I am not normally the one to blow my own horn (I think) but in this case I think I’ve deserved it.

It’s been a while since I updated last, I would apologize but I don’t actually know where the time went, I didn’t realize it had been ages until people started pestering me again. I’m going to try summarizing some of the things that has happened since I last updated.

I've turned eighteen...

(Yeah, you would think that was something I’d feel like sharing on the day, wouldn’t you?)

Spring has come to Alloa and, when the typical Scottish weather isn’t being its usual temperamental self, that’s rather nice:

One of my mates and her family took me on a road trip around the Scottish country side to make sure I get to experience it while I'm here. We went to a place called Queen Elizabeth Forest Park which shows Scotland's country side from its best perspective. We also visited several small towns and other places like Callendar (which is just lovely) and my personal favourite; Kilmahog. Get it? I’ve also seen Scotland’s only lake(!) and walked along Loch Lommond which we visited by coincidence but just so happened to be one of two loch’s in Scotland that I’ve really wanted to see. You see, I know a song about this loch (at least I know the chorus) and I promise to sing it to everyone who’ll listen once I get home, cause it’s just that awesome.

Then, one sunny Tuesday morning, I received a nomination for an award at my school… Or at least I would have received it, had I been there. It just so happened that I missed the bus that morning and at my school they don’t let you into the assemblies if you’re late so I was sitting in the hub, blissfully unaware of what I was missing out on. However, I did get it later on once I managed to find the teacher who had it and full of pride wowed to have it framed. Something I still intend to do, once I get around to buying one. My teacher found it rather amusing.

Lena was here again at one point, so no, she’s still not dead. She just doesn’t care I guess, that or Blackpool really is such a horrible place that she can’t find one good word to say about it.

…when I think about it, she did seem awfully relieved when I first saw her after she came here.

Easter Holiday’s were good, it lasts for two weeks over here and my family went away to go skiing so I got the house to myself for a whole week. It was nice because between Lena being here and my mates coming over, I was barely alone at all.

I went to a fun fair with my host sister one day down in the park just along the road from where I live and that was an experience to put it mildly. The fair is run by gypsies and safety is not a word in anyone’s vocabulary as far as the rides go.

I tried this one (£2 for a ride – a scam, I know) and even though it was quite funny I will be surprised if no one is killed or at least severely injured by the time the fair has come to an end. It’s like a big wheel where the partakers are seated along the circle on a bench; no seatbelts or anything, nor are you at any point asked to take of your shoes or leave your bags or any loose items before going on the ride. The ride itself consists mostly of the big wheel spinning rapidly and bouncing up and down at regular intervals, not to mention that they tip it until it’s almost at a 90 degree angle while it’s going. The idea is that gravity is supposed to keep you rooted to your seat during the whole ride. In reality however, it doesn’t work quite like that. If going on this ride you should be prepared to hold on to the inconveniently placed railing behind you for dear life or face the consequences and thus become one of those people who fall out of their seats and spend and extended amount of time on the floor of the ride where you desperately try to get yourself back into a seat – any seat. It’s even worse if the ride is full as everyone keeps sliding around on the bench and will from time to time inadvertently push someone out. In either case, whether you manage to stay in your seat or not, you should be prepared for some good humored bashing and bruises to show for it.

And then we have a more recent happening; the school prize giving. I’ll admit I was quite pleased just to be allowed to come as I’ve never taken part in anything like it, actually getting something was an added bonus. I won (and here comes the boasting part which I already feel embarrassed about on my own behalf) first in Int.2 Drama, which sort of means that I’m best in my Drama class. Int.2 being an abbreviation for intermediate 2 which is the level of drama I’m taking. Who says acting doesn’t make you rich?

Doesn’t look to impressive I guess but I'm actually really proud of it. I also won, and this might just possibly be the first time in my life I have ever won anything sports related, a bronze sports award for my “outstanding performance in girls rugby”. I'm on the school’s girl rugby team by the way, have been almost since the beginning of the year, I'm not sure I mentioned that.

And last, but most certainly not least, I won the prize I was nominated for earlier in the year, it says “Alistair McLachan Trophy for best senior performance in the art of speaking”. I received it due to a presentation I held as a part of the English course I'm doing which was apparently very good. It’s one of a limited amount of special awards and it’s been given out six times now. I can proudly announce that I am not only the first foreigner to receive it, but also the first girl. And guess what, I get to keep it for a year! They’re even letting me bring it back to Norway as long as I promise to return it by this time next year.

