Apr 8: Happy Birthday, Anya!

Anya is 15 today! She went to school where her friend, Oda, had written “Happy Birthday, Anya” on the chalk board (yes, a real chalk board) in Norsk. Later the class sang to her. Oda gave her a gift which included a special collectible Norge canning jar and some candy that she knows Anya likes in a Marge Simpson bag (below).

Anya is 15 today, but she wasn’t too eager for photos!

Previously, she had opened her grand birthday gift brought from the USA by cousin Erin. The grandparents had helped with the purchase.

I spent part of the morning making a cake for her birthday. I’m known for a moist chocolate cake, but this was my worst ever, as the oven was too hot. So I started again and made cupcakes.

I did some work, which included purchasing NVivo software to keep my qualitative research resource active for the next 12 months, but I had to secure my student number. I didn’t even know I had a number, as I’m just referenced by name on the bills and things!

The numbers I’ve had to add to life here include:

• Student number
• Residency permit
• Tax card
• Student management software log-in PIN
• Printing code
• Bank debit card PIN
• Phone SIM PIN, needed every time the phone is turned off in order to unlock the SIM
• House alarm code
• MHS key card code
• and probably more that don’t come to mind right now.

Back to Anya’s birthday. After school we walked downtown Sandnes and got her youth pass for the bus and commuter train (mine doesn’t work for the train). This is a small rite of passage, as she has to be 15 to get it.

We then went to one of our favorite restaurant in Norway–a steak house–for an early dinner. Their lunch menu is very good and very tasty, but not as expensive as their dinner menu. My steak sandwich was $20 and Anya’s pulled pork wrap was a bit less. It is a good way to celebrate Anya’s birthday.

Then we walked quickly up the hill, picked up a few things at home, and walked fast to catch the #2 bus to Stavanger, which goes close to MHS. The youth from the International Church of Stavanger meet at MHS. I had cupcakes carefully packed to bring along and celebrate Anya’s birthday. I dropped her off and went to study Hebrew for tomorrow.

On the bus ride home, Anya was in a great mood. At the pause at the bus stand where there is wifi, Anya Skyped on her phone with her good friend, Annaliese! But because we were on the bus, Anya just greeted her and planned to call her back. On the way home, we played a travel game (Bottacelli–for those who have played it with me or Elenn), and we laughed quite a bit of the way home. We were having so much fun that we even missed our bus stop by one stop and had to walk back a bit to our street.

In some ways, this was a difficult birthday for Anya being so far away from such dear friends and going to school where there is so much challenge to learn the language. In another way, it is wonderfully meaningful that friends made the day special, emailed, Skyped, and send e-cards to her. She was encouraged.

With blessings,

Beth