Michael Walters

2010-11 Outbound to Norway

Hometown: Fernandina Beach, Florida

School: Bishop Snyder High School, Jacksonville, Florida

Sponsor: Fernandina Beach Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida

Host: Kongsgaard Rotary Club, District 2290, Norway

Bio

Michael's Bio

Morn, Jeg heter Michael Walters! That is Norwegian for “hello, my name is Michael Walters.” I attend Bishop John J. Snyder High School in Jacksonville, where I am a Sophomore, but I live in Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island. When I found out I was going to Norway, I was psyched. It was one of my first choices for my destination and to get one of the countries I requested was awesome! I am friends with Guro, the Norwegian exchange student living in Fernandina Beach. She lived with Emily Garvin’s family for the first half of her time here. Emily had just returned from her exchange in Croatia. It will be great to know someone over in Norway.

I love to surf, though I realize I probably will not get to do too much of that in Norway. I love the cold and I think my climate next year will definitely give me my fill of arctic or near-arctic temperatures. To travel over 4,500 miles to Norway later this year will be the opportunity of a lifetime. My friends think I am completely insane to be doing this, but that’s nothing new. I have always wanted to go spend time in Europe, or really any other part of the world and the Rotary Exchange has fulfilled my wish!

My Mom was a foreign exchange student to Barbados and I would like to thank both Mom and Dad for supporting me in this new endeavor. I must thank Rotary for their selfless gift of time and talent to this program. Without them, none of this would be possible and many lives would not have been changed. I need to thank the Sunrise Rotary Club of Fernandina Beach for agreeing to sponsor me on my journey to Norway and for helping me to understand the process leading up to my departure. I observed at my interview in Gainesville how the exchange students interacted with me, my parents, and others. I hope to be as outgoing as they were. I cannot wait until the day I am writing my next journal entry from Norway!

Ha det!

Michael

September 10

Finally, I landed in Kristiansand, in a small airport, where I could see my greeting party inside the airport. Inge, Reidun, and Grunde Jørandli (my first host family), Knut Liland, and a few other Rotary members. Following my arrival, we went back to my councilor, Knut’s house, for coffee and some delicious ice cream cake. I only half remember this greeting because I had been traveling for about 20 hours, and I cannot sleep on an airplane. The next day, Knut, Arne (Knut’s son), and I went to the police station to try and get my visa, no luck, some papers had not made it to the visa office yet (attempt one). When we got back to the house, we called the airline, and after waiting for about 45 mins (I have the holding music memorized) I found out that my luggage was in Amsterdam, and no, I never stopped in Amsterdam. So Knut spoke to the travel agent (because it was easier to figure things out in Norwegian) and my luggage was on its way to Kristiansand, or so I thought. Later that day, some of Arne’s friends, Lars and Håkon came over, and we played some poker (texas hold em, I won.) and some Mario Party. I was beginning to realize how prevalent American things are in Norway.

The next day, following attempt number two at the police station (we were outside when our number was called), I went swimming, in the ocean, it was about 16 degrees Celsius, that is cold. Finally, on the fourth or fifth attempt, I got all my visa stuff figured out, and I was here for a year, legally.

Later, Håkon and Lars took me to the city, and around 12am, Håkon turned to me and said “Yeah. Lets get some night burgers, night burgers at McDonalds are the best!” and while it is commonly accepted fact at home that McDonalds only tastes truly good after midnight, it was strange to find this idea here, in Norway.

In due course school started and I was placed in the pre-IB program which is taught in English and Norwegian, I met my class and made some great friends. The only strange thing about school is that I am in VG1, essentially freshman year here, and I have taken all of my classes already. The nice thing about this one the other hand, is that I have a basis for translation in all of my classes. After about two weeks of school, and the fun that entailed, it was time to go to my district conference, language camp, and a Norway wide meeting of exchange students. I rode with my club president to the district conference, where I met several Aussie exchange students, Zoe, Zak, Nick, Boaz, and some other former exchange students. We went to the district conference, watched some movies, and before I knew it, it was time for language camp.

Following a traveling ordeal that I will not go into great detail about (trust me, it was aggravating) myself, Noellen, and Kelly (exchange students from Vermont and California respectably) arrived about two hours late to language camp, and met all the other new exchange students. Language camp soon became a routine of going to class in the morning and until 4pm, going to the city to walk around, watching movies at night, and repeating the process the next day. Presently I am on my way to the large all-Norway conference, and I will update about it soon.

Thank you Rotary!
Michael

In the last two months (have I really been here for three months!?!), I have gone on a family trip to Stavanger, gone to Oslo to see a good friend, Guro, who was an exchange student in Fernandina Beach last year, started sitting in on a college course, and learned so much about myself and others.

