Written by Nikola Grbavac & Suhyeon Jeon
Getting up for class is never easy. We met up at nine, more enthusiastic than any other day that week. It was morning of the day we decided to spend at Chateau Neuf, home to The Norwegian Students’ Society, and one of the most exciting gathering places for students in Oslo. A source of amusement and positivity, Neuf boasts an impressive event calendar that includes concerts, art shows, student parties, public discussions, and debates.
After attending our class, we headed to Chateau Neuf. At noon, after a short metro ride to Majorstuen from Blindern campus, we had reached our destination. As a student, one cannot always have fun. But it is good when one is given a chance to make the not so fun activities, such as doing homework, more fun. We got cozy and warmed up in the comfortable lobby chairs, which made doing homework seem like a more enticing activity. It was quiet and relaxed, and there weren’t that many people around at that time. Doing homework quickly turned us into urban explorers – we climbed up, eager to know more, wishing to get to know Neuf like never before, and enjoyed getting lost a few times in its murky hallways.
Photo: Nikola Grbavac
At five, back downstairs, the warm rays of sun lit up Glassbaren and we were ready for dinner. The atmosphere was completely different this time; the space was getting more crowded. Still, the students were relaxed and seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. There was chatter and laughter. We enjoyed delicious pasta with meatballs to the sounds of country music. Glassbaren, which we renamed The Red Bar due to the amount of colour red present in its furnishings, offers an impressive variety of drinks, delicious food and sweets. As we dined, we gushed at how affordable the food was, especially with a student society member discount.
After dinner, it was time to attend our first event – a talk about the American novel after 9/11. While we enjoyed the possibility to practice our Norwegian skills, we could not stay long as we had to rush to the next event we had on our schedule – the Improworkshop. Brave Su decided to join the workshop and be silly for a few hours, while the serious Nik took notes and had quite a few laughs watching the entertaining and often embarrassing situations Tord Bjørnevaagen Brandsæter, the leader of Improworkshop, put the attendees through. With a great leader and an enthusiastic group of people, the workshop went smoothly and one could soon feel just how uninhibited and candid people can be when they just allow themselves to enjoy each other’s company, take themselves less seriously and open their creative outlets. The name game, swish-boing-bowl, the gift game…the activities rolled on and by the end of the two hour mark Su was sad it was over and Nik wished he had joined in on the fun.
Once we said our goodbyes to our new friends at the Improworkshop, it was time to chill out with a nice, cool drink at BokCafeen’s JazzJam. The band that played was Triomega3 and that’s where our recollections melt into a blur from which we woke up happy and exuberant the next day.