Press Cred

My latest article in the Exeter Newsletter:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20091006-NEWS-910060331

More views from Frognerseteren!

Project Update

Goals: Photograph and interview at least one representative from each of the main Norwegian political parties (Arbeiderpartiet, Fremskrittpartiet, Høyre, Sosialistisk Venstreparti -done-, Krestelig Folkeparti, Venstre, Senterpartiet, Rødt and Miljøpartiet De Grønne).
Environmental groups should also be represented - Norwegian Society for Conservation of Nature (Norges Naturvernforbund), Zero Emission Resource Organisation (ZERO), Nature and Youth (Natur og Ungdom), Bellona, Eco-Agents (Miljøagentene)...

That should be enough for today's calling list!

Athens

After a semi-spontaneous and very welcome visit from my parents (carrying the most delicious of rations-cargo: homemade fudge!!), the three of us made our way down to Athens, Greece for a weekend. It was a fun-filled journey of sight-seeing and copious Greek food consumption that left us all wishing we could stay in the masterpiece archeological metropolis for longer.

Our journey took us first through Freiberg, a charming city closer to the Munich airport than the main Bavarian capital. We ate some wurst and enjoyed the beginnings of Oktoberfest (including an odd but entertaining parade, complete with marching band, through the airport).



Finally, we arrived in Athens after nightfall to enjoy a generous portion of Ouzo at the hotel bar, to scope out our room and to collapse immediately into a much-needed slumber. The next day, we hit the Acropolis.

Theater of Dionysus

Frieze behind marble stage

Herod Atticus Odeon - Theater from 1st Century AD on slopes of the Acropolis, still in use

Past wall of Odeon looking at Filopappou Hill, "the Hill of the Muses," which we could see from our hotel balcony:

At the Parthenon

Sprawling Athens, seen past the crumbling wall around the Acropolis

Erechtheion: dedicated to Athena and Poseidon after mythical contest in which Athena's olive tree surmounted Poseidon's freshwater spring and secured her rule over the city.



Frieze at Hephaistos (460-415 BC)

Acropolis from the Hephaistos at the ancient Agora

Inside the Church of the Holy Apostles (AD 1000) in the Agora

Statues of "the Odyssey" and "the Iliad" (2nd C AD) at the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos

Gold mosaic on Byzantine church precariously holding its ground in the middle of a modern Athens street.

Miscellaneous Oslo Photos

Opera House

Sunning on the summer iceberg

Santiago came to visit me a few weeks ago after completing his summer studies in Copenhagen.

The bustling Karl Johan's Gate

The lawn around Akershus Castle

Rådhuset on left

I love Vigelandsparken

Blueberry Warrior

Credit: Jeremy Jimenez, ordained minister, photodocumentarian and salsa dancer

Begerka, berries and Blå bon-bon blues boys

I have been riding my bike so much lately that sometimes it feels awkward to walk! I have devised a system that some may consider lazy, but I contend it is merely a resourceful method to accomplish as many tasks as possible while still conserving vital energy reserves for later. Here it is: I ride my bike downhill from Kringsjå Studentby, the area where I live, to my classes (either near Ullevål Stadion or at the UiO campus at Blindern). Then I bring my bike on the T-Bane back up the hill with me when I'm finished. Now, the hill down from Kringsjå boasts at least a 10% grade (see "Measuring Hilliness of Routes," Roberts, Kenneth S. http://www.roberts-1.com/bikehudson/r/m/hilliness/index.htm) for about 2 km. On a good day, I walk my bike only a small part of the way. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not against exercise by any means; I'm just against suicide, which is what that road can turn into after a long day of classes! I really feel that my love and dedication for Begerka boogie bike has a linear relationship with the amount of arduous riding I do. The average hilliness of roads around here is enough to have firmed up my leg muscles into a state that's twice (ballpark estimate) as solid as they were before I came here!

Anyway, yesterday I joined a couple other Fulbrighters and former Fulbright Program Officer for a berry-picking excursion. We walked the traditional route from Frognerseteren to Sognsvann (about 4km as the crow flies), finding occasional blueberry goldmines along the way. Tyttebær, like a miniature Norwegian version of the cranberry in taste and appearance, but growing more in hilly areas than bogs, grow in abundance near most blueberry bushes. I picked almost a whole liter of berries, enough to make a healthy supply of jam, I think. I also found a few raspberries - though these were few and far between and were begging to be eaten immediately rather than squirreled away in my berry container. I granted them that privilege. hahaha I will try to get a hold of a certain photograph a fellow Fulbrighter took of me after I had applied my "bushel-berry-badass" war paint.

View of Oslo Fjord from Frognerseteren

Rustic restaurant, also at Frognerseteren

Last night a few friends took me to a way cool cat's club that hosts a free jazz show on Sunday nights. Despite the glitzy, sequined or mirror-covered images suggested by the joint's name (Blå = "blue") the atmosphere is eclectic and welcoming. Missed the band this week but I will probably return there again weekly!

Two more portrait and interview sessions completed this weekend!! Pretty productive weekend! There is so much happening in 'mitt liv' right now, I should probably write more than once a week.

Hal Wilhite: Professor at SUM