Hi All,

The pics are from Walter's first soccer game (in the rain). They lost, but it was close, 7 to 6.

Finally got the residency permit (the boys' and Bill's permit will come later, processed under family reunification), so first thing in the morning I will head to the police station with a water bottle and book in hand for the several hour wait. After I get the stamp in my passport from the police, I then go to the folkeregister to get the Norwegian version of a social security number. With that I can open a bank account, get a regular doctor, and do any number of other wonderful things.

I asked one of my colleagues if there were any frustrations living in Norway, given that the country seems so idyllic. He responded that with the nation's emphasis on egalitarian inclusion, the very bright often aren't challenged in schools. There are virtually no gifted programs, and exceptional performance can lead to one being, in his words, "frozen out" by one's peers.

There are no A.P. classes and a student's entire grade often rests on one four-six hour final exam at the end of class. I joked with several colleagues and students that there must be a huge wave of test anxiety come late November, but the students I talked to who had come to the U.S. felt more overwhelmed by the sheer number of assignments that American faculty assign even though they conceded that they probably learned more with assessment along the way.

Received a flyer for what appears to be the Norwegian equivalent of boy scouts. ...a little strange since the front photo shows a boy roasting a wiener with a cigarette lighter.

We've made our arrangements for our trip to Lithuania--found great deals on airfare through Ryan Air, but it will take some maneuvering to get to the airport since it's outside of Oslo.