Hei folkens!

It's been a quiet month, so it has. This is the time of year when everything kind of falls into a slump, and I spend most of my time studying or watching films. The other day I was upset when I ran out of homework to do - that's how tragic it is!

So here I am about to enter into a reading week, which for most people doesn't involve so much reading as making woohoo. I'm skittering off up north for a couple days to do not much in a new setting, but after that I might actually be really boring and start reading for my dissertation. I've had a very unnerving email from one of my lecturers at home asking very specific questions about perspective, scope etc. - argh!

So, what have I done this month in the gaps between sleeping and studying? I've been to the theatre multiple times, seen some great movies, obsessed over some great new music, taken a couple walks in the what-we-hope-is-spring sunshine, and booked some trips for the coming months. Here's a few pictures and assorted other media to give you an idea :)

I'd been looking forward to seeing the play Et Bedre Sted for ages. I've seen it a couple times now and I'm going again on Wednesday. It's a really sad story about a Jewish family living in Bergen during WWII, and how they eventually get sent to a concentration camp in mainland Europe. In a way it's quite an embarassing story for Bergen, because they were the only place in Norway whose police force didn't warn the families they were coming beforehand to give them time to get away. The main role is played by Stian Isaksen, who I really like, even though he has a giggle that can perforate all eardrums within a 1 mile radius.

Trailer

I'd also had a ticket to see Gunnar Staalesen's Peder Påske for a long time. I've read a couple of his books (he's been translated into multiple languages as well, so you might know him!), and he's considered one of Bergen's treasures, so there's been a real buzz about this new play. I didn't know anything about it really before I toddled along to see it (on Valentine's Day - erp). It's soooo good though, with some really catchy songs, brilliant acting and amaazing costumes. I really wish I had a trailer for that so you could see.

As I mentioned before, the weather's beginning to pick up here, with clear blue skies and dazzling sunlight. However, there's still snow on the ground and the temperature's still sub zero, which means everyone's wandering around in huge winter coats, woolly hats and sunglasses. It's an amusing sight.

Yees, I am aware I look like an unimpressed egg wearing sunglasses :)

One of my lecturers really wanted us to see the new Norwegian film Trolljegeren (The Troll Hunter), so I dutifully caught the tram into town one evening and headed up to the university. Somewhat embarassingly, I was the only person that showed, but it's probably just as well because the DVD turned out not to have English subtitles, and he'd only invited the Scandinavian Area Studies students, most of whom don't unerstand Norwegian. It was a brilliant film though, and I think it's being released in the UK soon, so everyone should see it. It's about a group of media students who are following a supposed illegal bear hunter around, but he turns out to be hunting something far worse...

What else? I've just had to pull out of a ski trip because my knees are playing up - sad times. However, I am booked on a little 4-day cruise up the west coast from Bergen to Tromsø. All praise student discount! We stop off in a variety of little places, and they've arranged an authentic Viking feast for us somewhere in Lofoten. I think they even give us clothes to wear. Should be interesting, methinks. So yes, more news soon hopefully!