tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80302850722143658352024-03-13T18:27:44.809+01:00Oliver @ RCNUWCDear visitor,
<br><br>
Congratulations on finding your way to my blog! While studying at Red Cross Nordic United World College, I have to keep a diary with reflections on my activities. On the suggestion of my adviser I have chosen to do this in the form of a public blog.
If you are interested in UWC, interested in what I do with my life here in Norway, or just plain interested, I hope that this blog will prove helpful.
<br><br>
Danish Regards,<br>
Oliver Carlsen MøllerUlf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-46607992014951064562012-04-03T16:52:00.000+02:002012-04-07T15:21:36.457+02:00UWC Accessible!Hi lovely people reading my blog,
<br><br>
I'm trying to start a project to make the UWC movement more accessible to young people with disabilities.
<br><br>
The idea is to make a blog with stories, experiences and opinions on disabilities and school/living communities from as many different perspectives as possible.
<br><br>
Have a look at <a href="http://accessibility-uwc.blogspot.com/">this website</a> for more information.
<br><br>
If you can contribute in any way or know someone who can, please contact me on ulf911@gmail.com.
<br><br>
Obviously, I will be writing on this as the project progresses! :)
<br><br>
Thank you!Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-39393836551054258232012-03-31T15:20:00.000+02:002012-04-07T15:20:49.034+02:00Hello... Hello... Can you hear me now?I think that is how I have started every single Skype conversation with my parents since coming to RCN: "Hello... Hello... Can you hear me now? Sorry, the Internet is a bitch up in here!" Never the less, I must give some credit to Janus Friis - A Dane by the way. Skype has definitely made international communication a lot easier. Exactly that has been at the time-consuming center of a project that I have been involved with over the last month: Global Concerns.
<br><br>
Global Concerns is a conference that is held once per term here at RCN. Students choose a topic and organize a day of activities, debate and workshops. Everyone must participate in organizing one Global Concern in their two years here, and this term it my time. The first thing that needed to be done was to find a theme. We had quite a bit of debate about what to do but ended up with a somewhat special model. Our theme was "Discrimination" with the four subtopics "ethnic minorities", "womens rights", "disabilities" and "religion". Each subtopic had 3-4 workshops. We decided to go for a somewhat provocative approach and made workshops with names like "Don't marry the Jew", "Don't worry, I only ran into a door" and "They see me rolin', they hatin'". We also divided all the students into different areas of the cafeteria depending on things like hair color, relationship status and whether or not they had gotten into a university yet. I actually think it worked the way we wanted. People got just a little offended, and than launched them out of their seats to take part in the debate on discrimination.
<br><br>
Most of my work was in a different area though. Because another thing that was special about the Global Concerns conference was that we worked together with another UWC school - In Swaziland! From the very beginning it was on our agenda that we wanted to cooperate with another school and produce something. Since I have a bit of experience with IT, I was put in charge of that part. We ended up working with UWC Waterford Kamhlaba and basically synchronizing our programs. They used our topic and subtopics and created a theme day with their own workshops, ten thousand kilometers away. All the workshops here and in Swaziland then produced material and this was uploaded to <a href="http://gc-discrimination.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">THIS BLOG</a> by the end of the day. Working with young people like me on the other side of the planet was a lot of fun, but it was also a challenge. There are a lot of interesting things to learn about communicating and organizing projects over the internet. You can also read more about the project on the website of <a href="http://www.talktogether.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=36&Itemid=53" target="_blank">TALK TOGETHER</a>, from whom we received a lot of help with exactly that.
<br><br>
I also had a personal project that I used the Global Concerns conference as a starting engine for. I have been puzzling for a long time with how I could do a project to make the UWC more disability friendly and that idea finally came to me when we were organizing the conference. I went to a combined school for disabled and non-disabled students a few years back and there I got to experience a lot of different perspectives on disabilities and live-study communities like the UWC schools. Now, 3 years later that gave me the idea of creating <a href="accessibility-uwc.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Accesibility@UWC</a>. Accessibility @ UWC is a writing project to promote accessibility for disabled students at the United World College schools and all other live-study communities. The idea is to create a collection of articles on the issue. These articles should come from as many perspectives and have as many formats as possible. In this way, Accessibility @ UWC can be used as a database of stories and experiences from people with different lives, different roles and different opinions regarding how to create live-study communities that are accessible to disabled students. From the subtopic of disabilities, I got a lot of interesting material - Including a video of my room mate Feng from China answering the very question I am asking with the project: "What can WE do to help someone who has a disability?". You can read more about the project <a href="http://accessibility-uwc.blogspot.com/search/label/Blog" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<center>
<br><br>
<object width="480" height="290"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FFtNAWCAYmM?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FFtNAWCAYmM?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="290" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
<br><br>
<object width="480" height="290"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IoEKeQYgBgY?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IoEKeQYgBgY?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="290" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
<br><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BMcLmmpKXcM/T4A-uC4ZwYI/AAAAAAAAAfc/RwVtswQmJkc/s1600/IMG2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BMcLmmpKXcM/T4A-uC4ZwYI/AAAAAAAAAfc/RwVtswQmJkc/s320/IMG2.JPG" /></a></div>
<br><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ju5d4FpmYcs/T4A-tVjsbXI/AAAAAAAAAfU/psfeWDUcda8/s1600/IMG1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ju5d4FpmYcs/T4A-tVjsbXI/AAAAAAAAAfU/psfeWDUcda8/s320/IMG1.JPG" /></a></div></center>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-32049031248773834822012-02-04T15:40:00.001+01:002012-02-04T17:01:16.281+01:00x0sin(tω+O), if the weather allows it!Last week was PBL week, and I taught a First Aid Cause. It was tons of fun, but also a little exhausting. So what is the best way to spend a relaxing weekend, when it is -10<sup>o</sup> and snowing in Flekke? Surfing of cause! After grading papers on the difference between hypo and hyperglycemia this Friday, I had about 20 minutes to run back and get my backpack ready. This weekend was devoted to concurring the waves together with my physics teacher Chris and three of my co-years. Here is a summery if you are busy: Five guys, five surfboards, five hours of driving, two giant boxes of food and one person who actually knew how to surf.
<br/><br/>
I must admit that when I noticed the snow on the mountain side and saw the temperature on Chris' smart phone, I had one of those: Why-the-hell-did-I-sign-up-for-this moments. But in comically tight and thick wet suits, it is actually possible to stay in the (almost) freezing North Sea for hours on end! So that is what we did. We had two full days of surfing, and it was just what I needed. On the first day, the water was almost scary. There is not exactly much you can do, when you are paddling out into the water on your surfboard and then encounter a friendly little wave breaking 3 feet above your head. The result is usually a splash, followed by about 20 seconds of spinning around in the water and thinking "Please don't hit me in the head, Mr Surfboard!" Never the less, we carried on and tried our best to get on a wave for about four hours, before we went back to the cabin. The second day featured smaller waves and less wind. By the end, I actually managed to catch quite a few waves. I kid you not!
