Tryout for the Sea Warriors

As the new guy in town, I finally got in touch with HPU's coach of the soccer team and after some chitchat I got my first practice as a tryout. Tuesday 4th of September, the same start as school, I will also attend my first soccer practice in four years? I am a bit nervous and really really excited. Really hope to match the level and get a secure spot in the first 11 man lineup. So if anyone got some good tips for a real defense-rookie - give me asap!

Since the team are in need of a defender, I will be tried as a defender, but I guess this is the rise of the new John Arne Riise - the golden lefty. If things doesn't turn my way, I at least had a decent shot at making it.

Ciaõ for now!

Prepared for school

Well, as I put day after day behind me on Waikiki, Honolulu, the school is about to start. Tuesday 4th of September is the magic day when I am finally a part of the Hawaii Pacific University as an active student. This is good and I can't wait to get it all going - except from me getting no psychology courses the first semester - thanks to the American Education System which makes the Freshman year a "Generel Education" year - much like the third year in norwegian high schools, most international students don't need these courses because they are only transfer students for 1 or 2 semesters, but as I am a degree seeking student at HPU, I need these general education courses.



What is the point of me taking Elementary Algebra? I asked them - and they told me that psychology is a lot of statistics and graphic-reading - that's ok, I might understand that. But what what about the course "American Political System", what are the connections between psychology and the american political system I told myself; and it all got clear to me, the american political system is partly guilty for america having a really high unemployment rate, and that might be partly guilty in turning depression and similar psychic afflictions into todays peopledisease like cancer.


Well, that's it for now, the apartment is great and we are really getting along with each other so that's great! Soon, I guess, we will get our own internet so we don't need to steal internet from free hotspots around in Waikiki. Got some new nice pictures of the apartment that you will see in this post and I will also get up some pictures of the YMCA where I stayed last week.

Its fun to stay at the YMCA

Young man, there's no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy.

Young man, there's a place you can go.
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough.
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.

It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.

They have everything that you need to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys ...

------

I never understood the lyrics of the most gay song ever created, always wondering what kind of gay club "the Y.M.C.A" was or something like that. Years went by, I forgot the lyrics, found a cheap place to stay, called the "YMCA Central Branch, Honolulu" and I totally went for it, though I thought that name was kind of gay, especially when I saw other YMCA branches whom stated "men only"; anyways this branch is for both men and women... But where is the women? I've only seen men so far. And everyone is extremely nice, you kind of just talk to everyone around and have a nice little chat there and there, it's all good.

10 minutes ago I realized I had time to write some blog posts, so I hooked up with YouTube and searched for the YMCA video of Village People and the lyrics just to see how it's like. And they are actually talking about the kind of YMCA "hotel" I am staying at, they had the same logo.. Scary.. It doesn't seem gay at all, it's more like a Christian place or something... Gays and Christianity ain't going to well together I guess, so I'm safe for now. And I am just staying here 'till tuesday, because then we will be moving in in our apartment down at Waikiki beach, 50meters to the beach, it's AWESOME! The pictures you see is both from the apartment which I am to move in and the room I stay in at the moment, you will easily distinct them from each other.

I will also let recommend to see the video that I am posting with this post, just to get the spirit up! (and remember to bring your jeans from the 70's):

There you go

Good Night!

My first day in Paradise

My first day in Waikiki, Hawaii is closing in, and it's been a great, yet expensive day! I woke up and by my watch it was 10.20, so I went up and down along the world known "Waikiki beach" to look for an electronic store where I could buy some poweradapters for my laptop, cellphone, iPod charger and camera charger. After that I hooked up with a taxi to get to the Hawaii Pacific University (later referred to as HPU) campus to see what Honolulu downtown is like... It was awesome! A lot of cool architecture downtown! But of course, my cameras battery was tired and got some sleep before I got it recharged when I got home. So pictures from the campus and Honolulu downtown will arrive shortly! At HPU I met with some dudes and gals who helped me around and told me where things happens. When everything was cleared, I went to the department of off-campus housing office and didn't get any help, besides what I already knew, so I kept searching for a permanent place, can't stay in a hotel the whole year (or maybe.. dad, what you think about that?). I made a couple phone calls and some e-mails, with no luck.



