and it begins...

..... Advent that is!  The first weekend of Advent Bergen celebrates with 'lysfest' which translates to Festival of Lights.  Last year I was unable to attend because I was prepping Thanksgiving for 70 international masters students.  This year it was raining hard all day but Martha, Nici and I donned our best rain gear and rallied to partake.  

Wow, wow, wow.  Music, fireworks, and Christmas cheer.

**note: these photos are from the web but give you the idea. Exactly the same tonight but add umbrellas

All I have to say is- Christmas on the Prado (aka December Night), you have met your match.  I just witnessed one of the most spectacular fireworks displays I think I've seen.  And I've seen a lot of 4th of July fireworks!  It was 13 minutes (yes, 13, it's on the schedule) of July 4th 'finale-style' fireworks.  I kid you not.  Insane!  And, everyone is around the lake (picture above) with the fireworks over the lake so you are right under the fireworks.  Annnnnd, they let you carry fire torches here.  I know, right?!  Real fire?!  Ahhh the things you can do in a place where all people respect laws and don't slap lawsuits on each other every 5 seconds. (I know, most Americans are this way too, it's just the few that ruin it for the rest of us).

Anywho, what a fantastic kick-off to the holiday season.  

God Jul!

lisa liv 

Happy Giving of Thanks day!

Wishing you and yours, around the world, a very happy thanksgiving!  It's always a little odd being abroad on a day like today.  There are no turkeys in the windows or Thanksgiving garlands in the stores.  But, I relish in all I have to be thankful and continue to share the idea of giving thanks today here in Bergen.  Seriously, we are so blessed (if you are reading this, it means you are on a computer- you are blessed!).   I am thankful for the opportunity to be living and studying abroad where I have met wonderful people and explored the world.  And, I'm exceedingly thankful for getting to head 'home' in three weeks to spend Christmas and New Years with family and friends in California.  

While I'm not doing a thanksgiving meal today, my flatmates and I did a good ol' traditional thanksgiving dinner last friday night.  We made (and I can say we, they were excited to learn and help in the kitchen) turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing (from scratch!), gravy and a carrot side.  Ida was super and made a berry dessert.  I am very thankful for all the fun I've had with these guys this semester.  They are the best!

Kenneth, Bjornar and Kunt Anders

Here's our spread:

Bjornar very excited for dessert

Tonight on my way home from the library my friend and study buddy, Martha, alerted me to the fact it's a special shopping day where all of the stores are open until midnight- wait, what?!  Has black friday infiltrated the serene and peaceful Norway?  I've never given in to black friday.  In fact, you couldn't pay me to participate in the insanity.  But, today it was alluring.  The shops were right on our walk home.  The night was nice.  There was a holiday cheer in the air.  Music was playing and they were making waffles.  What's a girl to do?  Indeed, shop.  So there I was, amongst the crowds (though, far more civilized... it is still Norway, no pushing and jockeying here) and Elvis was signing Christmas songs on the music system.  I may be away but not much changes.

And, with that, I'm off to ready myself for another day of studies tomorrow.  And, next week the guys are making me a traditional Christmas dinner- yea!  No Dad, not Lutefisk.  I'll be ready for that on Christmas Eve.  No taking that away from you.  They will be making Pinnekjøtt.

My amaaaaaaazing flatmates

with thanks and gratitude, 

lisa liv 

sometimes...

.... beer is very necessary in the computer lab.  What can I say?  Marketing totally got us.  Who doesn't want to drink Christmas beer packaged in a red or purple can?

It was 9pm and we were wrapping up a project.  We were feeling all-around-festive.

cheers!

lisa liv 

~sunny days are here again~

Literally. We have had some beautiful sunny crisp days in Bergen in the last week.  This is the Bergen I know and love!  (which of course I'm inside all day studying, but, that's how it goes)  

Though, I must admit I've been having crazy flashes of Christmas.  I'm sure it's because once Christmas is upon us that means I'm through finals, and I want that like I want a new wetsuit for Christmas ( <------- dear Santa, not so subtle hint).  But, the weather feels exactly like a SoCal Christmas.  Even the smells in the air- it's wild!  I'm ready to sing Silver Bells and pull out the mistletoe.

On that note, I just read a really cool blog post I wanted to share about how the kWh cost of solar energy continues to decrease- tres cool!  Solar has it's issues with predictability and the whole the sun doesn't shine and night thing.  But, it's still really encouraging to see and I encourage you to read.  See the post here 

It also makes an interesting point about shale gas.  My personal favorite line is '... special treatment for fracking makes a mockery of free market principles'.  Perhaps that whet your appetite to jump in and read.

Oh dear readers, I am studying energy.  I get jazzed on these kinds of things. 

***********

Ok, something fun for the day.  Do you know about 8tracks?  It's my favorite new place for music listening online.  Remember making mixed tapes?  Yes, totally dating myself.  Or, nowadays, my super awesome music club gals in San Diego- we make mixed CD's and share new music.  

Well, this is the same idea.  People from around the world have signed up, made profiles and put mixes together for all sorts of things- workout mixes, wake up in the morning mixes, sad and weepy breakup mixes, indie artists mixes, mash-up mixes, classical music mixes and... my very favorite at the moment... study mixes!

check it out for free listening here    And you don't have to have a profile to listen

radiantly yours,

lisa liv 

ps. I am on a friggin roll... 3 posts in 7 days?!  that's a new lisa o record.  yes, i want to make a lisa o record too, but, you know what i mean.