Hallo from Oslo!

Salutations from the land up north. Like seriously north. Like this place is north of a significant chunk of Alaska. During my stay the weather averaged a balmy 53 Fahrenheit while getting an incredible 20 hours of true sunlight a day and another 4 hours of the lightest night I have had the “pleasure” of sleeping through :p. But through this cold climate the Norwegians have prevailed as the unequivocally “hottest” nation I have ever been to. These Norwegians are all gorgeous: men, women, children, dogs, everyone. I owe it to the fact that they also have a nearly perfect social system where there is an extremely low level of poverty, free healthcare, and “shit-tons” of vacation. When I visited Russia and Latvia I could see the epic failures of extreme socialism, and that made me wary of any collectivized system. This was the very apparent, systemic success of a moderate socialist system. I could drone on about this for days and days, but the theme is that I really believe they have figured out a higher form of living, in the arctic circle of all places!!!! But enough with my fantasizing, first I must thank my cousin Tom and Mari, both were incredibly generous hosts who welcomed me into their home with open arms. They showed me all around the wonderful city of Oslo, taught me the ways of the Norwegian, and entertained my delusional search for whale meat. I am very grateful for their hospitality and look forward to seeing them in August!!
Oslo is a unique city in that it is very much a European capital with monuments, famous buildings, and is equipped with top of the line public transportation. However it is utterly devoid of tourists, making Amsterdam look like Disney in comparison. Whether it’s the kroner, the weather, or the long journey north, tourists don’t seem to travel it up here making sightseeing a very enjoyable experience. It also made the art museums pleasant as well as I was often the only person in a room. The Munch Museum and the National Gallery were both good exhibits, showing off artists from both Norway and around the world. Here are my reflections:

“The Scream” – Edvard Munch – Munch Museum
Edvard Munch is the “modern national artist” of Norway, with works heralded around the world. The Scream is his most famous painting, and one of my personal favorite works. I interpret it as one man who is in his moment of utter panic, and this has made the world so “crazy” for him. Onlookers farther down the road look on, and watch him as his reality augments during his terror. Some may look at this painting as depressing, scary, or creepy, but I look at it a little different. To me it is a message of hope carried by the two people on the left. In the context the people are not out of proportion or augmented, they stand as a normal person. Yes the world may change, seem crazy, be too hectic, or terrorizing. But in reality it is often more the portrayal of events in your head that is hectic, and if you remember that no problem is “unfixable” then everything will be ok. That is why I see this as a good painting to end on. Over this whole trip I have encountered many problems- whether when my flights all got canceled at 1 am in Latvia, I had no where to stay in Paris, or had got on the train to the wrong airport in Oslo. Each one of these incidents had me incredibly stressed, thinking the world was going to end. But as long as I remembered that I could solve any problem put in front of me, and that the sun will rise tomorrow, I was ok.
“Bridal Procession on the Hardangerfjord” – Adolph Tidemand and Hans Gude – National Gallery
So this is a very Norwegian painting, probably the most traditional Norwegian painting I had seen. Fijords, boats, and happy men, it has it all. This glorification of the classic lifestyle really appeals to me, and brings about a sense of satisfaction and nostalgia. These guys had it all figured out- they had a job, friends, beer, and a boat (The essentials). If I can figure out how I consistently have that in life I think I will be happy, and that is what I work for. They are also living in a gorgeous area, with huge mountains rolling up straight from the sea. If I could idealize life, that would be it.

But this is my last stop. Going to roll through Riga, Saint- P, Frankfurt, and Toronto on the way home, should be quite fun.

This trip has been eye opening for me. The opportunity to travel alone really ensured that I was immersed in the local culture, met new people, tried new food, and learnt new words. The art really helped bring about some of the best reflection I have ever done, and blogging about it helped me get my thoughts out in a logical manner. I have really fallen in love with the French empire style of art, and now more than ever appreciate all different types of artists and the background they come from. This independent fellowship has been an academic experience that I could have never received in a classroom, and these memories last a lifetime. I have met so many amazingly kind and hospitable people who were so generous by just showing me around their city. I have homes everywhere I can go now, and I really look forward to getting back to Europe some day. But until then I am ready to head back state side and see my family, so to all I say Goodbye!

