The main reason I haven’t blogged is because on September 16 I got a journalism position at The Minnesota Daily (the “mission” I wrote about in a previous post that really wanted to take on). It might seem unrelated for many reasons, like how the stories we write at The Daily’s City Desk are very not personal, and also follow rigid (AP style) rules. But I think it just filled up a certain bar I have inside. Or it did in the beginning, when everything was new with that position, and everything was also new in most other parts of my life, and it was fun but a lot of effort to learn how to do everything right. I am happy to report that reporting has gotten easier/the process smoother in this spring semester. I’m preoccupied with totally new things, and all my friends are so busy that we probably have hung out 2 or 3 times total this semester. But I don’t know. Today I went for a walk with Lia (to the Daily office), and took a moment to look at the waves roll down the Mississippi, and I’m feeling like some part of my life has reopened, in a way.
So what’s new? A lot! I’ve signed up for March Madness for the first time in my life. I used my Divine Feminine Intuition and it would be so fun if that actually works out.
I’m also in the law school musical, TORT. I’m Keyboard 2 (sometimes playing Keyboard 3 melodies when 2 is 2 hard). We’re premiering next weekend, which is unbelievable in the ‘I cannot believe how that will work’-sense, but there’s a tech week in between now and then that I’ve heard will work miracles. And it’s not that the cast isn’t talented-they are. At least the other pit members. We just haven’t rehearsed with any of the dancers, or the actors, so it’s still hard to imagine the show as a real full fledged thing and not just some random songs we play in Legal Grounds between 1:30 to 3 on Sundays.
I’m writing this from The Minnesota Daily Office, waiting for my editor to go through a follow-up story I did on Minnesota’s new paid leave program. The table is filling up now and I suspect that my editor will be here soon, so I’ll find a picture or two now and send the post out. Fun to write again! See you when?
A Valentine’s concert. What was the band called again?
Norway House in Minneapolis! We are red we are –NO WAIT. Norway goes boom dynamite Norway goes boom dynamite Norway goes tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick boom dynamiteAstra and Kulu, two polar bears in loveeee. From a story for The Minnesota Daily.
Lia, one of my best friends here, uses the word “mission” a lot. It’s endearing. An example from yesterday:
Me: «Hey Lia. Do you want to come with me to student services?»
Lia: *thinks for a moment*
Lia: “Actually, I have no mission now, so I’ll come with.»
Yes! Why not? In a way, going to class, or doing homework, or swimming at the RecWell Center, is a mission.
We’re nearing the end of the second week of the semester now, and I’m still wondering what my mission (in the Big Way) is. My degree is one the main mission, of course. But I’d like to have more.
I also have social missions. Two types, I would say. Related to that, I’m also deeply devoted to the business of smelling the roses.
But also: I have an interview on Monday for a mission that I’m very excited for, that I’ve been trying to take on for months. I hope it goes well! If it does, you’ll definitly hear from it, my sweet blog which had 11 visitors in August according to the official WordPress site stats.
My roommate is a fantastic writer and her blog is so cool. I’ll never blog like her, but I should at least be blogging like I said I would.
It’s been just over a month since I started university, and there’s tons to write about. To keep it simple, and inspired by My Brilliant Roommate, here is a listicle of things that have happened. Starting from August 3rd, when I left Eden Prairie and started my Minnesota uni-life.
Living situation part 1
Moved into Centennial Hall at UMN
Room was standard single dorm. The light from the fire alarm was flashing on and off all night. But otherwise it was quiet (except when there were thunderstorms, they tend to sound like the whole sky is crumbling—or when a helicopter occasionally flew into the ER, which was right next door)
I slept so well on the hard dorm mattress. i love hard mattresses it seems.
But I was STRESSED from not having a fridge and barely (barely!) a kitchen space to work with. That was the biggest drawback by far. I felt like a little mouse so much of the time, because I tried to live off the bagged nuts we got as snacks during the school day, as well as small stuff like babybel cheese at CVS. Longed for the day i could keep some cheese and ham in the fridge and make a sanwhich whenever i wanted.
Living situation part 2
Finally moved into my long-term place in a hip young cool charming slightly scruffy Minneapolis neighborhood two weeks ago. My first meal there was a cheese and ham sandwich.
