Update 12 March 2009

The semester is chugging along nicely.  I'm looking out the window now to yet another beautiful snowfall...all the Norwegians tell me this winter has been exceptional with regards to the amount of snow, and I couldn't be happier!

My time at Nordberghjemmet, the nursing home, is also going well.  I go a few times each week for a few hours each visit.  I spend my time with one section of a floor consistently, so I am developing relationships with the 8 residents of that section.  I have connected especially well with 4 of the residents, and we look forward to seeing each other and talking when I come for a visit.  Now that I'm a bit more established in my volunteer position and comfortable with the facility and my surroundings, I'd like to get a bit creative and outgoing.  I spoke with one of the nursing assistants tonight and planned a waffle and movie night for next Monday when I come.  Waffles are a Norwegian favorite, especially with brown cheese (often made with goat milk) or sour cream and jam.

I began a course on topics in health policy last week.  The course is offered through the master's program in health economics, policy and management at the University of Oslo and will continue to meet through the month of March.  I appreciate the content of the course because it focuses a great deal on comparing various health systems in different countries.  In learning about other countries' health systems I actually get a better insight into the characteristics and function of our own system in the US.  I find the material especially interesting as we welcome some possible changes in the health system back home.

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The following are pictures from a cross country ski trip I took with some friends the last weekend of February.  We started in Kongsberg and went 24 kilometers west to a cabin to spend the night.  I normally don't have my camera with me when I'm skiing, as I'm afraid of breaking it during a fall or by getting it wet, but my brave friend Christoph brought his and took these photos.  I thought it would be nice to provide a little insight into what I am always doing in my free time.

This route we took had us pass through a downhill ski slope, hence the chair lift.

This is what the prepared tracks look like, with the slots grooved into the ground to guide the skis as you go.

A view from above of the city of Kongsberg in the distance.  Random fact, the city of Kongsberg is home to the Royal Norwegian Mint, 'Det Norske Myntverket'.

We also made the local newspaper with our adventure.  We just happened to be going home on Sunday along the same route as a cross country ski race and were interviewed at one of the refreshment stops along the way.  This image is from the website of the newspaper in Kongsberg.  We were the 'friend trio' from Germany, the Netherlands and the USA mentioned.

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These photos are from the sledding trip I took with my master's program back on 11 February.  I lifted these photos from Rose, a classmate in my program, on Facebook.

It looked like a winter wonderland that day!  Shuhana was enjoying it in the picture here.

With Rose, the other American in my master's program.  She's from Texas.