The Oldest Profession

At 9 am, the class of International English met up Storgata 11, where to Prosenter in Oslo is located. The prosenter is a state regulated organization that helps prostitutes by giving them healthcare and other services that they may need. I personally knew very little about prostitution and how it relates to poverty and drugs. I was very interested in seeing a different side to the so-called “Oldest profession”.

Upon our arrival, we met Ida who works at the Prosenter. She informed us about prostitution in Norway and how the law regulates it. In Norway, we use the term “sexkjøploven”, which states that you can legally sell sex, however you can not buy sex. This includes all sexual favours for money or some other form of payment, such as drugs or alcohol.

However, the general public has a misconception of how prostitution works. Most prostitutes work through online services and social media. Through the technology advancement, the common idea of street prostitution has disappeared.

To conclude, we learned a lot about the controversial life of a prostitute. It was very interesting and I would recommend everyone to educate themselves on this topic. There are some obvious flaws in the industry and the only way to solve them is to address them through open conversation.

Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. Trump.

Congratulations on your presidency.  I would like to thank you for showcasing a systemic problem with racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia in America.  I hope your great America includes people of different races and genders. Although I do not agree with your policies or your rhetoric, I will give you a chance to give up your reality star role and take on the role as a serious president.

First of all, I hope you open up for refugees and immigrants. You should give Mexicans a chance to show you that they are not rapists and criminals. Syrian refugees are trying to start a life without war, please let them. For the immigrants already living in America, I hope you keep deportations to a minimum.

Second,  I hope you continue to fund Planned Parenthood. The organization does an amazing job for women and men to plan their future and let them decide over their own bodies. No one should fear that their contraceptive won’t be available. While on the topic of women, I hope you understand that your earlier remarks and actions have not been forgotten. As a man with great power, I hope you treat women with the respect and dignity that they deserve. As a great president once said, “When women do well, everyone does well”.

While on the topic of women, I hope you understand that your earlier remarks and actions have not been forgotten. As a man with great power, I hope you treat women with the respect and dignity that they deserve. As a great president once said, “When women do well, everyone does well”.

Lastly, I would like to point out that America’s gun laws need to change. No one wants to take away your second amendment, but no one should be able to purchase a deadly weapon at Target. Respectable gun sellers should have background checks and be able to deny costumers guns if they are not suitable.

However, I understand that these are not your concerns.  But this is what your country needs. They need a strong leader to make America livable for people of all races and gender.

Dear Mr. Trump, I want to have faith that you can do this job. You are the 45th president of the United States and I shall treat you as one. Keep in mind, that I will hold you accountable for your actions as I would any other president.

Good luck.

A lovely meeting…

Today, the International English class took the train to National Theatre to interview interesting people in Oslo.

Celina and I went to Aker Brygge to seek out victims of our awkwardness.

Dawn was the first woman we met. She was sitting alone on a bench taking pictures of the view. Dawn was tired after a night shift at the crisis center where she works with abused women and children. Although she was tired, she was more than happy to talk to us. She moved to Norway 14 years ago from South Africa with her Norwegian ex-husband.

The conversation felt very natural and it was easy to talk to her. I would describe her as a very open and kind person. We laughed and discussed cultural differences between Norway and South Africa. She told us that she loves to make new friends with people all around the world, especially when traveling – which she usually does alone.

She has had amazing experiences in her life, like teaching underprivileged kids in South India, and being on Indian TV promoting women’s rights.

After a bit of small talk, I asked her two personal questions:

What is your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment is getting my masters. I had difficulty completing my education back in South Africa, so when I came to Norway I got my master in pedagogy.

What is your biggest failure?

First of all, I don’t see anything in my life as a failure. I see everything as a lesson learned. But I do regret getting a divorce, all though we are great friends today, I still feel like it was something I failed.

After meeting Dawn, I didn’t see “Humans of Oslo” as a school project, but an opportunity to speak to different people in Oslo.

