We are now Norwegians
Well not really but a Norwegian says we are. Our friend Marius took us out for a hike, which is the normal outing for Norwegians on Sunday afternoons. We took a bus and the subway to get out of the city. About thirty minutes north we ended up in a forest. There was a large lake and trails all over. The woods were “real” woods, which had wild animals in it. It takes three days to walk across it, and there are no fences to keep things in or out. It is like a smaller version of Yellow stone, only totally wild. We did not see any animals, not even a squirrel (another thing I have not seen since we moved here), but Marius told us how he has seen everything from Moose, Lynx and Bear.
Marius lead us through the woods and up some rock faces. The trail was slippery, rugged, and skinny due to the fact that other hikers made it. We all slipped and fell, and got very wet and dirty. We ended up at a cabin that served food and hot drinks to the hikers (skiers in winter). We ate our packed lunch and Marius had hot coffee. In the cabin there were little troll figures, not like the cartoon image that is popular in the tourist shops, but a more classic looking image. We took the main path back down, which was much easier but not as much fun. Marius told us that next we should spend the night before going on a long weekend camping trip.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Monday, September 19, 2005
Homesick
Some of the people at Trolltech have asked us how we are handling the home sickness? They all seem surprised when we tell them that we are not home sick at all. I’ll admit that we miss some of our belongings, but that is just because we have had them for a while and we still want them. Like our furniture and our collections. Of course we miss our families, and we will miss our three nephews growing up. When we left the youngest was only a year old. However we have lived in a different state then our families for three years. So missing the boys grow up is unfortunately not something new to us. Not seeing our families more then twice a year is also not new to us. So we really can’t miss them more now then we did in New Jersey or on Long Island. We have gotten used to moving around and an unfortunate by-product of that is getting used to saying good-bye to friends and family.
But as far as being home sick goes, how can we be? After all, we are home. I mean think about it. We live here, we work here, and we have friends here. We are forming routines here, and having new experiences. Most of all though, we are together here. We are our own family and have been for more than just three years. We are our own support structure. So it does not matter where in the word we live. As long as we are together we are always home. So if we are always home together, then how can we ever be home sick?
Some of the people at Trolltech have asked us how we are handling the home sickness? They all seem surprised when we tell them that we are not home sick at all. I’ll admit that we miss some of our belongings, but that is just because we have had them for a while and we still want them. Like our furniture and our collections. Of course we miss our families, and we will miss our three nephews growing up. When we left the youngest was only a year old. However we have lived in a different state then our families for three years. So missing the boys grow up is unfortunately not something new to us. Not seeing our families more then twice a year is also not new to us. So we really can’t miss them more now then we did in New Jersey or on Long Island. We have gotten used to moving around and an unfortunate by-product of that is getting used to saying good-bye to friends and family.
But as far as being home sick goes, how can we be? After all, we are home. I mean think about it. We live here, we work here, and we have friends here. We are forming routines here, and having new experiences. Most of all though, we are together here. We are our own family and have been for more than just three years. We are our own support structure. So it does not matter where in the word we live. As long as we are together we are always home. So if we are always home together, then how can we ever be home sick?
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Spanish wrap up
All in all we had a great time. I was able to experience the city. One other activity we were able to do together was a beach party. The city of Malaga put together a beach party for the developers at the conference. They served sardines and had an open bar. It would have been really nice if most of the developers had not taking advantage of the open bar and gotten really drunk. A lot of them got the idea to go skinny dipping. So the guys for Trolltech and I walked on the beach and talked. It was an interesting experience to remember Spain by.
It was nice to go shopping in Spain because the currency was Euros, which is much easer to figure out then Krones. Also everything was much cheaper then it is in Norway. I was able to buy a few tools for half the price they would have been in Oslo.
It was nice to get home and return to our routine. We discovered that ten days is a little too much time to be away from home. I would guess that a week is the perfect amount of time to go away, before it starts to get boring. That said we are looking forward to our next adventure.
All in all we had a great time. I was able to experience the city. One other activity we were able to do together was a beach party. The city of Malaga put together a beach party for the developers at the conference. They served sardines and had an open bar. It would have been really nice if most of the developers had not taking advantage of the open bar and gotten really drunk. A lot of them got the idea to go skinny dipping. So the guys for Trolltech and I walked on the beach and talked. It was an interesting experience to remember Spain by.
It was nice to go shopping in Spain because the currency was Euros, which is much easer to figure out then Krones. Also everything was much cheaper then it is in Norway. I was able to buy a few tools for half the price they would have been in Oslo.
It was nice to get home and return to our routine. We discovered that ten days is a little too much time to be away from home. I would guess that a week is the perfect amount of time to go away, before it starts to get boring. That said we are looking forward to our next adventure.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The language barrier
Norway has spoiled us with the knowledge that we can easily survive in a foreign country with out speaking the language. Almost every one in Norway speaks English, and going shopping or going to a restaurant is never a problem. We naively thought that Spain would be the same way. We quickly discovered all menus were only in Spanish, and getting directions required a photo of where I wanted to go. I had to take a taxi back to the hotel one day, but was unable to correctly pronounce the name of the hotel. I resolved to show the driven hotel door card. It had the hotel logo printed on the front. The driver understood and I arrived at the hotel a few moments later.
We learned to point a lot in Spain. You would be amazed at the number of uses for pointing in a foreign country. For example, you can order food. If the menu has photos then you can just point to the picture. If you see another patron eating something appetizing, then just point to it when the waiter comes for your order. It may be a bit rude, but you do not have many options.
You can also get directions by pointing. When I was walking to the Picasso Museum, I got turned around in the many side streets. I stopped a man passing by and pointed to my photo of the museum. I then pointed to the street I thought I needed to take and looked at the man and shrugged. He smiled and said “si”. A few moments later I found the museum.
We did encounter one situation where pointing was of no help. Myself and four other “trollies” got stuck in the hotel elevator. Instead of going up, the elevator took us to the bottom of the shaft. The doors would not open, and the elevator would not move. Now this situation was not like in the movies and TV, were there are two people in a very large elevator. They sit and talk and laugh. Well we were in an elevator with six people that was only big enough to hold eight. Even thou it was not full it was very tight and heating up quickly.
We pressed the alarm button and a voice came on the speaker. She did not speak English. We asked for English but apparently no one in her office spoke it. She was asking us questions we did not understand, and had no hope of answering. Finally someone suggested trying to manually open the door. Two other guys helped and thankfully it opened. We had to step up a bit, but everything worked out fine.
