Soggy First Day of Classes

Today was the first day of classes at ACN.  The first day is always an interesting one especially with new students.  I usually teach students that I have had in class and in productions for several semesters, but 95% of these students I've never met.  All the students were very sweet and respectful, but I can't wait to see them when they open up and aren't on their first day of school best behavior. Once we really get into some theatre activities then I'll really get to see their personalities!  

I have plans to write about each of my classes and ACN in detail, but the beginning of the semester is a little busy. All three of my classes are new to me.  I've taught most of the ideas in other classes, but never in this arrangement so I've been preparing a lot.  More detail once I feel secure in all that I'm teaching I promise.

After class Britney and Caleb and I ventured back to the mall with several stops in between.  Brittney needed a yoga mat, I needed a bathroom scale, trash bags and bubble water, and Caleb came along to check things out.  Caleb is the other theatre student who is studying this semester at ACN.  We stopped by Cafe Riis so Caleb and Brittney could grab a coffee.  It also has beer and wine and pastries and maybe food - not sure on that one.  It was charming.  See...

I'm not sure what the story is on the ceiling but it was amazing!  I can see myself spending a lot of time there. Next we went took a wrong turn and ended up at Kiwi another grocery store.  Clearly I'm fascinated with the food differences.  We all picked up some new items and decided after we were done shopping to come up to my apartment and try them out.  After Kiwi we went back to the Asian Market to visit my new best friends and then on to the Mall.  We went to Claus Olson which is a household items/hardware/sporting goods/travel/anything store.  It's where i found my trash bags and bathroom scale and Brittney found her yoga mat.  

After that we were so close to Narvesen the convenient store we HAD to get a hot dog! This time I had one with potato salad and fried onions.

I'm never going back!!!! It was DELICIOUS!  I tried for the shrimp salad, but they were out.  It was delicious!!  Get ready USA this fourth of July I'm putting potato salad on my hot dog and you can't stop me!  Try it back home...I dare you.  I also got a roll/pastry to try.

I thought those dark lumps would be raisins, it was chocolate!  The roll was sweet and spiced with cinnamon or maybe the chocolate was spiced?  I couldn't quite tell. I split it with Caleb and Brittney and they couldn't tell either, but it was soft and fresh and unbelievable especially since it was from a CONVENIENCE STORE!  

The bench we were sitting on to eat our delicious hot dogs were right in front of my new favorite store TGR.  So we had to stop in again.  Remember those strawberry marshmallows I bought a couple of days ago...they are gone. Remember these:

They are so yummy so I bought another bag...but I'm not eating these...they are for a special occasion...promise.....

I also found some new glasses that I need and didn't purchase like last time.

But the find of the day was a new reusable bag.  Isn't he cute!

We then went back to the grocery store (called coop - pronounced coop like scoop not co-op) and I got my bubble water.  I have a sparkling water addiction and cannot live without it and Caleb and Brittney helped me carry it up the hills in the rain.  They are sweet.  

It rained all day today.  It wasn't too cold...unless the wind picked up, but it was wet and grey.   Tami (who is now my hero because she coordinates the ACN program at UND and got me here) recommended I bring rain boots.  She's a genius.  I bought myself some new boots and fleece liners and we traipsed in the rain and through puddles for a couple hours and my feet were dry and warm.  Love my boots.

Back to my apartment to try all the new and exciting food.  This one was an adventure.  Here's what we got.

We have a Norwegian soda at the top next to my bubble water.  Then going clockwise is the brown cheese (I'm still experimenting with the brown cheese but an entire blog devoted to it is forth coming), then in the white package is marzipan covered in dark chocolate (it was good), in the blue box cinnamon sugar cookies, potato salad, ham, strawberry marshmallows, bacon cheese in a tube, caviar in a tube, more marzipan, and peanut chocolate cookie balls.  We tried it all, here are the highlights.

First the cinnamon and sugar cookies were delicious.  It was a shortbread/butter cookie surrounded by turbinado sugar and cinnamon.  It reminded me of those delicious butter cookies that come in a tin at Christmas and are topped with sugar except with the addition of cinnamon! I picked up some apple tea from the Asian Market and I think these cookies would be perfect with the tea!  Next we were more adventurous.  

We had caviar.  We are told to eat it on bread.  We did.  Brittney and Caleb were not fans. I didn't mind it.  I'm not sure I'm going to pack this in my suitcase, but it was fine. It was salty with a slight fish taste.  I think I would like it with maybe a thinly sliced cucumber with it...that's not very Norwegian, but I think it would help.

Next was bacon cheese in a tube.  Again we were told put things on bread so we speared everything on bread and cut it into three pieces.  This was GOOD!  I WOULD hide some of this in my suitcase.  The cheese is creamy, but not thick like cream cheese, but not runny just a good consistency and as you can see it has bacon bits in it.  How can that be a bad thing? This is something I could see myself eating.... a lot!

And then the potato salad and remember it is a condiment not a side so we had it on bread.  It was great.  This one had leeks and chives.  Yummy!

Finally we tried a Norwegian Christmas soda.  Caleb brought it over and said it smelled like Swedish Fish - he was not wrong.  It is called Jule Brus.

According to wikipedia it is a soda to give to children instead of beer during the holidays, but is also loved by adults.  It was better then I expected, but needed a mixer.  So I added Aquavit a Norwegian spirit.  I picked it up at duty free to try a more Norwegian drink.  

It is a Scandinavian spirit produced since the 15th century! It is flavored with herbs and spices primarily with caraway or dill.  This one has caraway. I added that to the Jule Brus and a splash of orange juice and it was a nice little cocktail.  Norway what do you think? Did I invent your new national cocktail or just gross you out?  

I also found on the bookshelf in my apartment a history of Norway book.  So the good news is now I can report on the history of Norway.  For example did you know that it wasn't until 7000 BC that all of Norway was free from ice from the Ice Age and the huge glacier that covered Scandinavia? Also the first evidence of agriculture in Norway is 4000 BC near the Oslo Fjord.  That's all I can report on now because last night I only got through the Stone and Bronze Ages.  Next is the Iron Age and then we get to the Vikings.  Don't worry there won't be a quiz.