<br/><br/>
Oh and guess what we are studying in physics at the moment: Waves. There really is no escaping from school at this place! Chris has been a physics teacher for many years and actually wrote the Pearson IB Physics Book. I wonder if that was why I could spend most of my time splashing around next to my surf board, while watching him glide smoothly towards the beach. If he did bring a calculator to predict where the waves would break, he managed to hide it quite well! The real physics behind the waves in an ocean is extremely complicated. But IB physics can actually give quite a bit of input to our watery observations. For example: As a wavefront progresses towards the beach, its medium changes because the water becomes more and more shallow. This means that the waves travel slower and thus squeeze together. This increases the hight of the wave, until it eventually tips over and throws me off my surfboard. Hence, it is nice to know where there are big rocks and other objects lying on the seabed, because it can be used to predict when the wave breaks. No GDC calculator required! I have actually noticed a tendency that teachers often seem to see a lot of things through the lens of their subject. I guess that academics do not only aid your understanding of the world, but also change your perspective. Let that be an addition to the fake Nielson Mandela quote below.
<br/><br/>
And then there was all the other stuff: We had plenty of time in the cabin to watch (non-Swedish) movies and just hang out. We also had a lot of assorted food, which did not seem to follow any meal plan or logic. I think we were just given a random selection from the storage room. It was abundant never the less. We also walked a bit around in the nature and found a great, big rubber sausage to jump on. That made for a good <a href="http://www.physics-inthinking.co.uk/blog-post/11644/bouncy-sausage.htm" target="_blank">physics blog post</a>. In general it was just nice to get off campus for a while. Even though we are a tiny community of 200 students, it can sometimes seem hard to find an opportunity to just hang out and do nothing in the middle of all the fuss. Getting up early for a long breakfast works quite well, but it is not nearly as relaxing as a weekend away. I got back on campus, finished my extended essay, caught the flu, got all better, worked on a project with UWCs in Swaziland and Canada, had an economics test, watched a scary movie, filed a load of papers for college, skyped my mom and now it's weekend again. The great times are rolling, but they're roiling towards the shore!
<br/><br/>
<center>
<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zxz4h2OteM0?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zxz4h2OteM0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
<br/><br/>
<object width="420" height="260"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SQHrZDSnhAY?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SQHrZDSnhAY?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="260" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jufYDKGHHHk/Ty1UAaB86YI/AAAAAAAAAe0/mPH8KLcT3QM/s1600/SANY0467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jufYDKGHHHk/Ty1UAaB86YI/AAAAAAAAAe0/mPH8KLcT3QM/s320/SANY0467.JPG" /></a></div>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAv45xShreE/Ty1UAIa1OFI/AAAAAAAAAeo/qxPSFnZa5BM/s1600/SANY0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAv45xShreE/Ty1UAIa1OFI/AAAAAAAAAeo/qxPSFnZa5BM/s320/SANY0465.JPG" /></a></div>
<br/>
Links: Chris Hamper's <a href="http://chrishamper.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> & <a href="http://www.physics-inthinking.co.uk/" target="_blank">Physics Site</a>
</center>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-23363851124673091202012-02-03T15:45:00.001+01:002012-02-03T15:46:37.062+01:00"Learn before you teach" - Nielson MandelaOkay, so a few weeks ago, I got in a huge argument with my Swedish co-year Stella, because she told me "You must learn before you can teach!" I proposed that this was a load male bovine of excrements, and in her defense she said that it was so smart that it actually sounded like Nielson Mandela could have said it. This heated discussion went on for about half an hour. Interestingly, it was not going to be long before I would have the chance to test her hypothesis in real life. This week was Project Based Learning Week and I have been teaching all those lively little first years in the annual 12-hour first aid course.
</br></br>
The 12-hour course is an expanded version of the standard Norwegian course from the Red Cross. I did the curse <a href="http://oliver-rcnuwc.blogspot.com/2011/02/of-blood-sweat-and-fun.html">last year</a> and then went on to join first aid team for <a href="http://oliver-rcnuwc.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-i-was-kid-i-spend-considerable.html">higher qualifications</a>. Our team splits into two main groups during the course: the group leaders and the workshop instructors. Group leaders give the basic training and then follow group around as they progress through 10 different workshops. Workshop instructors instruct workshops. I went for the latter, which meant that I would be assisting a group leader on the first day and then having a workshop on a specific topic. The workshop that I requested was not a classically popular one amongst instructors: Diabetes - not enough screaming and blood, I guess. But to me it seemed like an interesting challenge to convey something that can be quite theoretical and dry in a practical and interesting way.
</br></br>
My workshop lasted for 25 minutes and had three goals: To teach the participants to understand what diabetes is, to teach them to recognize when a diabetic is having problems and to teach them what to do in order to help. That is not so little, and my presentation was quite high pace. However, I was extremely impressed by the first years and their ability to pay attention and absorb during the information packed lesson. I first explained a bit about why learning about diabetes is important (because you may end up saving the life of a friend - 5% of the world population suffers from some form of diabetes) and then I taught the role of insulin in the body; type I and type II diabetes; hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia with causes, symptoms and how to help; and in the end I showed how to use testers an insulin pens. The most important lesson about the last thing is that you are never - NEVER - allowed to inject someone with insulin. However, you can assist quite a lot if you recognize how to use all the stuff.
</br></br>
Teaching is a learning experience (except in Russia, where there is just one word for the two). I learned a lot of new stuff about diabetes, and I think that I am even more prepared to deal with hyper/hypoglycemia now than I was before. But I also learned a lot about the process of teaching in general. I taught my workshop to more than a hounded people during a day and then graded exams the next. I discovered that teaching requires a great amount of energy. I had to constantly keep my energy up to not loose the hard earned attention of my students, which is probably why I drank five cups of coffee that day. Saying sharp is crucial, even when you teach the same material again and again. New questions will arise, so you constantly have to think about what you are saying. Even if you thank that you know it all by heart. With that in mind, I think it is time that I propose my own fake quote: "You must teach before you can learn... Take that Stella!" - Nielson Mandela
</br></br>
<center><i>By the way, you should all learn how to do CPR:</i></br>
<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cPEFskCrdhQ?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cPEFskCrdhQ?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center>
</br></br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-erpwoQ9HDKY/TyvyueYHxMI/AAAAAAAAAec/hiwaFowXCqA/s1600/DiabetesBracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-erpwoQ9HDKY/TyvyueYHxMI/AAAAAAAAAec/hiwaFowXCqA/s320/DiabetesBracelet.jpg" /></a></div>
</br></br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NF9fmctcvuo/TyvysSDQlFI/AAAAAAAAAeE/IHQOi6CEt94/s1600/FirstAiding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NF9fmctcvuo/TyvysSDQlFI/AAAAAAAAAeE/IHQOi6CEt94/s320/FirstAiding.jpg" /></a></div>
</br></br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZ497CbbJ1M/TyvysnohhNI/AAAAAAAAAeU/zq3PNNM6BJs/s1600/CPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZ497CbbJ1M/TyvysnohhNI/AAAAAAAAAeU/zq3PNNM6BJs/s320/CPR.jpg" /></a></div>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-59476920902336210652011-10-21T16:39:00.000+02:002013-06-05T12:25:12.315+02:00Oliver, the ArabEvery once in a while at Red Cross Nordic, we all drop everything we have in our busy hands and do a PBL. I generally try to avoid the use of Cryptic acronyms here on my blog, but I think this one requires an explanation. A PBL (or Project Based Learning) week is when we all stop what we are doing (yes, that includes homework) and spend a week doing some project. Any project. Actually, our PBLs span all the way from climbing over learning guitar and geopolitical debates to horseback riding in Dream Vally. I did a glacier trip, an MUN and a first aid course last year, so now I figured that it was time for a more cultural approach. Hence, Arabic PBL.
