My New Norwegian Home

Finally. The day has come where I have met an American in Norway. The fact that she is an American the same age as me doesn't really matter. It's nice to consult in a friend, no matter where they are from. A person is a person. BUT of course it is nice to speak with someone who has the same type of background and culture as you as well as trying to learn Norwegian with having the same mother tongue. Although she is from busy, high trafficked Los Angeles, California and I am from back woods, rural Kentucky (two different cultures right there) it's very interesting comparing the two states and backgrounds, yet still having the same nationality and other things in common. She comes from a state where marijuana can be prescribed for tons of medical issues and I come from a place which was a dry county and it was illegal to even buy or sell alcohol until a recent vote 2 weeks ago (although Kentucky is one of the largest whiskey and bourbon makers in the world!). I come fro...

In college, I took a Japanese course. Why, I really don't know, after two years of French in high school, I was tired of language but since it was required, I basically said the heck with it and signed up for a semester of Japanese. Anyways, my teacher or sensei or 先生 (if you really want to get technical and yes, I had to look that up) would always say in class everyday when it comes to learning a language:                                          "Practice makes permanent!!!" I've found it so much easier to speak Norwegian with friends from language classes than natives here in Norway. I don't really care too much about my bad Norwegian so much as long as I can make myself understood to my friends, but it's completely different when I speak to Norwegians. Of course I do speak Norwegian to other Norwegians (when I have to) but I know they have a hard time understanding me sti...