murmeldyr.no

The weblog of a traveller

   Oct 02

[Backdated] Granite City – Home from home

I’ve encountered a few problems with this travel log. Honestly, I’ve been way too busy to dig into it, but Bolt (www.dhampir.no) saved the project at last. I love you!

I’ve kept an offline log and will be posting it right away! For now please pretend it’s two weeks ago and SORRY SORRY SORRY for the delay.

21. sep – Finally here!

I have no words. When I travel I try not to expect too much, but rather experience with an open mind. That can be dangerous at times. This place just blew my head off. I suspect that many don’t have any idea what I’m meaning here – what is so special about this middle-sized, rather cold city? Honestly, I don’t know but I know I’ve been all smiles since I came. Maybe I’ll get more insight in those matters as I go.

The travel was very pleasant indeed, and the feeling when getting off the plane was incredible – weirdly enough it felt something like coming home when being long gone.. No less so when I found that I’m living right beside the biggest, calmest park imaginable full of old beech and oak trees. I love the air, the people, the dialect -although I’ve rarely heard it yet, the bulk of the people living in this village that is the school flats are from evrywhere else-, the arcitecture, the vegetation, I’ve been nothing but happiness since I got here. It’s quite a big city but with a lot of space in it, and the houses aren’t so tall. Things aren’t as fancy as I’m used to, but very well kept. I haven’t seen a single piece of grafitti since I came here.

The info we got beforehand warned about cold, windy and rainy climate so I brought only winter clothes, but it’s been warm and humid with and almost tropical-feeling so far. There are palm trees! People go barefooted!

I think I can tell who’s british and who isn’t from the skin tone. Why are the britons so pale-ish when it’s way south of Norway…(Some actually look pale even though they have a quite dark tone, are they really a bit grey-skinned?) Everyone is extraordinarily nice and helpful.

The food shop on campus has loads of canned soups, baked beans and noodles, but I went through the whole shop twice before I found the tiny vegetables rack -and nearly emptied it. Not a single eco-item. I tried the famous (infamous?) baked beans, just to find that “baked” meant a crappy tomato sauce glazed with sugar. This seems to be sugar-in-everything-land. I need to find a bakery or health shop, as all the grocery store breads are sweet too. Why do they DO that 🙁

I’ve been even more scatterbrained than usual, forgetting things every single time I leave the flat. It’s all because mye routine is broken – I even had problems putting on contacts, which I haven’t had in years. I feel restless, my fingers shake as I write. I should get going and fix things so I can relax mentally. Especially a power adapter, my laptop battery won’t last forever..

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