<br />
<br />
Our two volunteers from Western Sahara had the task of teaching us how to live, speak and eat like proper Arabs in just one week. They did a great job! I especially liked the big dinner on the last night, where we all dressed up for a classical Saharawi feast. I think the most challenging thing about Arabic culture for me was eating with my fingers. Not that I am particularly hysterical about hygiene, but eating with my hands is something that I connect with pizza and a movie; and not with eating a rice stew in a dangerously white Saharawi national dress. Never the less, I overcame.
<br />
<br />
The PBL also contained an introduction to the Arabic language. While taking a break from calculus, Camus and Cepheid variables, sitting in a circle and singing the alphabet song was quite a nice contrast. By the end of the week, I put together a song of the various phrases that I had learned. Not exactly Shakespeare, it went something in the lines of: "Hello. How are you? How much is the butter? You are very pretty." I call it my One Week of Arabic Arab Love Song.
<br />
<br />
Another very important part of the weak was learning about the situation in Western Sahara. Both of the girls who conducted the week are Saharawis living in the Algerian refugee camps. It was an amazing experience to hear them telling the stories of their lives and their country. It is worth your time. Learning about the Arab world in general is actually something that is worth anyone's time. Especially now when so much is happening in a part of the world that so many of us know so little about. In fact, I think everyone needs to be an Arab from time to time, even if it is only for a week.
<br />
<center>
</center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0x6gU_pOOx0/Tw3FBlqE1-I/AAAAAAAAAd4/kaNDz3roK5E/s1600/Arabic%2BGroup%2BShot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0x6gU_pOOx0/Tw3FBlqE1-I/AAAAAAAAAd4/kaNDz3roK5E/s320/Arabic%2BGroup%2BShot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gk087AcC930/Tw3FBPDsE2I/AAAAAAAAAdg/_hK0uXt7ZAY/s1600/Arabic%2BTea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gk087AcC930/Tw3FBPDsE2I/AAAAAAAAAdg/_hK0uXt7ZAY/s320/Arabic%2BTea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QHhMeQqStyY/Tw3FBYV8KDI/AAAAAAAAAdo/4RXvhnwtVYc/s1600/Arabic%2BLetters2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QHhMeQqStyY/Tw3FBYV8KDI/AAAAAAAAAdo/4RXvhnwtVYc/s320/Arabic%2BLetters2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-91661290013057324732011-10-12T13:18:00.000+02:002012-06-03T13:19:04.618+02:00Splash!Maybe I was a very smelly kid? My parents, at least, made sure that I would spend quite a large proportion of my time emerged in water. Wait, maybe it was just because I liked swimming. Whatever the reason, I was often found in a pool somewhere. In fact, my first swimming session was just a few hours after I was born. Here at RCN I do my fair bit of water sport as well. I teach skin diving to kids, do lifeguarding by the pool and I have taught swimming for beginners with the Swim Club. Oh, and then I swim... Of cause. <br />
<br />
Teaching is always fun. And it is especially fun to teach swimming at RCN. Because we have people here from so many countries, some arrive with absolutely no knowledge of what to do if you find yourself floating about in an over sized bathtub. So each year the Swim Club teaches swimming for beginners, and last year so did I. I was a lot of fun, and I actually learned quite a bit about my own technique by having to put it into words. Us more experienced swimmers also had a chance to talk and help each other with improving.<br />
<br />
When I turned 13 I started to swim in the wrong direction. Down! So I joined the skin diving club, where those kinds of skills are more appreciated. Now, once a week, I teach to the kids that come here for camp. Everyone on campus does an activity with the kids, and I especially like mine. It is quite different from what I used to do back home, where I volunteered at an after school club. We only see them once and next week there will be a new crew, so it is all about making a good experience for them. And if we're not completely sure that we can keep them entertained, don't worry: We can always turn on the water slide!<br />
<br />
This summer I set myself a challenge: Do the Viking Swim. The name pretty much implies it all: It is a 2.5 kilometer competition in open water, crossing an intake in the Danish city Roskilde. I had never done open water before, but I gathered as much as this: 2.5 kilometer in salty, cold sea water is a lot longer than 50 lanes of 50 meter in a pool. I spend a little over a month practicing for the swim. However, swimming in the sea is something you just need to get used to. For the first 200 meters my mind was busy dealing with the cold, the taste, the waves and even more the gobbles that I would constantly kong fu chup through with my hands. My technique has had better days. I did end up getting the hang of it and finished somewhere in the middle (of about 200 competitors) which I was quite satisfied with seeing as it was my first time in open water.<br />
<br />
I also do life guarding... I sit... I watch people... I tell them not to drown... None have drowned yet...
