Mid-Term

Well, the semester is half-way through; and I got to know my grades, half way through.
So far, I got weak A in Writing & Analyzing, weak A in Math, A in Human Geography, A in Sociology and an A in MARS1000. So far I am doing much better than last semester, but this is only my grades halfway through, and most of the more demanding assignments and papers aren't due yet. I got a math exam next week, which I feel very confident about, so I should be back up to a strong A in Math.

And soon spring break! Next week! Can't wait!!!

I am also soon heading home to Norway - in exactly two months from now I am back in Aalesund... Else, there is not too much new, I will though be posting some pictures on the picture page! Enjoy people,

and peace out from the heart of Hawaii!

One more thing: Comments

If you read my blog, please post a comment or something - will really appreciate it and it makes me more motivated to write more interesting stuff... :)

Thanks Amigos!

Long Break; sorry friends & family home!

First, let me say sorry for not updating the blog the last month (almost two). I don't really know why I haven't updated it, I just kind of forgot about it, but now I am back on track. Since the last post was posted, Vegard left me and went back to Norway (it was a tearful goodbye), and school started - it's actually mid-terms this week, how crazy is that! Some of the highlights is that I figured out how to post links in the sidebar on my blog - so I posted a link to the albums from Hawaii! I will try to upload pictures as often as possible - when I take new pictures.


Since my last post, I've also moved to a new place, much more convenient in term of school. I now live 5-10min walk to school, when I used to live 30-60min with bus from school (depending on the traffic). The downside is that it is far away from the beach - but luckily we got a pool area and a recreation deck w/BBQ area. Pictures of my new apartment and other pictures, can be found in the new album on Picasaweb (Click Here). I will stop uploading loads of pictures to my blog because it takes so much time and is the most time consuming part of doing blog posts.
My new roommate is a German/Japanese/Hispanic R&B singer. He is really cool and we are having a blast at our new place. Which always looks like on the pictures! (The area that we share are always nice and clean, when my room always is half messy...) He has a lot of family from Norway, and they live in Stavanger! (his music: www.kane-world.net)



The last two months, I have been playing soccer for Waikiki FC, and today, I played my fifth match, and I got my first goal in red. It was the winning goal making it 3-2 (we won 4-2) and 20 seconds later I dived in and saved a nice shot they had, and got it cleared out of danger, just in time. So today was by far my best match for Waikiki. And this upcoming week I will probably play with HPU's soccer team again to see what happends - I think they are recruiting, and I've been to a couple of their practices (organized by themselves w/o the coach). And I also got offered to play with Vaiete Premier (the second best team on Hawaii), which I am considering more than HPU (since playing college soccer takes to much time).


I also bought a new pair of shoes (Adidas TRX FG) so yesterday I took a shower with them to extend the leather and make it fit my foot. It didn't work too well (they were still a bit to small) so I put them in the oven on 175 fahrenheit degrees (about 65 celsius) for some time, and guess what, it worked like hell, now they fit perfectly!


The picture above, is from our Superbowl XLII (42) day at our apartment when we still needed some things to be fixed - but the TV, HD-cable, and the surround was working perfectly :) I had over (from the left on the picture): Ryen (American), Cody (American), Anders (Danish, in front), Truls (Norsk) og Patrik (Svensk). Kane, my new roommate had no interest so he didn't attend the fun!


School wise, I got 3 Mid-terms this week and 1 Mid-term next week, so this week will be pretty packed with studying instead of fun here in Hawaii, but it is school I'm here for! I also found out that I am not far enough in my education to be a part of the honor society for Psychology students; I need to be in my second Sophomore semester (which is next semester), so if I just keep up the hard work and good grades I will be a part of the national psychology fraternity; PsiChi by next year, and I am really motivated to continue to do good, so it won't be any problem!


I don't really have too much more on my mind, starting to miss my family & friends back in Norway - especially Kasper, and I feel bad that I didn't get to see Jonas that much before I left for Hawaii.

I got scheduled a skin appointment this week too for some kind of skin problems I got - I get white spots in my face (which also affects my eyebrow color - it turns white! Uhhww..), so I had to color it back to it original color... And the other day I also figured that I hate having hair here, so I decided to cut it short again, but by the next two weeks, I will probably cut it even more and re-invent the so popular army cut (super short). Because having hair is such a hazzle, and I get all those messed up farmer-tans.



Well, my first mid-term is tomorrow, so it's time for me to go to bed!

Good Night and I will try to update it as often as possible from now on - as I've said so many times before.....

