Student diary from Oslo

16. 09.

Today, our Norwegian journey began. We took a flight from Václav Havel Airport in Prague, which was our official meeting point. After we passed through airport security (where two of us had to take their apparently suspicious shoes off), we boarded a small plane and were ready to depart. For some of us, it was their first flight. "I was quite nervous since it was my first time flying. However, the excitement of travelling to a country whose language and culture I'm interested in was much stronger than the fear of the unknown." (Kristína)

The flight itself was peaceful, and in just two short hours, we landed safe and sound at the Gardermoen airport near Oslo. That's where our journey separated. After picking up our luggage, part of our group took the Flytoget train to Oslo Central Station, where they purchased an Oslo Pass. This card grants you free public transport, access to museums, and many other discounts. Later, they headed to their accommodation, which was located in Grünerløkka, a pleasant area with lots of greenery and cafés about fifteen minutes from the city center.

"I have to say that I completely fell in love with this area. It's a very lively, colourful and modern part of Oslo, that's filled with many coffee shops, small businesses and places with a nice atmosphere. After a short walk, I have already felt as if I could spend a very long time here." (Dominika)

The rest of their day was spent walking around the neighborhood, soaking up the sun rays and exploring shops in the area. "Even though it may seem like an ordinary thing, for me it's always an interesting experience to shop in a different country. Everything seemed different than at home, and I could also see some of the iconic Norwegian food items, like the chocolate Kvikk Lunsj or brown cheese." (Dominika)

However, the other part of our group stayed in a hotel right in the city center. After arriving at the hotel, their desire to explore was too strong, so they went on a walk to see Karl Johans gate, one of the most famous streets in Oslo. The next stop was the parliamentary building called Stortinget, where a small educational exhibition about the history of elections in Norway took place. Following the sounds of some pleasant music, their exploration ended in front of the National Theatre (Nationaltheatret). There, in a lovely gazebo right next to the building, an orchestra was playing. It was the perfect ending to a very exhausting yet thrilling day.

17. 09.

Day two began, for most of us, with a shared itinerary that balanced official engagements with cultural immersion. Although some of us had a rough start, the day proved to be highly enriching.

Early in the morning, all of us met in front of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Oslo, where we were warmly welcomed by the ambassador, Mr. Červenka, and his other colleagues, as well as our classmate Jakub, who is currently doing an internship there. We all sat down and an interesting discussion began. The ambassador introduced us to their work, explained how the embassy functions, what it provides and what their typical work day looks like. His colleague, a consular officer, also provided some more information and statistics on Czech people living in Norway. It was also very interesting to hear about Jakub's internship experience.

Apart from coffee and biscuits, which were a great success, we all appreciated how open our discussion was and the willingness and candor with which they answered. "The experience was surprisingly quite pleasant. Not only was it made possible for us students to have truly complete freedom in our questions concerning the establishment's role in foreign politics, we were also treated to coffee with biscuits." (Adam)

"Adam and I have thought of many questions to ask, but they have already been answered before mostly. We decided to ask if the embassy has to represent the thoughts and beliefs of the state, and if there ever was a misunderstanding or a different opinion between the Czech Republic and Norway. We got a very inspiring answer, in my opinion, from Mr. Červenka: "Even though we may sometimes have different opinions or different ways of doing things, we are still reaching for the same goal." (Dominika)

Afterwards, we briefly visited the former Czechoslovak and later Slovak embassy building. What a lucky coincidence that we bumped into a Slovak employee who's the keeper of the building. After that, our ways separated again.

Some of us headed on an exclusive tour of the Nydalen Upper Secondary School (Nydalen videregående skole). They got the chance to see what high school life looks like thanks to the local teacher and a former student of Norwegian in Brno, Lenka Sommerseth. Students agreed that it was quite fascinating to compare the Norwegian approach to what they know from home and some even wished they could relive their high school days!