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgQka9L60zU/T8tHmQ_u-RI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/TNpzXHUxhng/s1600/Splash%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgQka9L60zU/T8tHmQ_u-RI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/TNpzXHUxhng/s320/Splash%2B3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KpP08jVTv7g/T8tHluy1SPI/AAAAAAAAAfs/krfO6fFmlxE/s1600/Splash%2B0.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="187" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KpP08jVTv7g/T8tHluy1SPI/AAAAAAAAAfs/krfO6fFmlxE/s320/Splash%2B0.gif" /></a></div>
</br><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fLfmHfldWw/T8tHl-I9qWI/AAAAAAAAAf4/3vGvG0lAIwE/s1600/Splash%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fLfmHfldWw/T8tHl-I9qWI/AAAAAAAAAf4/3vGvG0lAIwE/s320/Splash%2B1.jpg" /></a></div>
</br><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4mg2EsFuJMw/T8tHmJy7HLI/AAAAAAAAAgE/vA8jHs1FyFQ/s1600/Splash%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4mg2EsFuJMw/T8tHmJy7HLI/AAAAAAAAAgE/vA8jHs1FyFQ/s320/Splash%2B2.jpeg" /></a></div>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-56074929952386844932011-08-04T14:18:00.000+02:002012-01-11T17:45:46.324+01:00And now for a short intermisionSo that was year one. By the end, we just packed everything down, including the memories, and left our symbiotic bubble by the Fjord, returning for three months to our very different lives. In my case, I am living by myself in a small apartment in the Danish capital Copenhagen. One thing that RCN does not allocate much time for is reflection. Between economics class, first aid training and trying to convince your roommate that it is totally okay to own skiing equipment even if your country is flat as a pancake, it is often left in the stack labeled “mañana”. So I think that some time to think about what we have all been doing for the last 10 months is quite in its place by now.<br /><br />I have climbed a glacier, organized a school show, bandaged a drunken pirate (in a first aid scenario), performed songs that I dared not try to pronounce title of, listened to refugees telling their stories, confused myself by discussing the value of happiness, taught a Somalian boy how to swim and so much more. And that is without even staring to mention the experiences I have had just by sitting down to have lunch with a class mate. Half of my views about half of the world have been challenged, turned 180 degrees, rechallenged and then turned somewhere between 1 and 179 degrees back again. And as much as I would love to sumerize what I have learned, I can't! <br /><br />One word that stands out though is “effort”. No matter what you do in life, those six letters seem to be playing an important role. When climbing a glacier you need four more: “Team”. You can go to hell in a handbasket trying to convince me to go on that thing alone! It is scary and huge and cold and full of holes, and the only thing keeping you safe is the line that is connected between you and your friends. And while we're at it, the same goes for organizing a show, or bandaging a pirate or performing a... You get the picture. One of the most valuable lessons that I can take home this year is how much I can actually do. And something that is even more important is how much people around me can do, and how much we can do together.<br /><br />Life is about... Grilled chease and cupcakes for all I know?! But I do know that there is a lot of talk about leadership at RCN, and that someday, somewhere that is probably what I want to do aswell. I came here having a pretty good idea about what it means to be a leader. It means being strong, powerful and able to take the right decissions with the right timing. Then I realized that there is another definition: In a world with soldiers of peace and the problem of the weather getting better, it is not enough to just be an MBA or a CEO. There is a need for real leaders, the kind of people that can lead the way and change the world by just being who they are. Like my old naboughr Hans, who would shovel not only his, but all of our driveways, every snowy winter morning, every year. I have added three new adjective to my definition of a leader over the last school year: Caring, understanding and passionate.<br /><br /><center><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/23473932?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhqdBl_wEAE/Tfn4Ip7KuwI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/eFWGVh1WYHs/s1600/Blog%2BFirst.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhqdBl_wEAE/Tfn4Ip7KuwI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/eFWGVh1WYHs/s320/Blog%2BFirst.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618794837698067202" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9oM5J234zRI/Tfn4D6yRXRI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/GpVxfKgMs6k/s1600/Blog%2B1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9oM5J234zRI/Tfn4D6yRXRI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/GpVxfKgMs6k/s320/Blog%2B1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618794756324810002" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wr121kckac/Tfn3_ILA09I/AAAAAAAAAZs/-qE-ZP9R8qI/s1600/Blog%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wr121kckac/Tfn3_ILA09I/AAAAAAAAAZs/-qE-ZP9R8qI/s320/Blog%2B2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618794674018898898" /></a>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-29051549682770158462011-07-23T01:11:00.000+02:002011-10-03T01:14:24.317+02:00I can swim that far... I thinkHave you ever stood on a beach and had that thought? I can swim that far... I think. Being a swimmer and growing up right on the South Coast of Denmark, I most certainty have. And UWC students are supposed to be risk takers, right! This summer I decided that instead of just looking and wondering, I would do it. So I signed up for something I have never done before; an open water swimming competition.
<br/><br/>
The viking swim is a annual event, where swimmers from all over Denmark cross the the intake that divides the city of Roskilde in two. It is 2500 meters of freestyle in cold, salty ocean water. I had never heard about this before, but an idea and a few minutes on Google can easily get you in over your head. Literally. So for a little more than a month, I would cycle through Copenhagen every morning to punch the local swimming pool for an hour or two. My summer break was not quite as busy and challenging as my life here in Norway is, so it was very nice to have some kind of a concrete goal that I could channel my energy into. Even if that goal involved me leaving my warm and dry apartment every morning to face the Copenhagen morning traffic in wind and rain.
<br/><br/>
2500 meters in open water is a lot more than 2500 meters in a pool! I quickly realized that. The water smells different, feels different and tastes different. Not to mention the slimy sense of your hand sliding through a jellyfish. The words from 13 years of swimming instruction were forgotten in a moment when I first dived into the cold waves. Now I understood why this sport wasn't such a success in the Nordic region. Luckily it all came sneaking back after a few hounded meters. One thing amazed me all the way though. Most of my activities involve working with others, and I was expecting that this would be a solo project for a change. But all the way from the arrival at the beach and to the finishing line, there seemed to be this consensus that we were all doing this together. I think that is the way open water differs the most from any kind of swimming I have ever done before: Even though it was an individual competition, it was still a team effort. Like a floating marathon!
<br/><br/>
I still have my first swimming diploma from when I was five years old: 25 meters of freestyle. I beat that by 99 lanes this summer. In ocean water! Swimming has always been my favorite form of exercise, and I do quite a lot of swimming related stuff here in Norway. In fact, I am on volunteer lifeguard duty at the campus swimming pool as I am writing this (Don't worry. There are no one here). I also teach skin-diving every week to kids that come for sumer camp, and last year I was a swimming instructor with the swim team. But this time I wanted to write about something that I did outside of Norway. And about how RCN has taught me the value of testing the hypothesis of just how far I can actually go.
<center>
<br/><br/>
<iframe width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.dk/maps/ms?hl=da&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=208330752358700913736.00049cc9f90ed0a57560a&source=embed&t=h&vpsrc=6&ll=55.663063,12.084274&spn=0.029048,0.068665&z=13&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>Vis <a href="http://maps.google.dk/maps/ms?hl=da&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=208330752358700913736.00049cc9f90ed0a57560a&source=embed&t=h&vpsrc=6&ll=55.663063,12.084274&spn=0.029048,0.068665&z=13" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Vikinge Svøm</a> på et større kort</small>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-11ma10tNgWo/TojtWq_93sI/AAAAAAAAAb0/nuTRGKneGkg/s1600/123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-11ma10tNgWo/TojtWq_93sI/AAAAAAAAAb0/nuTRGKneGkg/s320/123.jpg" /></a></div>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lxvj1LSUg4o/Tojti86uSyI/AAAAAAAAAb8/FEkihc4WUmw/s1600/22160_263026664679_695634679_4512050_7900417_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lxvj1LSUg4o/Tojti86uSyI/AAAAAAAAAb8/FEkihc4WUmw/s320/22160_263026664679_695634679_4512050_7900417_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<br/>
<br/>
<iframe width="400" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q0I7Fn2J7fU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-36532305160916422082011-06-17T13:29:00.000+02:002012-06-03T13:29:37.634+02:00Leisure time: RCN style!Allow me to whine a little: Life at RCN is great, but it is also tough! From I get up in the morning until I go to sleep (...in the morning), I have something going on that is important to me. That is fantastic, but some weeks just feel like an endless array of swimming sessions, music rehearsals, volunteering activities, first aid training and math homework. Some weekends I just want to relax, but even relaxing is taken to a new level here.<br /><br />The thing with RCN is that people just do things. If you have an idea, and are able to convince people that it is a good one, the endless human resources that the school has will take care of the rest. In a way, everything is available for us. A few weeks ago, for example, my two male danish co-years and I wanted to have a weekend of fun. At home, we would have probably gone to the nearest pub. The importance of nights out with the guys should definitely not be understated, but the alternative that we found was not all bad: We walked 20 kilometers to spend the weekend at a cabin somewhere in the mountains. Somewhere along the old byway, I realized that despite the fairly strict rules of the college campus, we have a lot of freedom here. And when that freedom comes from being who we are and where we are, it translates into a lot of great experiences.<br /><br />Last weekend, after a few weeks of juggling Economics IAs, Literature Commentaries and physics revision, four of us decided to go fishing. None of us had much fishing experience, nor did we have a specific purpose with the trip. But let me paint a picture for you: Four guys on a big, flat rock by the water, where the sun is shining on what seems to be a continuous line of mountains, intakes and Forrest. Without a house in sight! Anyone not utilizing that they live in such a kind of nature, is waisting precious time, no matter how well organized their to-do-list is. I would like to quote my friend Per in that context: "After a day of fishing with the guys, relaxing in the sun and a game of cricket, I am wondering if I will ever start studying again..". Guess what? He did! And just in time for the first year exams.<br /><br />Maybe we did not catch a lot of (or any) fish that day. And perhaps not every conversation during the weekend in the cabin was about distinguishing the Keynesian LRAS curve from the Neo-classical. But when you are living a life where you are constantly working on something, it is nice to sometimes take a bit of time just becoming who you are. I could not imagine being here without all the great people that I get to share my experiences with. Luckily, the UWC experience does not end at the last page of my math book: There are moments to work and then there are moments to do anything but work.
