Reflections: Stephen Anderson

I am currently studying joinery and carpentry at the Shetland College and I am working for a local construction firm DITT. I was given two work placements, one including the same kind of work I take part in back home.

As we left Lerwick harbour I just couldn't believe that we were heading to Norway to live and work for one month. It just sounded like an amazing experience we had a head of us. When we woke up in the morning we had a long day of travelling ahead of us.

We got a “Welcome to Voss” presentation from Knut, the international coordinator in Voss, where he showed us some of the many placements we were joining in Voss. Then he showed us our accommodation and left us to it. The next day we met the other international coordinator named Trond and he took us on a tour, showing our placements and other interesting things in Voss, including the Wind Tunnel, cinema and library.

When we started our work placements I was situated on a construction site, building a house for two weeks. I took part in a lot of different jobs like preparing the walls and ceilings for plaster-boarding, using glass wool for insulation and putting up wooden studs. For my last week I went to work at “Tunge Ting” (which translates into English as “heavy things”) where they made various things out of concrete.  It was really interesting, ranging from little things like kitchen worktops and sinks to big benches and letters.  I really enjoyed getting the chance to go out to Norway to live and work. I have learned to manage my money in a really expensive country. It has also given me an idea in the future to work away from home witch I have thought about after coming back.

Reflections: Iona Anderson

My time in Voss was absolutely mind blowing! I remember how nervous I was and how leaving my family and friends behind for a month sounded crazy! But I wouldn't take anything back and really enjoyed my time in Norway. I worked in a small cafe called Tre Brør which was situated in the middle of the small town. My main jobs were serving, waitressing and cleaning the inside and outside which was all fantastic! The members of staff were really friendly and comforting which made my time away from Shetland a lot easier, also making some new friends! I got the chance to learn about new cultures and a new language, this being very inspiring to me. We had it really lucky with the weather there as it was nearly always sunny, warm and no wind! It was so amazing to see the scenery and also the fjords! One of the most memorable things we did was the Voss Vindtunnel, indoor skydiving. They say its equivalent to skydiving 4 times in a row at 175km an hour! It was crazy fun. My highlights being my work, meeting new people, seeing the beautiful country and being independent! I highly recommend it to every student able to apply next year.

Reflections: Curtis Williamson

My time in Voss was amazing. I had never really been out of the UK before and it was really exciting seeing the huge and beautiful landscape. The town reminded me somewhat of Shetland in how it was in a location out in the middle of nowhere, the only difference was one was surrounded by gigantic, colossal mountains and the other is covered by grey clouds and a lot of open sea. The community was very helpful and most people that I came across spoke very good English which helped me when I was lost, but there were also places that had tourist shops who could help as well.

My work placements were as an IT technician in three different schools located in Voss. I worked with computers, servers and software. I enjoyed the placement, the people I worked with were helpful and fun and taught me a lot about working. I was really glad to have gone through with it.

  Overall the experience was well worth it and I would recommend it for anyone looking for some experience and something other to put on your CV.

Where's the time gone?

Helloooo, Iona again.

I can't believe we leave on Saturday! The time has flown by and has been absolutely fantastic!!
I went to Bergen last weekend, which was interesting! The layout of Bergen is kinda confusing and the times that shops are open is different than ours. The weather was pretty poor (and I forgot my jacket, good one!) But overall it was great!

Today has been stunning! Warm, sunny and calm. So I went down to the lake and took some photos for keepsakes. (the photos below is at the lake).

Last day of work tomorrow! :( My emotions are going crazy! Before I came I felt nervous and unsure of what to expect here in Voss and at my placement. But as I've got into a routine, used to familiar faces and know my way around this small town I have never felt so good!

Me and Rhea are hoping to go to the Wind Tunnel tomorrow before we meet Trond and Knut later that evening.

Thank you.
Iona

Out for a Pizza

Quick up date
Went for a meal with the students from Voss that visited shetland for work placments, We went to Peppas Pizza where I had smoke salmon pizza Mmmm, the same as what I had the first night we where here but a medium size this time. Haha
More to update soon with so mutch going on, with the wind tunnel tunnel tomorrow then off to see one of the Voss students Sophie sing on Thursday night at seven. Then we will just have to see what happens at the weekend.
Thanks will up date soon

Voss

Hello guys, Rhea here. First of all I would like to say that I am very thankful for this experience, I could already go back home and be entirely content (not that I want to just yet!).

The trip started with a flustered Rhea, just come back from a college trip to Amsterdam and only started to pack three hours before leaving the house (not my best move). I said my goodbye’s at the Northlink terminal and was ready to start sobbing until I saw Irene and Greg standing with the tickets. We got our tickets and the excitement hit me - we were actually going to Norway.

The travelling went really well, from leaving Shetland to hopping on the train to Voss. The scenery was beautiful and it was like a little welcome to Norway before finally setting foot in our home town for a month. We were greeted by Knut, who walked us through Voss and explained a bit about the town. The following day Trond took us for a tour around snowy Voss showing us various places and everyone’s placements. It felt more real after seeing my placement, and meeting the people there made me really excited to get started.

Although there was a problem with our room at first, I soon settled into both that and Voss itself. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the town and to explore. So far my favourite thing to do in my spare time is to go for walks whether it is to the lake, forest, river or through the town and to take photos. The scenery here is unbelievable and the people here say we are really lucky with the weather as it is not supposed to be this sunny and nice! I also really enjoy relaxing at Tre Brør café and looking around all of the different shops – I feel like I am getting to know the culture more every day.

I am loving my time here in Voss and feel I am gaining so much. What I have written today has been more orientated around Voss itself, and I will continue to blog about all of the other aspects of my time here in the coming days.

SUN.

Hellooo, Iona Anderson here.

Been having such a great and busy time here so far!

Travelling here was ...long and tiring but so worth it seeing the amazing views. I settled in fine after buying in our essential food and cracking up the heaters to make me and Rhea's room cosy and more homely.

It still doesn't feel real looking at the mountains or going for train rides seeing the scenery, even the view from our window! It's craaaazy!!

I started work at the Tre Brør café which is just 5-7 minutes away from our apartments, so that's handy. Everyone's so friendly and inviting at my work, which is really comforting and lovely. I've done a whole bunch of things; waitressing, tidying outside, serving and making coffee. I'm slowly beginning to understand small words in Norwegian, it was funny the first few days, the constant "Sorry, can you say that again?".

We went out in a group to Norway in a Nutshell on Saturday 29th and that was unreal! A train ride to Myrdal, another to Flåm (the steepest train track in the world!) and then the ferry trip around the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen. I took heaps of photos (Photo below) and the weather was gorgeous. SO MUCH SUN!

This week we're going to try the Wind tunnel and I'm going to Bergen this weekend. Exciting times!

I'll post again soon.

Iona.