日本語 + Русский + norsk (part 1, CLOSED)

[brilliantyears]

Also, going to Norway in January

Where are you going? (And why in January??)

Roughly from Helsinki up north through Finland, then to Kirkenes and back down through Norway. And why in January? The correct question is, why not (This just happened to be the best time for me and my friend, and we both do like winter holidays )

[Mista]

The correct question is, why not

I don't want to discourage you from your trip, but there are some "why nots" that I think it is important that you are aware of (maybe you are, but from your answer I got the feeling that you may not be). Generally, I don't like January much, although I do like winter and various winter activities like skiing and skating. The worst thing about January, though, is how dark it is. Even in Oslo, there is hardly any daylight in January. In Kirkenes, there is none. Though with some luck, you'll get to see some brilliant northern lights. In fact, it's perfectly possible that winter is much better up north than it is down here. I don't know, I've never been there - I just see the weather forecasts on TV ...

However, if I have understood you correctly and you are going to be driving all that way, keep in mind that:
- in some areas, the temperature will drop to -40 degrees. Make sure your car is up for it (it probably won't be unless you specifically prepare it).
- there's going to be a lot of snow, which increases the risk of moose on the roads.
- when it's dark and snowing, the range of view will be limited
- along the west coast there will often be storms in January, which may cause roads to be temporarily closed in some areas
- because of the points above, you won't be able to cover the same distances per day as you would in summer, and even after planning for that, you may not be able to cover what you planned.
- you really should learn some Sami for that trip

[brilliantyears]

Thanks for the advice Don't worry, we know what we're getting into (more or less)! And we certainly won't be driving

- you really should learn some Sami for that trip

Don't tempt me!

[Mista]

Don't tell me you're skiing the whole way! No, just kidding. If you like a little ice and cold, you'll probably have a great time. I'd love to hear about it once you're back.

[brilliantyears]

I'll share once I get back!

In the mean time: I guess I've decided to commit to Arabic for the entire 6 Week Challenge after all. Not as hardcore as last year with Russian (although I've already far surpassed the hours from back then ) - I'm still not entirely serious about the language but I want to keep the momentum going.

I'm mostly doing Duolingo, and I aim to finish the entire Arabic tree (that exists so far, which isn't much) before the end of the challenge. If I stick to finishing one skill a day I should be able to make it. I also started setting up the Duolingo course on Memrise (for the vocab), which takes some time and effort but is worth it imho.

Plus, watching a bunch of movies and series. Currently watching The Secret of the Nile and oh boy, it's cheesy but I love it.

tl;dr guess it's ride-or-die now with Arabic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[brilliantyears]

The moment the 6 Week Challenge is over I am gifting myself Norwegian. I deserve it.

[brilliantyears]

goldenarabic.PNG

I'm 100% sick of Duolingo now

[brilliantyears]

Help, my boss just offered to pay for another Arabic course.

I mean, I'm not gonna.

But hot damn, talk about temptation.

[tarvos]

You know you want to

[brilliantyears]

Stop it! I just don't see how energy and time-wise I can do Russian and Arabic in the same semester right now