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcaYbKYGCRw/T8tKe3Dy9CI/AAAAAAAAAhE/UFkAux3nMVY/s1600/Leasure3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcaYbKYGCRw/T8tKe3Dy9CI/AAAAAAAAAhE/UFkAux3nMVY/s320/Leasure3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5r-WuH72z4/T8tKd2qmcjI/AAAAAAAAAgg/gbldRVk7vCc/s1600/Leasure1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="238" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5r-WuH72z4/T8tKd2qmcjI/AAAAAAAAAgg/gbldRVk7vCc/s320/Leasure1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHG9SrZeGTw/T8tKeGkrKDI/AAAAAAAAAgs/vdFXujKaHUw/s1600/Leasure2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHG9SrZeGTw/T8tKeGkrKDI/AAAAAAAAAgs/vdFXujKaHUw/s320/Leasure2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br/><br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0EPhVtOonE/T8tKec3rFrI/AAAAAAAAAg4/HxLfEuMVPOw/s1600/Leasure4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0EPhVtOonE/T8tKec3rFrI/AAAAAAAAAg4/HxLfEuMVPOw/s320/Leasure4.jpg" /></a></div>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-61200096122593392872011-05-05T15:16:00.013+02:002011-05-05T16:37:36.335+02:00There's nothing like a weekend at 329700 684010!When I was a kid, I spend a lot of time running around a nearby forest, playing agent with my friends and a walkie-talkie set. Wait, did I write "when I was a kid"? I did of cause mean last weekend, when I was at Nesholmen: The Norwegian Red Cross Hjelpekorps holds regional training camps, and being part of the schools First Aid Team, I have had the chance to train Search&Rescue at a weekend camp a few hours from campus.<br /><br />This time of the year, with exams, IAs and all kinds of other fun stuff, is... Welll... Stressful! So realizing that I was going to spend a whole weekend in a tent, where I could scarcely get any writing done, was a bit frighting. Luckily those kinds of worries were all forgotten on arrival. Nesholmen is an old scout camp about two hours from campus (This is entirely a guess, since I was sleeping all the way in the buss) and on an early May evening, with 12 of your friends, a freezebee and a perfect weather forecast, it is not the worst place to go if you want to forget about your homework and just enjoy life. In fact, I could not have thought of a better way of celebrating that Jack Frost is finally on the run and spring is upon us!<br /><br />The Norwegian Hjealpekorps is a part of the Red Cross and compiles more than 13.500 QuickLunch eating members all over the country. It is a volunteer rescue organization that assists police and the army in finding and rescuing people in all forms of trouble. The course that we were offered this weekend was mountain based search and rescue. We spent two days walking between posts, using maps, VHF radios and a piece GPS tracking equipment that I would not recommend anyone to wear at the airport. At each post we practiced different skills like how to improvise a stretcher, search for casualties near a river and guide a helicopter during landing. At the same time we learned how to use maps and communicate with the command central of a rescue operation. We had a little booklet with diagrams and notes, the rest was just learning by doing.<br /><br />Nesholmen was a great experience in every way! It was one of those chances here on RCN that you just do not get anywhere else. The whole group was absolutely fantastic, and we managed to have a lot of fun and relax, while learning a lot of useful skills. It was also nice to get an introduction to what the Norwegian Hjelpekorps does. I was very surprised by the caliber of the organization and by how much they have to teach people. The idea that you can organize more than 13.000 people to voluntarily help when it is needed, says a lot about what we can actually do about the human resources that we have around us. The training that we got this weekend, we are going to pass on the the rest of the team back on campus. I really think that there are a lot of valuable skills to gain here. Because even if you are not going to guide a helicopter to the ground someday soon, knowing that you can do that and so much more makes you the kind of person that has the courage to act when someday, someone needs to.<br /><br />In the end, we had a chance to visit the mobile command unit (Q) from which we had received our orders doing the weekend. I think that in every guy, there is a 10-year-old boy who wants to grow up and become James Bond. Stepping into a van with antennas on the roof, computer screens with puzzling maps on the inside and a mobile radio communication center must have been the treat the the Norwegian Hjelpekorps gave that boy this weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFDWEny75ZU/TcKx21dJCmI/AAAAAAAAAZY/ZUWPJyefzlM/s1600/Nesholmen%2B11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFDWEny75ZU/TcKx21dJCmI/AAAAAAAAAZY/ZUWPJyefzlM/s320/Nesholmen%2B11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603236442022677090" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EKhMVvnSPI4/TcKxzTCpwII/AAAAAAAAAZQ/RCvwbinwDhI/s1600/Nesholmen%2B1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EKhMVvnSPI4/TcKxzTCpwII/AAAAAAAAAZQ/RCvwbinwDhI/s320/Nesholmen%2B1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603236381245161602" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dW9FaPhqkcE/TcKyc0mprII/AAAAAAAAAZg/Sg4IYhLxLP0/s1600/NEH.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dW9FaPhqkcE/TcKyc0mprII/AAAAAAAAAZg/Sg4IYhLxLP0/s320/NEH.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603237094629158018" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qQ77uwd2vNM/TcKxqCw2h_I/AAAAAAAAAZA/tkcoAlp4_Qg/s1600/Nesholmen%2B3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qQ77uwd2vNM/TcKxqCw2h_I/AAAAAAAAAZA/tkcoAlp4_Qg/s320/Nesholmen%2B3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603236222256711666" /></a>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-30233534414342214142011-03-22T19:51:00.006+01:002011-03-22T20:37:05.295+01:00Little Play of Horrors!This Saturday I went to sleep with a good feeling of accomplishment and the words "Hello bed. I've missed you!". And indeed, if my beloved mattress has felt that I have been spending even less time with her in the last two weeks than I normally do, she has been right to do so! The reason for all this was a Little Shop of Horrors.<br /><br />The last weeks I have been involved in staging the musical Little Shop of Horrors. This production by a group of students along with two teachers involved considerable amounts of sing-talking, extensive music practice and a 2 meter tall, talking, man-and-woman eating plant. Sounds like a mouthful? It was! In fact, everyone who was not involved in the play was just fed up with complaints towards the end. Because every actor, singer, dancer, musician, technician and director has allocated all free time (plus a little more) towards putting this play together. Of cause this meant that any little break was best spent talking about how stressed, frustrated and sleep deprived we all were. Welcome to showbiz!<br /><br />But it was all worth it! When the final result came together it was nothing short of beautiful. Beyond all the complaining, I had really enjoyed the process, and the final result was just another reminder of how amazingly talented all my peers at this college are. The actors were amazing, and I had a great chance to appreciate them from my place in the music section - with a guitar on my lap and a clear view of the stage. Also everyone in the music was great. It is always fun to work with the musicians here at this place, since they are all so talented and enthusiastic. Things like showing up to rehearsals and having done your practice just work here. And that makes the whole creative process so much more enjoyable and fruitful.<br /><br />On Red Cross Nordic there is always a chance to enjoy some cultural event. It is one of the great things about this place. People are always willing to take initiative and work together with each their talents. Therefor we get a chance to have cultural experiences from all over the world and in every style thinkable, just 100 meters from our bedroom doors. I am happy to contribute to this and enjoy taking part, mainly by playing the guitar or piano whenever I can. It is also just a great break from the daily homework routine.