Norway has spoiled us with the knowledge that we can easily survive in a foreign country with out speaking the language. Almost every one in Norway speaks English, and going shopping or going to a restaurant is never a problem. We naively thought that Spain would be the same way. We quickly discovered all menus were only in Spanish, and getting directions required a photo of where I wanted to go. I had to take a taxi back to the hotel one day, but was unable to correctly pronounce the name of the hotel. I resolved to show the driven hotel door card. It had the hotel logo printed on the front. The driver understood and I arrived at the hotel a few moments later.
We learned to point a lot in Spain. You would be amazed at the number of uses for pointing in a foreign country. For example, you can order food. If the menu has photos then you can just point to the picture. If you see another patron eating something appetizing, then just point to it when the waiter comes for your order. It may be a bit rude, but you do not have many options.
You can also get directions by pointing. When I was walking to the Picasso Museum, I got turned around in the many side streets. I stopped a man passing by and pointed to my photo of the museum. I then pointed to the street I thought I needed to take and looked at the man and shrugged. He smiled and said “si”. A few moments later I found the museum.
We did encounter one situation where pointing was of no help. Myself and four other “trollies” got stuck in the hotel elevator. Instead of going up, the elevator took us to the bottom of the shaft. The doors would not open, and the elevator would not move. Now this situation was not like in the movies and TV, were there are two people in a very large elevator. They sit and talk and laugh. Well we were in an elevator with six people that was only big enough to hold eight. Even thou it was not full it was very tight and heating up quickly.
We pressed the alarm button and a voice came on the speaker. She did not speak English. We asked for English but apparently no one in her office spoke it. She was asking us questions we did not understand, and had no hope of answering. Finally someone suggested trying to manually open the door. Two other guys helped and thankfully it opened. We had to step up a bit, but everything worked out fine.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Spanish cuisine
Now anyone who knows us know that we are simple eaters. We do not eat many spicy dishes, and tend to be a little picky with our food choices. I was relieved when our first meal was pizza, and the hotel restaurant had a wonderful grilled chicken breast. The conference ran until 9 o’clock, so most nights I ate at the hotel alone. My favorite part of the meal was the dessert. My favorite one was a double chocolate moose. It had a white chocolate mosses on top, and a milk chocolate layer on the bottom. Between the layers was a dark chocolate syrup with hazel nuts in it. This is probably not a local dish, but it was still good.
Sardines
I would guess that Sardines in Spain are the equivalent to chicken in the USA. Every restaurant has them roasting on an open fire. We went to one restaurant right on the beach where no one spoke English. We asked the waiter (also owner) what he would suggest and he offered the sardines. I ordered a chicken dish by pointing, and the guys ordered a vegetable dish (also by pointing). When the food arrived a plate full of assorted fried items that no one remembered ordering accompanied it. I spotted what I thought was onion rings, so I ate one. It was very good so I took another one. As I was biting in to it, Marius told me that it was a fried squid ring. Now I still think that it was good, but I did not eat any more. My mind could not get over the thought of eating squid.
Ice cream
There are a lot of ice cream parlors in Spain. The kind that has all the ice cream in a glass case arranged in long dishes instead of cardboard tubs. The ice cream was in many different flavors that we did not recognize. So we would try random variations that looked appetizing. The ice cream was not as creamy as in the USA or in Norway. It was like a combination of ice cream and Italian ice. It was cold thou, which was what we needed in the hot nights.
All thou we did not go out of our way to experience the local food, we did at least try some new stuff. One thing that makes me feel better about not getting in to the local foods was that most of the people that went to the conference became very sick with a harsh stomach bug. Although many things could have caused this virus, we were never sick. Sometimes it helps to eat what you can recognize.
Now anyone who knows us know that we are simple eaters. We do not eat many spicy dishes, and tend to be a little picky with our food choices. I was relieved when our first meal was pizza, and the hotel restaurant had a wonderful grilled chicken breast. The conference ran until 9 o’clock, so most nights I ate at the hotel alone. My favorite part of the meal was the dessert. My favorite one was a double chocolate moose. It had a white chocolate mosses on top, and a milk chocolate layer on the bottom. Between the layers was a dark chocolate syrup with hazel nuts in it. This is probably not a local dish, but it was still good.
Sardines
I would guess that Sardines in Spain are the equivalent to chicken in the USA. Every restaurant has them roasting on an open fire. We went to one restaurant right on the beach where no one spoke English. We asked the waiter (also owner) what he would suggest and he offered the sardines. I ordered a chicken dish by pointing, and the guys ordered a vegetable dish (also by pointing). When the food arrived a plate full of assorted fried items that no one remembered ordering accompanied it. I spotted what I thought was onion rings, so I ate one. It was very good so I took another one. As I was biting in to it, Marius told me that it was a fried squid ring. Now I still think that it was good, but I did not eat any more. My mind could not get over the thought of eating squid.
Ice cream
There are a lot of ice cream parlors in Spain. The kind that has all the ice cream in a glass case arranged in long dishes instead of cardboard tubs. The ice cream was in many different flavors that we did not recognize. So we would try random variations that looked appetizing. The ice cream was not as creamy as in the USA or in Norway. It was like a combination of ice cream and Italian ice. It was cold thou, which was what we needed in the hot nights.
All thou we did not go out of our way to experience the local food, we did at least try some new stuff. One thing that makes me feel better about not getting in to the local foods was that most of the people that went to the conference became very sick with a harsh stomach bug. Although many things could have caused this virus, we were never sick. Sometimes it helps to eat what you can recognize.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Sunning on the beach.
While the boys were at the conference, I took advantage of the Spanish sun and went to the beach. The beach was about a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel. The sand on the beach was a dark color and a bit gritty. There were hardly any shells or rocks to stub your toe on. There were no clouds in the sky, so the beach was covered in umbrellas and beach tents. The water was a cool retreat from the intenseness of the hot sun, and I must say that swimming in the Mediterranean Sea was very cool. I spent a few hours swimming, tanning and reading during the week.
Before we left, I went to the bookstore and bought two new books for the trip. “The Secret Life of Bees”, by Sue Monk Kidd, and “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult. I figured that in ten days I could finish one, and get halfway thou the other. Unfortunately I underestimated my reading skills and by the fourth day I had finished both books. Luckily I enjoy reading books more then once to find details I might have missed the first time.
By the end of the ten days all my burns have melted away to form a nice even tan. The boys however are all as white as the day we arrived. They had fun in the lecture halls so in the end we all enjoyed our stay.
While the boys were at the conference, I took advantage of the Spanish sun and went to the beach. The beach was about a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel. The sand on the beach was a dark color and a bit gritty. There were hardly any shells or rocks to stub your toe on. There were no clouds in the sky, so the beach was covered in umbrellas and beach tents. The water was a cool retreat from the intenseness of the hot sun, and I must say that swimming in the Mediterranean Sea was very cool. I spent a few hours swimming, tanning and reading during the week.
