Halleluja!

Early Sunday morning. Alarm rings, headache is bad (yesterday was Saturday), but we manage to pull ourselves out of bed and head for the Bart station (train) to go to San Francisco. Why up early on a sunday morning? It's church time!



We're no regular church goers back home, but we really had to find out if it is as fun in the US as we see on tv. In the middle of SF, there it is. The Glide Memorial Methodist Church (right next to - one of our favourite clubs - Ruby Skye!).

We are very well welcomed, people shake our hands, they show us to our seats and it all starts a couple of minutes later with a funky band and a BIG gospel choir. We didn't even get to sit down before everyone are on their feet, dancing, waving, singing, crying and just filled with joy. They're amazing singers and the crowd goes wild - old, young, black, white, gay, straight, religous, non-religious - ALL are welcome here!

The sermon starts and we all have to hug the person next us. It would be awkward back home, but here - nothing seems more natural than to embrace your neighbor you've never met before (for me it was a big Asian guy, I was far from getting my arms all the way around him). And then we have to hold hands (still the Asian guy and his huge hands, mine just disappeard!) while swaying forth and back to a beautiful ballad by an incredible singer. Again, it sounds strange, but we were all caught up in the moment!

All in all, this felt more like a concert/stand-up show than a Sunday church meeting. And the speeches involved more politics than religion. What an experience. How up-beat we were when we left! The three girls that arrived quite shy, left the place dancing and singing the songs all the way back. I think we might have got more energy from this than from our weekly Yoga. Halleluja!

All you Need is Love.. And YogurtLand!

There's a fairy place here on earth which ironically is placed right next to our casa in Berkeley. It happens to serve one of the earth's best treatments - food-wise - for our body (thighs) and soul (cholesterol). And it is called Yogurtland.


Suiting enough, Yohurtland serves yogurt, but not normal yoghurt - frozen yoghurt! And don't think it stops there. At yoghurtland, YOU get to help yourself from the ice-cream-tap - and there are like 10 different flavors (chocolate, vanilla, boysenberry, cookies&cream, dutch chocolate, plain tart, vanilla cookies, cheesecake) - YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE AND MIX! The dream, right?!
Then, when your cup (it's a big cup ;) ) is nice and full full full with ice-cream (the "healthy" kind, it's frozen yoghurt!) you get to the fruit station. Here you can pick and choose - by yourself - from several boxes of fresh cut fruit! Strawberry, pineapple, kiwi, mango, coconut, banana, blueberry - you name it!

AND THEN comes the candy section! Oreo cookie, brownie, cookie bites, kit kat, peanut butter stuff, gummy bears, m&m's, yogurt chocolate, plain chocolate, nuts, sprincles etc etc..

Aaaaaaand then there are about 5 sauces to choose from (to make it juicy on top): chocolate, coke, vanilla, caramel and strawberry..




There is no way your cup isn't full by the time you reach the cashier - I promise. And, geniously, they weigh it at the counter (30 cents per ounce - sooo cheap!), and you leave the premises as happy as you can ever be.

We LOOOOVE FROYO!!!










Maria quote: "I found 2 dollars on the street, it was a sign - I had to go to YogurtLand!"

Who's coming to the What now?

Somehow, we're always one step behind. I think it's because we look up and around more than we look ahead. Today, the weather is peeerfect and we have our midterm tomorrow, so sitting inside studying is the perfect punishment for not having studied enough the day before. Then somebody calls us asking if we got tickets for Bill Clinton's conference at Berkeley University yet.

The what now? He's coming here? Really, they gave away tickets for free for all students last week? There are none left?! Ah..

And here we sit, hardly into the Olympics (bad Norwegians) in our own little bubble, not up to date on anything exept for the Gym schedule, the concerts in Vegas (where we cannot afford to go yet) and our homework (yes, we do study. all the time actually! If we're not busy watching tv-series).

What a waste. Studying Sociology and Globalization in the US, Cliton himself comes to speak to the students about Global citizenship, and we're left outside on the streets, watching those lucky students who managed to get their asses off the couch and get tickets the week before.

The bright side? We got to see a car (abc7 news) with a huge antenna woho, how exiting! Aaaand - now we have more time to study for the midterm... Yeeeeeey...





Maria quote: "Sure, we can go see the Gospel choir - as long as they don't perform exorcism!"

