Norsk Kurs (Norwegian course/class)

God dag!

What a day yesterday!  Yesterday I completed my final shift at Vardafjell Home Care Centre.  I was/am much more sad about it that I expected to be.  I met a few new patients, but for the most part we had our normal list.  As we completed our tasks at each house we would tell the patients that it was my last day.  I was SO surprised how many of them gave me a hug and told me things like, "you can't leave!" or "I'll never forget you."  I felt that even though I had only met these people 2 weeks ago I had already formed an attachment to them.  I will genuinely miss the people I met through Vardafjell, patients and employees alike.  Since it was my last shift, Vegard let me pretty much take control and do most of the duties.  Vegard was a GREAT instructor and I learned so much from him.  He taught me many of the little things that I had never learned....his phrase was "it's all about the little details."  I will never forget the meaning of that one simple phrase.  Toward the end of my shift, my nursing advisor, for the time that I am here in Haugesund, came and did a meeting/evaluation with both Vegard and myself.  We discussed things that I have learned through my time at Vardafjell.  I passed!  Vegard told my professor that I seem to be very confident with my practical skills...it was nice hearing that because, like most people, sometimes I doubt myself.  A little reassurance every once in a great while is nice.   One lady that gave me a hug and told me she'd never forget me is one of those people that tells it like it is.  She won't say something she doesn't mean, and she will tell you if she likes you or not.  Meeting her opened my eyes once again to the reason I am pursuing nursing....so that I can make a difference in someone's life in a positive way.  I enjoyed my time doing home care so much that I am actually beginning to think that maybe that's where my passion may be.

After my evaluation with Vegard and Halle (my professor) I left with Halle and we met another professor, Ingrid, the international students from Scotland and Spain, and Brad too of course back at the school.  Our professors took us to the Viking Museum to see the film and go through the exhibit.  It was eery being on the site where the church that the King of Norway lived in (from my previous post).  It was an absolutely beautiful location, but it is such a historical area that if you closed your eyes and stood there you felt as if you were among the vikings themselves!  We learned about the history of the vikings and the location.  We also learned of a cool story.  There is a story that has continued through Norwegian history:  there is a very tall stone that is leaning next to one of the church walls.  It is said that the day that the stone touches the wall will be our Judgement Day.  At the top of the stone you can see where it has been chipped away, to prevent the wall and stone from touching.  There is also a cemetery right next to the church that we walked through.  For such a beautiful place, it really was a little creepy being there :)

Once we were done with the exhibit and looking around the church our friend Astrid (she was an international student at Augie this Fall) came and picked us up since the location of the Viking Museum is so close to their island.  We went to Anna's apartment again and waited for Solveig to show up.  We then went to the beach near their house so that I could continue my dad's tradition of getting sand from the beach while on vacation.  It was SO cold out by the water, so we were only there just long enough to get what I needed and leave.  Going back to the beach in the summer has now made it onto my bucket list.  After leaving the beach we went to Wong House Chinese Restaurant.  When Anna, Astrid and Solveig were in America, they were always talking about this Chinese restaurant near their houses that serves the best Chinese food you'll ever have.  So of course while here in Norway I just had to try it.  They were right!  It was the best Chinese I have ever had.  I never thought I'd be able to say that while in Norway.  The man that owns the restaurant has a very nice place, but he hates people staying in to eat so he makes you take it to go.  The girls were telling us that he is very crazy...one day he's the happiest man in the world, other days he hates everybody.  Last night he was very happy, luckily!  He even took a picture with us once he found out we were from America; and then we took our food and left.  Before going back to Anna's apartment, they made us stop at a store called "Mix-It" where Anna made us get Norwegian candy.  I am not a candy person, but once again, best candy and chocolate I have ever had.  (With all of these "bests" I may have to consider living here someday!!)  We got back to the apartment, ate our food, and began snacking on the candy while we watched Taken.  I have seen that movie before, thank goodness, but watching it was a nice reminder that not everybody you meet has the motives you may assume and that it's important to be careful no matter where are or who you're with.

This morning I went downtown and went through the pedestrian walking mall again just to waste some time since I don't have to work today.  In about 45 minutes our friends are coming to get us and we're going to Anna's family's cabin.  It's only an hour and a half drive so we will go this afternoon, spend the night, and return back to Haugesund tomorrow.  It will be another fun way of seeing more of Norway and I am very excited :)  More to come soon.

Vegard and me in the Vardafjell office.

Now maybe you can understand why I loved this job so much...it helps when the instructor is fun :)

On the bridge to go from Haugesund to the Viking Museum

Still on the bridge.

"rush hour"

They sell campers/RVs here too!

The building in the distance is the church that the king built.  Also the location of the Viking Museum.

Reminds me a little bit of home.

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In the parking lot for the Viking Museum.

Parking lot shot again.

Brad in the parking lot in front of the church.

You go into the circle and there are stairs on the right that go to the museum.

The view from inside the museum.

Everybody had fun dressing and acting like vikings.

All of the current international nursing students and Ingrid.

We walked past this to get to the room where we saw a short film on Vikings.

This was creepy....it was in the same room as the film.

Entering the exhibit after the film.

People of power wore gold ring necklaces.

Typical viking accessories...notice that the helmet does not have horns!

Outside the exhibit.

This is the view outside the exhibit.

Brad and myself.

The cemetery next to the church.

The bridge we crossed to get to the church.

This is the stone that is almost touching the wall but not quite.  

You can kind of see on this one that the top left portion of the stone has been chopped at.  It's amazing that the stone can lean like that without touching.

View of the church that the king made after he convinced all of the people of Norway to become one country.   This was his way of bringing Christianity into the culture of the people.

The beach near my friends' house.

Dad, I hope you appreciate everything in this picture: the beach in January, in Norway, with a bag of sand, and my winter coat!

One of 2 stoplights I have seen since being in Norway.

Tommy, the owner/cook of Wong House.

Anna really enjoys Norwegian candy stores.

I couldn't read anything on the menu at Wong House and from what the girls were translating everything was hot or spicy so I went with a safe bet "sweet and sour chicken."  I chose well!  And yes...that is pineapple mixed in with it, amazing!