Crazy days in Japan!!!

What a great country!!! I really like it here!! everyone (almost) are so cute and helpful! and pretty small...　I feel like a giant!! bought (a couple) a pair of shoes today, and I had to get the biggest ones in the whole shop!! I think maybe we scare the Japanese men, they dont look at us at all, but some of the woman or especially the girls find us fascinating. I had a bunch of 16 year olds coming up to me today, hehe... Guess we should be happy that the Japanese are not the size of Americans, imagin 128 millions huge persons..

The service in this country is amazing! if they have problems of explaining directions for example, they dont mind walking us down half the street to show us! or draw a map, pointing and smiling.. and all the bowing... to greet and to thank us. Whenever I pay they take the money or the Visa card with both hands and bows. I`m really good at　thanking in Japanese now. Some Japanese get crazy whenever i try to speak Japanese, the other day both women working in a shop jumped up and down clapping when i said Konichiwa (good day). Kristine came in wondering what was going on... One day shopping we had trouble finding someone who spoke English who we could ask about directions, but thanks to rap music that is probably possible all over the world! Our last shot was the guy who worked in a shop selling baggy clothes and playing rap music.. Think he was happy to speak some YO! Are quite a few Yo's here actually...

The best so far has been the home stay!! No doubt!! Kristine, Marte, Stine, Birte and I stayed with a big Japanese familiy. We're still not sure how many of them who lived there... They had a traditional Japanese house and garden, so beautiful there! All of us girls slept at the floor in a room with straw "carpets". We sat at the dinner table for at least 5 hours, drinking and eating.. for sure drinking!! CAMPAI!!!! Our dear "Papa" made sure our glasses were never empty.. they hardly even get half full... We were toasting and singing all night, their grandchildren running around. We all made the most beautiful paper birds in origami- or not!! folding paper is not that easy when you're far from sober... The worst thing was that the family meant that we were lousy drinkers, the ones from last year were better (I cant understand that..), but we we're a lot better with the chop sticks and speaking Japanese!! (thanks to the little note in my pocket.. hehe..)

We have been around in Hiroshima and Kyoto so far. In Hiroshima we met a survivor from the atomic bomb, that was special. Her story is terrible!!! Of course we visited the Peace Memorial Museum, saw a lot of pictures and clothes from the victims.

Now I'm in Tokyo for a few days, great!! I have considered staying here, I look pretty good in a kimono and did alright at the tea ceremony.. Japanese calligraphy is something for me andi'm sure i'll be able to do origami after some training.. sober...

The toilets here are an attractions in themselves... usually you'll find a control panel and you can get your ass cleaned or make a fountain or have a warm seat... or if you have problems with pieing when others are listening just push the button for the sound of flushing! last about for 25 seconds..

(Pappa: send more money!! hehe...) The shopping over here is great!! Found out that shipping home is not too expensive so... stopping by a few shops in Tokyo i reckon.. hehe...

ps!! btw!! email is the only form for communication, my mobile (or the other norwegians' mobiles) is not working over here... probably too old fashion, they know their gadgets in this country!!

Brisbane

This is my new home town. I love it down under!! It will be tough to leave, as for most others who come to Australia.

These pictures are taken close to Griffith University where we are studying.









Skyline with palm trees... This is where the fake beach in Brissie is as well. (the only beach in Brissie) I've heard that's where the homeless people take a bath..

Kangaroo Point and Story Bridge, Brisbane River.. this is the view from Ranveig's flat on the 32nd floor. love it!!!

Brisbane by night- from the balcony at backpackers Somewhere to stay.

The writing wall at South Bank... when staying at Riverside, always writing something on the way home from the city.. a lot of important opinions.. hehe...

Brisbane Broncos

I Australia he dei en rekke sporta som ikkje so monge andre land he, same som alle andre land so køyre paa venstre side av veien... om aa gjere aa ikkje ver som andre, nei...
Football her nede innebere veldi lite sparking og mykje springing me ballen i armane, og dei he so klart minst 3 forskjellige versjona. Den vi he blitt best paa NRL- National Rugby League, og laget som telle e Brisbane Broncos. Dei vann finala i aar og det va gode greier! Helten e Shaun Berrigan (love!!) og han spela oxo paa landslaget- Kangaroos. Han e kanskje litt lav da.. hehe... (men det he ej bjynt aa venne mej til her nede.. I'm pretty tall down under!:)

Det va veldi kjekt paa kamp- det e en fest! Skulen tok oss me og sørga for at vi tok del i kulturen paa en skikkeli maate... Sport e seriøse greier her nede!! AA det skal helst nytast me øl til...