Casa del Berkeley

America has a thing for carpeting floors. The reason Norwegians don't is because we spill everything all the time.. We have, over the past weeks, emptied a couple of cans of carpet cleaner as two of us (without using names) have had nice vomit stains next to their beds after a hard night out. Our carpet, which is some sort of grayish and smells funny, has now gotten some of its original color back (white) on certain areas after days of scrubbing. Our fear is that things will start growing from it soon, cause we tend spill a lot of water on it (every time we knock over the flower vase in the living room..).

Another "annoying" thing we've discovered is that the shower head is about 165 cm from the floor. Being that I live with midg- I mean cute, small girls, it's not a problem for them, but I, who is astonishingly 170 cm (I know, they're making a documentary about it), have to do deep squats while in the shower - every day.

Then there is the fire alarm, that goes off the minute you turn on the stove. Even if the balcony door is right next to it. Open. It goes off about every day. 2 or 3 times. We can hardly boil water. I think we're very popular with the neighbors..

Lastly, there is the TV. Now I know we're four girls, but I swear, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Like our vents that turn themselves off and on whenever they want. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how many buttons you push, the TV won't turn on! Maria actually made it turn on by using the volume buttons the other day - but that didn't work today. Maybe try muting it?

Ah, the difficulties of getting used to the American way of living. They're just too modernized for people like us (Norwegians - not girls!).


Maria quote: "I don't know, I'd feel more pride in being killed by a unicorn than a fish.."

Make that Bootie Mashup!

New Saturday - New Club! This time we tried out Bootie Mashup at DNA in San Francisco. One might say it was the opposite of Ruby Skye (exept for the half naked ladies, they were here too) and the music had some more to it than just the beat (there were actually vocals!). But the place itself was a bit shabbier, that is, it wasn't as decorated nor pleasant to look at, but a club is a club.

The people who were there matched the club. It's difficult not to, when no matter what you wear looks ok. The most common style was Gothic - like the DJ - so we were a bit dressed up (don't worry, we're getting used to it) but no one really noticed it among the weird outfits.

It started out pretty good, the drinks were far too strong, the music way too loud - basically what you look for in a club. We danced and danced and danced as we usually do - but then came the strip-show. Up on stage naughty girls (and one guy in what seamed to be a iceskating costume?) stripped down to their panties and the crowd went wild.

It was unexpected, not to mention surprising, but now we get why our American friends (that includes you, Steve) likes to go here so much. Boobies!

It turned out to be a great night - a lot of people, a lot of fun! And to top it all, we got what I think is the best Maria quote so far. Oh yes, get ready for it!



Maria quote:
"So, Maria, what are you studying?"
Maria: "I study Global Domination!"
"Eh..."
Terese, Elisabeth, Ingrid: "No, Maria, you study Globalization!!!"
Maria: "Oh, yeah, that's what it was!"

Supersize-ExtraLarge-ExtendedVersion-Greeeeat(shopping)MALL!

Midterm delivered - time for the long awaited Shopping Day! It took a lot of internet research, but we managed to find the biggest Outlet Mall of North California. The BIGGEST Outlet Mall of North California!!! (just had to make sure you got that). Not only did we find it on the map, we managed to get there on (the estimated) google-time! To top all that, we didn't even pay the bus fare because we went as "youth"...... that is, from 5 - 17 years old.......!

But a free ticket is a free ticket, though looking 16 may not be the best when being 21, 22, 24, 25.. But still.

Yes, the mall was big. And cheeeeap! The first store we went to - a leather outlet, we bought (3 of us) 5 leather purses and a leather jacket. That was store number one. The mall had 190 stores. Now try to picture how much we actually carried out of the mall at the end of the 8 hours of shopping... Good thing our boyfriends didn't join us (right Rune/Tom Rune/Stian?).

Btw, check out the Barbie Cake (yes, it's a cake!!)! (love how America has everything Europeans never thought of:P)

About 180 stores (and 7,5 hours) later, our shoes were worn out (good thing we had bought some more), our arms filled with bags and Elisabeth had disappeard. Actually we were supposed to wait for her at a café, but they didn't serve coffee (!?!?!?!?) so we went to (our trustworthy) StarBucks, and texted Elisabeth to join us there when she was done (she just had to go back for some shoes). But it took a while. Maybe she did some more shopping? Or maybe we had her bag.. with her cell...? Oops..

A bit pissed off Elisabeth was to be found by the exit, but we all returned safley and happy at the end of it. What a fantastic day. Therapy for girls? Great Mall in San Jose;)

The roof is on Fire!

Hot outside today! But we have to stay inside and write or midterms.. Or do we...?

