I can now officially say that I have flown across the Atlantic Ocean and what a trip it was!
My flight left Minneapolis (or as aviation people would say, MSP) at 3:15.
At 3:15 everything change.
The flight was about 7.5 hours and it ended up at the Amsterdam Aiport called Schiphol. Schiphol is one of the biggest airports I have ever seen. It is like Mall of America! WITH shops! That's right, at Schiphol, one can buy Ralph Lauren clothes, designer perfume and high end electronics in stores bigger than stores at MoA. o.O
It was also crazy to realize that although everyone in the airport (such as the worker) speaks English, it took second priority over Dutch (which may I add, is a pretty funny language). I took KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) from Amsterdam to Oslo Dutch always came first (in announcements, worker-customer relations) and what not. I also gotta give KLM 'props 'cause on their flights, you get sandwiches (not one lightly salted peanut in sight).
So my flight was a classic over oceanic traveling experience. There were babies crying (even though the little boy behind me was well behaved--it was just annoying to hear him scream "THAT'S SO COOL" at every aviation related thing on board...future UND student anyone?)
I watched It's Kind of a Funny Story with Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts, The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader and about 20 minutes of Harry Potter 7. I started to watch Inception after Narnia but it had Hebrew subtitles...so that ended quickly.
I had the window seat in a row of two and the young fellow sittin' next to me got wasted off of chardonnay-at one point he whipped out a flask of whiskey and chased it with water. He passed out and even after we landed and people started to get their luggage, I had to "accidently" bump him for him to wake up and waddle off of the plane. What a flight it was.
he flight attendants also helped in making the flight less painful. They were primarily white, Midwestern middle aged women that would sprinkle their sentences with "ya'all", "hun" or "hunny" and "oh for (insert adjective)". In essence they were pretty B.A and kept order with a very brightly painted and manicured iron fist.
On the chunk of seats next to me were a group of close to middle aged Norwegians; they were mostly men but there was one kind blue eyed women that smiled at me. Now, these Norwegians were made me feel very insecure due to one of them read a book almost 4 inches think or played Sudoku the entire time. The women just played on her iPad but the games were far more than the new classic Angry Birds but intellectual games and puzzles. Luckily, I will soon discover that now all of Norway is filled with these time of perfect MENSA candidates. And I also did discover that when I become a high class jet setter, I will have to acquire an iPad because everyone flies with one.
My layover in Schiphol was so incredibly (4 hours) boring but as I reflect upon it, it was pretty fun.
I found my gate (which was on the opposite side of the airport). I had to go through customs and get my passport stamped. The young guy working the stamp asked me why I was going to Oslo, to which I responded I am studying there. He then said, "Good job, get your degree" and waved me through. I find the Dutch TSA far more enjoyable then their American counterparts.
After spending hours at this airport I came to two conclusions. The first is that the Amsterdam airport would be an awesome place for a music video. The second, although on more of a philosophical note, is that airports are the same no matter where you go. You still find people rushing around lost and people screaming at their families. At Starbucks was the exact same, the only different is that instead of American high schoolers trying to make a buck they were Dutch high schoolers. The world ain't that big after all.
My flight to Oslo was simple and short--which was nice. I was sitting again on the window seat but in a row of three. My two fellow travelers were young and good looking. It made me feel inferior xD One was an anglophonic girl and on the end was a young Dutch man (early 20s, same with the girl). He read this Dutch magazine whilst the girl read Summer and the City (a book from the author of Sex and the City but the four girls are still in high school.) It was nice and quiet.
I arrived in Olso with my friend Chris and we made our way via train to Oslo S (the main train station in Oslo). Our friend Jared meet us there and showed us the way to which we unexpectedly meet up with the rest of us UNDers and a few people along the way. With Jared's much appreciated help, he helped us get our American booties to Blindern dorms.
What a first day in Norway it was!
After the initial panic, unpacking and intense sweating session we all had from hauling our luggage from wrong place to wrong place and through gravel (which looks nice around our dorms but lacked practically with moving in), we went to our friend's Jared's apartment for a "WE ARE FINALLY HERE" party.
The view from Jared's apartment!
I have a feeling the next six weeks will surely be interesting and never dull. :)
