de Young Museum

Seeing the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the de Young Museum today was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Never have I seen couture that screams boudoir as loudly as here, and I'm astonished by how it's possible to think beyond limits the way Jean Paul Gaultier does.

Visiting modern museums in San Francisco is officially my new favorite thing to do. 

Last Week

If you've walked through the streets and parks of San Francisco lately and noticed a tall brunette in a burgundy blazer, snapping photos like an obsessed person, it might just as well have been me. I feel so shamelessly eager about documenting everything, that I wonder if people look at me and wonder whether I'm a little socially inept. 

I didn't consider bad weather to be a possibility in California at all. (I know, I know. All you Californians can laugh at me now). In any case I'm happy about last week. I must admit that never has a sunny week in a new city felt so invigorating.

Sunday in the City

Following today's weather forecast,  we missed out on a potential trip to the Muir Woods. Instead we strolled around the Haight and ate brunch at la Boulange. We admired the ocean view from Fisherman's Wharf and watched a red sun set over Alcatraz Island. 

With all what we have seen and experienced lately, it's a little incomprehensible to me that one week from now we will be on our way back home. That old reality seems so distant. 

Museum of Modern Art

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was just the place to go on a rainy day. Not every piece of art here is comprehensive for us normal folks (like the one on the third photo), but there was one very interesting exhibition that caught our attention: the non-glorifying portraits by Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra.

In modern art there are absolutely no rules to what a canvas can contain. It's a nice reminder of the fact that art is a limitless experiment with concepts.

Five Favorites

1. Quiet mornings. I'm talking about the waking-up-at-six kind, when there isn't much else to do than sip coffee and not much else to listen to than bird chat.

2. Dancing. I like how focusing on the choreography draws your attention from the fact that you are doing hard body work. It's definitely the best way to exercise.

3. Croissants. Nothing tastes better than those buttery, delicious pastries. Although they seem very time consuming to make, I have serious intentions of baking my own when I'm back in Noway for Easter,

4. Leather satchels. The ones I like are usually too expensive to buy on a student budget, so for now I'm mostly just admiring them.

5. Cabin trips. Although I'm not the biggest fan of skiing, or winter for that matter, I can't deny that spending time in a warm, candle lit cabin with good company is one of my favorite things to do.

Thank you, lovely Maja, for tagging me in the five things game! I'm challenging Vic, Lamina, Katerina, Gretchen and Holly to write five facts about yourselves. (I made mine about my favorite things, but you can choose whatever you like). What do you say girls?

Jet Lag Cure

The last couple of days have been all about eating delicious lunches at cozy cafes, admiring street art and in general keeping myself busy from falling asleep around noon. I think that spending this day with my new friend Mikaela, pluss a frappuccino with a double espresso shot, did the job. 

Best of the Haight

When Victorian architecture meets acid street art you would normally expect it to be a crash of epic proportions. Somehow, Haight-Ashbury is exactly that, but where these two elements seem to blend. I think the common denominator is the unashamed boldness. The Haight is definitely what puts colorfulness into the perception of San Francisco.  I hope that this city never stops to amaze me the way it just did today.

Japanese Tea Garden

It was easy making up my mind about what to see first when I went to the Golden Gate Park. The Japanese Tea Garden seemed to be such an obvious first choice. Staying for a while among blooming cherry trees with streams running in the background was exactly what my very jet-lagged body needed. 

Sunday in the City

Our aim for the day was getting to know the city better, so we followed along on one of the hop-on-hop-off buses, which in my opinion is one of the best ways to being introduced to a new city. There is so much I want to see and experience. By now my list is so long that I'm not sure if I can do all of it in two weeks. Isn't that typical? 

From today Sigurd is working by day, and I'm on my own. This means I have the freedom to spend my time however I like. I'm a little tempted to put away my intention of studying while I'm here, although I know that is not an option with all the work I have to do.

That being said, the new environment lifts my mood and gives me the much needed energy. It feels like I've been waiting for these days forever. Suddenly, the dream of finding a job where I'll have the possibility to travel doesn't seem so far fetched as previously imagined.

First Impressions

Even if I've only been here a day, San Francisco has already surpassed almost all my expectations. The city is just as colorful and cheery as I imagined. So far, the weather has not been on our side, but hopefully it will all change by tomorrow. 

I've realized how great it feels to be back in the United States in general. I don't know if there is any other culture where people are this forthcoming. Just saying "Good Morning" to strangers on the street is such an unfamiliar thing to do in Norway. But I love it. I feel like I have a lot to learn from the american way of being. 

15 more days are to come here in San Francisco. 

Up, Up and Away

My suitcase is soon to be packed and my mind is loaded with expectations. S and I are heading over to San Francisco on Friday. The long flight terrifies me as always, and I'm in complete awe of my my best friend and other cabin crew folks like him. I'm the kind of person who always worries whether we'll come out of the heavy turbulence alive or not.

But then again, it is a beautiful view up there. I love the fascinating feeling of being suspended in time, knowing that the place you are going to might be a completely different world compared to the one you live your everyday life in. What a transition.

I know that many of my friends here are from the U.S. and I would love to hear your recommendations for San Francisco if you have some. I'm open for anything, but especially to all kinds of places with beautiful photographic motives. After all, I'm taking with me two very handsome cameras.

the Garden Lady

I could go on for ages about how eventless the last couple of weeks, not to mention the days, have been. The weather has not been suitable for photography, and even if it was, I have scrutinized this town photographically from each possible angle. Although I've been studying, painting and sketching a little, everything feels uninspiring. 

I'm thinking about summer and my mom's passion for gardening. It gets her outdoors every single day from April to September. She spends so much time gardening that spectacular things are bound to happen. By the end of the season we can harvest everything from squash to cherries, which is a big accomplishment when you live in Norway. In contrast to myself, being reluctant to buy a cactus in fear of killing it,  my mother embarks on every garden adventure fearlessly and succeeds ninety-nine percent of the time. 

Mama, how are you doing it? 

Not such a Rosy Day

Every now and then, whatever we do, we can't help but feel anything else than sad. The last couple of days have felt heavy. I am constantly anticipating something. Putting things on hold for other things to work out. Planning things to the smallest detail, just because I can't stand waiting anymore. Longing for things to come that are just around the corner (spring, San Francisco, moving to Oslo) and some that are further away.

We do get back on our feet, though. Eventually. Usually feeling so much better than we think we ever could.

Bergen

 I know it's probably nothing compared to San Francisco, but I would say that Bergen has it's fair share of candy colored buildings. If there would be at least one sunny day each week, I would probably have loved this town.