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Virgil's Travel Diary

Virgil Cameron spent six months studying at the University of Oslo in Norway, from August to December 2003. This page contains a list of Virgil's diary entries.

Select month: November | September | August

November 2003

Tuesday, 25 November 2003       Previous Entry : Go to top of Page

Winter has arrived!

Woohoo! Winter as arrived bringing with it beautiful snow and dramatic changes in the landscape around Oslo.

As university courses are winding up and Christmas is drawing nearer, my home at Kringsjå is now blanketed in a layer of soft white snow. It looks so beautiful. I thought that autumn was beautiful in Oslo, but winter is promising to be as spectacular as the brief autumn period proved to be.

The golden browns of autumn were replaced by a period of muddy, mirky colours, as the grey skies poured rain and the autumn leaves turned toslush in the gutters. But all of that is now covered with snow, and it is like a new world has appeared around us virtually overnight.

Last Sunday some of my friends and I shared a pancake brunch and then ventured outdoors into a raging snowstorm (at least the most raging snowstorm tha I have ever been in) and ran around like little children, throwing snowballs and lying in the snow making 'snow angels'.

We built a big snowman -- the biggest that I have ever made, and spent many hours in the grounds of Kringsjå as the snow floated down and the sun made its brief course through the winter sky.


Earlier this week I was so happy to receive a Christmas parcel from Mebourne... I won't open it untill Maria has arrived from Sweden, to share Christmas celebrations with me and the Aares/Grønning Kraft families. I can't wait to open the parcel! It is so nice to get 'snail-mail'.

I have been quite busy these last few weeks. University presentations and essays have been keeping me up late into the nights, and prompting me to enjoy frequent strong coffees in the early hours of the mornng. There is lots of reading to be done for my upcoming exam in the 'North/South Development' course that Julie Aares and I are taking, and I still have to finish off one major essay for my 'Media ad Globalisation' course. Ahh, it is just that time of year again.

Nonetheless, recently I have also been busy eating good food, having fun socialising and watching movies with friends, and going for great walks to make good use of the brief periods of winter sunshine.

 

Tuesday, 4 November 2003       Previous Entry : Go to top of Page

Autumn is advancing rapidly in Oslo!


The Kringsjå T-Bane (train) station yesterday, after a week of the first real taste of Oslo Autumn. We have had a week of almost constantly overcast days with drizzle and persistent rain.


My room as it looks tonight, with new christmas lights (from IKEA) and candles to light up the ever-darkening days. Darkness approaches very fast already, at this early stage of autumn.

Today, total darkness had decended by about 5.30pm, and it is alreay getting dark at 4pm. Imagine what it will be like in a few months!

My room is ready for the dark days, however, as I have stockd up with a large variety of candles from IKEA.



