(no subject)
Mar. 20th, 2007 06:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hathycol'... and then she'd been forced to go travelling, and she'd seen a bit of the world, and it had made her itchy - especially at this time of the year...
She looked around the kitchen. It needed sweeping. The washing-up needed doing. The walls had grown grubby. There seemed to be so much to do that she couldn't bring herself to do any of it.
There was a honking far above, and a ragged V of geese sped over the clearing.
They were heading for warmer weather in places Granny Weatherwax had only heard about.
It was tempting.'
Masquerade, Terry Pratchett
Er. Yeah. Basically, I could be in Oslo this time next year, studying in the Centre for Viking Research. It's in English, no fees, grant from SOCRATES to cover expenses, cheaper student accommodation than Scotland...
As Pratchett says, it's tempting.
It's impractical. I have trouble coping with having not seen Simon for four weeks, let alone four months. I may have classes in English, but I don't know any Norweigan. It would buggar up DocSoc. I'd still have to pay my rent for the house in St Andrews. I love St Andrews. I'm not good at making friends.
But I'm itchy. I don't have many years left where I have this immense freedom, and it dawned on me as I scrubbed the floor this morning that I can't cope with doing this every term and every summer. I need to do something exciting and interesting. I need to go on holiday. I need to do something that will broaden my pathetically small horizons.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
loneraven is on work experience in the BBC; stupidore is doing a voluntary placement in South Africa over the summer; Sarah is off to Frankfurt in two days, having booked it today. I want to do that sort of thing.
I have until Thursday to get the form in. This is maybe not the kind of decision I should spend two days over, but Simon is not available to phone and my parents will be horrified at the concept. My housemates are somewhat concerned that I will be leaving them high and dry for the semester. I won't go. I know I won't.
But if I don't do something interesting in the next year, if I don't have something interesting planned, I think my head will explode.
She looked around the kitchen. It needed sweeping. The washing-up needed doing. The walls had grown grubby. There seemed to be so much to do that she couldn't bring herself to do any of it.
There was a honking far above, and a ragged V of geese sped over the clearing.
They were heading for warmer weather in places Granny Weatherwax had only heard about.
It was tempting.'
Masquerade, Terry Pratchett
Er. Yeah. Basically, I could be in Oslo this time next year, studying in the Centre for Viking Research. It's in English, no fees, grant from SOCRATES to cover expenses, cheaper student accommodation than Scotland...
As Pratchett says, it's tempting.
It's impractical. I have trouble coping with having not seen Simon for four weeks, let alone four months. I may have classes in English, but I don't know any Norweigan. It would buggar up DocSoc. I'd still have to pay my rent for the house in St Andrews. I love St Andrews. I'm not good at making friends.
But I'm itchy. I don't have many years left where I have this immense freedom, and it dawned on me as I scrubbed the floor this morning that I can't cope with doing this every term and every summer. I need to do something exciting and interesting. I need to go on holiday. I need to do something that will broaden my pathetically small horizons.
loneraven is on work experience in the BBC; stupidore is doing a voluntary placement in South Africa over the summer; Sarah is off to Frankfurt in two days, having booked it today. I want to do that sort of thing. I have until Thursday to get the form in. This is maybe not the kind of decision I should spend two days over, but Simon is not available to phone and my parents will be horrified at the concept. My housemates are somewhat concerned that I will be leaving them high and dry for the semester. I won't go. I know I won't.
But if I don't do something interesting in the next year, if I don't have something interesting planned, I think my head will explode.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-21 03:28 am (UTC)I have cousins in all of Norway's major cities. I went to visit them and it took me approximately six hours and two bottles of wine to prove myself as cool, and now they are my best friends in the world and would die for me etc and vice versa. I do have the advantage of blood, there, but...
I loved Norway and want to go back. I have never been to Oslo.
You do not need English to get by in Norway. I have spoken to numerous academics who work there who say they were told by their Norwegian compatriots to please not waste time learning Norwegian-- learn something more useful.
I picked up a few phrases mostly for amusement and convenience during the 2 weeks I was there, but anyone under seventy will have passable English and will be perfectly happy to speak it to you.
It is beautiful there, it is so beautiful. I am fascinated by the history and culture and I do enjoy the people, being a bit like that myself-- I have a bit of a shell but if you can prove to me that you're worth it, I'll do anything for you-- and I would go there again in an instant if I thought I could get away with it.
And I have contacts who know where all the good bars are in Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim.