Draft Me Back to the Stone Age
Today's date certainly did live up to its name in so many ways. Friday the 13th. A favorite among horror flick directors, and now, not exactly a favorite of mine. Today's post is going to concern a letter I got in the mail on this day of bad luck and superstition, a letter I think is going to be a bitter landmark in my biography whenever it is published in 98 languages and outsells the Harry Potter books. I got my draft notice today, a letter telling me that I am one of the thousands of pissed youngens summoned to serve in the country's biggest playground for an entire year;
the Norwegian army. Yes, you read correctly, Christian has been drafted to the military, and has thus beaten any weak story you might have had of yourself falling down and spraining your wrist on the eerie Friday 13th, missing your prom because you lacked a healthy hand to place that pink corsage on. Forget that. This, my friend, is much worse. And if being drafted when you're 21 wasn't terrible enough, I have actually been drafted to the most remote and cold place in, possibly, the world,
Troms in northern Norway.
Now, let me outline for you, exactly what my problem with this whole idea is. First of all, Norway is small. Norway is tiny. And to think Norway, with its minuscule number of armed men (and some women, in all like 20,000), might ever actually carry any weight as a military power of any kind, is a foolish pursuit better left to the people who aren't all that great in neither math nor psychology. Norway is, of course, a member of NATO, the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, one of the world's most powerful defense unions. If any country was to ever attack or threaten a NATO ally, all other allies would come to the country's aid immediately. So, for the sake of this post, I will admit Norway needs a viable military force in order for it to uphold its part of the treaty and in turn be deserving of other countries' aid, but what is my problem is actually the draft itself.
An army is never stronger than its weakest link. Following this analogy, and applying it to the present-day Norwegian military, Norway couldn't even win a war with Greenland if it wanted to. The thing is, the Norwegian army uses the draft to muster up the manpower to look as if it's fulfilling its obligations as set forth by the NATO agreement, which states that all member countries must have a certain number of standing troops at all times. The problem with that is, however, that you get tens of thousands of dissatisfied, disgruntled, angry, fed up, defiant, uninterested, and most importantly unmotivated young people serving and protecting whatever brown goat cheese and lefse there is to serve and protect.
Each and every teenager who is drafted to the military nowadays has a lot of things at stake. Education and careers are finally taking off, you might just have gotten yourself a girlfriend, started to settle down, and there it comes; a letter outright ordering you to pack your bags and report to whatever place they see fit, in a matter of months. If you refuse, which is the natural reaction to being ordered to do anything once you're out of high school, the penalty can be as severe as 3 years in prison and fines so big they'll deter any runt trying to have a mind of his own and make a run for it. If you ask me, this archaic practice of drafting young hopefuls, with the threat of prison lurking in the background for anyone who's not ready to accept the ultimate power of the state over its citizens, is long overdue for a revolution. The fact is, Norway is not a communist regime. Norway is supposed, although it seems to forget this when it comes down to it, to be more like its cousin the US in the battle for a individualist society. We all agree that we should be able to make our own choices, decide the course of our own lives, and decide how to spend our time and precious years on this planet. Taking away the freedom and liberties of the citizens has conventionally been thought of as something we can only do to the criminals and wrong-doers in a society, but what we also seem to forget is that we also impose the same way on a select group of young men and women who are not guilty of anything else than bad luck and falling victim to the state's unpredictable whims. It's a severe imposition on a human being's life when forced to undergo generalized military training that is, for one, never going to be used, and, for another, the person has never volunteered to participate in. The citizens' lives aren't the whimsical pawns of any state, seeing as we are all supposed to be guaranteed freedom and certain inalienable rights, and the very fact that the armed services don't try to recruit willing, young men, and make for a more motivated and goal oriented military, is beyond me. Instead, forcing and coercing thousands of not needed others into spending an entire year of the most fruitful period of their lives somewhere they themselves haven't signed up to be, or want to be, has been the path they have chosen.
The draft is unconstitutional. Yes, the draft itself might be in the constitution and all that, but it breaches one of the more basic of acts; the society is here for the good of the people. It is here as an instrument for the individual to further his or her own dreams, and to ensure the freedom and liberties of every one of its members. The society has been given the power to punish those of its citizens that cause harm to said community or society, or its members, but that power was never meant to be used against law-abiding and innocent people. The society has no right whatsoever to force its citizens to do anything, seeing as we are individuals and are supposed to be able to govern our own lives freely. A state that takes over the control of its citizens' lives, with the threat of prison time and fines for those who don't obey, sounds eerily much like the type of societies the western world is currently waging war against. Wait… is that our own tail?
.
Labels: News, Personal Issues, Ponderings, Rants
Much Ado About Something
It's amazing how much energy it took for me to start posting on this again. I've (no, duh) taken a break, or as some would characterize it, an unflatteringly long vacation from the whole blogging scene. Not that anyone cared, but I kind of did. Once in a while I'd get really good ideas for a post, or just simply the hankerin' for a good, long post about some of the world's good or evil. Or just simply about some of my day to day doings and wrongdoings. Undoubtedly it serves as a vent for me, a place for me to just let some of it hang out to dry and just.. be. I don't know. Some part of me says there's no reason to write this stuff if no one reads it, but now I happen to know that people do indeed read it both here on Blogger and at the
Facebook feed (under My Notes). So it's not all for me. Some is for you, whoever you are. Think of me as Santa (if the season permits), and yourself as every child in the world. I will probably stop existing in cyberspace if no one ever believes in me (or reads my rants), so I just don't want there to stop being children out there, if you catch my drift. Keep staying tuned, now I won't let you down.
This fall. A long one. In fact, I guess the weather in Oslo can still be classified as fall, with nightly temperatures staying in the higher 40's still. My fall (student as I am) started in August, right about when summer break ended. A little before this, on August 6th as a matter of fact, my first day at my new job started as well. I had been to an interview arranged thorugh Julie a few weeks before, and (of course, -fill in arrogant, smirky comment-) basically blew my new boss away with my aptitude and skills. I gotta say it; job interviews are my thing. I rock at job interviews, whereever and whenever. Now, THAT's a skill. Anyways, I got the job I wanted, and on August 6th started working for the Dolly Dimple Pizza Restaurants company. I don't actually handle the pizzas (I leave that to people like my brother, the schmo who's just embarked on a career as a professional chef). What I do, and this might sound like the easiest thing in the world, is that I work at their customer care center. You know, the place you'd call to order a pizza. Or the place you call to yell at someone for not getting your pizza, or the wrong one. And there I am, answering like 100-200 calls every shift, and processing complaints and making sure the restaurants are doing their job, etc. To make sure effectivity is at its best, we have a little dialog that we basically use and adapt to each customer that calls in. And that dialog is a frutratingly irritating piece of work, I'll tell ya. Try to say 8-10 sentences many hundred times a day, and after a while you might start wondering why monkeys or robots aren't doing your job instead.
"Hello, you're talking to Christian"
"Would you like to have your pizza delivered or as take out, please?"
"And at what restaurant would you like to pick it up?"
"What pizza would you like, sir?"
"And would ypu like a small or a large one, please?"
"Would you like any cheese on the crust/sour cream/garlic dressing/salsa/soda with that?"
"Will that be all?
"OK, that's a large 'Beef Eater', with cheese on the crust and salsa, and that'll come to $32 and be ready at your restaurant in 20 minutes."
"You're welcome. Have a nice day!"
(Did I say monkeys? I meant guinea pigs.)
Anyways. That's my new job. The people are nice, the pay decent and the shifts good, so I'm not complaining. And we get a lot of perks. I love perks. And their pizza (only allowing myself one a month now, to keep from getting unhealthier).
Then you've probably gathered by now that I'm going to school in Oslo, and that it's no regular picnic (unless you usually have picnics over human intestines, lungs and hearts, as well as other unmentionables). My new college (the
Encefalon College of Pre-Medicine) specializes in a one-year introduction (and a truly thorough one at that!) to medicine. In a year, three separate (as separate as anything in medicine can be from other things) sections, we are going to cover most of the body's wonderful anatomy, physiology, cytology, pathology, microbiology and psychiatry, as well as the health care system, the various exams a doctor should know how to perform, and a whole spectrum of drugs (read: evil pharmacology) needed to understand the basics of what makes us tick. I can feel the pressure, even though 1 of 3 major exams have been taken and none are scheduled before March. I did well on the first one, sporting a B and C where most others either failed or got the weird Norwegian "E"-grade (seeing as it doesn't exist most other places). I'm relieved that my B was in pathology, which is unimaginably essential when even contemplating becoming a doctor - Dr. - and Dr. CK to be exact. Don't worry about my ego. It's supposed to be big, that's how I'll survive when I hit the cascade of walls later.
So that's me and my status quo. Between work and homework my schedule doesn't get many unfilled slots nowadays, so now I'm looking forward to Christmas. I wonder how I will find the time to shop for Christmas presents (btw, leave your Christmas wish in a comment to this post if you're expecting a gift from me, 'cause I don't know who I should extend my gift shopping to this year. Immediate family, further, or friends? Let me know, anyways.)
More good news from me before I leave you for now. This Christmas will spent in Arizona and California, USA, for my part, with my beloved Lybberts, the second family of mine. I'm leaving on the morning of the 17th, next Sunday, so please get all gifts (the millions I know I'll get) to me by that time. Oh, how I loved saying that. Anyways, Arizona will be a blast, I haven't seen the family in a year now, so it'll most definitely rock. YAY!
Go forth, and buy me presents! =)
Labels: Major Updates, News
Bright Prospects
Sometimes I guess taking too long to decide something actually hurts more than it can ever be helpful, in that overthinking and overanalyzing things tends to crush the options before they get a chance to truly show their true colors. For the people I haven't already told; the jury has reconvened and the verdict is in.
I am moving back to Norway, and staying there for what now seems like the rest of my twenties, maybe longer.The 'roots', mentioned in the previous post, as well as factors such as cost, comfort, psychological stability, peace of mind, love of Norway, the security of being 'home', Norwegian food, language and people, Oslo, and of course the freedom that comes with having citizenship in the country where you live and have always lived all had a part in my decision. Hawai'i and Kansas will either have to wait till another time or join the ranks of the "would-have-been"s, because for now I'm coming home. Thanks go out to Julie, my dad and brother for helping me keep my priorities straight.
In related, happy news is the event of me finally
getting my driver's license! It cost me a total of $2, which is 14 kroner, and was conceived this Tuesday, after a somewhat nervous (not all that nervous when I learned it took 10 minutes, but hey) driving test at 8:30 am. And yes, I did put a different picture in the drivers license pic to the right, because the real one.. well, not so much.
More good news, for me that is, seeing as the weather in Sioux Falls has taken a record turn. Starting last week, and still going even stronger, are the sunny, 80 degree days that have settled on our campus. 80 degrees is something like 27 degrees Celsius, so this is truly great. And now we're on the second break of the month, Easter break for 4 days, so this is working out perfectly. Summer's found its way to SooFoo, and I'm not complaining. This is sweet!
Dedicating the rest of the post to pics I felt like sharing. Have a happy Easter!!
A 'Victor style' picture of some of the newfound summer fun.
What a throwing arm!
You know you love the fluffy squirrels. You know you do.
Welcome back to the birds. Welcome to summer.
Either I fell, or trying to be artistic. Probably the latter.
The AZ familiy sent me this dog as part of my birthday present back in February. Notice the heart inscription.Labels: News, Pictures
CK in the ER (Just Call Me Doctor)
Yeah! That's right. I'm truly excited now. I'm going to start my first medically related job ever, and guess what? I landed one in the ER in the largest hospital in Sioux Falls! Amazing. Being a volunteer employee 12 hours a week in the busiest, most critical part of the hospital will certainly give me valuable experience, as well as a chance to be part of and observing the adrenaline pumping life-and-death traumas that take place there. Seeing doctors and nurses in action, helping them out in any way I legally can, is going to be so fantastically fascinating I can hardly wait. I am prepared though, and I should be, for the many horrifying, blood-gushing, gut-wrenching situations that are bound to take place in a place like that (where else?), and I understand that this job will be very different physically and mentally from the front desk receptionist position I was first offered. Cool, though, and important, in that I get a pointer on my future ability and wish to tackle such situations.
This Friday I went to the hospital to find out what jobs were available to me, and before my meeting I had a few minutes to spend. I went up on the top of the parking complex, and got a great view of the whole hospital campus. Then, about a 100 feet from where I was standing, on a different hospital roof, a medical helicopter started up its engines. Slowly and steadily it started to take off, and then flew right over where I was standing and off into the horizon. A great way to start your day at a hospital.
I know, and have always known (even though I like the drama anyways) that the tv-show ER is fictional in many ways, but I have always believed that reality can beat whatever clever tv-writers can make up.
Avera McKennan hospital, here I come, and let's hope I like it.
Labels: Medical, News
Driving Myself Insane
This weekend was a different one. Instead of the tedious same-ol' slacking I get around to usually, I basically decided in the matter of minutes I was going to go on a road trip. Road trips are fun, I love 'em, so I had no problem figuring out if I was going to tag along with my friend Markus to someplace in Iowa or not. Off we went, and you know what? I was driving the whole way.
