Poetry?

What makes a poem a poem?
I could argue anything is a poem.
My words which I spit from my pursed lips
Take their place in the world.
Significant?
Maybe not.
But then again
my words may crash upon the world
becoming a surging tidal wave
and destroy all that is now
and create place for new.

letter after letter
I plant the seeds
shaping words
which in turn
burst into bloom
ever changing this world.
forming this.
A poem.

The Dark Knight

Last evening I witnessed possibly the greatest movie ever made to this date: The Dark Knight.

For those of you who do not know the story of Batman, here is a short and quick refresher. The Batman Saga begins, of course, with a young boy, Bruce Wayne, who becomes deathly afraid of bats after falling into the entrance of a bat cave as a small child. After asking his parents to leave in the middle of an opera performance one night, Bruce feels guilty, as his parents were both shot and killed outside the theater on their way home.
As he grows older, Bruce begins to deal with the pain and suffering by studying to become a ninja in the League of Shadows. Finding out later that this would not suit his needs, Bruce returns to his city of Gotham to try to save it from its terrible destiny. Boy, was he in over his head...

This second movie, The Dark Knight, which continues the story, focuses on the joined forces of Batman, James Gordon, and Harvey Dent, as they try to stop the psychotic bank robber, The Joker (Played by Heath Ledger).
Now this character, The Joker, is the one I'd like to comment about. First, Heath Ledger, congratulations. That was possibly the best acting I've ever seen. All I can say, though, Heath, is wow. Seriously, I will need to see this movie many more times before I can comment more, because as of now, I am just in shock.
Second, I felt myself strangely drawn to The Joker. Although he was psychotic and out there to kill, many of his beliefs I found to be true. For example, when The Joker comments about government and order.

Introduce a little anarchy... Upset the established order... Well then everyone loses their minds!

Finally, The Joker is the most clever villain I have ever heard of. His extremely wreckless ways drive the viewer almost into insanity as they watch The Joker come up with one incredible scheme after another.

Well, I think I will just need to explain sometime my favorite villains, and why. Heath Ledger, and The Joker are consuming me slightly right now. And my thoughts are unclear.

But remember kids...

You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

housewife

I don't understand why women complain about being housewives.

In our modern society, no woman is forced to become what was once viewed as the typical wife. Women are not expected to put on an apron and just serve her whole life as before. But some women, as myself, find this idea of a housewife intriguing. However old fashioned it may be, this idea of becoming a housewife seems rewarding to me, for I am one who wants to give and give and give. But many women, on the opposite side of the debate, find that 'housewife' is just a degrading cultural mistake that should ultimately be forgotten.

According to this study at National Statistics Online1, most women enjoy what they do at home, and most men enjoy their jobs as well. So whats the problem? Why does everything have to be about 'fairness?' These tasks which are assigned to each of the genders are gender fitting. For example, it makes sense that since men are bigger and stronger that they should work on physical tasks, such as yardwork. And women, who are taught from a young age to be care givers and detail oriented should take on tasks such as childcare and cooking.

Household tasks differ by gender. Men contribute most to yard work and home maintenace, while women carry 75% of the burden for grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, and dishwashing. The difference is that men's tasks can be delayed, while women's tasks are constant.2

But is it really fair for men to expect so much of women at home when the number of women in the workplace keeps growing and growing? Now do women not only have the responsibility of a job away from home, but they have the daily tasks that come along with having a household and children.

Women do more housework than men. On average, women ages 18-65 spend about 30 hours per week in paid employment and 22 hours doing housework (see also Arlie Hochschild's, The Second Shift, 1989). Men average about ten hours per week doing housework, a figure which changes little when their wives work and they have young children in the household.2

But then we must ask ourselves, as women, can we really place the blame on men? After all, it is ourselves trying to break the barriers and expand into the world as a fighting army of women in the workplace. We take on too much. I strongly believe that with the man as the provider for the family and with the woman as the primary caregiver and houseworker, a family can function happily and successfully. That is not to say that this 'system' of family is foolproof and the best way to live, but it seems to be the most practical, at least for my life.


1. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=288
2. http://asweb.artsci.uc.edu/sociology/kunzctr/stats.htm#housework%20and%20child%20care

the good citizen

I guess you could say that there is so much that society requires from us. At any age really. From the day we are born, we are little students to become the next great ones of the world. All of us have a purpose in society, whether good or bad. Both equally important in my opinion.

I have now reached the point in my life where society needs me to become like all of the others. I need to become one of the workforce. The monotonous life. 9-5 workdays. Well, not entirely like that. I have just recently gotten a job at Fiddleheads, a small family owned coffee house in Thiensville, WI. Not the typical teenage job, that is to say, but still a small step into conformity. I wonder often if this would make me happy. Conforming into all that society, my parents and family included, expects of me. I'm a free spirited type. And so the answer is an obvious, no.

I think of all that is required of each adult in this wonderful, free, country that I live in:
To be a good law abiding citizen, To be a good citizen in general (which usually involves becoming one of the religious people), To pay taxes, To hold a job, To support a family, To become a senior citizen and steal the money from the young who actually need it, To follow trends (whatever these may be), To support the horrible decisions of our government, etc. This list could go on forever and as it may seem like most of these are common sense and okay things to do, the people who carry out these actions are the problem.

I don't want to become the typical adult in America. Especially not like my parents. I love them and respect them, but their expectations in life for me are to become somewhat of clones of them. And I will tell you that there is no way in hell that I will let my life revolve around the 3 things that theirs do... 1) god 2) money 3)putting on the 'fake face' that comes along with being a 'good citizen'

So my question, and dilemma, is not really about conformity, its just about what I really want to do with my life. Maybe I could be happy getting a regular job and becoming a regular joe. But the probability of that is slim to nothing. Therefore, I will have to come up with something much more spectacular. (I've always had a thing for a little bit of spunk). Maybe I'll just marry my Norwegian man and then live in the forest and become one with nature. That wouldn't really be changing the world in the way I'd hoped, but It'd be doing something I love with the one I love. Well thats the thing about regular jobs too, are they bearable because people who have them either have nobody to come home to at all so they fill their empty lives with this nothingness they call 'productive achievements,' or do they have someone they love to come home to? Well I prefer, of course, the latter. And if I do get stuck as one in the workforce, I will be sure that I am always coming home to the one I love. (If I become a housewife then I'll always be there... I'll write about my dream of being one some other time...)

But, yes, I have begun my dreadful journey into adulthood. Conformity. Working. Well, if can't be all that bad... can it?

Back

Ive forgotten to write, of course, but I suppose I will begin again, for the reason of I one day have a dream to become a writer, and now Im back in the US where things have become once again a monotonous cycle inside this self indulged society.

I will begin to write soon again. Of this I swear.

Bergen

Bergen was amazing. And there's not really any way to explain it in words... so here are some pics. and I LOVE AFS NORGE!

Yiren and I on the pier in Bergen at 7 am, waiting for our Breakfast... which we ate outside in the chilly morning.

AFS group infront of the Aquarium. We were all so tired from the sleepless night on the train from Oslo to Bergen.

Paul and I in front of Bryggen... the famous old buildings on the edge of the harbor.

In the fort. Just taking pictures and walking around... trying to do something cultural in the city... other than partying...

The weather was sooo nice... we just had to sit in the park and enjoy it... and wave at every bus that passed...

Theo sleeping... we had to draw on his face...

Me in front of a statue of Edvard Grieg. He is a famous composer who wrote Peer Gynt, etc. and his hometown is in the area of Bergen.

Beautiful sunset... Rene and I. We took long walks just enjoying the magnificent mountains and long hours with light. =)

The Fløybanet(train) that goes up the mountain. It was spectacular.

