Work takes all my social time

I'm not too sure if it's worth it. Currently my work is eating all my social time. I'm at school full-day, and then i'm at work for 4 hours. Around 9 in the evening i've got time to start doing something for myself, and guess what... I've got no energy for it, there's no time, and it's really too late anyways. Last week i worked all workdays but one, this week i was supposed to do the same. However, though today was supposed to be my free day, and i even had plans for it; Guess what? I get a phonecall that somone is sick and they really need me at work today. Bah! These were the slowest 4 hours at work so far, when i had my mind all set on free time. And this sunday, wich is the universal free day, the store has a ware-counting, so i'm at work sunday too!

Sure, it could be worse. I could be without a job and not getting enough hours, then i would be sereously in trouble. And! Next week i'm going to Ukraine. The week after that is spring vecation. Do you think i'm looking forwards to it? I'm not having a bad time at all right now, i'm just letting out steam because all this work is more than i've bargined for.

Murmaid in Vesterålen

Picture of the month!

You have to fullview this. I was not part of taking this picture though i was there, all credit to Karoline and Remi. I love the color, the concept, the mountains and - most of all - the details! Fullview is a must.

Operation days work

I'm leader of Operation Days Work at my school again this year. Dosen't feel particularily great, but i might as well just do it as i do anything else. Operation days work is a charity project where students all across norway, in all signed-up schools, work somwhere one schoolday to earn 200 NOK for the central pot that goes to a charity project, wich is a different one each year.

In this years project, they're providing a 1-year education to girls in Bangladesh, who are otherways married away, as the families don't want girls who cannot make money like boys can in the male-dominated society. The edications is rather basic and increases littaracy and hygene awareness, as well as giving some basic foundation to do some jobs. The project is run by the Strømme-foundation, wich means it is christian-based. It's luckily based on the thought of solidarity rather then charity - help to be self-helped.

It's a good project and a great way to found it, but i can't honestly say i care too much about it. I'll do my best as leader, though!

Surprising smile

So I'm sitting in the register at the store, doing my work, completely in my own thoughts, monotonely beeping the wares and typing weightcodes. And suddenly, there's a girl smiling warmly at me! My first thought is if i know her, but i soon realise i don't. I'm too stumped to really smile back, but i say hi to her more cheerfully then i usually do, and she keeps smiling all the time she's there. Such a big, warm, beautiful smile! I don't think i manage to smile back, but as she leaves i thank her for smiling, and she says everything is more fun when you're smiling. And I'm in a brilliant mood for a good while after, being more nice to the other costumers and looking more brightly on my job.

That was a few days ago. Today she was there again, and surprised me just as much with her smile. This time i smiled back, spontaneously and probably quite wide, because I'm properly happy to see her again - and I'm happy the rest of the workday, and i still feel good when i think about it. Such a wonderful thing to do! She actually really lifted my day twice now!

I wish there were more people like that.

Four girls died and cheap toilet paper

Quite a strike of proportions. Today i had two e-mails in my inbox. First said that it was sad days for the people in Zulusponsor, as 4 of the girls in the project has died - without much more details than that.  Second said that my local store has half-price on toilet paper. You know, 2 big packs of toilet paper in the original price is enough to have a child in the Zulusponsor project for a month!

Zulusponsor

Headed for Ukraine!

Holy otter! I'm going to Ukraine on an Active-seminar the start of next month! I just got a phonecall from Ida in Juvente, who asked if i still wanted to go to the Ukraine seminar. "Yes?" "That's good, because you get to go!" I never thought so, i just went to Budapest on a Active-seminar earlyer this year! So, paying not a dime, i'm going to Ukraine for a full week seminar, meeting great Active-people, having fun. I'm happy!

Interrail this summer?

As i preveously announced my crazy plans for driving around the balkans - things makes me realise that i'm evidently not experienced enough for that yet. Nether will i be in one year. A good idea to substitute, as proposed by Mari, is to Interrail! It's cheap, it's nice and it'll be exiting. Maybe combined with some hitchhiking? We could go as many as we want, we could travel where we want and see a lot of the world. I could easily afford two full months of interrail time! Sleeping at stations, seeing the balkans... Brilliant idea!

Expensive car rant

I've just spent some time calculating how much money has been tossed into being able to drive around relatively freely. My car, so far, has cost me over 60 000 NOK. That's 30 000 buying it, 15 000 ensurance, 5 000 reregistration, 6000 repairs. Then theres an upcomming ~ 10 000 for additional repairs. 70 000! And then it's what i spent to get my drivers license, about 30 000. 100 000 NOK! And what do i have to show for it? I think if i'd known what i know now, i'd waited a year. 

School trip to Hemsedal

I'm just done with a school trip to Hemsedal in mid-southern norway. As you'd expect from a agricultural school, we've been visiting different farms and people who have made something else from their farms tourist potential. I've got no chance translating the termology to english, so i'll just leave it at saying that i had a fairly nice trip, was somewhat inspired to do something sometime, but i'm also realising that the farmers life is not the life for me. At least not yet.

