Månedens Spire

The spire of the month is Momoka, one of many international students volunteering in Spire.

Who are you?
My name is Momoka. I’m a student from Japan, and came to Norway to do a Master’s degree on human rights. I am a person full of curiosity and that is one of the reasons why I joined Spire. I’m not a sportive person like most Norwegians, but I always travel by bicycle because it makes me feel good, and I think it`s a fun  way to explore the city. 

How long have you lived in Norway?
Seven months.

What is the last word you learned?
Reinsdyr and elg.

How is winter in Norway?
I like ice-skating, so I was so excited to do it on the outdoor ice rink. This winter I did not have much chance to skate, but the very icy roads made me slip without wearing skates! The light is very limited in wintertime, but now the darkness is soon behind us and I`m glad we are moving towards the sunny season. The best thing about this is – soon I can start riding my bicycle again! I definitely prefer summer to winter.

Why are you engaged in Spire?
Because it is my place, Spire! My name means something like sprout (Spire) in Japanese. Of course I didn’t know what “Spire” meant at the time I joined Spire. But when I found out I thought it must be faith. I`ve had a lot of fun in Spire and I enjoy my time here surrounded by such a nice group of people.
 
Why did you choose the International Committee?
I found that this committee has an interesting and important role to play in an organization working on environment and development issues. I think its interesting to exchange knowledge and information internationally with people form other parts of the world, and to look at the situations on the ground in the South. This is an important part of Spire`s work. This way we know what we can do here in Norway. Learning and seeing different perspectives is also interesting for me, as I want my world to be much bigger than an island- country. As a member of the international committee I hope I can play a role in channeling this information from the international to the local level in Oslo.

What do you look forward to do in Spire this spring?
I really want to get involved in the international project we are organizing with youths in Malawi and Ethiopia this summer or autumn. I want to continue following the process, setting the concrete theme and planning the course of events in cooperation with other members and the organizations in the South. This is very new to me, but I want to learn how to realize an international project.

What is your dream world?
It would be nice if people around the world could talk to each other through speaking different languages. Or maybe that I was able to speak every language so that I could talk with everyone! And possibly with animals and other living creatures… Maybe I’m actually in the process of realizing this dream because I’m now learning a new language; Norwegian.