When leaving campus I took the bus back to Waikiki, went into a fitness shop and got some nutrition (it's hard to find real food that ain't junk here!) and then I signed up for a deal with 24fitness which is the local gym - and HPU had a great deal there. After that I went home, found some respectable gym clothes and went to the gym, and by the time I was done, the sun was setting, so I didn't enjoy the sun my first day in Hawaii, what a bummer!

Aloha, Aloha International airport

Finally, after a trip exceeding 40 hours, I was finally standing on Hawaiian ground! With "Nattbussen" from Ålesund to Oslo (9hrs) which wasn't bad at all. I was actually checking out prices on the flights from Vigra to Gardermoen, and the cheapest I found was 750 NOK, which is a good price, but since one of my best friends, Sigurd, was also planning on taking the same bus as I planned, I decided to take the bus. On the bus we met Veronica Hjertvik and Hanne Rensvik whom was going to Gran Canaria for a week. Sigurd was by the way on his way to Sessvollmoen - a military base - to "dimme". On the bus me and Sigurd planned our plans for the summer of 2008 - route 66 - crossing the states with a old school 68 Ford Mustang (or something like that!!:D).

After some good times on the bus, we parted our ways, or they left and I was still waiting 3hrs for my plane to take off. Luckily I fell asleep on the bus from Ålesund to Oslo for a couple of hours (Kvam - Lillehammer) because on the plane to London, Heathrow I couldn't sleep for a second (I'm actually abit afraid of flying - because I have no control over what happends, and if a situation was present, theres nothing I could do except sitting and waiting for Death to pick me up at 30.000ft under the sea). Anyways, same thing happened from Heathrow to L.A. couldn't sleep for more than the last hour (btw. had to run to catch the plane, 2hrs at Heathrow may seem like a lot of time, but it's not!).

When arriving in L.A. there was a lot of american paranoidity at the airport with all different security controls and forms and sh*t. The guy in the first security control got me really nervous, started of with yelling at me because I had my headset on my head (with no music of course, but he didn't care about that) and I was also carrying my laptop in my hands, and he told me to put it away, and I left it on his desk, then he yelled again and told me to put it on the floor, then he turned all mr.nice guy. So it was all good, until he asked me where I'm going to, and when I answered Honolulu, he said the worst thing a flightphobic can imagine: "So, your still flying to Honolulu even though the hurricane still isn't over?" Like I wasn't nervous enough before he started all this stuff; I really didn't need this. More running to catch the plane to Honolulu; and with some help from an airport volunteer (which I had to pay 10$ for some charity stuff - that I didn't know!). Yet another time, I didn't get any sleep because of the hurricane thing I guess, because I was dying for some sleep, but I finally made it the last hour, and with no hurricane at all in Honolulu, we landed safely and from there I took some airport shuttle to the hotel where I'm staying. Got some food, and got to sleep! Finally, I'm standing on Hawaiian ground, which I probably will be for the next years!!

I'm sad to say that Vegard departs

As I mentioned earlier, my travel companion is my best friend Vegard Flatøy, now it seems like he will not be joining me on my travel to Hawai'i. The reason for that are many, he needs some extra courses from High School - physics, chemistry and biology, and he wants to get some better results on some of his exams from NTNU. He also got a girlfriend in Norway, and they've been seeing each other for about one and a half year, so his decision to stay in Norway for another year, and then reconsidering the opportunity to take his 3+2 Engineering at Hawai'i Pacific University.

My sweet 32hrs travel

My plane ticket is ordered and everything is set for my trip to Hawai'i! I will leave Ålesund tuesday night, taking the bus from Ålesund to Oslo. From Oslo my plane leaves Wednesday 11.50 and my route includes London, Los Angeles and last but not least, Honolulu, HI! 23.00 on Wednesday I will set my feets on Hawaiian ground for the second time, but this time, I will stay 'abit' longer.

Why I chosed english in this blog? I got to practice, because my english, as you may see, is no good.

Good night, sleep tight and always do right!