<br /><br />Oh and talking about homework... I guess I have been neglecting that for the last two weeks as well. Better get back to the books! Sorry bed... <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MidIA27h6dE/TYj4BGeDwCI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/bqgVO5o79kI/s1600/4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MidIA27h6dE/TYj4BGeDwCI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/bqgVO5o79kI/s320/4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988035553345570" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrvKOH7Juq4/TYj4G8uGumI/AAAAAAAAAYY/7D5YkYRHxiM/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrvKOH7Juq4/TYj4G8uGumI/AAAAAAAAAYY/7D5YkYRHxiM/s320/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988136015510114" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_ksEAjrZ7Hg/TYj4UykAjeI/AAAAAAAAAYo/WL2rzmyV-_E/s1600/2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_ksEAjrZ7Hg/TYj4UykAjeI/AAAAAAAAAYo/WL2rzmyV-_E/s320/2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988373806976482" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMITSSnTNEo/TYj4zXZBHhI/AAAAAAAAAYw/fMb9xhTPBUw/s1600/5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMITSSnTNEo/TYj4zXZBHhI/AAAAAAAAAYw/fMb9xhTPBUw/s320/5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988899089063442" /></a>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-10379924599669418272011-03-07T14:31:00.019+01:002011-03-17T15:20:37.323+01:00Today; Save the Future Generation"Save the future generation" appears quite often on my daily to-do list. It might seem like a mouthful on an evening where I also have to revise math and finish my economics essay, but it is really a lot of fun!<br /><br />SaFuGe (<u>Sa</u>ve the <u>Fu</u>ture <u>Ge</u>neration) was one of the first groups I got involved in here at RCN. It is a student initiated fund raising organization that does projects for underprivileged schools all over the world. Throughout the year we work to make money, and towards the end of the summer-term students vote for which projects to sponsor. All projects are carried out by students in their local communities. The money comes from cafés and from Norwegians hiring us for a variety of jobs, but lately we have also started to receive donations. The donations are usually gift certificates, and they mean that most of the money we make from cafes are pure profit.<br /><br />SaFuGe is great because students take on every role of an NGO. In SaFuGe we have to be idea makers, net workers, project managers, bakers and everything else that is needed to fund and carry out a humanitarian project. It gives us real life experience with the kind of work that many UWC students want to do in their future. This kind of experience is one of the biggest advantages of being a student here. Our work also allows us to connect with the local Norwegian community. SaFuGe labor can be hired for any kind of task, and we have done everything from cafés and catering jobs to wood work and tarring down cabins for a local farmer. The group makes a lot of money over the year and members have currently organized projects in Peru, Nepal, Madagascar, Sierra Leone and Morocco.<br /><br />Networking is important for SaFuGe, and I have tried to do some work on the online networking aspect. In our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=159106738907" target="_blank">Facebook Group</a>, I have been working with my Namibian second year Nikhita on uploading pictures, posting news and expanding the group. I have also made a website. <a href="http://www.safuge-nordic.org" target="_blank">SaFuGe-Nordic.org</a>. It is made so anyone in the group can edit it without much knowledge of computers. I used to make money creating this kind of websites for small businesses back in Denmark, so the process is not new to me. In fact, I have used the same program that I developed a few years ago to allow for easy editing. I think the group will benefit from having this formal presentation of out work. Most of the jobs and donations we get are the result of a good image with the local community, and the website can definitely help with that.<br /><br /><a href="http://fjaler.origo.no/-/bulletin/show/608115_treng-du-arbeidshjelp-her-er-idealistiske-ungdommar-i-fjale" target="_blank">HERE</a> is an article about SaFuGe (in Norwegian)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ad5JiPA1pM/TXkr8t_al9I/AAAAAAAAAXw/EjPIqZuyems/s1600/SaFuGe%2Bgroup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ad5JiPA1pM/TXkr8t_al9I/AAAAAAAAAXw/EjPIqZuyems/s320/SaFuGe%2Bgroup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582541535240165330" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oN24cX8mfEU/TXksO965SvI/AAAAAAAAAX4/GCJ4BAgkITQ/s1600/Madagaska.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oN24cX8mfEU/TXksO965SvI/AAAAAAAAAX4/GCJ4BAgkITQ/s320/Madagaska.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582541848753818354" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lffcsb7ddTo/TXkwezz2FsI/AAAAAAAAAYI/92KQbTt55rA/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lffcsb7ddTo/TXkwezz2FsI/AAAAAAAAAYI/92KQbTt55rA/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582546518964311746" /></a><br /><br /><center><object width="500" height="306"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEtRKvD4PXY"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nEtRKvD4PXY?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-24486119280011066342011-02-12T15:04:00.001+01:002011-02-15T15:16:50.844+01:00Of blood, sweat and... Fun?Here is how I spent my Saturday evening this week: Screaming, shaking and bleeding violently from an open wound to the chest, while lying on a snow covered rock in a thin t-shirt. All in all a pretty good day.<br /><br />Okay, I guess that requires a little more explanation. It all started out about a week ago with the beginning of my second Project Based Learning week. For all of us first years, the second PBL is divided into two parts: A 3-day First Aid course and a Model United Nations (Which will come later on). This week was the First Aid course. First Aid is basically the art of being able to make a productive effort towards making a medical emergency better, contrary to running around like a headless chicken. Beyond working out that scarcely sufficient definition, what I actually spent the week doing was stuff like CPR, bandaging, and learning how to approach the scene of an emergency. Especially that last part captured me. It is interesting to see how you react when you are put on the edge and the adrenaline flows. And it does! Even knowing that the staged scenarios that we faced were all fun and games, you fell the rush. Because fake or not, you are forced to work your way around solving problems right then and there, with whatever limited knowledge and utilities are at your dispense. By the end of the course, a written exam and three practical tests was the key to the official Norwegian Red Cross “12-timers foerstehjaelp” diploma.<br /><br />It was very nice to get some of the basic tools that you need to handle an emergency. I was very surprised by how quickly you change your way of approaching a problem. The fact is that when you have just the basic knowledge about symptoms, situations and possible ways to assist you have a starting point. From that you can begin to work out the best possible actions and their outcome. The real life situations where benefit from First Aid skills will never be as simple as they are in a 20 question written exam paper. But knowing that a person who is about to suffer a heart attack will have pain from the chin and down the right arm, or that a person who may have to get Anastasia should not be given any water or food, can prove very valuable. Thinking back, I can see that from time to time I have been in situations where I could have used a bit of this knowledge. And even more often I have been in situations where I could end up needing First Aid. Apart from being a nice break from the regular school routine, these three days have definitely been worth the effort!<br /><br />The week after the First Aid Course, RCN hosted the Serbian National First Aid Team. For them, coming here and training on our school is the preparation that hopefully will make them European champions in First Aid… Again. For us, it was a great chance to get involved with their training, and in that way also learn a bit more about what First Aid is. I joined quite a few scenarios for the exact same reasons. And I had great fun! But lying there on the ice, I could not help but observe just how important working together is. 14 highly skilled first aiders running in opposite directions are not much of a help to anyone. But by the end of the week, an experienced team of young Serbians managed to communicate, divide tasks and work together with both each other and the casualties around them. The result was that they actually took control of the situation. And that is how a combination of hypothermia and a stab wound penetrating my chest became yet another learning experience here at RCN.