A Few Questions…

Social media have become more and more important and powerful in today’s society. Describe some of the ways in which social media are used. Give examples.

Social media is a part of our daily lives. In today’s society, we live two lives. One online and one in real life. This has turned into a powerful platform for politics and the way we spread a message. It is often used for marketing and advertising.  A result of this can be both positive and negative. One example of social media being a powerful platform may be the radicalization of young people to join different extremists groups. This has changed terrorism and radicalization drastically in the last decade.

What is multiculturalism? Can you give examples of multicultural societies? What possibilities and challenges do multicultural societies face?

Multiculturalism is a society with a mixture of cultures and cultural traditions within a geographic area. Singapore is an amazing example of a multicultural society. You can find every religious temple or church and even Christians get a public holiday during Ramadan. There is walking distance from Little India, where you can experience real Indian culture to the Sultan Mosque on Arab Street. These societies face a wide range of challenges. Two cultures can be widely different and sometimes this can cause problems when it comes to morals and ethics. This can result in an ethical dilemma. It can also be a possibility to connect with different people and learn about other people’s culture and traditions.

Many young people choose to go abroad to study or work. What might be the reasons for this?

As our society evolves, young people decide to make to move across borders to a new country. This is often because of different school and work opportunities. A lot of people love to travel and experience different cultures, resulting in a temporary or permanent move. Studying or working abroad can open a lot of doors to opportunities you never knew you had.

 

Feed It

Today we had an exercise in International English. We had to do multiple activities to do with personal space and trust.

Going into this exercise, I felt nervous and curious because I didn’t know what to expect. After reading the plan for the day, I knew Dave had something special in mind. I was expecting a day of small talk and awkward laughs.

However, during the exercise, I felt relieved and grateful that other people in the class felt the same way I did. In the beginning, I felt nervous and uncomfortable because I did not want other people invading my space or invade my classmate’s personal space. It was all over a good experience and I felt more comfortable with the other students. I think I felt these emotions because it is a new class and it is often hard to break the ice.

Today, I learned that it can be a positive experience to step out fo your comfort zone to make it easier for yourself and the people around you. I felt it was difficult to speak English during the exercise because it is so natural to get to know someone in your mother tongue. This is something I would like to work on.

 

Where are you, Matisse?

On Wednesday, the 28th of October, the class of 1STA visited the Henie Onstad center. We were told about the messy history behind Henri Matisse’s “Blue Dress, Ocher Armchair”. The painting had been at the Henie Onstad center since 1968.

In 2012 the museum were informed that the painting had been a part of a nazi plunder under the second World War. This meant that the center had to return the painting to the rightful owners. To celebrate the painting, the museum decided to dedicate a exhibition to “Blue Dress, Ocher Armchair”. Many artist contributed and the exhibition was great. One Norwegian artist had painted four white squares around the center to represent the loss.

Personally, I found this trip and exhibition very pleasant and interesting. I find it interesting that a painting can have such a messy background and feel like a loss to many people. The tour guide kept things interesting and told the story in such a way that made me want to listen. Too bad that not everyone felt this way. I don’t think there is much you can do, to improve the tour.

Where is this place?

The place I am going to describe is where I spent five weeks this summer. The city and the country has the same name. The city has approximately 6 million citizens and is located in South-East Asia. The city is one of the richest in the world.  It is the place for international business and over 1 million expats move to this city to work. The official language of this country is English, but school is taught in Mandarin.

The climate is the same all year round. The country is located near the equator and the weather is very tropical. The air is hot and humid. Rain and thunderstorms happen almost everyday, but only last for a little while.

Shopping is a popular thing to do here. Make sure to visit Orchard Road on your trip for a day-long shopping trip!  Also visit Little India where you can shop 24-hours and eat delicious Indian food. If you like rollercoasters, you may want to visit Universal Studios.

The best way to travel around the city is by the MrT. The MrT takes you across the city in less then 30 minutes. It is the cheapest and fastest way to get around town.

I hope you get a chance to visit this amazing city and country!