Category Archives: Jonia Gordon

Norway – Oslo to Bergen: A Train Ride – by Jonia Gordon. The North Star Reports: Global Citizenship and Digital Literacy, at NorthStarReports.org and facebook.com/NorthStarReports

Editor’s Note: this is a part of a special series from Jonia Gordon, a talented student who is studying in Oslo, Norway for the Fall 2015 semester. Jonia is a thoughtful writer, as well as a talented artist. The illustrations that accompany this article are also by Jonia.

It was the trip that I had been looking forward to since I bought the train tickets a month and half beforehand. I would be going to Bergen, Norway for three days with two of my friends/classmates. However, I did have a bit of a scare the night I ordered my train tickets. I had used my American debit card to purchase the tickets and went to bed at ten that night (as I had work the next day…). At half past, I received a message from my mother that I needed to call the bank at that very moment or else my account would be completely frozen. I went through the process of changing my sim-cards, calling, and resolving the issue with confirmation of my identity. It turns out, that my local banking centre had forgotten to tell the main bank that I would be out of the country and this led to the events. Honestly, although it was a stressful moment and I hope to never have a repeat, it was a growing experience. One important aspect that I have taken from it is that communication is key and double- and triple-checking is something that may seem tedious but can save you from a lot of unnecessary issues.

Moving forward, we decided to take the 7.5-hour train ride for two reasons: (1) it is well-known for being a scenic trip (note: I believe there is a film in Norway that consists entirely of this train route) and (2) it was a bit less of an expense. Though, it had more to do with the first reason for the second. We started our journey the day after classes ended in the early morning hours by meeting up on the stairwell in our building, then proceeding to walk down the hill to the t-bane (metro) to go to Jernbanetorget (Central Station) in order to board the train. This would be my first experience on a train and I was extremely excited to start the long trip.

(Image 1: The night before, we had a final dinner with all of our program and ended up staying out until 12. Which meant that we had missed the last bus and had to walk back. This image is a representation of how tired we were from a lack of sleep (5 hours) on the way to the train station.)

Our train departed at 08.15 and arrived at our destination at 15.50. The train was fairly empty and that allowed me and my friend to converse as we pleased. Since we were seated together, we talked lots, made at least 12 peanut butter sandwiches (and ate them all!), took dozens of pictures, and whatnot. I was surprised at the changes in weather that occurred throughout the journey; it started off as dreary autumn weather then transformed into snow as we got higher up, and by the time we arrived, we encountered a light rain; which would transform into a downpour that night.

One experience on the train that I was curious about was the serving car. I had heard about it from friends and I’d seen it in various films and television shows: I wanted it to be a more concrete experience for myself. Halfway through the trip we decided to venture through the carts to find it. Luckily, it was only 3 carts away and easy to find. Though, we were a bit shocked as we went from car-to-car and experienced difficulty opening the doors due to wind surging through. The cart was very modest with one worker and a small display of food options. We chatted with him for a bit and he gave us his suggestions for food and traveling in Bergen; he was wonderfully friendly and that made my experience one to hold with me.

(Pictured: A waffle with strawberry jam and brown cheese and a Julekake-style muffin.)

(Image: Throughout our 3 day trip, this is a drawing of the food that one of my friends and myself ate. We had 2 bags of clementines, two loaves of bread, peanut butter, instant rice, and (I had) chicken slices.)

That was basically the train ride; it doesn’t seem particularly thrilling as I write about it and yet it will remain one of my heart memories when I studied abroad. I sat in a rotation of non-stop chatting to companionable silence with a dear friend, I saw sights that I may never see outside of photographs again, and I took an adventure that I planned by myself. One adventure finished, many more to come.
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Please contact Professor Liang if you wish to write for The North Star Reports — HLIANG (at) css.edu

See also, our Facebook page with curated news articles at http://www.facebook.com/NorthStarReports
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The North Star Reports: Global Citizenship and Digital Literacy (http://NorthStarReports.org) is a student edited and student authored open access publication centered around the themes of global and historical connections. Our abiding philosophy is that those of us who are fortunate enough to receive an education and to travel our planet are ethically bound to share our knowledge with those who cannot afford to do so. Therefore, creating virtual and actual communities of learning between college and K-12 classes are integral to our mission. In five semesters we have published 200 articles covering all habitable continents and a variety of topics ranging from history and politics, food and popular culture, to global inequities to complex identities. These articles are read by K-12 and college students. Our student editors and writers come from all parts of the campus, from Nursing to Biology, Physical Therapy to Business, and remarkably, many of our student editors and writers have long graduated from college. We also have writers and editors from other colleges and universities. In addition to our main site, we also curate a Facebook page dedicated to annotated news articles selected by our student editors (http://www.facebook.com/NorthStarReports). This is done by an all volunteer staff. We have a frugal cash budget, and we donate much of our time and talent to this project. We are sponsored by St. Scholastica’s Department of History and Politics and by the scholarly Middle Ground Journal: World History and Global Studies (http://theMiddleGroundJournal.org).