Before we left, I went to the bookstore and bought two new books for the trip. “The Secret Life of Bees”, by Sue Monk Kidd, and “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult. I figured that in ten days I could finish one, and get halfway thou the other. Unfortunately I underestimated my reading skills and by the fourth day I had finished both books. Luckily I enjoy reading books more then once to find details I might have missed the first time.
By the end of the ten days all my burns have melted away to form a nice even tan. The boys however are all as white as the day we arrived. They had fun in the lecture halls so in the end we all enjoyed our stay.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Out and about in Spain
Even though going to Spain was a vacation for me my spouse had to go to work every day. I spent most of my time sight seeing alone. I had a great time roaming the city and traveling on the busses to the local sites. While in Spain I was able to visit these exciting attractions:
Laguna de Fuente de Piedra nature reserve;
The lagoon is about an hour away from the city. I got directions and grabbed a bus. The bus was similar to a Gray Hound bus with cushion seats and curtains in the windows. When the bus arrived at the station in Andalusia, I walked for a half hour down the highway to the Lagoon.
The Lagoon is the most extensive one in the area and is the second most important one Europe. It is also an important site for the largest colony of flamingos in the Iberian Peninsula. The water is deep blue and surrounded by lush foliage. So I am sure you can imagine my disappointment when I arrived at the reserve only to find a giant sand pit. Of all the people I asked directions to in the past two and a half hours of travel time, no one thought to tell me that the lagoon dries up at this time of the year. I had to wait two more hours for the bus to return, and another two until I returned to Malaga. So in total I spent about seven hours going nowhere. The bus trip went thru the mountains, so at least that part was neat.
Alcazaba;
The Alcazaba is a military fortress built be the Moors in the 11th century. The fortress lies on a hilltop with amazing views of the town and the sea. The hike up the steep sloping walk way was an extreme work out. On the way up I met a lady named from Florida named Malaina. She could speak Spanish, so she translated all the sighs for me. She is afraid of heights, so I helped her gather the courage to climb the stairs to the top of all the towers. It was a wonderful time exploring all the nooks of the fortress. The architecture was inspiring even though to get there caused you to loose a pound of sweat.
The Roman Theater:
The Roman Theater is located just below Alcazaba, but was not discovered until 1951. It is thought that the last event at the theater accrued the 3rd century and that the Moors used elements from the theater to build Alcazaba. Today the theater is mostly closed off, but there are a few stone rows the public can sit in.
The Picasso Museum;
Picasso was born in Malaga and there is an impressive collection of his work on exhibit at his museum. There were examples from all of Picasso’s phases of art, and some of his sculptures. The most interesting display was a sequence of sketches showing the progression how a painting of his developed. There were a few progressions that actually ended in the finished work. It was fascinating to see how his thoughts and ideas changed thru the six sketches of the same piece until the finished painting.
A bullfight
I never thought that I would attend a bullfight. The violence and cruelty has turned me off the sport since I first realized how the bulls suffer. However like I said, I was eager to experience the culture and events of Spain. So I was open to the idea of going to one. When I read about one on Thursday, I figured that since I would never be in Spain again, it would be my only chance to see a real Spanish bull fight. So I boarded the bus and went to the near by city of Torremolinos where that nights fight was being held. I had to walk about a half hour to the ring where I found two German tourist that spoke English. The also spoke Spanish so they helped me get my ticket and I sat with them during the fight. They were very interesting to talk to, and they brought a bottle of wine to the fight that I thought was strange. They thought that I was strange for not drinking any so it worked out. I will not go in to the details about the fights for it was bloody. Although it was violent, sad and horrific, it was also strangely exciting and exhilarating. At least until the matadors started to stab the bulls. There were six fights, but after four I had seen enough and decided to leave. Watching the crowd’s reactions was another experience. They would whistle if they did not like how the fight was progression, and would wave white cloths if they were happy. If the crowd really liked the fight, they would throw their hats in to the ring so that the Matador could throw them back. All in all it was an interesting experience that although horrific, I am glad I went.
Even though going to Spain was a vacation for me my spouse had to go to work every day. I spent most of my time sight seeing alone. I had a great time roaming the city and traveling on the busses to the local sites. While in Spain I was able to visit these exciting attractions:
Laguna de Fuente de Piedra nature reserve;
The lagoon is about an hour away from the city. I got directions and grabbed a bus. The bus was similar to a Gray Hound bus with cushion seats and curtains in the windows. When the bus arrived at the station in Andalusia, I walked for a half hour down the highway to the Lagoon.
The Lagoon is the most extensive one in the area and is the second most important one Europe. It is also an important site for the largest colony of flamingos in the Iberian Peninsula. The water is deep blue and surrounded by lush foliage. So I am sure you can imagine my disappointment when I arrived at the reserve only to find a giant sand pit. Of all the people I asked directions to in the past two and a half hours of travel time, no one thought to tell me that the lagoon dries up at this time of the year. I had to wait two more hours for the bus to return, and another two until I returned to Malaga. So in total I spent about seven hours going nowhere. The bus trip went thru the mountains, so at least that part was neat.
Alcazaba;
The Alcazaba is a military fortress built be the Moors in the 11th century. The fortress lies on a hilltop with amazing views of the town and the sea. The hike up the steep sloping walk way was an extreme work out. On the way up I met a lady named from Florida named Malaina. She could speak Spanish, so she translated all the sighs for me. She is afraid of heights, so I helped her gather the courage to climb the stairs to the top of all the towers. It was a wonderful time exploring all the nooks of the fortress. The architecture was inspiring even though to get there caused you to loose a pound of sweat.
The Roman Theater:
The Roman Theater is located just below Alcazaba, but was not discovered until 1951. It is thought that the last event at the theater accrued the 3rd century and that the Moors used elements from the theater to build Alcazaba. Today the theater is mostly closed off, but there are a few stone rows the public can sit in.
The Picasso Museum;
Picasso was born in Malaga and there is an impressive collection of his work on exhibit at his museum. There were examples from all of Picasso’s phases of art, and some of his sculptures. The most interesting display was a sequence of sketches showing the progression how a painting of his developed. There were a few progressions that actually ended in the finished work. It was fascinating to see how his thoughts and ideas changed thru the six sketches of the same piece until the finished painting.
