The excitement that is Rauland
This past weekend had a lot of "firsts" in it
1. Went to a birthday party on Friday to which I invited 2 African men who I met while walking home from school. They are from Ghana and are here to visit friends in Rauland. They'll also be giving a workshop this coming Tuesday and Wednesday at the school in traditional drumming, dancing and singing from Ghana. They've been pretty bored sitting in their little hytta for the past week or so, so we had a great time and they taught us to shake parts of our bodies we never knew existed. We were up until 5 AM with them, and then we walked them home while they taught us traditional songs. The plan is to meet them for dinner tomorrow to practice some songs from Ghana to perform for the class on Tuesday. I'm hoping to teach them a Norwegian song of two also.
2. Had a visitor from the US. She's studying at Olaf and is currently on a semester abroad program in Stavanger on the West Coast of Norway. She was a good guest, a fun person, and a really great improviser. We ate good food and had good story-swapping. She taught us a bridal march for hardingfele that she learned in Stavanger. It is in minor and has all sorts of musical weeping motives- called the "crying bridal march" (supposedly for parents at weddings).
3. Went to Moslid again- the home of our friends who live in the middle of Telemark on an old farm without running water or electricity. It is really comfortable there, but a little muddy as all the snow is finally melting. Got to hold a baby lamb (2 weeks old) and baby goats. Also tried milking a goat- it is waaaaay harder than you'd think. you're supposed to pinch the nipple/teet/tit-thing off at the top and then, while keeping the top pinched, roll the rest of your fingers downward towards the opening, thus squeezing out the milk. I got about enough for one coffee cup, but Ole Martin managed to get a whole bucket full. I suppose men might be a little better at it by virtue of previous practice...
4.Lit my first outdoor campfire without charcoal or gasoline or anything- just birch logs (which I chopped all by myself), newspaper, and about 2 matchbooks. It only took 30 minutes or so to get it going. (a.k.a. we really sucked at fire building)
5. Drew water from a well using a bucket and a rope. I've wanted to do that ever since seeing Disney's Snow White. I have no idea how she managed to do it so gracefully. The bucket can get really heavy.
6. Planning to go back to Moslid next weekend for a Dugnad- a fence building and sock darning festival. The goal is to fix the garden fence so that they can finally let the goats out of the barn without endangering the veggies and flowers.
7. Wrote a country-western song while waiting for a bus in Aamot.
1. Went to a birthday party on Friday to which I invited 2 African men who I met while walking home from school. They are from Ghana and are here to visit friends in Rauland. They'll also be giving a workshop this coming Tuesday and Wednesday at the school in traditional drumming, dancing and singing from Ghana. They've been pretty bored sitting in their little hytta for the past week or so, so we had a great time and they taught us to shake parts of our bodies we never knew existed. We were up until 5 AM with them, and then we walked them home while they taught us traditional songs. The plan is to meet them for dinner tomorrow to practice some songs from Ghana to perform for the class on Tuesday. I'm hoping to teach them a Norwegian song of two also.
2. Had a visitor from the US. She's studying at Olaf and is currently on a semester abroad program in Stavanger on the West Coast of Norway. She was a good guest, a fun person, and a really great improviser. We ate good food and had good story-swapping. She taught us a bridal march for hardingfele that she learned in Stavanger. It is in minor and has all sorts of musical weeping motives- called the "crying bridal march" (supposedly for parents at weddings).
3. Went to Moslid again- the home of our friends who live in the middle of Telemark on an old farm without running water or electricity. It is really comfortable there, but a little muddy as all the snow is finally melting. Got to hold a baby lamb (2 weeks old) and baby goats. Also tried milking a goat- it is waaaaay harder than you'd think. you're supposed to pinch the nipple/teet/tit-thing off at the top and then, while keeping the top pinched, roll the rest of your fingers downward towards the opening, thus squeezing out the milk. I got about enough for one coffee cup, but Ole Martin managed to get a whole bucket full. I suppose men might be a little better at it by virtue of previous practice...
4.Lit my first outdoor campfire without charcoal or gasoline or anything- just birch logs (which I chopped all by myself), newspaper, and about 2 matchbooks. It only took 30 minutes or so to get it going. (a.k.a. we really sucked at fire building)
5. Drew water from a well using a bucket and a rope. I've wanted to do that ever since seeing Disney's Snow White. I have no idea how she managed to do it so gracefully. The bucket can get really heavy.
6. Planning to go back to Moslid next weekend for a Dugnad- a fence building and sock darning festival. The goal is to fix the garden fence so that they can finally let the goats out of the barn without endangering the veggies and flowers.
7. Wrote a country-western song while waiting for a bus in Aamot.