Ilaria:
Well it's been about a week and a half since the last post and a bunch has happen! So I leave tomorrow morning at 6:50 AM and I am so sad to leave this beautiful place! I have had such a wonderful time here with Siril and her amazing family, it is something I shall never forget.
So I left off right before Christmas...oh yah, so on Sunday we all decorated the Christmas tree while the Pinnekjøtt was being prepared and Christmas music played in the background. It was really nice and cozy with the fire going....mmmmmm....then we ate rice porridge that had the almond hidden in it ( CC dad found it, and I was a bit bummed hoping I would find it and save it!) while watching a short skit on T.V. called the Butler, that was so funny and is on every Christmas.
The Tree:
Pinnekjøtt soaking:
Then the next day was Christmas!! I woke up late and went to the mall of all places with Roy and CC, because I still needed a dress for Stine's party that was happening on the 26th.
Then we came back and CC and I watched Cinderella (in Norwegian) on T.V. which CC has watched for the past 12 years and I really wanted to see what was so exciting about it. It was really nice, just me and her drinking coffee, laughing, watching Cinderella while her mom started cooking the Christmas feast in the kitchen (which smelled amazing!).
Then we hung out chatting and having a nice time until 5 when CC's cousins Magnus and Tuva and their parents arrived for the Christmas feast and presents. It really was a night to remember, we ate really good Norwegian food, drank so interesting Christmas beer, opened presents and created so wonderful memories. I really felt like part of the family, considering I was really missing mine.
now a bit from CC...
CC:
Christmas eve is such a special day for me with so many traditions and experiences together with family so I'm glad that Roy and Ilaria got to experience it together with me. I'm glad they had a great time. All of my presents were everything that I wanted and I couldn't be more happy. (Thank you Nina w/family for the gift!) I'm officially in love with MAC make up.
The table all set and looking beautiful..now where is the food?
There it is..mmmm...yummy!
are they cute or what!
Norwegian tower cake:
The next day on the 25th we were invited to a brunch to my aunt and uncle not far away from us. There lots of my family was and we ate so much food. The Christmas in Norway basically consists of food (no wonder Norwegians gain several pounds in one week!) The game that I got for Christmas last year (apples to apples) was really popular and all of my cousins + us played it for a long time.
Later that day "I am legend" had a premiere at the local cinema. Roy, Ilaria and I had ordered tickets and were very excited for the movie.
The movie was really good but SO scary though! I screamed several times and cried when the dog died. Yup, that's me. But I liked it a lot. And I think Ilaria and Roy did too. Right?
Ilaria:
Yeah that day was great, with all the yummy food, Apples to Apples and then the movie! That movie was really good, but scary, I also screamed several times!
CC: On the 26th we have another tradition in our family. We always go to Aukra (the Island where we got our Christmas tree) to eat MORE food. Again there were lots of family and lots of food. And of course we ate way too much. It was cozy and I really enjoyed it.
Ilaria:
Later that day was also great because Stine had planned a really awesome party!It was her 25th birthday and she celebrated it with two of her friends that also newly had turned 25. We were all so excited to dress up, meet new people and have some crazy Norwegian fun! I unfortunately had a bit too much I think...because I got sick at about 1:00 am and Roy and cc had to help me home. I had fun anyway, even if I couldn't walk the next day...oops :)! I got some great yet random photo's that night, that I just have to share:
So Roy and CC I know you had fun that night too ( sorry I got "Sick"!)but what did you think of the event?
CC:
I loved it. I met so many people and I danced and talked to interesting people. There were about 80-100 people there and it was just so much fun! Between 1 and 3 I was sitting next to Ilaria but after we got her home, Roy and I went back to the party. The party was only a couple of houses away so we could walk back and forth to the party as we wanted. We didn't leave much longer after that because we were very tired. I think Stine was even more tired than us when she walked home at like 8 the next morning.
The next morning Roy and I went into town and did some shopping. We didn't do much that day which I think was smart since everyone was tired. We had left overs for our Christmas dinner that day, which was really good but I think that was the highlight of the day.
Ilaria:
Yep and I slept all day only getting up once to take a shower, I felt so bad! I did however feel better by dinner and eating something made me feel better!
The next day was also very relaxed, CC had work so Roy and I went shopping.
While out Roy bought CC roses and we surprised her at work and got something to eat as well. Then Roy and I found a pub that to our luck had a pool table. Roy beat me twice and then two other people we met. I'm so bad at pool so I just sat and watched, it was really nice actually, just relaxing and watching Roy beat everyone!
Then the next day Roy and I got up early and went....wait for it....SKIING!!!