A bullfight
I never thought that I would attend a bullfight. The violence and cruelty has turned me off the sport since I first realized how the bulls suffer. However like I said, I was eager to experience the culture and events of Spain. So I was open to the idea of going to one. When I read about one on Thursday, I figured that since I would never be in Spain again, it would be my only chance to see a real Spanish bull fight. So I boarded the bus and went to the near by city of Torremolinos where that nights fight was being held. I had to walk about a half hour to the ring where I found two German tourist that spoke English. The also spoke Spanish so they helped me get my ticket and I sat with them during the fight. They were very interesting to talk to, and they brought a bottle of wine to the fight that I thought was strange. They thought that I was strange for not drinking any so it worked out. I will not go in to the details about the fights for it was bloody. Although it was violent, sad and horrific, it was also strangely exciting and exhilarating. At least until the matadors started to stab the bulls. There were six fights, but after four I had seen enough and decided to leave. Watching the crowd’s reactions was another experience. They would whistle if they did not like how the fight was progression, and would wave white cloths if they were happy. If the crowd really liked the fight, they would throw their hats in to the ring so that the Matador could throw them back. All in all it was an interesting experience that although horrific, I am glad I went.
Monday, September 05, 2005
The ambience of Spain;
Spain was both beautiful and ugly at the same time. The environment was breath taken. The ocean meets a deep blue cloudless sky, which met at the horizon in a way that seemed seamless. The city of Malaga is surrounded by towering mountains and doted with palm trees. The sun was warm and constantly beet down on us. A cool breeze and zero humidity made us forget the temperature reaching to the 100’s. Ancient structures rise between modern buildings. Thick defensive damping walls ascend high above city streets, lining the old Moors fortress. The combination of the natural environment, the hot weather, and the ancient architecture made our trip to Spain worth the aggravation of travel.
On the other side of the scope, the city itself left much to be desired. The only word to describe the city is dirty. Where our hotel was located we could see many empty lots coved in litter. Due to the lack of rain, the city is very dusty. A thin layer of dust blankets most cars you see. All of the sidewalks are tiled in differing patterns thru out the city. Normally this would be an intricate detail that adds charm to any European city. However this same tiled sidewalk in Malaga is dotted with the resident’s dog droppings. The last thing that takes away from the beauty of Spain is the smell. There is a smell thru out the city that stops you from taking a deep breath. The dust in the air forces you to cough now and then, no matter how many shops you enter. The worst smell was one similar to sulfur. I do not know where it was coming from, but every three blocks or so, you would be impaled with a strong sulfur odor. It would last for about a block and was so pungent that it would linger in your throat, even thou the smell was undetectable.
Even though the city’s hygiene was not on par with the landscape, our time in Spain was wonderful. I took advantage of what the city had to offer and soaked in the natural beauty of Spain. You make your own enjoyment of a new experience based on your egerness to take in a culture or event. I was so excited to explore Malaga and its landscape, that I hardly noticed the city’s condidtion. We had a wonderful time, and made the most of this one chance trip
Spain was both beautiful and ugly at the same time. The environment was breath taken. The ocean meets a deep blue cloudless sky, which met at the horizon in a way that seemed seamless. The city of Malaga is surrounded by towering mountains and doted with palm trees. The sun was warm and constantly beet down on us. A cool breeze and zero humidity made us forget the temperature reaching to the 100’s. Ancient structures rise between modern buildings. Thick defensive damping walls ascend high above city streets, lining the old Moors fortress. The combination of the natural environment, the hot weather, and the ancient architecture made our trip to Spain worth the aggravation of travel.
On the other side of the scope, the city itself left much to be desired. The only word to describe the city is dirty. Where our hotel was located we could see many empty lots coved in litter. Due to the lack of rain, the city is very dusty. A thin layer of dust blankets most cars you see. All of the sidewalks are tiled in differing patterns thru out the city. Normally this would be an intricate detail that adds charm to any European city. However this same tiled sidewalk in Malaga is dotted with the resident’s dog droppings. The last thing that takes away from the beauty of Spain is the smell. There is a smell thru out the city that stops you from taking a deep breath. The dust in the air forces you to cough now and then, no matter how many shops you enter. The worst smell was one similar to sulfur. I do not know where it was coming from, but every three blocks or so, you would be impaled with a strong sulfur odor. It would last for about a block and was so pungent that it would linger in your throat, even thou the smell was undetectable.
Even though the city’s hygiene was not on par with the landscape, our time in Spain was wonderful. I took advantage of what the city had to offer and soaked in the natural beauty of Spain. You make your own enjoyment of a new experience based on your egerness to take in a culture or event. I was so excited to explore Malaga and its landscape, that I hardly noticed the city’s condidtion. We had a wonderful time, and made the most of this one chance trip
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Spain
We are off to Spain for 10 days. Trolltech always attends the annual KDE conference, which is held in different countries each year. We will be going with a group of other “Trolls”. I am also going to do some site seeing and visit some important anthropology sites. We are leaving on Thursday the 25th and will be returning Sep. 4th. It is strange, that going to Spain does not seem like a big deal to us. I guess the novelty of going to a country in Europe wears off when you live here.
It is suppose be in the 90’s when we arrive. After having the comfortable weather of Norway for so long, I’m sure the heat will come as a shock to us. It will be the first time we will have needed to wear shorts this summer. We are taking two cameras with us, so we are sure to be able to get some great photos. They will all be online as soon as we can get them up. I’m not sure how much Internet access we will have in Spain, so this might be my last entry for a while. In any event I’ll fill you all in about our trip as soon as we get home.
We are off to Spain for 10 days. Trolltech always attends the annual KDE conference, which is held in different countries each year. We will be going with a group of other “Trolls”. I am also going to do some site seeing and visit some important anthropology sites. We are leaving on Thursday the 25th and will be returning Sep. 4th. It is strange, that going to Spain does not seem like a big deal to us. I guess the novelty of going to a country in Europe wears off when you live here.
It is suppose be in the 90’s when we arrive. After having the comfortable weather of Norway for so long, I’m sure the heat will come as a shock to us. It will be the first time we will have needed to wear shorts this summer. We are taking two cameras with us, so we are sure to be able to get some great photos. They will all be online as soon as we can get them up. I’m not sure how much Internet access we will have in Spain, so this might be my last entry for a while. In any event I’ll fill you all in about our trip as soon as we get home.
Walking is good.
Everyone walks here. Most of the people walking by us are in great shape. It is good exercise as well as providing time to be able to talk, away from the distraction of home life. It decreases the stress in your life, as well as the pollution in the city. These are all valid reasons for walking, but I have a better one. You find money. Walking the long way home I noticed a piece of paper. Since I was looking around my surrounding, I took a second quick look at it and stopped. I picked it up and happily showed it to them. It was a 50 Krone paper note. It is about the same as $10.00 in the US. There was no one around so I kept it. So go out for walks, it is good for you and you might find money.
