Sveinung was our 2003-04 Inbound Exchange Student from Norway

e-mail

Received May 20, 2007

Dear Rotary Club of Lethbridge
I realized the other day that it’s been just way too long since I sent you
an update on the present-day situation in The Kingdom of Norway, and so I
figured it was about time I sent you an e-mail.

As most of you probably know, I am serving my 1-year compulsory military
service this year, and I’ve still got until the 7th of September to enjoy my
uniform to the fullest. Since I like music, and also since I don’t like snow
and Russians, I decided to spend my year in The Band of His Majesty The
King’s Guard, which is located in the capital.

The first part of the year was immensely tough and challenging, both
physically and psychologically. This was our recruit/training period, and it
wasn’t until April that we were ready to start performing. My company
specializes in what is called “precision-drills”, which doesn’t really
resemble your typical “American” marching band. We’re said to be one of the
best drill-teams in the world, which sure does reflect in our training.
Now that our training period is over, we have started traveling and
performing. It’s been amazing to see how much people have been enjoying our
performances, and it sure is a special way of serving ones military service.
And speaking of special military service: I have many strange memories from
this winter from days where we would crawl around in the mud all morning
with our assault rifles, and then play big classical concerts in our parade
uniforms at night. What a year it’s been so far.

One of the big goals of this season, is going to be our performance at the
Nova Scotia Military Tattoo in Halifax! It’s really too bad that we didn’t
get to travel to the more “civilized” parts of Canada, like say…Alberta (or,
district 5360, as I call it), but it’ll be good to experience Halifax as
well I suppose! We’ll be performing in Halifax the first week of July, along
with participants from all around the world, and then we go to Ottawa the
following week for several performances with The Ceremonial Guard, plus some
other events that I don’t think have been decided yet. So if anyone happens
to be going east during the first weeks of July, look for a Norwegian
Guardsman with a somewhat unpronounceable name:-)

Right now my life is pretty much all about the military. However I was home
on weekend leave a couple of weeks ago, and took part in my sister’s
confirmation! That was a really great time, especially since I got to see
almost my entire family. Also, this was they day when I wore my newly
acquired national costume!

As for next year, I’ll be going to law school in Bergen to start my
education there! I’m not sure yet whether that’s what I’m going to end up
doing, but I figured it would be a good start anyway! One of the things that
helped me reach my decision, was actually the law class I took at LCI while
on exchange in Lethbridge! I just loved the class and found it really
interesting, and hopefully law school will be too! Norwegian law is pretty
different from Canadian Law though (for example: We don’t have to sign 15
waiver forms to bring a crayon to school), but it should still be
interesting I believe:-)

I hope everything is well with everyone, and I promise it won’t be all too
long before you hear from me again!
Your former exchange student
Sveinung
PS: I still read the weekly bulletins very closely, so beware what you say
at the meetings: It could have international consequences.
 

Received October 18, 2005

To the Rotary Club of Lethbridge!

Hey you guys! How are you all? I'm really sorry I haven't written you before, but I'm probably the slowest person in the world when it comes to sending e-mails. However I'm pretty good at reading them, so I've been reading the news bulletins from Wayne over the last couple of months and everytime I've been thinking I need to write you guys and let you know how things are! Well I finally got my act together and did it, as you can tell from reading this..

A couple of days ago it was 3 months since I left Lethbridge! 3 months! I couldn't really believe it...it seems like such a long time, but at the same time I feel like I just left last week...or perhaps like I'm still there. Going back was far from easy, and I have to admit it was hard having to totally re-adjust into a different lifestyle again. The hardest thing was probably accepting the fact that my friends and family hadn't changed as much as I had over the last year. But, after a couple of weeks everything sortof just went back to normal, and now it almost feels like I never left. But then I look at the gigantic Canadian flag over my desk, and at all the pictures in my photo albums, and think of all the friends I made, and I soon remember everything again and think about how great life can really be:)

Since I came home i've been quite busy! School is however not the thing that keeps me occupied, as most of my classes this year are a big joke. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Canadian schools are excellent. But I did get elected class president, so I'm guessing there will be quite a bit of work for me this year after all. Also, just last week my graduating class came back from Prague. We all went down there to the Czech republic for a grad-trip, and it was just the most amazing experience. We had so much fun, and now it just feels rotten being back here north with -1 degree and winter lurking around the corner. Prague was kind of a Canadian experience for me though, as I got to see hockey for the first time since the hurricanes lost the playoffs last spring! We all went to see 2 czech teams play, and I was the only one that had ever seen a hockey game before! They were selling Slavia supporter scarfs (the home team) at the game, and I was gonna buy one. But then I saw a fake team canada scarf in the back of the shop and there was suddenly no doubt in my mind. Especially since the canada scarf was 3 times as cheap. We also ran into some canadians later that night in some bar, and they were really nice. Uptil the point when they realized we weren't gonna be any help in "finding some babes", so they eventually ditched us.

I have over the past months been worried that I've lost most of my english, as I very rarely get to speak it anymore. But then I went to a rotary district conference, as a chaperone for all the inbound exchange students. I came into the lobby in the hotel where I was meeting them and said "Hey you guys, you need to wear you blazers tonight eh?". And then all the Canadians just swirled around screaming: "HEY! You're Canadian!!". That was probably the closest I've been to a religious experience lately. So all weekend I was speaking english again, and everyone was complementing how "Canadian I sound". That was the best weekend in a very long time:)

This is getting long and I'll end it here. I promise I'll write you more regularly in the future, to let you know what I'm up to. You'll have to let me know what happens in Lethbridge, I feel like I'm loosing track! The bulletins are qutie useful though, keep up the good work Wayne!

I miss you all, especially my host families. I was gonna finish by saying something to Clint, but I'll have to save it for another time. I'm still too upset about the liberal defeat in our federal election. ...our new socialist PM stepped into office yesterday... may God have mercy on our souls.

Your Norwegian ex-exchange student

Sveinung!
Photo of Sveinung in front of Synagogue in Prague and glacier scrambling with his mom and Elaina, last year's exchange student below.

Notice the Letters on his fleece.

While Sveinung was here in Lethbridge
Sveinung reports to Rotarians at each weekly meeting.  He is a wonderful pianist, and a responsible, mature young man who is a delight to be with at any occasion.

Government work crew, three watching, one working.

Let's take if for a spin!

Me burning (yeah that's right burning not roasting) marshmallows

Kai (Tyskland) Maria (Brasil) og meg i Calgary

Kai from Germany Maria from Brazil and Me in Calgary.

Me volunteering during the Pumpkin festival. This picture was actually in the Lethbridge Herald!

Halloween. Meg vertssystera mi Shawna og sonen hennar Braden (som ikkje heilt kjente meg att i kostyme)

Me as a Mexican on Halloween