The relief I felt when my mattress was installed, a couple of groceries were in my fridge, and I knew that while I had a lot of things to get settled, I finally had everything I strictly needed in one place… unmatched
My roommates are so cool. One is UWC, actually. The other one is from Ohio and in the beginning she kept reminding me of the college girl from Judy Moody Goes to College (biggest compliment). Both roommates are hard working and present in their IRL lives. Admirable.
^We had our first party/gettogether two weekends ago. We each invited a couple of friends. It was so great to see everyone get along. It also felt good to do something the three of us. My two roommates have already lived together for a while and are very good friends, but have been nothing but inclusive. I’m losing the stupid feeling I sometimes get, ever since ski camp, that people don’t want me around (only comes back, a little bit, when I’m stressed or worried)
School stuff
We had a three week introduction course, for all of us international students at the program. It was mostly interesting things. I struggled getting into a healthy routine though, and felt so tired at the end of the day, most days. I think it mainly had to do with the food thing, see “living situation part 1” bullet point 4.
Now we’ve done 1 week of law school classes. In not fully certain about my course selection, but am getting there fast. Lots of reading, already in the first week! But I’m so happy to learn. I think I’m learning a lot.
Miscellaneous Minnesota
Is it still 2004 here?! Sometimes it feels that way. Ahhh. I love it. Something about the air, the houses around my neighborhood, and the way people look. My roommates being so Present, also! That contributes a lot.
It’s still tricky, but doable, to do everything I need to do sans car. The bus has not been as sketchy as I had heard it could be, even at night. But it’s so infrequent, especially after afternoon falls and on the weekends. That’s hard, because I have had a couple evening&weekend engagements over the last few weeks, and think I’ll keep at that for a while. I really don’t like paying for uber! But it comes in a clutch.
Hmm. I actually don’t know what else I need to say right now. I went on a trip to Two Harbors, on Lake Superior, but that’s not listicle-material. There’s also my friends, and other colorful characters I’ve met so far. But I think this post is just for catching up on the basic things.
I’m finishing this on the phone, by the way. First time not blogging on my computer. For a while I thought it was better to keep blogging as a ceremonious Big Screen-activity. But this is so useful. For instance, right now I’m sitting on a chair outside of chick-fil-a (they are so kind, I think they don’t mind), waiting for my friends to pick up. It’s raining lightly, on and off. Everyone around me is either rushing somewhere or walking with friends. It feels niiiice to be in my own world right now. The world can wait. For five more minutes. That’s when my friends get here, yay.
I’ll round of with a picture. I don’t know which one, have to see what I find in my camera roll.
Actually, I’ll take a picture of my view right now.
You can only be one place at the time, and this is where I’m at right now. East Bank Stadium, near the University.
Last night I watched Fargo (1996) with my parents. It’s one of their favorite movies. My mom told me she got her favorite expression from one of the characters. I asked what expression that is.
“Thanks a bunch”.
: ^ )
Personally I loved it when they said “yeaaah”, with a soft but discerinble ja baked in there.
Preparing for a new academic year has never been so relaxed. My brain was fried when my parents helped me move out of my old place last week. I had an irritating cold too, that made me feel like a flat tire every time I walked up the stairs.
Now I wake up slooooowly to the sounds of birds, morning rain and, today, my dad singing outside my window. Actually, no, most nights so far I’ve had stress dreams and woken up a little panicked. But I have time to wake up slowly every day. And I have a room cleaning (purge) going, where I get rid of a (“thanks a”) bunch of things every day. I think less things in the room will make the nights less stressful. Time-distance from the Stressor that was June 17th also helps.
But yes, preparations for the next year. Watching Fargo = preparations because I’m traveling to Minnesota in about a month, where I will study for a year. It was so cool to see all the Minni-sights, with the tiny towns and long flat roads and especially Minneapolis. As I started writing this my dad handed me a 2022 Edition of the men’s magazine Monocole, turned to page 196 about, to show me this new Southern style he loves. Texan tailoring is apparently excellent. A world out there to get to know!
