At the second weekend in school, our students come from China are so honored to participate into the annual International Food Festival with the leadership of Ms. Inger in the center of Telemark, Skien City.

For this event, we have worked continuously two days at Inger’s home and produced more than 1000 spring rolls by hand as the representative of Chinese traditional food. Besides the Chinese traditional food that we are familiar with, there was a kind of dessert with ice-cream, some sort of drink made by the students study in the International school.

Tourists both from home and abroad have attended the event. To satisfy the appetite and interest on the food with diversity tastes come from different country. People can enjoy the foods from Europe, Asia and other states, even you have never seen it before. Of course, the total is well known that Chinese cuisine has enjoyed premiere fame over the world. Our spring rolls all sold out, despite the bad weather has been raining. In addition to delicious and pretty food, the festival presented many programs combining the entertainment and sightseeing.

I am so honored as a volunteer whom can sell the traditional handmade food of our homeland in the international activities. And I also depth fell that this event is setting a grand stage to introduce and promote the world food culture and the taste of the food from home and abroad as well as a cultural exchange of east and west.

As the new students come from China in Telemark University College, we are so lucky to be invited to an activity named “Crash Cultural Weekend” at first week. This is not only the first time we leave our campus and have a short trip in Norway, but also an very important experience to feel the cultural differences between East and West, to learn how to take a better life in Norway.

Maybe most of the students are not stranger with the term cultural shock, or we can say crash culture. We have written more than one occasion when we were still in our home country. It express the lack of direction, the feeling of not knowing what to do or how to do things in a new environment, and not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate. The definition becomes a reality after we leaved China to a new country—Norway. This feeling becomes very strong in the first few days, the way that we lived before is not accepted as or considered as normal in the new place. Everything is different, for example, not speaking the language, not knowing how to use banking machines, not knowing how to use the telephone and so forth. Coming weekend of the crash cultural is very timely.

This is a special weekend to prepare for the Chinese students by the Inger who is responsible for the studylink. Because the story of Inger’s family and China, we are so lucky to have the chance came to the beautiful mountain and live a wonderful night in the wooded house with green grass. Everyone was shocked when they expressed the warmly welcome in Chinese smoothly. Then the feeling of shocking changed to admiration, cultural conflict and integration is perfect reflected in them. And now us, the new student came from East and studying in the West, are experiencing the culture of conflict and learn how to melting it.

With the meticulous arrangement, we walked into the famous Norwegian woods to break fresh air and to enjoy get blueberry, we also have a wonderful lunch of Chinese tasted. But more significant, we learned a lot the way of the Norwegian life. For example, enjoyed a variety of Norway food to get used to the Western diet; learned how to identify and use a variety of cleaning tools; know more about the living habits of Norwegian and so on.

Two days are very short, but each of us got from it further longer than the time. We understand the essence of the “Crash Cultural Weekend” is that:'one can experience real pain from culture shock; it is also an opportunity for redefining one's life objectives. It is a great opportunity for leaning and acquiring new perspectives. Culture shock can make one develop a better understanding of oneself and stimulate personal creativity.'

Welcome Dinner

In the evening of 6th Sep. the amphitryon held a ceremonious welcome dinner at the famous cooking school of Telemark for the guest from all over the world.

Before the dinner, the Governors from the two friendly province gave different speeches that showing the same best wishes to thisexchange activities.

 Round table meeting in Porsgrunn City Hall

The Round table meeting about sustainable cooperation between Hubei Province and European regions was hold at Porsgrunn city hall on 7th September 2009. China and several European countries (Norway, French, Holland, Spain, Sweden and German) attended this significant conference.
The main topic of the meeting is high-diversity cooperation and communication in the areas of education, economic, environmental technology and industry. Government representatives from different countries and regions  displayed achievements, wishes of expanding contacts and proposed some valuable ideas for the further reconstruction seperately.

The Voice of Love

At 9:00 tuesday, 8th Sep., the "Health group" visited the Habilitation Center for Children and Youth to exchange some method and experience on curing the children with disabilities with Norwegian professional staffs.

After the discussion, the visitors talked with a disabled child to feel how the Norwegian system works. The result interested them because they the child can take care about himself.

Exhibition of Hubei Intangible Cultural Heritage

After the Opening Ceremony, two governors  presented the ceremony of Exhibition of Hubei Intangible Cultural Heritage in Porsgrunn High school, together with all the high school student.

During the ceremony, VIPs cut the ribbon for the Exhibition of Hubei Intangible Cultural Heritage. This activity  symbolized the Civil Communication and Co-operation between Telemark and Hubei  had reach a new level and will develop healthily and smoothly.

12 June 2009, it’s a very impressive day for the graduates in Agder University. They got their master degree and started a new life.

Several professors gave speeches to graduates, especially to the Chinese students. They expressed their wish for all students to continue following the spirit of the university and to keep on doing their best in their future work.

There are 8 Chinese students who have graduated this year. Some of them are going to work or PH.D study. Most of them will stay in Norway in the next several years. Let’s wish them have a wonderful future.