Dog mushers' cabin weekend trip

Our master's program organized a weekend 'hyttetur' (cabin trip) to a dog mushers' cabin in the forest east of Oslo.  Our program coordinator and one of our professors are both members of this dog mushers' club.  We went for the weekend trip 24-26 October, arriving in the late afternoon Friday and coming home Sunday evening.  We enjoyed taking a number of hikes around the area, cooked some delicious and diverse meals, and some of us were lucky enough to go for a dog 'cart' ride!  There was also an academic element included in the weekend trip when we discussed our research project plans as a group.  

Many of these photos are compliments of Heather Ames and Rose Jennings, two fellow classmates.

Line, our program coordinator, taking me for a ride on the dog 'cart'.  They use the cart with wheels for training the dogs in the off season when there isn't snow on the ground for sledding.

As mentioned, this is a dog mushers' club, so there were approximately 30-35 dogs at the location.  Not a good place for the cynophobics.

Posing in front of a lake near the cabin with Mulugeta (left) and Sameir (middle)

Group dinner.  African braai chicken was the main course.

One of our program professors, Johanne Sundby, holding the two dogs

The cabin

Going for a ride

Janne (classmate) and Johanne (professor)

Mulugeta taking one of the dogs for a stroll

Classmates Lillian (left) and Poonam (right)

Poonam preparing shrimp curry

Eating some interesting fruits I'd never seen before

Line with two of her dogs

Shuhana had never pet a dog before, so this weekend was an especially fun experience for her

Janne going for a ride with Line and her dogs

The puppy is cute

Taking a rest near a lake during a hike on our last day

An assortment of photos

We had a dinner party for my master's program group at a Norwegian classmate's home.  We gathered on Friday 17 October, after a week with 2 class examinations.  The exams covered material on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, nutrition and child health.  Poonam, a classmate from Nepal, and I are preparing the salad in the photo here.

A presentation on the US Presidential elections at the Holmenkollen Rotary Club meeting on 14 October.  The presenter, Jon Henrik Gilhuus, is a member of the Monticello Society, a group of pro-American Norwegians interested in US politics, elections and history.

International Community Health program field trip to Rikshospitalet.  We visited the hospital's maternity ward and had a lecture from an OB/GYN on 7 October during our week studying reproductive health.

A classmate sent me this photo recently.  The photo is from one of our first weeks in class back in August.  The professor in the photo is Gunnar Bjune.

Krabbefest with Holmenkollen Rotary Club

On 7 October the Holmenkollen Rotary Club hosted a 'Krabbefest' for the members and spouses.  The event was delicious!  The evening also included group singing of some Norwegian songs...I tried my best to sing along :)

The spread: claws on the left, meat filled shells in the middle, and caviar stuffed shrimp on the right

Travis (other Ambassadorial scholar) and I sat with this fun group of Rotarians and spouses.

With my host Rotarian, Trond, and his wife, Kirsten

More photos from the D2310 Conference

These three photos are additionally from the D2310 Conference, held 10-12 October. I presented our D6420 banner and the gift (a John Deere tractor miniature) from DG Jim Prather to DG Lars Eide on Saturday afternoon during the conference. Photos compliments of Karl Øyri, D2310 Secretary.

Presenting the D6420 banner along with some brief comments

With DG Lars Eide of my host D2310

Talking with a Rotarian during the 'House of Friendship' at our Ambassadorial Scholarship table

Rotary District 2310 Conference

This weekend was the Rotary District Conference hosted in Oslo at the Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica.  The two other Ambassadorial Scholars in District 2310, Lucas Franco and Travis Rice, and I set up a table and spoke with conference attendees about the scholarship program during a 'House of Friendship'.  The awareness of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship program in this district, and I assume most of Norway, is low amongst Rotarians, so we tried promoting it at the conference.

Left to right, Lucas Franco (Washington), me, and Travis Rice (Missouri)

Our display, complete with three individual posters, two general posters, sponsor club banners, map of the US, and items representing our homelands

Photo collage I compiled and printed as a large poster

Some fun items representing Illinois and the Midwest

Posters

The scholarship program explained in brief

After the conference, outside the hotel

Rotary Club visits

The following photos are from some of my visits to Rotary Clubs in Oslo.  The first two are from my host club, Holmenkollen, on 30 September, and the remaining three are from a visit to the Ljan RC for an ambassadorial presentation on 6 October.

Holmenkollen RC meeting, with the presenter describing the 2 new ski jumps being constructed in Oslo over the coming years.  Recall that Holmenkollen is the area where the current ski jump exists, so this topic was of particular interest for the club members.

Discussing the ski jump construction project and timeline for completion

At the Ljan RC meeting, ready to present

Ljan RC meeting

Rotary banner exchange with the Ljan RC

A walk along Akerselva and an Oslo festival

These first five photos of the flame twirling people are from a candlelit walk along a river called Akerselva in the city of Oslo.  I joined a group of peers from the Oslo Rotaract club for this event on 25 September.  As the 'VisitOslo' website explains it better than I can:

"River walk by torchlight.  Annual event in honour of the autumnal equinox in Oslo - when night and day are the same length.  Almost 3000 torches light up the Akerselva river from north to south, creating a mystical atmosphere around the 8 km long cultural journey.  Experience light sculptures, choirs, folk music, jazz, dance, art installations, trolls and gnomes."

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"Pimp our city"  Maybe an idea for litter control in La Salle or Des Moines?

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These next photos are from a special festival hosted in Oslo on 26 September.  There was a long list of activities available to enjoy, and we opted to take a tour of the Norwegian Parliament (Storting), view a ballet performance at the Norwegian National Ballet, and watch the fireworks show from atop the Oslo Opera House (the building that looks like a big white/blue barge).  I went with a young Rotarian in the Holmenkollen Rotary Club (my host club) and two other friends.

Our Storting tour guide explaining the drafting of the Constitution of Norway

A view down the main staircase in the Storting

Inside the Storting chamber

Tour guide explaining the unicameral Storting structure

The Storting has been formally divided into two departments, the Lagting (upper house) and Odelsting (lower house), but recent legislation passed will dissolve the Lagting in 2009.

A cryptic-themed ballet performance

View of the Oslo coastline

And fireworks....