Reporting Home

Vegard got here late on friday night, and I was greeting him on the aloha airport in Hawaii. I was suppose to greet him with a "lei" which is the flower necklace thing... But of course, since it was kind of late, the lei shop was closed - sorry 'bout that Vegard. I forgot my camera, so my "Vegard visits Hawaii"-collage won't cover the whole trip, but except from the arrival, we got a sh*tload of pictures up on facebook and I will try to upload them to my web-pictures ( www.picasaweb.com/tollaas ) so there you can enjoy some pictures, but it takes sometime to upload there, but I will try to update there as often as possible.




So far, we haven't really been that lucky with the weather, so our planned hikings and trips haven't really been completed yet, but as a positive guy, I am truly looking forward to this upcoming and last week with Vegard here.



So far, I've showed Vegard around campus, which he really liked, and I showed him the shopping center "ala moana", where I made him spend a fortune. And for new years, we started of slow, had some norwegian christmas food! THANKS VEGIS! and just sat at my place chilling, then we had some drinks, and a lot of people came over so we really had a nice time on new years eve. But the fireworks in Hawaii was really disappointing - but at least it's still legal here in Hawaii, suckers!! :) (for international people: fireworks are no longer legal in Norway).



So we are still on standby on our major plannings - but I will add some pictures, so enjoy! : ) and I will try to make Vegard write a guest blog here to give his opinions and views about Hawaii so far! Oh, and we've been to Hard Rock Cafe, but I still need to show him Hooters, Planet Hollywood and the super nice taco place right on campus were you get a huge ass burrito for only $6.00 (33 NOK) - I am talking BIG and MEATY! Oh, and I couldn't resist - Cheeseburger in Paradise - had to do it, Hawaii's best burger without doubt, best I've ever tasted actually! :)

White christmas in Hawaii

Believe it if you want to, but we had a white christmas in Hawaii. It is without doubt I say that the beautiful, white beaches of Hawaii, counts as "White christmas" just as snow represents a "white christmas". We started of with a great breakfast this morning, with salmon, scrambled eggs, roast beef, tuna salad and home-made "rundstykker"! It was amazing.


Then me and Kane Yoshida, a german friend, went for a jog around Waikiki just to check the christmas status, and I also stepped down on the beach so that I could tell people that I was chilling on the beach on christmas eve. Then it was home for some "porrage"? that Marianne's mom sent us from Norway, and the christmas spirit aroused in all of us! Why shouldn't it? We had a white christmas, christmas tree - no star, but we found a loop that looked neat, and porrage and the turkey was just chilling with some stuffing shoved in his ass - yummie!


As the turkey was ready, the day stepped into its climax! THE FOOD! It was so good, we had a 19 pounds turkey, for 4 people (it's about 8.5 kg) so it was just enough... Hey, I was hungry, ok. And as Kenny (a guy visiting Marianne and Merethe) said when I asked "How do we know the turkey is done?", he answered "It's just as with the ladies, when the turkey legs loosen up and spreads, it is ready." My lesson was learned.


Then we made some ricecream and strawberry sauce with it, it was top notch! And now I am way to tired to write more! Enjoy the pictures - I will upload christmas pictures on both Facebook and on www.picasaweb.com/tollaas ! ENJOY the rest of 2007! Update follows in days as Vegard arrives...

Merry Christmas

Hi, just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all who reads this blog!
And I also wanted to say that I want to call you and wish you a merry christmas, all I need is your phone number - I call from skype, so it's cheap for me. So for everyone who wants a call from Hawaiiboy, just leave your phone number in the comments or send it to my e-mail tollaas@gmail.com - hope you do it!

Vegard is visiting for New Years Eve

The very same guy that left me back in Aalesund when I traveled around the world, is now coming over for a visit, so that I won't be lonely on New Years. He is arriving in Honolulu the 28th of December in the evening and he will be staying for two weeks.

During his stay here, we will probably just relax, which includes: travel around the island of Oahu, surf, hiking in the mountains, walk through the rainforest, surf, scuba diving, bodyboarding, bicycling around the island, surf, and last but not least, just lay on the beach and relax. And of course, I will show him around the different campuses.

As my roommates are getting over two friends from Norway, and Vegard is coming, our apartment will all of a sudden, not be that big anymore, but it is going to be fun, and crowded...

Not too much going on, besides 4 final exams next week, so there is not too much time at the moment to write on my blog, nor is there too much things going on.

But to see in the future, Friday 7th of December, the Swedish Student Association at HPU are having this years biggest party for HPU students. It will be "Svensk julemat", "juleglogg" and some other scandinavian traditions. And after next week, the 14th of Decemeber, me and some other guys, will travel to North Shore and watch this years biggest surf competition: Triplecrown Billabong Pipeline masters. Pictures will be uploaded!