The rest decided to take advantage of the warm and sunny weather and took another walk, this time by the fjord at Aker Brygge. "I was fascinated by the architecture there, which was both modern and also kept its original industrial elements. The walk took us about two or three hours because we were simply mesmerized by this place." (Kristína)

After replenishing our energy, our group reunited in the National Museum (Nasjonalmuseet), which is located right by the sea with the town hall (Rådhuset) in sight. We all spent a significant amount of time there, just walking around admiring all the works of art laid out in over 80 exhibition rooms. Each of us found something that took our breath away, whether it was the famous Norwegian artist Theodor Kittelsen and his original illustrations of Norwegian folk tales, P. N. Arbo's painting, photography by Czech photographer Josef Sudek, literature for children, the mythology section or the ancient statues at the very beginning.

"Although the museum was breathtaking in both its expositions and its exposition of said expositions, to my great sorrow, it didn't quite solve the greatest issue (and the greatest quality) of all the big museums out there - that is, having simply too much to offer. Many more visits would have to follow in order to give all its beauty the praise it deserves." (Adam)

In the evening, full of so many interesting impressions, we all decided to go our own way. Some had the energy to take a solo trip to Sognsvann lake, so they could relax and swim in the water, which unfortunately wasn't cold enough. Others decided to take it easy and explored the Oslofjord from the shore. "The atmosphere by the water was majestic and I finally understood at least a little bit why fjords and the sea mean so much to Norwegians." (Dominika)

18. 09.

You could say this day was all about books, more art and good company. We started our day with a visit to the Oslo National Library (Nasjonalbiblioteket), where we got a guided tour of the entire building. Apart from the tour, we visited an exhibition exploring the Norwegian emigration to the US in the past and also an exhibition displaying different artifacts from throughout Norwegian history, including the original manuscript of Ibsen's A Doll's House, Norwegian Folk Tales by Asbjørnsen and Moe, and many other interesting works. Another thing that interested us was also a Krogh's painting, which could be found in the staircase area.

We continued in another library called Deichmanske bibliotek, located in Bjørvika near the iconic Opera House (Operahuset). Compared to the National Library, this one was modern and open, and contained not only an extensive collection of books, but also a movie theatre, lounges, gaming zones, a restaurant and many others. It serves as an important community center and some of us thought of it as a beehive thanks to its octagonal structure. It was a pleasant surprise to find some translations of Czech books there.

With a few hours of free time before we were meant to meet in the Vigeland Park (Vigelandsparken), we decided to explore different places again. Well, of course, most of us had to take a closer look at the famous Opera House. Some decided to walk to the top so they could enjoy a stunning view of Oslo, while others decided to admire the architecture inside instead.

Another almost mandatory stop was the Munch Museum (Munchmuseet). "In addition to the extensive collection of his work, I was also impressed by the excellent execution; the highlight of the exhibition was the painting The Scream. It is here in three forms: oil, pastel and linocut. It is under constant supervision. The museum also included an interactive section dedicated to Munch's legacy." (Lenka)

"I think it was the strongest experience for me personally. It showed me how much more there is to Edvard Munch than just the painting Scream. I found his story inspiring." (Dominika)

"While I find the building quite ugly, the expositions are excellent and well worth visiting, so don´´ t judge a book by its cover!" (Magdaléna)

As you can see, Munch left quite a strong impression! However, some of us decided to stick to the art of words, rather than paintings. That's why one of the students and their assistant headed to the Ibsen Museum. It's a small museum next to the apartment where Ibsen lived and they got to see the inside of his apartment as well. "I was quite amused by the fact that Ibsen had a portrait of Strindberg in his study room to keep him motivated. The museum itself was interesting as there was information about Ibsen's most famous works and also an interactive room with a short animation introducing all these plays. I had to watch it several times because it just made me see each of the plays differently." (Kristína)

The rest of the day belonged to the Vigeland Park, where we met another one of our teachers. It was a lovely place to meet and talk about our experiences so far and we had some time to admire the extraordinary statues. To some of us, it was even more interesting than Karl Johans gate and we all surely would love to spend more time here so that we could analyze every statue in more detail, especially the famous Monolith and the Wheel of Life.

 19. 09.