Everyone walks here. Most of the people walking by us are in great shape. It is good exercise as well as providing time to be able to talk, away from the distraction of home life. It decreases the stress in your life, as well as the pollution in the city. These are all valid reasons for walking, but I have a better one. You find money. Walking the long way home I noticed a piece of paper. Since I was looking around my surrounding, I took a second quick look at it and stopped. I picked it up and happily showed it to them. It was a 50 Krone paper note. It is about the same as $10.00 in the US. There was no one around so I kept it. So go out for walks, it is good for you and you might find money.
Our stuff came :)
Before leaving Boston we mailed five boxes to our selves in Oslo. Four of the boxes would take 4-6 weeks, wile the last one will take 8-10 weeks. They were filled with winter clothing, books, computer items, and a few things that would not fit in the suitcases. I jumped in the air when we found out the boxes had arrived. Because the boxes were heavy, we borrowed the dolly from work, and walked down to the post office. We brought them back to Trolltech, where I happily went through each box. We now have some new reading books, and my favorite cookbook. The last box is filled with the rest of our books. I will be glad when the last box arrives. It feels like we have not totally moved in yet, simply because we still have items in transit. The only problem with receiving our stuff now, is that when we get our own apartment, we will have more stuff to put in the taxi.
Before leaving Boston we mailed five boxes to our selves in Oslo. Four of the boxes would take 4-6 weeks, wile the last one will take 8-10 weeks. They were filled with winter clothing, books, computer items, and a few things that would not fit in the suitcases. I jumped in the air when we found out the boxes had arrived. Because the boxes were heavy, we borrowed the dolly from work, and walked down to the post office. We brought them back to Trolltech, where I happily went through each box. We now have some new reading books, and my favorite cookbook. The last box is filled with the rest of our books. I will be glad when the last box arrives. It feels like we have not totally moved in yet, simply because we still have items in transit. The only problem with receiving our stuff now, is that when we get our own apartment, we will have more stuff to put in the taxi.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Pubs
As I teenager I never went to any clubs or bars with my friends. My only knowledge of what they were like came from movies and television. Bars were always painted as dark and dangerous, where you can get drugged, hurt, or raped. Well the real thing is very different. The first pub we went to was inside a jazz store. There was live music and a bright atmosphere. All the roommates went together, plus Simon (who has moved out). Zack is a straight edge guy, which means he does not put anything in his body that could alter his perception of reality. At the top of the list are liquor, drugs, and caffeine. He is also a vegetarian and does not believe in promiscuous sex. I do not like the taste of liquor so while the rest of the guys had a beer while Zack and I had hot chocolate. The movies also never showed hot chocolate being served at a bar.
After the beer and chocolate was finished, we moved to another pub in town. This one was just a pub with a DJ and dimmer lights. This one did have sofas, and upholstered chairs. The guys again had beers, while Zack had an ice tea. Overall I have realized that pubs are just a nice place to go and talk to your friends on a Friday night. If you pick a nice one, there is nothing to fear and if you are responsible with the alcohol then everyone has a good time. No one messed with us, and no one else even talked to us. Even a pub in the middle of a capital city could teach that movies and reality is very different.
As I teenager I never went to any clubs or bars with my friends. My only knowledge of what they were like came from movies and television. Bars were always painted as dark and dangerous, where you can get drugged, hurt, or raped. Well the real thing is very different. The first pub we went to was inside a jazz store. There was live music and a bright atmosphere. All the roommates went together, plus Simon (who has moved out). Zack is a straight edge guy, which means he does not put anything in his body that could alter his perception of reality. At the top of the list are liquor, drugs, and caffeine. He is also a vegetarian and does not believe in promiscuous sex. I do not like the taste of liquor so while the rest of the guys had a beer while Zack and I had hot chocolate. The movies also never showed hot chocolate being served at a bar.
After the beer and chocolate was finished, we moved to another pub in town. This one was just a pub with a DJ and dimmer lights. This one did have sofas, and upholstered chairs. The guys again had beers, while Zack had an ice tea. Overall I have realized that pubs are just a nice place to go and talk to your friends on a Friday night. If you pick a nice one, there is nothing to fear and if you are responsible with the alcohol then everyone has a good time. No one messed with us, and no one else even talked to us. Even a pub in the middle of a capital city could teach that movies and reality is very different.
Girls
There are not a lot of girls in Trolltech. There are some, but they are mostly in the HR department. There are no girls that I can really talk to around here, and I find my self surrounded by the guys every day. I had a little bit of a reprieve the other week when Jason’s girlfriend Pam came for the weekend. Pam works for a cruise line company and is moving to the main office here in Norway. Due to her moving, Jason looked and found a job in Norway so they can stay together. Jason’s job started first so he moved here while Pam finished work on a cruise ship she had just inspected in Germany. Pam is moving here in September, in to an apartment supplied by her company. Jason will be moving in with her as soon as she arrives permanently. She came for a visit to see Jason for the first time in six months. It was different having a girl in the house for the weekend. It was nice to talk to someone about the guys, and about emotions. It was funny how the house suddenly smelt like perfume and hair products. Even though her stay was short, I am looking forward to September when Pam will be here to stay.
Boris’ wife Lilly had arrived with their daughter Emma. I have not been able to spend a lot of time with Lilly yet, but have talked to her at the office. She is trying to get her bearings and a just to an apartment after living in her own house. I got to play with Emma for a while, even though we cannot understand each other. It is a good thing that interactive play does not need language to succeed. I hope to spend more time with Lilly, especially when we get our own place. I can understand how she feels being alone all day.
After we were in the paper we were contacted by a girl who moved here from Wisconsin, to marry a local Norwegian man. We went out to dinner with them and I was able to trade stories with her about living in a new country. She understood the boredom of not being able to work, or go to school until the visa comes in. She gave me some good tips about Norwegian culture and living practices. We are planning to get together again as soon as they get back from their vacation. My hope is to get a small group of girls together so that we can go out together and help each other with the trials of a new country. Like I have said before, I love spending time with the guys, but now and then you just need the understanding of another girl.
There are not a lot of girls in Trolltech. There are some, but they are mostly in the HR department. There are no girls that I can really talk to around here, and I find my self surrounded by the guys every day. I had a little bit of a reprieve the other week when Jason’s girlfriend Pam came for the weekend. Pam works for a cruise line company and is moving to the main office here in Norway. Due to her moving, Jason looked and found a job in Norway so they can stay together. Jason’s job started first so he moved here while Pam finished work on a cruise ship she had just inspected in Germany. Pam is moving here in September, in to an apartment supplied by her company. Jason will be moving in with her as soon as she arrives permanently. She came for a visit to see Jason for the first time in six months. It was different having a girl in the house for the weekend. It was nice to talk to someone about the guys, and about emotions. It was funny how the house suddenly smelt like perfume and hair products. Even though her stay was short, I am looking forward to September when Pam will be here to stay.
