Hey!!! I've got a blog too!!!!

Hi Frenz!! This is the blog Iam starting for the first time. I am feeling very good to start a blog like this and express myself. I am very thankful to Mr. Bishnu Moktan for mentoring me how to start a blog. Well! while I am writing this blog, I am staying at the Hald Internaitonal Center, Norway. Thus, I guess lots of the pictures I post will be mostly from Norway itself.

This snap was taken at Fjeltun when we had gone there for Bluetour.

THE HALD INTERNATIONAL CENTER

The Boarding School

There are two dorm buildings with 13 double rooms and 19 rooms for 4 people. All rooms have individual bathrooms with a shower and a toilet. Each dorm building has its own laundry room with washing machines and a dryer. In the main building we have a lounge with a log fire, a TV-lounge and an eating hall for common use.

Teaching areas

Most of the teaching takes place in the big meeting hall that can contain 150 students. The hall has a scene, and can in addition be divided into two smaller rooms. There is also an old and stylish teaching room in the main building, as well as some smaller group rooms.The teaching areas can be equipped with an overhead projector, a flipover, slide projector and a sound system. Most of the rooms also have a piano.

Dormitory / Kitchen

The food at Hald is renowned for being very good. The kitchen can cook for up to 150 persons simultaneously. Dishes served range from traditional Norwegian everyday food, to fancier party food. Bread and rolls are home baked!

Spare time activities

Mandal is the place for those who like fishing and swimming! The Mandal river that runs to the centre of town is an excellent salmon-filled river. Hald also has its own canoe, and the river is perfectly suited for canoeing. Nearby, sandy beaches abound, and the famous beach Sjøsanden lies only a few kilometres from Hald. The students quickly find their own favourite beach!Otherwise, Hald has big grass fields for ball games, and the place also has its own volleyball court. Mandal has many nice walking areas, both along beaches and in the woods. Many students also find their way to the swimming pool in Mandal. The computer room at Hald has free internet access for the students. The meeting hall is used in afternoons and in evenings to music and dance.

International setting

At Hald International Centre the setting is really multicultural. Of this year’s 67 students, 40 are Norwegian and 27 are international. The students come from four different continents, and 11 different countries. These countries are Norway, Serbia, Brazil, Bolivia, England, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Thailand and Nepal. The cultural exchange and language learning start in the course periods at Hald! As far as possible, the students share rooms with students from the country they themselves are going to.

Student activities and more

In the evenings of the course period, there is little organised programme, except Faith and Mind evenings once a week. The students themselves organise prayer and praise evenings. In addition, country evenings sometimes take place, where the students present their (placement) countries, both through food, entertainment and song. There is a common excursion / trip for all the programmes during the autumn course, and one during the spring course. In addition, the students on Fokus and Team Nettverk go on an information tour at some point during the spring course.

The town

Mandal is Norway’s southernmost town! Mandal county is embraced by three counties: Søgne in the east, Marnardal in the north, and Lindesnes in the west. Mandal is a town, and had a population of 13 844 inhabitants as of 1st January 2004. Great artists including Gustav and Emanuel Vigeland, Amaldus Nielsen and Adolph Tidemand all come from Mandal.