Theo and I were outside... in swimsuits. OMG! Its finally getting warm... we never thought that day would come...

After taking the Fløybanet up the mountain... we had to take pictures of the beautiful city below... Theo and I.

When we were walking down from Fløyfjell, we went to a playground, and we discovered that Paul and I weigh pretty much the same...

So I was in the Bergen train station, as Paul was going to leave, and I see this guy walking funny, like spiderman or something, and I took a double take, and screamed. IT WAS RYAN!! After 9 months, I saw him! AHHH! I'm still freaking out about it!

So pretty much... Bergen was amazing. The city was beautiful, but the trip wouldn't have been any fun without my superb friends.

at school and bored.

huh?

i have pretty much nothing to work on. I have to do two projects, on american colonization, and american media... but the internet is not a sufficient source, so i must wait until i arrive in the us to do them. so thats a bit still. so as of now, im dying of boredom...

so wierd

its so wierd to think that in 2 days ill sleep in my own bed. and eat bagels. and drive my car. omgggg. it seems like a lifetime ago. I think its goingto be so wierd to come home again, and then especially to leave again to come back to norway. ÅHG sooo wared. but OMG BAGELS! and DRIVING! i am not sure ill want to leave again after i get to drive my car and such, but i know i have to. And i dont think id be able to live without tristan. id die. no joke. I have no idea what Ill do next year when I dont have him there with me every day. Hes such a big part of my life that i just cant imagine it, you know. But im super excited to see my puppy again, and such. but its so wierd.

Påske and whatnot

Påske. hmmm. Easter holidays were spent very differently here in the land of norway.
We spent a week up near Sulitjelma, near sweden. We were out skiing almost every day. Initially, I liked skiing. a lot. but near the end of the week, skiing was the last thing I had on my list of things I want to do. But nevertheless, we were out skiing, and on our last day, we went skiing down the mountain, and I remember that I said all of the time *I hate skiing*, It actually was more like yelling.
Just like every family trip that has ever been, I am now a little sick of my family and I just want to get out with my friends. But thats a little difficult, because I feel like Im obligated to be home at a certain time, etc. But the thing is, in the US with my real family, I would have to problem pissing them off and staying out way late with my friends, but here I feel like I have to be a part of the family. And dont get me wrong, I love my family, but Im at the age now where I should be able to leave and make a life of my own. Which I desperately want to do, but it feels impossible under these circumstances.
I know my parents would never aprove, but what I really want to do is just stay over at my friends houses on 'school nights'. were big enough and responsible enough to be able to get up in the mornings and go to school. I should be able to stay overnight at tristans house. Itd make things a lot easier for the whole world, no shit. but by people who think they have a high authority over me, for people who think they know my limits better than I do, they make these stupid rules. I know what it is I need in my life. and Ill make sure Ill get it, and ill do it on my own terms, not on anyone elses.

thoughts

boredom.

boredom.

boredom.

boredom.

boredom.

boredom.

boredom.

boredom.

that is a little bit of how i feel.

very much so, actually.

eidsvoll, norway i infact, in my eyes, the most boring place on earth.

its almost IMPOSSIBLE to do things with my friends because buses almost neverrrrrr are driving. the public transport SUCKS! its really frustrating. because after school I usually just come home and spend many hours on my computer, reading, watching tv, or writing. Its not very fulfilling to me.

I want to get out. I want to do things. I need to be with my friends. I feel like I have this requirement to be with my host family, but my friends need me also, and I need my friends just as much. Theyre my support system while I am here, and will be for the rest of my life.

If I had my way, Id go visit my friends every day. We'd do exciting things, like to go Oslo. We'd probably go there every day if we could. Its like the only interesting place in Norway to us. We come from different place, my friends and I. We are not satisfied with just sitting around with our families for 8 hours after school every day. We want to go out and experience things.