Boris’ wife Lilly had arrived with their daughter Emma. I have not been able to spend a lot of time with Lilly yet, but have talked to her at the office. She is trying to get her bearings and a just to an apartment after living in her own house. I got to play with Emma for a while, even though we cannot understand each other. It is a good thing that interactive play does not need language to succeed. I hope to spend more time with Lilly, especially when we get our own place. I can understand how she feels being alone all day.
After we were in the paper we were contacted by a girl who moved here from Wisconsin, to marry a local Norwegian man. We went out to dinner with them and I was able to trade stories with her about living in a new country. She understood the boredom of not being able to work, or go to school until the visa comes in. She gave me some good tips about Norwegian culture and living practices. We are planning to get together again as soon as they get back from their vacation. My hope is to get a small group of girls together so that we can go out together and help each other with the trials of a new country. Like I have said before, I love spending time with the guys, but now and then you just need the understanding of another girl.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Frisbee
Last week some of the guys at the office decided to go out and play ultimate Frisbee. For those of you who do not know what that is, here are the basics. There are two teams each with a goal. You pass the Frisbee to your teammates in an attempt to pass it to a team member in the opposite goal. Once you are holding the Frisbee you cannot move, but everyone else is free to run around or block your pass. It is kind of like basketball with goals.
It was my intention to read in the sun wile they played, but they were so into the game that I had to take pictures of them. The photos I took just did not capture the intensity of how they played. They were literally diving for the Frisbee, and jumping on each other to get the Frisbee away from the other team. One guy fell hard and sprained his ankle, and others were cut up and bloody by the time the game was ended.
Now I love my spouse, and I have seen all the sides of them but being physically active is a side I very rarely see. We run around and chase each other, and we do physical things together, but I have not seen them play a team sport since collage. It was fun to see them running around and being active, although the next day they was very soar.
Last week some of the guys at the office decided to go out and play ultimate Frisbee. For those of you who do not know what that is, here are the basics. There are two teams each with a goal. You pass the Frisbee to your teammates in an attempt to pass it to a team member in the opposite goal. Once you are holding the Frisbee you cannot move, but everyone else is free to run around or block your pass. It is kind of like basketball with goals.
It was my intention to read in the sun wile they played, but they were so into the game that I had to take pictures of them. The photos I took just did not capture the intensity of how they played. They were literally diving for the Frisbee, and jumping on each other to get the Frisbee away from the other team. One guy fell hard and sprained his ankle, and others were cut up and bloody by the time the game was ended.
Now I love my spouse, and I have seen all the sides of them but being physically active is a side I very rarely see. We run around and chase each other, and we do physical things together, but I have not seen them play a team sport since collage. It was fun to see them running around and being active, although the next day they was very soar.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Back to a bit of normality;
When I first got married, we carried on his family’s tradition of home made pizza and a movie every Saturday night. After a few months of this, we realized that our waistlines were growing a bit too fast. From then on, pizza was only made when we had friends over for dinner. Our friends had to help make the pizza, which made for lots of talking and fun. No matter whom we had over for dinner, they enjoyed the novelty of home made pizza from scratch.
We had invited Boris and Zack over on Saturday for a movie. I thought it would be fun (not to mention an adventure) to try to find all the ingredients and make pizza for everyone. Our first task was to find a pizza pan, which we were told might be hard to locate. Fortunately there is a restaurant cookware supply store not far from our apartment. After wondering around the shelves, I was able to locate two good size professional pizza pans.
I was then off to the corner “mom & pop” store to locate the ingredients. I was able to find everything I needed except for the yeast. I had always used dry yeast available in a packet or jar. When I could not find it, I asked the casher. Even though he spoke English, “yeast” was not a term he was familiar with. I spent a few moments using my hands to “show” the rising motion as I said, “it makes bread rise”. He had no idea what I was talking about. Luckily for me another customer was from England and knew what I needed. He showed me to the refrigerator and pointed out a small, squishy cube. When I got home I opened the yeast to discover a gray pliable substance resembling clay. It had the correct smell so I began the dough.
The pizza came out pretty good for the first attempt, and they guys left no leftovers. We had a great night watching movies, and eating ice cream for dessert. We have since had the guys over for dinner a few more times. It is always a nice feeling having Zack and the guys over to eat and talk. It is starting to feel like a normal life again. Now we just have to find an apartment of our own to officially be home.
When I first got married, we carried on his family’s tradition of home made pizza and a movie every Saturday night. After a few months of this, we realized that our waistlines were growing a bit too fast. From then on, pizza was only made when we had friends over for dinner. Our friends had to help make the pizza, which made for lots of talking and fun. No matter whom we had over for dinner, they enjoyed the novelty of home made pizza from scratch.
We had invited Boris and Zack over on Saturday for a movie. I thought it would be fun (not to mention an adventure) to try to find all the ingredients and make pizza for everyone. Our first task was to find a pizza pan, which we were told might be hard to locate. Fortunately there is a restaurant cookware supply store not far from our apartment. After wondering around the shelves, I was able to locate two good size professional pizza pans.
I was then off to the corner “mom & pop” store to locate the ingredients. I was able to find everything I needed except for the yeast. I had always used dry yeast available in a packet or jar. When I could not find it, I asked the casher. Even though he spoke English, “yeast” was not a term he was familiar with. I spent a few moments using my hands to “show” the rising motion as I said, “it makes bread rise”. He had no idea what I was talking about. Luckily for me another customer was from England and knew what I needed. He showed me to the refrigerator and pointed out a small, squishy cube. When I got home I opened the yeast to discover a gray pliable substance resembling clay. It had the correct smell so I began the dough.
The pizza came out pretty good for the first attempt, and they guys left no leftovers. We had a great night watching movies, and eating ice cream for dessert. We have since had the guys over for dinner a few more times. It is always a nice feeling having Zack and the guys over to eat and talk. It is starting to feel like a normal life again. Now we just have to find an apartment of our own to officially be home.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
New Roommates
Trolltech rents out two apartments in the building for new employees or for visiting business officials. Originally Trolltech only had one apartment. Now that the company is expanding, they realized they needed more housing for the overseas recruits. Two Trolltech employees happen to rent an apartment in the same building as Trolltech’s. When these guys moved out, Trolltech took over their lease to provide the extra space needed. The apartment we live in is on the second floor and the official Trolltech apartment, with a sticker on the door to help locate the correct apartment. We have been sharing this apartment with Simon. Simon has been here about three months, but started at Trolltech as an intern a few years ago. Simon has recently moved out after finding his own apartment. A few days after Simon left we were told that we should expect a new roommate named Jerry on Friday. Well Friday came and the door buzzed. The voice on the other end said his name was Jason. So Jerry turned in to Jason. Jason comes from Canada, and will be moving in with his girlfriend as soon as she arrives from her job in Germany. We are trying to help Jason get used to the city and give him the information he needs to know about Trolltech and Oslo.