Christian's driving. I know, it's scary, it might even be nightmare-inspiring, but I have surprising news. I'm not reckless at all. Nor am I a bad driver, by any standards, I gotta say, I actually think I might be the born driver. Smoothly turning corners, heeding (most, so far) traffic signs, traffic lights, laws and regulations, heck, I even got traffic ethics down. I'm amazed, and so are the people who see me drive (not too many yet, but hey, I can claim it). The trip to Iowa this weekend was completed after only 2 night and one day session of real driving, which I find incredibly sweet seeing as I'm not wasting any time getting that licence. All in all, counting a pretty large detour on the way back, I actually drove
676 miles this weekend (for those not up to speed on the idiotic US system: about 1090 kilometers). And this fantastic distance (about the distance of Oslo-Trondheim-Oslo) included city driving, highway driving, interstate driving at about 75 miles (120 km) per hour, and multiple complicated car and trailer passings. I won't lie when I say I'm quite happy about this weekend's outcome, which puts me at about 18 hours of driving total, including the one (first) time I totally freaked out my dad driving on what normally were slow, boring roads...
Back in Soo-Foo (that's what all the coool kids call Sioux Falls) I find myself more relaxed than after a typical weekend. I break out in laughter over the smallest things, like today when my psychology prof (a guy with glasses and a long, long beard) exclaimed that "about 2/3 of my students don't want to talk to me", or my chem prof who suddenly started talking about "diabetics who go crazy and start spewing out formaldehyde everywhere". No one is laughing except me, but I honestly couldn't care less. I feel so happy I start laughing at whatever I can, and apparently find funny stuff even in places where the jokes are few and far between. A little crazy, yes, but me-sa no care. Happiness has never been negative.
Labels: Everyday, Minor Updates, News
Location: Changed
[WISH LIST FOR CHRISTIAN'S BIRTHDAY: CLICK HERE!]I moved. Finally. I moved to my friend Landon's former room, and I love it. It might be just across the hall from where I temporarily lived the past 12 days (remember: "my penthouse"), but it feels like it's in a totally different building. The room's actually square, the ceiling's barely slanting, and it's of course bigger. But that's not the only thing on my mind these days, I have occasional periods where I can't stop thinking about my cat, H.M. King Farouk I, so I thought I'd post the first picture of him in the history of the blog, right now, while I keep thinking about and missing him.
Here are my new keys, which obviously go together with my new room.
Just thought that'd be symbolic in a way.
Behold, it's... new.
This is the left side of the room, featuring my desk and the picture display.
Same side of the room as the last one, but featuring my bookcase and microwave.
The right side of my room, featuring my fridge, bed, Smallville poster and a flag. Now, I'm not exactly an American patriot, so don't worry - the flag's just decoration.
My bed, Smallville and Superman posters, and the end table (hard to see) with the alarm clock (important), phone and answering machine.
My fantastic walk-in closet, with my fascinating array of hats, and of course (almost) all my clothes.
The East Hall TV room, or my new living room, seeing as I don't have a TV, and this room has a DVD player and a VCR as well.
The pool room in East, somewhat old but fully useable. And we do.
My Japanese friend, Kei, who's a devoted tennis player.
That concludes this week's picture exclusive, straight from the prairie land of South Dakota.
Labels: College Stuff, Medical, Minor Updates, News, Pictures
Whatcha' Doin'?
For those of you wondering what's influencing me nowadays, take look at the TV-show
Scrubs.
I have a couple of contemporary joys nowadays. I'm working in the international office here on campus, for the director who's gone on a trip to Norway and who won't be back until February. I've been sat to make him websites (3 to be exact), on the topics Studying Abroad, the organization "South Dakota Sons of Norway", and lastly a webiste where guests can sign up to join some events the school's hosting in Norway. All great fun, but not nearly enough to fill 80 hours of work (equaling 2 weeks of 9-5 working, and 2 credit hours on my report card). Hence (and I sincerely hope my boss doesn't read this, but I'll tell you nevertheless) I get a lot of time to listen to music and surf the triple w's. Fun, and somewhat repetitive and boring when I don't have anything to do, but a good way of getting those precious two credits for internship work.
I moved, too, I haven't told ya that, to the north side of campus (where all the "big kids" live), and to a residence hall that's so-called "unassisted living", i.e. party-hardy and with more responsibility left up to the individual. Joy. My room's a little small and dungeon-like, though, even despite the fact that it's on the 4th floor (the very top, my "penthouse", hahaha). A friend of mine, Landon, is moving next week, to Honduras to join the Peace Corps, and that's when I swoop in and take over his room. It's bigger, in better shape, and actually square. It even has a little 'balcony', a wide ledge on the top of the roof accessed from the window, where you can sit and ponder life's big issues (like I need more of that) while taking in the flat, South Dakotan landscape and the sunrise. I'll post pictures on Saturday, after moving in.
Hold your breath.
Labels: Everyday, Minor Updates, News