Currently listening to :
American Boy – Estelle feat. Kanye

Hallo Amsterdam!

I arrived in the land of bicycles and beers on Tuesday not knowing a think about the city, and left with a group of friends forged through canal water and late nights. Coming from Paris the city felt completely devoid of all tourists and all the nuisances that accompany them. Combined with the local cuisine being pancakes and beer, the use of bicycles, and the boats, Amsterdam was shaping up to be one of my favorite cities. Air there was the cleanest I had ever breathed in a major city, due to the reduced presence of cars and the canals bringing in fresh air from the ocean. Dutch as a language is also very similar to English; with my background in English and Latin I was almost able to understand it. The art there was incredible; Rijksmuseum is a national treasure for Holland. Although not as massive as the Louvre or as exclusive as Stådel, Rijksmuseum has a unique flavor of its own, proudly showcasing the work of both generations of Dutch artists and artists from around the world. It held a wide variety of mediums, always keeping the viewer on their toes, peeking around the corner to see what the next room held. The Van Gogh museum was another experience; different from any other museum I had been to yet in that it was the first museum to fully dedicate itself to one artist. It carried accompanying masterpieces however Van Gogh was the center of everything. The story of Van Gogh was particularly interesting as the museum chronicled the ups and downs of his life (unfortunately it consisted mostly of downs) with his art. This provided each work with a context that I had never seen before in an art setting, dramatically enhancing the experience. Here are my pieces of Art that I reflected on:

“The Night Watch” – Rembrandt – Rijksmuseum
So the nights watch is a depiction of a group of civilian soldiers gathered together for a similar purpose of protecting the city at night. When in Amsterdam I found a group of friends that were gathered together for a similar purpose as well, albeit touring around the city instead of protecting it. Over the course of my travels and often my studies it can get a little lonely, and it is really grounding and quite fun for me to enjoy the company of a group for a bit. We were all staying in the same hostel room, and quickly forged a group friendship that made it quite easy to unwind and feel at home. This painting really brought a sense of respite for me, helping me unwind.
“The Little Street” – Vermeer – Rijksmuseum
The Little Street was the opposite of the Nights Watch in that it was just a simple landscape. The colors are bright but relaxed, the lines clear but not sharp, and it was divided into quarters very evenly. This painting also brought about a sense of relaxation and peace for me, and even though it is devoid of meaningful human subjects it still conveys the underrated emotion of serenity. I often felt this when walking through Amsterdam, and this paining of Amsterdam really embodies its subject.
“Self portrait” – Van Gogh – Van Gogh Museum
So Van Gogh was one of the most talented artists to ever walk earth. His volume of masterpieces concretes that claim as undisputable. However he also suffered from debilitating mental illness that would ultimately claim his life. He is known for expressing his emotions (often that of despair) in his work, and it is very evident in his self-portraits. He painted dozens of these, all of himself, for either practice or sale. These self-portraits are masterpieces, and made very evident of how depressed he was feeling. They struck home for me as I can sometimes have a rollercoaster of emotions going from very happy to very sad. Over time I have learned to control these swings, and I think I have been quite successful in it. When looking into these paintings I see my “old self” and what I could have become if I were to allow myself to be sad constantly. It becomes hard to view these over and over again as I empathize deeply with him, but I must remember that these paintings serve as a lesson for me to make sure I am always trying to be happy.
Note* I am by no means saying that just thinking to be happy is a solution for everyone. Depression is a real medical condition that can often require a doctor to treat you. If you are feeling depressed you’re not alone: call a hotline, talk to a friend, see your doctor, do whatever you need to do to get the appropriate help. Remember there is no shame in depression, the first step to getting better is admitting that it is there.

But off that dreary talk, now I am going to swing north for a bit to Oslo and pay Munch and Co. a visit. Arctic Circle bound!