One the fifth floor lives two other Trolltech new hires. Boris, who is from the Czech Rep. and Zach who moved to Pennsylvania after being born in Poland. Boris had to find an apartment fast, in order for his wife Lilly and two year old daughter Emma to join him. To be able to get an apartment, you first need a bank account due to the fact that all money transactions are done thru bank transfers. This process makes checks unnecessary. In order to get the bank account you need what is called a “D” number. Think of a “D” number as a social security number. Boris’ “D” number finally came in, and he was able to find and move in to an apartment in a matter of a week. He only lived in the apartment for two months.
Zach has lived here for three months. He has not had a strong drive to find a new apartment, as it is just him. He has looked on-line a bit for an apartment, but has yet to decide on one. Now that Boris has moved out, Zack’s new roommate is named Anders. Anders is native to Norway, but has been working in the US office for six months. We were not expecting a new roommate the night Anders came, but I was awake because I could not sleep. At about 1:30 A.M I heard the sound of keys in our door. I figured that someone in the building had simply stopped at the wrong floor. When I called out that they had the wrong apartment, Anders replied he was supposed to be in the Trolltech apartment but his key was not working. Apparently no one at the office had told him to go to the top floor. He had seen the sticker on our door and assumed that was where he was supposed to go. I told him where his apartment was, and hoped that Zack was expecting a new person at this hour.
It has been interesting having roommates. We go out together now and then to museums or pubs. We visit each other for dinner or movies in each other’s apartment. It is nice to have people near by that are going thru the same thing as us. They also come in handy when we are trying to find out necessary information, like where things are or how to perform certain errands. I do wish that there were more girls around, but I am getting used to the boys.
Trolltech rents out two apartments in the building for new employees or for visiting business officials. Originally Trolltech only had one apartment. Now that the company is expanding, they realized they needed more housing for the overseas recruits. Two Trolltech employees happen to rent an apartment in the same building as Trolltech’s. When these guys moved out, Trolltech took over their lease to provide the extra space needed. The apartment we live in is on the second floor and the official Trolltech apartment, with a sticker on the door to help locate the correct apartment. We have been sharing this apartment with Simon. Simon has been here about three months, but started at Trolltech as an intern a few years ago. Simon has recently moved out after finding his own apartment. A few days after Simon left we were told that we should expect a new roommate named Jerry on Friday. Well Friday came and the door buzzed. The voice on the other end said his name was Jason. So Jerry turned in to Jason. Jason comes from Canada, and will be moving in with his girlfriend as soon as she arrives from her job in Germany. We are trying to help Jason get used to the city and give him the information he needs to know about Trolltech and Oslo.
One the fifth floor lives two other Trolltech new hires. Boris, who is from the Czech Rep. and Zach who moved to Pennsylvania after being born in Poland. Boris had to find an apartment fast, in order for his wife Lilly and two year old daughter Emma to join him. To be able to get an apartment, you first need a bank account due to the fact that all money transactions are done thru bank transfers. This process makes checks unnecessary. In order to get the bank account you need what is called a “D” number. Think of a “D” number as a social security number. Boris’ “D” number finally came in, and he was able to find and move in to an apartment in a matter of a week. He only lived in the apartment for two months.
Zach has lived here for three months. He has not had a strong drive to find a new apartment, as it is just him. He has looked on-line a bit for an apartment, but has yet to decide on one. Now that Boris has moved out, Zack’s new roommate is named Anders. Anders is native to Norway, but has been working in the US office for six months. We were not expecting a new roommate the night Anders came, but I was awake because I could not sleep. At about 1:30 A.M I heard the sound of keys in our door. I figured that someone in the building had simply stopped at the wrong floor. When I called out that they had the wrong apartment, Anders replied he was supposed to be in the Trolltech apartment but his key was not working. Apparently no one at the office had told him to go to the top floor. He had seen the sticker on our door and assumed that was where he was supposed to go. I told him where his apartment was, and hoped that Zack was expecting a new person at this hour.
It has been interesting having roommates. We go out together now and then to museums or pubs. We visit each other for dinner or movies in each other’s apartment. It is nice to have people near by that are going thru the same thing as us. They also come in handy when we are trying to find out necessary information, like where things are or how to perform certain errands. I do wish that there were more girls around, but I am getting used to the boys.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Museums
We have been trying to get to a “tourist” site every weekend while Oslo is still new. The first attraction we went to was Vigeland Park, or as we call it, ‘statue garden”. Vigeland Park is Norway's most visited attraction with over 1 million visitors every year with app. 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), who also designed the layout of the park. The sculptures are breathtaking and the design allows you to wonder and explore all the “nooks” of the park. It was amusing to watch the tourists get in to the same pose as a sculpture for photos. I had visited this park in January when we first visited the country, and saw this garden as brown snow covered earth. The park was so much more interesting with all the flowers in full bloom and the green grass. The next place we went was to the National Gallery. There we saw “the Scream” “Portrait of Mme Zborowska” “Winter Night in the Mountains” and the Van go self-portrait. There was a large collection of Munch’s work, as well as work by Van go, Monet, Rembrandt, and many predominant local artists. It amazed us that the museum had no air conditioning or humidifiers to protect the art. We soon learned that most recognized paintings (“the Scream” ect.) were much smaller then we had envisioned them to be. There were also many small sculptures that were over looked in the corners of the rooms. While most people either ignored or over looked these statues, we found them more festinating then some “important” paintings.
Last weekend we went to the Vikingskipshuset (Viking ship) museum as well as the Norsk Folkemuseum. The ship museum has a great display of three Viking ships and objects of daily life from the 9th century. It was an unbelievable collection that thankfully, was very well preserved. I spent a lot of time studying these artifacts, and examining the finely carved wood. The building was well laid-out, with balconies available to see over the top of the ships. After the Ship museum we walked about a block to the “Norsk Folkemuseum”. This is an open-air museum similar to Massachusetts Sturbridge Village. There is a re-crated village, with displays of social customs and clothing. There is also an apartment building that dedicates an apartment from the different decades of the 20th century. One of the main structures is the “Gol Stave Church”, which was built in 1200. It is a breathtaking example of the expert architecture and carvers of the past. We brought our upstairs roommate Boris with us, who by the end of the day, was exhausted from following us all over the grounds.
