Yesterday yesterday.
The day when the snow and ice melts. For some reason. Meri said in the evening that Jan is a crazy month. Sometimes you get very cold and then you get zero or even above zero degrees. Which was what happened yesterday I suppose. You wake up and see green grass and basically colours, instead of a whole patch of everything white. And I remember just 2 days ago, it snowed over the night and in the morning I woke up to see everything white. Cars are all whitle and stuff.

Went to the Sognsvann lake today. I realised it was the same lake that I went with Erik and gang 1 week ago. Just that we walked from our hostel to the lake then. This time, the UiO people took the T-bane to the last stop. Thus, I realise that it is so easy to walk in Oslo. I walk like say 7 train stations in 2 hours. Well, the mountain was always not that easy. But I didnt realise that with the ice melting.. Gosh. Everywhere is slippery really really slippery. It was quite bad already with some snow. At least the snow gives you some friction. Now its all ICE. All the paths are ICE and melting ICE. Everyone is just trying to balance themselves and I wonder how are we gonna walk a few km like this. And you see people slipping and falling and falling and falling. Only the Norwegian, local indigeneous folks love the ICE. The kids just run and skate on ice - without skates - with their whatever sports shoe. So I tried it myself. Wasnt as good as them, but it was fun. Saw a couple of people going into the melting lake with shoes, no skates and playing around. Decided to go in. And when Carmen and og saw, they joined me. It was much fun, except that your shoes, socks and pants get wet, because there is a few cm of water level as the lake melts. But skating without skates is quite fun really. Especially with such a huge lake and splendid view.

Then saw my og and friends walking towards my direction. Since I was late by 10mins, didnt manage to join them. And realised that I was walking in the opposite direction from them.
Would really love to go there with my huge plastic bag and cushion in it to slide on the ICE! But I need a man preferably to go with, to catch me lest I am heading towards a tree at high speed.

Went back to eat lunch/dinner (whatever its called. Norwegians eat lunch at 4pm or 5pm latest)
At night, met with Meri and Ida's og. Was planned to go to bla (pronounced blor, cos the a has a circle on top which my english keyboard doesnt have). But it opens at 9pm. So they went to some pub to drink. Man. The beer is expensive la. 58 Kr. And I dont like to drink anyway. Then after that, they went to another pub - billabong - which is much cosier. Realise that its normal for restaurants and pubs to have an underground chamber which is really cosy. Beers here are cheaper. 42Kr. Since everyone bought something, and im not sure if everyone has to, I bought a beer. Was asking what's the cheapest but no one knows. Eygptian guy was the only one who drank coffee. It was really hard understanding his english and Im absolutely sure he cant understand mine either.
And then the topic of tuition fees came up. Vellentina was telling us that Italy is now protesting against paying tuition fees. But I said that since Italy's paying to tuition fees is based on class and income level - higher income pay more - isnt it like fair already. And she tried to explain that it has implications of the whole education reform in her really limited and bad english. Thus I understand not anything thereafter (the few Italians that I met all dont speak much english). Then when vellentina went to the toilet, Chase (canadian) said that he finds it ridiculous that Europe doesnt pay tuition fees and protest against paying. He said "if you dont pay for your Uni education, you wont value your education. People here are like partying everyday and dont value their education as much". Oh well.
I reflect on this. And seemingly, it is true. If you pay for it, you work harder on it. Like I didnt value my jc education as much, only when I start attending tuition and paying for it, then I start to work hard. In uni, I try to work hard. And when I realise that I pay 50 bucks an hour to NUS, I start to pay attention in lectures, no matter how shitty it is, it seems important.
Well. I guess the debate on tuition fees will be forever. But lest you have no money to pay for education, come europe.

Went to bla, which is a night club. They dont check ID man. Just walk in and walk around until some bouncer comes along and ask "how old are u?" and u say "22" and he stamps ur wrist. So lenient. The band in the night club is really REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD. and they are not made up of young punks, but OLD people. Old and middle to old age people, all wrinkles and balding. But they are sooo good, they've been playing for yearS.

At 1130pm, the international students decided to go home cos they were afraid that they would miss the last T-bane. Taxis here are crazy. Thomas paid 60 sing dollar for equivalent of Bishan to Orchard Road. But that was on New Year though.
And this is quite hilarious because all the Norwegians that know the way are still in the club. And the internationl students are walking around aimlessly trying to find their direction, all in a big gang. Marta was so prepared to sleep on the streets and she was complaining "I just paid for the most expensive beer ever. I had 3 beers. Almost 200 Kr gone. Dont remind me. In Poland, for that amount of money, I would be drunk on the floor already. And there's no cheap food in Norway u can find at night. Im hungry and broke and homeless. Why did I even leave Poland? Ok good thing is, its way less colder here. It was -26 degrees when I left Poland"

Right. I followed the gang till we reach UDI. And since I came here b4 (im already here for 2 weeks compared to the rest for 1 week only), I know my directions. But the gang follows the gang and all of them lives in Kringjsa except me. I diverted from them halfway and non of them followed me. I was walking towards Gronland station. At 12 am, alone in an empty foreign town with scattered punksters around. And was a little worried that something might happen to me and wondered if I should have stuck with the gang instead. Realise that they could be walking to Oslo S station instead. So I quicken my footsteps to Gronland and on the way, the wind was so strong, for a moment I thought I would be blown. My footsteps actually went backwards at certain times cos the wind was really really strong.
Eventually, reached home safe and sound! Lesson learnt. Gronland is a delabitated station. Secluded and its tunnel is sooo long. Its not safe at all. Just walk a few more steps to Oslo S if its too late next time.
Was so tired, lied on my bed and slept with the lights on, clothes unchanged. Slept til an amazing 10.30 am.