<br /><br /><center><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o70LprVMGvM?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o70LprVMGvM?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0MZ7zDuu7TU/TVqJmPZBGFI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/8m1zXmayYZY/s1600/180135_491599806705_539491705_6540927_6386538_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0MZ7zDuu7TU/TVqJmPZBGFI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/8m1zXmayYZY/s320/180135_491599806705_539491705_6540927_6386538_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573918778883905618" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ceeuXledQDU/TVqKvGGmVSI/AAAAAAAAAXg/UJnyx9rAoeU/s1600/180071_491599481705_539491705_6540918_3522742_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ceeuXledQDU/TVqKvGGmVSI/AAAAAAAAAXg/UJnyx9rAoeU/s320/180071_491599481705_539491705_6540918_3522742_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573920030521185570" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Oq28y29cOg/TVqI1TO3NCI/AAAAAAAAAXI/NpmNmzB2MYI/s1600/181353_10150377395515459_587530458_17064919_2121674_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Oq28y29cOg/TVqI1TO3NCI/AAAAAAAAAXI/NpmNmzB2MYI/s320/181353_10150377395515459_587530458_17064919_2121674_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573917938101466146" /></a><br /></center>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-25560819903648862022011-01-10T19:01:00.011+01:002011-04-19T13:57:45.378+02:00Mission: Get your *** back in shape!Back on campus! My winter break has been nothing short of amazing; though I must admit that I have been missing all my lovely peers here at RCN. One thing my break has not been, though, is healthy. My diet of Juleøl & Blå Kings (google it) and a training routine that consisted of walking from the couch to the fridge a few times every day have not shown great results!<br /><br />Better do something about it then! As of today I am following the 9 week Navy Seal C1 program. Three times a week I will be running, swimming and lifting weights in a routine that was designed to get American soldiers in shape to pass the tests required to become a Navy Seal. I have completed this level 1 program before, and the results are very satisfying for the limited amount of time required. Also, because the program is very continuous, with no breaks in between exercises, it is perfect for swimmers wanting to get back in the game.<br /><br /><b>Week #1, #2 & #3:</b> First three weeks of the program are officially over, leaving one third of the program in the dust! In a busy and sometimes slightly chaotic UWC-life it can be hard to stick with the strictly planned training schedule, but so far I have not missed a single training session. Except from being good for my body, the program is also a fantastic way to sometimes get the IB out of my head and just do something that seems a bit more manageable. In fact, I am looking very much forward to the next six weeks of running, swimming and working out like a maniac.<br /><br /><br /><b>Week #4, #5 & #6:</b> Now I can really fell the progress! In fact, I am quite surprised by how good the program has been for my swimming skills. I have been swimming practically all my life, but since starting at my first boarding school I have not done any serious training. The regularity of the program has resulted in a lot of progress both with technique and condition. As long as I just remember to stretch (I learned that the hard way... Again!) this programs can work miracles!<br /><br /><b>Week #7, #8 & #9:</b> DONE! And it only took about 10 weeks, 3000 push ups, 3000 sit ups, 800 lift ups, a marathon or two and countless hours in the swimming pool. To be honest, the best feeling about it is not just that I have gotten in shape, but that I actually did it. It took a lot of organizing and discipline to fit in all that extra work, but it has been worth it. I have gotten into a very good base shape for swimming, and would you believe it; I even quit smoking along the way. And now, I think I will give my soar muscles a week on the sofa before the next big fitness project.<br /><br /><b>UPDATE:</b> I do officially declare the program a success, since I can now do pushups with my Thai second year sitting on my back....<sup>1</sup><br /><br />Follow <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w635fCOIMTGDGP_zn_Rul0caM8xxetT18P1qLkRPFgE/edit?hl=en" target="blank">this link</a> to see the schedule.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-He2VVGfGwDE/TVVLI5YOjEI/AAAAAAAAAW4/mCIcBdZAvHQ/s1600/photo.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-He2VVGfGwDE/TVVLI5YOjEI/AAAAAAAAAW4/mCIcBdZAvHQ/s320/photo.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572442730154331202" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TSyk9C_EZaI/AAAAAAAAAWs/xenewKW4xx4/s1600/129195658948004536.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 273px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TSyk9C_EZaI/AAAAAAAAAWs/xenewKW4xx4/s320/129195658948004536.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561001008576095650" /></a><br /><br /><sup>1</sup><i>If you google that sencence (the lazy man's spell check) the result is a wikipedia article about Bruce Lee!</i>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-61927137319567664422010-10-20T15:12:00.000+02:002010-10-30T16:16:49.887+02:00Climbing the ice cubeWhat in the world does walking around on Mainland-Europe's largest piece of ice have to do with being an international student? I will tell you that! But first of all you need to know what glaciering is. Glaciering, as the name suggests, is the act of being on a glacier. Surprisingly, this is not as suicidal as it sounds. As long as you just work in a team and look out for each other. So when I and 7 of my co-students left the college in early October to spend a week on the majestic Jostedal glacier, what we really had coming our way was an experience of team work.<br /><br />A glacier is alive. It moves all the time, leaving deep cracks that look like they can swallow you if you just make <i>one</i> wrong step. Therefore it is beneficial to take precautions by tying yourselves into groups connected with climbing rope. This way, if one person falls the rest of the team can act as a lifeline. This method of maneuvering takes enormous amounts of concentration and teamwork since the rope must be stretched and everyone must be able to stop a falling teammate at any time. This only gets harder when moving around on the rough, wavy ice.<br /><br />So in the evenings we were all exhausted and happy to return to our little cabin on the mountain next to the glacier, cut-off from everything that resembled civilization. We spend the evenings keeping the fires alive, talking about the eventful days, and listening to our guides telling horror stories about what happens when you do not cooperate on a glacier. Cooking was done over fire, light was provided by torches, and the toilet was a small shed on the side of a cliff with a wooden bench that had a hole in it.<br /><br />So when the week was over, we were all happy to come back home for a nice warm shower and a night of sleep in our own beds. I learned a lot from that week, way more than I can fit into a page on this blog. I had a chance to learn about my own endurance on the sides of the Norwegian mountains, I saw the beauty of this endangered nature while top-roping 20 meters down on ice, I experienced the feeling of standing on top of a mountain in the icy wind with no shirt on next to my glaciering-bodies. But one of the most important lessons was about teamwork. When you are forced to work together with other people that are very different from you in a situation that is new to everyone, you lean a lot about the mechanics of teamwork and the importance trust. Because you do not get anywhere on a glacier (or in life) without those two things; teamwork and trust.