I want to get rid of alot of the rules here. I think I am responsible enough, and I know myself well enough to know what is okay and not okay for me. I think thats the age where rules need to stop. And I should be able to make my own decisions. I should be able to sleep over at whatever friends' houses i want. I should be able to go into the city when it is dark. I should be able to be out with my friends late on school nights, and sleep there if I have to. I want to be freer. I feel trapped.

I want to be with tristan right now. I want to be with him tomorrow. I want to be with him the day after... but Im not allowed to all the time. What parents, what people think they should have the authority to keep us apart. We are in love. Nobody can stop that. or will stop that. its not possible. We are old enough to take care of ourselves. We are old enough to take care of each other. We will make our own mistakes and learn from them. But thats life. Its no fun without messing up. I want to make a mess out of things with him, and then clean it up together. and learn from it. We can make it through anything.

Im looking forward to going back to the US again. Where I can drive. And there are actually things to do every day of the week. Thank god. Im going to bore myself to death here. The days go by slower and slower. All I want to do right now is get out. And do something with my life. I feel like the people around me and myself have somehow put it on pause. I never want that to happen. I want to live everyday.

Vikings in Oslo

Phone booth at the Train station

Livet er greit

well. an update im sure is needed. a lot has been going on lately. including a now 6 day migraine. not so much fun, but at least its not as bad as it has been...

last thursday i got in a fight with tristan. it was, ofcourse, not the least bit fun. and that lead me into having this migraine, which has now been disrupting my life for 6 days. Maren came on friday to spend the weekend, but poor her, i was definately not up to it. I spent the whole weekend wallowing in patheticness complaining about tristan and my head.

On Friday night we went to Jessheim to shop and go out to eat. That was pretty fun, i ended up buying some bright green crocs.

On Saturday we went to Oslo to visit some friends. We ended up hanging out mostly on karl johanns gate, the main shopping street in norway. (like state street times a million). That was also a little bit fun, but the whole time this fight with tristan was a plague to me. I just couldnt get him outta my mind, and therefore the migraine just got worse. At one point i just laid down in the train station and tried to sleep cause I couldnt do anything else. Then the nausea started. But thank god i have such good friends. They just sat with me and walked with me, instead of going out and having fun. But thats, I guess, what friends are for.

Anyways, on Monday I finally talked with tristan. And were okay now. =). He is going to be more honest with me, even on times when he knows itll hurt my feelings. and Im going to think before I act. (something thats been needing work for a verrrry long time).

Today Im going to hang out with my love. Im not exactly sure what well do yet, but I now have a card where I can go wherever I want to in Akershus and Oslo. So thats really good. Its very helpful because I have more freedom now to take trains when I want, cause it doesnt cost so much. YAY!

Vi skulle dra for å ake på lørdag, i Olso. Men..... vi har ikke noe snø. =(. wæææææææ. Så kanskje vi skal gjøre noe ant i Olso ellers må vi bare kjede oss hjemme hele dagen. Trine hjelper meg med norsken min akkurat nå. Jeg må fortsette å øve på norsken min. Det er alltid mer å lære om språket. Nå er det nesten pausen. Da må jeg gå. tata. =)

wææææææ

yo whadddup

this is mara
and maren

were bored at school. and were going to jessheim today and oslo tomorrow. wheeeee.

Winterbreak! Vinterferie

This past week has been winter break for my school.
The first few days I as home here in Eidsvoll and I hung out with friends and such. On wednesday I went up in the mountains with my mom and sisters and some extended family for a hytta tur. We went cross country skiing and down hill skiing. both of which i am now in love with. ill update more later cause my computers being a little dumb.

updates and such needed things

So Becka told me to update, and i guess i should listen to her sometimes, even if im in a whole other part of the world than her. well ive been super busy here lately. i was out every day last week i think and also on friday and saturday as well. then today i was at tristans the whole day. i got to play with siri linn a little! WHEEE! maybe one day shell be my sister in law. which is wierd to think, cause i think of her as my niece or something. anyways, well, whatd i do last week.. On onsdag i was at swimming with friends and then afterwards we went to marius' and watched jackass and stuff. on thursday i have absolutely no idea what i did. on friday i went to visit my friends in the elementary school, and i ended up playing with then for 30 min. haha. i cant wait til im a teacher!then afterschool i went to my local contact family. Liv (mom) and Jenny (sister). that was pretty fun. we watched a norwegian movie called elling. on lørdag was ukm. its like a talent show. both jenny and karo prefromed and went on to the next level!! afterwards we went out to eat and such things.

