Hallo :)

It will be much easier to blog now that I have figured out how to change the language that shows on my webpage.  Being as I am hooked up to the school's internet here in Norway, my computer now thinks I can read Norwegian.  When I was trying to figure out how to post again I was having quite a difficult time translating everything.  I finally found the area where it asks which language to show and now that I'm reading and writing in English this will be much easier :)

I have learned SO much history while being here in Norway.  My nursing preceptor is very into world geography and history so everyday is almost like a new lesson for me, it's great!!  I feel like he's my own personal tour guide most days because he seems to know something about everything.  For example: the other day I learned how Norway received its name. (Hopefully I get can retell this story correctly). Instead of being one country, Norway used to be a bunch of small communities that were simply living on the same chunk of land.  They were always fighting each other, stealing, killing, etc.  Eventually, one man found a woman that he wanted to marry.  The woman told him that she would consider marrying him, but only if he could make all of the people living in the communities here become one instead of fighting and stealing from each other.  It was thought to be impossible, but after traveling to all of the people and talking he convinced them that it was stupid to be fighting each other when they could be working together.  The communities all agreed to become one country and when the man and woman married and they were the king and queen of Norway.  They finally settled in an area right on the water.  In order for ships to leave "Norway" they had to pass the king's residence, and any ships traveling to Norway or farther north would have to come north through this passage...hence the name "Norway" or North Way.  (I really hope I remembered that correctly, I will have to ask tomorrow just to make sure).

I learned today that penicillin was made by mistake, and I also learned that there is a type of whiskey that can only be purchased here in Norway.  This whiskey has different types, and one of them is shipped down to Brazil and back.  This started when a bunch of sailors were going out and they filled the ship with kegs of beer for the journey.  They went out and drank most of it.  Eventually they were to sail down to Brazil and back.  When they arrived back in Norway they found one keg of this whiskey that was forgotten on the boat.  When they found it they tasted it, and to their surprise it was very good.  The barrel rolling under the deck of the boat and crossing the equator with all of the temperature differences makes the whiskey taste as it does.  So, to this day they still make this particular whiskey in this manner, placing it on boats and sending it to the equator/Brazil and back.  (I know this is not really nursing related, but it is still fascinating Norwegian history that I would have never known!) It may seem (from my blogging) that we only talk about history, but Vegard is a very educated nurse.  If I have a question about diagnoses, medications, why we do certain things, he always has an answer.  And if, on the VERY rare occasion I ask a question that he is unsure of the answer he finds it and then teaches me about it.  I just blog about the history because I am fascinated by the things he is teaching me and I feel like sharing it with you as well :)

Yesterday was the first time I met with the professors here since we completed orientation last week and began working in our practical settings.  We had a very nice discussion, and we met the other international students that arrived this weekend.  There are 4 girls from Aberdeen, Scotland and 2 girls from Barcelona, Spain.  We did not have much time to talk but they came off as very nice girls that will be fun to get to know.  Today, the 6 girls and myself went to one of the shopping centers here.  We were very lucky today, the student assistant that picked us up at the airport was kind enough to drive us there.  I'm not sure he knew what he was getting himself into, going shopping with 7 girls.  Fortunately, we were only there for about an hour and that was plenty for all of us.  It was very nice to go out with them and talk to them.  They had so many questions for me as did I for them.  The girls from Scotland live in the apartment attached to ours, so I assume we will be seeing them quite frequently.

Yesterday I worked my first (and only) evening shift with the home care centre.  It was a nice change from the typical days we work.  We had some new patients that I had not met yet, and some that we usually only see in the morning.  It was fun to see them at different times in the day to see how they are different when they are more awake than when we wake them up in the morning.  Today we went back to day shifts so I was tired this morning when I had to get up for work.  Today we had a completely different route with most of the patients being brand new to me.  It's always fun to get a different route so that I can be exposed to more people here in Haugesund.  Tomorrow will be my last day at the home care centre and I am actually quite sad about it.  I have had such a great experience working there and now I will have such high expectations for the hospital unit I will be working on.  Although I would much rather stay at Vardafjell, working in the hospital will be a brand new experience for me which will also be a great learning experience.

Today the sun came out for a little while again.  As I was walking to work (the 2 minutes it takes) I could not help but stare.  The sky was painted with SO many colors, pink, orange, blue, purple.  It was absolutely beautiful.  I tried taking a picture with my camera, but the picture definitely does not do this morning's sunrise justice.

Tomorrow, toward the end of my shift one of the professors from the school here will come and have a meeting with me and Vegard to go over paperwork and evaluate whether or not I have completed my tasks.  After the meeting the professors and the 8 of us international students will be going to see the Viking Museum here in Haugesund.  Norwegians around here are very proud of vikings, so it will be very interesting to see the "backbone" of Norway.  Today's pictures are limited, but with everything we have planned for tomorrow hopefully those pictures will make up for what today is lacking.  Snakkes!

Norwegian paper money and coins (Kroners)

This is what I see when I look out my bedroom window.  It's OK, but better when it's covered in snow :)

This was the beginning of today's sunrise.

We were in the car leaving Vardafjell to start our day and the sky was such a vibrant pink.  Because we are so far north, the sun can rise and set for an hour during the morning and afternoon/evening respectively.  It takes so much longer than what I am used to back in South Dakota.

This is an ambulance in Norway if you couldn't tell :)

When I left work just a little before 3 PM this was all that was left of the sun "shining" for the day.

These will soon be apartments on the mountain.  Some people are not too happy that the mountain/nature is being destroyed to put more apartments up.

This is the mountain that is such a beautiful sight when walking to work every morning.

This is the flat Brad and I are staying in.  We share the lower level with one other Norwegian student.  The 6 squares are windows to the dining room, the 2 squares are to the kitchen, and the blue door with circle window opens to the hallway where are rooms are located.

This was a view through the back window of the car as we went to Amanda Storsenter.