My dream for the summer

I've been thinking and dreaming and looking at maps and planning for a while now. I've got this dream for what to do next summer, and i'm really, really hoping it will come true! Next years Active summercamp is in Albania. I want to roadtrip there! And incorporate into that a trip all around the baltic. Hopefully go with more Juvente-folk, ether from norway (Maria? More?) or Estonia (Maria? Tiina? More?) or both. 

I've not gotten so far with checking, but my little scetch so far is;

Steigen (Home) - Talinn, Tartu (Estonia) - Lviv (Ukraine) - Suceava, Bucaresti, Odobesti (Romania, where i know some) - Athens (Greece) - Albania (Summercamp) - Sarajevo (B&H) - Beograd (Serbia, Wile. E Coyote from tt-forums) - Budapest (Hungary, fine city), Prèsov (Slovakia, Rasto?) - Tartu/Talinn - Home.

That's according to google maps, 9800 km. With some margin, i have to expect 10 000 NOK in gas! So, now i'm trying the best i can to save up for it, and i'm trying to get others also wanting to go. This of course is my dream, and i'll probably have to downscale it, but i like to shoot high.

Semi-illustrative picture from Budapest. I don't know these people, but they look beautifull together and with the city.

Damn car

I've now just had the EU-control on my car. And, as you understand from the title, the result is not particularily uplifting. I suppose it could have been worse, but i've ended up with a offering from the garage at 7000 NOK to fix it just enough to pass! I'm trying to get parts of it done by, uhm, less expensive mechanics (*caugh*). But it's not looking too good right now. Bah. I can't afford this, i'm saving for my summerplans!

Something i never expected to find in my car

I've had a problem with a smell in my car since i bought it, particularily when it has been warm. I've just thought my seats were sweaty or something, not thinking about it anymuch. And then today i decide to do a intereor clean of my car, and... Ew! On the floor under the left rear seat, my car floor has molded and looks like a loaf of bread forgotten for a week, and on the floor under the front passanger seat there are actually something that looks like maggots! I was vacuuming the floor, and there were these strange white things that i couldn't get into the hoover. On a closer look, they were moving around and sort of slowly digging in and out of the floor. It was a rather unplesant revelation, but at least i now know why my car smells like crap.

I think i've managed to clean it though, using a lot of detergent, a scrub and a towel. Just hoping my car won't smell like a detergent for all time!

The singing revolution

Why does not all schools teach of this the Estonian revolution and their breakout from the sovjet union? Yesterday, 20th of august, was Estonias reindependance day, as i learnt from reading Mari's blog. They celebrate the singing revolution, where 300 000 estonians sang forbidden patriotic songs.

Citing Wikipedia, in 1987 demonstrations in Talinn involving spontanious singing eventually gathered 300 000 peoples singing patriotic songs and hymns forbidden by the soviet regime. Trough 1988 more similar, patriotic singing events occurred, untill in September 1988 where the festival "Song of Estonia" again gathered 300 000 estonians, that's over a quarter of the population, including this time politicians actively demanding the restoration of independance. This revolution lasted for 4 years, allways with many similar events. Finally in 1991, as soviet tanks tried to stop the progress towards independance and people acted as human shields to protect radio and TV stations from the soviet tanks, the Congress of Estonia proclaimed Estonia a free state, and tore out of Soviet.  

In this way, Estonia peacefully and without blooshed, broke free and got their independance. This to me is a fantastic thing! Estonians should be proud of their history, because this peacefull revolution is a perfect example of how peacefull, political, even artistic and undoubtably esteticly wondwerfull actions is a full-good, even far better, alternative to military coups and armed rebellions. I am beginning to like Estonia more and more.

Hiking Breitinden

Breitinden ('The Broad Pinnackle') is the 700 meter tall mountain just above the Tommeltinden ('The Thumb Pinnackle', seen on the right) wich i've climbed earlyer. A week or so ago i went up there with my dad, brother and Aragorn.

First it is a bit of wood-walking, up to the Vetfjell-hut and trough hell street (hellgata). A nice and easy walk. Then the climb suddently starts. There is multiple routes up Breitinden, i know of two and there is probably at least one more. We took the most direct, but rather steep, route. Straight up from 2-300 meters, trough gravel and cliffs and somtimes loose or slippery rocks, straight up to 700 meters.

This is from the foot of the mountain looking towards Leinesfjord (North), and this is some of the climb.

I think this is a rather ugly mountain. Hardly anything green, and it looks so rugged and torn. I sort of get the impression that it looks like an evil mountain. Like one where the fairytale villan has hes dark castle. But! The view is all but ugly. Feel free to feast your eyes!

Eastward, then Northward.

And to demonstrate ruggedness, this is the view up towards Kråktinden, The Crow Pinnacle. Don't you agree that this could easily be the home of a villan? Like, the outskirts of mordor, only with too blue skies.

My room

For the 4th year in a row, i am living at a boarding school in a small boarding-school room.  I'm quite happy with it, actually. Finally today i'm almost completely moved in. Still got some big furniture at home that my dad will bring when he gets time (inbetween sports), that will make my room more complete. But here it is, as of now;