Super Bowl Sunday

         I'm a really big football fan, so this year has been strange without sitting down each week to cheer on the Pats, Packers, (and Tom Brady). Despite not watching any of the regular season, I was determined to watch the Super Bowl. It's more than a football game. It's an ~experience~ and I wanted to share it with my friends here. Due to the time difference, the game wasn't set to start until half past midnight. We put an announcement in the Facebook group, but I wasn't expecting many people to show up. 

        After dinner it was snowing, but Bjorn, Heiden and I decided to bundle up and walk to Kiwi to get some Super Bowl snacks. Most of the usual foods, snacks, and dips we're all used to are impossible to find in Norway, or nearly impossible to get the ingredients to. We wandered around Kiwi for about an hour, thinking and planning. We ended up with chicken wings, hot sauce and bbq sauce, avocados and stuff for guac, fixings for a cheese dip, a couple bags of chips, and a few big bottles of soda. 

        One of my favorite 'football foods' is pigs in a blanket--cocktail sausages wrapped in crescent roll dough. While I couldn't find the sausages, or the crescent rolls, I was determined. I ended up buying a pack of long, thin sausages, and a roll of pizza dough. 

        Usually the dorm kitchens are closed at 10:30 pm, but we got special permission to keep the NLC kitchen open until midnight so that we could cook closer to game time. (Everybody here is so kind and accommodating, it's wonderful). Adam came down and cooked the chicken wings while Bjorn made the guac, and I pieced the pigs in a blanket together. Heiden stuck around, chatting and hanging out, and when the wings were done he got to work on the cheese dip. 

        We were able to swipe small plates and cups from the kitchen, as well as serving trays and chip bowls. When the food was done, we popped some (American) popcorn and brought it up to the peisestue. Some people wanted to watch in the aula, but I thought it would be more comfortable on the couches, and a bit cozier with the food in the peisestue. We set up two tables full of food, and put on the pregame. 

        I was shocked when about 20 students showed up to watch. Though most of them were there to see the Weeknd perform at halftime, it was still way more than I'd anticipated. We put a few couches together, and some people sat behind at the tables and on the platform. Everyone was happy and surprised when I told them to dig in. It's a Super Bowl party after all! 

        I had used a vpn on cbs so that we could watch exactly what they were watching in America, including all of the crazy ads. Even though most people had no idea how football worked, it was still entertaining! The energy, the excitement, the food, and the thrill of it being so late gave the night a really great atmosphere. Football is a big part of the Super Bowl, but it really isn't the most important thing. 

        I sat between my friends and a few of the Reiseliv boys who actually knew most of the rules, and we talked about the calls, Brady, and the ads. After halftime most people left, and by the end it was just me, Bjorn, Tommaso, and the Reiseliv boys. I was shocked at how easy it was not to fall asleep. We were all so invested, and having lots of fun. When the game ended, despite it being almost 4:30 in the morning, the boys were happy to help me clean up. I had a really wonderful time--and I was up bright an early at 8am for morning assembly and class!