smiling like an idiot. I just love this city, and I can’t get enough! If I ever was to believe in former lives- this is where I spent mine, for sure.

Now I’m just chillaxin’ till Jakob gets home from work. Yesterdays lack of sleep doesn’t go unnoticed, so powernap it is.

American. Education. Fail.

Today I went to the post office, to send something to someone in Germany (can’t tell ya what, would ruin the surprise). Then I had the following conversation with the lady working in the post office (true story. I am not making this up):

Post Lady: “So- do you want this to go to Germany or to Europe? It says both.”

Me: ” …Well.. It is both?..”

Post Lady: “Oh?! Like Europe is in Germany?”

Me: “..?”

Post Lady:”..?”

Me: “Well.. Europe is… A continent. Germany is… A country… In Europe… (?)”

Post Lady: “Oh really?! See, I didn’t know that!! Thanks!”

Me: “Yeah… No problem.”

That was just amazing. I don’t really know what to say. Then I saw this:

Yeah.

Now off for some more class, then packing for tomorrow. Have I mentioned that I’m going to ☞ NYC ☜ tomorrow? Yeah. I am going to NYC tomorrow. ✌

 

Busy Bee in KC.

So remember I was all confident about my first exam here, braggin’ about my intelligence, knowledge and all of that? Yeah. Today we got the test back.. And I got an A. Way to start the semester. 😉

I’m pretty busy today, and tomorrow, before leaving for NYC on wednesday (YEAH!!). Just wanted to let you know about my superb test score, AND that you are more than welcome to please send me postcards! I don’t have too much pictures for the wall here, so postcards from all kinda places would be cool (picture below shows my collection so far)!

5050 Oak Street Apt 326, Kansas City, MO 64112  <3

So long, my friends- TTYS!

 

German effectivity in KC.

Today Anne and me went to the Nelson Atkins Museum, to watch some Chinese New Years Show. We got there at 4, just to realize that nothing much happened before 6. So instead of being all artsy and see the rest of the museum, we decided to wait in the cafeteria instead. This Chinese balloon-dragon we saw on our way to the cafeteria:

So there we sat, waiting it out. Chocolate cake and Key Lime Pie waited with us.

When no cake nor coffee was left, we started getting bored.. Anne had a brilliant idea: Let’s go to Target instead! Target is like Walmart, just a bit smaller. I didn’t have a hard time deciding on that. I was in. When leaving the parking lot they didn’t want our money- because the first 30 minutes are free. We hadn’t even been there for 30 minutes. Oh well.

Valentines Day is approaching, and you certainly can find the right chocolate for everybody.

I even found the perfect gift for myself! I didn’t get it, though. Still working on being strong (THE CAKE BEFORE WAS ANNE’S FAULT!!).

Tomorrow Anne, Annemarie and me will go to the Oark Park Mall, a huge (?) shopping mall outside KC. I don’t plan on spending too much, just look.. NYC is waiting for me on wednesday afterall. 😀

A little piece of heaven.

When I said I’ll be out for ice cream yesterday, I meant it. For I have discovered a little peace of heaven, right here in KC. It’s called Yogurtini (“Swirl it. Top it. Weigh it. Pay it.”). It is a frozen yogurt bar, where you can make your own frozen yogurt creations. You first choose which flavor(s) you want the yogurt to have. Here you can mix and match as much as you want. You can choose between a lot of flavors- like the subtle “Vanilla”, the bold “Red Velvet Cake Batter”, or the crazy American “Maple Bacon Doughnut”, just to name a few. There sure is something for everybody.

Then you go on and top it with as many toppings as you like.

Then you go and weigh it. Then you pay it.

Having a blog gives you a lot of responsibility. You wanna make sure that you are a good rolemodel, thereby taking good care of your readers. So I wouldn’t wanna tell you about my yesterday’s yogurtini creation, namely Red Velvet Batter topped with cheesecake sprinkles, Fruit Loops and Oreo cookies. I wouldn’t do that.

I’ll rather show you how to make a Low Carb Yogurtini– which honestly was maybe even better:

You take the sugarfree strawberry-banana yogurt, lots of fresh berries, flax seeds, nuts and just a hint of dark chocolate sprinkles (not lying: DELISH!). And the best part: you can stuff your face all you want, it’s still not gonna make you fat.

So, I guess I know where I’ll be spending my afternoons from now on. And mornings. Or both.