Global Warming believers need to get their butts to Norway and SHUT THE HELL UP!

Bergen has not had this much snow in many many years. I will not state a number because I will probably be wrong. This past week it had stopped snowing, the roads were finally dry and rid of the icy sheets of death. The sun would peek out from time to time. No more slushy snow seeping into your shoes anymore because you could actually walk correctly on the sidewalks now. No more tense back and testing every step before you actually took it. People, including myself, looked like they were doing a sort of dance march. Tap, test, step. Tap the floor, put some pressure on your foot to test whether or not you can step there, and if so then you take that step. I call it the T.T.S syndrome. Although I may be an unusual case to the TTS syndrome because I find that the bearers of this diagnosis are usually within the ages of either 5-13 or 45-72. Im obviously in neither of the two. Everyone else walks as if they were Jesus on water, with great simplicity and speed. They never slip or trip. I dont know how they do it. But I shall work on it.
Now I apologize again for taking a week in updating this. Again I have had people ask me "Are you ok, you didn't update your blog." Again, I am fine!!! I've just been busy!!! But I shall update you now!...actually pause, bad news first. I lost my passport and wallet. I must have lost it on the bus when I was going back home from school. I don't know what's going to happen....I have no idea what's going to happen when my mom finds out...that I'm just kidding! hahaha. Love you mom!!
Ok, so last Monday I went hiking up Mt. Floyen. Yes. Mariana went hiking. Go mark that in your calendars as an international holiday. It's up there with Christmas and Easter. No, but really, those who know me, know that Mariana and hiking just dont get along. Well thats back in the States, where all there is to see is dirt....dirt...rocks. more dirt and rocks. Rocks and dirt. The hiking trails back home arent that great. Its not interesting if you can see your final destination from the parking lot. Here however it was amazing and Im going to do it again. It was an interesting hike. I went with 3 guys. Fernando who is from my norwegian class, Deyan (pronounced Ian)who I met at a dinner at Fernandos house, and Leo, a friend of Deyans. We met at Floybanen at noon, a skyline station that takes you up the mountain, and started hiking from there. It was beautiful but difficult, or rather than difficult I'd prefer to say interesting. the trail was all snow and ice.




It took us about 1.5 hrs to get up. We took pictures along the way and stopped for water and snacks. One thing that was clever and hilarious was finding icicles and having that as our water supply. You just hike and suck, and as wrong as that sounds, it was a pretty genius idea! Now if the hike up was interesting then the hike down was epic. I'm sorry, I should correct myself. The hike up was interesting and the slide down was epic...and painful. At one point we decided to skip one of the switchbacks and just cheat and slide down. Bad idea. Fernando went first, Deyan followed and I unwillingly slipped and followed right behind him. It all happened fairly quickly but this is what happened: Fernando disappeared, Deyan disappeared and then that is when I realized "Oh shit, there's a drop off". Before I could decide what to do I had fallen on top of Deyan and Fernando, a few seconds later we hear "oooohhhh nooooo" and Leo falls on Deyan's hand. Both Fernando and Leo were fine, I had hurt my bad wrist and twisted my ankle and Deyan's knee was messed up. Nothing too serious, and nothing we couldn't handle. So finally after sliding and running down that mountain we reached the bottom at around 3:20ish pm and ended what was a productive afternnon! I plan to do that hike again, but since it snowed a good 6 inches within the last 2 seconds, I think I'll wait a few more weeks. Let me just mention that when I first started speaking to Zoyla and Stig back in August and September, they mentioned that it barely snows here in Bergen. "No, Mariana, it mostly rains here. But snow? Maybe a week or two, that's it". Lies!Haha. It's been a month! But I, think it looks amazing! I love the winter wonderland look, and I prefer snow over rain any day!
Well this past weekend was interesting, met with new friends, had make-your-own pizza movie night, tried new foods, and had interesting conversations over coffee. I also went to Deyan's on Sunday where I had brunch with him and his mom. His mom is so sweet and has the best name in the world! Beautiful name. She spells it like this: M-A-R-I-A-N-A. Yup! Mariana. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
Next week its off to Austria my friends! So pack your ear muffs, snow boots, and snowboards or skiis! Becasue next Friday we will be in Badgastein, Austria!! Thanks for keeping up with me!
Hadet!!