I don’t know. Being slow right now is gratifying. Earlier this week I attended the Norway-America Association’s diploma ceremony for new scholars. It was such a venerable event. Beautiful venue. Inspiring speeches! I felt so lucky the whole time. And last night, before the movie, I thought about how busy the last breaks have been. Like how I was working on said NORAM-application up until New Years last year. The academic breaks this year have been more applicaitons and catching up than anything else. So I guess now I feel like I’m using the PTO I’ve saved. And I definitely need a hobby, since I didn’t get a job for the summer. But so far it’s been nice. Even when I’m bored, it’s nice.
OK, that’s it for now.
Bye!
PS: the word “honky-tonk” is stuck in my brain again. How do I get it out. Maybe I don’t need to. It’s a fun one.
I’ve been home for about 24 hours and it’s wonderful. The neighborhood is a summer rainforest. Here are three pictures of what’s up:
I dragged my suitcase all the way from the train station to home because I’m too stingy/frugal/money savvy? to buy a bus ticket. Nearing my street I saw TWO GIRLS SELLING HANDMADE BRACELETS AND NECKLACES ON THE STREET!?!? Incredible sight. I bought one, and as I walked away I thought, this is what it’s all about. How do you go one day without having some earnest “realization” about life that you’ve actually realized a hundred times before? Oh, wait, I guess that’s what “being reminded” is.
Soon after I got inside I went back for another one, that I will give my best friend tonight. VENNSKAPSARBON!!!!!
Sometims a rabbit meal is the best thing in the world. Why do Ray Peat-followers insist you have to shave your carrots, I wondered as I got my vegetables out. Then I thought, maybe I should do a peaty experiment myself. I ate my three-carrot salad, and about one third in I felt like I had had enough. I asked ChatGPT then about how many carrots Ray Peat recommends. Turns out it was only one. My intuition was correct (Valerie voice). And that is very peaty of me. So I have decided to give peating a whirl, starting today.
Since I have a lot of questions about Ray Peat’s curious food and health views, I stuck with ChatGPT for a while. For instance, I never understood what T4 and T3 means. Now I do, at least a little bit. Ms. GPT was helpful as always, but also very… I don’t even know what to call it. Look:
I wonder what I have said to trigger this sort of response. Hahaha!!!
Now I’m going to study. I love monitors and I love that my dad has one. I don’t know what I expected, but seeing the BeiDa-friends on the bigger screen when I connected my laptop delighted me.
I have wondered before and now I’m wondering again.
“You control your own destiny,” my American friend once said on the phone. Matter-of-factly. But it was like those words handed my soul the reins and gave it the go-ahead. Because I don’t know (know-know) if that’s true. I have always hoped it is. But there are gnawing voices and suspicions that say otherwise. “Vi er mer like enn du tror,” my dad says. And talks about family patterns that have started feeling less like fun quirks and more like a carosel I can’t get off.
I was browsing the fiction section of the university library today when I noticed a book entitled Du kan ikke lage en potet. You cannot make a potato. Fun title. But it caught my eye because that’s the the central theme of the book I think about everytime I think about destiny: Svøm med dem som drukner, by Lars Mytting.
I read Svøm med dem som drukner in the 11th grade, first year of high school, for a school assignment. Everyone did presentations on our books and I remember I thought mine was pretty good. I don’t know what the presentation’s more precise theme was, but I had a PNG potato looming in the right corner of every PowerPoint slide— until I revealed what I thought was true theme of the book, which is (spoiler?):
People think they are their parents’ offspring, but they are really their clones — like a potato.
Potatoes do not propagate like plants do, I learnt from the book. They replicate themselves. Main character searches for his family’s history. Learns that like the potaters he’s harvesting, he’s been his father all along.
Or that’s how I remember the potato thing now. It’s been almost ten years. Was it the dad he was looking for, or someone else?
The next year, in another Norwegian high school class but now at UWC, I read a book with a similar theme. Jeg forbanner tidens elv, by Per Petterson. About a young man who has the chance to go up and out. Decided to “self-proletarize”, become a Worker, instead. Be the change you want to see in the world? He was a communist in Norway, I remember that. In most of the book he is searching for his mom. I know there was a physical pursuit, but I’m sure there were inner journeys to mom-land too.
