Back O’ Bourke

First night in Bourke went well, we’re staying with a charming family  who runs a restaurant and a motel in town. Just had a nice breakfast with scrambled eggs and bread at their restaurant named Diggers On The Darling. Our house is lying on the riverbank next to the Darling River. Now two girls from our class showed up and we’re off to our first photography lessons. Got my camera with me! Tomorrow I’ll add a bunch of pictures I promise you! Got so many beautiful views to show you. Peace and love from the outback, K.

Australian outback – Back O’ Bourke – that’s the place. Here they just call it paradise and I can see why…

HAPPY!!! Kangaroo and it’s alive! At least it was yesterday. It almost got hit by a huge truck as it tried to cross the road.

Me posing and playing with shadows.

Going down under

Last Monday I hit the road first by train, from Asker to Gardermoen. There I managed to get through the pass ports, drop my luggage at the right spot, find my classmates, and I even got onto the aircraft in time. Amazing. Been so stressed up I’ve hardly slept the last week. Now my entire world is turned up side down, and I finally find myself down under.

At Heathrow Airport in London I had the worst American pancakes ever. So glad I didn’t get sick or threw up on the plane. Anyway, after 40 hors of travel all of us – 16 girls and 4 boys, got pass the security guards at Brisbane Airport. In Hong Kong I saw the most beautiful sunrise ever, and I even got it on tape in 16:9. Hoho! We had a chill hangout there for like 6 hours, and experienced China for the first time. Lost in translation.

China is NICE. Living the dream! Could not upload more photos ’cause of the horrible internet connection.

The passed week I’ve not had any thrustful internet connection, and truth is that in Australia it’s horribly expensive. Right now I am at a shabby motel in Goondiwindi in New South Wales. Last night we were out on a local pub and it really was a good time. Guess we all got to know each other a little better. Hilarious! Had so many wasted laughs… Norwegians. Stupid Vikings. In an hour or so we’ll hit the road again heading for Bourke and the Australian outback. There we’ll stay for a week living with local host families. I’m really excited. Aboriginal culture, boomerang workshop, guided tours through the landscape, and outback bugs. One of the nights we’ll sleep under the massive sky and the Milkyway. The star constellations are insane. So up side down. Everything. Can’t wait to get out there. Tomorrow the lessons start, and photography is the first thing on the menu. We go by bus, a hippie-like small one managed and driven by two chill teachers from Griffith University. On our way out here yesterday I saw the phenomenon road kill. Dead kangaroos in countless numbers. The usually get hit by trucks in the morning hours. Makes me sad. Luckily I think I saw some alive ones too, and some wild goats. Now I have to go, and hopefully I will find some internet access in Bourke, and give you guys a better update. I’ll add some pictures just to get my folks at home really jealous – when I come to my host family. Gonna live together with Anne Berit, a cute friend of mine. I talked to my mum the other day and the temperature back home says 7° and there’s snow in the mountains. The last week I’ve shopped a 2nd hand vintage hat, and Australian classic, a Stetson, and three beautiful summer dresses. Second hand heaven is named Vulture Street, West End, Brisbane. HEART. Fuck, so happy I found that area. Wish my girls could have been there with me. Miss them so much. Right now I’m skyping with my homies back in Tomrefjord. Love and light K.

School’s up

Got all these nerves in a bundle. Don’t know if I’m scared, awkwardly shy, or just bashful about telling folks how I really feel. My knees are shaking, and inside my head – though I have never been there – I swear it’s JUST like Disneyland. Everything’s blinking, beeping, twisting, and turning. Bet some of it’s jumping too.

View from the place we’re staying in Brisbane – Kangaroo Point. I can get used to this!!! Mad. Pic downloaded here.

First thing I gained today was the knowledge that if you go East it takes one hour drive from Brisbane to locate the first surf spots. Up North, approximately one and half hour drive before you get great shores and waves. Whoop! I also learned the fact that I’ll have to befriend a surf-loving driver who’s in the possession of a real driver’s license. Or, I knew that already, BUT, we’ve been talking about this well known phenomenon – long distances. Very long distances. On the Australian continent there’s a lot of them. I guess I’ll forget about my favorite  activity as a non-driving hippie; walking. That was a joke, I prefer skating and bicycling. But neither will do. Gotta learn how to trust planes and cars. If there’s anyone in the Queensland area who’s up for surf in the middle of September let me know!

First day in my new class, and we’ve just started with the introduction course of the Austral-Asian program. Been chatting with some teachers from Brisbane, and we have started discussing different topics of our main major assignment. Children’s theater, shadow plays, masks, clay, costumes, traditions, plays, puppet theater, school system, vietnamese theater, aboriginal theater, culture for children – how is the situation compared to Scandinavia? And then there’s music! Oh, I’m such a nerd.

Australian phrase of the day: “No worries mate!”

The whole class had to say it out loud. At the same time. Awkward, and we all acted like small giggling girls. In front of the old school black board compassionate eyes of an urban globetrotter woman told me we still have a long way ahead of us. Not sure if our stuttering Norwenglish blew her away anywhere. Gotta work on my dialect! Then they started all this talk about spiders… and I went to get lunch. Now it’s back to class. Information about the seven day trip into the outback, more specific Bourke – is about to be given. I’ll welcome it with open arms! Stoked! Love K.

TUNEZ TODAY: Natural Mystic – Bob Marley & The Wailers, Flake – Jack Johnson, The Letter – Xavier Rudd,
Collie Man – Slightly Stoopid.