Our fourth day started with a visit to the OsloMet University, where we were welcomed by our host Madelen Brovold. She gave a very captivating presentation and infected us with her jolly demeanor. It was also the first real linguistic challenge we faced, as the whole visit was in Norwegian only. It was challenging and even though we didn't understand her every word, it was very educational and rewarding. "The jump to very quick colloquial language that was also quite vocabulary-specific was surprising at first, but I felt like I managed. We even received a book about the Holocaust, which turned out to be the first of many Norwegian titles we would bring home." (Adam)

Once our university tour was done, we all decided to explore different things. "I followed the university visit with another museum, but this time, I was cautious not to get overwhelmed. In detail, I experienced the Livsblod exposition at the Munchmuseet. I feel like the paintings that Munch painted while sick (or generally paintings that point to his hospital-themed background) are his best works." (Adam)

"After the meeting, I walked through the Palace Park (Slottsparken), admired the castle's beauty and also looked at the royal guards in their unique uniforms. From there, I took a walk to Aker Brygge and took a boat trip around Hovedøya and nearby islands. It was my first time on a boat, and even though I was nervous at first, the ride was beautiful and I loved every second of it. Later, I briefly visited the Nobel Peace Centre, a place I find deeply important." (Dominika)

Most of the students decided to experience sailing the sea on a boat, only with different final destinations. "My assistant and I felt like we needed some adrenaline because the exhaustion of such an intensive schedule started to show, so we headed towards the docks. There, we got on a small boat that would take us to Bygdøy. I was surprised that I could easily get on the boat even with a wheelchair and I fell in love with how accessible public space and transport in Oslo are in general. We were kind of sad that it took only about 10 to 15 minutes to get to Bygdøy because we could sail back and forth all day.

Soon we found ourselves standing on solid ground again and we had a quick lunch (literally Kvikk Lunsj) before we went to the Fram Museum (Frammuseet). One would never say that there's a whole polar ship hiding in that small building. However, we were left speechless once we stepped inside the building. Since I've already done two assignments about Fridtjof Nansen, I was excited to read even more not only about his expeditions, but also about his humanitarian work. We continued our marine journey at the Kon-Tiki Museum (Kon-Tiki-museet). I still don't understand how they could manage to cross the ocean on such a small vessel." (Kristína)

The evening was reserved for a very special occasion. We were invited to dinner by a Czech Norwegian couple, Silje and Tomáš, who were kind enough to welcome us into their home. The evening was beyond anything we could have expected. The food, the company and the atmosphere, everything was perfect. We got to taste some of Norway's typical foods such as salmon, actual moose meat (not store bought but shot straight from the forest to our table), cloudberry ice cream and brown cheese (brunost) chocolate. The evening was also full of pleasant conversation, which was mostly in Norwegian, so it was very useful for our practice. We left the place not only with our stomachs full of delicious food, but also with our minds and spirits lifted by the joyful and friendly atmosphere. "I can safely say that this was a perfect ending to our day and something we will never forget. Thank you again!" (Magdaléna)

20. 09.

Our final day in Oslo was greatly affected by one – not so pleasant – fact. There was a marathon in the city. Therefore, we couldn't stick to our original plan, or at least not all of us. The whole city center was closed due to the run and the public transport was either cancelled or diverted, so it was difficult to get anywhere near the center. However, the braver part of our group set off to Bygdøy peninsula, where they paid a visit to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History – Folkemuseum. Here are some of their impressions:

"I must confess I was a little overwhelmed by the vastness of the whole complex. You could easily spend a whole day here and still have some more left to discover. I liked all the exhibitions I visited (especially the one dedicated to Sámi culture), but the highlight of my visit was definitely seeing an actual stave church." (Magdaléna)

"There were many interesting exhibitions. I especially enjoyed the one about the Sámi people, because it gave me an insight into their culture and traditions. The open museum was also beautiful, with so many historical buildings to explore. For me, the highlight was definitely the wooden stave church. I think it was the perfect way to end my trip." (Dominika)

Next, they went to see the Fram Museum, which was also very appreciated. "The Fram museum was unbelievably fun, and even if Folkemuseum didn't have the same effect, it offered the best gift shop so far, at least." (Adam)

The unfortunate part of our group, which was trapped inside the marathon circle, spent the day wandering around, admiring the Royal Palace (Det kongelige slott) and discussing the cultural differences and similarities they'd noticed. Plus, they had a very Brazilian moment (or rather hours) when they had to listen to the same samba melody played by the Oslo´s samba school right in front of their hotel to motivate the runners.

21. 09.