In this book, the mom had wanted him to be better off than she was. But he decided to stay put. Still, even though it was his decision, it did not feel like he was the master of his destiny. There was no reins-in-hand feeling, at all. When I read the book back in high school, I recall it was like there was some dreary slimy entity that took control of him, and made him do it. It was sinister, it was going down and it wanted to drag him down with it. The choice was outside of his true realm of control.
—
A while after I read the book, I was home in Oslo on a break. I sat on Marie’s bed and marveled at her pretty things and mesmerizing high school life as she cleaned her room. She had started reading more, and I browsed her bookshelf. All books in the Norwegian language. At that point I had switched sides long ago and couldn’t remember the last time I—outside of school— picked up a book in norsk. I even went to an internationalnow, where everyone spoke English.
But I admired Marie for her shiny ownership of who she is. I felt bad about my preference. Cringy. I am norsk, too, after all. And proud of it, yes yes, I love where I’m from.
So I wondered why I preferred residing English books to Norwegian. Was it really some internalized Norway-hatred, after all?
After some reflection, I do not think it is. At worst, it is only a fraciton of that. When I thought about these two books together, Svøm med dem som drukner, and Jeg forbanner tidens elv, it solidifed a sneaking feeling I have had: Norwegian adult* books are depressing!
I don’t want to be set in my fate. I don’t want to be a potato.
Meanwhile, the heores of the Ameircan books I read had AGENCY. Their actions could mess everything up, and make everything good again. It was up to them, and it mattered. I had never encountered a potato in any American book I have read. The protagonists are cowboys instead. Bending the world to their will. Same goes for the movies, too.
I guess that’s all I have to say on the matter. If the message we take in from books and movies and songs matter, I would rather be a cowboy than a potato. But that does not mean I don’t love Norge.
—
*Norwegian teen and kids books are the best. On a recent trip home I read Markus og Diana before bed. I laughed out loud, I got reary eyed, and I looked forward to going to bed each night. Good stuff.
I’ve been visited by more ideas recently. On walks, in the shower, when I’m supposed to be thinking about other things.
It’s so lovely.
I’m even craving having ideas. Yesterday I walked back from university with Marta (love). When we passed Kolonialen AS, the adorable grocery store/café/pub on Sydneshaugen, it struck me: I wanted a brainstorming session there so bad.
Brainstorm what? I don’t know! But I told Marta, and we brainstormed topics to brainstorm in the future. “Cool choir songs”. “Unconventional workouts”. “Ways to style a white t-shirt”. Pretty tame stuff, now that I think about it. Our brains are rusty, we clearly need a good ‘storm.
Maybe I will have a ‘Brainstorm Summer 2025’. Or a biweekly ‘Beer & Brainstorm’ in the next season of my life. But for now I will make a plan to brainstorm in that spot, Kolonialen AS, at least once before I live this city. Er du med Marta?
The semester is flying by and now there’s only 22 days left until the final criminal law exam. Things are diffrerent but strangely similar to how they were last October in 2023. I’ve moved but am still in the same neighborhood, one street down and walking the same mountain roads in the evening (although I do it a lot less now). Dreaming of the wild wild west, but sometimes I am emerged in Bergen, wild western Norway. I’ve been in touch with old friends recently. Today I’m meeting someone from UWC that I haven’t seen in 6 years. i’m very much looking forward to it.
I really hope my exams turn out well. I really really hope my dreams for the future will become real. I try to stay close to people who make me feel everything is possible and away from people who don’tedit: make me feel like a cloned potato, faith already set. I’m spending more time with god too. That’s one of the coolest developments in my life. All in all I’m hopeful, wishful*, and not doing too bad. Grateful for both today and tomorrow.
*Me: Is “wishful” a real adjective?
ChatGPT: Yes, “wishful” is a real adjective. It describes a state of wishing or expressing a desire for something that may not be realistic or likely to happen. For example, you might refer to “wishful thinking” when someone believes that something could happen simply because they want it to, rather than based on reality.
Me: can i say that i am wishful if i am full of wishes
ChatGPT: Yes, you can say that you are “wishful” if you are full of wishes or have a strong desire for things you want to happen. However, keep in mind that “wishful” often carries a connotation of unrealistic hopes or desires. So, it might be more common to use phrases like “I am full of wishes” or “I am hopeful” to convey a similar meaning without the potential implication of unrealistic expectations.
Maja's Musings 