Cerapter (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} nazguruloki) wrote,@ 2009-07-12 13:40:00 |
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Minnesota: July 10-11th
July 10th
I overslept and didn't reach breakfast. I ran to reach our first and only lecture, which was about wood rotting at the poles. After lunch, we individually discussed our results at an "intercultural understanding" test: my "analyst" was a South-Korean woman who liked Norway because we ate lots of fish.
Then we went to the Minnesota Science Museum, where we were taken behind the scenes and got to see their actual archive of items. There were rooms chock full of drawers chock full of bugs, bones, pots and textiles -- a million items that are not on display! We had a ball. Afterwars, we got to see their Titanic themed exhibition (and IMAX Dome movie!), which left an emotional impression on us all. We were each given a boarding pass with the name of an actual passenger that rode on the Titanic. My passenger died.
In the evening, half of us went to an Irish pub named Blarney, and half of us arrived later. I got tired after the first hour, and the last two or three hours were painstakingly boring. I had a glass of beer in the start, just to blend in (and because sometimes even I try new things), but didn't see any reason to have more. We got home 1:30 AM, and I was in a grim mood because of party-induced isolation.
July 11th
Today was a great day. We went to a park in Minneapolis, named Minnehaha Falls. I got up early so I could go to the bookstore and buy shorts to fit the weather. They're supposedly the same as the Minnesota Golden Gophers' basket team wears.
The park was very interesting, because though not conspicuous or very special, it was different from any park I'd seen before. We had picnic together with a Minneapolis-based, Norwegian-focused organization. (Everybody seems to be to excited that we're here: real Norwegians!) We also rented a four-person bike-wagon and played with frisbees and slack lines. But the best part was on the way back, when we had to make a side-stop to our Program Coordinator's house. She's wonderful being, and she's brought her whole family into this ordeal; her husband and two kids are often around, and now we met them in and got to see their own house. And what a house! Small and narrow to navigate, but very cosy. The kids (aged somewhat about 4 and 7) showed us their rooms with great enthusiasm; the little brother always grinned and tried to get our attention by doing silly things, while his older sister did all the talking.
After delivering the bikes back at the rental, half of us went and got smoothies and just sat in a park for a while, being happy. Then we returned to the dorm -- on the way, I got some UofM posters to hang on the sad walls of my room -- and had dinner. The remainder of the day, we're going to have a pre-party in one of the girls' room. Most of them are going out afterwards to get drunk, but personally I've had enough after the two glasses of beer I've had so far this week.
July 10th
I overslept and didn't reach breakfast. I ran to reach our first and only lecture, which was about wood rotting at the poles. After lunch, we individually discussed our results at an "intercultural understanding" test: my "analyst" was a South-Korean woman who liked Norway because we ate lots of fish.
Then we went to the Minnesota Science Museum, where we were taken behind the scenes and got to see their actual archive of items. There were rooms chock full of drawers chock full of bugs, bones, pots and textiles -- a million items that are not on display! We had a ball. Afterwars, we got to see their Titanic themed exhibition (and IMAX Dome movie!), which left an emotional impression on us all. We were each given a boarding pass with the name of an actual passenger that rode on the Titanic. My passenger died.
In the evening, half of us went to an Irish pub named Blarney, and half of us arrived later. I got tired after the first hour, and the last two or three hours were painstakingly boring. I had a glass of beer in the start, just to blend in (and because sometimes even I try new things), but didn't see any reason to have more. We got home 1:30 AM, and I was in a grim mood because of party-induced isolation.
July 11th
Today was a great day. We went to a park in Minneapolis, named Minnehaha Falls. I got up early so I could go to the bookstore and buy shorts to fit the weather. They're supposedly the same as the Minnesota Golden Gophers' basket team wears.
The park was very interesting, because though not conspicuous or very special, it was different from any park I'd seen before. We had picnic together with a Minneapolis-based, Norwegian-focused organization. (Everybody seems to be to excited that we're here: real Norwegians!) We also rented a four-person bike-wagon and played with frisbees and slack lines. But the best part was on the way back, when we had to make a side-stop to our Program Coordinator's house. She's wonderful being, and she's brought her whole family into this ordeal; her husband and two kids are often around, and now we met them in and got to see their own house. And what a house! Small and narrow to navigate, but very cosy. The kids (aged somewhat about 4 and 7) showed us their rooms with great enthusiasm; the little brother always grinned and tried to get our attention by doing silly things, while his older sister did all the talking.
After delivering the bikes back at the rental, half of us went and got smoothies and just sat in a park for a while, being happy. Then we returned to the dorm -- on the way, I got some UofM posters to hang on the sad walls of my room -- and had dinner. The remainder of the day, we're going to have a pre-party in one of the girls' room. Most of them are going out afterwards to get drunk, but personally I've had enough after the two glasses of beer I've had so far this week.
