Ja til norske flagg og felles ekteskapslov

We are getting close to the best and wettest month in the Norwegian calendar year. It's best because it's May and it's lots of public holiday, our national holiday among others. It's wettest because of the unreal consumption of beer associated with russ, outdoor barbeques in the park, exam parties, and yes, the national holiday.

But a national holiday can never go down in history as just a national holiday, there are always emotions attached to it. This year, the big dilemma is whether foreigners should be allowed to walk up and down the main street of Oslo celebrating their new country by waving flags of their old. And according to 34 387 members of Facebook, they should not.

Facebook has gone from being the naughty lunch-time occupation hazard to becoming the fjerde statsmakt. Everything people can have an opinion about is truly documented by groups, anti-groups, anti-counter-groups and the like. "Melbourne is better than Sydney". "Melbourne is the best city in Australia". "Melbourne REALLY is cooler than Sydney!!!!!". These are examples of innocent groups stating the obvious, but it is no problem getting your opinions ousted on everything from marriage law, right to abortion, free Burma, Tibet, Zimbabwe, Luxembourg or another small, deprived country, the true opinions of Staff, boicot the Olympic Games, no to fur or yes to foreign flags on 17th May.

For most people joining these groups cause no harm, but to let Facebook be the only place where you show empathy, compassion or opinions can be a bit dangerous. What if Jens Stoltenberg couldn't be bothered giving a statement because he had already written on the wall for "Stop killing of the whales" group on Facebook? Or if Mugabe declared his victory by joining "Mugabe is the new president." People go out and join groups, often with the best of intentions, and of course a group will benefit more from 30 000 than 18 members, however it is also deceptive. I bet nearly all my friends have joined groups like "Stiftelsen organdonasjon." However if you read under the news section of the group it says that you should remember to tell your loved ones that if you die before you should, your organs should be donated. And I wonder how many of them have done that? So if you can't put your actions where your mouth is, you may not bother at all, as it sure won't help the depressed people of Tibet.

For your information, there will be foreign flags on my 17th May celebration. I'll leave it up to you if you want to come or not.

Suddenly it's like we're women and men

Everyone giggled as I braided my friend's hair, we'd all look similar tonight, lots of tiny plats, makeup, lip gloss, red pants, beer in a backpack. The aim for the next four weeks was many late nights, new experiences, aquaintences, use of the condoms in the inner pocket, being loved, good grades, a good party, a worthy celebration of twelve years of school. The first of the "russeknute" we all would try to complete was staying up for 24 hours, and as I crawled back to my friend's place at 8am the next morning I felt successful and happy.

It's six years ago our since the kick off for our "russetid". I was at a birthday party last night and the group of girls there had changed remarkably since 2002. Two were lawyers, two more to finish their last exam in the next month. One civil engineer, one marketing consulant and myself, and the conversations around the table were so grown up. As girls we are destined to bitch a bit about our fellow sisters, and some of my friends' fellow students were described in not all positive terms, often involving silicone implants, orange fake-tan and disastrous dress codes, and this probably haven't changed since high school, but the rest - it was so picture perfect. We were seven girls, ALL with successful boyfriends on the side (I grew up in Singletown, so not used to such a coupled athmosphere), but it was "Ahh, how's Richard going in his job application process?" "Will you buy a place together or prefer living seperately for a while?" "Big wedding are so out, I want a small intimate one, and rather spend the dough on a smashing honeymoon." Our jobs has also progressed and suddenly we are in charge of the nation. "Næringsministeren har ikke peiling på politikk." "University of Bergen handled that scandal so poorly." The change from being just 18, working at a café with, really, no worries in life was remarkable.

The four boys on the tram were loud. You could hear the clinging beer bottles in their plastic bag, and you could see the innocent smiles on their faces. Sure, they were up to wrongdoing, but they didn't know better, hence the innocence. On the last tram home I walked past them, feeling slightly jealous I am no longer 18 and at a party - waiting anxiously for someone to rock up. Feeling jealous I can't handle hangovers as well as I once did, jealous anti-ageing cream has become a part of my vocabulary and not that of their girlfriends. Then I thought about the possibilities we have as young, upcoming, educated, well-travelled, money-earning globetrotters, something they won't be for years. We have the world at our feet and can help ourselves. Our jobs gives us power and possibilities, experiences and relationships, and suddenly I didn't feel so jealous after all. I mean it's not like I'm 30 or anything.

And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives

Where we're gonna be when we turn 25

I keep thinking times will never change

Keep on thinking things will always be the same

But when we leave this year we won't be coming back

No more hanging out cause we're on a different track

And if you got something that you need to say

You better say it right now cause you don't have another day