Our balcony is very nice, BUT! the angle and fence make sure that there is hardly any sun getting through, and you have to choose between tanning your thighs OR you tummy OR your face.. And of course only one can sit there at a time (the fights between us girls are very brutal indeed).

But today we had a fantastic idea (it was due) to check out the roof! And my, was it amazing.. No fence, no trees, no shadows, just you (and me) and the sun;)

Too bad we're soooo white that we are burned before we're able to actually lie down, in the warm sun, with a mild breeze, no noise, no clouds and no midterm.. Damn.. the midterm. Well, we're already burned anyway, better get back to business in our rooms.

Btw, this was for all the Norwegians who have snow and about 40 degrees lower than us today (celsius that is), that must hurt bad.. :P


Maria quote: While writing her midterm
"There is something wrong with this sentence... Just listen to it:
"If two individualistic human beings trying to work things together without stepping on each others' toes"
no, I think I'll have to rewrite that..
Terese, Elisabeth and Ingrid: "You might want to consider it, yeah.."

Swimming with the elderly

There's a gym in Berkeley (surprise!) and we have this goal to go to every single class on their list. (Btw, I have nooo idea what-so-ever why my name on the card is Marie...) There are 96 classes per week (cycling not included) but we're guessing there are about around 40 different classes to check out. So far we've tried 7 (on our second week now, woho!) but the one we tried today was quite out of the ordenary: "Aqua Exercise"!

Arriving at the outdoor pool in our beach binikis we're met by (a bit older) women (from 50 - 80 years old) splashing around with bathing-caps, sunglasses and some even with floating bays around their waist..

Is it too late to turn back? Yes.. They've already spotted us and invites us in. It's cold up on land so we walk slowly down the ladder and are met by nicely heated water, in the sunny backyard. It felt surprisingly (and abnormally) good! The exercises were quite exhausting actually so we were quite impressed with these ladies! We were the ones not fitting in.. We didn't manage to do any of it, everytime we were supposed to put our legs up - we sank. Everytime we put our arms up - we sank...

There will be no next time, as we're still coughing up water now and then, but hey! I will never underestimate the elderly again;)

The Allnighter with Ruby

Yes! The day has finally arrived! We're going to Ruby Skye - one of the biggest clubs in San Francisco - oh yeah! (for those of you who don't know us that well - those girls in the first picture are not us...)

It's Mardi gras, so we bought masks (that was quite a hassle getting hold of - even in California) but when we got there, masks were not as common as you might think. Only the artists (or the half-naked people) wore masks, but I guess we could mingle with them.

The place was huuuuge.. And they had spent 15 000 dollars on decorations just for this weekend. It was impressive. They had shows, different rooms with different music, several bars and great drinks. Though we managed to lose each other (quite often) we always found one another without much effort - we kind of stood out (or danced out). I don't think anyone danced as much, as hard, as long or as crazy as we did. No wonder people asked us if we had E, we were machines out there.



The drinks were strong and more expensive than elsewhere, but still half off from the standard Norwegian pricing. But we only needed a couple to dance the night away (we had a pretty good vors).

We were all given a bead necklace a the entrance - when we left we had stocked up about a dozen. It was so much fun. We danced and danced and danced. At least that's all we can recall for the moment. Our pictures says it all. Good times. Gonna spend today (stupid valentine's day) in bed.



Maria quote no 6: "Ingrid, I wanna steal your hair in my sleep!"

Follow the Signs!

Yes, what an odd thing to write about, but the signs in California are quite strange and difficult to understand for confused Norwegians. (I'm talking about the signs on the street, not spiritually..)

For instance, Americans like to point out where there's NO H&M. In Europe we just point it out when there actually is an H&M, but I guess this gives you a nice heads up if you're looking for H&M - There is none right here.

While we thought we were in California all this time, this partiqular sign told us otherwise. In the middle of San Fran - California is actually about 700 (miles, meters, km or whatever) to the right. We found it eventually.


If you lose your direction - as we often do - this sign turned out to be very helpful as it tells you what's front and back of San Francisco. Sadly, you don't have much time once you've bumped into this sign - you must keep you current pace as there's "NO stopping at any time". It might be due to the other people standing in line behind you, also looking for this sign.

Oh, how the neon lights shine soooo bright..

Crossing the street, the street lights don't show a green man, but a white one. (Ehm.. Let's not even start that discussion..)


But, eventually we WILL figure out all the signs and directions of California - and then! We'll go out WITHOUT OUR MAP!!!

Until then - it is important to watch for pedestrians.