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwlpVosyaI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Zoj076keOJI/s1600/72441_449349557856_172232232856_5335036_1963944_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwlpVosyaI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Zoj076keOJI/s320/72441_449349557856_172232232856_5335036_1963944_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533839434244213154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwloz36eKI/AAAAAAAAAU4/x1co85AaxkA/s1600/68932_449349697856_172232232856_5335044_1643410_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwloz36eKI/AAAAAAAAAU4/x1co85AaxkA/s320/68932_449349697856_172232232856_5335044_1643410_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533839425181218978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwlonmMJsI/AAAAAAAAAUw/WN41ivvuWq4/s1600/66006_1628454120877_1522292698_31610914_6174584_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwlonmMJsI/AAAAAAAAAUw/WN41ivvuWq4/s320/66006_1628454120877_1522292698_31610914_6174584_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533839421885654722" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwloe-VZ3I/AAAAAAAAAUo/7hZBr4fsyLI/s1600/40891_1628454200879_1522292698_31610915_1435257_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwloe-VZ3I/AAAAAAAAAUo/7hZBr4fsyLI/s320/40891_1628454200879_1522292698_31610915_1435257_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533839419571005298" /></a>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-65267731469022568962010-10-08T14:33:00.000+02:002010-12-08T14:48:00.841+01:00Row row row your boat...Canoeing is just one of the many great outdoor activities that the breathtaking nature around the college is perfectly suited for. So in late September, I signed up for the Canoe Leader course - A two day course that gave us the knowledge and safety skills to function as guides and instructors on trips in the surrounding area.<br /><br />The following weekend, on a rainy saturday morning, I met at Sikabura along with 7 of my co-years. After a quick presentation of out battle plan, we pulled the canoes out in the water and set off paddle two and two. We quickly learned that one of the most important things when maneuvering in a canoe is communication. If both paddle with no regards for the other, the result is usually a nice circular route and a very wobbly canoe. We all quickly resolved this problem, however, simply by starting to talk to each other. The result; A steady, forward moving, and much cozier canoe! In the afternoon we practiced capsizing, which was a cold experience. The fjord around this time of the year is freezing, and after spending several consecutive ten-minute periods in the water, waiting to be rescued, the warm showers of the boathouse were a blessing!<br /><br />The next day we went on a planned trip to a cottage further down the fjord that the school owns. The weather was ever changing between wonderful Norwegian summer and showers of pinhead size raindrops, but it did not matter much to us. We were all busy enjoying the view of the lovely Norwegian Fjord-land while trying to maneuver the canoes in a straight line. After eating our packed lunch in the cottage by a bonfire, we sailed back to the school for a final test on our skills. Everyone passed, and we received our status as official RCN canoe leaders.<br /><br />On college we cannot help but to spend a lot of time staring at the horizon and enjoying the beautiful view. So from time to time it is nice to get a chance to go out there and get some first hand experience with the mighty nature that we live right in the middle of. Leaving the books behind and spending some time with my peers enjoying the world that we share is definitely one of the things that I enjoy the most about life here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-K1-AyF-I/AAAAAAAAAWI/--cPuYkHb9w/s1600/SANY0209.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-K1-AyF-I/AAAAAAAAAWI/--cPuYkHb9w/s320/SANY0209.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548305925727721442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-K805tCqI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/qMELMko2H9E/s1600/SANY0217.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-K805tCqI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/qMELMko2H9E/s320/SANY0217.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548306043541195426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-LKe7S82I/AAAAAAAAAWg/60GtNNQz5YY/s1600/SANY0223.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-LKe7S82I/AAAAAAAAAWg/60GtNNQz5YY/s320/SANY0223.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548306278160462690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-LKAcZeiI/AAAAAAAAAWY/t5KYPlHDGuE/s1600/SANY0221.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TP-LKAcZeiI/AAAAAAAAAWY/t5KYPlHDGuE/s320/SANY0221.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548306269977803298" /></a>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030285072214365835.post-45112163469187456462010-09-25T16:22:00.003+02:002010-10-30T17:36:12.437+02:00The show must go on!Okay, so quite early after arriving at the school, I found myself in an interesting and quite unexpected situation. In an attempt to turn a meeting of chaos into order I had gotten myself elected to organize the first year show, a tradition among the students here. My job was quite simple and pretty complex; get 100 young people, all from different nations and cultures, to work together and create a performance art show. The first feeling that struck me was woups, the second was wau. Because I have never in my life seen as much collective talent as I discovered that week! So my goal was clear from the very beginning; everyone should be able to participate with their talents, opinions and energy to making this show great from everyone involved.<br /><br />It was hard work! Just like Cathy, who organized the second year show, had warned me, I barely got any sleep for the days leading up to the show. But the process was amazing. It was great to see all the people I just met working together and having fun. Everyone was dedicated and eager to participate in a way that is hard to describe if you have never been here. I saw a lot of new friendships form, and I think the week strengthened the union of our year. And in the end, we had a great show!<br /><br />In that week I learned a great deal about organizing. Conducting people who are all so very different was not an easy task. Some things I did right, some things I did wrong, and a lot of things I learned along the way. But I think the most important lesson I learned was not at all about me, it was about this school. This school holds an enormous power. It has 200 students from almost half as many countries, who are all willing to do devote themselves to doing great things for each other and for everyone else. The forecast for the next two years does not look bad at all!<br /><br /><br />Here is a video of the opening of the show:<br /><center><br /><object width="500" height="306"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cU5XppSvwY4?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cU5XppSvwY4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="306"></embed></object><br /></center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwwiiD6rVI/AAAAAAAAAVY/ypQSDewnwik/s1600/59146_160750000603435_100000053096634_531526_2288038_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwwiiD6rVI/AAAAAAAAAVY/ypQSDewnwik/s320/59146_160750000603435_100000053096634_531526_2288038_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533851411948416338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwwiAyLivI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/uxhf1d2beaA/s1600/60143_160746013937167_100000053096634_531432_6155254_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwwiAyLivI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/uxhf1d2beaA/s320/60143_160746013937167_100000053096634_531432_6155254_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533851403015654130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwwiGtWWLI/AAAAAAAAAVI/COV1jX2bh2Q/s1600/63498_160748760603559_100000053096634_531477_6372192_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TKsaaDcg2s4/TMwwiGtWWLI/AAAAAAAAAVI/COV1jX2bh2Q/s320/63498_160748760603559_100000053096634_531477_6372192_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533851404606003378" /></a>Ulf112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13058196736933020446noreply@blogger.com3