Squareface @ 31°North

My dear friend Winnie commented that Reina and I, who are on exchange in Norway and Canada respectively, only blog about “nothing but fun and more fun”, and that the only time we talk about school and books is when we boast (my word, not hers) about skipping classes (I think this was directed to me ‘coz I bragged so in one of my previous posts).

So I decided to blog about the not-so-fun here!

1. Making it to the top of the list has to be the worst household chore: Clearing Compost. Compost is the garbage that is decomposable, such as the vegetable leaves that you throw away, and whatever remnants of food you dispose of while you’re cooking or whatever. You don’t know how awful it is until you have to clear this mountain of colourful soiled variety of rotting food compiled by 6 individuals with uniquely distinct different choices of food. You do remember how in Fear Factor, the daredevils are compelled to gulp down the horrible concoctions stewed by the evil producers of the show? Eggs with unknown powder, chilli, peppers, sauces, etc.? Add bones, veggies, carrots, apple cores, potato skin, egg shells, and whatnot to the mixture to have a better idea of what we have to take turns to clear here. I really dread it when it’s my turn to have to transfer them to the compost bin downstairs that is filled with a hundredfold of your contribution. And guess who volunteered to scrub the compost bin?

2.  We have loads of reading too! And by having our fun our reading piles up, so we end up having to work doubly hard to catch up after dawdling away! I think we feel immense pressure to grasp this opportunity of the exchange tightly, and so try to pack in as many activities as possible, but end up in pain later (after going for a long weekend gazing at mountains and other beautiful natural landscapes, you want to run away upon returning to the mountain of books on your desk). So you might run away again. And the whole cycle of pain and pleasure begins. again.

3. We have to plan our trips/explorations around quizzes, tests, assignment deadlines, and exams! So we can’t be full-blown travellers because of these obligations that we simply must fulfil! And Reina just whined about having a 5-hour long project meeting today, and she’s gonna have a 4-hour long one tomorrow! Thankfully I don’t have such torture treatment. I only have half-hour short house meetings, where we discuss the best way to clear the compost hahah.

4. We (okay, I)  succumb to lying. I missed a German Quiz this Wednesday because I overslept (but it wasn’t because I was out there exploring like I should be!). Instead of getting a zero, I managed to convince the professor to not take that quiz into account for my overall score. How did I do it? I’m not telling.

5. Okay this list is getting hard to formulate. I’d say…the weather! Both Reina and I need to endure the bitter, penetrating cold! Hers is worse though. In Norway they barely get any sunshine and it’s really depressing with all that fog. For me, it’s gloomy with all this rain. Our days are getting way shorter, so we have even less time to go out and have fun!

I admit we really only talk about our adventures and never did mention other important aspects of our exchange. The differences in academic learning, the different schools of thought, the different systems (or the pleasant experience of having one) in higher level institutions, etc. Hmm…another day okay?

I need to pack right now for my shopping trip to Seattle Premium Outlets with my housemate tomorrow. Heh.