It was amazing, even if I was tired. It was a two hour drive to oppdal a local ski resort, once there Roy and CC dad had to talk me into going skiing, I had only to take one look at the hill they wanted me to go down in order to freak out! It was huge and steep and it's been a while since Ive gone skiing. In the end I was strapped to skies with poles in my hands going up the hill on a lift watching the skiers below get smaller an smaller. It took me about 1 and a half hours to get down and I only fell three times! I had fun actually and CC's dad was really great, he went with me all the way down being so patient the whole time. Once to the bottom I had decided I was done for the day and headed for the lodge while Sunny, Sigve, Roy and Odd Tore went skiing for a bit longer. We left about 3pm because we had to get back dinner at Amunds parents house (Amund in Stine's boyfriend).
up at Oopdal:
It was a very lovely evening, Amunds parents really know how to throw a dinner party. The food was delicious, the table elegant and we even had champagne! I had a really nice time, I felt for the first time as if I was really an adult, just the way I was treated and included. It was a very memorable experience, it really was a personal turning point.
I think Roy also had a nice time, CC however had to work which was disappointing but the evening was still very nice.
The the next day (without CC again:( ) we went the island of Finnøya where Odd Tore's Parents live and where he grew up for a lovely family brunch. I know more food again, but always yummy! So we had to get up early and take two Fairies to get there and it was very windy and cold. The view was beautiful and at one point we took a walk with CC little cousins, Odd Tore, his sister and her husband. We went along the water where the wind almost took my hat and froze my face off.I got some nice photo's and more memories, I really love all of CC's family, they always make me feel at home.
Roy, Stine and I all fell asleep on the sofa for about a hour because we were so tired from us skiing and Stine working late. We left the Island about 8pm on a very rocky boat, i felt so sick by the time we got off an hour later. The we had to catch another boat but we had looked at the wrong time table so we missed it and had t wait for a hour and a half till the next one came. Sigve and Sunny were both very mad because they had plans, I didn't mind though, because I just wanted to sleep.
we eventually got home and I passed out....:)
At Finnøya:
Now the next day was very special because it was New Years eve!
I'll let CC tell you about this, because she had planned it all!
CC:
I was feeling a bit down since I had to work and I couldn't come to all this fun stuff, so I was really looking forward to New Years. Finally, I didn't have to work!
My mom and dad were going to spend New Years at Finnøya, but my mom postponed it for a day to help me out. Because I had planned a New Years dinner with all of my girlies. She vacuumed and washed, and did everything with the food that could be done earlier than the big day. So when I came home from work it both looked and smelled amazing. Thanks mom! I couldn't have done it without you.
The next day Roy and I woke up a bit early to drive my mom to the ferry, so she could go to Finnøya. I drove all the way and she even let me drove all the way back too. Yay! I love driving.
When we came back Roy and I had to do some grocery shopping for the big night. We also stopped by some men stores to see if they had a black tie for Roy. He ended up buying four ties and a pair of jeans for so cheap!
After that we had some time to kill, before we started to make the food. Scalloped potatoes, pepper sauce and lamb with vegetables. I would say that's one of my favourite things to eat. Around 7pm people started to come and we sat down to eat dinner. We were 10 people included us.
They all were a bit embarrassed and didn't really want to talk English, but after some drinks we were all laughing and everyone were talking English, even when we weren't around my two Americans! Later that evening some more people came and we had so much fun! Just before 12am we walked down to my school because that's where most of the students at my school count down the New year are. At 12am we all yelled HAPPY NEW YEAR!! And walked around, talked to people and hugged random people we didn't know. Even Ilaria and Roy did that. I think I saw Roy talking to every person that was there and it was a lot. After that we went back home again to my house and to my surprise one of my friends had already been there and cleaned up everything!
I went to bed really early because I was so cold! I layed under my comforter and I had two blankets on top, wearing lots of clothes and still I was shivering so badly. Some more people came to my house but they all left after some while. I just went to bed, but I think the last people left at like 5.30am.
It was a very successful night and I'm so happy that i could celebrate it with my friends, and have a party without having someone ruining it.
I love my friends!
NEW YEARS:
The day after we didn't do much again. Just cleaned up the rest. Ilaria made chocolate chip cookies. YES:D:D (Can I have the recipe, please?) Ate left overs from the day before and just relaxed.
Yesterday, we went shopping since the big New Years sale has started now. And then we ordered some food from the Hong Kong palace. It was very good and a nice thing to do on one of the last days Ilaria is here.
I started school again today but I was only there two hours because I was sick so I went back home... Still not feeling very good, hopefully it'll go over soon.
Ilaria:
I think CC said everything, it really has been great the last couple of days, and for me every day has been wonderful here! I don't think I could have counted down to the new year any better, with two of my best friends and fireworks lighting up the sky. I'm going to miss it here so much, I have had an amazing time with CC, her family and Roy. I have created many memories to last a lifetime, and I'm looking forward to coming back, maybe next summer? go to the Molde jazz festival...? CC thank you so much to you and your family for letting me spend my holiday here, you are all so loving and kind, I will never forget this.
Well we just had an amazing dinner of Salmon, potatoes and veggies (my request!) and some wonderful and funny stories. I just printed my boarding pass and I'm finishing packing, then some last minute bonding with my best friends.
I hope you all enjoyed hearing about my holiday in Norway, and stay tuned for more about my life in England and anywhere else my heart shall take me...
cheers,
Takk,
Ilaria
