April 2015 | Agus Yornet Blog

About a month ago I found myself in a totally never thinkable trip: flying to Norway in the middle of winter, for a ten days international student festival in Trondheim (ISFIT) . ISFIT gathers 400 selected students aroudn the world in this 10 days festival, every 2 years, where a topic of interest is discuss, this year was: Corruption.

I remember filling my application one day really late at night and really over the deadline as usual... And a few weeks later receving the email letting me know that I was selected, and it was like "oh cool, but I think there is now way I am going, is too far away". After this talking with a close friend he told he was selected as well! we were already two, and few days latter a super cheap flight appear, In a blink of eyes I got my flight ticket to Norway, and didn't know what to expect from this country. The trip when something like this: 3rd Febraury almost 40 degrees celsious in Buenos Aires, 20hs flight, arriving to Oslo with -5 degrees celsious and plenty of snow everywhere. Everything was so fast that I didn't even get time to think about how cold it was

Oslo-Gardermoen Airport

Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim

Old part of the city

Finally I arrive to Trondheim, I always was more of the cold weather rather than the warm weather but damn it, it was really cold here! As soon as we arrive volunteers from ISFIT assigned us a family an a roomate where we will be staying during this 10 days. And also show as the Studenter Samfundent that is like the "Student House" of Trondheim where all the workshops and plenaries took place.

Studenter Samfundent

A day later the Opening ceremony took place! We were 400 students from all over world, plus 400 organizers of Isfit. Everything was super surreal.

Opening ceremony at isfit 2015 trondheim norway

One of the speakers we got the chance to hear was Dalai Lama! we were able to ask him question and get to know him in real person!

As we were a lot of students from a lot of different backgrounds an interest, we were dividen in differetns workshop that approached corruption from different perspectives. I was in the photography workshop and we had as goal to make a little video that express what corruption is.

This was one day after walking in the city we wanted to get warm and we enter to this little coffee shop that later they told us is really tradicinal in Trondheim, it felt like we were having hot chocolate in our grandmother house, super cozy!

Baklandet Skydsstation Coffee Store

City Center

Nidaros Cathedral saw from the Kristiansten Fortress

One of the thing I enjoyed the most was the "Walk of Peace", was night walk from the Studentsamfundent to the center of an auditorium where the Youth Peace Prize was given. Was a really beautiful walk that make a stop for a minute and see how huge this was...

ISFIT Walf of Peace

The last day was the Parliament, where a representative of each workshop expose the possible solutions we came across for corruptuon to the panel of judge that include people from the ONU, so it was a really interesting discussion.

This was my workshop! People from Italy - Serbia - France - Arab Emirates - Kasajistan - Kosovo - Taiwan - China - Russia - Poland - Nigeria - Rumania - Macedonia - Canada and I am pretty sure I am forgetting some countries. A crazy multicultural group of young people!

So this were the things that impress from Trondheim:

-How polite and gentle is everyone, always willing to help!

-How freaking expensive is everything!! seriously, it was expensive to breath almost...

-How cold was it!! the city never stop snowing, or raining, or snow strom, and they love walking btw, so yeah no matter if it is -10 and snow up to your knee, is probably a nice day to go walking.
The last thing that call my attention was how much power had the students in this city, is was a real "student city" many people from Oslo move here to attend University (which is unthinkable here in Argentina) The Studentsamfundent was something super interesting, a 6 floors building right in the middle of the city, lead by all non paid volunteers students, that want to make this city affordable and better for student, since they are not paid they had the cheapest restaurant in Norway! As well as the biggest student festival :)

My advice if you are going to Norway: unless you want to go skyiing, or really want ot experience super extreme weather, go in summer. And have in mind that is way to expensive, if I were you I will bring some food! But apart from that is a mind blowing country! Super different from everything I know so far!

I hope you enjoyed the post and like the pictures!