I am seeing the world more and more as a Norwegian would, I discussed American elections, but not in the sense of how my country, America will be affected, but as Norway will. I am glad to report that the Norwegians were depressed as I am about the results. Norwegian is no longer the language that everyone around me speaks and I have no idea what is going on, it is quickly becoming my second language. In fact, when I hear English in a crowd, it sounds strange, alien.

I have learned so much about Norwegians ideas of what America is and what its people are like, and I am happy to say that I lived up to some of their ideas, while also dispelling a few incorrect notions. I have started drinking tea, and eating more fruits and vegetables than my family would believe.

In just three short weeks I will be moving to my second host family. They live in Søgne, which is about twenty minutes by car, or thirty by bus, my transportation method of choice. My next host family is very nice and I think I will really be happy there. Yesterday was our first day of snow, or snø as we say here, and it was magical to look out my window and see snow falling. Of course, some of the magical was lost when I realized I had missed my bus and now had to walk for twenty minutes in said snow, but it was great nonetheless.

In the last week, I have taken to going for runs around 6pm with my host brother, and while they embarrass me, I am really enjoying them. The only problem with running at six o’clock is the issue of light, see it gets dark here, early. The sun starts to set around five or five thirty, and by the time our run has ended around seven, it is pitch black. This darkness really throws me off on the weekends when I go out because I often think it is much later than it actually is.

Currently, I am on break in my Norwegian history class at Universitetet i Agder, or UiA as we say. It is the local university here in Kristiansand and I have had the privilege to sit in on a college course for exchange students here. My teachers at high school are fine with it, so a few days out of a week, I miss some school (not the whole day) and learn about Norwegian history, religion, art, or people. The class has taught me one thing I was not expecting. It has showed my what a great program Rotary has, as opposed to many college exchange programs. While my classmates at UiA are very nice, and are enjoying their time in Norway, they can hardly speak any Norwegian at all, and hang out pretty exclusively within their group of exchange students. Much to the contrary, I am learning more Norsk every day and just about all of my friends are Norwegian. 

With that said, I have to thank Rotary, my host clubs, Rotary Club of Amelia Island Sunrise and the Kristiansand Rotary Club, my parents, and all my friends who supported me on my decision to come to Norway. Thank You!

SNOW!

January 15

The last few months in Norway have been quite hectic, and cold, always cold. The end of November and beginning of December saw me move to my next host family, the Bentsen’s, out in Søgne. Søgne is a smaller town about twenty minutes from school/downtown Kristiansand.

So far, it is great here, I am really enjoying my family and my next host family is only about 100 meters away, so no major moving needed, I can do it in steps. School has been going well, I wrapped up the classes I was taking at the local university, Norwegian Society and Culture, British Studies, Norwegian Art and Music, and Norwegian Language. Speaking of language, my Norwegian is continuing to improve, something I am very proud of. I now understand some of what is going on in class, especially with regards to trips or food, as I found out yesterday.

Christmas break started on December 20th, and my host brother Henrik (age 22) came down from his school in Bergen to be with the family. So, following large shopping excursions, Christmas Eve finally arrived. In Norway, all the present opening and other Christmasy activities occur on the 24th, Christmas Eve. We ate a really delicious dish called pinekjøtt which is slightly salted lamb. After stuffing ourselves on lamb, potatoes, green beans, and ice cream (the others had pickled pears), it was time to open presents. I gave my host parents a pasta cookbook in Norwegian, along with a Christmas ornament, my host sister received The Kite Runner in Norwegian, while Henrik was given Life by Keith Richards on audio book. For my part, I received a wonderful coffee table book of Sørland, or southern Norway from my host grandma, a pair of gloves and a scarf from the Jørandli’s, a really authentic Norwegian sweater from my host siblings, a two day lift ticket (!!!) from my host parents, and money from Knut (my councilor), Rotary, and my next host family.

Just two days after Christmas, it was time to be off to Hovden, a ski area about 3.5 hours from Kristiansand. Despite Hovden’s extreme temperatures (-30 C) there was not too much snow on the ground, so while skiing was super fun, it was not as exciting as I had hoped for. However, we had great times staying in the hytte, or cabin.

Now, school has began again and I am contending with the (almost) ever present darkness, but still doing well, thank you Rotary, friends, and family for all your love and support.

Henrik and Gunnar, as we were going to cut down our Christmas Tree	We stayed in Uncle Tom's Cabin, owned by a white Norwegian, irony?	The view from my house	The view from my house