Reader Comments about this page
6:57AM 28-Aug-03: John Cameron: Outstanding new photos Virgil! What an incredibly beautiful and different landscape that is in 'Bessegen, Norway'. Are the lakes really that gorgeous soft-blue colour?
3:40PM 30-Aug-03: Felix Cameron: Golly! It DOES look YUMMY!!!!! so nice to see you well and happy! your hair looks really nice too! :o) the photos are really picturesque, grreat effort! Ta Dux!
8:54PM 31-Aug-03: John&Yuki: The Gustav Vigeland sculptures look so beautiful Virgil, and your thoughtful photos do them justice too. I remember reading a lovely book of Vigeland photos that mum and dad had when we were little. Isn't it amazing that you are living nearby to them now. Its great to see the outside of your home too. Thanks for the update Widge!
9:13PM 31-Aug-03: Felix Cameron: Thank you for the wonderful photos Widge! It is so nice to see where you live and to share what you have seen! Love Flex :o)
6:36PM 4-Sep-03: Eva Sinaida Lea: After a long time we have seen each other it is nice to hear that you are happy and that I can also experience Norwey ( a little bit.. ). enjoy yourself and keep taking this beautiful pictures. The colors of the water and the mountains are very impressive ..! love from Eva
6:20PM 25-Sep-03: maria cameron: Wow widge, this page is amazing! I particularly love all the pictures and descriptions of the beautiful food you are eating, as I am still living with only a microwave to cook with. Keep up the great workl, I'd love to see as many more photos as you have the time to put on the site!
10:15PM 25-Sep-03: Felix Cameron: Absolutely MOUTH-WATERING!!! ja puttie, keep at it and i look very much forward to the next installment! oh,and whos idea was this cullinary-delight sharing group? its sounds fantastic! ;O) p.s. - if ever you feel hungry or are missing cheese... look at PICT0251.JPG and PICT0252.JPG :o) you will understand!
6:39PM 11-Oct-03: Lisa Theiler: Sat. 10th Oct. 2003: Dear Virgil, It's so nice to see what you are up to. I've been thinking about you and Maria, hoping everything's going well. It's nice to see you both happy (Fran and I have looked at the entire site!) That weekly food group is a great idea and it's nearly dinner time here, so it's making me hungry. It's refreshing to see other parts of the world and you describe and show pictures that make me feel as if I'm there. Great stuff! Anyway mate, I'll write you an email when I have more time. I hope you continue to have a festive and bodatious time. Ciao, love Lisa.
10:10AM 13-Oct-03: jasminka: I have made my espresso, thinking, i just check my emails while I wait for the coffe to come up.Now it is gone cold due to all these interesting pictures and news!!! Thanks. Just how do you communicate in Norway. I know you do not have to speak any particular language while you share scrumptious meals, but are your lectures in English? or is your norwegian good enough?
6:31PM 22-Oct-03: Zayda and John: Dear Virgil and Maria, this is John and Zayda. We are looking at Virgils Diary Together, and from now Zayda is able to start looking at it himself hopefully! We have printed out a lovely photo of you two at the vegie market in Copengahen to show Boba. She said she could send you some scissors if you need a hair cut Virgil :-). Zayda thanks you for your email, and will reply when bigpond problems are solved.
7:01PM 23-Oct-03: Leya Barr: Damn Virgil!!! Your website is amazing. I've only just begun exploring it...and it's taken almost an hour! I love the journal, I hope you keep it up even after you've left Oslo... Charlie and Sabrina were delicious, weren't they? Leya :)
12:51PM 8-Nov-03: Angelica Cameron: It's so nice to see those two beautiful pictures, the cold and icy picture outside, contrasting with you'r the warm friendly room. It's nice to see where you sit when you write e-mails to us and chat with me on the internet. You'r room is very nice and it is just so good to be able to see and hear about what you are doing!
1:14PM 8-Nov-03: John Cameron: Gosh! Darkness at 5:30pm hey? I dont think I could handle that! Sometimes I sleep in until after that! Perhaps I'd just go into hibernation instead. Thats a bit like a chameleon does - they go into a winter-dry-season hibernation (called a taupa - is that how its spelt dad?) and sleep at the top of the trees. When they sleep they turn white.
9:02PM 8-Nov-03: Felix Cameron: Speaking of impending winter and hibernation, dont forget to eat pine needles before you fall asleep... metabolises slowly so you awaken in spring with some energy! If you are unsure what Im talking about, read the Moomintroll books! :O)
3:15AM 10-Nov-03: Julie Aares: Great work, Virgy! I read some of the new updates and it is really good. Like to read what you think about studying here in Oslo. Need to go through it very fast though, because my computer can crash any moment. Take it easy! Hope you had a great time in the woods this weekend! See you tomorrow at 08:15 at uni :-) Julie
9:26AM 26-Nov-03: Betty Johnson: Greetings from the snowcovered lands of Minnesota, USA. Thank you for posting the pictures of the snowman. I enjoy seeing what our daughter and her friends are up to.
10:58PM 27-Nov-03: Shell : Virgil, i can't believe how talented you are (not that i doubted it!) this is incredible. you have put together something truly amazing, very impressive indeed!!
4:03AM 31-Dec-03: Rachel: Hey Widge! Thanks for letting me stay at your place, I truly enjoyed my tour of Oslo, meeting your lovely friends, and that Golden Sunset which we have no proof of! I hope you and Maria are enjoying the snow there!
9:39PM 15-Feb-04: Pålikål(Paul): Hi there dear cus. Great site and a great landscape, I should know, I was there! :o) It´s so sad that you had to leave us, I´m gonna miss our "pancake-Sundays." But in a couple of years of so it´s my turn to come and visit you guys and drive all of you aussies crazy ;o) See ya soon heheheh. -Paul
7:33AM 5-Aug-05: Michal: Nice page.. just searched for something on Altavista and this site showed up.. Nice and its all true about Oslo :) the autumn can be really rainy ...
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