We have been trying to get to a “tourist” site every weekend while Oslo is still new. The first attraction we went to was Vigeland Park, or as we call it, ‘statue garden”. Vigeland Park is Norway's most visited attraction with over 1 million visitors every year with app. 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), who also designed the layout of the park. The sculptures are breathtaking and the design allows you to wonder and explore all the “nooks” of the park. It was amusing to watch the tourists get in to the same pose as a sculpture for photos. I had visited this park in January when we first visited the country, and saw this garden as brown snow covered earth. The park was so much more interesting with all the flowers in full bloom and the green grass. The next place we went was to the National Gallery. There we saw “the Scream” “Portrait of Mme Zborowska” “Winter Night in the Mountains” and the Van go self-portrait. There was a large collection of Munch’s work, as well as work by Van go, Monet, Rembrandt, and many predominant local artists. It amazed us that the museum had no air conditioning or humidifiers to protect the art. We soon learned that most recognized paintings (“the Scream” ect.) were much smaller then we had envisioned them to be. There were also many small sculptures that were over looked in the corners of the rooms. While most people either ignored or over looked these statues, we found them more festinating then some “important” paintings.
Last weekend we went to the Vikingskipshuset (Viking ship) museum as well as the Norsk Folkemuseum. The ship museum has a great display of three Viking ships and objects of daily life from the 9th century. It was an unbelievable collection that thankfully, was very well preserved. I spent a lot of time studying these artifacts, and examining the finely carved wood. The building was well laid-out, with balconies available to see over the top of the ships. After the Ship museum we walked about a block to the “Norsk Folkemuseum”. This is an open-air museum similar to Massachusetts Sturbridge Village. There is a re-crated village, with displays of social customs and clothing. There is also an apartment building that dedicates an apartment from the different decades of the 20th century. One of the main structures is the “Gol Stave Church”, which was built in 1200. It is a breathtaking example of the expert architecture and carvers of the past. We brought our upstairs roommate Boris with us, who by the end of the day, was exhausted from following us all over the grounds.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
We were in the paper;
The other day, one of the HR people asked if we would mind being interviewed for one of the local papers. They were doing a story on a new program to help X- patriots get settled in the country. As Trolltech relocates a lot of people from around the world they are taking advantage of some parts of the program for their new employees. We agreed to be interviewed. We were asked the usual questions about why we decided to move and how we learned about Trolltech. We explained the biggest challenges of moving to a foreign country, which was how everything is just a little different. When they took our picture we were told to tickle each other. I can only assume it was so our smiles would look more authentic, but we think we look stupid. Oh well, we are still in the paper.
We were surprised when we found out that our article was in the paper the next day. Unfortunately we found this out the day after its release. We were able to keep the copy that Trolltech had, even though we cannot read what the article says yet. The best part of being in the paper was that we received three e-mails from different people originally from the states. They want to get together with us to help us find our way around the city and to just talk. Not bad for being in the country for two weeks.
The other day, one of the HR people asked if we would mind being interviewed for one of the local papers. They were doing a story on a new program to help X- patriots get settled in the country. As Trolltech relocates a lot of people from around the world they are taking advantage of some parts of the program for their new employees. We agreed to be interviewed. We were asked the usual questions about why we decided to move and how we learned about Trolltech. We explained the biggest challenges of moving to a foreign country, which was how everything is just a little different. When they took our picture we were told to tickle each other. I can only assume it was so our smiles would look more authentic, but we think we look stupid. Oh well, we are still in the paper.
We were surprised when we found out that our article was in the paper the next day. Unfortunately we found this out the day after its release. We were able to keep the copy that Trolltech had, even though we cannot read what the article says yet. The best part of being in the paper was that we received three e-mails from different people originally from the states. They want to get together with us to help us find our way around the city and to just talk. Not bad for being in the country for two weeks.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Getting out of the city
We have been in Oslo for a few weeks now and although we have explored, we have not left the city. When Simon got home from work, he told us he was going to the forge (the local ocean/ beach) and would we like to come? We found our bathing suits and walked down to the bus stop. The bus ride was about a half hour that took us thru the suburbs and farms outside the city. When we arrived, we first had to walk thru a forest path. When Simon finally stopped, we were on a cliff face over looking the ocean. We soon learned that this spot was where people would jump off the cliff and in to the ocean. The cliff jumps were between nine and eleven feet high. We climbed down the cliffs to a more reasonable height before jumping in. The water was glorious. It was about 75 degrees with small waves. The current was a little strong, and we had to deal with the see weed, but it was worth it.
Climbing out of the water was a bit tricky for all. You first had to get a good grip on the cliff face next to a steep slope. Once you had a good grip, you had to wait till jus the moment the waves hit your body to give you the lift you needed to get your foot on the slope. You then have to wait for the waves to roll out so you can put your strength in your leg to get up on to the slope. The sun’s reflection on the water was lovely, and the quiet was extremely peaceful after a few weeks in the city. We sat in the sun and watched some “macho guys” try to get the courage to jump of the eleven foot high jump. Only one managed it. We dried off and took some photos of the ocean. We made our way back thru the forest until we arrived at the bus stop. We returned home to a nice cool shower, removing all the salt and see weed. We slept well that night.
We have been in Oslo for a few weeks now and although we have explored, we have not left the city. When Simon got home from work, he told us he was going to the forge (the local ocean/ beach) and would we like to come? We found our bathing suits and walked down to the bus stop. The bus ride was about a half hour that took us thru the suburbs and farms outside the city. When we arrived, we first had to walk thru a forest path. When Simon finally stopped, we were on a cliff face over looking the ocean. We soon learned that this spot was where people would jump off the cliff and in to the ocean. The cliff jumps were between nine and eleven feet high. We climbed down the cliffs to a more reasonable height before jumping in. The water was glorious. It was about 75 degrees with small waves. The current was a little strong, and we had to deal with the see weed, but it was worth it.
Climbing out of the water was a bit tricky for all. You first had to get a good grip on the cliff face next to a steep slope. Once you had a good grip, you had to wait till jus the moment the waves hit your body to give you the lift you needed to get your foot on the slope. You then have to wait for the waves to roll out so you can put your strength in your leg to get up on to the slope. The sun’s reflection on the water was lovely, and the quiet was extremely peaceful after a few weeks in the city. We sat in the sun and watched some “macho guys” try to get the courage to jump of the eleven foot high jump. Only one managed it. We dried off and took some photos of the ocean. We made our way back thru the forest until we arrived at the bus stop. We returned home to a nice cool shower, removing all the salt and see weed. We slept well that night.
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