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GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY ISFiT -2001 (International Student Festival in Trondheim, Norway)
I attended ISFiT -01 in Trondheim during March 2001. It was a real enriching experience. When I landed in Oslo with my friend Madhavi, it was -17 degree C outside. We tried to take a walk outside the airport while we were waiting for the train to Trondheim, and I just could not be outside for more than 3 minsutes!!! My mouth started resembling a steam locomotive and we had to rush right back in. It was so damn cold even though it didn't look so from inside the airport building.
The overnight train journey was pretty cozy. In the morning when I woke up, we were nearing Trondheim and I could sea fjord on one side and residential areas on the other. It was an amazing view of the place where I would be for the next 10-12 days. I was thrilled.
We were the first participant to reach at ISFiT-01 office. We met a volunteer outside the door who had managed to locked herself out of the office and was waiting for the keys. Coming from a tropical country, standing shivering in Scandanavian February morning, we were quite frozen when she helped us to the other building and hot espresso. Now I never liked espresso before that but in that cold climate, I just loved it!!
After sometime we left for the ISFiT office where we met the ISFiT president, Marte Lerberg Kopstad. The conversation was being recorded by Norwegian Broadcast Corporation (National TV) which was broadcast later that nite. She asked me 'how would I feel if they hadn't arranged for a host'. I said 'I hope that's a hypothetical question'!!!
After an hour or so my would-be host came in the ISFiT office looking for a vegetarian guest. And there I was!! So off we went to their house. She and Inge are such nice people and they themselves being vegetarian, my stay with them was so pleasant and nice. They even made me Indian dishes!! Apart from having a business, Inge and Lalita both teach Yoga in Trondheim. Two days later we got my co-guest Magda (from Polland). Me and Magda shared a key to the house, something which landed her in trouble once, and something I would not rather talk about. Magda, I hope you are not reading this!!
And then the festival started from 2nd March on where we were split into our workshops. My workshop was 'Technology and Growth (Workshop 8)'. We developed a slogan in later days for ourselves: Workshop eight, always great!! Here's great link to Gry's page on WS 8. Discussion Forum for WS 8.
All the details of the festival can be found out at www.isfit.org
To see my photos of ISFiT-01, please click this link to my photoalbum.
Here's some links to ISFiT related content.
Update (Nov 21, 02): I have been invited for the next ISFiT, ISFiT-03 too. This time, for Ethnical Challenges workshop. |
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Last updated: Apr 07, 2005 Created: Oct 12, 2001 |
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