And here we are. Days went by so quickly and suddenly we had to pack our bags and say goodbye to this charming city. We all felt a bit saddened by this fact. After arriving at the airport and going through the standard procedure, we boarded the plane and took off with Danish composer Carl Nielsen as our protector.

We left this beautiful country with tons of new memories, friends and knowledge. But if you asked any of us, we would most surely tell you that these few days meant much more than just a school excursion.

"I was looking forward to this moment even before I started studying at university. That initial enchantment is changing. A very intense feeling of curiosity arose as to whether my expectations would be fulfilled. They certainly were fulfilled. I had a great sense of belonging. But it is true that my colleagues from school also filled me with courage. The feeling that I could share all the experiences. I had the opportunity to establish many contacts. Thanks to associate professor Juříčková, I was even able to meet and have dinner with a Czech Norwegian family. We were warmly welcomed in all the institutions we visited. The pride in the Norwegian land can be felt from every person and every place in Oslo. I also encountered a great willingness from the locals to give advice and help. I liked their respect for others, too. But it was time to say goodbye. I admit that I found it hard to leave. My stay in Norway went by very quickly, but we all took away a lot of experiences." (Lenka)

"For me personally, this trip had much deeper meaning than it might seem to have. I learn and read about Norway pretty much all the time at school but experiencing it myself was completely something else than any textbook could ever give me. Of course, I have learnt a lot. All the museums, exhibitions, libraries and other interesting places we visited gave me so much information that I deeply regret not having a notebook with me and writing down every single bit of info because I surely won't be able to remember all of it. But being able to be a part of daily life in Oslo, even for a moment, and observe the culture from this close had much bigger value. Last but not least, this was a huge personal challenge for me. I had to rely on my language skills, in which I'm always a little insecure, and in which I've definitely gained some confidence only after a few days. I also got to see how Norway treats disabled people, which was so important to me and I think other countries should take inspiration from them because it's really not that difficult to accommodate everyone. Not even for a moment I felt like a foreigner and I could easily imagine staying there for even few months. This trip brought me great motivation to take every opportunity not only in my studies but also in my personal life." (Kristína)

"Even though I didn't want to admit it, I had big expectations about visiting Oslo and I was nervous for several reasons that I would end up disappointed. But nothing could have prepared me for what Oslo really had to offer and I still don't believe some of the things we got to experience were real because they were almost too good to be true. You can read about specific places we visited in the rest of the report, but here I just wanted to express the feeling that accompanied me throughout our whole trip. I was in a perpetual state of wonder and awe. As a tourist, I felt extremely welcome and I felt an overwhelming sense of community. There were so many cool and unique communal spaces (especially the libraries) and what I also noticed was a level of inclusion I had never seen before. Another admirable thing for me is the Norwegian approach towards children and education. For example, did you know that Oslo is the home of The Norwegian Institute for Children's Books (Norsk Barnebokinstitutet) and The International Museum of Children's Art (Det Internasjonale Barnekunstmuseet)? Literature for children is viewed as equally valuable as literature for adults and a painting of a five-year-old is displayed in the same way as, for example, that of Edvard Munch in the world famous Munch Museum." (Magdaléna)

"This trip definitely means so much to me. It isn't just about the language itself, but about truly experiencing the culture I've been learning about. Visiting museums, libraries, seeing the stuff I have read about before and even recognizing places I've been reading about made everything feel so alive and real. It was very inspiring to walk through Oslo and truly feel connected to the city. I feel like the trip helped me understand not only the language better, but also the people and the culture behind the language." (Dominika)

"Our four-day visit to Oslo was an eye-opening experience for me – it was the first time I ever visited a Nordic state, let alone Norway, and I am thrilled to say that Oslo, even if it was just a small taste of Scandinavia, didn't disappoint. I had the opportunity to enrich my linguistic knowledge in "the wild", be part of interesting discussions at multiple schools and even at the Czech embassy, discover the Norwegian spirit along with the beauty of the city, and generally, soak up the most I could, especially culture- and language-wise. I am very grateful and hope to pick up the threads during my Erasmus in Trondheim later this year." (Adam)

As you can already tell, this trip was more than just a visit; it was a meaningful encounter with language, culture, and community.

Until we meet again, Oslo!