Isn’t that a pretty thing? I must admit I was a little disappointed that they managed to spell my name wrong when they engraved it (e.g. my first name is now Ann) but I was told later that they had misspelled a boy called Marc’s name as well and his name is as common as rain in Scotland so I’ve decided not to be offended.

In general, I’d say things are going pretty good. We’re planning our mock-up day on school now (the last day of term where we’re allowed to just mock about – make sense, eh?) and prom will be happening at some point as well. I still don’t have a dress but one of my friends has taken the responsibility to find me one and she is taking it very seriously so I’m sure everything will work out. And it’s sunny a good deal of the time which makes me quite pleased if I may say so.

The Christmas Edition...

...Belated much? Aye, but I'm posting it anyway.

Before I came here, everybody asked me whether or not I would spend Christmas abroad. When I told them I would they all said something along the lines of; poor thing. Once here, everybody at one point started asking if I was going home during the holidays, when I told them no they responded in pretty much the same manner. Personally I have never seen the problem in spending Christmas here and quite frankly, I thought it was brilliant.

I’m guessing most people would think it would be weird not celebrating on the 24^th of December, as the norm is in Norway, but I can’t say I thought too much about it. It was just like any other lazy day in the holiday, with the exception that I talked to both my families on the phone. Ever my brother wanted to talk to me, imagine that! The 25^th however I did find a bit queer, both because of the informality of it all and the happenings through the day. Oddest of all though was the opening of presents in the morning. For those who don’t know this, I am generally speaking more than a little half dead in the mornings, and opening all ones Christmas presents in something bordering on a comatose state was certainly interesting to say the least.

On the 27^th my host family went skiing in Italy – lucky bastards – and I went down to London to visit my aunt and spend the rest of the holidays there with Lena. Remember her? She’s the one that’s supposed to be in Blackpool this year – and telling you all about it. Yes! She really does exist. And no, she has not died.

We spent two memorable days in London in which we actually managed to get around the city by ourselves without getting lost in the tube. But I guess that’s just how it is with such a brilliant guide as myself. Seriously though, for all my bad luck stalking me whenever I try getting anywhere that could be called a journey I actually know my way around London. And I’ve actually got some pictures from the trip as well.

After wasting pretty much all of the first day with shopping – shocking isn’t it? – we visited Tate on the second day after recommendation from my aunt. Which was very cool, but apparently it’s not allowed to take pictures in there. Of course, Lena and I realized that a bit late…

After that I successfully managed to get us to Picadilly Circus where we visited Hamley’s, the toyshop. When I first visited London, that was one of the things that made the biggest impression on me (never mind that was quite a few years ago) and it might sound childish but I still think it’s something worth seeing if you’re around because I dare say it will make quite the impression. Me, never acting my age anyway, was having a blast.

(Here would be a good place to have pictures)

On the 30^th – I think – Lena and I got on a train and, after some minor mockups courtesy of me, managed to get ourselves down to Devon where we spent New Year’s with some friends of my aunt. Our last train – which was really a horrid bus on rails – brought us to the tiny town of Barnsville (which Lena insists on calling Barnstaple by some reason) where my uncle came to pick us up and drive us to the house where we were staying, for those of you who know your way around Devon, a small place called Lee close so Ilacombe and Ilfacombe. I’m sure that made plenty of sense to most of you.

(And here would have been nice too...)

The celebration of New Year’s Eve itself was great – my aunt’s friends were all lovely – waking up the next day with an ear infection and discovering that you had somehow lost your voice while sleeping however was not as great. We went back to London the next day and Lena left for Blackpool the day thereafter again. The plan was that I, who had been blissfully hyped up on painkillers since that wonderful morning, should leave the same afternoon. We decided instead to put it off for a day and visit the doctor instead, who in his turn had a quick look down my throat and in my ears, wrote me a prescription for antibiotics after me and sent me on my merry way.

To sum it up quickly; after that, I left London the next day and spent about a week in bed in Scotland feeling thoroughly sorry for myself, willed myself to get well (the meds might have had something to do with it as well but they’re not gonna claim the honor, are they?), came back to school and have been busy with prelims and NAB’s ever since. It’s all been jolly fun, I tell you. But to those of you who feels like there had been a huge gap since I wrote something last, I just have to say that to me it feels like it was yesterday. And now I’ve written a massive post (which Biljana no doubt will complain about) to make up for it as well, so you can all consider yourself as in the know.

PS! Some may notice that there are next to no pictures in this post, they will be put up later – more specifically when Lena has sent them to me… which I guess will be never. But you’re creative; you can fill in the blanks.