Svaer stadion- va over 50.000 daa vi saag kamp!!!





Her e Sam Thaiday (eller Sammy Friday som ej og Kristine kalte han en heil kveld.. eller ei veke.. ).
Han spela oxo for kenguruane.. Vi vart introdusert for han ei helg vi va ute.. men ikkje tru at eplekjekke Silje ska vere so enkel aa imponere... ej ga klar beskjed om at dei ikkje va so go naar ej saag dei spele... (den kampen vi saag tapte dei..)


Saann ellers he vi oxo vorte kjende me nokre wannabe rugby-gutta.. opp til fleire lag!! hehe... Litt unge, kanskje...

Kuala Lumpur og Singapore

I Kuala Lumpur moette vi dinne karen som tente enkle penga paa turista som oss. Synd det ikkje e lovli paa Sunnmøre, tenk om ej kunne staatt paa Blaahuset og tatt bilde me en slange og pensjonistane!! Det hadde vore naake...











Malaysia e hovudsakli et muslimsk land, her e en av moskeane der- veldi fin!! Kunne dessverre ikkje gaa inn for dei va midt i formiddagsbøna. Ikkje akkurat som moskeen i Bergen...









Twin Towers- veldi fine om kvelden. Ej e no veldi gla i storbya om natta.. hjalp spesielt her, so serkje en alt skiten.

Va ganske tydeli at Malaysia vil opp og fram her i verda, og at det e Vesten som e idealet...










Singapore skyline me Meercat! Det e logoen til Singapore, blanding av løve og havhest.

En veldi fin og rein by, men ej saag faktisk bos paa gata. ikkje at ej ville ha kasta naake sjoel, bøtene her ekje naake aa tøyse me!





Raffles Hotel- her dei servera dei autentiske Singapore Sling. Vi kom oss aldri baren for aa ta en drink og kaste peanuttskal paa kvarandre...





Sjømannskirka i Kong Haralds vei i Singapore. Heile gjengen va innom og fikk bolla. Mange maatte oxo nytte høvet til aa kjope norsk snop- aa vi hekje vore paa tur ei veke engong!!

The Sames

Here's to Kristine, she's true blue!! She's a piss pot through and through. She's a bastard so they say, she tried to get to heaven but went the other way- so down down down down down down down down!!!!

Partners in crime- hadde aldri vore so kjekt her hadde det ikkje for Kristine!! We are sames! Stay where you are!! ;)



Litt urettferdi at det berre va ej so fikk cowboyhatt...

Vi dele seng og e ilag ca 24 tima i døgnet, aa det he gaatt over all forventning! Ska ha einerom ei natt eller to i Japan, spors om ej fe sove...

Love you, girlfriend!!

Aussie sayings

Good on ya, Sonya
Right on, rubber thong
What's your number, cucumber?
You wish, jelly fish!
Whatever, Trevor!

Tips to Surviving Australia

• Don't ever put your hand down a hole for any reason whatsoever.
• We mean it.
• The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.
• Always carry a stick.
• Air-conditioning.
• Do not attempt to use any Australian slang, unless you are a trained linguist and good in a fistfight.
• Thick socks.
• Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.
• If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die.
• Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.

Ej he spesielt tatt det me kartet til etterretning. For Kristine e ditte veldi underhaldande, kall det gjerne en vits. Alle so kjenne mej veit at det kan vere lurt for mej aa ha et kart.

Slang?! det ekje naake problem for oss!! herlihet!! you wish, jellyfish!! vi e nesten som innfodte for aa sei det slik! :D

Air condition he ikkje vorte ei velsigning enda, he vel gjort dei fleste sjuke i staden.

Det der med øla ja... kan forklare laurdagen... Detour?!!

Ej og Stine he testa ut øl...