Update 1 November 2008

I hope you enjoy these 4 recent blog posts.  I've been staying busy with academics and Rotary activities in the recent weeks.  Last week I had an oral exam for my Norwegian language course, where I spoke for 4 minutes in Norwegian discussing my family, followed by some questions from my professor.  This coming week is an exam in my master's program covering statistics and epidemiology.  

The weather has transitioned to rather low temperatures at a seemingly swift pace.  It seems like just a few weeks back I was still enjoying days in the mid 50s, and now we're looking at an average of high 30s/low 40s for next week.  As you'll see in the one photo, we had a brief time with white, snow-covered scenery, but that is all melted now.  

Hope all is well back home in the US.  I'm excited for the election results!  I'll be giving a presentation on the US Presidential elections to the Oslo Rotaract club along with my two fellow Ambassadorial scholars on 4 November. 

Ringerike Rotary Club presentation and FIRST SNOW

Travis Rice (fellow Ambassadorial scholar) and I enjoyed a visit to the Ringerike Rotary Club, about an hour outside the city of Oslo, on 29 October.  The Ringerike RC president, Marit Henriksen, graciously welcomed us into her home for dinner before the evening meeting.  This club visit was particularly enjoyable since the two of us were able to tag team the presentation.  That day, we had our first snow in Oslo (see last photo).

Talking about the Land of Lincoln, with our beautiful corn fields as far as the eye can see

Travis describing his home state, Missouri

Presenting some information on Norwegian immigration to the US

The snow was wonderful!  But it has since melted.  Looks like I'm going to need to wait a while before ski season is under way.

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