Yeah, so its been pretty busy. but i still have time to do my important marissa things such as crafty things, writing, and reading (i have this new book i bought whihc is realllllllly good, its called 'mannen som elsket yngve' or translated means the man who loved yngve.)

Party at afs camp. wheeeee (maren and i)

oops

i always forget to update. well, not much to say now... cant really type, i have to concentration... im sick with some kind of stomach bug. mmmm tasty. and i have to get better before tomorrow, because i am going away with afs for the whole weekend. eeeeeeeeek!

working next week, etc.

so, im going to be working next week at my sisters school. that should be kinda fun... but i dont think ill be seeing tristan every day though, wahhhhhh... anyways, tristans sick today. my poor baby. =(. i might go visit him later though, but im also going to a tv show tonight so ill see if i can stop by. tomorrow though Im definately seeing him. no question about that...

haha. that was tristans face when he saw my hair. haha. (shock??)

updatering

so. i havent written in a while and dont have much time now... so ill update soon. but the only news i really have is...





I DYED MY HAIR PURPLE!!!

during the dying

the result!!! with a nice face walking in the cold...

Jul, Nyttårs, etc.

Christmas was spent up north in Norway in a place called Sulis. You probably wouldnt find it if you looked on a map, because not even 1000 people live there. But ill tell you, it was beautiful. It was a little town on the side of a mountain, at least a half hour away from any civilization. They had one store, a grocery store. The christmas was really nice. We did traditional norwegian things, which arent so different from american things. We went to chruch on new years eve (the only time ill ever go this year), then went home and ate ribs and polse, then we sang christmas songs around the christmas tree, and then we opened gifts, which took hoursssssss. the favoritie gift that i recieved was a painting of a troll that my grandpa here made for me. beautiful norwegian things. I tried skiing for the first time.... which was quite fun. But lets just say, i need to practice a lot more before i even come close to norwegian standards... then we spent most of the time just with family and such. Mamma, Pappa, and Ingrid drove back home and Karo and I took a train from northern norway home... it was pretty fun actually, but it got kinda long (17 hours on trains). When we came home we had a little christmas eve, just with us here, cause we couldnt take all of the gifts with, of course. When sleep finally came, we were all verryyy glad. The day after was new years eve already, and I spent the day with Tristan. Then later on we went to a very 'german' party, where the majority of the guests were from germany. therefore, the language of choice of the evening was one that i dont understand everything in... but i understand suprisingly much for not ever trying to learn it. New years eve actually felt a lot like the 4th of july because at midnight, all of the norwegians light off rockets and have sparklers. And we just watched a lot of the fireworks from across the lake (i was at my friends house which is on lake Mjøsa, the largest lake in norway). So now its the new year, and i know its gonna be great. because Im here in norway with a great boyfriend, family, and friends. and when i go back to the us, tristan will hopefully come with and ill soon be 18 after i return. and then..... SOON BACK TO NORWAY!! (if all goes as planned, for college!!!) Maybe germany though, for college.... i dont know, i dont want to decide my whole life now... thats so stupid, i want to be an artist, and artists can follow rules and deadlines... we just go whenever something strikes us. speaking of which, i really have the desire to play viola right now. So ill set in some pics and then play away.

Tristan and I at new years party.

Trying to show Tristan what 'spooning' was, but tim hadda jump on top...