Coming home as an eighteen-year-old has its advantages: I started the week off with going out and partying as much as I could -without having to consider my mum's reactions to it. It was actually great to be back in Bærum again, believe it or not - but being back with both parents was not as pleasant. I stayed back home until LATE wednesday night, which means I left my mum alone at home during easter and her birthday, but on the other hand I had stayed with her in Bærum for five days while my dad and my sister went to my uncle's cabin. At least I saw her some... But I am oh, so tired of them not communicating very well, and being torn between them and myself(though it does sound strange)... I honestly don't think I am handling my life very well at the moment, but hopefully, things will change once the storm has passed.
Bergen: When I arrived in Bergen early on saturday morning, it was snowing. SNOWING! IN BERGEN! After a three week period with sun in Flekke and Oslo, I arrived in Bergen to see it snowing, carrying my immensly heavy suitcase having fooled my self in to thinking that I would get some homework done during the holiday. A cute guy helped my with it to the dock, so "ikke så galt at det ikke er godt for noe", and I met up with the people who'd been to Prague there, and the sun actually came back during the day, but in Flekke there was still snow...
I had a wonderful saturday night with Elisa, and slowly campus started filling up after easter - even though I spent the last two days of my holiday in my bed recovering from it. Apparently things happened on campus that weekend which were tragical to the school(to say the least), so the following wednesday two students were sent home. It felt quite empty and uncomfortable on campus the following days - and campus was rather divided. I just wish we'd got to know about them leaving a bit before they left, oh, well.
Leirskole has started - I'm skin diving with all the kids, and it's actually a lot of fun. The kids were quite easy to please and they "warmed up" after a while. This picture is from the training - above water in the hot pool
On friday Henrik, my wonderful swedish neighbour who lives down stairs, was told that he'd be expelled. For having too many absences. Now: first we get to know that two of our friends are expelled. Two days later anotherone is supposed to be expelled as well. On wednesday Alistair sent out an e-mail and put up a notice on the notice board about the considerable amount of absences the first day after easter, and all students with an "excessive amount" had to have a talk with him - and just after that Henrik got to know that he'd be expelled. What is an excessive amount? What about the students that have more absences than Henrik? Why did he never get a final warning? Where was his advisor? Why was his House Mentor not more involved in this? Are we Nordics to be sent home more easily just because we have the prospects of a good future even though we're at home and not here, and because our governments will continuosly send money here anyway? WE NEED CLARITY WITH THE RULES. Where did the UWC spirit go?
These are just some of the questions we asked ourselves during the weekend when John told Henrik that he'd be expelled, when Henrik felt highly unwanted and wouldn't want to stay here even if he could, when he changed his mind and appealed it, when Reidun was expected to talk to his parents without knowing much, when we all supported Henrik and felt insecure about our own positions here, and we saw him leaving, and taking the spirit of the college and maybe some of our friends with him... It was an exhausting weekend. BUT - his personal appeal to John went through. Not without conditions(gaaaah, we're all gonna die making Henrik go through this... Haha, he'd probably like it better at home than right now), and he has to prove that he is worth being here. I know he is. Unfortunately, we were all in confusion about whether it was actually right to support him in the first place, from an objective point of view - can one ever be with people one lives so closely with?
It was a weekend of Nordic unity, campus 'unity'(at least quite big parts of it), tears, frustration, uncertainty, anger, hysterical laughter and lots and lots and lots of tea and starshine... The weather, ironically, was beautiful leading up to the weekend and during it. We spent some time on the rocks under the stars, in the dayroom(s), cooking for goodbye and in smoker's corner. It will be unforgettable, and no one knows what will happen to the trust and unity at the college. We WILL fight for it, though.
Now? It's thursday, and we've known since tuesday evening that he can stay. Last night, it started snowing. Honestly - looking at how hard Henrik is working to stay here, and how hard we are working for him staying here, I actually feel like I'm slowly but steadily getting my academical life back on the right track myself. I still have some parts to catch up with, I still have work to do... I'm getting up in the morning, I'm doing most of my homework(but I still have to do what I haven't done) and I'm working hard on getting Gulatinget together.
Gulatinget - The program is amazing - but the audience could've been a lot bigger. Let's pray for good weather and a nice crowd. I'm not religious, but after all the praying people did for Henrik, and how unbelievable we thought it was that he'd be given another chance - it seems like it helped. So - SUN and CROWD for Gulatinget, and it'll be all good.
Well, another rant is over, more is coming. Have a good day!
"The best things come from nowhere
I can't believe you care" - Guillemots