For a brief summary, please see the American Historical Association’s Perspectives on History, at: http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2013/1305/Opening-The-Middle-Ground-Journal.cfm

Hong-Ming Liang, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, The North Star Reports; Chief Editor, The Middle Ground Journal; Associate Professor of History and Politics, The College of St. Scholastica.

Kathryn Marquis Hirsch, Managing Editor, The North Star Reports.

(c) 2012-present The North Star Reports: Global Citizenship and Digital Literacy http://NorthStarReports.org ISSN: 2377-908X The NSR is sponsored and published by Professor Hong-Ming Liang, NSR Student Editors and Writers, The Department of History and Politics of The College of St. Scholastica, and the scholarly Middle Ground Journal. See Masthead for our not-for-profit educational open- access policy. K-12 teachers, if you are using these reports for your classes, please contact editor-in-chief Professor Liang at HLIANG (at) css.edu

Oslo, Norway – I’m a Glutton, but I’m also Frugal, Food and Norway – The North Star Reports – by Jonia Gordon. Sponsored by The College of St. Scholastica and The Middle Ground Journal

Editor’s Note: this is a part of a special series from Jonia Gordon, a talented student who is studying in Oslo, Norway for the Fall 2015 semester. Jonia is a thoughtful writer, as well as a talented artist. The illustrations that accompany this article are also by Jonia.

Author’s Note: The exchange rate of the US dollar to the Norwegian Kroner is fairly high currently: $1 is roughly 8.1-. The exchange rate changes based on the strength of the currency. If you have specific questions about food, grocery shopping, etc. – feel free to ask.

Coming to Norway, I didn’t know what to expect for food. The stereotypical image of various fish-centred meals came to mind—which was honestly worrying as I do not like fish—along with the infamous lefse. However, that menu has not been a particular reality for myself. Yes, there are many fish options but, there are also many other meat options as well. Yes, there is lefse—which I tend to live off of—though it’s called ‘lompa’ here.

One thing to note about Oslo: it’s expensive to live in. I had researched a bit and talked to a friend who had attended the program the past year, previous to coming, and that prepped me with some knowledge. The problem is that my knowledge was purely abstract and experiencing the expensive prices first-hand is painful for a frugal (read: cheap) person like me. Luckily, my stipend is a respectable amount. I receive roughly 600.- (roughly $70) per week to buy groceries and other necessities.

There is one place I would highly recommend going to buy groceries (in particular: produce) if you are ever staying in Oslo for a prolonged amount of time: Grønland. It is located in eastern Oslo and offers fresh produce at cheap prices. It’s often swarming with people and if you go during a busy time (e.g. Saturday afternoons), expect to wait in the checkout line for a minimum of 20 minutes. Grønland is traditionally an area that immigrants have lived in and I believe that plays a large part in why the prices are so much lower – the businesses (the grocery and other establishments) cater to the community. On the other hand, the area is becoming more popular and trendy with the youth of Norway and that is playing an influence on how things operate there. It would be interesting to come back in five years and see how it has changed.

(Illustration Note 1,2: Exaggeration of fridge-space. I have 5 flatmates in which we share 2 fridges (1 shelf each) and cupboard space (1 cupboard each). If my fridge was this full and it was empty within a week; I would sob.)

Here are a few experiences I’ve had with food since arriving in Oslo:
A traditional fall (høst) food called “Fårikål” was a trip for my mouth and tastebuds. I had it at my volunteer placement with a bunch Norwegians telling me the background of the food and watching me as I tried it (no pressure…). First off, this seasonal food is boiled cabbage and lamb with some light spices. Secondly, it’s a prime time to eat the meat due to the sheeps feeding on herbs that provide the essence when eaten. At any other time of the year, the service users told me, it would not taste the same as the feed of the sheep would be different. Lastly, I quite enjoyed this “Norwegian” food; however, those who have problems with texture, the meat is slightly gummy/chewy. We finished the day off with waffles topped with sour cream and strawberry jam (jordbær) or brown cheese (brunost).

I have discovered an obsession within Norway and it is called Kebab. It’s an option that I tend to eat once of every two-or-so weeks; why? It’s delicious, it’s decently priced (55.- or ~$6.50), and establishments are located throughout Oslo—even on the outskirts of campus. It’s become a go-to meal when you want to walk around Oslo with friends and don’t want to spend a lot on food. For those who don’t know what kebab is: pita bread stuffed with lamb and an assortment of vegetables (cucumbers, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.) topped off with dressing/sauce.

