Day 3. There's no snow, but its -16 degrees.

Day 3. I followed the tourists. They were going to the opera house. The supposed esplanade of Norway, only that its much worse looking.


This area is closed in winter. They say its open in summer for pple to climb up and dont know what.


Inside the Opera House (below)


After the opera house, we went to the city for a walk. And past the national theatre skating area, and went to the castle of the king and queen.

Oslo Cathedral




Parliament House

This lion was outside parliament house.

National theatre

National Theatre Ice Skating area with music from the center thing.



Across the skating area, is the University of Oslo Law Campus. Kinda like NUS where the main campus and law is separated. And incidentally, the law campus in oslo has a colonial theme as well. Really like NUS.


Castle


Guard Duty HAHAHAHA

Nobel Peace Center

I saw this from far while walking in the city. I wondered if the tourists was heading there. It looked magical from here. I was soon to find out, they were heading there indeed :)

But first, they headed to get some coffee. The cafe by aker brygge that we went in apparently, just closed. I checked my watch and it was probably only abt 3pm. I wondered why they are so slack. So they headed to macdonalds and I waited impatiently for them to finish, I cant help but take another shot at the Aker castle from Macdonalds. It was pretty dark already. Sun is setting at 3pm. Please hurry up.

Finally to the castle. The first thing I saw was this statue that a few pple crowded round. I went to see it and it says Franklin Roosevelt. Neither me nor the germans have any idea in the world, why Franklin Roosevelt's statue is there.












End of Castle. Its already dark. And its only 4pm. -_-" Stupid winter.
So they got home, and prepared New Year Countdown Celebration.


New Year Countdown celebration was awesome. I had this for dinner. The yellow thing in the center is the famous German dish - Auflauf (bake noodle in cheese & vege) I also had Tortilla, which is spanish dish. Its egg in vege & alcohol, and roast it till a brown. But my favourite is Auflauf. The Cheese makes everything damn sweet and nice.


This was for desert. Its Bratapfel. Roasted apple with whatever filling that's inside.

Ang Mohs, really can drink. Some of the drink are really strong.


And they countdown according to Spanish tradition. We each take 12 grapes. We start eating the grapes when the clock hits 12. Then, we open champange and celebrate. Fireworks here go one round the city. It lasted for 30mins. The germans complained that its too short, cos they had it for 1 hour.

Day 2

2 things I woke up to:
1) A stupid note on my door which reads as above - to clean toilet. Com'on its only my first day here.
2) A german girl greeted me and introduced herself to me at the corridor (as below, farridus)


Morning. The Sg girls arranged to meet 9am at the stairs. Guess what. I went down at 9am and no one was there. I ended up waiting for 30 mins, pressing their bell every 5 mins, but no one answered. (SG GIRLS -_-""") So I started to freeze and decided to go back up to my floor. Saw farridus and a spanish friend.
She and her spanish friend ask me to join them for breakfast. But since I was meeting the girls, I politely declined. I went back to my room, then went down again to wait for the girls. But they did not appear, and did not answer their door bell. So I went back up, utterly disgusted w sg girls. This time, I saw farridus and her spanish friend abt to leave.
I said "finished breakfast that fast?!"
They said "Wanna join us for breakfast?"
Me: Sure. But when?
Far: 10 mins, we're going out to buy some food then come back
Me: 10 mins? Isnt the supermarked like 1 km away?
Far: No, there's on right below.
Me: Really?
Far: Yes, I can show you.
Me: Ok give me a sec.

And that's when I discovered Rema 1000, the convenient store 50 metres away. And it has stuff that's much cheaper than the supermarked, 1km away at the football stadium.
Hence, I dont care abt the sg girls and joined the germans for breakfast.

I met 2 more german and 1 spanish girl. They are not students here, not do they reside in this hostel. They are tourists, close friends of farridus, here to gather with her, as well as to tour oslo. Apparently, they stayed at the room at the corner, which belonged to Mayuko, a japanese who went to Canada to meet her Canadian bf for the december hols.


They are really nice people. Maybe cos they are tourists, hence in good chirpy mood. I was empty handed, did not know what the hell they eat for breakfast. In Sg, I dont even eat breakfast, so I need time to adjust to life here. But they were really nice, treating me to good european breakfast.


This one below, is some elephant + sheep + cow + horse meat. All in one small round thing.

As you can see, Im the only idiot still wearing shoes, bcos I have not learnt the house rules and haven finished unpacking.

After breakfast, I went back to my room. I saw the gang leaving, so I was curious and asked where are they heading. Then I went back to my room. Next time I know, someone knocked on my room and the spanish girl stood there, and asked if I wld like to join them on their tour. I agreed. Never would I expect, I would finish touring the capital, in that week, and enjoy fabulous new year party, thanks to those tourists. And compared to the other Sg girls with me, I was partly glad, that I didnt join them for breakfast that fateful morning.
Farridus wanted to drop-by the hospital first. I didnt know whatever wherever, but I just followed.

Roser (pronounced as Rosea) the spanish girl who speaks german (bcos she studied in germany for 3 years and were housemates of those 3 other germans)


We arrived at a train station. I realised I did not have a ticket. Farridus mentioned smtg abt paying her back. But then, it didnt seem to me that she bought a ticket for me either. She never asked me to pay me back later anyway. It was my first impression, that it seems like you can take the train for free here. Or at least not get caught.

Erik the photographer & Farridus

View on the train. She said we are going to the last stop. IDK where it was anyway.

Videos of the train trip. I understand no shit about german language.


Reached the last stop.




Pretty amazing view from the last metro station.


Kids having fun in the snow. Skiiing, skating, sledding.



My first steps trekking in the snowy mountain, trying to keep up with the strong germans.

And avoiding the skiiers.

From him, I learnt what a snow angel is, and how to make one.

So I did it myself. The snow was too hard, so it wasnt good.

Apparently, they were trying to find the cabin on top of the mountain which supposedly sells the "world's best apple pie".

Here we are. The view from outside the cabin is spectacular.


It's one of the nicest cabin from the outside.

The inside is as pretty.

And the delicacies are the prettiest. So is the price.


Unfortunately, the world's best apple pie did not live up to its tag. Its too sour for me. And its price is unjustified based on the taste. The germans exclaim that the average pie in germany is better than this. I think Mac's apple pie is also better. At least sweeter.
After that, I continued to follow the tourists, taking the metro w/o paying and didnt know where they were bringing me. Saw this ice-skating place.


I followed them to this place of statues and would only realise later, that this is the famous Vigeland Park of Norway, and the middle of it all, the highest statues, is really world-famous.



The Angry Baby. Its world famous. Its on postcards. As to why, I have asked countless people and no one can answer me.


I love these statues becos they are so human-like, not just the sculpture, but that they portray human relations and emotions.

This is the first time I saw hounds. They are the fastest dogs in the world. I saw them run and its freaking fast! Lucky owner of 2!





The above "stick" is World-Famous. From bottom to top, the "people" gets younger. Some interpret it as reincarnation of life, life as a renewing cycle. Others interpret it differently. What say you?