Dont stand near the buildings.

I know I havent posted anything in a about a week, and I apologize. I've even gotten emails/messages saying: What's up? How come you havent updated? Are you ok?
Yes I'm ok! Just been too busy to sit down and write and upload pictures. I had school and this past week we had 4 guest nights. One last weekend with one of Zoyla's venezuelan friends and her boyfriend who were going to take Stig skiisailing course. We had an Iranian family come on Monday, and we celebrated Zoyla's birthday a week late.
One of Stig's friends who also fixed some problems on my computer and installed my computer with this massive lego building software. I'm scared to open it for fear that my ADHD will emerge and take over and then before you know it Mariana will have made a replica of the Taj Mahal on this lego software. Im capable of it.
And then more guests right now as Im writing this. One of Zoyla's colleagues and her boyfriend and one of Stig's friend and his dog Sheila. So Im finally in a house where the majority are Norwegians! I find myself understanding a good 35%-40% of the words theyre saying, which allows me to understand a good 70% of the whole conversation.

So this past week I came to learn that I hate snowmen. I have failed in snowman building! I want the secret as to how it works. I mean it seems logical to think: well you just make one big sphere shape that will act as the base, a second one that will serve as the middle and the top one to be the head and ta-da, a snowman! But NO!So instead I knocked it down and made a tunnel for Sebastian, that took me an hour to make and I also made my first official snow angel.

My snow angel!


Sebastian and the best snow tunnel in the world!!!

Now orange faced equestrian riders. Haha, I apologize to anyone who is reading this and falls under this category. But orange faced equestrian riders pertain to the young girls here in Bergen. It seems to be that its the "thing" to get fake tans, wear high black boots, pearl earrings and a cute coat. The coats are cute, the boots are cute and the pearl earring are too. But altogether they look like equestrian riders.
Sitting at the bus stop yesterday I saw 6 girls who looked like they were trying to match.

Anyways I went to the aquarium again this past week and I saw the scariest fish ever. I tried to research what kind it was since I forgot to look at the sign at the aquarium but I found nothing. But this is the picture I took of it.
That's just creepy! It was approximately 6ft long! Well whatever kind of fish it was it was still ugly and scary. I would not want to find that swimming underneath me.

Sebastian and me at the aquarium!

Im pretty sure I mentioned before that Bergen hasnt had this much snow in many years. Usually it lasts a week or two. This year it has lasted for almost 2 months. 2 months of snow is a lot, and where does snow fall on? Streets, cars,..and building roofs. What happens as the days get hotter? The snow starts melting. What happens when an idiot like me stands near a building? The snow falls on her. I had a hug snow pile fall straight on me this past Tuesday. Luckily it wasnt an icicle but it did hurt. But if I see anyone standing near a building i will not warn them, since no one warned me. And after snow smashes on someone elses head I will not ask if they are ok either. I think I would have preferred laughter or snickering but not even that. Nothing.

I want to add that I feel so lucky to have the Fretheim's as my host family. They have really made me feel like I'm part of their family and I get along really well with all of them. Just the other day Zoyla, Sebastian and I were dancing in the living room for a good hour, and that same night Zoyla and me were trying to imitate youtube dance routines!

Now for a little treat for all my lady readers. Let me introduce you to my new obsession: Alexander Rybak! Just watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8JRtGMBUz0

And the background dancers are dancing a modern style of folkemusik dance!

Well I promise that my next entry will be a lot better than this one. This one was a catching up so that friends and family dont worry about me! Until next time! Hadet!