1973

In class today every student got their own year from history, and we were supposed to write about it. I was assigned the year 1973, and I'm going to tell you about two important events from this year!

US troops leave South Vietnam:
The Vietnam war was a cold war military conflict in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and a disaster for the United States. The USA was drawn into the war in 1954 after communist-led nationalist forces defeated the French colonial government there. The war was fought between the North Vietnam and the communists on one side, against South Vietnam supported by the USA and other anti-communist nations. The United States was afraid of communist expansion, so in 1965 the USA had to send its own troops. The result was catastrophic, mostly because the Viet Cong fought a guerrilla war. It was a bloody war, and the U.S. was supporting the weaker side. More than 5 million Vietnamese and 58 000 Americans died. The war became so unpopular back in America, that they in 1973 had to withdraw their troops.

Roe v. Wade:
Roe v. Wade is a 1973 landmark case decided by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. It led to a national debate that still continues today, including important questions on whether or not abortion should be legal, religious and moral views, and who should decide the legality of abortion. Rode v. Wade is one of the most controversial and politically significant cases in U.S. Supreme Court history.

Traditional sports in Norway

I think most Norwegians would say that cross-country skiing is the most traditional sport in Norway. It's an outdoor winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles. I think the reason why cross-country skiing is so popular in Norway is because it's kind of easy, and everyone can do it! It doesn't really require any skills, unless you are competing in a race of course.

Related sports are ski jumping, biathlon (which adds a rifle marksmanship to the skiing), and a combination sport of cross-country skiing and ski jumping, called Nordic combined. These three sports aren't very public-minded though, and most Norwegians only like to watch these sports. During the summer the most popular sport in Norway is probably soccer.

To our Korean friends: a blog post about the Norwegian weather!

When I woke up this morning it was freezing cold. The winter is certainly on its way! Today I not only had to wear my down jacket, but I had to wear a cap and scarf as well. In a month or so we will probably have snow...
In Norway we have four very different seasons. The summer months are June, July and August, and then it's actually quite warm in Norway. September, October and November are autumn, and in these months the weather is usually quite bad, with a lot of rain. December, January and February are the winter months. During the winter it gets really cold in Norway, and we often have a lot of snow! How are the seasons in Korea?
In the pictures you see the different seasons in Norway.

Down and Out in Paris and London

This week we worked with Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (1903-1950). I have read his book 1984, and I just started reading Animal Farm. I hadn't heard of the book Down and Out of Paris and London before class this week, and it was really interesting to read from the book.

The crash on Wall Street in 1929 and the international economic crisis that followed, is sort of the background for this book. During these hard times Orwell lived first in Paris, and then in East London, doing low-paid jobs. Out of his experience came this book, which was his first.

We only read chapter 33, but I still think I got a feeling of what the book is about. In this chapter we meet some poor and homeless young men, and we follow them in their daily battle for food, money and employment on the brutal streets of London.

I'm not sure what I think of the book (or the chapter I read). I feel that it's not as good as 1984, but of course I would have to read more from the book in order to say something about it. If you want to read what other people has said about Down and Out in Paris and London, you should check out The New Yorker!

Notes from class today

From the documentary of Siegfried Sassoon I learned the following facts:
- The First World War was similar to earlier wars because millions of people were facing each other, but in this war there were also tanks and machine guns.
- Millions of young soldiers died. The war was a war of horror for the soldiers, as well as civilians.
- Siegfried Sassoon was a decorated soldier, and he had the nickname "Mad Jack".
- He was an English poet and author.
- He wrote the poem "Does it matter?"
- Siegfried Sassoon said that in the beginning it was a war of defense, but later it became a war of aggression.
- Sassoon ended up in a hospital for mentally ill.

"Does it matter?"

Today we worked with the poem "Does it matter?" by Siegfried Sassoon.

Does it matter? Losing your legs?

For people will always be kind,

And you need not show that you mind

When the others come in after hunting

To gobble their muffins and eggs.

Does it matter? Losing your sight?

There's such splendid work for the blind;

And people will always be kind,

As you sit on the terrace remembering

And turning your face to the light.

Do they matter? Those dreams from the pit?

You can drink and forget and be glad,

And people won't say that you're mad;

For they'll know you've fought for your country

And no one will worry a bit.

1) What three effects of the war on a soldier does this poem touch on?
- Losing your legs.
- Losing your sight.
- Losing your dreams.

2) It is often argued that two great wars were fought by working-class men on both sides and that the people they were fighting for, were often more the enemy than the people they fought against. Does this poem reflect this attitude?
- Yes, it does. The country does not care if the soldiers lose their legs, sight and dreams, and it's a clear gap between the soldiers and the people they are fighting for.

3) This poem has enjoyed a bit of a revival of late. What reasons do you think there might be for its newfound popularity?
- It probably has enjoyed a bit of a revival because of the soldiers that are being sent to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.

My hometown!

I live in Bærum. Bærum is not far from Oslo, the capital of Norway. I don't really consider Bærum my real hometown, because I was born in Oslo and lived my first years there, and my dad also lives in Oslo. But I'll write about Bærum, since this is the place I spend most of my time. Bærum is considered a quite snobbish place in Norway. It's quite funny actually. When I meet people from other places and cities in Norway, and they ask me where I live, I can't say Bærum. If I said that I live in Bærum they would simply just walk away, give me an icy look or start bullying me. Therefore I always say that i live in Oslo. I think it's really sad that people are so prejudice. There are 110 000 people living in Bærum, and of course the stereotypes don't fit all of these people.

About me =)

Hello, my name is Regine! I'm 18 years old, and a Norwegian student. I live 15 minutes outside of Oslo, in Bærum, with my mom and younger brother. The classes I take are English social studies, social science, math and sociology. Beside school I work in a sports store called XXL. I love sports, almost everything, and I have been playing a lot of tennis and handball (European team handball), and also different track and field events. My school is called Sandvika vgs, and it's the biggest school in Bærum. It's a very modern school, and we use computers in (almost) every class. I'm going to use this blog quite a lot in the subject English social studies. I don't really like blogging, but we'll see how it goes! =)