(Illustration Note, 3,4,5 : these exist in the U.S. and I must find them. I come from too small of a town that these are not common within a 3 hour drive. I’ll feed the love while I’m here and by the time I get home the craving will end. We all know that my last statement was a lie.)

If you’re a junk food lover, then you must be willing to pay the price. I’ve avoided it for the most part—great for my health and horrible for my desire to eat—and only splurge for certain occasions. I’ll often buy when I’m having a movie night with friends. Story time: One night, my friend and I had decided to watch a film together. We headed down to REMA 1000—a store located within our student village—and decided to buy junk food. All day I had talked about how I was determined to buy ice cream. As I looked through the ice cream freezer and decided on a chocolate-coated pistachio ice cream bar, my friend came around the corner and burst my sugar-coated bubble: (Illustration 6)

In the end, I bought the chips rather than the ice cream. I was disappointed and proceeded to eat the whole container of chips within a timeframe of 24 hours. I have come to learn that I have a much stronger will power to not spend money than to gorge on junk food: I never thought that to be a possibility before coming to Norway. At the same time, I have been able to decide when it’s best to splurge on something as a reward for doing well on papers, homework, or Norwegian class.

I have a confession: before coming to Norway, my cooking skills were… alright. I could make very basic food and primarily survived off of sandwiches, premade items, and my mother’s cooking (bless her soul). Since coming to Norway, I’ve started to learn how to cook and explore with trying different recipes and techniques. One of my greatest accomplishments is cleaning and cutting up chicken—I had no inkling beforehand that it would be as bloody as it was. On weekends, my friend (the same one who ruined my ice cream craving) and I cook together. She is very proficient and has taught me quite a bit; in exchange, I share my baking knowledge.

(Illustration Note 7: These pictures are a combination of homemade food, store bought foods, and a flatmate cultural feast + doodles for dramatic effect)
I’m not going to lie: there are times where I resort to eating food that I don’t have to cook or prepare. I think we all have those days where we just want to be lazy and not put any true effort in to making delicious food. For me, this day often falls on Sundays. In Norway, stores (food and other sorts) are not open on Sundays—an exception being Grønland and expensive shops. I probably spend more time daydreaming about food that I want to eat but (1) can’t afford and/or (2) can’t have as it doesn’t exist here (e.g. hotdish).

The main message I give to those future travelers to Norway (and anywhere in the world): you can survive and find fairly priced food here, it’s okay to splurge every once in a while, and trying new things can be fun. Maybe I’ll listen to my own message and try to eat fish or I can always fall into the “Do as I say, not as I do” life lesson. We’ll see how that goes, for now: off to eat a lazy meal (as shown below).

(Illustration Notes 8,9: Kjeks = Crackers, Brunost = Brown cheese)
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Please contact Professor Liang if you wish to write for The North Star Reports — HLIANG (at) css.edu

See also, our Facebook page with curated news articles at http://www.facebook.com/NorthStarReports
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The North Star Reports: Global Citizenship and Digital Literacy, The College of St. Scholastica and the scholarly Middle Ground Journal’s online learning community and outreach program with undergraduate and K-12 classes around the world. For a brief summary, please see the American Historical Association’s Perspectives on History, at:

http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2013/1305/Opening-The-Middle-Ground-Journal.cfm

The North Star Reports publishes edited essays from our students, particularly from those who are currently stationed, or will soon be stationed abroad. Students have reported from Mongolia, Southern China, Shanghai, Colombia, Norway, northeastern China, Nicaragua, Micronesia, The Netherlands, Tanzania, Ireland, El Salvador, England, Finland, Russia, Cyprus, and Haiti. We also publish student reviews of books, documentaries, and films, and analysis of current events from around the world. We will post their dispatches, and report on their interactions with the North Star Reports students and teachers. We thank The Department of History and Politics and the School of Arts and Letters of The College of St. Scholastica for their generous financial support for The North Star Reports and The Middle Ground Journal.

Hong-Ming Liang, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, The North Star Reports; Chief Editor, The Middle Ground Journal; Associate Professor of History and Politics, The College of St. Scholastica.

Kathryn Marquis Hirsch, Managing Editor, The North Star Reports.

(c) 2012-present The North Star Reports: Global Citizenship and Digital Literacy http://NorthStarReports.org ISSN: 2377-908X The NSR is sponsored by The College of St. Scholastica and the scholarly Middle Ground Journal. See Masthead for our not-for-profit educational open- access policy. K-12 teachers, if you are using these reports for your classes, please contact editor-in-chief Professor Liang at HLIANG (at) css.edu